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106-422: According to Indian philosopher Jiva Goswami , gopis are considered as the eternal beloved and manifestations of the internal spiritual potency of Krishna. Among the gopis, Radha is the chief gopi and is the personification of the bliss potency ( hladini shakti ) of Krishna. She alone manifests the stage of mahabhava, or supreme love for Krishna, and holds a place of particularly high reverence and importance in

212-566: A chakra in other Vishnu temples. Jagannath iconography, when he is depicted without companions, shows only his face, neither arms nor torso. This form is sometimes called Patita Pavana, or Dadhi Vaman . The murtis of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana Chakra are made of neem wood. Neem wood is chosen because the Bhavishya Purana declares it to be the most auspicious wood from which to make Vishnu murtis . The idol of Jagannatha, Balabhadra, Subhadra and Sudarshana

318-526: A later 12th century addition to the Skanda Purana ) of the Skanda Purana , the deity Yama requested Vishnu to disappear from the region of Purushottama Kshetra, dissatisfied with the direct salvation of those who lived in the region. Vishnu agreed to do so. Indradyumna , the king of Avanti , grew interested in venerating the deity Nilamadhava , made of sapphire. He is described to have sent

424-549: A number of religious traditions. Gopi (गोपी) is a Sanskrit word originating from the word Gopa. In Hinduism , the name Gopika or Gopi is especially used to refer the milkmaids of Braj region. The word Gopis in the plural refers to the group of cowherd women who possess devotion toward Krishna. When it is used in the singular ("Gopi"), it generally refers to Radha, who was the Krishna's favourite gopi. The prominent gopis of Vrindavan are total 108 in numbers. They share

530-419: A tribal practice that continued when Hindus adopted prior practices and merged them with their Vedic abstractions. The practice of using wood for making murti is unusual, as Hindu texts on the design and construction of images recommend stone or metal. The Daitas are Hindu, but believed to have been the ancient tribe of Sabaras (also spelled Soras ). They continue to have special privileges such as being

636-587: A very short period. When Jiva was three or four years old, his uncles resigned from their ministerial posts at the court of Alauddin Hussein Shah (ruled 1493–1519 CE) after their initial meeting with Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534 CE) and they decided to join his ranks as mendicants. Jiva's father, Anupama, also met with Chaitanya at this time and followed in the footsteps of his elder brothers and proceeded to travel with Rupa to Vrindavana . Hearing that his father and uncles had made their decision to work in

742-639: A wooden pillar. It is therefore believed that Jagannath is worshipped as a wooden murti or Daru Brahma with the Shri Narasimha hymn dedicated to the Narasimha Avatar. Every year in the month of Bhadra , Jagannath is dressed and decorated in the form of the Vamana avatar of Vishnu. Jagannath appeared in the form of Rama , another avatar of Vishnu, to Tulsidas , who worshipped him as Rama and called him Raghunath during his visit to Puri in

848-559: Is Purna Brahman from whom other Avataras like Rama , Krishna, etc., took their birth for lilas in this universe and at the end would merge in the self of Purna Brahman. In the Jagannath tradition, he has the attributes of all the avatars of Krishna/Vishnu. This belief is celebrated by dressing him and worshipping him as different avatars on special occasions. The Puranas relate that the Narasimha Avatar of Vishnu appeared from

954-409: Is a brightly painted, rough-hewn log of neem wood. The image consists of a square flat head, a pillar that represents his face merging with the chest. The icon lacks a neck, ears, and limbs, is identified by a large circular face symbolizing someone who is anadi (without beginning) and ananta (without end). Within this face are two big symmetric circular eyes with no eyelids, one eye symbolizing

1060-467: Is a carved and decorated wooden stump with large round eyes and a symmetric face, and the idol has a conspicuous absence of hands or legs. The worship procedures, sacraments and rituals associated with Jagannath are syncretic and include rites that are uncommon in Hinduism. Unusually, the icon is made of wood and replaced with a new one at regular intervals. The origin and evolution of Jagannath worship

1166-477: Is a thriving tradition. The existence of these legends, state some scholars such as Stevenson, suggests that Jagannath may have a Buddhist origin. Another evidence that links Jagannath deity to Buddhism is the Ratha-Yatra festival for Jagannath, the stupa-like shape of the temple and a dharmachakra-like discus ( chakra ) at the top of the spire. The major annual procession festival has many features found in

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1272-754: Is considered a non-sectarian deity. He is significant regionally in the Indian states of Odisha , Chhattisgarh , West Bengal , Jharkhand , Bihar , Gujarat , Assam , Manipur and Tripura . He is also significant to the Hindus of Bangladesh . The Jagannath temple in Puri, Odisha is particularly significant in Vaishnavism, and is regarded as one of the Char Dham pilgrimage sites in India. The Jagannath temple

1378-693: Is considered as equivalent to the Hindu metaphysical concepts of Brahman / Para Brahman and Purushottama /Shunya Purusha, wherein he then is the Avatarī, i.e., the cause and equivalence of all avatars and the infinite existence in space and time. According to author Dipti Ray in Prataparudra Deva , the Suryavamsi King of Odisha: In Prataparudradeva's time Odia poets accepted Sarala Dasa 's idea and expressed in their literary works as all

1484-542: Is considered the epitome of Tantric worship. The symmetry in iconography, the use of mandalas and geometric patterns in its rites support the tantric connection proposal. Jagannath is venerated as Bhairava or Shiva , the consort of the goddess Vimala , by Shaivites and Shakta sects. The priests of Jagannath Temple at Puri belong to the Shakta sect, although the Vaishnava sect's influence predominates. As part of

