Orissa Review * May - 2005

Hymns to Jagannatha JAYADEVA

Translations by Dr. Subas Pani

Jayadeva lived in the twelfth century and is the literature. The ten avataras are also presented in well-known author of the musical epic Sri sculptures on the outer walls of the sanctum of Geetagovinda. He hailed from the Kenduli village the Srimandira. These have been revealed to us in the Prachi valley between Bhubaneswar and only recently after the de-plastering of the temple Puri. He spent most of his life at Puri and surface. The monastery established by Jayadeva composed the songs of Sri Geetagovinda as is also known as the Dasavatara Matha and is musical offerings to Lord Jagannatha. Padmavati, situated near the Gundicha temple to the east of his beloved wife, danced to the songs sung and the Saradhabali, the open grounds in front of the choreographed by Jayadeva. The composition former. Many of the avatara sculptures can still was probably performed first on the twin be found in this temple today. occasions of the dedication of the Srimandira and The main dramatic theme of Sri the coronation of Kamaamava as the crown Geetagovinda relates to the dalliance of prince in 1142 AD during the reign of and Madhava on the banks of Yamuna and their Chodagangadeva, the founder of the great Ganga secret love play. Yet throughout the twenty-four Empire in the east coast of India. Jayadeva, a songs and seventy-two slokas, the thread of deep great scholar and composer was a devotee first devotion runs like a subterranean stream. Jayadeva and a poet next. His Sri Geetagovinda is a hints at the true import of the composition in the glorification of the essence of Jagannatha following words in one of the introductory slokas. Chetana or Jagannatha Consciousness - the path of simple surrender, which later Sri Chaitanya If chanting the name of Hari Does please your heart, popularised as the Gopi Bhava or the Radha If to know the art of amorous enjoyment, Bhava. Does your curious mind desire, Jayadeva presents Sri Jagannatha as Then should you hear The songs, sweet, soft and pleasant, Jagadeesha and Hari and identifies him with the The verses, melodious and tender, Supreme Divinity, the creator of incarnations or Those that poet Jayadeva, composed ! avatari rather than an avatara. Jayadeva’s presentation of the ten avataras became so He, by the Goddess of Speech is blessed. popular that the sequence and the set has been “Remembrance of Hari”, is, in fact, the accepted as the final version of the many variants thread, which holds the entire composition of the avatara concept found in classical together.

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This collection includes translations of the Natyam, Kuchipudi, Manipuri or first two songs of Sri Geetagovinda. Both are Attam as it is of every singer of devotional music invocatory songs addressed to Lord Jagannatha. or bhajan. Depiction of the ten avataras is also The first one is famous as the Dasavatara Song popular in all forms of plastic arts in Orissa -as and covers the ten avataras. Jayadeva presents sculptures in temples or as decorative pieces, palm the entire legend and mythological episode leaf etchings, pattachitra paintings and connected with each of the ten incarnations- in a woodcarvings. succinct two-line stanza. In conveying the essential narrative, Jayadeva uses deceptively simple but The second song of Sri Geetagovinda is exquisitely beautiful visual imagery through the use also an invocation but instead of focussing on the of apt similes. As in his entire composition, the incarnations it draws upon the episodes of lilting lyricism and essential musicality of the song, Leela while at the same time emphasizing enhances the attraction of his words manifold. the Supreme Divinity of Krishna-Jagannatha. In Jayadeva also highlights the great compassion of place of Jagadeesha, or the Lord of the Universe, the Lord in each of his incarnations. The words Jayadeva uses the simpler appellation of Hari in have a nectarine sweetness, an ineffable the refrain of the second song. What is important madhurya, which is the hallmark of his to note is the subtle juxtaposition of the composition. After presenting the ten incarnations, aspect with the Krishna aspect of Jagannatha in Jayadeva offers his salutations to Krishna as the this song. This song, in a way, captures the process creator of these and thus categorically identifies of Krishnaization of Jagannatha and his Krishna and Jagannatha as the avatari. He does transformation from Nilamadhava or a so twice, first in the bhanita, or the signature manifestation of the more orthodox and classical stanza of the hymn and later in a sloka, which. representation of Vishnu-Narayana to his more summarizes all the ten incarnations in a capsule popular and almost folk representation as the form. The concept of avataara is explained in cowherd God Krishna. More detailed discussion the and in the Srimad Bhagavat, of the topic is beyond the scope of the present Krishna is called God Himself -”Krishnastu brief introduction. Bhagabana swayam.” However, perhaps This song is equally popular with singers Jayadeva alone states this subtle distinction and dancers but more importantly with the lay between an incarnation and the creator of an incarnation so loudly and clearly. public. Devotees in the Puri temple sing it almost daily by devotees, especially in the evening hours. The great popularity of this song is evident from the embellishment of the Srimandira with Dasavatara sculptures depicting the ten incarnations, the name From the depths of the great deluge of the matha, monastery established by Did you the rescue, Jayadeva, the appellation of Dasavatara Kshetra Taking the form of a boat did you salvage With ease, the scripts, auspicious and noble.1 used for Puri and even the name of Dasavatara Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! Jatra used for the famous festival of chariots. Its To Keshava, who took the body of a Fish ! popularity has not diminished even after a On thy vast back doth the earth repose. thousand years and even today it is part of the The weight of carrying the world’s load Does etch repertoire of every classical dancer in Odissi, thereon, a giant wheel-mark.2

