Tag: viShNu

Bṛhat Tantrasārādinibandhebhyaḥ Nṛṣiṃhaikākṣaravidhi | बृहत् तन्त्रसारादिनिबन्धेभ्यः नृषिंहैकाक्षरविधि

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अपरिकलित तन्त्रात् नारदपुराणेषु नृसिंहैकाक्षरविधि

मन्त्रोद्धार,ऋश्यादि कराङ्गन्यास च:-
सनत्कुमार उवाच
शृणु नारद वक्ष्यामि दिव्यान्नरहरेर्मनुम्।
यान्संसाराध्य ब्रह्माद्याश्चक्रुः सृष्ट्यादि कर्म वै॥
संवर्तकश्चन्द्रमौलिमनुवह्निविभूषितः।
एकाक्षर्ः स्मृतो मन्त्रो भजतां सुरपादपः॥
मुनिरत्रिश्च जगती चन्दो बुद्धिमतां वर।
देवता नृहरिः प्रोक्तो विनियोगो’खिलाप्तये॥
क्षं बीजं शक्तिरौं प्रोक्ता षड्दीर्घेण षडङ्गकं॥

ध्यानम्:-
अर्केन्दुवह्नीनयनं शरदिन्दुरुचं करैः।
धनुश्चक्राभयवरान्दधतं नृहरिं स्मरेत्॥

जपसंख्या होमाहुतिद्रव्य च:-

लक्षं जपस्तद्दशांशहोमच घृतपायसैः।

पीठार्चनाविधि:-

यजेत्पीठे वैष्णवे तु केसरष्वङ्गपूजनं।
खगेशं शङ्करं शेषं शतानन्दं दिगालिषु॥
श्रीयं ह्रीयं धृतिं पुष्टिं कोणपत्रेषु पूजयेत्।
दंतच्छदेषु नृहरींस्तावतः नृहरिंस्तावतः पूजयेत्क्रमात्॥

कृष्णो रुद्रो महाघोरो भीमो भीषण उज्ज्वलः।
करालो विकरालश्च दैत्यान्तो मधुसूदनः।
रक्ताक्षः पिङ्गलाक्षश्चाञ्जनो दीप्तरुचिस्तथा॥
सुघोरकश्च सुहनुर्विश्वको राक्षसान्तकः॥
विशालको धूम्रकेशो हयग्रीवो धनस्वनः।
मेघवर्णः कुम्भकर्णः कृतान्ततीव्रतेजसौ॥
अग्निवर्णो महोग्रश्च ततो विश्वविभूषणः।
विघ्नक्षमो महासेनः सिंहा द्वात्रिंशदीरिताः॥

तद्बहिः प्रार्चयेद्विद्वान्ल्लोकपालान्सहेतिकान्।
एवं सिद्धे मनौ मन्त्री साधयेदखिलेप्सितान्॥

एकाक्षरस्य अन्य विधि(बृहत्तन्त्रसारोक्त विधेः उद्धृत)

क्षकारो वह्निमारूढो मनुबिन्दुसमन्वितः।
एकाक्षरो मनुः प्रोक्तः सर्वकामफलप्रदः॥
अस्य पूजादिकं सर्वं मन्त्रराजवत्। (इह प्रसङ्गे मन्त्रराज नृसिंहस्य विख्यात द्वात्रिंशाक्षर मन्त्र)
विशेसस्तु अत्रि ऋषिर् गायत्रीच्च्छन्दो नृसिंहो देवता क्षकारो बीजं औकार शक्तिः। शड्दीर्घयुक्तबीजेनाङ्गकल्पना। अस्य पुरश्चरणमष्टलक्षजपः। तथा च:- वसुलक्षं जपेन्मन्त्रं इत्यादि वचनात्।

मन्त्रराजस्य अर्चना विधि

ध्यानं:

माणिक्याद्रिसमप्रभां निजरुचासंत्रस्तरक्षोगणं जानुन्यस्त रत्नोल्लसद्भूषणं।
बाहुभ्यां धृतशङ्खचक्रमनीशं दंष्ट्रोग्रवक्त्राल्लसज्ज्वालाजिह्वमुदारकेशरचयं वन्दे नृसिंहं विभुं॥

