The Genesis of Jagannath Triad at Puri
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Orissa Review July - 2010 The Genesis of Jagannath Triad at Puri Dr Janmejay Choudhury A question arises as to why and how Purushottam Vasudeva. They might have started the worship or Krsna Vasudeva came to be known as of Yama later known as Yameswara in Puri. After Jagannath at Puri. The antiquity of Purushottama the Satavahanas there was the rule of the Kshetra and the cult of Purushottama Jagannath Kushana. The famous Kushana king Kanishka are still shrouded in mystery. Evidences suggest was a Bauddha emperor. The Kushana kings that from very ancient times, Purushottama Huviska and Vasudeva introduced Siva and Jagannath was being worshipped at Purushottama Vishnu worship in 119 A.D and 145-76 A.D. The Kshetra. To fix the time of the debut of Jagannath four-armed Vishnu worship was at first started in Puri is quite impossible. by Huviska and Visnumitra of the Panchala The Kalinga emperor Kharavela during kingdom.Even the Ayudhas of this Vishnu was the first century B.C. got Kalinga independent Conch, Disc, Mace, and a ring type impression from the Magadhan yoke and expressing his on the right palm in lieu of lotus was seen on the indomitable courage and undeterred victorious seal of Huviska¶s coin. So it can be ascertained forces conquered Magadh twice. He brought that the Siva and Vishnu worship was influenced back the Jinanath or Kalinga Jina image from by the Kushanas under the rule of the Matharas. Magadh. It may be that he destroyed the Stupa The Bhagavata religion was in vogue in built by Asoka and installed Jinanath in a specially Orissa during the rule of the Matharas, Vigrahas built temple at Puri. Kharavela was the later and Mudgalas ruling between 6th and 7th century descendant of Vasu Uparicara the Chediraja. As A.D with the epithets of Parama-Daivata, Parama such, the Jinanath worship of Kharavela was later Bhagavata, Parama-Daivatadhidaivata, transformed into the Nilamadhava worship of Narayana-swami and Bhagavata-Swami Savararaja Viswavasu, in a legend. The Narayana Padanudhyata meaning the worshippers Satavahanas conquered Kalinga after Kharavela of Bhagavata or Vasudeva Vishnu and his various in about second century A.D. They were forms. Hence, the Bhagavata religion professed performing Vedic oblations and worshipping by the Matharas advanced in favour of it. The Dharma, Chandra, Samkarshana, Vasudeva, Mathara power was extirpated by the Indra, Surya, Yama, Varuna, Kuvera and Vasaba. Ranadurjayas from the south and the Nagas from It is possible that they introduced the worship of the North. The Naga king Satrubhanja was the Yama and other deities like Varuna, Kuvera and worshipper of Siva. He may be the builder of the 15 Orissa Review July - 2010 Siva temple found near the Kalpa tree. Probably worshipped as the religious representatives of by him the Satavahana Deity Yama and Kushana Orissa. deity Isana were converted to Yamaswara and Jagannath makes His appearance in Isaneswara as additional Saiva shrines. In Gupta history, according to W.W.Hunter, in 318 A.D. rule Vigrahas, Mudgalas and the Sailodbhavas when the priest fled with his image to escape the were ruling in Orissa. Mudgalas had a short rule wrath of Raktabahu and his band of plunderers. in Orissa to cast any impact on the religious life of Hidden in the western jungles, the holy log was Orissa, but the Vigrahas were the introducers of recovered by a pious prince about 150 years the worship of Siva and Varaha Vishnu. The later(A.B.Mahanty- Madala Panji). The antiquity Lokanath temple might have been built during the of Jagannath is supported by several literary and rule of the Vigrahas, particularly Lokavigraha. epigraphic evidences. Murari Mishra¶s At the time of Sailodbhava rule, the Anargharaghava Natakam (c. 9th century) refers Madhava worship was spread around Puri. They to God Purushottama who was being worshipped might have started Madhava image worship. on the seashore.