Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 Various Characters of Indradyumna in Scriptures Dr. Srinivas Acharya he word Indradyumna is the combination of meditation the sage Agastya approached there. Ttwo words: ‘Indra’ and ‘Dyumna’. Indra is Naturally, Indradyumna did not notice Agastya’s placed in the first rank of Gods. He is said to be arrival. Enraged at this the latter cursed one of the sons of Kasyapa and Aditi. He is the Indrayumna and turned him into an elephant. Being Lord of Gods and the god of rain. The other told immediately about the curse by his followers meaning of Indra is a king or ruler, the first or Indrayumna sought redemption from the curse best of any class or objects. The words ‘Dyumna’ from Agastya himself. Redemption was granted means splendour, glory, lustre, energy, strength, thus: Indradyumna would roam in the forest for power, wealth, property etc. Therefore, meaning years as an elephant, as a devotee of Vishnu and of Indradyumna is glorious, energetic, and he would attain salvation when Lord Vishnu would powerful like Indra. come down to the earth and patted the elephant By name Indradyumna so many on its back. Accordingly Indradyumna who was characters appear in our scriptures as follows. turned into an elephant roamed about in the forest for many years in the company of a herd of wild Indradyumna I – He was a Suryavamshi King elephants. At last it arrived at Mount Trikuta. There of Ayodhya. He was the son of Sumati and was a lake on the banks of which sage Devala grandson Bharata. Being advised by the sage was engaged in penance. Huhu, the Gandharva Durbasa and Markandeya he went to Kotitirtha, had once come to this lake with a number of on the bank of the river Narmada and performed Apsara women and they indulged in amorous a horse sacrifice there. Both the gods Vishnu and sports which Devala did not like. He cursed Huhu Shiva were pleased and blessed the king, (Skanda and turned him into a crocodile and the crocodile Purana, Reva Khanda 34/19-20) lived in the same lake. Indradyumna II – He was the son of Tejas, a Indradyumna, who was turned into an Dravidian king belonging to Pandya dynasty. elephant, stepped into the lake to drink water Indradyumna in his old age became a true devotee when the crocodile caught hold of its hind leg. of Vishnu and handed over governance of the Neither does the elephant yield nor does the kingdom to his sons. Then the king went to crocodile leave the former free. Their tug of war Malaya Mountain and performed penance there. continued for thou thousand years. Finding no Once upon a time when he was immersed in deep other way to save his life, the elephant prayed for July - 2016 87 ISSN 0970-8669 Odisha Review mercy of Vishnu. Its sincere prayers immediately Being informed by Vidyapati the younger brother moved Vishnu, who appeared in the scene killed of the priest, he wanted to have a ‘darshan’ of the crocodile and saved the elephant. At once Neelamadhav in Údradesha’. But when he the elephant was transformed into Indradyumna reached there the Lord was then hidden under and he attained Vaikuntha, the abode of Vishnu. the sand. King disappointed at this was about to (Bhagabata VIII Chapter 4/7-12) return. But he became determined to fast unto A Malayalam verse summerises the death at the Mount Neela, a celestial voice cried above story as follows : Impelled by Agastya’s – ‘Thos shalt see Him.’ Being advised by Devarshi Curse the elephant went to the lake at Mount Narada the king performed one thousand horse Trikuta suffered for thousand years. As the sacrifices. He donated lakhs of cows to Brahmins crocodile which caught hold of its hind leg did as a part of sacrifice. Afterwards the king not loosen its grip, Vishnu appeared on his vehicle Indradyumna saw the shape of idols in his dream. Garuda, killed the crocodile using his discus The king informed about the dream to Narada. (Chakra) and granted salvation to the elephant. Narada consoled the king. Then the king came to know from his servants regarding floating of a Since Sri Jagannath has been identified ‘daru’ in Mahodadhi. The king brought the ‘daru’ with Vishnu incidents connected with the life of and placed it on a platform. Then the king thought latter is connected with Him. of constructing of idols. Meanwhile Sri Jagannath Gajauddharana vesha takes place in himself arrived as an old carpenter