Jagannatha: An Enigmatic
Deity
A devout Hindu’s pilgrimage is not
complete without paying obeisance to Jagannatha at Sri Kshetra or
Purushottam Kshetra, one of the four Dhams, the most sacred places for
the Hindus.
Much has
been written on Jagannatha, the Triad of Jagannatha-Balabhadra-Subhadra,
Srimandira at Puri and its elaborate rituals, the spectacular Ratha Yatra and
the Nabakalebara. Myriad myths exist for every aspect of Jagannatha. Yet, much
is enigmatic about the deity.
Who is Jagannatha: Maha Vishnu, Nrusingha, Vamana, Nila Madhava, Krishna, Shiva
Bhairava, Mahavira Jain, Buddha, a Tantric deity, or a tribal deity- the Kitung
of Savaras? Why the Triad? Is Balabhadra an incarnation of Shiva? Who is
Subhadra: Durga, Shakti, Bhubaneswari or Stambheswari? Then, who is Bimala to
whom the prasad from the temple kitchen must first be offered before it can be mahaprasad
and offered to Lord Jagannatha? Buddha summarily rejected animal sacrifice sanctioned
by the Vedic scriptures, and yet was incorporated as an avatar of Vishnu. Why,
then, is animal sacrifice (of a fish, though) still practised in a Vaishnava
temple, before Bimala on Bijaya Dashami day and cooked fish is offered to Her as
prasad? Why is Lakshmi not on the Ratna Simhasana with Jagannatha? Because she
cannot be in close proximity to Balabhadra, her husband’s elder brother?
Theologians and scholars have varied theories and opinions about the
origin of Jagannatha and what this unusual idea of the Supreme Godhead means to
various sects and persuasions. However, there is near consensus about the
syncretic nature of the deity. Jagannatha welcomes all devotees with open arms.
He has limitless compassion. He is the most humanised of all conceptions of
godhood. He is not the remote Anantashayee Vishnu in Vaikuntha; He is present
here on earth to all his devotees as sakha, sahodara, and atmiya.
Jagannatha: Meaning
Jagannatha is a conjunction of two Sanskrit words: Jagat (the
Universe) and Natha (Lord). Symbolically, He is the unmoving constant,
the Daru Brahma, the Lord of the world of flux and constant change (Jagat
is that which is moveable and moves ceaselessly). Some scholars claim that
Jagannatha is, in fact, an Austric word of the Savara tribe, derived from Jagant,
the sacred tree in which resides their God- Kitung Mahaprabhu. However, the
use of Jagadeesha in Jayadeva’s Dasabatara Stotra or Jagannatha Swami
in Adi Shankara’s Jagannathastakam is in sync with the Sanskrit meaning of
Jagannatha.
Jagannatha includes, assimilates, and absorbs a variety of methods and
modalities of reaching the Divine. He is a tribal deity, a
Vedic-Aryan-Sanskritic-Brahminic god: Maha Vishnu or Param Brahma, Jaina, Buddha,
Tantric god; an All-in-One visualisation of the Supreme. He is nirakara
and nirguna, yet Daru Brahma and Chakadola, avatari and avatar,
Ram, Krishna, Shiva, and Brahma.
Jagannatha: Confluence of Two
Ancient Cultures
Jagannatha epitomises the confluence of the Vedic and the non-Vedic cultures
which progressed from conflict and clash to conciliation and a negotiated
settlement for partnership and peaceful co-existence.
Vedic Culture: Territorial
Expansion
What was the essential difference between the two cultures? The Vedic
culture had adopted agriculture and animal husbandry and lived in permanent
settlements whereas the aborigines were hunters-gatherers living in small clans
and shifting settlements in their vast territory of forests and hills.
After establishing itself in the northern plains of India, the Vedic
culture ventured into the area south of Vindhyas, the territory of the
aborigines.
As per a myth, Agastya Rishi was persuaded to go to the south since the
congregation of all rishis in the north was tilting the earth dangerously
towards the north and making it unstable. The proud and towering Vindhya
Mountain, gaining further height and threatening to block the path of Surya,
the Sun god, bent down to pay obeisance to the great rishi who commanded it to
retain that reverential posture till his return. Agastya easily scaled the
Vindhyas and crossed over to the south but never returned, and Vindhya had to
stop growing in honour of the solemn promise made to the great rishi. This myth
tells of the significant geological changes in a remote era, and also the story
of migration of people in search of new territory, the first foray from the
familiar north to the wilderness of the south.
