Eulogising the Grandness of Lord Jagannath by Saints and Poets Through Ages
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July - 2013 Odisha Review Eulogising the Grandness of Lord Jagannath by Saints and Poets Through Ages Tarakanta Mohanty Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe is Not Adisankaracharya but the most adorable and revered God for all Adisankaracharya's disciple in the end of 8th faiths in Odisha, India and abroad. All the century A.D. paid a visit to Puri and after main five deities of Hinduism have been beholding Lord Jagannath he was merged in Him. He is represented as a overwhelmed and swayed by emotion he Supreme Lord to Saivites, Shaktas, recalled the Krishnalila and instantly sung Ganapatyas, Saurasas and Vaishnavas. 'Kadachit Kalindi tata bipine' which is Vajpeyi Vidyakara Mishra, the famous Sanskrit popularly known as Jagannathastakam. Once Odia writer prays to Lord Jagannath as you appeared in the woods on the banks of follows : Kalindi. Oh Lord, the master of the universe, "Pranipatya Jagannatham Charachara appear in my vision'. Gurum Harim Markandaya toha tustwa bhoga The great Vaishnava poet Jayadev of peryanakasayinam (Nityachara Paddhati)" 13th century Orissa, certainly did not complete Indravuti, the then king, Udiyana (Odisha) who his matchless lyrics in the 'Gitagovinda' to founded Bajrayana system of Buddhism has please any earthly potentrate but to please invoked in his Jnanasiddhi as Jagannath. Jagannath who is considered nothing but "Pranipatya Jagannatham Sarvajana vava Krishna. Jayadev was the poet in the temple chitam sarva Buddhamayam Siddhivyapinam of Lord Jagannath. Most probably his great Gaganopaman." Puri the abode of Lord book 'Gita Govinda' was composed according Jagannath has been frequented by saints and seers and the poets who have sung and to a plan for dancisation of the sublime composed on Lord Jagannath. Those are Krishnapadam before Jagannath. The rhetoric and sensuals and of high vocabulary. reincarnated Krishna and Jayadeva's songs The poets of Odisha have exhausted their pens have become part of the daily rituals of the and panegyric writing on Lord Jagannath, temple of Jagannath. The songs composed the Lord of the Universe. Thus poets and during British and pre-British period are writers of Odisha have used their facile pen nothing but the lovely offshots in vernacular under the illuminating influence of Lord of those divine love and lyrics of Jayadev in Jagannath for more than a thousand years Sanskrit. Poet Jayadev's 'Dasavatara Strotam' past. is a magnum opus of his creation. 111 Odisha Review July - 2013 The mediaeval saint Kabir of the places of his work, the Mahabharat which sixteenth century India is a secular saint who had the largest circulation in Odisha. The had endeavoured throughout his lifetime to 'Vilanka Ramayana' and Chandi Purana of the bring harmony between Hindus and Muslims same poet contain prayer to Jagannath in the is also popularly known as a saint of 'Ram- beginning of each work. Sarala Das though Rahim' cult. On beholding Lord Jagannath he primarily a Sakta had the greatest respect for had sung 'Kabse chhodi Mathurapuri kabse Jagannath the presiding deity of Odisha which chhodi Kasi ab ho geya tu Jhadkhanda ki testifies by hundred of respectful references basi'. Since when you left Dwarika to his glory and greatness in his works. The Mathurapuri and Kashi now you are the works of Sarala Das which are still very inhabitant of Jhadkhanda. He has sung many popular in Odisha contributed a lot to the more poems on Lord Jagannath. popularisation of devotion to Jagannath in this Not only Santha Kabir paid a visit to land during the last five centuries. Puri, but after him saint Tulsi Das, Guru During his period there existed two Nanaka, Lord Chaitanya, Shankar Dev of schools of devotion, Orissan School of Assam, Ramanujacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vaisnavism and the Goudiyavaisnavism. In Madhabacharya and Ballavacharya from south Odia poetical work, the Rasakallola Jagannath had a visit to Srimandir. has been described as 'Avataree', the father In the sixteenth century Nanak paid a of all incarnations. At the end, he clearly states visit to Odisha. When in the evening prayer that he could accomplish the task of completing in Srimandir, he sang the dish of Your light is Kabya Rasakollala only due to the grace of as bright and due to your grace I see light Lord Jagannath. and the world will be plunged into darkness His prayer to Lord is magnificent. 'Jaya if You do not exist. Jagabandhu he Jadu Nandana, Brajabali hruda Sri Chaitanya had seen Lord Krishna in tata chandana, meaning Oh scion of Jadu, He Lord Jagannath, therefore he had submitted - is the sandal paste to the heart shore of unconditional love to Lord Jagannath. His Radha. Similarly Jagabandhu Parijane samanta prayer is as such : Na dhanam, na janam, nahin nahita, meaning 'there is no such feudal sundari, kabita ba Jagadish kamaye, mama Lord like Jagannath. janmani janma disware Ahetuki Jagadish No systematic devotional songs were kamaye. written prior to sixteenth century. With the Meaning : "I do not want wealth, I do not advent of Pancha Sakha, Jagannath Das, want to become a Pandit rather I pay my Achyutananda Das, Balaram Das, Yashwanta unconditional love to you." Das and Ananta Das. devotional songs were written. The Panchasakhas have offered The first Odia woman writer Madhavi prayers to Lord Jagannath in several of their Dashi, contemporary of Sri Chaitanya wrote works. 'Gajapati Janana' in the 16th century. Devotional songs to Jagannath are found Sarala Das, the earlier Odia poet so in many other important literary works. far known referred to Jagannath in several Mention may be made in this connection of 112 July - 2013 Odisha Review Lilavati by Raghunath Raja Harichandan, Lastly, we can conclude by mentioning Kanchi Kaveri by Purusottam Das, Rasavinod that, this mysterious God is eulogised not only by Dinakrushna Das-II, Anangarekha Ichhabati by Hindu pantheon but also by different and Raghunath Vilas by Raja Dhananjaya religious sects through ages. Bhanja. Achyutananda Das, who too was a prolific writer has respectfully referred to Jagannath in his several works of which Tarakanta Mohanty, D-35, Star City, Patia, Harivamsa was most important and popular. Bhubaneswar - 751024. 'Jagar-nout' You are Not Prof. Rajat Kumar Kar Gigantic size evoked titanic horror for foreigners the breeze over the calm bay they called you 'Jager-nout' - the chariot makes the body cool out to crush takes his stress away. Visitors coming on its way. Symbol of ultimate source ! Oh ! my Lord ! How tragic it is closing my eyes before You they could not gauge your depth I neither see You calm or furious they could not go beyond the shore. I am lost in Your vast expansive existence. High waves threatened them Jager-nout you are not the shallow is rough, it is calm beyond between soul and source they could not comprehend. you are the knot In deep meditation Afraid and alarmed on Your ever vigilant eye wrong message they spread You are pursued my Lord but you remained unperturbed. and ultimately caught. Vast you are very same as the sea Your expanded self standing at the shore undeterred by the sound of furious waves. He, who sees the calm sea afar, Prof. Rajat Kumar Kar, Ananya Niketan, N-1/183, gets you Bhubaneswar-751015 113.