Orissa Review June - 2009 Puja Rituals in Srimandir Padmanabha Mahapatra Shri Jagannath in Yantra, Tantra and Mantra mouth of Siva; that which has entered into the mouth of Uma; and that which is the opinion of The mode of worship of Sri Jagannath is Vishnu. - 'Agatam Sivamukhabjat gatam tu unique and different from that of the other Vishnu Girija mukhe, matam ch Basudevasya tasmat temples, situated in north and south India. Sri Agama uchyate'. So Agam or Tantra Sastra is Jagannath is Pranab; He has been identified with mainly based on three aspects, such as - Saivism; the mystic Vedic Bijamantra 'Om'. His puja has (Saivagam) Saktism (Saktagam) and Vaishnavism been developed and systematized in a well (Vaishnavagam). Agam or Tantra Sastra is a designed- process by coordinating the basics of means for over all development of human society Vedic, Tantric and Vaisnavite streams. - 'Dharmarth kamamokhyadi chaturbarga Dharmashastras prescribe three main streams for sadhan pathpradarshak.' the puja of Hindu Devatas, those are - Nigam, Agam and Lokacar. Nigam is the pure Vedic 'Tantra aims to transform every action in system, Agam is the tantric system and Lokacar life into a ritual, so that the individual performs is the combination of both or some other system, every action and thought with a feeling of worship which is followed with reference to the prevailing and awareness. The action of bathing, dressing, conditions of the locality, time and authorities. sitting for worship, offering various symbolic sacrifices, sexual relations, stages of development Nigam - (the Vedic system) - The guide from inception to womb, birth to marriage etc. for Vedic Upasana (Nigam) is Karmakanda; are transformed into worship. The aim of Tantra which concentrates mainly on Japa, Jaga and is to unleash the cosmic energy in man, so that he Yagnya (fire sacrifice). - 'Swatah rises to higher level of awareness.' ('A systematic pramanswarup Veden nischitartho nigamyate course in ancient Tantric Techniques of Yoga and gnayeta iti atah Vedah Nigamah, Nigamyate Kriya' - Swami Satyananda Saraswati-P.P. - 335 gnayete anena iti Nigamah.'(Devi Bhagavat - /336) 1-5-61) Tantra has been divided into 64 parts - Agam (Tantra) - Agam or Tantra Sastra is 'Chatuhsasthi ch Tantrani'. Over and above very much elaborate and contains the multiple that, saints such as Kapila, Jaimini, Basistha, system of Upasana. The proper meaning of the Pulastya, Bhrugu, Yagnyabalkya, Sukra and term Agam is that which has come out of the Brihaspati etc. have written huge number of 15 Orissa Review June - 2009 Upaantras also. Tantric system has some Acaras; between consciousness and form. This system out of them Bamacara and Kaulacara are most applies to every thing in the world around us. The important. Bamacara is not suitable for visible form is the expression, while the Mantra is Vaishnavite system. In Tantra, Yantra and Mantra the vehicle of expression. Mantra is the direct link play the major role. with the beyond. Yantra - Yantra is the body of the deity. The deities on the Simhasana of Srimandira Puja of a deity is required to be taken up on a have been placed on specific Yantras; Sri Yantra, so Yantra is very important. Balabhadra on Tara Yantra, Sri Subhadra on 'Sarbeshameb Devanam Yantrapuja Bhubaneswari Yantra and Sri Jagannatha on Kali Prasashyate' (Gautami Tantra). Without a Yantra, Yantra. The Daru Devatas (made of wood) Puja can not be taken up. If the Yantra is not themselves are Tantrics, because their known then eight-petalled lotus is to be accepted construction has been made on Tantric as Yantra and the puja is to be undertaken background, with reference to Matsya Purana, accordingly. 'Bina Yantren chet puja Devata Sanatkumar Samhita, Biswamitra Samhita and na prasidati, Anuktakalpe Yantram tu likhet Hayasirsha Samhita etc., all Tantric Texts. The Padmadalastakam '. (Gautami Tantra) Vimana of Sri Mandir is a Siddha Pitha and the Mantra - Mantra is the soul of the deity deities are the SiddhaYantras. To keep the on a Yantra. - 'Mantrayate guptam paribhasate Yantras; engines moving; the presence of a iti Mantrah'. Mantra is secrete, to be learnt from perfectly trained and experienced Yantree or the best Guru. The sound of the Mantras being Engineer is always required; he is the Pujak in the chanted combined with the power of the resolve literature of Sri Mandira and he is charged on made by the person performing the Puja, reaches Tantra. 