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Tradition of Shakti Worship in Orissa : Sarala in Perspective

Tradition of Shakti Worship in Orissa : Sarala in Perspective

Orissa Review September - 2009

Tradition of Worship in Orissa : Sarala in Perspective

Dr. Satyabrata Das Dr. Lalit Lenka

Indian sub-continent has been an ancient and ideal it has been the initiative of the suffering millions to melting-pot since time immemorial. So many invoke the to relieve them from the streams of faith, so many facets of culture have torture and atrocities of some evil force. We get merged and mingled themselves in it. There are umpteen examples to prove this from the Puranic innumerable moments of crisis in Indian history literature. when such forces have posed real threat to the As the literary historians believe, it is the very life and continuance of Indianness or wonderful fusion of the creed and life-style of the . But this blessed land has exhibited its and the post Aryans that created a faith in incredible resilience and thrived in the face of such and perpetuated the tradition of Shakti-worship assaults and threats. in this sub-continent. As a matter of fact, during Notwithstanding all crises and threats the tenure of the Bhaumakara dynasty the has maintained itself as a predominantly popularity of Shakta or Shakti- worship Hindu state with all its liberal and secular base. reached an all time high and its epi-centre was Again, among the myriad creeds and isms that the Biraja Kshetra of present Jajpur. (P.K. Mishra. itself boasts of, Shakta as a creed Evolution of Orissa and Her Culture, 74). Even remains popular and powerful. Shakti- worship till as late as 15th century Shakti-worship is a major and a dominant faith among the . maintained its popularity as the of The Shakti-worshippers are, as it were, basically so often projects. At many points and from the Sadhaka community. They worship on many occasions poet Sarala Das calls goddess Shakti, the wife of lord . All their faiths, rites Sarala as , Aparna, , Narayani, and rituals are popularly known as Shakta , , , , , . This has a very ancient tradition in Bhagavati, and Hingula etc. Orissa. As per the Brihat , the As Sarala Dasa writes, manifestation/ appearance of Ekanshankara "Along the river there is a ferry-point- Parsuram between Krsna-Balaram marks the beginning of by name over there you see a hamlet called - the shakta tradition in Orissa (Dr. B. D. Mohanty. Kanakavati close to that is a village called - Sarala History of Oriya literature. Vol. II P. 354). There And there manifests Herself mother Maheswari - are very strong and ample evidence that Shakti as Sarala Chandi. She is the gretest yogin and the worship was there in India as early as the pre- most - perfect Vaistnavi. She gives away boons Vedic age. As the evidences are galore among and maintains he meditative - stature the ruins of the excavation (of the Indus Civilization), Shakti-worship was popular and (Sarala Mahabharata, Adi Parva) : Translation : dominant in those ancient days. Down the ages, Dr. Das

