Individual Paper
7. Multiple Ontologies: Religiosities, Philosophies, Languages and Society
This study presents a comparative analysis of affective connections and kinship bonds within South Asian literary and material cultures, with a specific focus on animal manifestations in the early Skanda Purana (e.g., Varaha, Narasimha) and Tulu Paddanas (Panjurli bhuta [the boar] Maisandaaya [the bull], etc.), in the context of Tulu religion. Insights are drawn from German translations of Tulu pāḍdanas, ethnographic descriptions by Heidrun Brückner, Bhuta Kola visual materials by Arnold Bake (1938), and material sources from museums in Europe and the United States.
Given the central role of animals in these traditions, which encompass classical Hindu practices and regional oral narratives, this inquiry examines the concept of 'interspecies kinship' as articulated by scholars of Indigenous religions (Kohn 2007, Govindrajan 2015). The term 'kinship' is employed to denote a form of relatedness extending beyond consanguinity, encompassing affinities and emotional bonds between individuals. Thus, this research delves into both domains of interconnections and mutuality, as well as that of consanguinity. Kinship, in this context, transcends human relationships, allowing for the exploration of connections between humans and non-human or more-than-human entities. While previous studies have focused on the dietary, sacrificial, and medicinal roles of animals, this paper draws inspiration from current work on indigenous religions and ecologies to explore the role of non-human animals as "juridical personalities," endowed with legal status and complex social roles. By applying these inquiries of kinship to 'Hindu' literature and material sources, this study takes an initial step toward reevaluating human/non-human/more-than-human relationships in the South Asian context.
Arya Puliyedath Adityan
Leiden University/Florida State University, United States