एवं ध्यात्वा मानसैः संपूज्य शङ्खस्थापनं विधाय वैष्णवोक्तपीठपूजां कृत्वा पुनर्ध्यात्वा आवाहनादि पुश्पाञ्जलीदानपर्यन्तं विधायावरणपूजामारभेत्। तद्यथा – केशरेश्वग्रादि कोणे मध्ये क्ष्रां हृदयाय नमः, क्ष्रीं शिरसे स्वाहा, क्ष्रूं शिखायै वषट्, क्ष्रैं कवचाय हुं, क्ष्रौं नेत्रत्रयाय वौषाट्,क्ष्रः अस्त्राय फट्। ततः पूर्वादिदले गरुडं शङ्करं शेशं ब्रह्माणञ्च पूजयेत्।विदिग्दलेषु श्रीयं ह्रीयं धृतीं प्रणवादिनमो’न्तेन पूजयेत्। तद्बहीरिन्द्रादिन् वज्रादिंश्च पूजयेत्। ततो धूपादि विसर्जनान्त कर्मं समापयेत्।

होमद्रव्य: पायसान्नैः प्रजुहुयाद् विधिवत् पूजिते’नले।

mantroddhāra,ṛśyādi karāṅganyāsa ca:-
sanatkumāra uvāca
śṛṇu nārada vakṣyāmi divyānnaraharermanum।
yānsaṃsārādhya brahmādyāścakruḥ sṛṣṭyādi karma vai॥
saṃvartakaścandramaulimanuvahnivibhūṣitaḥ।
ekākṣarḥ smṛto mantro bhajatāṃ surapādapaḥ॥
muniratriśca jagatī cando buddhimatāṃ vara।
devatā nṛhariḥ prokto viniyogo’khilāptaye॥
kṣaṃ bījaṃ śaktirauṃ proktā ṣaḍdīrgheṇa ṣaḍaṅgakaṃ॥

dhyānam:-
arkenduvahnīnayanaṃ śaradindurucaṃ karaiḥ।
dhanuścakrābhayavarāndadhataṃ nṛhariṃ smaret॥

japasaṃkhyā homāhutidravya ca:-

lakṣaṃ japastaddaśāṃśahomaca ghṛtapāyasaiḥ।

pīṭhārcanāvidhi:-

yajetpīṭhe vaiṣṇave tu kesaraṣvaṅgapūjanaṃ।
khageśaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śeṣaṃ śatānandaṃ digāliṣu॥
śrīyaṃ hrīyaṃ dhṛtiṃ puṣṭiṃ koṇapatreṣu pūjayet।
daṃtacchadeṣu nṛharīṃstāvataḥ nṛhariṃstāvataḥ pūjayetkramāt॥

kṛṣṇo rudro mahāghoro bhīmo bhīṣaṇa ujjvalaḥ।
karālo vikarālaśca daityānto madhusūdanaḥ।
raktākṣaḥ piṅgalākṣaścāñjano dīptarucistathā॥
sughorakaśca suhanurviśvako rākṣasāntakaḥ॥
viśālako dhūmrakeśo hayagrīvo dhanasvanaḥ।
meghavarṇaḥ kumbhakarṇaḥ kṛtāntatīvratejasau॥
agnivarṇo mahograśca tato viśvavibhūṣaṇaḥ।
vighnakṣamo mahāsenaḥ siṃhā dvātriṃśadīritāḥ॥

tadbahiḥ prārcayedvidvānllokapālānsahetikān।
evaṃ siddhe manau mantrī sādhayedakhilepsitān॥

ekākṣarasya anya vidhi(bṛhattantrasārokta vidheḥ uddhṛta)

kṣakāro vahnimārūḍho manubindusamanvitaḥ।
ekākṣaro manuḥ proktaḥ sarvakāmaphalapradaḥ॥
asya pūjādikaṃ sarvaṃ mantrarājavat। (iha prasaṅge mantrarāja nṛsiṃhasya vikhyāta dvātriṃśākṣara mantra)
viśesastu atri ṛṣir gāyatrīccchando nṛsiṃho devatā kṣakāro bījaṃ aukāra śaktiḥ। śaḍdīrghayuktabījenāṅgakalpanā। asya puraścaraṇamaṣṭalakṣajapaḥ। tathā ca:- vasulakṣaṃ japenmantraṃ ityādi vacanāt।

mantrarājasya arcanā vidhi

dhyānaṃ:

māṇikyādrisamaprabhāṃ nijarucāsaṃtrastarakṣogaṇaṃ jānunyasta ratnollasadbhūṣaṇaṃ।
bāhubhyāṃ dhṛtaśaṅkhacakramanīśaṃ daṃṣṭrogravaktrāllasajjvālājihvamudārakeśaracayaṃ vande nṛsiṃhaṃ vibhuṃ॥