1590-529: Is dedicated to Jagannath. His image, along with the other two associated deities, is ceremoniously brought out of the sacrosanctum ( Garbhagruha ) of his chief temple in Puri ( ଶ୍ରୀ ମନ୍ଦିର , Śrī Mandira ). They are placed in a temple car which is then pulled by numerous volunteers to the Gundicha Temple (located at a distance of nearly 3 km or 1.9 mi). They stay there for eight days, and on

1696-441: Is explained in relation to Krishna and his pastimes. Sutra-malika ( Sūtra-mālikā ) : A grammatical work on derivations of Sanskrit words. Dhatu-sangraha ( Dhātu-saṅgraha ) : A work on the verb roots of Sanskrit words. Rasamrita-sesha ( Rasāmṛta-śeṣa ) : A work dealing with Sanskrit composition based on Viswanatha Kaviraja's Sahityadarpana , with many added examples from Jiva Goswami and

1802-557: Is known about Jiva Goswami's childhood. He was born in Ramakeli in the district of Maldah , West Bengal as the son of Srivallabha Mallika (also known as Anupama), the younger brother of Rupa and Sanatana; his mother's name is unknown. He had a strong affinity to the worship of Krishna even from his childhood and excelled in his education completing his studies in Sanskrit Vyakarana (grammar) and Kavya (poetics) within

1908-566: Is massive, over 61 metres (200 ft) high in the Nagara architecture style of Hindu temple architecture , and one of the best surviving specimens of Kalinga architecture , namely Odisha art and architecture. It has been one of the major pilgrimage destinations for Hindus since about 800 CE. The annual festival called the Ratha yatra celebrated in June or July every year in eastern states of India

2014-673: Is no distinction of caste inside the Jagganath temple, many day-to-day services (Vidhis) of Lord Jagannatha owe their origin either to Jainism or to Buddhism or the combination of both, the local legends link the idols with aborginal tribes and the daitapatis (servitors) claim to be descendants of the aboriginals. Majority of rituals are based on Oddiyana Tantras which are the refined versions of Mahayana Tantras as well as Shabari Tantras which are evolved from Tantric Buddhism and tribal believes respectively. According to Starza, these practices are also connected to Tantric practices. Buddha

2120-482: Is re-painted every week in the Jagannatha Temple, Puri. It is replaced with a newly carved image every 12 or 19 years approximately, or more precisely according to the luni-solar Hindu calendar when its month of Asadha occurs twice in the same year. In the Jagannath tradition (Odia Vaishnavism), Jagannath is most frequently identified with an abstract form of Krishna as the supreme deity. Jagannath

2226-416: Is shown "fully anthropomorphised" but with the traditional abstract mask face. The typical icon of Jagannath is unlike other deities found in Hinduism who are predominantly anthropomorphic. However, aniconic forms of Hindu deities are not uncommon. For example, Shiva is often represented in the form of a Shiva linga . In most Jagannath temples in the eastern states of India, and all his major temples such as

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2332-402: Is the elder brother Balarama , Jagannath is the younger brother Krishna , and Subhadra is the youngest sister. Balabhadra considered the elder brother of Jagannath is sometimes identified with and worshipped as Shiva . Subhadra now considered Jagannath's sister has also been considered as a deity who used to be Brahma . Finally the fourth deity, Sudarshana Chakra symbolizes the wheel of

2438-403: Is through the medieval era cult of Lakshmi- Narasimha . This hypothesis relies on the unusual flat head, curved mouth and large eyes of Jagannath, which may be an attempt to abstract an image of a lion's head ready to attack. While the tribal Narasimha theory is attractive states Starza, a weakness of this proposal is that the abstract Narasimha representation in the form does not appear similar to

2544-470: Is unclear. Some scholars interpret hymn 10.155.3 of the Rigveda as a possible origin, but others disagree and state that it is a syncretic/synthetic deity with tribal roots. The English word juggernaut was the rendition into English of "Jagannath" by early British in India, and came to mean a very large and unstoppable force from accounts of the famous Ratha Yatra processions in Puri . Jagannath

2650-613: The Brahma Samhita ( Brahmā-saṁhitā ). Durgama-sangamani ( Durgama-saṅgamanī ) , Bhakti-rasamrita-sesha ( Bhakti-rasāmṛta-śeṣa ) , Bhakti-rasamrita-sindu-tika ( Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindu-ṭīkā ) : A commentary on Rupa Goswami's Bhakti-rasamrita-sindhu . Lochana-rochani ( Locana-rocani ) , Ujjvala-nilamani-tika ( Ujjvala-nīlamaṇi-ṭīkā ) : A commentary on Rupa Goswami's Ujjvala-nilamani . Sukha-bodhini , Gopala-tapani-tika ( Gopāla-tāpanī-ṭīkā ) : A commentary on

2756-814: The Gopala-tapani Upanishad ( Gopala-tapani Upaniṣad ), which has importance in Gaudiya Vaishnavism as it provides Upanishadic backing for the notion that Krishna is the supreme deity. Gayatri-vyakhya-vivriti ( Gāyatrī-vyākhyā-vivṛti ) , Agni-puranastha Gayatri-bhashya ( Gāyatrī-bhāṣya ) : A commentary on the Brahma Gayatri mantra as found in the Agni Purana , chapters 216–217. Laghu-vaishnava-toshani ( Laghu-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī ) , Laghu-toshani ( Laghu-toṣaṇī ) : A commentary on

2862-514: The Avataras of Vishnu (Jagannath) manifest from him and after their cosmic play dissolute (bilaya) in him (Jagannath). According to them Jagannath is Sunnya Purusa, Nirakar and Niranjan who is ever present in Nilachala to do cosmic play ... The five Vaishnavite Sakhas ["Comrades"] of Orissa during Prataparudradeva's time expounded in their works the idea that Jagannath ( Purushottama )