'Mananatt Mantrah' Mantra is very the divine power that converts the chants into the difficult; it can only be learnt from perfect Gurus desired blessings. It is a must that Mantras are or teachers; and it is the only means to take up very powerful. But they must be chanted in a Puja in a systematic manner. Who are the Gurus balanced note and rhythm. - 'Manah then ? They are Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswar. santoshanam saucham maunam mantrarth From the above analogy we conclude that in the chintanam, Abyagramanirbedah japam- Puja Paddhati of Srimandira, Guru is there in place sapatti hetabah'. of Mantra; Pujak is there in place of Tantra and the deities are there in place of Yantras. Mantras in a gross level are special sound patterns. On a deeper sense they are still much System of Pancaratram Pujapaddhati more. Along with Mandalas and Yantras, Mantras Narada Purana mentions that the Puja of are most important and considered as the essence Sri Purusottama was being undertaken according of the practical Tantra. Mantras and Yantras to the tenets of Pancaratra system during the time (Mandalas) are utilized in conjunction with each of king Indradyumna. The same system with some other to form powerful combination. A Mandala, additions and alterations continues even at present. Yantra or Devata is the form of consciousness. Among the different disciplines of Vaishnava The Mandalas, Yantras or Devatas are the worship the system of Pancaratram holds a very manifested forms, configurations of Shakti, while prominent position. The Supreme Narayana the Mantra, which is also Shakti, is the link himself, who in turn taught it to Uddhab within 16 Orissa Review June - 2009 the span of five nights, directly imparted it to Sage work, stated to have been originated at Narad. Pancaratram literature glorifies image Purusottam Khetra; it has also much influence on worship as even superior to the Vedas. Whatever the puja system of Sri Jagannath. that may be, under this system, the idols have been Niladri Mahodaya is a very popular work. held as very necessary to conceive and meditate It states the origin, rites and rituals of Sri on God. Jagannath. But the period of its compilation and Texts on Pujapaddhati about it's actual author are not yet definite. Some say that it was compiled at the time of Ganga king Some ritual texts exhibiting the mode of Bhanudev IV (1414-1435 AD), but this book as worship of Jagannath, as available at present are a reference is not found to have been quoted by mentioned below. any author of Orissa till 18th century. So it comes Gajapati Purusottama Dev (1466-1497 to one's mind that it is a later compilation. Niladri A.D), the famous Gajapati king of Ganga dynasty, Mahodaya contains 91 chapters, dealing in detail compiled 'Gopalarchanavidhi' on the rites and with all the rites and rituals and day-to-day rituals of Sri Jagannatha and 'Muktichintamani' on functions in Jagannath temple. It is a compilation the sanctity of Purusottama Puri. Gopalar- based on all Dharmasastras, Puranas and Tantras chanavidhi otherwise known as 'Niladrinatha etc., hence it is called as 'Sthala Purana' in Orissa. Pujavidhi' and 'Niladrimahodayarcanavidhi' have However, the latest compilation of Niladri been compiled on the Vaishnava Skandha of Mahodaya along with its Oriya translation has Agamakalpataru. been edited by Dr B.K Swain and published by Narasimha Mishra Vajpeyee (1525-1580 Sadgrantha Niketan, Puri recently in two volumes A.D) was the famous Smrti writer and royal and available in the market. preceptor of Gajapati Prataparudra Dev (1497- Over and above all references cited above, 1533AD). Out of his 18 voluminous works the fairs and festivals, rites and rituals of Sri 'Nityacarapradeepa' was the best and it has been Jagannath Temple have been discussed in the published by the Asiatic Society of Bengal in following works. 1928. Nityacarapradeepa has been divided into (a) Gopalarchanapaddhati by Sri Basudev 4 parts excluding its Parivasa Prakaran. In this Tripathy (1700- 1750 AD). work the author described in detail, about all the temples, tirthas, lakes, Gods and Goddesses of (b) Kalanirnaya - by Sri Raghunath Das (1715- Srikhetra. Therein he has suggested for 1750 AD) worshipping Sri Balabhadra in Sankarshana (c) Kalsarvasva - by Sri Krishna Mishra (1750 mantra, Sri Jagannatha in Krishna mantra and AD) Goddess Subhadra in Devi mantra. (d) Virasarvasva - by Sri Gopinath Tripathy Gadadhar Rajguru Mahapatra (1700- (1778 AD) 1750 AD) was a reputed Smrti writer, his compiled work 'Gadadharpaddhiti' has also been (e) Bamdev Samhita - Published by published by the Asiatic society in 1904 and Muktimandap Pandit Sava, Puri during 1908. In his 'Kalasar,' in the Mangalacaran he 1972. has started with praying Lord Jagannath and (f) Surisarvasva - by - Govinda Kabibhusana mother Vimala. Sri Gautamiya Tantra is another Samantaray; edited by Sri Bhagaban Panda 17 Orissa Review June - 2009 and published by Orissa State Museum the Parasara Samhita quotes the integrated form (published in 2 parts in 1974 and 1994) of Lord Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra. - All such texts except 'Surisarvasva' have 'Jagannatheti bamangam broadly dealt with the puja systems of Sri Balaramardharupinam / Subhadrakhya- Jagannath only, but there are no ancient Mahalaxmi rupasardhangabeshinam // xxxx Tam paraparamabyaktam namami independent ritual texts exhibiting the detailed Purusottamam '.// Here Goddess Subhadra has mode of worship of Sri Balabhadra and been accepted as Goddess Laxmi, who blesses Subhadra.