Although ecstasy has been explored in several Indian contexts, surprisingly little scholarship has been devoted to its central role in Bengali devotion. In The Madness of the Saints, June McDaniel undertakes the first comprehensive study of religious ecstasy in Bengal, examining the texts that describe it, the people who experience it, and the traditions that support it.
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About the Author
June McDaniel is assistant professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies at the College of Charleston in South Carolina.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Ecstatic Read,
By "mdaoyi" (Cleveland, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Madness of the Saints: Ecstatic Religion in Bengal (Paperback)
A great book about the Bhakta traditions of West Bengal. Having lived in India and traveled to West Bengal, I can state that Mrs. McDaniel not only captures the facts, but also the deeper sense of it. She hits at the heart of things in way that to one informed stick out. It is not only what is written, but the way in which it is written that makes me know for certainty that the author knows her stuff. Also provided in the book are rare quotes from tantric literature, as well as stories of little know saints, like vama khepa(the mad saint of the cremation grouds). What makes the book so impressive is that while it comes from an obviously informed prospective, she does not fall into the annoying trap of evangenlist. Moreover, she does not interject herself into the text at all, which seems to be the self important trend of many professors. A great book. I'm surprised it isn't more popular....
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful read for lovers of Indian culture,
By
This review is from: The Madness of the Saints: Ecstatic Religion in Bengal (Paperback)
Madness of the Saints will not disappoint lovers of Indian culture and religion. The book is full of fascinating stories and lore about the mad saints and their devoted followers. For centuries Indians have believed that certain people can take on god-like qualities including some very eccentric ones. A saintly person might take on the character of the mischievous boy Krishna, and his followers will indulge his antics and needs with the steady love of a true bhakta. Some saintly types in India are considered exempt from the restrictions of ordinary morality such as the tantrikas who seek moksha (liberation) through sexual yoga or certain saddhus (renunciates) who seek enlightenment and liberation through extreme practices like hanging weights from their genitals, standing on one leg, or holding one arm aloft all the time. To a person conditioned by western ways the mad saints may seem baffling until he or she reads Ms McDaniel's excellent explanations of how the odd behaviors of the saints are justified by traditional Indian ideology. She elucidates with great clarity the key place of ecstatic experience in the search for self-liberation. Ms McDaniel's deep love of India comes through on every page. A great book.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
There is a nostalgia for madness in Bengal. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ecstatic guru, bhakti ecstasy, ecstatic symptoms, ecstatic pattern, sáttvika bhávas, siddha deha, spontaneous ecstasy, yogic perception, corpse ritual, ecstatic may, ritual ecstasy, ordinary madness, devotional ecstasy, mad saint, mad behavior, ritual emotion, devotional love, possession trance, divine madness, religious madness, wind disease, bhakti traditions, ecstatic states, true guru Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Anandamayi Ma, Gaur Kisora, Sáradá Devi, Tara Ma, Kulárnava Tantra, Brahmo Samáj, West Bengal, Caitanya Caritámrta, Kali Yuga, Khepa Baba, Lord Siva, Naga Baba, Prabhu Jagadbandhu, Holy Mother, Krsna Caitanya, Pagal Haranáth, Bhágavata Purána, East Bengal, Sarada Devi, Gaur Kigora, Prince Hasan, South India, Sri Gouranga New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
There is a nostalgia for madness in Bengal. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ecstatic guru, bhakti ecstasy, ecstatic symptoms, ecstatic pattern, sáttvika bhávas, siddha deha, spontaneous ecstasy, yogic perception, corpse ritual, ecstatic may, ritual ecstasy, ordinary madness, devotional ecstasy, mad saint, mad behavior, ritual emotion, devotional love, possession trance, divine madness, religious madness, wind disease, bhakti traditions, ecstatic states, true guru Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Anandamayi Ma, Gaur Kisora, Sáradá Devi, Tara Ma, Kulárnava Tantra, Brahmo Samáj, West Bengal, Caitanya Caritámrta, Kali Yuga, Khepa Baba, Lord Siva, Naga Baba, Prabhu Jagadbandhu, Holy Mother, Krsna Caitanya, Pagal Haranáth, Bhágavata Purána, East Bengal, Sarada Devi, Gaur Kigora, Prince Hasan, South India, Sri Gouranga New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 80
books:
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38
books
cite this book:
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- The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James on page 4, Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Grace and Mercy in Her Wild Hair : Selected Poems to the Mother Goddess by Ramaprasada Sena in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Sri Ramakrishna: The Great Master, Vol. 2 by Swami Saradananda in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Shamans, Mystics and Doctors: A Psychological Inquiry into India and its Healing Traditions by Sudhir Kakar in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Divine Consort: Radha and the Goddesses of India by John Stratton Hawley in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
See all 80 books this book cites
- The Study of Hinduism (Studies in Comparative Religion) by Arvind Sharma on page 239, page 266, and page 288
- The Graceful Guru: Hindu Female Gurus in India and the United States by Karen Pechilis in Front Matter, page 84, and page 128
- Kali's Child: The Mystical and the Erotic in the Life and Teachings of Ramakrishna by Jeffrey J. Kripal in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Performance and Transformation: New Approaches to Late Medieval Spirituality by Mary A. Suydam on page 343, and page 352
- Offering Flowers, Feeding Skulls: Popular Goddess Worship in West Bengal by June McDaniel on page 304, and Back Matter
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