Post by Jagannāth Miśra Dās on Jul 7, 2022 9:40:46 GMT -6
Haribol Everyone. As the chariots of Lord Jagannāth, Balarāma and Subhadrā Devī are presently stationed outside the Gundica Mandira, I thought to share an excerpt from chapter 5 of Mādhāva Pattnayaka’s Vaisnava Lilāmrita (written in Oriya in 1534) depicting a renowned pastime between Lord Jagannāth and Balarāma Dās. Verses 130 to 164 of this chapter speak of Balarāma Dās, the eldest of the Panca-Sākhās, who is generally reckoned to be a yogapurusa. Not only does he exhibit his unique personality in such matters as the composition of the Oriya Ramāyana, but also in his bhakti-nistha and niti-jnāna. His profound individual characteristics and potent devotion secures the trust and wins the respect of all. During the ratha-yātrā whilst ascending the ratha intent on offering a flower garland to the Lord, the servitors drive him away. In his Bhāva-Samudra, Balarāma Dās describes how he was fond of a certain courtesan. This was perhaps his only vice; although it is written elsewhere that she was actually a Gopi from the dwarpa-yuga named Jamuna Devī. As he lay in her arms, his slumber is broken by the sound of ringing bells and the kīrtan of the ratha-yātrā; and he immediately runs to the ratha in a devout transport with a desire to place a garland on Lord Jagannath. Driven away by the priests he was displeased, insulted and broken. He takes himself to the sea shore, and having fashioned a cart in the sand, ardently beckons Lord Jagannāth to alight upon his sand cart and to receive his homage. Jagannnāth indeed personally appears along with his brother and sister in Balarāma Das’s sand cart. Meanwhile the huge wooden chariots remain stationary on the baḍadānda (the main road which leads from the temple to the Gundica that the chariots ride upon) and despite repeated attempts, the chariots fail to move, causing despondency to reign within all. That night the Lord appears before the king in a dream informing him that he abandoned his chariot to be with his bhakta Balarāma Dās. In the morning the king proceeds in great pomp, accompanied by celebrated luminaries to the sea shore and begs forgiveness from Balarāma Dās who then returns to the baḍadānda, places his flower garland and candana on the lord, which causes the carts to trundle along the baḍadānda to the sound of creaking wheels. This event is likewise testified by its record in the mādala pañji, and everyone in Orissa cherishes the memory of this pastime, which occurred between Lord Jagannāth and Balarāma Dās.
(note; The madala pañji is an unbroken record of particular and significant events concerning the Jagannātha temple in Puri dating back to the twelve century. These records provide curious and detailed information on the dates, names and reigns of kings, temple rituals and festivals like ratha-yātrā, candana-yātrā, jhulana-yātrā, as well as the various types of ornaments, jewellery and dress of Lord Jagannath, further mentioning battles and foreign invasions, famines and floods, repairs to the temple and the dates of the construction of new edifices inside the temple, even including the dance sequence and daily schedules of the Devī-dāsis, donations of gold and silver, as well as the names of great sages and rishis like the Panca-Sākhās; plus much more. It is undoubtedly an invaluable document.)
Listen, O noble people, and may you all derive much contentment from yet another nectarine event that transpired. There was a Mahāpurusa called Balarāma Dās, who was the son of Somanāth, and he (Balarāma Dās) would expound upon and reveal vedānta tattva. (130-32)
It is he who composed the Ramāyana in poetic meter; and he is also deemed to be a yogapurusa. Once he ascended the ratha with a flower garland in his hand desirous of presenting it in a fervent spirit to the Lord who was present upon the ratha. (133-35)
(note: Balarāma Dās translated Valmiki’s Sanskrit Ramāyana into Oriya for the posterity of his Oriya tribe.)