2968-566: The Mahayana Buddhism traditions. Faxian (c. 400 CE), the ancient Chinese pilgrim and visitor to India wrote about a Buddhist procession in his memoir, and this has very close resemblances with the Jagannath festivities. Further the season in which the Ratha-Yatra festival is observed is about the same time when the historic public processions welcomed Buddhist monks for their temporary, annual monsoon-season retirement. There

3074-670: The Shri Yantra . Further, his Shri Chakra ("holy wheel") is worshipped in the bijamantra 'klim', which is also the bijamantra of Kali or Shakti. The representation of Balarama as Sheshanaga or Sankarsana bears testimony to the influence of Shaivism on the cult of Jagannath. The third deity, Devi Subhadra, who represents the Sakti element is still worshipped with the Bhuvaneshvari Mantra. The Tantric texts claim Jagannath to their own, to be Bhairava, and his companion to be

3180-733: The Vedas .” To do so, Jiva should claim that the Bhagavata Purana , which Chaitanya regarded as the key Hindu scripture, was indeed part of the Vedas, while it was not generally considered as “part of the canonical Veda” at that time. Jiva proceeded to “extend the scope of the Veda to include the epics and the Purānas,” and concluded that the Bhagavata Purana was “scripture par excellence ”. In fact, he shifted “the locus of scriptural authority from

3286-519: The avatar of Vishnu. To some Shaiva and Shakta Hindus, he is a symmetry-filled tantric form of Bhairava , a fierce manifestation of Shiva associated with annihilation. The Jagannathism ( a.k.a. Odia Vaishnavism) — the particular sector of Jagannath as a major deity — emerged in the Early Middle Ages and later became an independent state regional temple-centered tradition of Krishnaism /Vaishnavism. The idol of Jagannath

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3392-507: The relic worship associated with Jagannatha, a concept integral to Buddhism but alien to Hinduism. For example, there exists an unexamined relic in the Jagannath shrine in Puri, and the local legends state that the shrine relic contains a tooth of Gautama Buddha – a feature common to many cherished Theravada Buddhist shrines in and outside India. According to Datha-dhatu-vamsa , as mentioned in Culavamsa , Buddha's left canine tooth

3498-574: The 10th canto of the Bhagavata Purana based on Sanatana Goswami's Brihad-vaishnava-toshani ( Brhad-vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī ) commentary. Sarva-samvadini ( Sarva-saṁvādinī ) : An extensive auto-commentary on Jiva Goswami's own Sat-sandarbhas . Padma-puranastha Yogasara-stotra-tika ( Yogasāra-stotra-ṭīkā ) , Yogasara-stavaka-tika ( Yogasāra-stavaka-ṭīkā ) Padma-puranokta Krishna-pada-padma-chihna ( Kṛṣṇa-pada-padma-cīhna ) : An elaborate description of

3604-495: The 16th century. Sometimes one regards him as one of the avatars (incarnations) of Krishna (i.e., Buddha-Jagannath) or Vishnu (i.e., Vamana). His name does not appear in the traditional Dashavatara (ten avatars) of Vishnu, though in certain Odia literature , Jagannath has been treated as the avatar of Krishna, as a substitute for or the equivalent of the avatar Buddha from Dashavatara. Outside Vaishnava tradition, Jagannath

3710-520: The 9th day they are returned to the main temple. Coinciding with the Ratha Yatra festival at Puri, similar processions are organized at Jagannath temples throughout the world. During the festive public procession of Jagannath in Puri, hundreds of thousands of devotees visit Puri to see Jagganath in chariot. Jagannath is a Sanskrit word, compounded of jagat meaning "universe" and nātha meaning "Master" or "Lord". Thus, Jagannath means "lord of

3816-482: The Buddhist principles of Sunya (The great void) and Alekha (The formless one) with Jagannath himself. The idols of Jagannath triad are not anthropomorphic like hindu idols, but instead are stumps of wood with crude symbolic facial features and stumpy obtrusions for limbs. Odia poet Sarala Dasa of 15th century in his Mahabharata describes Jagannatha as Buddha but not as any other avatar of Vishnu: He remains in

3922-591: The Buddhist remains still existing. The idols of Jagannatha is believed to contain the bones of Krishna even though it forms no part of the Brahmanical religion to collect and adore dead men's bones while it is a most meritorious act among the Buddhists to collect and preserve the relics of departed saints, and the places that contain them are esteemed peculiarly holy. In Buddhism, preserving cetiya or skeletal parts such as "Buddha's tooth" or relics of dead saints

4028-603: The Hindu goddess Kali with it. However, states Starza, this theory is weak because the Anga pen features a bird or snake like attached head along with other details that make the tribal deity unlike the Jagannath. Some scholars such as Kulke and Tripathi have proposed tribal deities such as Stambhesveri or Kambhesvari to be a possible contributor to the Jagannath triad. However, according to Starza, these are not really tribal deities, but Shaiva deities adopted by tribes in eastern states of India. Yet another proposal for tribal origins

4134-455: The Hindus. According to Starza, the Jain influence on the Jagannath tradition is difficult to assess given the sketchy uncertain evidence, but nothing establishes that the Jagannath tradition has a Jain origin. The Vaishnava origin theories rely on the iconographic details and the typical presence of the triad of deities, based on original scriptures of Hinduism. The colors, state the scholars of