and made four Srimandira on Magha Purnima (the fullmoon day idols within a fortnight. The king built a magnificent of Magha) to remind the incident of the past. temple. He went to Brahmaloka with Narada to Indradyumna III - A sage named Indradyumna invite Brahma for installation of the said temple. is mentioned in the list of saints who paid their Brahma reached Purusottamakshetra, completed homage to Yudhisthira during his forest life at everything with sage Bharadwaja and other Dwaitaban. (The Mahabharata Vanaparva, hermits. When the rituals in the temple were Chapter 26-Verse 22) properly managed, king Indruadyumna handed over the charges to king Sweta and went to Indradyumna IV – King of Mithila and was the Brahmaloka. (Skanda Purana, Purusottama father of Rajarshi Janaka. (The Ramayana) Mahatmya). Indradyumna V – A certain king Indradyumna In the Mahabharata, Vanaparva Chapter was contemporary with Srikrishna. It is known 199 there is a story about king Indradyumna’s from the prayer of Arjuna that Srikrishna killed arrival on earth and his return to heaven again. him (The Mahabharata- Vanaparva, Chapter 12, Gods were unable to count the good deeds of Verse 32) the king properly. In their opinion the merits of Indradyumna VI - Indradyumna lived in his good deeds were exhausted. The merits or Satyayuga in Malwa and was a devotee of Vishnu. the result of his good and noble deeds having been 88 July - 2016 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669 exhausted Indraudyumna descended from heaven Sri Jagannath Temple, Puri. It is said that the to earth. The king was very sad and he wanted to images had been burnt by fanatic Kalapahad after prove his countless noble deeds on earth. At that the occupation of Odisha by Afghans of Bengal time sage Markandeya was known for his eternal in 1568. King Ramachandra Dev brought personality. The king approached sage ‘Brahmapadartha’ (Divine Substance) from Markandeya. But the sage was unable to Kujangagarh and made four idols in which recognize him. Then the king and sage went to ‘Brahmapadartha’ was placed. The new images Pravarakarna, an owl living on the top of the were installed for which the king was given the Himalayas. It also did not recognize the king. Then title “Duti Indradyumna or Second Indradyumna”. they went to Nadijangha, a stork very much older Bisar Mohanty was appointed as the Gadanayak. than the owl and living in the lake known as According to the sources from Puri District Indradyumna. Nadijangha also could not Gazetteer sometime in 1596 he set the recognize the king. In another part of the lake Neelachakra on the crest of Sri Jagannath Temple. was living a tortoise called Akupara, who was It was during his rule Muktimandapa in Sri older than Nadijangha. At last the king, the sage, Jagannath Temple was renovated by Rani Gaora Pravarakarna and Nadijangha approached Devi, the wife of Mansingh in 1592. Akupara. At this very sight Akupara recognized Gajapati Ramachandra Dev reintroduced the king. Akupara told the sage Markandeya that the Mahaprasad after a long gap of eight years Indradyumna was a benevolent king who which was offered to the deities near Ratna performed thousand horse sacrifices in which he Singhasan and the same was distributed among gifted lakhs of cows and the lake Indradyumna the Brahmins, santhas and sevayatas. was formed by the passage of cows and sacrificial water in which he resides. Gods were watching All the saints and Brahmins accepted the Indradyumna from beginning to end. When Gods Mahaprasad gladly and conferred the king the came to know about the countless noble deeds title of Duti Indradyumna, and tied a Saree on the of Indrudyumna they sent a divine viman for return forehead of the king. It was really a very pleasant of Indradyumna to heaven. Indradyumna returned historic occasion (Madalapanji).The famous Car to heaven and was welcomed by gods. Festival was celebrated again for which devotees of Sri Jagannath were very much pleased with Duti Indradyumna or Abhinav Indradyumna him. Gajapati Ram Chandra Dev-I (1567- 1600) was given the title Duti Indradyumna or Second Indradyumna or Second Indradyumna. Gajapati Maharaja Ram Chandra Dev-I was the founder of Bhoi dynasty and he reinstalled the Dr. Srinivas Acharya, Mishra Lane, Markandeswar Sahi, four images of deities on the Ratnasinghasana of Puri – 752001. July - 2016 89.