June - 2012 Review

Manifestation of God : Darubrahma

Parikhit Mishra

Oh redeemer of honour Ancient or civilized man imagined God Defender of the wretched as deliverer, protector and controller of his life Master of the blue-hill and destiny as his life is ephemeral. The Holy Gita Thy name is Jagannath, says that God dwells in our heart. The soul or I take refuge Atma, the finest power ever keeps us alive. When Under Your holy feet. the God belief is unequivocal it needs no fine – -Poet-king Upendrabhanj- tuning. The belief alone accepts with humility the supremacy of God in whatever form He reveals. He is shapeless, smell-less, soundless, colourless but He is everything of it: worship animate or inanimate objects which includes stones, trees, Omnipotent, sun, moon, stars and unseen omnipresent, omniscient and spirits to appease a God or revered as God, He is the multiple Gods for a suffering creator, sustainer, destroyer –free living. The practice and the ruler of the cosmos. goes on from generation to Voltaire said that if God didn’t generation. In post-Vedic exist, it would be necessary to period about 3000 years ago idol invent Him. Ever since man has tried – worship held sway. The east has to invent Him, the search hasn’t given birth to major religions. reached the closing point. Such being the oldest religion of exploration never ends. the world its greatest excellence is Of the billions of earth- like tolerance, secularism, co-existence or unlike planets in the universe on the basic of teachings of the our beloved earth has seers and the scriptures. Hindu given birth to life. philosophy teaches how to Evolution of man here is escape from the cycle of a marvel. Man is the only being favoured with birth and death, the intelligence. Who has favoured man ? Isn’t it philosophy of self-realisation. The Jagannath God ? Isn’t it a miracle ? And just making of God ? philosophy preaches love, equanimity. Salvation

49 Odisha Review June - 2012 is achieved through total surrender in reposing faith night he took the food offerings made by the Gods in Him wholeheartedly. The mind ought to be of the heaven to Nilamadhav as dinner. Next doubt-free, pure and unblemished. morning Viswabasu sent invitation through Just imagine what was the geographical to King to pay visit to status of or Nilachala along the Mahodadhi the blessed Purusottam Kshetra. (sea) 5000 years ago. A clean, virgin, unexploited On return back Vidyapati gave out the nature could have enthralled human heart. Thicket detailed briefings to the king. The king was or dense forest made the place not easily pleased. He prepared for his sojourn to the holy accessible. In this holy place monks, saints and place. In the meantime roving monk of gods ascetic persons meditated. Population was Narada descended from nowhere. He initiated sparse, flora and fauna were in its optimal the king with Vaishnav Dharma which bore a larger grandeur. Man and animal lived in perfect meaning: the path or direction of life. King harmony. A top the Blue Hill or Nilakandar Lord Indradyumna, his selected subjects and Narada Nilamadhav, an idol of glittering precious stone rode an exquisite chariot and reached after visiting emitting nose-pleasing fragrance was worshipped score of pilgrimage on their way. No sooner had by a tribal lord known as Viswabasu. they reached Purusottam Kshetra than they came to understand about the disappearance of Lord In Hindu belief Puri, Srikshetra, Nilachal, Nilamadhav under a devastating sand storm. They Sankhakshetra or Purusottam Kshetra is one and visited the place now covered with sand. The king the same, the most sacred place as because the was dismayed. The king built a temple on the inhabitants here are not subjected to the tortuous recommendation of Narada. Narada ritually punishment by death-god Yama. This place is the established Lord Narasimha in the temple and best among four Hindu shrines founded by the conducted 1000 Aswamedha Yagna. That night scholar philosopher of Hinduism the first or Adi the king dreamt of a fragrant sandal wood log Sankaracharya. worshipped by Lord Brahma and other gods Bamadev Samhita says that Mahavishnu approaching the shore of the Mahodadhi where was worshipped here as Nilamadhav, since when the Musa River merged in the ocean. Next morning was incomprehensible. Self-controlled, devoted, the dream turned out true. The king and Narada religious and fifth generation of Lord Brahma King witnessed, in their own eyes, the supreme soul in Indradyumna of Avanti city deputed the younger the shape of a sacred log. Now the king resolved brother of the royal priest Vidyapati to the holy to carve out idols of gods from the divine wood. Purusottam Kshetra to locate Lord Nilamadhav. Coincidentally an unsophisticated looking, The tribal head Viswabasu who himself was the emaciated old man surprisingly appeared there. worshipper of Nilamadhav welcomed the Brahmin In trying to remove the worries of the king he priest Vidyapati and led him on the walk way in assured to make the idols in fifteen days. He set the thicket, got him bathed and got him pay conditions that he would work in closed doors reverence to the wishes granting Kalpabata and and he must not be disturbed during that period. guided him up to the most gracious Nilamadhav. The conditions were acceded. The man was said Extremely happy and gratified Vidyapati to be none other than God Viswakarma, the prostrated again and again before the deity. After heavenly architect. On day fifteen as the doors the holy darshan he had holy dip in the sea. In the were opened, three idols were revealed, but the

50 June - 2012 Odisha Review old carpenter vanished. That was the irony of it. Origin of Lord Jagannath is shrouded in Then the king and Narada went to Brahma Lok mystery. History, scriptures, hearsay and shruti to invite Lord Brahma for the ceremonial and attempt to unearth the unknowable. The mystery scriptural sanctification of the temple and is unresolved but the researcher doesn’t stop establishment of the holy idols. here. The hunger for truth and knowledge on God In the meantime aeon passed off. The is insatiable. Lord Jagannath, the Supreme God, king and Narada returned to earth at the instance is an object of love, reverence, trust and of Lord Brahma. They saw that the temple built surrender. His beauty is unparallel. He is four in was no more. King Galab was the ruler. On one thus: hearing the admiration of Indradyumna, Galab Hare is Balavadra, the spirit of accepted his suzerainty. A new temple was built. Rama, is Jagannath and another Hare is Now Lord Brahma appeared in the scene. He Sudarshan. got the sacred idols boarded on to the decorated Today the majestic chariots hurtle through chariot. The idols were ceremonially installed on Badadanda with the chanting of His holy name. the jewelled platform. Lord Brahma named them More than a million strong devotees sing, dance, Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. Then other prostrate and pour out their heart seeking mercy, deities were housed ritually in smaller temples and salvation; nothing is comparable to spiritual joy. mode of worship was codified. The episode Where there is Lord Jagannath, the master of the relating to the disappearance of Nilamadhav and universe, there is joy. emergence of Lord Jagannath is portrayed along the similar line in Niladri Mahodayh, a scripture References : in Sanskrit in a later period. 1. Bamadev Samgita by Dr. Jayakrushna Mishra. 2. Niladri Mahodayah by Dr. Brajakishore Swain. The Nilamadhav chapter had yet another 3. Jagannath Mandir and Jagannath Tatwa by narration; when Vidyapati reached Srikshetra he Pt. Suryanarayan Dash. was baffled. Viswavasu was worshipping 4. Utkal Prasanga ( Issue – 2003, 2006, Nilamadhav in secret and was reluctant to divulge 2009). the identity. Vidyapati befriended and fell in love 5. The . with Lalita the daughter of Viswavasu and succeeded in having holy darshan of Nilamadhav. But before Indradyumna came here Nilamadhav was non-existent. Parikhit Mishra, Rajendra Nagar, Cuttack.

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