4240-470: The Jagannath cult, such as the supposed tooth relic of Buddha, the Ratha-Yatra , the absence of caste rules in the temple and the identification of Jagannath with Buddha avatar are not sufficient to establish a Buddhist origin of the worship of Jagannath. Indrabhuti , the ancient Buddhist king of Oddiyana , describes Jagannath as a Buddhist deity in Jñānasiddhi . This is the oldest known direct mention of

4346-475: The Jain context and was derived from Jinanath . Evidence of the Jain terminology such as of Kaivalya , which means moksha or salvation, is found in the Jagannath tradition. Similarly, the twenty two steps leading to the temple, called the Baisi Pahacha , have been proposed as symbolic reverence for the first 22 of the 24 Tirthankaras of Jainism. According to Annirudh Das, the original Jagannath deity

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4452-565: The Moghul emperor Akbar became his ardent admirer and donated paper for his writing. In 1558, Jiva instructed his students, Narottama Dasa , Srinivasa Acarya and Shyamananda , to go to Bengal and propagate the Gaudiya Vaishnava philosophy and to take with them the original manuscripts that had been written by Rupa and Sanatana. One of Jiva's main theological contributions was to present Chaitanya's teachings as “the epitome of

4558-405: The Puri, Odisha, Jagannath is included with his brother Balabhadra and sister Subhadra . Apart from the principal companion deities, the Jagannath icon shows a Sudarshana Chakra and sometimes under the umbrella cover of multiheaded Sesha Naga, both linking him to Vishnu . When shown with Balabhadra and Subhadra, he is identifiable from his circular eyes compared to the oval or almond shape of

4664-604: The Universe"). Both names derive from Jagannath . Further, on the basis of the physical appearance of the deity, names like Kalia (କାଳିଆ) ("The Black-coloured Lord", but which can also mean "the Timely One"), Darubrahman (ଦାରୁବ୍ରହ୍ମ) ("The Sacred Wood-Riddle"), Dāruēdebatā ( ଦାରୁ ଦେବତା "The wooden god"), Chakā ākhi ( ଚକା ଆଖି ) or Chakānayan ( ଚକା ନୟନ "With round eyes"), Cakāḍōḷā ( ଚକା ଡୋଳା "with round pupils") are also in vogue. According to Dina Krishna Joshi,

4770-715: The Universe';; formerly English: Juggernaut ) is a deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with his ( Krishna 's) brother Balabhadra , and sister, Subhadra . Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, Purushottama , and the Para Brahman . To most Vaishnava Hindus, particularly the Krishnaites , Jagannath is a form of Krishna , sometimes as

4876-472: The Vaishnava origin theory, link to black-colored Krishna and white-colored Balarama. They add that the goddess originally was Ekanamsa (Durga of Shaiva-Shakti tradition, sister of Krishna through his foster family). She was later renamed to Shubhadra (Lakshmi) per Vaishnava terminology for the divine feminine. It is certainly true that the Vaishnava Hindus in the eastern region of India worshipped

4982-589: The Vaisnava mythic hierarchy. But in the opening chapter of his Gita Govinda , the poet Jayadeva claims that Vishnu reincarnated as the Buddha to condemn the animal sacrifices prevalent in Vedic times. In the Jagannath cult, Jagannath is sometimes represented as the ninth avatar of Vishnu substituting Buddha, when it could have been substituted for any other avatar. According to Starza, these manifestation of

5088-628: The Veda to the Bhāgavata ,” which had important, if controversial, consequences for the subsequent development of Hindu theology. Jiva Goswami died in 1596 CE (or 1618 according to some biographies). His samādhi (tomb) is located in the precincts of the Radha-Damodara temple in Vrindavana. According to followers of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, Jiva Goswami is considered to be the incarnation of Vilasa Manjari, an eternal maidservant of Radha. It

5194-620: The Vrindavana area, the Radha Damodara mandir, installing deities of Radha and Krishna that had been personally carved by Rupa Goswami. At that time he also established the Vishva Vaishnava Raja Sabha (World Vaishnava Association) and the Rupanuga Vidyapitha, an educational facility for Gaudiya Vaishnavas to study the works of Rupa and Sanatana. His erudition and spirituality were so famous that

5300-399: The belief that Indrabhuti was the king of Odisha which is same as Oddiyana or Odra- pitha , of which the main deities are Jagganath and Viraja. Some scholars argue that evidences of Jagannatha's Buddhist nature are found from Medieval Odia Literature. Many medieval Odia poets suggest to their readers, that they wrote their books on the commands of a formless god-like personality, identifying

5406-521: The best in experience and character. Mukunda's son, Kumara , was a great brahmana and highly virtuous. He privately engaged in oblations and purificatory penances. Becoming very disturbed by family difficulties, he left the village Navahatta with his followers and settled in the village Bakla Chandradvipa in East Bengal (now Bangladesh ). He built a house in the village Fateyabad in Jessore for

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5512-412: The best-known in each category being Sat-sandarbhas , Durgama-sangamani , Hari-namamrita-vyakarana and Gopalachampu , respectively. Western philosophers are now studying the sandarbhas and are marveling at the depth of the wisdom contained therein. It is sometimes said that the six sandarbhas represent the perfection of sambandha-gyan , abhideya-gyan , and prayojana-gyan . Of these six,

5618-440: The chieftain would leave the house every evening, and only return the following noon. At his urging, Lalita revealed to him that these were her father's visits to the shrine of Nilamadhava, whose location was held secret within the community. Vidyapati persuaded his wife to ask Vishvavasu to take him along to see the image of the deity. The chieftain agreed to take Vidyapati with him, but on the condition that he be blindfolded during