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Glory to the Lord of the Universe! Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! To Keshava, who took the Tortoise form ! To Keshava, who took the body of ! Perched on the tip of thy tusk, Sri Jayadeva, the bard, presents these noble songs, The earth to you does cling These that contain the world’s essence.11 3 As the petite blemish does the moon embrace. Hear, hear, these auspicious, joyous songs. Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! To Keshava, who took the form of a Boar ! (3) To Keshava, who took the ten incarnations ! On thy lotus hands did strange nail-peaks sprout, Sloka With which you did, the demon, tear apart As if crushing the body Of some giant bee, Rescuer of the Vedas, carrier of the world, You did gore Hiranyakasipu’s heart.4 Upholder of the earth, tearer of demon, Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! Deceiver of Bali, destroyer of the warrior clan, Victor To Keshava, who took the Man-Lion form ! of Pulasti’s progeny,12 Wielder of the ploughshare, As the strange dwarf your prowess you displayed. Dispenser of mercy, You beguiled Bali and his pride curbed. Killer of unclean hordes, Water from thy toenails became a stream Creator of the ten incarnations, That absolved men from worldly woes.5 13 Glory to tbe Lord of the Universe ! To Thee ! O Krishna, To Kesbava, who took the Dwarf form ! I offer my salutations ! (S -5) Drenched in the blood of the warrior race, Source for original Sanskrit hymn, “Pralaya payodhijale" and As if in water performing your daily rites, the sloka following it: Panda, Bhagaban. Ed. Sri Gitagovinda You rid the world of all its sins. Mahakavyam. Bhubaneswar: Directorate of Culture, You cooled the world’s burning heats.6 Government of Orissa, 1985. pp. 19-42. Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! To Kesbava, who as chief of clan was born ! Kamala Sheltered in the orb of Kamala’s bosom,l4 Destroying tbe ten-headed demon, O Lord, To each handsome God of the ten Directions, O, Lord, whom the ear pendants adorn ! l5 You did prorate one severed head, You sport a pretty garland of wild blossoms. As fair oblation of battleground.7 Glory be to Lord Hari! Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! By the halo of the Sun bedecked, To Kesbava, He who took the body of ! Destroyer of the travails of the world.l6 ! Thy ample figure is adorned You do reside in the minds of the sages 17 By robes dark as the rain-filled cloud, As on a serene lake, the goose. Blue as the deep waters of river- Yamuna Glory be to Lord Hari ! When afraid of being struck by thy mighty plough, Humbling the serpent Kaliya18 Scared, she came running to you.8 Did you the people please. Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! As to the lotus bloom, the sun, To Keshava, who took the Ploughshare-carrier form ! Dear are you to the Yadu clan. Touched was thy tender heart Glory be to Lord Hari! By every sight of sacrificed beast. Destroyer of the demons Madhu, Mura, and ,l9 You did disapprove the yagnic rite, O Lord ! You ride the eagle .20 9 Although the Vedas did deem it right. You are the essence and the cause Glory to the Lord of the Universe ! Of joyous songs and merriment of Gods.21 To Keshava, who took the body of Buddha ! Glory be to Lord Hari ! To slay the unclean hordes, did you wield the sword, Beautiful as the lotus flowers are thy eyes 10 Strange and fierce, as some terrible comet. O Lord, you relieve the world’s woes !

