Shree Jayadeva and the Cult of Jagannath

Orissa Review June-July - 2007

Dr. Bhagyalipi Malla

Sri Jayadeva was the famous composer of Shree Consciousness after the emergence of great poet Gita Govinda. His lucid composition of Gita Jayadeva. His work also popularized Jagannath Govinda became world famous during his life time worship in every nook and corner of Orissa. It is especially because of its introduction in the rituals glorious that the great poet Jayadeva was born in of Jagannath Culture. Its romantic as well as the sacred soil of Prachi Valley region. religious fervour ignited the devotional thought of The popular Jagannath Cult is a mysterious priests, peasants and royal personalities alike. The religious system. Scholars from different parts of construction of Jagannath temple at Puri by Choda the country and abroad have attempted to solve Ganga Deva in 12th Century A.D. ushered in a the mystery of origin and evolution of Jagannath new era in the religious history of Orissa. With cult and have stumbled confusedly at the platform the decree of the Ganga emperors, Gita Govinda of religious eclecticism of Jagannatha Triad. was sung everyday in the temple as a result of Jagannath allows all and admits all, yet He is aloof which it became popular in every household in Orissa and India as well. from all. It is also said that He is all of It and none of it. He is like a mirror where all can see their Gita Govinda describes the love sport of reflection but cannot touch. He adorned his Radha and Krishna in a beautiful manner. The ratnasimhasan admitting flexibility, adaptability, charming and simple language of the text attracted integrity and magnanimity of all dynamics of one and all from every quarter. The depiction of Hinduism. For this, the Jainas, Buddhas, Avatar conception in the composition of Jayadeva Vaisnavas, Saivas, Saktas, the tribal aboriginals, deserves special mention. Similarly, the prelates and potentates surrender at his feet description of Radha Madhav Cult, which was in seeking eternal salvation. The earliest reference vogue in Prachi region, is very interesting in the to Jagannath-Daru worship is found in the Vedic poetic articulation of Jayadeva. For the first time, literature. In the Mahabharata, there is mention we find reference to Radha as a cult icon in his about a Vedi near the eastern Kalingan sea. poetic creation. Scholars have identified this spot with the present Vaishnavism received new impetus day Jagannath temple complex of Puri. Indrabhuti, because of the impact of Jayadeva¶s Gita Govinda the king of Sambala, in his famous work from 12th Century A.D. Many new ideas and Gyanasiddhi speaks of Jagannath as Buddha in ideation entered into the fold of Jagannath the 8th century A.D.

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Sankaracharya in course of his religious Garuda pillar of Natamandira while repairing it conquest of India in 8th/9th century A.D. visited by ASI. This further strengthened the Buddhist Puri and worshipped Jagannath. The origin of Jagannath. From the funeral pyre of Anargharaghava Natakam of Murari Misra (9th Buddha at Kusinagar, a tooth relic was known century A.D.) refers to Purusottama. There is to have been brought by Therakhema to Puri of mention about a µdevayatana¶ that existed at Puri Orissa. For this relic, for centuris Puri was called in Prabodha Chandra-dayo Natakam of Krusna Dantapuri. It is believed that it is still there as Misra (11th century A.D). The Saradadevi temple Brahmadata, in the wooden statues of Jagannath inscriptions of Mahihar in Satna district of Madhya which is mysteriously shifted to the new idols at Pradesh describes Purusottama as the Lord of the time of Navakalevara. Alexandar Cunningham Utkala in 10th century A.D. In the Baramdeo has stated, ³the three shapeless figures of temple epigraph of 1088 A.D. and Nagpur Jagananth and his brother and sister are simple inscription of 12th century A.D., there is reference copies of the symbolical figures of the Buddhist to Purusottama Kshetra that existed in Orissa. In triad i.e. Buddha, Dharma and Sangha of which ancient Hindi literatures like Bisaldev Raso (12th the 2nd is always represented as a female. The century A.D.) and Prithvirayo Roso of the same Buddhist origin of the Jagannath figure is proved century, Jagannath is described as the deity of beyond all doubt by their adoption as the Orissa. representative of the Brahmanical avatar of Buddha in the annual almanacs of Mathura and Thus, there is ample evidence of Jagannath Benaras.´ Dr. H. K. Mahatab has also referred at Puri since remote antiquity. The glory and to a similar stone of Asokan polis with the symbol greatness of Jagannath and Puridham find mention of Buddha, Sangha and Dhama discovered and in the Puranas like Matsya, Brahama, Narada, sent to Calcutta University sometime back for Padma Kapilasanhita, Niladrimahaodaya and the preservation in Asutosh Museum. According to Utkal Kanda of the Skanda Purana. In all such him, ³the Savaras of Orissa were converted to Puranas, he has been described as the famous Buddhism during the time of Asoka and deity of Odra or Utkala. In the tantric works like worshipped the Triratna symbol in a Buddhist Kalika Purana, Rudrayamala tantra, stupa at Puri. Later on in the 7th/8th century A.D., Brahmayamala tantra and Tantrayamala, etc. of when Buddha was considered as an avatar of 10th century A.D., Jagannath is mentioned Visnu, Jagannath was also considered to be an conspicuously. avatara of Visnu. Gradually Buddhism lost itself The foreign scholars like Stevens, Wilson in Vaisnavism.´ and Fergusson etc have traced his origin in Another school of scholars like Nilakantha Buddhism. Rajendralal Mitra has opined that Das believed in Jaina association of Jagannath during pre-Christian century, only Buddhism was cult. So far its origin is concerend, he has tried to in vogue in Orissa. Chinese traveller like Yuan identify Nilamadhava with Kalinga Jina referred Chwang has narrated that Mahayana Buddhism to in the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela was the religion of Utkala in 7th century A.D. which was known to have been taken by Nanda This school of scholars believe that original ruler as war trophy in 4th century B.C. The said Jagannath temple complex was a Buddhist Jaina symbol came to be known as Nila i.e. void establishment. Very recently a Chunar sand stone or black. The image of Jagannath, that is why, pillar has been traced out below the fossilized represents black colour or void. Subhadra is