Ram of Ayodhya, the epic hero and an avatar of Vishnu in Tretaya Yuga,
too, went into the wilderness for his vanavas of fourteen years
journeying south till the end of land and then beyond to Lanka. Maybe, the vanavas
was not merely owing to the machinations of the scheming Kaikeyi, and Ram and
Lakshman being epic heroes willingly chose to be the proud and determined
flag-bearers of the Vedic culture in unexplored and dangerous territory. They
killed many asuras who were most likely non-Vedic with different cultural
mores. They sought and succeeded in forging new alliances with Sugriva and his
monkey brigade, another non-Vedic tribe; and Vibhishana of Lanka, persuading
him to ditch his powerful brother Ravana and defect to Ram’s side.
In Dwapar Yuga, Lord Krishna’s prime field of play was
Mathura-Gopapura-Hastinapur, and subsequently, he translocated the Yadava
kingdom to Dwarka in the far west, possibly the first large-scale migration
from the north to the west.
These puranic stories are mythical, but bear testimony to the
territorial expansion of the Vedic civilisation.
From Conflict to Conciliation
What happened when the two cultures met? It began with mutual
incomprehension, doubt and distrust. Aryans considered the aborigines as anaryas,
asuras, dasyus, and defilers of homa, the sacred fire. The
aborigines looked upon the Aryans as aggressors, and rightfully so. The Aryans
wanted to expand their territory for settlements, agriculture and animal
husbandry. The aborigines refused to abdicate and vacate their homeland of
forests and hills which sustained their life. The inevitable result was a clash
between the two cultures. The negotiations, often violent and bloody, might
have continued for long after which both sides sought and accepted mutual
accommodation.
Of the many examples of such accommodation, the most notable is Jagannatha,
a tribal deity incorporated into the Hindu pantheon. Such conciliation
is particularly evidenced in
i.
the origin myth,
ii.
the iconography,
iii.
the temple management system, and
iv.
the rituals and special events.
Jagannatha: Myth of Origin
There are
numerous myths on various aspects of Jagannatha. He went along with Balabhadra
to fight and win for the Gajapati king in the war against Kanchi. He went as a
witness for a devotee and became Sakshi Gopala. He accepted the humble offering
of a coconut from Dasia Bauri, an untouchable who was denied entry to
Srimandira. He guided a perplexed and disappointed Tulasidas to visualise Lord
Ram in His idol. These myths illustrate the many adorable aspects of the Lord
and explain why He is so popular a deity.
But the
most well-known of all is the myth of Jagannatha’s origin. What is the principal
objective of this myth? Maybe, to build a bridge between the Vedic and the
non-Vedic cultures. Several aspects of the myth are suggestive of the
negotiated settlement between the two cultures: the acknowledgement that the
mysterious god originally belonged to the Savaras; that Savaras and Brahmins
became kins through a marital bond, and the progeny of Lalita and Vidyapati
would be the living proof of the physical and spiritual harmony between them; the
iconography of the idols would retain its original character and be made of
log; that the rituals of worship would incorporate the tribal mores and methods;
and further that non-Brahmins would play a significant role in the management
of the temple.
The Savaras
were powerless to resist King Indradyumna who marched from Avanti with his
‘army of 1,300,000 footmen’ (Hunter, P-74), but the king could not retrieve the
daru from the sea even after harnessing 5000 male elephants. The daru
came ashore, light as a flower, only when Visvavasu was invited to join in as
an equal partner.
The Vedic
religion, by incorporating the Savaras into the temple management system, also
agreed to absolve Jara and his progeny of the sin of killing Lord Sri Krishna.
A further series of myths was created to achieve this end. Jara was recognised
as Bali of Tretaya reborn in Dwapara.
Why and how Lord Krishna died provides an interesting illustration of
the interlinking of a series of myths to explain the exceptional story of God’s
demise.
Krishna had once applied payasam on Durvasa Rishi’s body to
felicitate him but had omitted to apply it on his feet owing to which the rishi
cursed Krishna that he will die of a wound in his foot.
Gandhari had cursed Krishna that after 36 years of the Mahabharata war
his entire clan will perish after which he will die alone. A mere mortal could
curse God, and God must suffer a lonely, painful death.
