Harshacharita (socio-cultural Study)
by Mrs. Nandita Sarmah | 2014 | 67,792 words
This page relates ‘Religious Cults’ of the English study on the Harshacharita: A Sanskrit (poetical work) which can be studied as a Historical book of Indian society during the 7th century. It was originally written by Banabhatta who based his Harsacarita on the life of the Gupta emperor Harshavardhana. This study researches the religion, philosophy, flora and fauna and society of ancient India as reflected in the Harsha-Charita.
9. Religious Cults
There were many religious cults such as-Mother Goddess cult, Śaivate cult, Tāntrika cult, Bhāgavata cult in the 7th century A.D.
1 Mother Goddess Cult:
In the 7th century A.D., people often worshiped the Goddess Dūrgā in the forms of Caṇḍikā,[1] Cāmuṇḍā,[2] Indrānī,[3] Mahāśvetā[4] etc. and she was known in different names (i.e., Caṇḍrikā,[5] Gaurī,[6] Parvatī,[7] Śyāmā,[8] Mahāśvetā[9] etc.). The mahānavamī[10] festival in honour to Durgā is mentioned by the writer Bāṇa. Animals are offered at her feet and, therefore, the writer names to Dūrgā as sarvapātinī.[11] In the Harṣacarita, description is found offering human flesh to the Goddess Dūrgā as the rites of śakti.[12] It described that mahāmāṃsa[13] (i.e., human flesh) was also offered to piśāca. Moreover, Dūrgā was worshipped in the form of mother[14] goddess associated with the child.
The mātṛs were eight divinities said to be the attendants of Śiva and they were—
brāhmī, maheśvarī, caindrī, barāhī, baiṣṇavī tathā /
kaumārī carmamuṇḍā ca kālasaṅkaṣaṇīti ca //[15]
Goddess Sarasvatī was worshiped for learning and all the vidyās had her tongue[16] between her lips. She is mentioned by the writer as bhagavatī kumarī devī Sarasvatī.[17]
2 Śaivate Cult:
The people also believed in Śaivism. The God Śiva is referred in various names by the writer, such as-Paśupati,[18] Śiva,[19] Rudra,[20] Maheśvara,[21] Ahirburdhna,[22] Virupākṣa,[23] Mahākāla[24] etc. He also describes lord Śiva as creator, preserver, and the destroyer of the three worlds.[25] People worshipped Śiva with petals from the wraths of Bilva leaves.[26] They also felicitated him with the rudraikādaśīmantra in the Śaiva temple.[27] Bāṇabhaṭṭa himself was a great devotee of the Śiva and, it is known, the image of the Śiva was washed with milk by him and other people.[28] He also describes in Harṣacarita, the sage Bhairavācārya as typical Śaiva worshipper.[29] In all his directions an oblation to Śiva variegated with rows of white, yellow and red flags, which indicate the worship of Śiva.[30] It is found in the Harṣacarita that people recited the mahākālamantra[31] and rudaikādaśīmantra[32] for worshiping the god Śiva. People also worshiped the Ganeśa, who is mentioned as-the obstacle of Śiva[33] and as vināyaka[34] which was his power to removes all evils.
The pāśupata[35] sect was a branch of Śaivism, which was very popular in Bāṇa’s time. He mentions the pāśupāta monks came to meet the king Harṣa.[36]
3 Tāntrika Cult:
Tāntrika rites were practiced by the people of that time. They were known as mantrasādhaka[37] (i.e., a magician) and eindrajālika[38] (i.e., juggler) who followed these rites. From the description of Bhairavacārya it is found that tāntrika ascetics lived in cremation ground or in a tract or circle of ashes,[39] and a maṇḍala[40] was drawn on the ground in worshiping deity. The rituals were performed at midnight, mostly in the cemetery or in the Śaiva temples[41] and they offered oblation of human flesh, human blood to their deities.[42]
4 Bhāgavata Cult:
It is mentioned by D.D. Kosambi—
“Under Harṣa, as under the Guptas (some of whom followed the Bhāgavata Cult) temples, Buddhist bihāras, and Brahmins prospered with fresh donations.”[43]
In the Harṣacarita also there is reference to bhāgavata Cult.[44]
Therefore it is mentioned by D.D. Kosambi—
“Harṣa (descendent of puṣpabhūti, almost certainly of rival origin) was a Sun worshipper, follower of Maheśvara (Beal,I.222-3; E.I.4.211; 7.158) and Buddhist, devotee of ahiṃsā and war-lord-all at the same time.”[45]
From the above discussion, it is clear that in the 7th century A.D. people mostly worshiped the Paurānic Hindu Gods-Śiva, Sūrya, Dūrgā and Ganeśa.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
kvacidupāsyamāna caṇḍrikam, Harṣacarita,V.p.76
[2]:
gahanataruṣaṇḍanirmitacāmuṇḍāmaṇḍapairvanapradeśaiḥ prakāśyamānam, Ibid.,VII.p.123
[3]:
….pratiṣṭhāpyamānendrānīdaivatam…, Ibid.,IV.p.69
[4]:
..sākṣātadiva bhagavatyā mahāśvetā…., Ibid.,II.p.26
[5]:
Ibid.,p.76
[6]:
Ibid., p.44
[7]:
Ibid.,p. 57
[8]:
Ibid.,p.44
[9]:
Ibid.,p.26
[10]:
mahānavamīmahaṃ mahiṣamaṇḍalānām, Ibid.,VIII.p.126
[11]:
jagatisarvajantojīvitopahārapātinī sañcarati ….caṇḍikā…, Ibid.,VIII.p.139
[12]:
aparatra……kriyamānamahāmāṃsavikrayaprakramam, Ibid.,V.p.76
[13]:
aparatra niśitaśastrīnikṛattātmamāṃsahomaprasaktāptavargam, Ibid.