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You are the only refuge others. The process of churning left on the vast In all the three Worlds ! back of the Lord large calluses in shape of a Glory be to Lord Hari ! wheel. The wheel mark also indirectly alludes to By the daughter of Janaka22 adorned, the celestial wheel, which is a mark of Vishnu- You triumphed over Dushana,23 Krishna and the Sudarsana Chakra, their ayudha You did in end on the battleground or weapon. Life of the ten headed demon, Glory be to Lord Hari ! 3 Boar Incarnation: This refers to the Charming as the very first rain cloud Avatara or the Boar Incarnation. During the Is thy face, O Lord ! apocalyptic deluge mother earth sank to the You held the mount Mandara24, you did ! bottom of the ocean. The ‘Lord emerged as tiny You dote on Sri's beauteous countenance, boar from the nasal cavity of and soon As the Chakora25 pines for the moon’s face ! grew in size to huge proportions. He rushed into Glory be to Lord Hari ! the raging sea to rescue Mother Earth. As he The poet Jayadeva does great joy derive, emerged out of the sea, carrying Mother Earth at Singing these bright and auspicious songs ! the tip of his great tusk, he was challenged by the He does, doing so ! demon Hiranakshya. The Lord vanquished the Glory be to Lord Hari ! demon and killed him. The image of Mother Earth Source for original Sanskrit hymn, "Shrita Kamala clinging to the tusk of the Lord, in his boar kucha mandala. ..” Panda, Bhagaban. Ed. Sri incarnation is a popular theme for the artists of Gitagovinda Mahakavyam. Bhubaneswar : Directorate Orissa and numerous sculptures, paintings and of Culture, Government of Orissa, 1985. pp. 43-50 carvings can be found from ancient times till date. 1 Fish Incarnation: In the first incarnation In the Puri temple, the Varaha Avatara is one of the Lord, during the apocalypse rescued the the Parswa Devatas, the other two being Vedas, the most sacred and ancient scriptures Tribikrama or and . Mother from the demon Sankhasura who had stolen the Goddess Earth is conceived as a spouse of Lord same. The demon had the shape of a conch and Vishnu-Jagannatha. She is called Bhudevi and a was hiding in the bottom of the deep ocean. The small metal image of the Goddess is placed on Lord vanquished the demon and taking the form the Ratna Simhasana in Srimandira along with the of a giant Fish, he negotiated the turbulent principal deities. The exquisitely beautiful visual apocalyptic deluge or Pralaya with utmost ease. imagery presented by Jayadeva, brings out the Assuming the character of a boat, the Lord in his tender love of the divine couple. Fish form saved the Vedas for his devotees. 4 Narasimha: In the fourth Avatara, the 2 Tortoise Incarnation: In his second Lord vanquished Hiranyakashipu, the brother of incarnation the Lord assumed the form of a giant the demon Hiranakshya, who fought with him in tortoise. During the process of the new creation his Boar incarnation. Hiranyakashipu, the demon his vast back was the base on which stood the king was totally opposed to Hari but his young Mandara Mountain. The latter was used as the son Prahlada, was devoted to the Lord and staff for churning the milk ocean with the divine constantly chanted Hari Nama. The demon king serpent Vasuki pulled by the gods and the demons was furious that his son was devoted to his enemy on two sides. This yielded the nectar, the and forbade him from doing so. His father in many Kamadhenu or the wish-fulfilling sacred cow, the ways tortured the child devotee without any Parijata flower and the Airabata elephant among success in changing his loyalty to Hari. The demon