Jara Savara was Bali in Tretaya and was killed when Ram shot him
from behind in a treacherous and stealth attack. Even God is not free from the
consequences of His karma, and had to repay for the deceitful killing of
Bali.
Thus, three separate but interwoven myths explain the death of Krishna,
the very incarnation of Vishnu. How else could the Lord of the Universe be
killed by Jara, a mere man who was His creation?
The ‘origin’ myth justifies the translocation with a carefully crafted story
which portrays King Indradyumna and Vidyapati, his emissary and a Brahmin
scholar in a more favourable light, and Visvavasu and his Savara tribe as poor
losers in the clash of two cultures of which one was vastly ‘superior’ to the
other.
But it was not a simple conquest, since there was no victor or
vanquished. In fact, the Vedic culture tweaked its traditional theological
beliefs and practices significantly to accommodate the tribal customs and
traditions. The Savaras ceded exclusive ownership of their dear deity, but
insisted on physical proximity to their god for all times to come. The
Srimandira sevaks comprise of a curious mix of non-brahmins and brahmin priests,
who are vastly outnumbered by the former. Jagannatha may be very fond of and
partial to chapan bhog but he is offered and must accept the humble and not
easily edible amba takua, the dried kernel of a mango, something that
the Savaras had to live on during the lean season.
Shudramuni Saraladas, Odisha’s Adi Kabi narrates in his Mahabharata
the myth of King Galamadhava’s attack on the Savaras of Shabari Narayana to
snatch their god. The Savaras fought with tenacity and heroism till the entire
tribe was killed by the King’s army except Jara, the lone survivor. God ordered
the king to make truce with Jara and invite him to be an equal partner in
installing the deity at Puri. The myth is indicative of the negotiated
settlement after a bitter and violent war, and conciliation after clash and
conflict between the two cultures.
The myth conveys several messages, some of which are obvious and
explicit, and some others subtle and subliminal.
Consider, for example, the role of King Indradyumna of Avanti, a devout
king, eager to be the medium for the mysterious god’s revelation to the world. Through
his emissary, he located the deity in a remote forest and installed it in a
grand temple at Puri. But it is ironical that the king, a worshipper of Vishnu,
should entertain the possibility of a more powerful god! Further, the king
being learned in scriptures knew that God is an idea and not an idol, residing
in the heart and mind of the devotee and not in a temple.
Also, the choice of venue for the new temple is perplexing. Why at Puri
instead of Ujjaini, the capital of Avanti, and also among the holiest places
for Hindus? Was the religious fervour of the king also guided by the ambition
of territorial expansion from the west to the east?
In the narration of the myth by Manoj Das, Visvavasu ‘was enamoured of
his scholarly guest’ and his daughter ‘was even more enamoured of Vidyapati’
and the ‘prudent’ Visvavasu proposed their marital union. (Das, 2009:
1st Edition, 2016: Revised Edition) W.W. Hunter tells it differently: ‘Basu, a
fowler of the wilderness … seeing the man to be a Brahman, had forced him by
threats to marry his daughter, and thus to bring honour to his tribe.’ (Hunter, First
Published in 1872)
In both these versions of the myth, the point of view of the narrator is
not in doubt. The story-teller implies that the Aryan-Sanskritic culture was
‘superior’ and the transaction was for the benefit of the aborigine community!
By Lalita’s marriage to a Brahmin, the Savara tribe was elevated in rank and
status!
Consider a different version. What if Vidyapati had seduced Lalita to
use her as a tool to succeed in his mission of locating the mysterious deity
and stealing it for the greater glory of his King?
In the narrative by W.W. Hunter, God Himself speaks to Basu Savara providing
the rationale and justification for His translocation from the remote forest to
Puri:
‘Oh, faithful servant. I am wearied of thy jungle flowers and fruits and
crave for cooked rice and sweetmeats. No longer shalt thou see me in the form
of thy Blue God. Hereafter I shall be known as Jagannath, the Lord of the
World.’ (Hunter, First Published in 1872)
Once God has Himself spoken and conveyed His will, how can Visvavasu and
his tribe contemplate opposition or resistance? Was this version part of a
carefully crafted propaganda to pre-empt any resistance by the aborigines? How
about the callous god who spurned the humble offerings of his ardent devotee to
move over to a palatial temple built by a king, and savour chapan bhog,
fifty-six varieties of delicacies daily, a cuisine fit for an Emperor?
