More On Bishnoism

The Bishnoi dharma knows that people need wood for their hearth. If they fall short of fuel, their survival may be endangered; hence for cooking (and keeping themselves warm) they need a minimal level of natural products. But for fuel (or any other thing), one should never cut the ‘live’ (i.e. green) trees: this is the nineteenth principle of Bishnois (hare vriksha nahin katna). However, one is permitted to collect dried wood. While gathering, one should take care that it does not harbour the colonies of termites or any other parasites; this principle is coupled with another: milk should be sieved before drinking (indhan bin kar ve dudh chan kar len). Besides cleaning, it will also separate it from any of the living objects. This idea is also contained in their eighth principle: they should sieve water before drinking (pani chan kar piyen). This principle also has another part, which emphasizes the purity of one’s speech (vani shudh boley). They should also control their passions (kama), anger (krodh) and lust (moh) – this is Bishnoi’s twentieth principle (ajar ko jarna). Bishnoi are also expected to cook their own food: this is their twenty-first principle (apne hath se rasoi pakana). By doing so, they will be able to preserve the purity of their food. When others (especially those of other castes) cook for you, you cannot be sure whether they have cared for the mores of purity and cleanliness. If you wish to practice strict vegetarianism, then it is imperative that you cook your own food. This would explain why Bishnois avoid eating in non-vegetarian households even when they may cook vegetarian food for their guests, or in restaurant that serve both vegetarian and nonvegetarian foods. At the same time, they do not keep commensal relations with those who eat meat. I have come across Bishnois in Rajasthan who do not eat in the house of anyone except that of a member of their faith.The environmental concerns of Bishnois are staunchly supported by their principles that insist on cleanliness. They should bathe every morning before they perform any worship (puja) – this is their third principle (prata kal snan karna). Bishnoi women are advised to remain in seclusion for five days during menstruation. This means they cannot enter the kitchen; they should abstain from conducting ritual performances, and observe distance from members of their family, especially their husband. This is Bishnoi’s second principle (panch din ka rajaswala rakhna). Closely connected to this is their first principle: the kind of seclusion women observe during the period of their menstrual flow is also applicable to newly delivered women. They follow the period of ‘impurity’ for thirty days, six times of what it is for menstruating women (tis din sutak rakhna). Further, Bishnois should keep themselves in a state of bodily purity, and should observe the tranquility of mind and contentment (shil, santosh va shuddhi rakhna). Then follow the Bishnoi principles that deal with the nature and style of their rituals. Every Bishnoi should conduct puja, meditation and contemplation every morning and evening (prata sanya sandhya karna). Every evening they should wave lamps around their principal deity, Bhagwan Vishnu, a ritual act known as arti (sanjh arti, Vishnu gun gan). It may be noted here that Guru Jambheshwar-ji Maharaj is regarded as an incarnation of the Hindu god, Bhagwan Vishnu. Bishnois are also instructed to sing the praises – in the form of devotional songs – of Bhagwan Vishnu (bhajan Vishnu ka karna). Every morning Bishnois should make offerings to the fire altar, a religious performance termed hawan (prata kal hawan karna). On moonless nights (amavasya), they are expected to keep complete fast (amavasya ko vrata rakhna). In their personal habits, Bishnois have been commanded to follow nine proscriptions, viz. they should not steal (chori nahin karii); they should not denigrate others (ninda nahin karni); they should not engage themselves in fruitless arguments (vad vivad nahin karna); they should not lie to others (jhut nahin bolna); they should abstain from opium (amal nahin khana), tobacco (tambakhu nahin khana va pina), cannabis and other intoxicants (bhang nahin pina), and liquor (madyapan nahin karna); and finally, they should not wear clothes of blue colour (niley rang ke vastra dharan nahin karna). The relevance of the last principle is that bluecoloured clothes absorb sunrays and thus are unsuitable in the dry and hot weather of Rajasthan (and also other parts of north India). Bishnoi men are generally clad in white-coloured clothes,however their married wear colourful dresses, like their counterparts from other castes but they also avoid blue colour.These twenty-nine principles give an identity to Bishnois. It is because of these that Bishnois have their specific name: the followers of the bisnau (meaning ‘twenty-nine) niyam (principles). A sociological question always asked in this context – and also in the context of those societies (or social categories) where there exist explicit principles according to which their members should live – is how far do people subscribe to these principles in their everyday life? And, how relevant are these principles in the contemporary world?