4 Orissa Review * May - 2005 king, who had himself done great penance had for, the Lord asked for land equal to his three been granted a boon that he could not be killed footsteps. With his first step he covered heaven by man or animal, in day or night and neither inside and with his next he covered the whole earth. The the house nor outside it. He therefore considered king had no more land to offer and proffered his himself invincible. Prahlada saw God everywhere own head for the Lord to cover his third footstep. and his father challenged him by asking if he saw The Lord placed his foot on the head of Bali and him in the pillar of the palace. On Prahlada’s reply pressed him to the nether world and thus rid the that indeed the Lord was present there, in a fit of world of the oppression of the demon king. At rage, he kicked the pillar and the Lord taking the the same time the Lord emancipated Bali. This form of a Man-Lion, emerged from the pillar. It theme, too, is very popular in Orissan art. There was the twilight hour, neither day nor night and are two variations -one showing the Lord as a the Lord carrying the demon in one sweeping dwarf Brahmin with an umbrella and a movement reached the threshold of the palace. kamandalu, a water pot with a spout and another With one foot outside and one inside the house showing the Lord in his normal shape but with he gored the heart of the demon with his sharp one of his legs raised to cover the skies. Sculptures nails and killed him at once. Prahlada and Dhruva, of the latter, known as Tribikrama are ubiquitous another child devotee, are considered as being in Orissan temples and one is worshipped as one the greatest of bhaktas. Narasimha is identified of the three principal parswa devatas in the with Vishnu and as a cult deity predates Srimandira. Jagannatha. The making of the images of 6 Parasurama: In his incarnation as Srimandira was done after initially worshipping Parasurama, the sage and priest, the Lord relieved Narasimha and a temple dedicated to him exists the agony of the earth suffering from the excesses close to the Gundicha temple to the east of the of the Kshatriyas, a warrior class. Parasurama sacred Indradyumna tank at Srikshetra, Puri. This means Rama with the Parasu or battle-axe. He is known as the Yagna Narasimha temple. Within was the son of sage Jamdagni, a descendant of the Srimandira, a temple of Narasimha, to the Bhrigu. He was a great scholar and master of all south of the Audience Hall of the main temple the Vedas. His wife was Renuka, who bore him stands even today and this is older than the main five sons, including Parasurama. Once her mind temple. This temple has numerous stone had been disturbed and excited by the sight of a inscriptions inscribed over centuries. Some pair of Gandharvas engaged in love play. As her scholars believe that this was perhaps the original thoughts were polluted, she lost her natural lustre. temple and site where Nilamadhava, the precursor Jamadagni, on noticing this became wild and in a of Jagannatha was worshipped. fit of anger ordered his sons to cut off her head. 5 Vamana and Bali: Bali, a progeny of The first four sons refused to carry out this horrible Prahlada, was a demon king who had terrorized command of their father but Parasurama promptly the gods. He was well known for his charity and severed her head with one stroke of his battleaxe never refused anything asked for as a gift. The without the slightest hesitation. Jamadagni, pleased Lord took the body of a dwarf and approached with his loyalty and obedience offered him a boon Bali as a Brahmin seeking alms. When the demon and Parasurama asked for the life of his mother king took a vow that he will not disappoint the to be restored and the sage granted this holy Brahmin and give him whatever he asked immediately.