Was Vidyapati’s deceipt and treachery
ethical? Is it possible to reach God through such devious means? Is that why God
had to order Indradyumna to enlist the help of Visvavasu to retrieve the daru
from the seas?
The origin myth justifies the appropriation of a tribal deity to the
Hindu pantheon and also seeks to build a bridge between two ancient but
significantly different cultures.
Savara Version of the Myth?
The ‘creation’ myth of Savaras tells of Kitung, the prime deity, who
created the first two men- Ramma and Bimma. There is no mention of Nila
Madhava, Krishna or Vishnu. Kitung is still the Mahaprabhu, the Great
God, for Savaras.
“Out of a gourd floating on water came out Kuraitusum Kittung, who
created some animals and jungles and then Ramma and Bimma who happened to be
the first men.” (Das & Mahapatra, First
Edition: 1979, First Reprint: 1999)
There is no Savara version of Jagannatha’s ‘origin’ myth. The Savaras
did not have a script till the recent years, and probably, there is no oral
myth either on the ‘theft’ of their dear deity. The stealing, snatching, or
forcible appropriation of the deity into the Hindu pantheon must have been
traumatic. Hence, it is rather strange that there is no story by the Savaras
and for the Savaras on this crucial theme.
That Visvavasu’s mysterious deity was Nila Madhava, the Blue God and the
mysterious substance was the unburnt remains of Krishna’s body are clearly
superimpositions by the Vedic-Brahmin religion to link the tribal god to
Krishna and claim the deity for themselves.
Iconography
For the
Vedic religion, stone and metal were preferred material for idols of deities,
yet they had to agree to retain the original iconography of the deity, a crude
carved log. Once again, a myth about the seemingly incomplete idols was
created. Vishwakarma, the Divine carpenter, was disturbed at work and left the
idols unfinished. A still better narrative was: Jagannatha desired to be
worshipped in this form in Kali Yuga!
“Whatever
the Brahminic logicians might argue to claim the Vedic identity of Jagannatha,
His tribal origin cannot be denied ichnographically. Jagannatha is decidedly
anterior to the four-armed Vishnu of the Puranas.” (Mohanty, 1982)
Maybe, the
incomplete icons symbolise man’s futile attempt to grasp the Infinite and
comprehend the Incomprehensible.
Temple Management System
According to the Madala Panji, the Temple almanac, King Ananga
Bhima Dev had established Chatisa Nijoga, thirty-six categories of sevakas
or servitors. As per the Record of Rights of the Jagannatha Temple, there are
119 categories of sevakas. (www.jagannatha.in). Except for the Pandas (the Priests)
who are ranked among the lowest Brahmins, the other sevakas are
non-brahmins. In the myth narrated by Sisu Krsna Das in his Deula Tola,
God speaks to King Indradyumna, ‘The sons of Vasu Savara will be called as Daita,
and they will serve me. The sons of Lalita will be known as Suaras and
they will cook for me. The sons of Vidyapati will be my Panda and they
will worship me.’ (Dash, 2014)
The
elaborate system of sevakas or servitors laid down under chatisa nijoga
continue till today with the non-Brahmin sevakas vastly outnumbering the
Brahmin priests, and having the principal role in several daily and special
events.
Why were the Daitas and Suaras
accommodated into the temple rituals? Possibly, no other Hindu temple in India
grants such privilege and pre-eminence to non-Aryans in the management of daily
rituals as well as special events. Did Aryan-Vedic-Brahmins realise that
‘snatching’ the prime religious icon of an ancient race would permanently
alienate them? Was it also an acknowledgement of the fact that Odisha was populated
mostly by the non-Aryans with the Aryans constituting a small minority in the
coastal region?
Rituals and Special Events
Both
non-Vedic and Vedic practices are built into many rituals of the Srimandira. Surendra
Mohanty opines:
“…
Jagannatha is essentially non-Vedic in character; therefore, the Homa or fire
sacrifice is nearly absent in his rituals, though Brahminic influence has
constantly tried to introduce this Vedic element.” (Mohanty,
1982)
Jagannatha
is offered chapan bhoga, fifty-six delicacies daily, a cuisine
fit for a king; but the royal cuisine must include an amba takua,
a dried mango kernel which provided sustenance to the tribal people in the lean
season.
The Daitas,
the progeny of Visvavasu, play a lead role in the performance of the rituals of
Snana, Anasara Ghara, Ratha Yatra and Nabakalebara.
