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Advaita Vedantic Undertones in Haryanvi Raginis by Shri Priyank Kumar

Conference on Oneness: Advaita in Arts, Music & Dance: Advaita Vedantic Undertones in Haryanvi Raginis by Shri Priyank Kumar Chauhan. The presentation is part of the Conference on Oneness, jointly organized by Indic Academy and Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth (CVV) that was held in Chinmaya Eswar Gurukula, Adi Shankara Nilayam, Veliyanad, Kochi between 15th and 17th October, 2019.

Ragini is a rich tradition of Haryanvi folk songs that are steeped in the local culture and way of life. They are often centred around local legends and folklore, episodes from the itihasa-purana, and lessons of common morality. Although Advaitavada is not directly encountered in the Haryanvi Raginis, certain core tenets of Advaita like the doctrine of Maya, centrality of jnana, and the idea that there exists a more fundamental absolute truth (paramarthika) behind the mundane truth of the world (vyavaharika), can be gleaned from the Raginis.

These messages are conveyed using very practical motifs. For example, the idea that there is a truth that lies beyond our ordinary perception is conveyed by highlighting the temporariness of all things in this world – the relationships, friendships, etc. It is indeed fascinating to see how deep the reach of Vedanta in Indian mind is.

 

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