A Buddhist ballad from Bangladesh: the Sambhūmitta Pālā. An apocryphal jātaka from Southeast Asia to an Indian tune

Abstract

The Sambhūmitta Pālā Kīrtan is a Bangladeshi devotional song based on an apocryphal life story of the Buddha originating in Thailand. Its style is that of the devotional songs more commonly associated with Vaisnavism.  This format is so popular in Bengal that it has become part of all religious traditions. The Buddhist tradition of Bangladesh is connected to those of Southeast Asia and the style of this song reflects a regional taste rather thanan historical link to Indian Buddhism.