Orissa Review being worshipped by the century ( in the meanwhile full aborigines at several parts of eight centuries pass by) it was Orissa till as late as 7th century. deeply imprinted in the Savari As the literary historians believe conscious and sub-conscious around the latter part of 7th of the masses that Sri Narayana : century Savari Narayana or Jagannath and Savari Neela Madhava was popularly Narayana are one and the Sarala called Purushottama or same. Hence, this theme Mahabharata Jagannath. continues to recur very often in Further, as Sarala Sarala Mahabharata. As he and Sri mentions in his Mahabharata, writes, Neela Madhava took Savari Narayana was being the form of Savari Narayana Jagannath worshipped at the Dhauli Hill and was worshipped by the near Bhubaneswar. Later on Savaras during the Satya Galamadhava, the king of Yuga. Further, Neela Dr. Satyabrata Das Kanchi-Puram, shifted this Madhava was wedlocked with Dr. U.N. Sahoo Savari Narayana fromDhauli a Savari girl called Shriya. to the Neela Giri (Purushottam Savari Narayana partook the food of the Savaras too. Savari Narayana, as figures in Puri). As the myth goes, any Sarala Mahabharata, has mortal who had a darshan of As the myth goes intimate relationship with Neela Savari Narayana got instant (which Sarala Dasa revives) a Madhava and Sri Jagannath. liberation from the cycle of Savara called Ajara got the Savari Narayana or Neela birth and death. So Yama Raj darshan of Sri Neela Madhava was being originally approached lord Shiva and got Madhava under a tree called worshipped by the Savaras his proposal approved by the Agra. He was endowed with that subsequently became Lord latter to shift Savari Narayana the mace, the lotus, the conch Jagannath. As a noted scholar from the Savarapalli to the and the disc (Sudarshan) and Pandit Nilakantha Dash Yamanika Teertha (Puri). But whose body was as soft and as says, Savari Narayana was a as the mortals continued to blue as blue-lotus and whose wooden pillar with a head on avail liberation at the darshan eyes were as red as red-lily. the top. And he further argues of the Lord at Puri too Yama When Ajara (the Savara) with substantial evidence that Raj once again shifted Savari enquired Neela Madhava Savari Narayana is the other Narayana back to the about his identity he revealed name of Neela Madhava. Yet Savarapalli out of disgust and Himself and asked Ajara to another group of researchers frustration. worship Him with a potful of gives ample evidence that This account ofSarala water. He further cautioned Savari Narayana was being Dasa is based on the ancient Ajara (the Savara) to keep worshipped on the Mahendra scripts and texts. We have this tight-lipped and not to Hill by the savaras. As a already discussed this issue in divulge it under any matter of fact this Daru Devata the context ofNeela Madhava circumstances to any of his kith or Savari Narayana was in the previous section. By 15th or kin. Neela Madhava gave 34 September - 2010 Orissa Review an ultimate warning to the Brahman Purana king Indradyumna was apprised of Savara (Ajara) that if he Indradyumna belongs to the this development. But when violated His command his Satya Yuga. Both the Narada king Indradyumna arrived at family would be completely Purana and the Skandha Neelachala Kshetra Madhava wiped out. Therefore, the lord Purana endorse this fact. He vanished mysteriously. Neela Madhava took the form belonged to the Solar dynasty Interestingly, no Oriya of a stone image and was and happened to be the fifth poet before Sarala Dasa worshipped as Savari incarnation of Lord Brahma mentions this episode of Narayana by the Savaras and ruled over Avanti. On the Indradyumna. According to under the Agra tree. This other hand, as per the Vishnu Sarala, Indradyumna was the account is vividly portrayed by Purana king Indradyumna son of Galamadhava, the Sarala Dasa in the Malati was of Manu¶s lineage and Soma King, who ruled over the Savari episode of the epic. As belonged to the Solar dynasty Sakalya Islands. And we see, Sarala Dasa, while of the Satya Yuga. This is Indradyumna himself ruled elaborating this episode, has corroborated by yet another over Kanchi. More drawn extensively from significant scripture Neeladri importantly, Sarala places king Skandha Purana. Mahodaya.As both these Indradyumna in Kaliyuga not INDRADYUMNA: scriptures maintain,king in Satya Yuga as other ancient Indradyumna ruled over the Sanskrit scriptures do. As There is no mention of ancient kingdom of Malav, Sarala Dasa elaborates, King king Indradyumna nor of who was blessed by Lord Indradyumna built the Jagannath Kshetra Puri in the Visnu Himself as He revealed Jagannath temple in Kali Vedas. However, in the before Indradyumna (in the Yuga. And he mentions that the Sanskrit Mahabharata of