evaṃ dhyātvā mānasaiḥ saṃpūjya śaṅkhasthāpanaṃ vidhāya vaiṣṇavoktapīṭhapūjāṃ kṛtvā punardhyātvā āvāhanādi puśpāñjalīdānaparyantaṃ vidhāyāvaraṇapūjāmārabhet। tadyathā – keśareśvagrādi koṇe madhye kṣrāṃ hṛdayāya namaḥ, kṣrīṃ śirase svāhā, kṣrūṃ śikhāyai vaṣaṭ, kṣraiṃ kavacāya huṃ, kṣrauṃ netratrayāya vauṣāṭ,kṣraḥ astrāya phaṭ। tataḥ pūrvādidale garuḍaṃ śaṅkaraṃ śeśaṃ brahmāṇañca pūjayet।vidigdaleṣu śrīyaṃ hrīyaṃ dhṛtīṃ praṇavādinamo’ntena pūjayet। tadbahīrindrādin vajrādiṃśca pūjayet। tato dhūpādi visarjanānta karmaṃ samāpayet।

homadravya: pāyasānnaiḥ prajuhuyād vidhivat pūjite’nale।

The shrines of Barahakshetra

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Kokā Varāha
Sūrya Varāha(actually Sūrya alone)
Nāgeśvara
Lakṣmī next to the main shrine (has Lakṣmī Sarasvatī Kālī and Mahāśrī Ārya Tārā)
Guruvarāha (actually a Śivaliṅga next to a broken Varāha mūrti)

There was also new shrines of Śanideva(very popular) and Gaṅeśa(listed as to be visited first in a new signboard) which seemed to be much more recent than the paurāṅika attestations and do not seem to be rebuildings of old structures in the way these structures of Hari,Śrī,Indra and Śiva and Sūrya are. Indra is worshipped in a Śivaliṅga. This kṣetra is near the saṅgama of the Kokā and Kośi rivers in Sunsari district, Nepal.

The main Varāha shrine, whose image I have not taken, has 4 Varāhas. The main Varāha is a structure somewhat superficially akin to a South Indian Brindavana kept covered in leaves.

Koshi river
View of the temple complex from the Koshi riverbanks

On the necessity of mantrasiddhi and its primary means(puraścaraṇa in this context)

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vīracūḍamaṇyām kālītantre ca:-

puraścaraṇahīnasya mantrasiddhirnajāyate।
ādau puraṣkriyaṃ kuryat niyamena yathāvidhi॥

vīratantre:

ādau mantrasya siddhyarthaṃ puraścaraṇamācaret।
tato siddhamanurmantri kāmyakarmāṇi sādhayet॥

uttaratantre:

sarvasvenāpi kartavyam puraścaraṇamuttamam।
anyathā nādhikāraḥ syat tasyapūjādiṣu priye॥

yoginīhṛdaye:

gurorājñāṃ samādāya śuddhāntaḥkaraṇo naraḥ।
tato puraṣkriyāṃ kuryānmantra saṃsiddhi kāmyayā॥
jīvahīno yathā dehaḥ sarvakarmasu na kṣamaḥ।
puraścaraṇahīno’pi tathāmantraḥ prakīrtitaḥ॥

yāmale:

akṛtvā tu puraścaryāṃ yo yatkarma samācaret।
tat tasya cābhicārāya jāyate nātra saṃśayaḥ॥

rāmārcanachandrikāyām:

saṃsāre duḥkhabhūyiṣṭhe ya icchet sukhamātmanaḥ।
pañcāṅgopāsanenaiva rāmaṃ bhajatu bhaktitaḥ॥
pañcāṅgopāsanaṃ bhaktyā puraścaraṇamucyate।
etat hi viduṣāmsreṣṭhaṃ saṃsārocchedakāraṇam॥
nānena sadṛṣo dharma nānena sadṛśantapaḥ।
nānena sadṛśaṃkiñcit iṣṭārthasya tapodhana॥

वीरचूडमण्याम् कालीतन्त्रे च:-

पुरश्चरणहीनस्य मन्त्रसिद्धिर्नजायते।
आदौ पुरष्क्रियं कुर्यत् नियमेन यथाविधि॥

वीरतन्त्रे:

आदौ मन्त्रस्य सिद्ध्यर्थं पुरश्चरणमाचरेत्।
ततो सिद्धमनुर्मन्त्रि काम्यकर्माणि साधयेत्॥

उत्तरतन्त्रे:

सर्वस्वेनापि कर्तव्यम् पुरश्चरणमुत्तमम्।
अन्यथा नाधिकारः स्यत् तस्यपूजादिषु प्रिये॥

योगिनीहृदये:

गुरोराज्ञां समादाय शुद्धान्तःकरणो नरः।
ततो पुरष्क्रियां कुर्यान्मन्त्र संसिद्धि काम्यया॥
जीवहीनो यथा देहः सर्वकर्मसु न क्षमः।
पुरश्चरणहीनोऽपि तथामन्त्रः प्रकीर्तितः॥

यामले:

अकृत्वा तु पुरश्चर्यां यो यत्कर्म समाचरेत्।
तत् तस्य चाभिचाराय जायते नात्र संशयः॥