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Once the king Kartavirya visiting the protective circle drawn to shield her. He then hermitage of Jamadagni took away Kamadhenu, carried her away in his flying chariot to Lanka. the sacred cow, which could fulfil any wish. Lord Rama came to know of this from Jatayu, an Parasurama, on learning this fought with the king aged eagle who had fought with Ravana in the and killed him. The sons of the king, took revenge skies but was fatally wounded by him. Rama by killing Jamadagni when Parasurama was befriended the monkey prince Sugriva and after absent from the ashram. Confronted with this killing his brother Bali, took help of his monkey catastrophe, Parasurama took a vow that he followers to build a stone bridge across the seas. would destroy the Kshatriya race twenty-one Eventually Ravana, the ten-headed demon, was times from the earth. Eventually he fulfilled his vow. vanquished and rescued. The sage, although a Brahmin, is considered as one of the greatest warriors of all times in the Jayadeva in his presentation refers to this legendary accounts. Interestingly a few temples epic battle of in which Ravana is dedicated to Parasurama can be found in Kerala vanquished. It is customary to offer prayers to where he is worshipped as a cult deity by some. the guardian deities of ten directions or the Dasa Dikpala, before any auspicious act. Here Rama He is supposed to have performed ritual is depicted as offering the ten heads of the demon purifications and offered oblations to the ancestors Ravana to the ten directions. Dikpala Puja, or in tanks full of the blood of slain warriors. Several the worship of the presiding deities of the water tanks at Kurukshetra (site of the great Directions, is an integral part of the rituals of the war) in modern Haryana state are Puri temple. Many temples in Orissa are said to be relics of these tanks. decorated with images of the Dasa Dikpalas on 7 Rama Avatara: Rama is the hero of the their walls. Those in the famous Lingaraja temple famous epic Ramayana. He was the prince of and the Brahmeswara temple in Bhubaneswar are Ayodhya, the eldest son of King Dasaratha and among the best specimens of Orissan temple queen Kaushalya. His stepmother, Kaikeyi sculptures. wanted her son Bharata to become the king and Rama to remain in exile in the forests for fourteen Lord Jagannatha is said to have given years. She asked for this boon from Dasaratha in darshan to saint poet Tulasi Das in the form of fulfillment of a promise he had made to her. Lord Rama. The Lord dons the Raghunatha Vesha in Rama left Ayodhya along with his wife Sita and memory of this. There is a small temple of Rama younger brother to keep the words inside the Srimandira and a huge image of of his father. Ravana, the demon king of Lanka Hanumana; the monkey god devoted to Rama sent Maricha, who appeared in the forest as a can be seen next to the Southern gate of the main golden stag and Sita asked Rama to get her this temple. See Introduction for the concept of vesha strangely beautiful animal. Rama reluctantly left in the Puri temple. her in the care of Lakshmana and chased the 8 golden stag. Later the demon through his tricks : Balarama or Balabhadra, also pretended as if Rama was crying for help and known as Shankarshana, is the elder brother of Sita forced Lakshmana to leave her to help his Sri Krishna and had his part in the Krisna Leele. elder brother. Taking advantage of this situation, He represents the aspect of in the the demon appeared in the guise of a mendicant Jagannatha triad and the hood of a serpent is seeking alms and cajoled Sita to step out of the painted above his head. His ayudha is the