5724-640: The convenience of communications with devotees and traveling Vaishnavas . Among Kumara's many sons, Sanatana (eldest), Rupa (middle), and Vallabha (youngest) were the life of the Vaishnava community and great devotees, all three becoming well known for their academic genius and devotion, and eventually settling in the village Ramakeli in Gauda (present-day Maldah , West Bengal ). The brothers were greatly inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu , who lived in Nadia (a district of present-day West Bengal , India ) at

5830-544: The correct context of the hymn is "Alaxmi Stava" of Arayi. According to Bijoy Misra, Puri natives do call Jagannatha as Purushottama, consider driftwood a savior symbol, and later Hindu texts of the region describe the Supreme Being as ever present in everything, pervasive in all animate and inanimate things. Therefore, while the Vedic connection is subject to interpretation, the overlap in the ideas exist. Theories suggesting Buddhist origins of Jagannatha stems from

5936-604: The deity. This is not unique to the coastal state of Odisha, but possibly also influenced Buddhism in Nepal and Tibet . Shakyamuni Buddha is also worshipped as Jagannath in Nepal. Abhinav Patra argues that it has not been historically ascertained whether the deity Jagannath as worshipped by Indrabhuti was just a coincidental homonym with the present Jagannath or referred to the same deity. The 10th century era text Kubjikāmatatantra , mentions Viraja (ancient capital of Utkala ) as

6042-526: The eternal intimate friendship with Radha Krishna . No one can equal or exceed the love they bear for the divine couple. Out of 108 gopis, the primary eight gopis are considered as the foremost of Krishna 's devotees after goddess Radharani who is considered as the chief of gopis. Their names are as follows: All the eight primary gopis are together called as the Ashtasakhis (eight friends) of Radha and Krishna. According to Hindu Vaishnava theology,

6148-559: The first four sandarbhas are devoted to sambandha ; the fifth is devoted to abhideya ; and the sixth to prayojana . Consequently, the Sat-sandarbha is considered the most important philosophical treatise in the history of Chaitanyite Vaishnavism . Sat-sandarbhas (Six Sandarbhas) , Bhagavata-sandarbha ( Bhāgavata-sandarbha ) : Sometimes called the Bhagavata-sandarbha , not to be confused with

6254-451: The first to view the new replacement images of Jagannath carved from wood approximately every 12 years. Further, this group is traditionally accepted to have the exclusive privilege of serving the principal meals and offerings to Jagannath and his associate deities. According to Verrier Elwin , a convert to Hinduism, Jagannatha in a local legend was a tribal deity who was coopted by a Brahmin priest. The original tribal deity, states Elwin,

6360-566: The foremost associate of Chaitanya mahaprabhu. Nityananda took Jiva to all the holy places in Navadvipa and they circumambulated the entire area together. This marked the beginning of the Gaudiya tradition of Navadvipa parikrama (circumambulation of the nine sections of Navadvipa). After the pilgrimage, Nityananda gave his blessings for the young Jiva to proceed towards Vrindavana . Jiva went on to Benares where he studied for some time under

6466-493: The four Vedas making him famous. He had impeccable character and was genuinely absorbed in love of Lord Jagannatha . He left Sikharabhumi and settled on the bank of the Ganges in the village Navahatta (present-day Naihati , West Bengal , India ), where he had eighteen daughters and five sons. His five sons were Purusottama (eldest), Jagannatha , Narayana , Murari , and Mukunda (youngest), where Purusottama and Mukunda were

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6572-487: The goddess of Oddiyana, with which Indrabhuti's son Padmasambhava is associated with. The Saddharmapundarika records a prophecy in which the Lord assures Śāriputra , that he would be in a distant future time a Buddha under the name of Padmaprabha, and that his place of enlightenment would be Viraja. Padmasambhava and Tārā, along with other deities are invoked in an inscription of 25 lines incised in nail-headed characters of

6678-805: The gopis' love and devotion for Krishna is a story in the Bhagavata Purana (10.29-33) by the name of Rasa Lila Panchadhyaya , which translates as "the five chapters on the story of the rasa dance". The bhakti or devotion that the gopis express in this story is believed by the Chaitanya tradition to exemplify the highest form of bhakti . In the story, Krishna's flute music attracts the gopis' attention, making them leave behind their families and homes so that they can enjoy devotion of Krishna: Upon hearing that sweet music, their passion for him swelling, The young women of Braj whose minds were captured by Krishna, Unaware of one another, ran off toward

6784-536: The images of Narasimha in nearby Konark and Kalinga temple artworks. In contemporary Odisha, there are many Dadhivaman temples with a wooden pillar god, and this may be same as Jagannath. According to H.S. Patnaik and others, Jagannath is a syncretic/synthetic deity that combined aspects of major faiths like Shaivism , Shaktism , Vaishnavism , Jainism , and Buddhism . Krishnaite sampradayas, as example, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, have identified him strongly with Krishna. In Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition, Balabhadra

6890-438: The insignia found on Krishna's feet according to Padma Purana . Radhika-kara-pada-sthita-chihna ( Rādhikā-kara-pada-sthita-cīhna ) : A description of the insignia found on Radhna's hands and feet. Hari-namamrita-vyakarana ( Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa ) , Harinamamrita-vyakarana ( Harināmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa ) : A work on Sanskrit grammar , wherein each and every word, syllable and grammatical rule

6996-446: The journey so that the shrine's location remained undisclosed. Lalita helped her husband devise a plan: Vidyapati brought a bag of mustard seeds with him, scattering them all along the path to the shrine present in a cave, bearing witness to the deep blue image of Nilamadhava. Returning to Avanti, he reported his discovery of the shrine to Indradyumna. After a few months, following the mustards seeds that had since germinated into plants,

