Puri also known as Purusottama Khetra or Sankha Khetra is the abode of Lord Jagannath the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Jagannath is considered to be the most kind, compassionate and loving towards His devotees. Lord Jagannath is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, all the Avatars or Forms of God and Goddess originate from His being and merge into Him. This is apparent from the various ‘Bheshas’ of Lord Jagannath during the year such as ‘Gajanana Besha’, ‘Damodar Besha’, and Raghunatha Besha’ and so on. The Lord has been enshrined in many Temples which have perished before the present Temple. From time immemorial Puri has been a leading Pilgrim centre in India. We find references about Lord Jagannath and Purusottama Khetra in Matsya, Vishnu, Agni, Padma, Narada Brahma and Skanda Purana.
According to the ‘Purusottama Khetra Mahatmya’ or Utkal Khanda of Skanda Purana Lord Jagannath was originally worshipped as ‘Neelamadhava’ on top of Neelachal Hill in Purusottama Khetra, i.e is the very location where the present Temple stands. The idol of Lord Neelamadhava standing under the Kalpa Banyan Tree was made of Nilamani (Sapphire Gem Stone) and Lord was holding Sankha, Chakra, Gada and Padma in His four hands. Devi Mahalaxmi was to the left of the Lord with Lord Shesha behind and Sri Garuda and
Sri Sudarshana Chakra in human form in the front. Only Visvavasu who was the chief of the Savara Tribe knew about the presence of the Lord. One night Indradyumna the King of Malwa had a divine dream in which Lord instructed to find Him and install Him in a Temple. Indradyumna sent His emissaries in all directions finally Vidyapati who was the brother of the Raj Guru could find out about the location of the Lord. In order to get darshan of the Lord and to find out about the exact location of the Lord, Vidyapati married Vivasu’s daughter Lalita. After a lot of persuasion by Lalita, Visvasu agreed to take Vidyapati to the Lord but blind folded. The clever Vidyapati dropped some mustard seeds on the way to mark the route. After the darshan of the Lord, Vidyapati left for Avanti the capital of Malwa to get King Indradyumna. But before King Indradyumna could reach the destination a great storm completely covered the abode of the Lord and Neelamadhava. Disappointed Indradyumna decided to fast unto death. Devarishi Narada who had accompanied the King advised Him to perform One Thousand Asvamedha Yagnyas for the reappearance of the Lord.
After the King had completed the Yagnya a celestial Tree was seen floating in the river near the present Gundicha Temple. The King then heard a Divine Voice and in obedience with the command permitted an old carpenter to carve the images of the Lords on the condition that no one would open the door before 21 days. However since no sound could be heard from inside after a few days the anxious Queen persuaded the King to open the door. The door was opened on the 15th Day and to their surprise the old carpenter was not seen only half completed images of the Chatturdha Vigraha were present. The King was greatly saddened. Just then a Divine voice once again commanded the King to cover the bare wooden forms with specific layer of coverings and the Lords thereafter finally assumed the form in which they are worshipped today.
King Indradyumna then constructed a magnificent temple of 1000 cubit i.e (1500 feet, height of the original temple) and installed the Idols of the Four Lords there. From the place where the images were carved i.e is the Gundicha Temple, the Chaturdha Vighras were brought to the newly constructed Temple. The Vighras were first seated on a mandap which is now known as the Mukti Mandap in front of the Adi Narsingha Dev temple. There Yagnya was performed, after the completion of the Yagnya the facial features of the Lords suddenly became ferocious, just like that of Narsingha Dev (it is believed by many that the Lord first appeared in the form of Narasingha Dev) .Devarishi Narada then prayed to the Lord to take a more pleasant form. After installing the Lords the King ascended to Brahamaloka entrusting the charge of the temple and worship of the Lord, to King Gala Madhav.