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We can see through Sarala's writings a I have no learning as clear impact of the pan-Indian Shakta tradition. I am ignorant from birth Sarala, as we see, frequently calls out mother Nor do I know any , Sarala as Chandi, Maha Yogeswari, Parama whatever she gives me I write Vaisnavi and Maheswari etc. The Durga of under the Kalpabata. Chandi Purana is treated as Paramita or (Sarala Mahabharata, Kalpabata). the Goddess of knowledge in the Buddhist scriptures. Initially Prajna Paramita had two This amply indicates how much poet hands. But in course of time she got four, six, eight Sarala was indebted to Mother Sarala and he was and finally ten hands (Dasa Bhuja). This proves basically an inspired poet. In the poet's vision the pan-Indian character of Shakti-worship. The mother Sarala is the possessor of all power and Sapta Matruka (seven mothers) as we find in all knowledge (). She is again Maha Jajpur and at many places was once upon a time Saraswati and the prime source of all knowledge the of the Buddists. In fact as the matter and power. We get ample evidence of the poet's stands most of the are now being devotion and commitment to the Goddess from worshipped by the Hindus were originally being his works like Chandipurana, Vilanka worshipped by the Buddhists. and Mahabharata. In one of the discourses on To look at it from the angle of religion, all the mystery of creation in the great epic the ancient poets have given adequate attention Mahabharata, there is an elaborate and exhaustive to the fundamental issues like Dharma, , treatment of Shakti Upasana. The poet writes so , in their works of art. And in the lucidly and with such clarity the very beginning of process, they voice the sprit of their time in their creation thus : works. Out of the Vacuum (Maha Sunya) The age of Sarala is known for its open There came the wind, popular revolt against the rigid and atrocious From the wind Brahmanic rituals and culture. At the same time a The power «««.. (Sarala Mahabharata, strong reaction was also built up against both the Sava Parva) modes of , Natha Dharma and Although Sarala's Chandi Purana or . Besides, this period also significant by Septasati Chandi, this text is acknowledged as marks its preoccupation with the consciousness an important contribution to Shakta Dharma and of the Pinda Brahmnanda Tatva. Notwithstanding Shakta worship. Besides featuring the arrival of that, there is a clear trend which facilitates the Goddes Durga and the killing of demon thought and consciousness of shakta worship , Sarala's Chandipurana makes during this period that gets unmistakably special mention of the who are manifested in Sarala's works and ideas. We would popularly worshipped in Orissa such as Ugratara, like to focus on that in this dialectic precisely. Mangala, Chamana, Sarala Chandi, Maheswari, Generally speaking, the Sadhakas who , Vasuli, Barati, Hingula, Tarini, , worship the Goddesses (Druga, , Mangala Charchika, Kamala etc. Further, poet Sarala etc) are broadly known as Shakta. As we see, mentions in Chandipurana how all the sixty-four poet Sarala has expressed his gratitude to mother are born from different parts of mother Sarala for the inspiration that he got to compose Durga like Narayani coming out of the sweat of the epic and other writings. As he candidly the mother, Dakeswari from her shouts, confesses : Chandrakanti from her naval, Kamala from her

98 Orissa Review September - 2009 chest, Bikarali from her womb, Kankali from her In one of the deluges/ Pralayas (known finger etc. Presently all the sixty-four yoginis are as Kruta Sarva) lord was in his deep being worshipped in Ranipur Jharial of Orissa. meditation. He was in his posture This gives a powerful indication about Sarala's upon a serpent called Virala . That was strong inclination towards Shakta Dharma. In his the time when there was no sign of heaven, earth epic the Mahabharata Sarala gives an interesting or the nether-world, not even the Sun, the Moon, episode on the worship of Sapta Matruka. Even or the wind was born. Lord Narayana was deep now Sapta Matrukas are being worshiped in in His Nidra with His head on the crown of Jajpur Town, the famous Biraja Kshetra under the serpent. The only other presence around the the erstwhile undivided district. It would lord was mother Adi Shakti who was serving him. be an under statement if we simply say that poet Whenever the spell of lord ' Yoga Sarala was a Shakta worshipper. As a matter of Nidra would break for a moment the lord's glance fact, Sarala had profound knowledge in the of nectar would instantly create fifty from intricacies of Shakta philosophy and the related the deep Blue Ocean. Once it so happened, one original scriptures. of those Brahmas started flirting with Goddess If we examine Sarala Mahabharata we Saraswati (Adi Shakti) who was in the full-bloom find the poet dealing with the Shakta philosophy of Her youth and beauty. When Adi Shakti stared quite often whenever he has got an opportunity. at those Brahmas an extremely beautiful daughter That reminds us of the ethos and the mood of the was created. When the former asked this girl "ke period that gave a place of eminence and tu" (who are you?) her name became ke tu ka. distinction to Shakta religion through many other When this baby girl asked for food Saraswati (Adi creeds prevailed around the same time. We may Shakti) commanded her to kill all the Brahmas. recall, in this context, poet Sarala's effort to trace Ke tu ka struggled for fourteen thousand years to the previous life of Draupadi in the Mahabharata. kill fourteen Brahmas and ate their flesh and blood. As the Mahabharata mentions Draupadi who was And she started chasing the rest of the Brahmas born out of fine through, in her previous birth she to kill. To save their lives, all those Brahmas was Ketuka Chandi. This version is exclusively started calling out to the lord to save them from that of poet Sarala which reinforces the belief that ke tu ka. And just on time the lord's spell of yoga he was a champion and a promoter of Shakti Nidra broke and He took the Brahmas in and worship. In the Mahabharata presents an protected them for the time-being. It was so exciting session in which he himself (as the desired by Him that ke tu ka would eat them only narrator) gives the account of the previous life of in Dwapara Yuga. And those Brahmas would take Draupadi to king . Again, in the vicious their birth as Dushasan and ke tu ka as Draupadi open parliament of the Kauravas, (in the context of Draupadi's humiliation) the sage Agasti is found in the age of Dwapara. narrating to yet another giant Vaivasuta Manu the Further, it was so ordained that Dushasan four incarnations of Draupadi. would drag Draupadi with her lock of hair and Four incarnations that Draupadi does take, attempt to strip her off. And to avenge this, Bhima, Ketuka being in the first, one of Draupadi's five husbands, would ampute Parvati being her second, the arms of Dushasan and paint the forehead of She is born in the home of Dakshya, in the Draupadi with Dushasan's blood. At that moment third, and in her fourth she is the daughter of Draupadi would be contented by taking her bath Drupada. (Sabha Parva P. 511) in the blood of Dushasan and drinking that too.

