Tantra Manuscripts in the Collection of State Museum
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Orissa Review * November - 2004 Tantra Manuscripts in the Collection of State Museum Dr. C.B. Patel India has a rich legacy of Tantra and Mantra namely Vaidika and Tantrika. The Tantra is culture since remote past. Buddhist and generally regarded as the spiritual authority for Brahmanical literature are replete with this the Kali age. For this it is also called the 5th mystic cult which had great impact on social Veda. But in common sense, it is a creed life, literature, music, art and architecture. connected with Sakti and Fertility cults. Orissa as one of the adipitha of The origin of Tantra is shrouded Tantra has produced a series of in mystery. It seems to have been Tantric literature. Orissa State gradually evolved through Museum alone has nearly 200 centuries. Many scholars opine that Tantric manuscripts both in by 7th century A.D. Tantrism Sanskrit and Oriya. These witnessed fuller efflorescence and manuscripts highlight various got connected intimately with the Buddhistic and Brahmanical Saiva and Sakti cults. religious and ritualistic order. In Orissa however Tantra vidya Interestingly some of the tantric was known to have been popular doctrines and ritualistic systems from 6th century A.D. which are still in vogue in the State. The marked the beginning of decline of script used generally Oriya. Buddhism. Many Tantric texts However some manuscripts connected with Sakti worship were written in Bengali and Devanagiri composed during this period. are found as well. Mostly these Many Sakti temples like Mohini, manuscripts are written in Vaital and Gauri at Bhubaneswar, palmleaf. Early and original Vimala at Puri, Kichakeswari at Khiching , manuscripts are few as most of the Tantra Viraja at Jajpur, Mangala at Kakatpur, manuscripts are copies of 18th,19th and 20th Charchika at Banki, Harachandi near Puri, century. Varahi at Chaurasi, Sarala at Jhankada, Tantra is derived from the root word Bhadrakali at Bhadrak, Sameleswari at ‘Tan’ which means to pervade or spread. It is Sambalpur and Pataneswari at Bolangir were believed that there are two types of scripture constructed and devis were worshipped in their 34 Orissa Review * November - 2004 myriads of worship of other divinities. We find epigraphic forms. Side by reference of Sakti worship in the Terasinga side the cults of copperplate grant of Maharaja Tustikara who Matrikas and was known to have been worshipper of Yoginis also Stambhesvari. She is represented in the form evolved in of a pillar which is interpreted by D.C.Sarkar various parts of as the composite emblem of Siva and Sakti. Orissa. This type of pillar worship is popular in the hilly tribal areas which has often Tantrik From stratified association. deposit, a two handed Durga Tantric Authors of Orissa image in Orissa State Museum has seven Tantric archer’s pose palmleaf manuscripts which have been written with her vehicle by Oriya authors. In recent times, more such Lion has been works have been reported from other collection excavated from of Orissa by Manuscript Resource Centre, Maraguda Orissa State Museum, National Mission for valley by Dr. Manuscripts Cell Mundamalini Bhairava N.K.Sahu. There is an inscription in it which Tantra has been discovered at Bada Odiya reads Mahesvari Bhavada. The excavator has Matha of Puri. Durgajanana dipika has been assigned this deity to 5th century A.D. on written by one Jagannath Acharya. He belongs palaeographic ground. This image may be to the 17th century A.D. He was known to have identified as the earliest image of Durga in born at Purusttama Kshetra of Utkaladesa as Orissa. evident from his Tantric literary work. The text Another temple of Durga found on the is dedicated to top of a small hill near Patiakila has been goddess Durga. assigned to the Gupta period by Dr.M.P.Das. The manuscript The deity is carved out of a single stone. The was known to religious history of Orissa has been eclectic have been through ages. The Pancha devatas were copied by one worshiped in the State with great religious Maguni fervour. The concept of Gane narayane rudre Mahapatra. On ambike bhaskare tatha, bhinna bhinnana the basis of its nakartavyam panchadeva namasute was script it has popular here. Ganesa was worshipped in his been assigned to traditional pitha at Mahavinayaka,Visnu at Puri, 17th century Siva at Bhubaneswar, Ambika at Jajpur and A.D. It also Surya at Konarka. In fact, the worship of refers to an Ambika initially symbolizes Sakti worship earlier work which was popular in Orissa along with known as 35 Orissa Review * November - 2004 Samatasara Pradipa which is a dated work of Bhubaneswari Prakas was known to have been Harihara Bhattacharya of Bengal dated to 16th scribed by one Vasudeva Ratha. He was a century A.D. native of Bira Harekrusnapur Sasana near Puri. The 2nd Tantra pothi ascribed to Oriya He belonged