Many are curious as to why the Lord appeared in this seemingly unfinished Form with no visible Legs or hand, and no distinct features. In the Vaishnava philosophy Sri Jagannath is the embodiment of Sat Chit Ananda. Sat or Samvit Shakti implying the Eternal Form manifested as Lord Balabhadra, Chit or Eternal Knowledge manifested as Devi Subhadra (both Balabhadra and Subhadra Devi are potencies of Lord Jagannath) and Ananda the supreme spiritual Bliss manifested as Lord Jagannath Himself. In Lord Jagannath we find the union of the Lord with His Haladini Shakti (Radha Rani) or His Ananda Shakti unlike in any other form. He is the Ananda Vigraha both Radha and Krishna together. Radharani is Ananda bestowing Energy or Shakti an embodiment of Pure Love for God and Krishna is the Lord Himself. Lord Jagannath is the ultimate union of Shakti and Shaktiman which culminates in highest spiritual state of ‘Mahabhava’ or Bliss ‘Ananda’. In the Jagannath Ashtaka it is clearly metioned in the Sloka ‘
“para-brahmapidah kuvalaya-dalotphulla-nayano
nivasi niladrau nihita-carano ‘nanta-sirasi
rasanando radha-sarasa-vapur-alingana-sukho
jagannathah svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me”
Eyes like lotus petals, the crest jewel crowning supreme transcendence.
Feet atop Ananta, adorning Niladri; regal residence.
Ever in ecstasy, for the rapturous embrace of Radharani.
Jagannath Swami, Lord of all beings, be visible to me.
This Sloka also implies that Lord Jagannath’s face is dark because He is Krishna and His body white because Radharani has become one with Him by embracing Him. Lord Jagannath is considered as most compassionate and merciful. He not only protects and fulfills the desires of His devotees but also bestows Divine Love.
In Dwarka Lord, Sri Krishna would sometimes feel lonely and miss His simple Life in Vrindavan despite the presence all the Opulence, Palace, His queens, Mother Devaki and Vasudev and other relatives, friends and admirers. Devi Satyabama on many occasions observed that while sleeping at night Lord Krishna would often wake up taking the name of Radha Rani, Nanda Maharaj, Mother Yashoda and other Gops and Gopi’s. Tears would roll down from Krishna’s eyes on remembering His pastimes in Vrindavan. Devi Satyabama wondered that what is there in Vrindavan that the Lord misses so much even though He has everything in Dwarka and much more. Not being able to control her inquisitiveness she approached mother Rohini (mother of Lord Balarama who was witness to the pass time of the Lord in Vrindavan). She told Mother Rohini about Lord Krishna’s strange behavior and humbly asked her to relate the pastimes of Krishna in Vrindavan, about the Gopi’s, Gops, Nanada Maharaj and Mother Yashoda and about Vrindavan in general. Mother Rohini agreed and told Devi Satyabama to close the door as she did not want anyone else to hear their conversation. When Satyabama went to close the door she saw Devi Subhadra coming towards her, eager to secure the room she requested Devi Subhadra to stand and guard the door.
Mother Rohini started relating the stories and pastimes of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan. After sometime Devi Subhadra thought to herself what was taking so long and what important discussion was going on. So she opened the door slightly to hear the discussion. As she started to hear the stories and pastimes of Lord Krishna in Vrindavan, tears started rolling, her eyes became big, her body became stiff and her limbs folded and shriveled….she couldn’t speak or even blink her eyes. So melodious and full of spiritual bliss were the pastimes of Lord Krishna that she entered into the state of ‘Mahabhava’ where one experience the supreme bliss and Ananda. Meanwhile Krishna and Balarama were passing by; they suddenly noticed this strange condition of Devi Subhadra and were very surprised. Even after calling Her and trying to awaken Her from that state, nothing happened Devi Subhadra remained mesmerized. Both the brothers then leaned over to see what was happening in the room and cause of the state in which Devi Subhadra was. As they started to hear the pastimes of Vrindavan being narrated by Mother Rohini they themselves fell into a trance. The pastimes were so sweet and surcharged with devotion and divine nectar that both Lord Krishna and Balarama also entered the state of Mahabhava, in which their limbs shriveled and contracted and other bodily features also changed, they stood motionless. This ‘Mahabhava’ was also seen in Sriman Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in which his limbs would contract just like a Kurma or Tortoise. Mahabhava is the highest form of spiritual state, the ultimate state of spiritual bliss.
