Pilgrimage in the Hindu Tradition by Jacobsen Knut A

Author:Jacobsen, Knut A.
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Taylor & Francis (CAM)

5 Narratives and doctrines of salvific space: the example of sage Kapila

Pilgrimage places associated with sages and ascetics are often linked to the goal of salvific liberation, especially places associated with those sages and ascetics who are believed to have realized the goal of moka. Such sites, therefore, illustrate well some important aspects of the idea of salvific space. The salvific power of the sages is still believed to be present at the pilgrimage places and the stories of the sages point to the religious attainment available at the site. The presence of ascetics at pilgrimage sites is a reminder to the pilgrims that moka is the ultimate goal of life for many Hindu traditions and that the lifestyle of a samnysin is the supreme means to fulfilling this goal. According to the ideology of the four ramas, the last stage of life should ideally be as a samnysin. Renunciation leads to holiness. Many ascetics move from pilgrimage place to pilgrimage place and their presence at the sites is an important part of what makes the places holy. Ascetics’ organizations have established monasteries at many pilgrimage sites to provide for the ascetics and to maintain a presence. Some of the pilgrimage places associated with ascetics are linked to the attainment of moka or a better rebirth. It is believed that it is particularly important for old people to travel on a pilgrimage because they are aware that death is approaching and that washing away moral impurity (ppa) and gaining religious merit (puya) is of crucial significance since moral impurity and merit relates especially to death and one’s status in the afterlife. Other pilgrimages may be oriented around seeking to be in the presence of the divine, the fulfillment of vratas in order to keep a promise for having received assistance from divinities, attaining success in business (or thanking the god for such success), and many other goals. However, the pilgrimage places of sages associated with the philosophies of salvific liberation tend to focus on the salvational goal. In this chapter, I will present the pilgrimage places associated with the founder of the Smkhya system of religious thought, the sage Kapila.1 I have tried to identify all the pilgrimage places in India associated with him and most of the references to him in the Hindu texts. For the major gods, such a task would perhaps not be possible, but since there is a limited number of pilgrimage places associated with Kapila and a limited number of references to him in the Hindu texts, a complete overview is possible. The sites and stories connected to him illustrate some of the important patterns of salvific space. These places are associated with moka, renunciation and salvific power, but also reveal the various strategies used by the promoters of the pilgrimage places to attract pilgrims and the pragmatic nature of pilgrimage traditions.

When investigating the pilgrimage places associated with the sage Kapila, in order to study the place of the sage in the history of religions

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