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Not in Dwapara alone, in Tretaya too promptly explained to her that in Dwapara Yuga Draupadi's incarnation has been spelled out. In she would be born as Draupadi and marry this age she would be born as the only daughter (whose soul has been split into five) who would (Ekavala) and doing her perance on the bank of be born as five brothers. river Malati. Goddess would be visiting That precisely explains the story of that spot. Her husband Swami Niranjana Purusha Ketuka being reincarnated as Draupadi in was closely following Goddess Gayatri in the form Dwapara. As we see, Draupadi, as a character, of five bulls. Seeing this, Ekavala Parvati started plays a major and decisive role in the epic the suspecting the chastity of Goddess Gayatri. For Mahabharata. The humiliation of Draupadi in the this (the mother of Gayatri) cursed Parvati open Parliament of the Kauravas becomes the that she would be marrying five husbands in her immediate cause of explosion that moves the next life as Draupadi. existing bitterness between the two hostile Camps In her third incarnation, Draupadi was to a disastrous war when Dushasan made an born as Sachee and was married to Indra. It so attempt to outrage the modesty of Draupadi. happened one day Maharishi Twasta felt slighted There itself the latter took the vow not to rest till in the court of Indra as the latter failed to receive she drinks the blood of Dushasan and that marks him with due respect. He promptly asked the ultimate point of the great Mahabharata war Maharishi Vrutta to worship and to grab which is painted by poet Sarala is his epic in a the throne of Indra. Eventually Vrutta threw horrifying manner : the Indra out and occupied his place in Heaven. When Bhimasen kills Dushasan it appeared as if But again, with the assistance and grace of Lord there is a cloudburst of blood from the Heaven Narayana once again the Indra could reclaim his that fell on the head of Draupadi. Blood burst out position by killing Vrutta rishi. At this turn of event of Dushasan's forehead and oozed out of both Maharishi Twasta got wild and rushed to Heaven his nostrills. And Panchali drank those blood in to kill Indra. When Indra got this terrible news absolute contentment. ( parva, 102) (from ) he was panicked and found a way out. He split himself into five parts; the first he got (Prose Rendering; Dr. Das) fused with Dharma, the second with the wind, In view of the above discussion we can the third with the space, the fourth with Aswini safely draw the conclusion that poet Sarala was (the divine physician of the Heaven), and the fifth an avowed and a committed Shakta believer who with Kumar (). After splitting away his contributed considerably to Shakta concept and soul into five different segments, Indra sat on his philosophy. throne with the dross body, and soon Maharishi Twasta came and burnt Indra into ashes with his curse. On the death of Indra his wife Sachee sat on the bank of Akas and wailed. Lord Shiva and mother Parvati were passing that way when they heard the wailing. Sachee, seeing mother Parvati, entreated her "please give my Sr. Reader and Head Dept. of English, Ekamra College, husband back, mother" and the latter was merciful Bhubaneswar enough to bless Sachee saying "Thou shalt have five husbands". Sachee was crest fallen and was Sr. Reader in Oriya, shell-shocked to hear that. But mother Parvati Ekamra College, Bhubaneswar

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