guise of a Sanyasi) and gave half-burnt corpse of Sri Krsna Vyasadev there figures the holy him the message that was being worshipped there. pond of Indradyumna. As we Madhava(Neela Madhava) hear from Vyasa¶s account in had descended on the Sree Jagannath as a the Mahabharata king Neelachala kshetra as Personality and Character: Indradyumna and the holy Purushottama. As the The character of Sree pond Indradyumna both are sequence of events follow ± Jagannath is portrayed in much older and more ancient King Indradyumna sent Sanskrit scriptures like than Rishi Markandeya. In fact Vidyapati to track down Skandha Purana, Brahma king Indradyumna is the Madhava in Neelachala Purana, Brihad Naradiya original founder of Sri Kshetra. Then Vidyapati had Purana, Neeladri Mahodaya Jagannath. This is the a chance meeting with Savara and Kapila Samhita though, unanimous opinion of all King Viswavasu. He was Sarala Dasa is the earliest and scholars and literary historians blessed to have the darshan of the pioneer in portraying Sree without a shred of Madhava there. Prior to that Jagannath in Oriya literature. equivocation. But opinions vary Vidyapati had got the darshan He deviates from the Sanskrit with regard to king of Madhava in dream and scriptures in several ways and, Indradyumna, his kingdom received His blessings to go often, very strikingly. For and tenure. According to ahead on his mission. King example, the concept that the September - 2010 35 Orissa Review half-burnt or unburnt Narada revealed the fact to must go to the sea where he remnants of Sri Krsna¶s Vidyapati that the hair of the shall find an island full of corpse is being worshipped as Lord (Whom King greenery. He must go alone Sree Jagannath is entirely and Indradyumna had seen in with an axe through the foamy exclusively Sarala¶s dream) had taken the form of a waves of the sea into the island imagination. Let us now tree. Narada instructed where he shall find a tree. He examine the similarities, Vidyapati to get that tree, make must fell that tree and make the parallels and differences of the image of the Lord and to idols out of that wood. The Sarala from the Sanskrit worship. Accordingly, with a lot king did exactly as he was scriptures in the portrayal of of excitement and jubilation instructed. Thus in Brahma Sree Jagannath. king Indradyumna brought that Purana there is no mention of According to tree and put that on a holy Neelagiri, Neela Madhava, Skandha Purana Viswavasu, platform. Then he thought Vidyapati, Viswavasu etc. as the Savara King, worshipped about making the image from they figure in Skandha Neela Madhava. King that wood. Purana. Similarly in Padma Indradyumna got this As the Vishnu Purana Purana there figure information from a yogi (who relates, the king of Malava, Purushottama and Neelagiri, was on pilgrimage) and was Indradyumna (of Satya but both Sree Jagannath and instructed by the latter to look Yuga) came to Purushottama King Indradyumna don¶t. In for Neela Madhava (who is Kshetra to worship the Lord Neeladri Mahodaya there is none other than Lord Vishnu) with the conch, the disc, the the mention of King in the Purushottama Kshetra. mace and the lotus (lord Vishnu Indradyumna. Here we find an Soon king Indradyumna obviously). But at Yama Raj¶s account very much like that of despatched a holy Brahmin in entreaty, the idol of lord Vishnu Skandha Purana how search of Neela Madhava. was covered up with sand. Narada appeared to king Vidyapati could somehow Hence it was not visible. When Indradyumna, indicated him locate Purushottama Kshetra king Indradyumna couldn¶t about the lord Madhava and was extended hospitality by see any idol he thought of existing in the form ofdaru, then a Savara called Viswavasu. building a temple over there. the king (Indradyumna) By his help Vidyapati could His idea was that if a temple organizing an Aswamedha reach the Neelagiri (the abode was built lord Vishnu might Yajna and bringing the daru of Neela Madhava), but was manifest Himself. The king was from the sea-coast and putting shocked to find Neela particularly worried about the them on the holy platform Madhava vanishing from his nature of the idol he would specially constructed for the abode. But soon Narada was make to adorn the newly built purpose. Besides, both gracious enough to appear temple. He fasted for full five Vidyapati and Savara king before Vidyapati and assure days and nights with all rituals Viswavasu do figure in it. him that the Lord would soon and single-minded devotion. At But interestingly, the manifest Himself in His the end of the fifth night Lord account of Arjuna consigning Quadruple form (Chaturdha Vishnu appeared in his dream the unburnt or half-burnt Murtti) as Daru and reveal and instructed King remnants of the corpse of Himself to Vidyapati.