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Tribal Origin of Holy Triad Orissa Review * June - 2006 Tribal Origin of Holy Triad Dr. Chitrasen Pasayat No human society exists without the belief in identity. Though there are differences between supernatural entities like gods, spirits and the these religious faiths, they are not a mere like. The consideration of such powers invokes collection of people belonging to diverse faiths. the study of religion, which includes other There has been continuous borrowing and aspects like rituals, ceremonies and crisis imitation of elements among themselves due situations in a society. The religious phenomena to co-existence over the years. Also, there is are deep-rooted in each and every known an inner force to maintain the distinctiveness human society / among them. In community on this other words, earth. In this sphere changes are obvious of life, man interacts and found in social with the supernatural life. It is more beings. Scholars visible in a have tried to progressive society conceptualize the because of the religious phenomena continuous actions in order to and reactions of understand the different forces and intricacies between factors both internal the religious beliefs and practices on the one as well as external. In all probability, our hand and the style of life on the other, prevailing religious concept is receiving a new dimension in a particular society. Needless to say, religion taking into consideration the present need and takes into consideration three aspects, namely dynamic situation due to influence of the age/ (a) beliefs in the supernatural entities, time. The concept of Jagannath is mysterious (b) specialists who creates such beliefs, and and the present paper is an humble attempt to (c) deities who receive it in various forms. In bring to light the tribal aspect of the deity. In India, there are people belonging to different other words, in the present paper, our emphasis religious faiths like Hindus, Muslims, is to understand the Jagannath cult from tribal Christians, Buddhists, Jainas and innumerable perspective. The present study suggests that tribes. They are maintaining their own religious in the evolution of the cult of Jagannath, the 4 Orissa Review * June - 2006 importance and significance of the tribal or deity, for some scholars the word Jagannath principle cannot be ignored if noticed minutely. has been found mentioned in some places. For Now, we have two main tasks: to say whatever instance, Ramachandra had once advised is known about Jagannath in Orissa from tribal Bibhisana to worship Jagannath. Some scholars perspective and to trace primitive survivals as opine that the vedi or antarvedi as referred to the contribution of pre-history to modern Oriya in the Mahabharata is nothing but the society. The origin and antiquity of the concept ratnavedi i.e. raised stone platform or pedestal of Jagannath is shrouded in considerable on which the deities are seated in Puri temple. mystery. There is no positive evidence to know Jagannath is also known as Daru Brahma or how and when this concept has come into the prime soul enshrined in wood. Some existence particularly in Puri and Jagannath has scholars co-relate this Daru with that of come to be worshipped there and also has Apurusham Daru mentioned in the Rig Veda become one of the prominent deities of the (X.155.3) and hold the view that worship of Hindu pantheon. It is not easy to understand Lord Jagannath started well before the whether Jagannath was a Hindu deity or a tribal Christian era. In this context, it may be deity later on converted/transformed into a mentioned that for the first time Jagannath has Hindu deity. This process of change may be been cited in a religious text titled Gyanasiddhi understood through processes like Tribalisation (Vajrayana treatise) authored by Raja / Sanskritisation / Hinduisation / Aryanisation Indrabhuti of Sambala/Sambalpur who was a etc. great devotee of Lord Jagannath in the eighth The literary meaning of Jagannath century AD. Also, the Niladri Mahodaya (Jagat+Nath) is the Lord of the Universe. He narrates in detail the rituals and customs of the is called Devadhideva (Lord of Lords), deities in the Puri temple. The most famous Rajadhiraj (King of Kings) and Purushottam Oriya work of Adikavi Sarala Das is Oriya (Purusa+Uttama i.e. the Supreme Purusa). Puri Mahabharata that belonged to the 15th century is known as Jagannath Puri that is the abode of AD. Therein, the poet has lucidly narrated in the Lord of the Universe. In fact, Puri is detail the legendary origin of Lord Jagannath. synonymous with Lord Jagannath and vice Besides, a good number of inscriptional versa. At times, it is popularly known as Sri- references testifying to the popularity of kshetra, Sankha-kshetra, Purushottam- Jagannath are found in and outside Orissa. In kshetra, Nilachala and Niladri. This pitha finds this connection, mention may be made of mention in the ancient Puranic