PROBLEMATICASPECTS OF THE SEXUAL RITUALS OF THE BAULS OF BENGAL* RAHUL PETER DAS UNIVERSITY OF HAMBURG This study examines several problematic syncretistic and by origin heterodox beliefs of the Ben- gali Bauls, in the process also drawing attention to parallels not only in South Asia, but in other parts of the Orient too. Particularattention is paid to "tantric"and Islamic elements in the beliefs and rites pertaining to microcosmic and macrocosmic correspondences and the sexual duality of the cosmic principle, as also to the esoteric code language in the songs pertaining to such matters. It is shown that the confidence of many scholars in the transparencyof the Bauls' beliefs is misplaced, and that the deeper we delve into the material, the more do the difficulties multiply. 1. The recent surge of interest in the Bauls (Bengali bdul)1 and the resultant discussion (not always truly scholarly,2 often tinged with Bengali nationalism)3 has * This study has benefited greatly from discussions with several colleagues in Germany and abroad (especially Dr. Carol Salomon, Seattle, and Prof. Dr. Angelika Hartmann, Wiirzburg), all of whom I hereby thank most heartily. I On the transliteration used see R. P. Das, 1984a: 662 for New Indo-Aryan (except when in the Arabo-Persian script, for which see Transkriptionskommission 1969). Old Indo- Aryan (= OIA) words (in the usual transliteration) are given in their stem form which is indicated, where important, with a hyphen, thus differentiating them from similar New Indo- Aryan words. Tantric and yogic physiological terms are gen- erally cited in their classical form, but without the hyphen. 2 Folkloric dillettantism is fashionable now (cf. too S. Cakrabarti 1989: 158; 291). On "The Evolution of the Bauls as Cultural Emblem" and their image as unconventional, earthy, transcendent,fundamentallyBengali and yet panhumanmystic bards with an instinctive feel for eternal truths, see Capwell 1986: 20ff. The chief, though not sole, driving force (for older examples see, e.g., the works in A. Ah'mad 1979, also R. Basu 1984: 73a) behind this development was Rabindranath Thakur (Rabindranath Tagore), whose literary output has much of such "Baul" thought (see also Mur'sid 1981: 137-41, Brahma 1987a: 53-57, Riyajul Hak 1976: 46f.). It has influenced even the otherwise scholarly Das Gupta 1976: 157ff. Novels such as P. Bhattacarya1972 (on the famous Baul Lalan) go on propagating such ideas. Indeed, few writers of fiction have troubled to acquaint themselves with Baul thought; an excep- tion is Kafl'kut. (Samares Basu) (see also Maharaj 1989). 3 To many, Bauls are the representatives of Bengali culture and religious thought. This may lead to mystic effusion, as in the poem Banalir janmatithi "The day of birth of the Bengali": tomader hai'gulo antahin srotasbini, surer nirjhar made this religious group4 well known. I may thus content myself here with stating the basic characteris- tics of their belief and for the rest referring to the ex- tant literature on the subject.5 In short, the syncretistic Baul creed, seemingly both lying outside the fold of the religions of the so-called "great tradition(s)" previ- ously or today current in Bengal, as well as somehow ek'tard hate ek bauler manoj gambuj... "Your bones are endless streams, the mind-born bastions/buds (?; cf. Persian gunbad; surely not "domes"!) of a Baul with [his instrument] the ek'tara, a spring of melody, in [his] hand ..." (Nurul Hudai 1981: 17). It is thus fitting that Bangladesh's national anthem (like India's by Rabindranath Thakur) has a Baul tune (cf. Riyajul Hak 1976: 75, R. P. Das, 1984a: 65; for Gagan Har'kara's original words see, e.g., U. Bhat.tacrya 1980: 1049f., Anoyarul Karim 1971: 288f.). 4 I purposely avoid words such as "sect," "denomination," etc., in this connection, as the classification of the Bauls and their beliefs is not easy. 5 See esp. Anoyarul Karim 1971, Anwarul Karim 1980, Capwell 1986, whose extensive bibliographies list many rele- vant works it is superfluous to mention here, and the biblio- graphic discussion and bibliography in Sarkar 1990: 17-26, 241-45. Add: Lut'phar Rah-man 1980; S. M. Bandyopadhyay 1976; P. Bandyopadhyay 1988: 150-94 and 1989; K. K. Dasgupta 1960; Sariph 1973 and 1983: 87-115 (also pp. 116- 66); Man'sur Uddin 1981, 2.2: 11-46; 0. Ah'mad 1974: 101- 5; Mahmuid1983: 410-43; Ab'dur Ragid 1984: 115-30 (see also pp. 131-36); R. Pal 1976: 135-54; Begam 1976: 40-89; Ab'dul Kfdir 1984: 123-27 and 1985: 1-15, 21-27, 42-76, 84-104; Datta/Bhaumik 1966: (93)-(158), 115-204; Siddiki 1980: 140-56; G. Sen 1987: 46-55; Maitra 1988: 108-22; T. Caudhuri 1983: 169-77; Mahapatra 1972: 9-74; R. C. Mitra 1981: 85; B. Mukhopfdhyay 1984 and 1986; A. Mukho- padhyay 1988; Chaudhuri 1982: 18f.; Qureshi 1977; A. Gupta 388