( Orissa Historical Research Sailodbhava king Madhavaraja II styled himself Journal, Vol. III, No.I, PP. 9-10)That there was as Chakradhari Madhava in imitation of Vishnu. an earlier temple of Jagannath at Purushottama Probably Galamadhava worshipped near Kshetra prior to the present one built by Indradyumna pond, Niali Madhava of Niali, Chodaganga Deva in 12th century A.D is proved Nilamadhava of Kantilo, etc were established at by Devayatana of God Purushottama in Krishna their time. Their copper plate grants have Mishra¶s Prabodha Chandrodaya Natakam recorded about Vishnu, Trivikrama or Vamana, (c.1078 A.D). Epigraphic sources reveal that the Laksmi etc. It indicates that they were Vaishnava inscriptions of Bhanudeva-II (1306-1328 A.D) worshippers. During the rule of Bhaumas of Ganga dynasty make the first mention of the Nilamadhava worship at Puri was discontinued. name, µJagannath¶. (South Indian Inscriptions , They promoted establishment of Sakta Pithas and Vol.V, No.1214). In many copper plates dating the Sakta worship in Orissa towards the last part 8th century A.D, mention of individuals bearing of their reign. So the worship of Vimala at Puri, the name of Purushottama also substantiates the Mangala at Kakatapur and Bhubaneswari at wide popularity of Purushottama Jagannath. Bhubaneswar might have started during their Mention may be made of Dandi Mahadevi¶s gift ruling period. Moreover, during the time of the land to one Bhattaputra Purushottama (I.H.Q, Bhumakaras the Buddha Triratna worship and the Vol.VI, PP.141-142). The name Jagannath is car festival might have started in Puri. After the used for the first time in the inscriptions of king Bhaumakaras, the Somavamsi ruler Yayati-I Bhanudeva-II (1306-1328 A.D). (³ Puri Copper merged the whole of Kosala, Utkal and the Plates of Bhanudeva-II´, Ed. D.C.Sircar, JASB, territories inhabited by the tribals into a single XVIII, I, 1956, P.25). The description of the deity administration. The Somavamsis were promoters in the early Ganga period was Purushottama or of traditional Vasudeva worship. In the place of Purushottama-Jagannath. During the reign of Baudha Triratna, king Yayati established these Bhanudeva-II, a feudatory chief had made gifts images of Balabhadra, Subhadra, Jagannath and at Sikurmam´in the 3rd Anka of Jagannath Deva Sudarshana in the empty temple with the help of when Sri Bhanudeva was ruling.´ (Kalinga Savaras for which the four images have been Historical Quarterly, I, P.251) According to the 16 Orissa Review July - 2010 Puri Grant of 1313, Bhanudeva had granted Balaram, Krishna and Ekanamsa, popularly villages in the 7th Anka of Purushottama deva. known as Balabhadra, Jagannath and Subhadra. Thus in a private record Purushottama comes to The panel is significant for its depiction of the inter- be called Jagannath. It appears to be the earliest relationship of Saivism, Vaisnavism and Saktism epigraphical reference to the name,¶Jagannath¶. during the period. Images of Balaram and Vishnu, However, being descriptive epithets, Jagannath salvaged from the ruins of Konark, point to their and Purushottama are but derivatives of the worship in a common temple inside the premises description of the supreme Lord as of the Konark temple. In the drama µPurushottama¶ in the Bhagavat Gita or Anargharaghava Natakam, the name µJagannath¶ in Valmiki¶s Ramayan. A sculptural Purushottama is used to denote the place. piece of Konark of the 13th century A.D depicts In the Ganga rule the Jagannath temple its builder, King Narasimha-I, offering worship was rebuilt by Gangeswar or Chodaganga Deva to Siva Linga, Purushottama Jagannath and (1078-1147 A.D). Four foremost Vaishnava Durga. pandits of the 12th century viz. Sri It is significant to note that in the ancient Ramanujacharya, Acharya Nimbarka, Acharya sources there is reference only to Purushottama. Vishnuswami and Sri Madhavacharya established These sources are virtually silent on Balabhadra four monasteries at Puri to preach their religious and Subhadra. This gives rise to doubts as to theories. The Gitagovinda of Jayadeva preached whether Purushottama was the original deity and the glory of Jagannath. Anangabhima deva (1211- Balabhadra and Subhadra were subsequently 1238 A.D) donated his vast empire to Sri drawn in. There is little distinction between the Purushottama Jagannath and declared himself as Jagannath and the Bhagavat Triad of Balaram, his servant (Rauta). Due to his efforts some Ekanamsa and Krisna. (Indian Historical Jagannath temples were set up at different places Quarterly, Vol. XXXVIII, PP.86-88).Epigraphic in Orissa. During the Suryavamsi period (1435- evidences substantiate to it. Representation of the 1533 A.D.) the same trend continued and Bhagavat Triad can be seen at the brick temple Jagannath was considered as Rastra Devata. of Turintura as well as inside the Lingaraj temple- both in Puri district. A Saiva temple of Sailodbhava period contains an iconographic representation of Subhadra-Ekanamsa with Balaram and Krisna. (OHRJ,Vol. XI, No.4 Dr. Janmejaya Choudhury is a Lecturer in History in PP.279-280).It symbolically depicts the Triad of Sri Jagannath College, Kaipadar, Khurda. 17.