Bengali philosophical practice is based on literature. Charyapada is the earliest example of Bengali literature.
Charyapada, the lyrical verses, interpret Buddhist instructions and solve philosophical problems. They also hold some mysterious and cogitative matters, which are also the subjects of modern eastern and western philosophies. From these lyrics flowed in good time the streams of Vaisnava SAHAJIYA songs, Vaisnava and Shakta padavali and aul, baul, marfati and MURSHIDI songs with their deeply spiritual meanings. Most of the verses directed at some esoteric meaning of the Buddhist sahajiya devotional rites. The sahajiyas paid little heed to the hymns, mantras, forms of worship and the rites laid in the vajrayan. They depended more on the perception of the individual self than on the rituals of the community. Their longing was to attain spiritual uplift by regulating the order of the body and the mind. The rituals of deep devotion mentioned in the Charyapada cause us to think the intellectual and metaphysical expressions of some western philosophical thoughts. This philosophy is wholly spiritualistic.
Charyapada, the lyrical verses, interpret Buddhist instructions and solve philosophical problems. They also hold some mysterious and cogitative matters, which are also the subjects of modern eastern and western philosophies. From these lyrics flowed in good time the streams of Vaisnava SAHAJIYA songs, Vaisnava and Shakta padavali and aul, baul, marfati and MURSHIDI songs with their deeply spiritual meanings. Most of the verses directed at some esoteric meaning of the Buddhist sahajiya devotional rites. The sahajiyas paid little heed to the hymns, mantras, forms of worship and the rites laid in the vajrayan. They depended more on the perception of the individual self than on the rituals of the community. Their longing was to attain spiritual uplift by regulating the order of the body and the mind. The rituals of deep devotion mentioned in the Charyapada cause us to think the intellectual and metaphysical expressions of some western philosophical thoughts. This philosophy is wholly spiritualistic.
Historical Background
- Charyapada, a palm-leaf poetry manuscript, was discovered by Haraprasad Shastri from the library of the royal court of Nepal in 1907. In 1916, under the name of Hazar Bacharer purana Bangla Bhasay Bauddhagan O Doha, the Vangiya Sahitya Parishad published Shastri-edited the manuscript.
- Dr. Muhammad Shahidullah suggests that the poems go back to the 7th or 8th centuries. The manuscript contains 47 verses, composed by 23 poets. The charyapada poets include Sarhapa, Shabarpa, Luipa, Dombipa, Bhusukupa, Kahnapa, Kukkuripa, Minapa, Aryadev, Dhendhanpa.