It so happened that Devarishi Narada was visiting Dwarka and came to the place where the brothers and sister were present. On seeing the Lords Devarishi Narada was taken aback, he has never seen this form of the Lord before, so unique and beautiful was His for emanating Divine love and compassion. Tears started rolling from His eyes and just as he was about to leave to call other people. Lord Krishna stopped him. Devarishi Narada then enquired about this strange but beautiful form of the Lord. Lord Krishna then told Him about Mahabhava the supreme state of bliss the complete Union of Love and the Object of Love…the Devotee and the Lord. Lord Narada then prayed to the Lord that he appear in this Form so that others could also have darshan. Lord Krishna then told Narada that in the future He will be worshipped in this form along with Lord Balarama, Devi Subhadra and Sudarshana.
According to Skanda Purana (Adhyayas XXIII-55-58 and XXIX-16), the manifestation of the Celestial tree and Carving of the Chaturdhdha Vighra wooden images occurred in Satya Yuga of the second Chatur_Yuga of Swayambhuva Manu ( The first Manu) in the present Kalpa (Svetvaraha Kalpa). We are now in the Kali Yuga of the twenty-eight Chatur –Yuga of Vaivasuvata Manu (the seventh Manu). Several other Puranas, particularly Brahma Purana, Padma Purana and Agni Purana, also contain narrations about the manifestation of Lord Jagannath in Purusottama-Khetra in more or less the same manner as Skanda Purana. Maharishi Valmiki in ‘Arsa Ramayan’ in Balakhanda has mentioned that Lord Ramachandra has given instruction to King of Rakhyas King Sri Vibhishan to worship Lord Jagannath. It is mentioned in the’ Mahabharata Shantivarna’ during the era of Mahabharata, the worship Lord Jagannath was present and Jagannath dharma was considered as the Rashtra Dharma. It is believed that the Vishwa Aroop that Arjun got darshan of is the actual form of Lord Jagannath.
In 1887 Russian journalist Nicholas Notovich found ancient Tibetan manuscripts in Hemis Monastery in Leh which mentioned that when Jesus Christ was fourteen years old when He came to Puri and He spent six years. Modern historians attribute the worship of Lord Jagannath in Puri by the eight century AD with construction of the present Shri Jagannath Temple by Ganga King Chodaganga Deb on the very site where plenty of references relating to worship of Lord Jagannath is found. Some scholars believe that King Chodaganga of the Ganga Dynasty could not complete the Temple and was completed by King Anangabhima Dev-III (1221-1238 A.D.)The Jagannath Temple is one of the tallest monuments in the country measuring up to 214 feet and 8 inches in height. Since the year of construction the present Temple the Orissa Kings were the chief patrons. It continued under Hindu rulers till 158, when it was attacked by Afghans under the leadership of ‘Kalapahada’ from 1558 to 1590. From 1590 it was under the Muslims till 1751 A.D. and hence forth under the Marathas till 1803 A.D. After which it remained under the British rule till 1947.
Orissa is proud of being the abode of Shri Jagannath, the Lord of the universe. Lord Jagannath is invoked and worshipped by diverse religious sampradayas (Sects) in their own way. He has in Him something of Buddhisism, Shaivism, Jainasm, Advaitaism, Tantraism and Vaishnavism. He is revered by followers of all religion Hindu, Muslim, Christians and other religions. The Jagannath Dharma preaches equality in the right to worship and discards distinctions of caste and creed. Everybody can part take the Lord’s Mahaprasad. The tradition of Lord Jagannath is a wonderful manifestation of ‘Sanatana Dharma’.
References:
- Discourse of His divine Grace Nitya Lila Pravishta Om Vishnupad 108 Tridandi Swami
Sri Srimat Bhakti Sravan Tirtha Goswami Maharaj, (Founder Acharya Sri Chaitanya Institute of Vaishnavic Culture and Niladri Bihar Magazine).
- ‘Shri Jagannath Culture’ by Sri Bhaskar Mishra.
Mriganka Mahanti, Editor Niladri Bihar
