ARCHITECTURE OF/AND BODY: CORPOREAL STUDIES

ARCHITECTURE OF/AND BODY: CORPOREAL STUDIES

Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay *

^ দেবপ্রসাদ বন্দ্যোপাধ্যায়

ABSTRACT

If governance of the docile body is explored in the Crippled Creativity hypothesis, here is a regulative/ strategic principle to bypass human malleability…..

It’s not modern anatomo-clinical gaze, but a different perception of body……

A different construct…..

Body is categorized to  attain mahaasukha, jouissance …

The taxonomy of body is checked in the architecture of the Konark Sun Temple……

Caryapadkaras  and Lanon were consulted along with Bhartrihari and Abhinavagupta to make out the corporeal taxonomy….

I

Architectural Description of Konark Sun-Temple "কোনারকের বিবরণ" কিতাবের সমালোচনা".

In case of interpreting the Konark sun temple’s architecture (Orissa, India), there are two divergent as well as antithetical views. Nirmal kumar Bose (1926, 1932) interpreted the outer body of this temple and Stella Kramrisch (1946) was searching the inner body. The main point of their disagreement might be posed as : Were the bodies of the Hindu temples constructed on the basis of physiological corporeal or meta- physiological conjecture of body? Bose reviewed Kramrisch’s book (1947) and alleged that Stella was too metaphysical and illiterate artisans are ignorant about the intricacies of the inner body as they did not have the access to the scriptures. However, Mira Mukherjee(1993) showed the path when she introduced so-called illiterate sons of Visvakarma. The author of this paper showed the evidences of inner corporeal of the temple-architecture by re-surveying the temple and taking cue from sub-altern artisans’ world-views as well as from Mandukyoponisad, Vakyapadiya and Tantraloka.

The so-called metaphysical body is evident in the so-called “Hindu” architecture. The bisuddha-baikhari-jagrat (falsest), anahata-madhyama (speaking when dreaming) -svapna (falser), manipura-pasyanti-susupti (falsest) association might be established with many sadhaniya margas. Kavir, Dadu, Lalon, Rabindranath (though they were not writers of papers in academic journals) and other sahajiyas with the authors of Mandukyoponisad, Vakyapadiya and Tantraloka can be consulted to attain the level of paravak. Why then was I fragmenting brittle baikhari, when I was waking up?

II

“কালকুটের কায়াসাধনা (Kalkut’s Corporeal Studies)”

This dialogic paper on kalkut’s (Samaresh Basu) two novels was related to Konark ‘ s sun temple . These two novels ( nirjan saikate, “lonely seashore”, 1961 revised version,1972 and Samba, “Son of Krishna, a mythical character”, 1977/78, Academy –winner novel) were two types of travelogues—first one was a physical travel from Puri Jagannath temple to Konark with five widows and the second one was a mental travel to the Sun temple. In the first one, Kalkut as a narrator highly criticized the position of Nirmal kumar Basu (Anthropologist) in describing the intricacies of the temple architecture and in the second one was on the mental journey to the distant past through retrospection, that was for the cure/care of self within the ambit of act-pleasure-desire. Not only that, indigenous leprosy-treatment or healing system within the area of the Konark-site was also elaborated, thus the relationship between human –corporeal and the nature (including celestial sphere, flora and fauna etc. ) was also depicted. 
The author of this paper was concerned with the ambivalence (schizophrenic Kalkut? Samaresh Basu with divided selves?) of Samaresh Basu, the vulgar “Marxist” (cf. Godelier’s Marxist Anthropology), who was retrenched from the vulgar communist party for his allegedly “vulgar”(?) novels and short stories another one was “Kalkut”, his penname, a vagabond, who was searching the indigenous tradition through tedious journey—a type of either physical or mental/imagined vagabondage. Like Stella Kramrisch (1946), he was interested in tantra, but he tried his best to hide this fact for the sake of so-called vulgar materialism (which was a fashion in those days) as it was practiced by the corporate-controlled “official” communist party, who were using jargons, which were not used (historical/dialectical materialism etc.) by Marx himself; secondly, the secrets of such practices (sadhana) were not to be revealed to everyone. Therefore, Kankut consciously hided secrets of tantrasadhana. However, the author of this paper, by deploying discourse analysis (Foucalidian) found the cleavages within the texts of Kalkut—he repeatedly used the word “breathing”( a key-term in Tantra) and its synonyms for the care of self. The author of the paper also found a connection with Buddhist tantric cult (especially Caryapada, cf. In Search of Linguistics of Silence : Caryapada চর্যা-চর্চায় নীরবতার ভাষাতত্ত্ব সন্ধান : উপক্রমনিকা and “The Movement Within: A Secret Guide To Esoteric Kayaasadhanaa: Caryaapada”.) with the narrator’s enunciation as in the first novel five widows represented the five female characters as it was found in Caryapada-text. 
The author of this paper lastly related his hypothesis of Yayati/Bubur Complexes (cf. “হে প্রণম্য পিতৃদেব, তুমি তো বন্ধু নও/হও” (Yayati and Babur Complex).)with Samba’s life as Samba was cursed by his father Krishna as Samba was caressing with aged Krishna’s young girlfriends. Thus, the author’s Yayati complex hypothesis was again subscribed by the purana as reinterpreted by Kalkut. The inner-outer structure controversy as depicted in  . Architectural Description of Konark Sun-Temple "কোনারকের বিবরণ" কিতাবের সমালোচনা" was resolved here by a poem written by Bishnu De, who was highly influenced by T.S. Eliot.

