Dialogue July - September, 2003 , Volume 5 No. 1

Looking East

South East Asia lies to the immediate neighbourhood of India to the 
east and south-east. India had, and still has, close cultural, 
economic and religious links with South East Asia. It is mutually 
beneficial for India and South East Asia to strengthen their cultural 
and economic ties and work together to tackle the problem of 
terrorism, drug trafficking, smuggling, including smuggling of arms, 
etc.

Sankalpa (a solemn vow) is initial part of any Hindu ritual, It 
pointedly mentions the space, time and identity of the individual. 
While mentioning the location of the performer, the mantra begins by 
mentioning, "in Jambudvipa, in Bharat Varsa, in Bharat Khanda", and 
continues to give smaller geographical details of the location of the 
person. Mount Meru, according to the Puranas is in the centre of 
Jambudvipa. It is Pamir knot. In four direction of the same, like four 
petals, are spread four varsas; Europe to the west, Russia and Central 
and North Asia to the north; China and other parts of East Asia to the 
east; and South and South East Asia to the south. Thus, Jambudvipa, 
practically, includes entire Eurasia. South and South-East Asia is 
included in Bharat Varsa. Bharat Khand, a part of Bharat Varsa, is 
Indian sub-continent. Thus, Hindus, performing Puja, remember entire 
Eurasia, as well as India and South East Asia every day. Of course, 
many Indians do so and utter the mantras, without understanding the 
meaning and its significance. Most Indians know even less about South 
East Asia. The communication gap is wide.

We need to know South East Asia not only because it lies in our 
immediate neighbourhood and we had age-old ties with the region. We 
need it also because it deepens our understanding about ourselves. 
South East Asia forms a part of India-centric cultural continuum. A 
cursory look at the history, culture and the religion of the region 
from ancient time to the present day reveal the common elements. The 
continuum operates at several levels, in terms of the geographical 
spread, in the depth and at perceptional levels. India and South East 
Asia share the perceptions of divine kingship, apotheosis/ deification 
of kings, cult syncretism, composite cult emblems, law, bureaucratic 
government and expressions in the arts, norms, values and the ethos.

The figure of Ardhanari in Java combines the bodies of lord Shiva and 
Durga with their proper attributes. Combined images of Trimurti 
(Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and that of Shiva, Surya and Brahma have 
been found in Java. Mention may also be made of Hari-Hara image of the 
Simping in Eastern Java. The concept of 'Hari-Hara', 'Ardhanarishwar' 
and 'Panchayatan Puja' (worshipping five gods together) in India; and 
the writing of the Nicolo seal of Central Asia ('Miarark, Yasnu, 
Oezo', meaning Mihir, Vedic Mitra or the Sun God, Vishnu, Isha or 
Shiva') point towards the same phenomenon. The popular saying in Bali, 
"ya Shiva, ya Buddha" (He who is Shiva is Buddha) and identification 
of the Surya and the Shiva in Surya-sevana (Sun-worship) in Indonesia 
point towards the continuum in 'Advaita' frame. There is enough to 
show the syncretic nature of animism and Hinduism, as for example 
Javanese animism and Hinduism, in South East Asia. Lord Buddha is the 
incarnation of Lord Vishnu for the Hindus. Buddhism vanished from 
Indian soil due to Turkic invasion.

The present Thai kings of Chakri dynasty are named 'Rama'. An earlier 
capital of Thailand was Ayuthia (Ayodhya). The country has thousands 
of families of Brahmin priests. The concepts of Chakravartin (the 
ruler of the Jambudvipa, the human world), digvijayin (conquerer of 
four quarters), Rajasuya (the royal consecration), the royal 
coronation as Indrabhiseka ceremony, myths associates Shiva and Vishnu 
interwoven in rituals and ceremonies, etc. can not be explained in the 
colonial 'Divide frame' in a Buddhist country like Thailand. 
Indonesia, continues to have pre-Islamic Hindu-Buddhist culture. The 
unity and similarity in the concepts of culture and philosophy of 
aesthetics, art of living, bind India and South East Asia. There is 
striking similarity in our myths, historical precepts, architecture, 
music drama, medicine, warfare, thought process, verbal expressions, 
art of living, etc. The overwhelming unity and similarity in such a 
vast area clearly indicate that the Isolationist Theory, and Racial 
interpretation of our society and culture', have no basis. The facts 
discussed earlier, support Hindu-Buddhist continuum, rather than 
Hindu-Buddhist divide. The common cultural concepts have evolved in a 
large area during scores of centuries and there is no question as to 
who is the donor and who is the acceptor. It is essential to do away 
with the intentional misinterpretation of our society and culture to 
enable us to acquire positive interface and healthy outlook. Awareness 
about South East Asian culture helps in removing the perceptional 
haziness.

B.B. Kumar

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