7102-419: The king and his retinue travelled to the shrine, unable to locate the image. After praying to Vishnu for three days and nights, they heard the deity's voice thunder from the heavens, rebuking them for their scheme and informing them of his omnipresence. He announced that he would manifest as a dāru (wooden image) floating by the sea. He instructed them to construct a new temple upon a mountain that stood beside

7208-545: The late 8th-9th century on the back of an image of Lokeśvara / Mahākaruṇā at Udaygiri not far from Jajpur, which states that a stupa with a relic inside and dwelt in by the Tathāgata was set up on that very spot. The stupa is believed to have contained the relics of Padmasambhava. Though the site is only partially excavated, at least one stupa has been unearthed. According to Nabin Kumar Sahu, this mass of evidence, supports

7314-514: The material and spiritual potencies of the Supreme Person ( Bhagavan ) as being simultaneously one and different with Him. Recent work in comparative philosophy "we should add the word mystery (which is from the Latin mysterium and the Greek mustērion) to the many ways acintya might be translated within the context of Jīva’s thought." There are at least 25 literary works attributed to Jiva Goswami, which can be classified into four types: treatises, commentaries, grammar and rhetoric, and poetry, with

7420-680: The other Goswamis . Madhava-mahotsava ( Mādhava-mahotsava ) : Descriptions of Radha's coronation ceremony as Queen of Vrindavana . Gopala-virudavali ( Gopāla-virudāvalī ) : A short poem extolling the glories of Gopala ( Krishna ) in 38 verses. Gopala-champu ( Gopāla-campū ) , Gopalachampu ( Gopālacampū ) : Intensely theological poetic work divided into two parts. Purva-champu ( Pūrva-campū ) has 33 chapters and elaborately describes Krishna's activities in Vrindavana . Uttara-champu ( Uttara-campū ) has 37 chapters and describes Krishna's activities in Mathura and Dvarka after leaving Vrindavana and

7526-464: The other two abstract icons. Further, his icon is dark, while Balabhadra's face is white, and Subhadra's icon is yellow. The third difference is the flat head of Jagannath icon, compared to semi-circular carved heads of the other two. They are accompanied by the Sudarshana Chakra, the iconic weapon of Vishnu. It is approximately the same height as Balabhadra, is red in colour, carved from a wooden pillar and clothed, unlike its traditional representation as

7632-425: The palace of Sri Ram. The tribal origin theories rely on circumstantial evidence and inferences such as the Jagannath icon is non-anthropomorphic and non-zoomorphic. The hereditary priests in the Jagannath tradition of Hinduism include non-Brahmin servitors, called Daitas , which may be an adopted grandfathered practice with tribal roots. The use of wood as a construction material for the Jagannath icons may also be

7738-418: The place Where their beloved was waiting, with their earrings swinging wildly (Bhagavata Purana 10.29.4) Jiva Goswami Jiva Goswami ( Sanskrit : जीव गोस्वामी , romanized :  Jīva Gosvāmī ; c.  1513  – c.  1598 ) was an Indian philosopher and saint from the Gaudiya Vaishnava school of Vedanta tradition, producing a great number of philosophical works on

7844-442: The preliminary work, but couldn't finish it. Jiva Goswami expanded it into six books, wherein he systematically presents the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with scriptural evidences. Radha-Krishna-archana-dipika ( Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa-arcana-dīpikā ) , Radha-krishnarchana-dipika ( Rādhā-Kṛṣṇārcana-dīpikā ) , Radha-krishnarchana-chandrika ( Rādhā-Kṛṣṇārcana-candrikā ) : Intensely theological work describing

7950-512: The process of worshiping Radha and Krishna together in deity form, a significant contribution to the Chaitanyite sampradaya . Krama-sandarbha , Srimad-bhagavata-tika ( Śrīmad-bhāgavata-ṭīkā ) : A commentary on the Bhagavata Purana , often described as the "seventh" of the six Sandarbhas . Dig-darshani-tika ( Dig-darṣani-ṭīkā ) , Brahmha-samhita-tika ( Brahmhā-saṁhitā-ṭīkā ) : A commentary on

8056-691: The same as goddess Vimala is the Shakti. The offerings of Jagannath becomes mahaprasad only after it is re-offered to goddess Vimala. Similarly, different Tantric features of yantras have been engraved on the Ratna vedi, where Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are set up. The Kalika Purana depicts Jagannath as a Tantric deity. According to Avinash Patra, the rituals and special place accepted for non-Brahmin Daitas priests in Jagannath tradition, who co-exist and work together with Brahmin priests suggests that there

8162-463: The seashore for his worship. In the Skanda Purana , by the time Vidyapati returned to inform the king of the site of the shrine, a great storm had buried the image of Nilamadhava under the sand. Despite his best attempts, the king was unable to locate the image. Upon the counsel of the sage divinity Narada , Indradyumna constructed a new temple, and performed a thousand ashvamedha yajnas at

8268-401: The second treatise titled Bhagavat-sandarbha , where " sandarbha " literally means "weaving" or "arranging". Sandarbhas are a thematic arrangement of the Bhagavata Purana presenting Caitanya Vaishnavism in a systematic and comprehensive way. Intensely theological, this work is considered the most important among all his works. According to Jiva Goswami, Gopala Bhatta Goswami completed

8374-470: The separation the residents of Vrindavana feel in his absence. Sankalpa-kalpavriksha ( Saṅkalpa-kalpavṛkṣa ) , Sankalpa-kalpadruma ( Saṅkalpa-kalpadruma ) : Explains the eight-fold daily pastimes of Radha and Krishna ( asta-kaliya-lila ) in prayer form. Bhavartha-suchaka-champu ( Bhāvārtha-sūcaka-campū ) Jagannath Jagannatha ( Odia : ଜଗନ୍ନାଥ , romanized:  Jagannātha , lit.   'Lord of