Snana
On Deva Snana Purnima or Jyestha Purnima is held Snana
Yatra, a ceremonial bathing of the deities on Snana Bedi, the
bathing platform, with 108 pots of water. Some believe this to be a symbolic
ceremony to cleanse the deities of their Sanskritisation and return to their
pre-Vedic form and ambience. The Daitas
perform this ritual as a preparatory for the deities to visit Gundicha Ghara,
the place of their birth; a return to their aboriginal origin.
Anasara Ghara
Only the Daitas, the progeny of the savaras, and not the Brahmin
priests look after the deities during their period of treatment and
convalescence in Anasara Ghara. They
administer medicines, and serve a diet of fruits and berries only. No cooked
meal is served during this period. The deities are too ill to meet the
supplicants. From the time the deities enter the Anasara pindi till the
conclusion of Ratha Yatra with their return from Gundicha Mandap; the Daitas
are in full control of the affairs of the deities, with the brahmins priests
not allowed entry to the Anasara pindi, and having a secondary role in
the other events.
Nabakalebara
During
Nabakalebara, the Brahma is transferred from the old idols to the new. Some
believe that the Brahma is Buddha’s tooth relic, the golden tooth kept in ancient
times in a stupa (Nila Giri) and taken out in an annual procession from
which the Car Festival originated. Others claim that it is saligram, a
sacred object, symbolising for Hindus the Supreme Deity.
The ritual
is shrouded in mystery, with the enigmatic Brahma transferred at midnight by
the Daitas, blindfolded, and with their hands wrapped in cloth so that
the Brahma is neither seen nor touched by bare human hand.
More than
the customary practice, its symbolism is important. God is unknown and
unknowable, and cannot be fathomed through the physical senses: na tatra
chakshurgachhati na baag gachhati na mano, na vidmo na vijanimo… (Kenopanishada,
Verse 3)
Jagannatha-Balabhadra-Subhadra
are possibly the only Hindu deities who discard their old body and acquire a
new one, every 9, 12 or 19 years. After the consecration of the new idols and burial
of the old idols, the Daitas perform the shuddhi kriya,
the period of mourning, just as a family would observe these rituals upon the
death of a member of the family. Jagannatha is a close kin for them. Brahmins
do not perform this ritual mourning.
Ratha Yatra
During the Ratha Yatra, the deities step out of their grand temple to
mingle with the masses. The devotees, regardless of caste and religion, are
free to receive their grace.
Conclusion
The secret
of the lasting appeal of Lord Jagannatha may be owing to the readiness to
incorporate and assimilate diverse cultures and sub-cultures including tribal
mores and tantric rituals. No one is excluded. During Ratha Yatra, He mingles
freely with all His devotees regardless of caste or religion. His prasad
is mahaprasad, incapable of being defiled by the touch of anyone, and partaking
it in open premises with devotees regardless of caste or religion is customary.
When Dasia
Bauri was denied entry into Srimandira, the gracious Lord extended his hand to
accept the humble offering of a coconut from his devotee. The myth’s message is
explicit. Regrettably, however, non-Hindus are still denied entry into the
temple. Since Jagannatha is the Lord of the Universe, and all humans of
whatever faith are His children, why would God deny access to His children?
Man’s
search for God is endless. Even those religions which claim to have found the
one true god or prophet have not been able to put an end to the scepticism,
disquiet, and quest of many of their faith. Why is that so? Because Man is
wired to think more, further and farther. The search for new gods, new faiths,
and new solutions for the soul continues.
***
References
Das, K. B., & Mahapatra, L. K. (First Edition:
1979, First Reprint: 1999). Folklore of Orissa. New Delhi: National
Book Trust, India.
Das, M. (2009: 1st Edition, 2016: Revised Edition). Myths,
Legends, Concepts and Literary Antiquities of India. New Delhi: Sahitya
Akademi.
Dash, A. (2014, Feb-Mar). Tribal Origin of the Cut
of the Jagannath. Odisha Review.
Hunter, W. W. (First Published in 1872). ORISSA:
Vol I. London: Smith, Elder & Co.
Mohanty, S. (1982). Lord Jagannatha: The
Microcosm of Indian Spiritual Culture. Bhubaneswar: Orissa Sahitya
Akademi.
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- Author's profile may be seen at http://amazon.com/author/pkdash
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***