literatures Neulapur inscription of Subhakar Dev of 780- namely Vishnu Purana, Agni Purana, Brahma 800 AD, Baramdeo Temple inscription of 840- Purana, Padma Purana, Naradiya Purana, 1088 AD, Satana (Madhya Pradesh) inscription Bhagavat Purana, Skanda Purana, Kapila of 10th century AD, Nagpur stone inscription Purana or Kapila Samhita, Kalika Purana etc. of 1104 AD, Govindpur inscription of 1137 Also, in other ancient Hindu religious scriptures AD, Nrusimha, Markandeswara and like Tantra Jamala, Rudra Jamala, Bamadev Pataleswara temple inscriptions at Puri of 1113 Samhita, Niladri Mahodaya etc. one finds the AD-1238 AD, Dasagova Copper Plates of references of this religious pitha. In the Sanskrit 1192 AD-1211 AD, Nagari Copper Plates of Ramayana and the Mahabharata though there King Anangabhima Dev III of 1230 AD, are no clear and specific references to this pitha Lingaraj temple inscription of 1230-38 AD, 5 Orissa Review * June - 2006 Kapilas inscription of Narasimha Dev of 1238- darsan of Lord Nilamadhaba. Tracing the route 64 AD, Srikurmam temple inscription of to the shrine of Nilamadhaba, he returned to Bhanu Dev II of 1310 AD, Simanchalam Avanti and informed Raja Indradyumna the temple inscription of 1319 AD. Thus, whereabouts of Lord Nilamadhaba. The king researches clearly indicate and substantiate that accompanied by Narada, set out for Odradesa this pitha has a hoary antiquity. to pay homage to the deity. But at the boundary According to the most popular legend, of the country he came to know about the the Savaras in the hill tracts of Orissa miraculous disappearance of the deity. He worshipped the deity originally enshrined in became extremely sad. Narada consoled him the Puri temple. It is mentioned in the Utkala by saying that the deity would appear in the Khanda of the Skanda Purana that one form of a daru i.e. sacred wood. After few Vidyapati was instrumental in locating days, Lord Nilamadhaba appeared in a dream Nilamadhaba, the predecessor of Lord of Raja Indradyumna and as per his Jagannath. As per this tradition, there was a instructions, Raja and his attendants brought ruler named Indradyumna in Avanti rajya the daru from the seashore next day and placed (kingdom) in the Satya Yuga. He was a great in on the Mahavedi with respect. As directed votary of Lord Vishnu. He sent one Vidyapati, by the Lord in the dream, Raja Indradyumna the younger brother of his Kulaguru (family ordered for fashioning beautiful images out of priest) to Odradesa/Udradesa to find out the the daru. But strangely enough, no carpenter exact place where a tribal chief called was available for the purpose. At last, Viswabasu was worshipping Lord Vishnu in Viswakarma (the Divine Builder) appeared in the name of Nilamadhaba secretly. Coming to the guise of an old Maharana (carpenter) and Odradesa, Vidyapati took shelter in a Savara agreed to take up the work on the condition hamlet situated very near to the Nilasaila or that he would be allowed to remain isolated Nilagiri (Blue Mountain). He concealed his and undisturbed inside the temple for twenty- identity and motive of coming to that place. one days. Raja agreed to his condition but after He tried his best, but could not locate the place few days when the sound of the Maharana's of worship. Somehow he could manage to (carpenter's) tools became thinner and one day marry a tribal maiden called Lalita, the only no sound was heard, Rani Gundicha became beautiful daughter of Viswabasu and motivated curious and impatient to open the doors. She her. In response to the repeated request made insisted the Raja and when the doors of the by Lalita, finally Viswabasu took his son-in- temple were opened, the Maharana (carpenter) law blind-folded to a cave wherein Lord was not found inside the temple rather the Nilamadhaba was being worshipped. Vidyapati images of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra was a very intelligent man. He dropped were found incomplete. This legend with slight mustard seeds on the ground on his way. After variations is also mentioned in the Brahma a few days, the seeds germinated which helped Purana and in the Oriya Mahabharata of Adi- Vidyapati to trace out the secret cave wherein kavi Sarala Das. the deity was being worshipped. Thus, winning Various epigraphic and historical over the friendship of the Savara chief and evidences also attest this legend, which subsequently marrying his only daughter the associates the Savaras with Lord Nilamadhaba. willful young Brahmin was able to have a It speaks of the immigration of Hindus into 6 Orissa Review * June - 2006 the tribal hinterlands of Orissa and Hinduisation populations constitute a sizeable section of the of a tribal deity. Perhaps, this was due to the total population in Orissa. Their population is migration of the Vedic Brahmins from north roughly 23 per cent of the total population of and central India to eastern parts of the country the State.
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