III

In Search of Linguistics of Silence : Caryapada চর্যা-চর্চায় নীরবতার ভাষাতত্ত্ব সন্ধান : উপক্রমনিকা and “The Movement Within: A Secret Guide To Esoteric Kayaasadhanaa: Caryaapada”.

The author of this paper did not bother about the (a)formal linguistic analysis (meta-speaking on speaking, i.e. formal linguistics and philology) of the text of Caryapada (approx. 9th C A.D. A Tantric Buddhist text written in a sandhyabhasa or anti-language a la Halliday); (b) retrospective (pratyabhijna) construction of genealogical fantasy or linguistic statist identity or imagiNATION, instead he was proposing a secret guide to exquisite kayasadhana (the praxis within the body within the ambit of corporal studies)by following the path of Bhartrihari and Abhinavagupta’s post-formal non-analysis. The author followed Munidatta’s Sanskrit commentary of the Caryapada-text (written in an anti-language to hide the secrets of physiological (not in the Western medical sense of the term) points that is shaped and perceived by the world views of the so-called lower caste Tantric Buddhists)and that was commented in Sanskrit by Munidutta. This reciprocal discourse-exchange bi-way traffic) in between so-called H(igh)and L(ow) was also being observed by the author. 

The paper ironically started with the salutation to the contemporary interpreters of the said text, though the author said that they are missing the world-views of the Tantric Buddhists as the contemporary scholar-interpreters did not link the perceptions of Tantric kayasadhana that is meant for ‘care of self’ (epimelia heatue). Only Shashibhusan Dasgupta (1969) discovered the secrets of the kaya(corporeal). Thus, the scholarship was condemned by the Caryapada-composers, who were considered to be ‘illiterate’ according the norms of literacy. Dasgupta(ibid) thus described the “illiterates’”(?) aversion to the recondite scholarship. 

After that the author elaborated the rhetoric-terms (utpreksa/metaphor, comparison in general, vyaja/ having only appearance of, deceitful, false, simulated..) used by Munidutta to explain the surplus meanings of the texts. Even the author supplied the architectural details of Kakhar (female-shaped shrines) temples (Orissa) to explain the boat-utpreksa as used in Caryapada. Lastly, the author had linked the cakras (so-called Hindu and Buddhist systems were amalgamated here—a case of syncretism) with different stages of speeches/non-speeches (a trajectory from parole to silenceme) and sleeping/non-sleeping to reach the point of “vakpathatia” (cf. caryapada, 37 a cordoned zone of silenceme or paravak) in a tabular form with illustration. One point must be noted: the authors selfhood as a scientist was condemned here by the author himself as he criticized (a) the recent neuro-physicists’ anatomo-bio-political intervention into in body of the sadhakas/ practitioners; (b) the gap between theory and praxis as it was found in recondite scholarship. Thus the paper was an addition to the author’s agenda of introducing two novel disciplinary technologies: Silence and Corporeal studies.

IV

নীরবতার না- ভাষাতত্ত্ব: লালনে Non-Linguistics of Silenceme: Lalon

The author, as a member of linguist community, of this paper had tried decipher one song of Fakir Lalon Shah (1774–1890 A.D.), one of the line of which is like this “ When silence would swallow non-silence” by deploying various methods of Mandyukoponisad, Bhatrihari’s three stages of languages (baikhari, madhyma, pasyanti) and Abhinavagupta’s paravak. Different body-parts, according to Tantrika world-views, were also illustrated to understand silenceme. The author also incorporated Kabir (1440–1518 A.D.) and Dadu’s (1544–1603 A.D.) epistemological concepts of silenceme, which were beyond the periphery of ‘modern’ linguistics, though physicists are now interested to know the brain-function of such meditative states by using SPECT and PET scan as a part of their anatomo-bio-political agenda. The author ultimately proposed a new disciplinary technology, called “Silence Studies”. In this case, John Cage’s musical compositions deeply influenced the author. 