6 Orissa Review * May - 2005 ploughshare and hence he is known as Haladhara. out. The egalitariari tradition of sharing the He was fond of Kadambari, a type of wine and Mahaprasada may well be a legacy of this. Sarala once sitting under a Kadamba tree on the banks Das, the poet of the Oriya Mahabharata and many of Yamuna in an excited condition, he felt the urge poets after him, directly identify Jagannatha as a to have a bath. He directed Yamuna to come manifestation of Buddha in the Kali age. close to him so that he could take his bath. Noticing Jayadeva here refers to Buddha’s the slight hesitation on the part of Yamuna, he opposition to animal sacrifice, which was part of threatened to strike her with his mighty plough the earlier Vedic form of worship and an integral and Yamuna, scared ran to his feet and the Lord part of the tantric system, quite popular in Orissa had his bath. Lord Balarama is depicted as one in the medieval period. with a fair but huge body and as wearing blue apparels. He is thus known also as Nilambara. 10 Kalki: In his final. Avatara, yet to be, His chariot has a distinctive cover of blue and red the Lord is depicted as Kalki, riding a horse and cloth, the latter being a colour common to all the wielding a huge sword. In this incarnation the Lord three chariots. Lord Balarama has his place in will destroy everything evil. the Ratna Simhasana to the extreme right or south. 11 This is a signature verse known as The birthday of Balarama is celebrated in the bhanita, wherein the poet gives his name. This is Srimandira. A special vesha commemorates his a tradition followed by later poets in the Oriya slaying of the demon Pralambasura. hymns too. In this stanza Jayadeva directly states 9 Buddha: Buddha is accepted as an that Krishna-Jagadeesha is an avataari or creator incarnation of Krishna-Jagannatha. Adi of the ten incarnations. He reaffirms this concept Shankaracharya who visited Puri in the early ninth in the sloka that follows. century restored the pride of traditional Hinduism 12 Ravana was the son of sage Pulasti and and effectively eclipsed the influence of the he is referred to as such here. Buddhists. Perhaps he was also responsible for 13 In the main song Jayadeva refers to the eventual assimilation of the Buddhist faith in the Hindu belief and acceptance of the Buddha Jagannatha as Jagadeesha in the refrain at the end as a god in the Hindu pantheon. This is clear from of each stanza. Here for the first time he makes the depiction of Buddha as the ninth avatara in an overt identification of Krishna and Jagannatha. the sequence of avataras in the walls of the Deul This sloka also acts as a link between the first invocatory song or the Dasa Avatara song and in Srimandira and in other Orissan temples and other sculptural depictions of the ten incarnations. the second invocatory song of Sri Geetagovinda, Some scholars believe that the Puri temple the latter focussing more on the Krishna aspect. originally contained the sacred tooth relic of the 14 Kamala is another name of , the Buddha and others believe that the Brahma spouse of Vishnu. Throughout Sri Geetagovinda, material in the bodies of the principal deities Jayadeva uses Kamala, Rama, Lakshmi, Padma transferred during the Navakalevara festival is in and Radha interchangeably as he uses Krishna fact a relic of the Buddha. The present state of and appellations of Vishnu without distinction. research however does not support either of the Thus he clearly and unambiguously establishes the theories. However traces of the Buddhist essential unity of the Supreme Godhead in his influence in the Jagannatha faith cannot be ruled manifestations as Krishna, Vishnu and Jagannatha.

