WHO WAS KĀNHA-PĀ? VAJRAYANA MAHASIDDHA, NATH YOGI OR KAPALIKA?

Kanhapa (or Krsnacarya), the 'Dark-Skinned One' (or the 'Dark Siddha') is one of 84 Mahasiddhas of Tibbeten Buddhism. He is also known as Kṛṣnapada, Kanhupada, Kanha-pa, Kanha, Acharya Charyapa, Kaniphanath, Kanari-nath, Kanupa,kanipa...&more. Along with that Kanhupada is considered as influential Yogi in the Hindu tradition of Nath Yogis(Sàiva) also. Both Hindu &Buddhist tradition have their own 84 list of siddhas out of which many siddhas are common.Sahajanyana tradition of Bengal also includes him as masters. Today we will Closely examine mystery surrounding kanhupada & 'kapalik' angle in it.

According to Buddhist tantric Lore,kanhpa  was initiated into the mandala of the deity Hevajra by his guru Jalandhara.Guru Jalandhar was also listed in Nathyoga tradition as a guru of kanhupada . Jalandhar was also known as hallikapada & hadipa. According to CharyaacharyaNishchaya or  Charypada (Collection of poetry composed by 24 Vajrayana siddhas),Pada No.36 ; Kanhapada himself reveals name of his Guru Jalandhar nath as follows

 शाखि करिब जालंधर पाए,

 पाखिणा रहॳ मोरि पांडिया चाहे

"I shall hold Jalandharipa as a witness

The pundits do not want me by their side."

Hazari Prasad Dwivedi writes that book written by Jalandhar nath was now lost but there exists a beautiful shloka in that book (Siddhanta Vakya) which describes  jalandhar as Nath yogis ,as he was describing/worshipping Siva,and calling Natha,as written below 

वन्दे तन्नाथतेजो भुवनतिमिरहं भानुतेजष्करं वा

सत्कर्तृ व्यापकं त्वा पवनगतिकरं व्योमवन्निर्भरं वा 

मुद्रानादिशूलैर्विमलरूचिधरं खर्पर भस्ममिश्र

द्वैत वाऽद्वैतरूपं द्रुयत उत परं योगिनां शंङ्करं वा

In kashiKhanda of Skanda Purana , while describing configuration of Nava-Nathas(9 Nathas) there's reference of Jalandhar.[ जालंधरो वसेन्नित्यमुत्तरापथमाश्रित:]

He & his student Kanhupada (kaniphnatha) considered as in 9 prominent/ influencial Nathas ( Nava-Nathas) , The mantra for Nava-Nathas goes like this - 

मच्छिंद्र गोरक्ष जालीन्दराच्छ।। कनीफ श्री चर्पट नागनाथ:।।

श्री भर्तरी रेवण गैनिनामान।। नमामि सर्वात नवनाथ सिद्धान।।

Thus,after establishing Natha as well as Buddhist tradition of kanhpa here comes plot twist; Interestingly, Kanha-pa described himself as KAPALIKA( another Saiva tradition) ,This can be seen in poetry composed by Kanhupada himself,In Charyapada No.10. He says- 

निर्धन कान्ह कापालि जोईलांग 

..Kanhu is naked Kapali yogi who has no hatred.. 


He again says- 

 तुलो डोम्बी हाऊं कापाली..

You see Dom-nari.

I the Kapalik wear a necklace of bones for your sake.O Dombi, you have churned the sea and eaten the roots of the Lotus.I shall kill you and take your life.

This left us in dilemma that, who was Kanhupada? A Buddhist Vajrayana Mahasiddha? Nath yogi Siddha? A kapalika? Or these terms are just different philoshphical perspectives which cross pollinate each other in garden of Sanatan Dharma.

References:

1. Natha Sampradaya by Hazari Prasad Dwivedi

2. The Charypada(A translation of poems from           the original ) Open Education Project OKFN,           India

3. Masters of Mahamudra: Songs and Histories of       the Eighty-Four Buddhist Siddhas (Suny                  Series in Buddhist Studies) 

4. von Schroeder, Ulrich (2006). Empowered       Masters: Tibetan Wall Paintings of Mahasiddhas     at Gyantse. Chicago: Serindia Publications &       Visual Dharma Publications Ltd.


Comments

  1. sujay ssa6 December 2022 at 06:41

    Looks like Buddhists absorbed quite a few Kapalikas and Kalamukhas over the years.
    Won't be surprising in the history as Buddhists turned to Tantrika way, thus getting wipedout of Indian population overall support.

    ReplyDelete

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