to 18th century A.D. The writer is Tarinikulasudha Tarangini. manuscript Vidyapradipa has been written by Ramachandra Udgata was its author. In the Krisna Misra who flourished in the 18th century Mangalacharana and Colophon there is A.D. The 7th Tantric text known to have been reference about Lord Lingaraj of written by Oriya author Raghunath Dasa was Ekamrakshetra. From the Banadurga puja. He was a native of Gadagada colophon, we know that the on the Prachi valley. book has been copied by Recently a series of one Kesava Ratha. It has other Tantrik texts been dated in Amka year ascribable to Oriya writers which is equivalent to 18th has been identified by the October 1770, Monday author while taking up the Mahanavami in the lunar survey and documentation of month of Aswina. nitherto unknown palmleaf The next Tantric text manuscripts of Orissa in the of Oriya origin is the National Mission for Saradasaradarchanapadhatti. Manuscripts Project. It is written by Godavara The large find of Misra who flourished in the Tantric works in Orissa 15th/16th century A.D. speaks of the popularity of From the text, it is evident Tantra Culture since remote that the writer was a great past. This fact is further scholar. He was the son of corroborated by discovery Balabhadra Misra of Kautsa of wide and varied Tantric gotra. His mother was figures especially of Arnapurna. He was a devotee of Ambika Durga Vajrajana Buddhism in different parts of the and Prime Minister of Prataparudra Deva State. Celebrated Siddhas and authors like (1447-1534). He was also known to have Indrabhuti (writer of Jnanasiddhi, 8th century scribed some other Tantric works like A.D.) his sister Laxmikara and Tantrachintamani. He was also worshipper of Padmasambhava who flourished in Orissa have Lord Jagannath. The 4th work is Durgosava also significantly contributed to the Tantric Chandrika written by Vardhana Mahapatra, the Heritage of the State. son of Kavidindima Jivadevacharya. He Early Tantric Pithas of Orissa flourished during the rule of Ramachandra Deva I (1668-1700) of Bhoi dynasty. In the Hevajra Tantra known to have been text it is mentioned that he has written this on compiled in 7th century A.D. mentioned four the orders of the king. The Tantric text important Tantra pithas of India namely 36 Orissa Review * November - 2004 Jalandhara, Chakukya record and Halagondi epigraph of Oddiyana, Andhrapradesh we find mention of sixtyfour Purnagri and Yoga pithas. But such epigraphic evidences are Kamarupa. singularly absent in Orissa, although we find Of these four, inumberable sculptural pantheons of Yogini two pithas deities. Yoginis are mother goddess. They were have been associated with fertility cult as malevolent assigned to deities. Their number was initially seven or Orissa. eight but subsequently their number increased Oddiyana to sixty four and got mingled with Tantric cult pitha of and rituals. The Markandeya Purana refers to Orissa was seven Matrukas. the fountain At present there are four existing 64 head of all yogini temples in India. Two are located in Trantric Madhya Pradesh one at Bherghat and the other knowledge one at Khajuraho. In Orissa one is located at since early Ranipur Jharial in Bolangir district and the time. This other one at Hirapur in Khurda district. The word finds existence of the two Yogini temples in Orissa, mention in one in western part and the other one is eastern various part speak of the popularity of the cult in the epigraphic records. Similarly Puspagir i.e. State. The Ranipur Jharial circular Yogini present Chatus pitha complex of Ratnagiri, temple can be assigned to 7th Century A.D. on Lalitgiri, Udayagiri and Alatigir is also stylistic consideration while the Hirapur popularly mentioned. This place is described specimen may be dated to 8th/9th century A.D. as Polomolokili in the travel account of Hieun This Yogini cult was known to have reached Tsang. This contention is also supported by coastal belt from the upper Mahanadi valley. recent excavated materials of ASI and Rudrajamqala Tantra, Kularnava Tantra. OIMSEAS. These two centres were intimately Astadasa pitha and Kubjika Tantra etc. refer associated with early Buddhist Tantricism to a number of other Tantric pithas of Orissa since 5th century A.D. like Viraja , Ekamra, Udissa, Jaleswar and Yogini Pithas Srikshetra, Puri etc. The four early pithas of Tantricism Jajpur proliferated into one hundred and eight pithas Jajpur is situated on the bank of the holy later on. Few epigraphic references are found river Baitarani which finds mention in the in this connection in all India perspective. In Mohabharata. Vishnu Purana calls it Nabhigaya an inscription of 12th century A.D. of while the Brahma Purana , Kapila Samhita Maharastra there is mention about describe the place as a sacred centre. It is Mahayogesvari Ugrachamunda as the presiding mentioned as one of the 42 Siddhapithas of deity of the sixtyfour Yoga pithas.