8480-562: The service of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the young Jiva desired to join them also. According to the biographical work Bhakti Ratnakara of Narahari Chakravarti, Jiva had a dream of Chaitanya at this time. This gave him the impetus to leave home and join Rupa and Sanatana. It is unclear from his biographies whether or not Jiva actually ever met Chaitanya personally. Jiva travelled to Navadvipa in West Bengal and met with Nityananda Rama , one of

8586-482: The site. Receiving guidance in the form of a divine dream, a great tree floating in the sea was felled and used to create the three wooden images of the temple, those of Jagannatha, Balarama , and Subhadra . The king travelled to Brahmaloka to invite Brahma to inaugurate the temple. With the passage of time, a king named Gala claimed to have been the temple's real architect, but with the return of Indradyumna to earth, he withdrew this claim. After Brahma had inaugurated

8692-416: The stories concerning the gopis are said to exemplify Suddha-bhakti which is described as 'the highest form of unconditional love for God (Krishna). Their spontaneous and unwavering devotion is described in depth in the later chapters of the Bhagavata Purana , within Krishna's Vrindavan pastimes and also in the stories of the sage Uddhava . For Vaishnava traditions, the most important representation of

8798-641: The sun and the other the moon, features traceable in 17th-century paintings. He is shown with an Urdhva Pundra , the Vaishnava U-shaped mark on his forehead. His dark color and other facial features are an abstraction of the cosmic form of the Hindu god Krishna, states Starza. In some contemporary Jagannath temples, two stumps pointing forward in an embracing position represent his hands. In some exceptional medieval and modern era paintings in museums outside India, such as in Berlin states Starza, Jagannath

8904-659: The sun's chariot, a syncretic absorption of the Saura ( Surya -centric) tradition of Hinduism. The conglomerate of Jagannath, Balabhadra, Subhadra, and Sudarshana Chakra worshipped together on a common platform are called the Chaturdhamurti or the "four-fold form". O.M. Starza states that the Jagannath Ratha Yatra may have evolved from the syncretism of procession rituals for Shiva lingas, Vaishnava pillars, and tribal folk festivities. The Shaiva element in

9010-461: The temple, Indradyumna returned to Brahmaloka, entrusting the upkeep of the site to Gala. In hymn 10.155 of the Rigveda , there is mention of a Daru (wooden log) floating in the ocean as apurusham . Acharya Sayana interpreted the term apurusham as same as Purushottama and this Dara wood log being an inspiration for Jagannath, thus placing the origin of Jagannath in 2nd millennium BCE. Other scholars refute this interpretation stating that

9116-529: The theology and practice of Bhakti yoga , Vaishnava Vedanta and associated disciplines. He is known as one of the Six Goswamis of Vrindavan and was the nephew of the two leading figures, Rupa Goswami and Sanatana Goswami . His family lineage can be traced to Indian State of Karnataka and Naihati in the district of North 24 Parganas in present-day West Bengal , India . The former generations according to Bhakti-ratnakara : Sarvajna Jagatguru

9222-635: The throne inside the temple, holding the Conch and Discus in the form of Buddha. Salute thee Sri Jagannath the revered One whose domain is the Blue Hills, he sits pretty as Sri Buddha there in the Blue Cavern. Pandit Nilakantha Das suggested that Jagannath was a deity of Jain origin because of the appending of Nath to many Jain Tirthankars . He felt Jagannath meant the 'World personified' in

9328-452: The time. Sanatana and Rupa eventually resigned from their ministerial (royal) posts and retired to help Chaitanya in his mission, eventually relocating to Vrindavana . Vallabha, who was always happy in service, was initiated by Chaitanya and given the name Anupama , and was known for his stoicism and neutrality in his detachment from worldly affairs. Alternatively, it is said that his ancestors migrated from Karnataka to Gauda and lived in

9434-454: The tradition of Jagannath overlap with the rites and doctrines of Tantrism and Shaktism . According to the Shaivas, Jagannath is Bhairava. The Shiva Purana mentions Jagannatha as one of the 108 names of Shiva. The Tantric literary texts identify Jagannath with Mahabhairava. Another evidence that supports syncretism thesis is the fact that Jagannath sits on the abstract tantric symbols of

9540-549: The triad of Balarama, Ekanamsa and Krishna. There are many scriptural references to support the same. Further, in many Jagannath temples of central and eastern regions of India, the Shiva icons such as the Linga-yoni are reverentially incorporated, since Lord Shiva is a Vaishnav according to the conclusion of Srimad Bhagavatam, he protects Sri Jagannath Temple from external calamities, just like he does so in his form of Hanuman for

9646-578: The triad, Balabhadra is also considered to be Shiva and Subhadra , a manifestation of Durga . In the Markandeya Purana the sage Markandeya declared that Purushottama Jagannath and Shiva are one. Jagannath in his Hathi Besha or Gaja Besha (elephant form) has been venerated by devotees like Ganapati Bappa of Maharashtra as Ganesha . According to the Purushottama Kshetra Mahatmya (part of Vaiṣṇava Khaṇḍa ,

9752-410: The tutelage of Madhusudana Vachaspati, the disciple of the famous logician and Vedantist, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya . Under Vachaspati, Jiva mastered the six systems of Indian philosophy known as Sad Darsana . In 1535 Jiva arrived in Vrindavana where he remained under the tutelage of his uncles, Rupa and Sanatana (by this time his father Anupama had died). He accepted initiation from Rupa Goswami and

