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ISSN 0970-8669 Review

Jagannath : A Unique Conception of Humanity

Dr. Saroj Kumar Panda

umanity aims to achieve human welfare substance of Jagannath is one or divided into three Hthrough benevolence, kindness, charity and parts. love. It is the core of all religion, divested of its external appendages. By accepting the religion The tradition of Buddha’s tooth also of humanity one does not prove disloyal to our corroborated to the substance of Sri own religion rather every religion may be said to Jagannath. The 8th century king Indrabhuti of be best followed when its adherent practices the Uddiyana was a great Vajrayana tantric. He was religion of humanity in all its thoroughness. the propounder of Sahajiya which had Jagannath, the Lord of universe symbolizes such great stronghold in and . By 13th unique example of humanity. The Brahma and 14th century this sect gradually turned into substance of Lord Jagannath is the matter of Gaudiya . Their followers had been diverse views which are analyzed in the following calling themselves Nihilist Bauddhas. This group article. in course of time had great influence on the coastal Odisha particularly in . So they called What is Brahma ? Why and how It has Jagannath as incarnation of Buddha and the been kept secret inside the body of the Trinity in Brahma substance inside Jagannath, the tooth of Srimandir ? , the 15th century Odia poet Buddha. in his Mahabharat has described about the miracles of events and the story behind it. The third proposition is given by Pandit According to Sarala Mahabharat after the death Nilakantha Das. According to him the Brahma of Sri His body was cremated in substance is nothing but only some old pieces of Dwaraka. But His heart portion remained wood said to be secured from the images burnt unburned inspite of serious attempts to burn it. by Kalapahada in 1568 A.D. The legend goes Then it was tied with branch of a banyan tree and like this. Just before the time Kalapahada came thrown into the ocean. That branch with the lump to Puri temple, the priests had secretly removed of unburned flesh floated on and on till it reached the images to Chilika coast and put them the coast of Puri. Here it was taken up and with underground there.But somehow he got this news. this heart inside, the image of Jagannath was made. He went to the coast of Chilika, unearthed the Nobody has yet said whether the Brahma images, put them on the backs of elephants and

90 July - 2016 Odisha Review ISSN 0970-8669

proceeded to the Ganges. There on the bank of These are three different opinions the river Ganges he ordered a huge pyre to be regarding the Brahma substance of Lord prepared and put fire to the images. But before Jagannath. We accept it all. The Brahma substance the images were fully burnt, he brought them out of Jagannath has no parallel in the religious and threw into the river. Those remnants reached conception of humanity. an Island in the river bed. A devotee known as Bisar Mohanty swam to the Island, rescued the remnants and proceeded to Kujanga with that substance. The of Kujanga constructed temple and worshipped that. After consolidating his position Ramachandra Dev-1 sent men to Dr. Saroj Kumar Panda, Principal, Gadibrahma Degree Kujanga, brought the substance from there and College, Delang, Puri, E-mail: saroj_kumarpanda put it into his newly constructed images. @yahoo.com. Lord Jagannatha

Rajkishor Das

Lord Jagannatha ..... He is far away and yet close by does not move Says the Upanishad yet He is faster than wind He is close to those what this seemingly whose minds are focused contradictory statement means on Him ..... that the Lord being all-pervading But is far away from those is present everywhere who are attached so what need for Him to objects enjoyed to move anywhere by the senses ..... and yet it is not that He is without the capacity to move if He so chooses nothing is beyond His capacity He is both omnipotent Rajkishor Das, At- Brundabanpur, Po-Parjang, Dist.- and omniscient Dhenkanal-759120.

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