SHRI JAGANNATH AND ADIGURU SHANKARACHARYA

The date and time of revelation of Shri Jagannath in the present form is unknown to gods, demons and humans. Lord Jagannath is described in Rig Veda, the oldest text. It has 1000 hymns addressed to gods to propitiate divinities. It was completed in 12th century BC. It appears Lord Jagannath is older than the oldest text. Before the appearance of wood (Daru) quartet, stone idol of Lord Nila Madhav was worshipped on Blue Hill. He bestowed deliverance. In Bamadev Samhita and Niladri Mahodaya the chronological background of disappearance of Nilamadhav and descent of Lord Jagannath with his siblings is underscored. “Purusottam Jagannath is the sovereign Lord of universe. He existed before time and space. He is the source of matter and energy: omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscience.”

King Indradyumna, the fifth generation of Lord Brahma, was a devout Lord Visnu worshipper in Krita (Satya) Yuga. In a dialogue between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati it was reiterated that five-faced Brahma was born from Lord Narayan’s navel lotus and there and then emerged Madhav, worshipped as Nilamadhav in Purusottam Kshetra. Sacred Purusottam Kshetra is the best place on earth where Lord Brahma is settled. He performed oblation (Yajna) and Nilamadhav came out. It is difficult to define the merit and excellence of the blessed Purusottam or Sankha Kshetra. It is Utkal in Bharat Varsha where this holy land lies. People living here are pious, shy and obedient. Brahmins are well versed in scriptures, rituals and maintain life of purity.

Once King Indradyumna of the city of Abanti in Malab Kingdom heard adulation of Purusottam Kshetra from a beaming nonagenarian with tangled locks. The old man gave out comprehensive information and mysteriously disappeared. It evoked interest in the king. He deputed younger brother of the royal priest Vidyapati on a fact-finding mission to Purusottam Kshetra. Vidyapati rightly reached the destination. He befriended tribal chieftain Viswavasu, a devotee of Lord Vishnu, for Lord Nilamadhav. It was an arduous work, but Vidyapati gained holy darshan of Lord Nilamadhav and was captivated. On his return to Abanti city he placed his report verbally before the king. The king was overwhelmingly elated and appreciated Vidyapati’s efforts.

Now King Indradyumna set out to Purusottam Kshetra with an entourage of subjects, kith and kin, military-men and above all saint of gods Narada, giving charges of the state to prince Birabhadra, his son. But on reaching Purusottam Kshetra the king was crestfallen with the news that Lord Nilamadhav had disappeared in a devastating sand storm the previous night. Debarshi Narada told the king what transpired to Lord Brahma elaborately about the revelation of Lord Jagannath. This gave the king some comfort.

Events took place very fast. The king dreamt of a sandalwood tree emitting fragrance with conch and wheel marks afloat at sea-shore. It likened the perfect image of Lord Jagannath. The king was extremely happy. The holy tree was brought with pomp to the erected house where yajna was to be performed. In the meantime a fragile old carpenter appeared from nowhere and built the sacred idols in a closed-door house in fifteen days. The deities, the proper idols of Brahma, appeared radiantly on opening of the doors, but the old hag (believed to be none other than Lord Jagannath himself) disappeared.

This episode prolonged. King Indradyumna went to Brahmalok with Debarshi Narada and returned with Lord Brahma after an aeon who sanctified the temple and installed the quartet on the jewel-altar after performing scriptural rituals. Niladri Mahodaya, composed in later period, has almost the similar description. Skanda Purana stated that the old carpenter built out of wood (Daru) the images of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra, Devi Subhadra and Chakraraj Sudarshan with conch, wheel, mace and lotus in their hands.

Opinions differed on the exact period of King Indradyumna’s rule who was instrumental in carving in sacred wood (Daru) the idols in the present form. Pandit Suryanarayan Dash says, “Some people opine Mahabharat was composed in 5th or 6th century BC. Some others observed that it was 1st or 2nd century BC. Thus, it has to be recognised that Indradyumna existed several centuries Before Christ.”

It was possible many temples were built to accommodate the deities but vagaries of nature crumbled them. Pious kings rebuilt them. The size of the temple was unequal. Attacks of religious antagonists could have destroyed the temples. Man doesn’t know the prehistoric status. The temples also faced the attacks of Islamic fundamentalists who were crazy iconoclasts.

Biographies of Adiguru Shankaracharya carry varied periods of his life including dates of his birth and death. Records of Dwaraka, Govardhan and Badrinath shrines showed that the saint was born in 509 B.C. and died in 477 BC. Commentator Anandagiri maintained that the savant was born in 44 BC and passed away in 12 BC. Others believed the Acharya lived a long life of 92 years, born in 805 AD and died in 897 AD, without which he could not have amassed depthless knowledge and produced over 300 texts including huge commentaries, philosophical exposition, hymns and psalms. He laid the foundation of Advait Vedanta School. He perambulated the whole of India, held religious-philosophical discourses, won debates, lived purely and established four mutts.

Shankaracharya was born to Shivguru and Aryamba at Kaladi in Kerala. Some texts state the place of his death as Kanchipuram. Scholars such as Max Muller, Macdonnel, Pathak, Deussen and S. Radhakrishnan asserted that Shri Shankar was born in 788 AD and departed in 820 AD. He lived only 32 years but made an immortal impact.

Shankaracharya travelled throughout Bharat Varsha, held discussions, and visited Utkal. Jajanagna (Jajpur) was the capital under Mahabhaba Gupta Jajati Keshari. Reaching Jajpur, he had a holy dip in the Baitarani and darshan of Yajna Varah. The king received him with devotion. The Acharya asked about Lord Jagannath. The emissary sent to Puri returned with news that the idols were shifted to Sonepur due to Yavana attack. As recorded in Madalapanji, in the second year of Shovan Dev, Raktabahu of Delhi attacked Puri. Priests took away the idols, buried them at Sonepur, placing a banyan tree above. They remained hidden for 144 years under Afghan and Mughal hostility.

At Acharya’s request, King Jajati Keshari went to Sonepur. The Daru was lost, but the Brahma matter remained intact. New idols were carved in neem wood and restored on Ratnabedi after rituals. Some others held the idols were completely lost; sacred salagrams were retrieved from Ganduki river of Nepal. Bharati Acharya was sent to Nepal; with cooperation of the king, lively salagrams were found and placed in the Brahmas of Daru icons. The King of Nepal was honoured with the title Pattamahanayak and given worship rights. Three deities were reinstalled on Ratnasimhasan.

Adi Shankaracharya established Govardhan Matha on the seashore, unified Shaivites and Vaishnavites, introduced Smarta rites and rice Mahaprasad. He composed Jagannathastaka and stotras for Shiva and Vishnu, and appointed disciple Padmapada as head of Govardhan Matha. His hymn “Kadachit Kalindi Tata…” adorns lips of every devotee at Shree Kshetra.