What is Sarna Religion ? | Sarna Adivasi/Tribal Philosophy

What is Sarna religion? In what way it is different from other religion? What's the ideal philosophy behind this ?
Such questions are asked often, sometime  for curiosity and sometime to tease it like how can you call it religion when nothing is written ? But the factual thing is that the comparison and criticism must be done with other religions based on any written scripture.

In fact, Sarna is more than just a religion to Adivasi/Tribal community, it is their way of living life where it is well connected to folk life with spirituality . The worshiping of souls and spirituality remains being part of their regular life instead of being just a rituals only . The religion here doesn't belong to any separately organized special event or rituals, which can be seen in every part of activities in their life.
                                           The follower of Sarna worships to nature. It involves every natural household things they even worship bull, cow, cock , tree, farm barn and also other symbols of nature like Sun,Moon,Stars,River and Mountains. They apologize to tree before cutting it ,they thank to bull,cow, goat for being in their life living with them. They also are thankful  to their ancestors for their guidance and they show their gratitude towards their ancestors by offering them some food before having their meal. They thanks to mother land before working on field .

But all these activities or rituals are not mandatory by any means because of no one is compelled to take part in rituals if they are not interested. Any Sarna has his own choice of worship any tree but it’s not necessary to worship that particular tree again by anyone. Interestingly, No one is bounded to worship any particular tree again and again which he had worshiped previously. Here, the tree doesn’t symbolise to any conservative value like Mandir/Temple, Mosque or Church. Instead the tree is just a symbol of great almighty nature so this is how there is no mean of worshiping any particular symbol of nature .

The religion is not obedient or dependent of any texts and codex  in form of any scriptures. The words bound the follower and made him to practice his worshiping inside its boundary. Where its having limitations, guidance of rules and methods for performing any special rituals which is a matter of someone perfectly to be trained for this.

Unlike the scripture based religion, the Sarna is a religion where the liberty of any person, Where everything is inherited by nature and are dipped in this.  No rules and methods to be followed, you can accept it without any artificiality practicing it in your present life in natural way. Life and death is the truth of this nature which is an essential part of this life whether you believe it or not there's no kind of any force on you .

You can express your divine towards the nature at anywhere anytime, if do not then no one is going to force you to do so because every individual is independent to perform/practice his religion with his own perception of spirituality. Being a part of any group it is obvious of having different perception and belief. To keep your individual thought and belief up you're independent to follow it.

That is the rare greatness of Sarna religion. It's not governed by any kind of appointed rules, social moral or religious term. Whether you worship at Jaherthan(common worshping place of Santal) or not, it’s up to you. It respects your individual freedom .No matter if you don't take your children to worship at Jaherthan its not necessary. No one can impose any sort of will on you .
                                                                           You're free for opting any view of religious and socially. There is no any prayers necessary to be crammed by you . You don't need to chant any prayers, you're neither forced to follow any instructions and make presence in religious place. No one is encouraged to perform any ritual and ostracized if not performing it. Sarna religion doesn't control anyone in any matter of religion by social or psychological way .

There is no any rule or boundaries made to remain in Sarna, No any conversion like thing required to accept or leave Sarna . In spite of not being part of any rituals you're not responsible for any questions and you can still be Sarna. No such record book or register is maintained to keep you track and you become responsible for doing or not doing. If no, you're still Sarna.

The Sarna followers never need to go under any direction, conservation, discourse or guidance till his death.  No effort to make sure his religiousness affirmative .Because of no such organization or group in their community who intend to make them fanatical religious or brainwash them ,this is why he is neither fanatical religious nor he is intended to be . In this way it can also be considered them as Religion of nature which is as simple as the nature around us and is accepted as it is. Some religion cannot be defined in terms of rules and rituals because its impossible to tie it up with such thing like ‘Definition’.


This is the first part of detail analysis of Sarna Philosophy, if you find this article, read second part of this article click here.


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