Abstract
Since time immemorial, Lord Jagannātha has been regarded as the principal deity of Odisha. The land of Odisha (former Kaliṅga) was a meeting place of the Hindus, Buddhists and Jainas. The Buddhists, Jainas, Vaiṣṇavas, the worshippers of Gaṇpati and others came to Purī and found the presence of their own lord in Jagannātha. However, of all religious creeds, Buddhism played an important role in the socio-cultural history of Odisha. During the period of emperor Aśoka, the Śabaras (a tribal people) of Odisha were converted to Buddhism. Buddhist pillars were built in Purī, and Buddhist symbols were carved into it. Later on, the Śabaras started worshipping the Triratna as the three principal deities of the Jagannātha temple. In course of time, the three deities of the temple, viz. Jagannātha, Baḷabhadra and Subhadrā, have been accepted by the people of Odisha as the symbols of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, respectively. As stated by Donaldson (Iconography of the Buddhist sculpture of Orissa, Abhinav Publications, Buldana, 2001), the eighteenth century Buddhist works such as “Jñānasidhi” and “Prajñodaya-Viniścaya-Siddhi,” the Buddha was named as Lord Jagannātha. By the twelfth century A.D., there had already developed a new culture in Odisha with Jagannātha as the center and the Lord came to be conceived as Ādi Buddha and Buddha as the ninth incarnation of Viṣṇu-Jagannātha. The place of Purī has been regarded as a place of Tāntric worship and Jagannātha as the Lord of the Tāntric cult. The Gundichā temple (where the Lord resided for 10 days during the Car festival) has been regarded as a Buddha Vihāra. The Buddhist principle of nonviolence and universal brotherhood found its best expression in the Jagannātha cult.
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Notes
Mahagovinda Suttana is a part of the Buddhist scripture the Dīgha-Nikāya (Collection of Long Discourses) in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the “three baskets” of Theravāda Buddhism.
Śabaras are a tribal people of Odisha primarily living by hunting birds and animals.
Triratna in Buddhism represents the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.
In popular tradition, Kali-Yuga is believed to be the present age which is filled with violence, anger, mistrust, corruption, etc. It is legendary in Odisha that Lord Jagannātha will incarnate Himself as Kalki to redeem the mankind from their sins.
Nava-kalevara is a symbolic recreation of the four deities, viz. Jagannātha, Baḷabhadra, Subhadrā and Sudarsan, of the Jagannātha temple at Purī. Nava means new, and kalevara means body. Special neem trees called dāru are sort to create the new images. On a special night, there is transformation of some mysterious substance from the old image to the new. No one knows what the special substance contains. Some believe it to be the naval-lotus of Sri Krishna, some others take it as the tooth relic of Buddha, and even others take it as a Tāntric-Yantra or some jewels. This Nava-kalevara tradition is prevalent in Purī for more than 400 years.
Vajrayāna subscribes to the literature known as the Buddhist Tantras. It includes practices that make use of chants, various rituals and the visualization of deities and Buddhas.
The great devotee of the Buddha, Neulpur Plates of Subhakara Deva I,E.I.XV(1919–1920), p. 5.
As great as Tathāgata, another name of the Buddha, Neulpur Plates of Subhakara Deva I,E.I.XV (1919–1920), p. 5.
The chief worshipper of the Buddha, Neulpur Plates of Subhakara Deva I,E.I.XV (1919–1920), p. 5.
One who seeks refugee in the Buddha, Terundia Plates of Subhakara Deva II, EI., XXVIII(1949–1950), pp. 211–216.
A circular shape used as a spiritual and ritual symbol in Hinduism and Buddhism, representing the universe.
Spiritual chants.
Meditative repetition of a Mantra (a divine name).
Symbolic or ritual gesture in Hinduism and Buddhism.
Repeated utterances of mantra.
Short, monosyllables, such as Hring, Shring, Kring, Hung, Aing, Phat, etc. Each deity has His or Her Bija-mantra.
Tārā is a Tāntric deity whose practice is used by followers of the Tibetan branch of Vajrayāna Buddhism.
Darkness representing black color.
Gradual assimilation of the qualities of the Buddha.
Buddhist Masters possessing supernatural powers.
The text based on the life and devotion of Kṛṣṇa.
The text consisting the previous births of the Buddha.
It is now published as No. XLIV of the Gaekwad’s Oriental Series.
Gupta-gītā is written by Balaram Das, the eldest of the Pañcasakhā of Odisha in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. Later, this book is published by Odisha Sahitya Academy.
Pravuddha Buddha avatāre
Jñanavistāri e saṃsāre /
Vedara dharma chhadāive
Nirguṇa dharma prachāribe /– Bhāgavata, Skandha V.
Dasabodha Copperplate Inscription, dated Saka 1120.
Kalpa-Tīkā (1996) and Shunya Samhita (1992) are written by Achytananda Das, one of the Odishan Pañcasakhās famous for predicting the future of the present age in his Mālikā. The books are later on published by Orissa Dharmagranth Store, Cuttack.
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Kar, S. Assimilation and Integration of Buddha Consciousness in the Cult of Lord Jagannātha. J. Indian Counc. Philos. Res. 37, 67–82 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-020-00190-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-020-00190-x