A Brief Inquiry into the Influence of Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra in Sirshendu Mukhopadhyays Jao Pakhi

This paper explores the influence of the spiritual teacher Sree Sree Thakur Anukulchandra on Sirshendu Mukhopadhyay’s Jao Pakhi through Cultural Studies and an intertextual framework. It argues that the novel embeds Anukulchandra’s philosophical and socio-cultural teachings within its narrative structure, characterisation and dialogue. While the author acknowledges this influence, the text often employs indirect attribution, dispersing philosophical authority across various figures. Focusing on the character of Brajagopal, the study examines the incorporation of Satsangee practices like swatah anugya as forms of psychological and ethical discipline. Drawing on Foucault and Bourdieu, the paper highlights how ritual, pedagogy, and everyday discourse function as modes of cultural transmission, positioning Jao Pakhi as a site of lived philosophy.