116 Orissa Review June-July - 2007 being identified with the Dharmachakra of Jainas preordained to put an end to his avatar of and Kavalya so closely connected with Jagannath, Dvaparajuga. He further directed him to burn his has in fact Jaina origin. Kedar Mahapatra and body and to immerse the ashes in the ocean. The Binayak Misra also subscribe to this school of Savara could not completely burn his body. As thought. For this they have attempted to identify per heavenly direction, he threw it in the ocean. It the legendary Indradyumna with emperor floated and in coarse of time came to Mahodadhi Kharavela who brought black the Kalinga Jina in i.e. Puri sea beach. The then king of Puri 1st century B. C. which was taken away by Indradyumna dreamt of this and as per the divine Mahapadma Nanda in 4th century B.C. to direction brought it to the palace to make the Pataliputra. wooden statues of Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath. Jagannath is also adorned as Darudevata of Vedic and Bhagavatism. According to A story goes that no carpenter could P.Mukherjee, in about 5th century A.D. during handle the wooden log. Ultimately an old the Gupta rule, Sankarsana and Vasudeva came carpenter came and assured the king that he can to be worshipped as Balarama and Jagannath. make the statues under one condition that he The Brihat Samhita of Varahmihira of 6th century would not be disturbed for fourteen days and he A.D. associated Ekanamsa with Subhadra. In would do his job inside the temple by locking the Harivansa, she is described as the daughter of door. The king agreed to the terms and conditions. Nandaraja and also as the common sister of But hearing no sound of the carpenter from Jagannath and Balabhadra. Under the influence outside, the Queen insisted the king to break open of the Bhagavatism, she came to be worshipped the door before the completion of 14 days and to as Subhadra as their common Sakti being the his surprise the king found the deities half made sister, a phenomenon unknown to Indian tradition. and the old carpenter vanished. He prayed God Thus the cult of Shakti entered into the fold of who advised him to worship him in that form which Jagannath worship in a zigzag manner baffling the we find today. Many such other stories in different beholders and philosophers alike. versions are found about the Savara connection of the Jagannath culture. The Daitapatis now claim Another strange aspect of the Cult is the their origin to this Sabar tribe. Sabar connection in the origin and worship of Jagannath tradition. Jagannath Das in the Thus the synthetic and syncretic cult of Musaliparva of Mahabharata has written in the Jagannath is the embodiment of several cults of 15th century A.D. and said that after the diverse religious philosophies that existed in India Mahabharata war, Pandavas left for heaven in different periods of her long cultural history. In through Himalaya. The Yadava Vansa of Krisna the historic process of assimilation, it has got destroyed by Krishna himself through the embraced strange contradictions and varied deluge of intoxication and homicide of the clan. traditions of various religious orders and has emerged as a universal heritage of world The Krisna avatara lila of Dvapara Yuga was thus to be concluded. Lord Krisna, to leave eminence. the mundane world was swinging in the forest. A Savara, thinking him to be a deer, shoot an arrow at Krisna. When the Savara came to know of this he cried and prayed God to excuse him. Dr. B.L. Malla is working as Curator, Manuscript Consoling him the Lord said that this incident was Section, Orissa State Museum, Bhubaneswar.

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