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The present description refers to a very tender meaning, ‘I am He or It’, indicating that the human image of Sri or Kamala or Lakshmi sitting lovingly is but a manifestation of the Supreme. Jayadeva on the lap of Vishnu and the lord fondly cradling reminds us that when the mind is stilled, the Divine her breast with his left hand. There are at least is reachable without effort. Some commentators two well known representations of this theme in link ‘Manas’ with the mythical Manasa Lake or Orissan sculptures, one in a small temple attached the Manasarovara, beyond the Himalayas. to the Bhoga Mandapa on the north-eastern 18 This refers to Kaliya Dalana, one of corner of the great Lingaraja temple at the many miraculous deeds performed by Krishna Bhubaneswar and another in the Prachi valley. In as a child and adolescent and recounted vividly Orissa joint representation of Lakshmi and in the Srimad Bhagabat, the and Narasimha is also quite common. An image of various . Jayadeva’s Sri Geetagovinda Lakshmi-Narasimha is also found in Kenduli has numerous references to these episodes in the village, the birthplace of Jayadeva in the Prachi songs and slokas. valley. Similar visual representations of Shiva and Kaliya was a deadly serpent that inhabited are also common in Orissan temple the river Yamuna with his kinsmen and poisoned sculptures. See also earlier note on Rama. its pure waters. The people of Vrindavan could Kamala (the second ‘a’ in the word is a no more use this water and were thus greatly long vowel) means one with a kamala (here ‘a’ inconvenienced. Krishna, still a child, entered the is a short vowel in both positions), a lotus, in hand. waters of Yamuna and challenged the serpent. She is normally represented with a lotus in After tiring out the serpent in fierce battle, he traditional icons. stepped on its hood and danced merrily, torturing and subduing Kaliya. The wives of Kaliya fervently 15 Krishna is always associated with the prayed to Krishna to spare the life of their husband Vrindavan gardens and pastoral surroundings. He and Kaliya too sought his compassion. Finally sports garlands of wild flowers, which can be the Krishna released the serpent and asked him to literal meaning of Vanamala. This frequently refers leave Yamuna with his entourage and go to the to a garland extending well below the knee. ocean. Thus Krishna helped the Yadavas, the Krishna is also known as Vanamali, on this cowherd tribes living along the Yamuna. The account, an appellation, which Jayadeva uses people were greatly pleased. Jayadeva describes frequently in Sri Geetagovinda. the joy he provided to the Yadukula, the clan of 16 The imagery used by Jayadeva reminds Yadavas as similar to that given by the sun to the us of the description of the Virata Purusha, the lotus, which blooms in sunlight. Supreme Being in the Srimad Bhagavad Gita 19 Madhu, Mura and Naraka are names and the Purusha Sukta. It also echoes the of three demons vanquished by Krishna in his description of Jagannatha in the Ganga Prasasti, Bala Leela, his exploits as a child. Hence Krishna the eulogical verses recording the genealogy of is also called Murari and Madhuripu, appellations the Ganga dynasty. frequently used by Jayadeva throughout Sri 17 The soul is frequently compared to the Geetagovinda. Narakasura, or Naraka, had swan, Hamsa, in the scriptures and also in Oriya imprisoned sixteen thousand princesses whom devotional literature. ‘Ham sa’ reversed also Krishna rescued after killing the demon. He later stands for ‘so aham’, the mystical phrase literally married all of them.

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20 Garuda is the celestial eagle and the days and troubled them, as they did not offer him carrier of Vishnu. A statue of Garuda stands on a worship. Lord Krishna gave shelter to the people fossilized pillar in the Hall of Dance on its eastern and animals of Vrindavan under the Govardhana end in the Srimandira and is revered by the Mountain, which he held up with his little finger. devotees. The pillar known as the Garuda Finally realised his folly and sought Stambha, is a favourite location for getting a forgiveness. The poet uses name Mandara for the glimpse of Lord Jagannatha on his bejewelled mountain and this is the name of the mountain used throne and devotees place lighted earthen lamps as the staff during the churning of the milk ocean. at the base of the pillar as offerings. The Lord in-the Tortoise incarnation held it on his back. In the present context, the interpretation 21 All the Gods eagerly observe the that this refers to the Govardhana Mountain progress of various incarnations as the Lord takes birth to rid the world of evils and restore the appears more appropriate as indicated in some major commentaries. preponderance of truth. The gods rejoice at the destruction of the demons or , their 25 Chakora is a bird, which supposedly traditional rivals and enemies. feeds on the moonbeams and eagerly waits to get a glimpse of the latter. Sri is another name of 22 Janaka was a saint-Iike king, Rajarishi and the father of Sita, the wife of Lord Rama. Lakshmi who is called Sri Devi in the form in which her image is worshipped .on the Ratna 23 Dushana was an , a demon and Sirnhasana. The poet implies that the Lord is the brother of Raavana, the king of Lanka. Lord thirsting for a glimpse of the moon-like face of Sri. Rama defeated him in the epic battle of Ramayana. 24 Giri Govardhana: This refers to an episode of Krishna Leela in which the Lord curbed the pride of Indra. The latter, king of Dr. Subash Pani is an erudite scholar who has heaven and the rain god showered torrential rains undertaken extensive research on the Cult of Lord on the land of gopalas, the cowherds for many & Kabi Jayadev.

Hon'ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik launching a new scheme "Navajyoti" under IMR Mission at Jayadev Bhawan on 1.4.2005. Shri Bijayashree Routray, Minister, Health and Family Welfare and other dignitaries are also present.

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