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The Biography of Öndör Gegeen ᭿ From Ichinnorov, S. Öndör Gegeen Zanabazar: namtar, büteeliin zarim asuudal, Ulaanbaatar: Mönhiin üseg (2005), pp. 19–33 27 THE BIOGRAPHY OF ÖNDÖR GEGEEN S. Ichinnorov Translated by Baasanjav ne of the prominent figures in the history of Mongolia during the seventeenth and Oeighteenth centuries was the First Bogd Javzandamba Khutagt Luvsandambiijant- san, or in other words Zanabazar, also known among the people as Öndör Gegeen. There is a legend: Avtai Sain Khaan personally worshipped the reincarnation of the Javzundarnat, and said the following, ‘in order to spread Buddhism, and to render all living beings happy in our Khalkh Mongol country, (I) would like to invite you, Jav- zundarnat Lama’. To which the latter replied, ‘I would like to go to the country of the Khalkh Mongols. But, as I have grown old, this time I can not go there. In the future, after finding a body I will come.’ Avtai Sain Khaan also happened to put a mark, considering it a good omen, on the spot where he had met with the Dalai Lama Sodnomjamts. Many years later, the Tüsheet Khan Gombodorj, searching for a new place to settle, came across a white bitch giving birth to puppies in a place called Ikh Bulag Usan Züil where his ancestor Avtai Sain Khaan had put a mark in commemoration of his meeting with the Dalai Lama. Considering this event a good omen he (i.e. Gombodorj) built his tent there, and on the 25th day of the last month of autumn in the year of the Pig (1635) a second extraordin- ary and good-looking son was born into the family of the Tüsheet Khan Gombodorj, the descendant of the Golden Lineage of Chingis Khaan. When the child was born a yellow light was emanating from his body, a rainbow of many colours appeared in the sky, and flowers of nine kinds grew on the spot of his birth. The place hence was named Yösön Züil (i.e. nine kinds). There is also a legend that a white flower appeared on the northern side of the brazier as high as its pillars in the ger of the khaan Gombodorj. The fact that Zanabazar was born in the year that coincided with the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Erdene Zuu was a really auspicious event. Holy Zanabazar was the great-great-grandchild of Avtai Khaan. His father Gombodorj, a sharp-minded and courageous man, had a good knowledge of religious as well as state affairs. His mother Khandjamts was an attractive noblewoman and a good mother with a mild disposition, fair in heart, and pious. Born to a khaan father and a queen (khatan) mother, the boy had distinguished fair skin, beautiful features, and beautiful, wide eyes. He became the joy of eyes, and happiness of hearts. At that time the queen mother was lacking milk, which came from the breast of a sixteen year old maid who was ashamed of it. The queen, having noticed this, said to her, ‘Do not be ashamed, when a noble woman gives birth to a child, sometimes it happens that another woman’s breast fills with milk.’ She THE BIOGRAPHY OF ÖNDÖR GEGEEN 675 washed the maid’s breast with mineral water (rashaan), applied some delicious stuff, and gave the baby boy to suck it. So the maid became the adoptive mother of the holy one. Sholoi Setsen Khan on hearing that an extraordinarily good looking boy was born into the family of Gombodorj Khaan was joyful and sent an iron cradle. The boy was placed into the precious cradle with three iron straps, sent by the holy Setsen Khan, and incense and offerings were continuously presented to the god day and night. One day when suddenly three Azar (a sort of wise teacher) appeared in the dwelling, the boy, on seeing them, became joyous and struggled towards them. The Azar disappeared as suddenly as they had appeared. Holy Sholoi Setsen Khan on hearing this event came and presented the boy with his own title of gegeen (holy). From that time on the boy of the Tüsheet Khaan Gombodorj was called the holy boy. As he grew his mind was also becoming clear. At the age of three while circling his ger while holding on to its ropes he began to utter everyday Indian and Tibetan spells such as Maani, Bazarvani, Jambalt- sanjid and Gandanlhamjaa. While playing he built monasteries and carried out religious ceremonies. In this way he was different from other children. In the year of the Tiger, in 1638, at the age of four he was ordained as a genen and given the name of Ishdorj or Zanabazar by mergen toin Jambal. At that time, when the great magic of his mind became obvious to the people, both monastic and lay, a messenger was sent to Lhasa, in snowy Tibet, to ask for a divination from the Banchin Bogd (Panchen Lama) and the Dalai Lama, who replied that the 15th reincarnation of Javzundarnat, the compiler of the history of Buddhism from the times of Buddha, had came [into the body of the boy]. In the year of the Rabbit, in 1639, when G. Zanabazar was five years old, in a place called Shireet Tsagaan Lake of the Mongol els (present day Bürd sum in Övörkhangai aimag), which is situated between the Big (Ikh) and the Small (Baga) Mongol moun- tains, the Khalkh Mongols gathered to enthrone the Bogd Javzandamba Khutagt, their religious leader, and set up the palace of the Bogd for the first time, which was to become the foundation of the present day city of Ulaanbaatar. On behalf of the bensa bürülgüü (a high ranking reincarnation) Luvsandanzanjantsanjamts, Zanabazar was given the ordained name of Luvsandambiijantsan. The first ever Danshig celebration to offer the Bat-orshil dedicated to the enthronement of holy Zanabazar took place in 1640 in the vicinity of Shireet Tsagaan Lake, where the palace of the Khutagt was set up.1 This celebration gave rise to such celebrations as Doloon khushuu danshig, and Arvan zasgiin that came down to our time in the form of the state naadam (festival). The academician Natsagdorj wrote about that celebration: ‘When Zanabazar was inaugur- ated as the first Bogd, it is interesting that for the first in history the people of the seven Khalkh hoshuun (banners) gathered together to perform the grand ceremony. This event had very important implications for the political life of Mongolia. From that time on Zanabazar became the most influential figure in the political and religious life of Mongolia.’ On the occasion of the enthronement, the Tüsheet Khaan gave Zanabazar 108 households headed by young men as shav’ (disciples) which were to become the founda- tion of the Ikh shav’ of the Bogd. The palace of Öndör Gegeen himself, as was men- tioned before, became the foundation of the present day capital city. The hearth palace (gal golomt örgöö) of the Mongolian state that had its origin in the times of Chinggis Khaan was then transported from the Soyombo walls (i.e. walls with the soyombo letters inscribed on them) of Erdene Zuu, and set up to the west of the palace of the Khutagt, and began to be referred to as the Western Palace. The Western Palace had been.
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