With this wish he ascended the ratha, yet the sevakas tell him to leave, saying he is not entitled to present a garland on the ratha. The sevakas unreservedly expressed their disapproval, and tell him to leave at once. (136-38
Descending from the ratha, and without uttering a word to anyone, he takes himself to the shore of the ocean intent on worshipping Jagannāth there instead. Having created a cart out of sand on the beach, he then summons the Lord exclaiming; “Make yourself present here, O son of Nanda!” (139-41)
“Come here with your brother Balarāma and your sister Subhadrā.” The three Deities appeared, alighting on the sand cart, and accept his worship. The carts on the baḍadānda however would no longer move and the crowds grew all the more fretful. (142-44)
The bhaktas merely gaze on whilst the sevakas tender their most obsequious and meticulous service. The king himself makes a personal appearance standing before the cart, yet they do not move. The day fades into night, but still the carts remain stationary. (145-47)
Even a crowd of hundreds and thousands of bhaktas uniting together fail to induce the slightest hint of motion into the ratha. That night the Lord appears in the king’s dream and says to him; “O king! Go and bring me from the sea shore where I am with my bhakta Balarāma Dās.” (148-50)
The King summons for Rāya Ramānanda, Prabhu (Sree Caitanya) and Swāmi (Jagannāth Dās.) Also selecting as part of his retinue Kāśī Miśra, Tapana Acārya, Kahnāi, Ananta, Jasovanta, Tulasī Miśra and Dāmodhara Pandita. (151-53)
They repair to the edge of the ocean which now resounds with the tumultuous roar of jhanja and mridanga. Falling like staffs before the sand edifice they reflect upon how the Lord is bhāva-vinode (attracted by love) and how he attends to his bhakta’s wishful intentions. (154-56)
They bless Balarāma Dās, and as they paid their homage to him with flowers and candana they exclaimed; “Balarama Das! you are the finest bhakta. You have bound the Lord with your bhakti. The Lord is under your subjugation. There is no bhakta quite like you. Come with us, as we wish to hasten your departure from here.” (157-60)
Balarāma approaches, climbs upon the ratha, offers his garland and smears the Lord in candana as the tumultuous clamour of bells and mridangas arise on the baḍadānda. (161-63)
(note; The madala pañji is an unbroken record of particular and significant events concerning the Jagannātha temple in Puri dating back to the twelve century. These records provide curious and detailed information on the dates, names and reigns of kings, temple rituals and festivals like ratha-yātrā, candana-yātrā, jhulana-yātrā, as well as the various types of ornaments, jewellery and dress of Lord Jagannath, further mentioning battles and foreign invasions, famines and floods, repairs to the temple and the dates of the construction of new edifices inside the temple, even including the dance sequence and daily schedules of the Devī-dāsis, donations of gold and silver, as well as the names of great sages and rishis like the Panca-Sākhās; plus much more. It is undoubtedly an invaluable document.)
ethu antare ana rasa
śuni sujane hua tosa (130)1
balarāma dās belai
mahāpurusa aṭe sehi (131)
somanāthara suta se
vedānta tattva se prakāse (132)
Listen, O noble people, and may you all derive much contentment from yet another nectarine event that transpired. There was a Mahāpurusa called Balarāma Dās, who was the son of Somanāth, and he (Balarāma Dās) would expound upon and reveal vedānta tattva. (130-32)
racile ramāyana gita
yogapurusa bolai ta (133)
ratha uparaku uthilā
hātare achi phulamālā (134)
rathare vāmanaku deva
bhagatibhāva arapiba (135)
It is he who composed the Ramāyana in poetic meter; and he is also deemed to be a yogapurusa. Once he ascended the ratha with a flower garland in his hand desirous of presenting it in a fervent spirit to the Lord who was present upon the ratha. (133-35)
(note: Balarāma Dās translated Valmiki’s Sanskrit Ramāyana into Oriya for the posterity of his Oriya tribe.)