For detailed discussion, kindly follow hyperlinks (blue-colored titles) 

·         2014. “The Movement Within: A Secret Guide To Esoteric Kayaasadhanaa: Caryaapada”. Journal of Bengali Studies, Vol.3 No.1. (pp. 113-27) ISSN# 2277-9426  Download (.pdf)

·         2013. “চর্যা-চর্চায় নীরবতার ভাষাতত্ত্ব সন্ধান”[In Search of Linguistics of Silence : Caryapada]. Pranab K. Chakroborty ed. Interaction VIII. (pp.23-31)  Nabadwip, West Bengal. India. ISSN 2277-4335  Download (.pdf)

·         2011. “Architectural Description of Konark Sun-Temple "কোনারকের বিবরণ" কিতাবের সমালোচনা". Review Article : “konaraker bibaran by Nirmal Kumar Basu” (Ed. Prasenjit Dasgupta, Somyen Pal 2009). Bandyopadhyay, Sumahan Loukik. IV:1-2 (pp.111-121). ISSN 2230-780X Full Version of The Review published in Sen, Ashok ed. Baromas. (2009) Vol.31. (pp.286-88)    Download (.pdf)

·         2011. “An Interview with Debaprasad Bandyopadhyay on The Psychology of Silence: The Story of Bharat.”Diaforia, No. 5, July 2011. Italy.  Download (.pdf)

·        2011. “কালকুটের কায়াসাধনা (Kalkut’s Corporeal Studies)” Sadhana Barua ed. Sabda. III:3 (pp.154-62)  Download (.pdf)

·         2011. “বাতিল ঘোড়ার পোক্ত হাড়মাস” [The firm Skeleton of Abandoned Horse] Basu, Pathik ed.  বার্ধক্যResurrection of Geron. Kolkata: Shrayan. (pp. 20-34)  Download (.pdf)

·         2011. “আ মরণ! মরণ রে...”[On Euthanasia]. চট্টোপাধ্যায়, সুমন সম্পা.একদিন।১৮/০৩/২০১১ (Editorial Pg. 4) 4:278, Kolkata. RNI: WBBEN/2006/ 17404  Download (.pdf)

·         2011. "কেন এই হিংস্রতার উদ্ভাস?" [Why Violence?]চট্টোপাধ্যায়, সুমন সম্পা.একদিন।Ekdin Bangla Daily. ২০/০১/২০১১ (Editorial Pg. 4) 4:222, Kolkata. RNI: WBBEN/2006/ 17404 Download (.pdf)

·         2009. “নীরবতার না- ভাষাতত্ত্ব: লালনে (Non-Linguistics of Silenceme: Lalon)”Shaktinath Jha ed. Ocin pakhi. Lalon saMrokgrontho. Vol.XX. Nadia, West Bengal Lalon Mela Samiti. (pp. 16-24). Revised version: 2012. ei nisOrgo pOtro. I:1 (pp. 9-16)  Download (.pdf)

·         2009. “কামনা, শৃঙ্গার, নচিকেত অভিযাত্রা --কৈশোরেই Adolescence and Sexuality” (Adolescence and Sexuality)”. Koisor:Understanding Ephebe. Ed. Basu, Pathik. Kolkata: Shrayan. (pp. 102-37)  Download (.pdf)

·         2008. “বিশ্ব সাথে 'যোগ' -বিহার ”. [Travelling With The Universe] Bektitto, Somiti, Santobiplab. [Personality, Horizontal Praxis and peaceful Revolution] Ed. Basu, Pathik. Kolkata: Shrayan. (pp.188-223)  Download (.pdf)

·         2007. “জেগে বা ঘুমিয়ে--'ভারতীয়' দর্শনে” (Hanging between Sleeping and Waking -- ‘Indian' Philosophy). Tepantar .Vol. V (pp.141-66) Kolkata: Sanhati.  Download (.pdf)

·         2006. “The Pre-Colonial Imagined Boundaries.” Adhir Chakroborty Memorial Lecture. Centre for Archaeological Training and Research. Govt. of W.B.  Download (.pdf)

·         2004. “ঝাড় খেলে আত্মা তৈরি হয়.”[Construction of Specter Due To Outside Violence].   Shil, Bikas ed. Janapadproyas. Jyotirindra Nandi issue. VI:3 (pp. 86-88) R.N. 09691/97.  Download (.pdf)

·         2002. “Soul’d in and out: Representation of Body, No-Body in the Hindu Philosophy.” From the Margins. (pp. 182-202). Kolkata.  Download (.pdf)

·         2001. “Glocal Hyperreal and the Sad Demise of the Corporeal: An Obituary”  Download (.pdf) National Seminar on Food security in India.