9858-422: The universe". Jagannatha, according to them is a generic term, not unique, as much as Lokanatha or Avalokiteswara. ln fact, the name Jagannatha could be applied to any Deity which is considered supreme. — Surendra Mohanty , Lord Jagannatha: the microcosm of Indian spiritual culture In the Odia language , Jagannath is linked to other names, such as Jagā (ଜଗା) or Jagabandhu (ଜଗବନ୍ଧୁ) ("Friend of

9964-436: The village Ramkeli, near Gauda for generations. Vallabha's son, Jiva Goswami , was very talented, completing his studies in vyakarana and other subjects within a very short time, grasping vast spiritual knowledge with a sincere and devotional endeavor. Jiva avoided activities that had no connection with Krishna. He never married and remained celibate . His pleased uncles treated him affectionately. Jiva, like his uncles,

10070-557: The word may have origins in the tribal word Kittung of the Sora people (Savaras). This hypothesis states that the Vedic people as they settled into tribal regions adopted the tribal words and called the deity Jagannath. According to O.M. Starza, this is unlikely because Kittung is phonetically unrelated, and the Kittung tribal deity is produced from burnt wood and looks very different from Jagannath. The icon of Jagannath in his temples

10176-538: The younger brother of his royal priest, or sometimes a minister, Vidyapati, to locate the site of the deity's image in the Nilagiri region. Regional folklore states that the priest was welcomed by Vishvavasu, the chieftain of the Savara people. During the duration of his stay in the chieftain's house, the latter's daughter, Lalita, fell in love with him. Upon the chieftain's request, Vidyapati married her. He noticed that

10282-528: Was Kittung which too is made from wood. According to the Polish Indologist Olgierd M. Starza, this is an interesting parallel but a flawed one because the Kittung deity is produced by burning a piece of wood and too different in its specifics to be the origin of Jagannath. According to another proposal by Stella Kramrisch , log as a symbol of Anga pen deity is found in central Indian tribes and they have used it to represent features of

10388-553: Was a famous brahmana , great scholar in all Vedas , respected Yajur -vedi of the Baradvaja caste, and king of Karnataka in South India , adored by all other contemporary kings. Sarvajna's son, Aniruddha , was spirited, famous, a proficient scholar of the Vedas, and a favorite of the reigning kings at the time. Aniruddha's sons, Rupesvara (eldest) and Harihara , were well respected due to their virtuous qualities. Rupesvara

10494-645: Was assimilated as Vishnu's ninth avatar in Vishnu Puran as a divinely incarnated purveyor of illusion. It states that Vishnu's "descent" as the Buddhavatara was accomplished so that the wicked and demonic could be only further misled away from the truth in kali yuga . This assimilation and the consequent disingenuous interpretation or rationale for his inclusion aptly articulate the considerable ambivalence characteristic of Hindu attitudes towards Buddhism, undermining his historicity, to make him an appendage of

10600-424: Was famed as a scholar of the scriptures, while Harihara became a master in the art and science of weapons. Both brothers inherited the administration of the state after their father died, but Harihara soon snatched all the power, causing Rupesvara and his wife to travel to Paulastha-desa, where Sikharesvara befriended him and convinced him to settle there. Rupesvara's son, Padmanabha , was a genius and easily learned

10706-779: Was greatly inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and was attracted to Vrindavana and his uncles there, which caused Jiva to eventually renounce material life and join his uncles in their mission. On the way to join his uncles in Vrindavana, he first met with Nityananda Prabhu in Nabadwip for a few days, then studied from Madhusudana Vacaspati in Kasi and became expert in Nyaya Vedanta and other scriptures. There seems to be some controversy amongst biographers about Jiva Goswami's birth. Some opine that he lived from 1511 to 1596 CE, while others claim that he lived from 1533 to 1618 CE. Not much

10812-615: Was handed over to Brahmadatta by a disciple, which eventually gave rise to dissensions between the kings of Kalinga and Pataliputra in 3rd century CE, and the tooth relic was shifted to Sri Lanka by weighing anchor in Tamralipta . According to Ganguly, it is absurd to imagine that the prince chose the farthest harbor from the capital even though there were intermediate harbors from which it would have been easier to set out on his voyage. Buddhism anciently prevailed in Odisha as appears from

10918-462: Was in his Sarva-samvadini commentary to the Sat Sandarbhas of Hindu philosophy that Jiva Goswami first wrote of Achintya Bheda Abheda , the philosophy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. In essence, the philosophy of Achintya bheda abheda, or "inconceivable oneness and difference ", avoids the extremes of Shankara 's monistic Advaita vedanta and Madhva's pure dualism ( Dvaita ) by interpreting

11024-653: Was influenced by Jainism and is none other than the Jina of Kalinga taken to Magadha by Mahapadma Nanda . The theory of Jain origins is supported by the Jain Hathigumpha inscription . It mentions the worship of a relic memorial in Khandagiri-Udayagiri, on the Kumara hill. This location is stated to be same as the Jagannath temple site. However, states Starza, a Jain text mentions the Jagannath shrine

11130-461: Was restored by Jains, but the authenticity and date of this text is unclear. Another circumstantial evidence supporting the Jain origins proposal is the discovery of Jain images inside as well as near the massive Puri temple complex, including those carved into the walls. However, this could also be a later addition, or suggestive of tolerance, mutual support or close relationship between the Jains and

11236-488: Was taught the esoteric principles of devotion to Krishna. Jiva helped to edit the writings of Rupa and Sanatana and assisted them in their work in propagating Gaudiya Vaishnavism and excavating the lost holy places of Vrindavana. After the passing of Rupa and Sanatana, Jiva Goswami became the foremost authority in the Gaudiya Vaishnava line. In 1542 Jiva established one of the prominent and important temples in

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