boli rathaku caḍigala
sevaka bole ethu palā (136)
tohara nahihn adhikāra
mālā arapibu rathara (137)
sevaka kete dhikārile
e thānu palā tu boile (138
With this wish he ascended the ratha, yet the sevakas tell him to leave, saying he is not entitled to present a garland on the ratha. The sevakas unreservedly expressed their disapproval, and tell him to leave at once. (136-38
ratharu talaku āsila
kāhāku kichi na boila (139)
gala se samudra taṭaku
jagannāthku pujibāku (140)
bālire ratha eka kalā
ḍākila asa nandabalā (141)
Descending from the ratha, and without uttering a word to anyone, he takes himself to the shore of the ocean intent on worshipping Jagannāth there instead. Having created a cart out of sand on the beach, he then summons the Lord exclaiming; “Make yourself present here, O son of Nanda!” (139-41)
asa ho balarāma bhāi
subhadrā bhunīku nei (142)
tini pratimā vije hele
bāli rathe pujā pāile (143)
dāndare ratha na calilā
trasta heleka lokamelā (144)
“Come here with your brother Balarāma and your sister Subhadrā.” The three Deities appeared, alighting on the sand cart, and accept his worship. The carts on the baḍadānda however would no longer move and the crowds grew all the more fretful. (142-44)
bhakate anāi rahile
sevaka kete jatna kale (145)
nrupa āsina ubhā hoi
tathāpi ratha na calai (146)
dibasa jāi ratri hela
tathāpi ratha na calila (147)
The bhaktas merely gaze on whilst the sevakas tender their most obsequious and meticulous service. The king himself makes a personal appearance standing before the cart, yet they do not move. The day fades into night, but still the carts remain stationary. (145-47)
laksaka bhakta runda hele
kehi ghuncāi na pārile (148
nrupaku rātre swapna helā
samudra tate mun boilā (149)
jāa tu rājā ana mote
bhakta balarāma sahita (150)
rājā je rāyaku hakāri
prabhu swamikai sambāri (151)
kāśī miśra tapana acārye
kahnāi ananta acārye (152)
acyuta ananta jasovanta
tulasī miśra dāmodara pandita (153)
The King summons for Rāya Ramānanda, Prabhu (Sree Caitanya) and Swāmi (Jagannāth Dās.) Also selecting as part of his retinue Kāśī Miśra, Tapana Acārya, Kahnāi, Ananta, Jasovanta, Tulasī Miśra and Dāmodhara Pandita. (151-53)
jhanja mrudanga kalarole
samudra tata je uchule (154)
bālire sarveva milile
danda pranāme janāile (155)
swabhāve bhāva binodiā
bhaktarāga anusaria (156)
They repair to the edge of the ocean which now resounds with the tumultuous roar of jhanja and mridanga. Falling like staffs before the sand edifice they reflect upon how the Lord is bhāva-vinode (attracted by love) and how he attends to his bhakta’s wishful intentions. (154-56)
balarāmaku dhanya kale
phula candana aracile (157)
boile āsa balarāma
bhagata srestha tora nāma (158
bhagati bhāvena bāndalu
prabhuku tui basa kalu (159)
to tahun kāhin bhakta achi
asa tu begena muruchi (160)
They bless Balarāma Dās, and as they paid their homage to him with flowers and candana they exclaimed; “Balarama Das! you are the finest bhakta. You have bound the Lord with your bhakti. The Lord is under your subjugation. There is no bhakta quite like you. Come with us, as we wish to hasten your departure from here.” (157-60)
āsila balarāma dāsa
ratha upare parakāsa (161)
prabhuku mālā se arpila
candane tanu jadāila (162)
ghanta mrudanga kalarole
baḍadānda tahun uchile (163)
Balarāma approaches, climbs upon the ratha, offers his garland and smears the Lord in candana as the tumultuous clamour of bells and mridangas arise on the baḍadānda. (161-63)
ratha chalai ghiḍi ghiḍi
mādhava kahe pāde paḍi (164)
The ratha moves, big wooden wheels creak round,
Says Mādhava at your feet upon the ground. (164)
End of Chapter 5.