At the Burning Ground: Death and Transcendence in Bengali Shaktism
June Mcdaniel
Religions August 8, 2023 DOI: 10.3390/rel14081014 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 2 |
| Key points | Argues that in Bengali Shaktism the burning ground operates as both a literal cremation site and a metaphor for the heart rendered desolate by sorrow, and that this state of negation and lost attachment is the condition under which the goddess Kali descends to grant salvation, a better rebirth, or moksha. The paper contends that transcendence of worldly attachments amid the burning ground's ashes yields divine vision and realization. |
Abstract
The burning ground is both a place and a metaphor in the religion of Shaktism or goddess worship in West Bengal, India. As a place, it is where corpses are cremated. As a metaphor, it refers to the human heart, which has been left as a wasteland through sorrow and tragedy. It is when the soul loses its attachment to this world, when the heart is desolate and alone, that the dark goddess Kali descends from the heavens. She may bring the gift of salvation, bringing the soul to her paradise, or she may save it from unhappy rebirth by bringing a new and better life. She may also bring the universal consciousness that is moksha or liberation. Transcendence from the bondage of worldly attachments, which are left behind amid the ashes of the burning ground, brings divine vision and realization. This paper explores the roles of negation and desolation in ritual practice and religious experience in Bengali Shaktism.