[14]:
sākṣātjātamātṛdevatā iva bahuvālakavyākulā nanṛrturvṛddhadhārtyaḥ, Ibid.,IV.p.62
[16]:
vadanapraviṣṭasarvavidyā…, Harṣacarita,I.p.3
[17]:
Ibid.,p.2
[18]:
Ibid.,p.9,47
[19]:
Ibid., p.46,76
[20]:
Ibid.,p.76
[21]:
Ibid., p.47,48
[22]:
Ibid.,p.76
[23]:
Ibid.
[24]:
Ibid.,p.84
[25]:
[a] mahākālabhidhānena bhūvanatrayasargastitisaṃhārakāriṇā, Ibid., p.84 [b] tridaśāsuram, devadevaṃ tribhuvanaguruṃ, Ibid.,I.p.7
[26]:
bilvapallavadāmadalodvāhinaḥ, Ibid.,III.p.45
[27]:
[a] japyamānarūdraikādaśī……..śivagṛham, Ibid.,V.p.76 [b] anyatra śirovidhṛtavilīyamānagugguluvikalanavasevakā…..mahākālam, Ibid.
[28]:
[a] devadevasya birupākṣasya kṣīrasrapanapuraḥsarām…., Ibid.,II.p.25 [b] atiśuciśaivasampādyamānavirupākṣakṣīrakalaśasahasrasnapanam, Ibid.,V.p.76
[29]:
[a] bhagavantaṃ sākṣātdiva virupākṣaṃ bhairavācāryaṃ dadarśa, Ibid.,III.p.47 [b] śivabhaktiriva sākṣātrdarśaya….., Ibid.,III.p.48 [c] śivabalimiva…., Ibid.,III.p.47
[30]:
sitapītalohotapatākāvaliśavalaṃ śivavalimiva dikṣu vikṣipantam, Ibid.
[31]:
mahākāla hṛdayanāmno mahāmantra, Ibid., III.p.49
[32]:
Ibid.,V.p.76
[33]:
[34]:
sarvavidyāsiddhivighnavināyaka……, Harṣacarita,III.p.47
[35]:
pāśupataiḥ….kṛtaparigrahaṃ rājadvāramagamat, Ibid.,II.p.28
[36]:
Ibid.
[37]:
Ibid.,I.p.19
[38]:
Ibid.
[39]:
…kṛtabhasmarekhāparihāraparikare…. brāghracarmanyupaviṣṭam, Ibid.,III.p.47
[40]:
…mahāmaṇḍalamivanekavarṇarāgamālikhantam…, Ibid.
[41]:
[a].….kṛṣṇacaturdaśyāṃ śaivena vidhinā dikṣitaḥ……sampādita gandhadhūpamatyādipūjaṃ….bhīṣaṇāṃ ca sādhanabhūmim, Ibid.,III.p.50-51 [b] vigaṭāyāṃ śarvayāṃ, suptajane niḥśavdastimite niśīthe,…, Ibid.,III.p.50
[42]:
[a]. ….mahāmāṃsabikrayakrītena manaḥśilāpaṅkeneva…, Ibid.,p.47 [b]. …rudhirabalilampatāsu…, Ibid.,III.p.50
[44]:
bhāgavataivarṇibhiḥ, Harṣacarita,VIII.p.128
[45]:
An Introduction to the study of Indian History,p.305