Guests at God's Wedding

Tracy Pintchman

Description

This fascinating look at the sacred Hindu month of Kartik (October–November) as it is celebrated in the city of Benares in North India highlights Kartik-related practices, stories, songs, and experiences particular to women. During Kartik, Hindu women living in and around Benares meet daily to enact a form of ritual worship, or puja, in which they raise the playful Hindu deity Krishna from childhood to adulthood throughout the month, ultimately marrying him to the plant-goddess Tulsi (Basil). Tracy Pintchman explores how women who perform Kartik puja understand and celebrate both Kartik and Krishna in ways that are linked to the desires, hopes, fears, and social realities characteristic of many Hindu women living in the rather conservative social milieu of this region.

llustrations
Acknowledgments
Introduction

Prelude to a Book
Confessions of an Inexpert Ethnographer
Contours of the Book

1. Kartik as a Sacred Month: The Kartik Vrat in

Text and Context
Kartik and the Hindu Calendar
Textual Sources and Kartik
The Texts of the Kartik Mahatmya
Kartik and Auspiciousness
The Kartik Vrat
Eulogy and Narrative in the Kartik Mahatmyas: Glorifying Kartik and the Kartik Vrat
The Bhishmapancak and the Bhishmapancak Vrat

2. Kartik's Religious Celebrations and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk

Krishna and Kartik
Sharat Purnima (Autumn Full Moon)
Karva Cauth
Govatsa Dvadashi
Yamatrayodashi and Dhanteras
Narak Caturdashi
Diwali
Kartik Shukla Pratipada/Govadhan Worship/Annakut
Yamdvitiya or Bhaiya Duj
Nag Nathaiya
Dala Chath or Surya Chath
Gopashtami
Akshaya Navami
Prabodhani Ekadashi and the Tulsi Vivaha
Vaikunth Caturdashi
Kartik Purnima

3. Adoring Krishna at the River's Edge: The Practice of Kartik Puja

Prologue
Setting the Stage, and a Tale of Two Votaries
Performing Kartik Puja

4. Krishna, Kartik, and Hindu Women's Lives

Being a Sakhi in Kartik Puja
Krishna as Lover, Husband, and Son
Radha and Tulsi in Kartik Puja Traditions
Concluding Remarks

5. Kartik Puja Traditions and Women's Empowerment

Appendix: Transliterated Song Texts

Notes
Works Cited

Sujets

• East Asian religions
• Religious festival
• Hinduism

Informations

• Publié par: State University of New York Press
• Date de parution: 18 août 2005
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780791482568
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

G uests at G od ’ s edding W

CELEBRATING KARTIK Among the Women of Benares TracyPintchman

Guests at God’s Wedding

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Guests at God’s Wedding

Celebrating Kartik among the Women of Benares 

Tracy Pintchman

State University of New York Press

Published by State University of New York Press, Albany

© 2005 State University of New York

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electrostatic, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior permission in writing of the publisher.

For information, address State University of New York Press 194 Washington Avenue, Suite 305, Albany, NY 12210-2384

Production by Judith Block Marketing by Anne M. Valentine

Library of Congress CataloginginPublication Data

Pintchman, Tracy. Guests at God’s wedding : celebrating Kartik among the women of Benares / Tracy Pintchman. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-7914-6595-0 (alk. paper) — ISBN 0-7914-6596-9 (pbk : alk. paper) 1. Hindu women—India—VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh)—Social life and customs. 2. Hindu women—India—VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh)—Religion. 3. Special months—India—VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh). 4. Fasts and feasts—India—VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh). 5. PÅjÅ (Hinduism)—Indian— VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh). 6. Hinduism and culture—Indian— VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh). 7. VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh, India)—Religious life and customs. 8. VÅrÅnasi (Uttar Pradesh, India)—Social life and customs. I. Title.

HQ1173.P55 2006 294.5'36'09209542—dc22

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

2004065684

For my husband, William French, who makes it all worthwhile

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Illustrations

Acknowledgments

Contents 

Introduction Prelude to a Book Confessions of an Inexpert Ethnographer Contours of the Book

1 Kartik as a Sacred Month: The KartikVrat in Text and Context Kartik and the Hindu Calendar Textual Sources and Kartik The Texts of the Kartik Mahatmya Kartik and Auspiciousness The KartikVrat Eulogy and Narrative in the Kartik Mahatmyas: Glorifying Kartik and the KartikVrat The Bhishmapancak and the BhishmapancakVrat

2 Kartik’s Religious Celebrations and the Churning of the Ocean of Milk Krishna and Kartik Sharat Purnima (Autumn Full Moon) Karva Cauth Govatsa Dvadashi Yamatrayodashi and Dhanteras Narak Caturdashi Diwali

vii

ix

xi

1 3 6 11

15 16 18 19 20 23

30 33

45 51 55 57 58 59 60 61

viii

3

4

5

Contents

Kartik Shukla Pratipada/Govadhan Worship/Annakut Yamdvitiya or Bhaiya Duj Nag Nathaiya Dala Chath or Surya Chath Gopashtami Akshaya Navami Prabodhani Ekadashi and the TulsiVivaha Vaikunth Caturdashi Kartik Purnima

Adoring Krishna at the River’s Edge: The Practice of KartikPâjÅ Prologue Setting the Stage, and a Tale of Two Votaries Performing KartikPâjÅ

Krishna, Kartik, and Hindu Women’s Lives Being aSakh¥Kartik in PâjÅ Krishna as Lover, Husband, and Son Radha and Tulsi in KartikPâjÅ Traditions Concluding Remarks

KartikPâjÅTraditions and Women’s Empowerment

Appendix: Transliterated Song Texts

Notes

Works Cited

Index

63 66 69 71 73 73 76 82 83

89 89 96 101

143 146 155 166 176

179

195

207

219

231

Table Table 1

Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Figure 5 Figure 6 Figure 7 Figure 8 Figure 9

Figure 10 Figure 11

Figure 12

Contents

Illustrations 

Selected religious celebrations during the month of Kartik

The Ganges River flowing at the edge of Benares Women performing KartikpâjÅAssi Ghat on Woman and sky lamp on a BenaresghŇ Votaries circumambulating an effigy of Bhishma/Bhima on Tulsi Ghat Votary bathing in Tirjata’s name Making offerings to Jata-Shiva/Tirjata DiwalipâjÅaltar in a Benaras home Women performing GovardhanpâjÅ Women and girls performing a Bhaiya DujpâjÅ in Benares Nag Nathaiya Dala Chath votaries immersing themselves in the Ganges River Akshaya NavamipâjÅ

ix

ix

5

4

4 5 28

35 41  43 62 65

67 70

71 74