रामार्चनछन्द्रिकायाम्:

संसारे दुःखभूयिष्ठे य इच्छेत् सुखमात्मनः।
पञ्चाङ्गोपासनेनैव रामं भजतु भक्तितः॥
पञ्चाङ्गोपासनं भक्त्या पुरश्चरणमुच्यते।
एतत् हि विदुषाम्स्रेष्ठं संसारोच्छेदकारणम्॥
नानेन सदृषो धर्म नानेन सदृशन्तपः।
नानेन सदृशंकिञ्चित् इष्टार्थस्य तपोधन॥

Some points to be noted from the above quotes

  • It is essential for kāmya rites
  • Without puraścaraṇa,one does not do pūjā etc(basically mantrasiddhi at its various levels is essential for the deity to be responding to the ritualist:This is the point being hinted at here)
  • The classic simile of a lifeless body being unable to perform any work;and a mantra that is not siddha is employed in the Yoginīhṛdaya
  • A yāmalatantra even goes as far as to say that one who does rites without doing puraścaraṇa,his rites are akin to abhicāra
  • Rāmārcana-candrikā,a text on Rāma worship notes that the puraścaraṇa ritual is also the cause of breakage of the bonds of saṃsāra;hence this is not merely recommended only for kāmya rites alone. And the ritual is also praised highly. This sentiment on the importance of mantrasiddhi at various levels is thus,not something that exists only in Śākta works but can be seen in Vaiṣnava works as well.

वैष्णवमन्त्राणाम् तुलसीमालासंस्कार

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पञ्चगव्येन क्षालयित्वा मूलमन्त्रेण अभिमन्त्रयेत् । ततः देवतागायत्री मन्त्रेण पूर्ववत् घर्षयेच्च । ततः मूलमन्त्रेण धूपयेत् । ऐं श्रीं अक्षमालिकायै नमः इति मन्त्रेण पूजयेत् । प्रार्थनामन्त्रस्तु:- तुलसीकाष्ठसम्भूते माले क्र्ष्णजनप्रिये । बिभिर्मित्वाहं भद्रे कुरुमां कृष्णवल्लभम् । यथा त्वं वल्लभा विष्णोर्नित्यं विष्णुजलप्रिया । तथा मा देवदेवेशि कुरु कृष्णजनप्रियम् इति ।

ऐं श्रीं अक्षमालिकयै नमः इति मन्त्रस्य प्रमानम् यामलतन्त्रात्। तथा: वग्भवञ्च तथा लक्ष्मीमक्षादि मालिकान्ततः । ङेहन्तं हृदयमणान्तं मन्त्रेणनेन पूजयेत् ।


Vaiṣṇavamantrāṇām tulasīmālāsaṃskāra

pañcagavyena kṣālayitvā mūlamantreṇa abhimantrayet । tataḥ devatāgāyatrī mantreṇa pūrvavat gharṣayecca । tataḥ mūlamantreṇa dhūpayet । aiṃ śrīṃ akṣamālikāyai namaḥ iti mantreṇa pūjayet । prārthanāmantrastu:- tulasīkāṣṭhasambhūte māle krṣṇajanapriye । bibhirmitvāhaṃ bhadre kurumāṃ kṛṣṇavallabham । yathā tvaṃ vallabhā viṣṇornityaṃ viṣṇujalapriyā । tathā mā devadeveśi kuru kṛṣṇajanapriyam iti ।

aiṃ śrīṃ akṣamālikayai namaḥ iti mantrasya pramānam yāmalatantrāt। tathā: vagbhavañca tathā lakṣmīmakṣādi mālikāntataḥ । ṅehantaṃ hṛdayamaṇāntaṃ mantreṇanena pūjayet ।

Unambiguous dhyānas of Viṣṇu with Sarasvatī and Lakṣmī in the Assamese tradition

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The dhyānas here are quoted from The Kamarupa School of Dharmashastra by Naliniranjan Sharma. The bolded portions indicate the unambiguous mention of Sarasvatī and Lakṣmī.

First dhyāna(dhyāna mantra of Viṣṇu/Vāsudeva of the Viṣṇujāgara/Gonda Cauphari Sabha) from the paddhati of Shri Nabin Chandra Sharma of Dipila village in Mangaldai

oṃ vāsudeva śuddhasphaṭika saṃkāśaṃ ajānulamvita vanamālopaśobhitaṃ।
pītavastrayugadharaṃ kuṇḍalāṃkṛta karṇāpāniyugalaṃ śrīvatsakaustubhoraskam॥
kirītināṃ yajñopavītinaṃ dakṣiṇakarābhyā mūrdhādhaḥ krameṇadhṛtagadā padmam।
vāmakarābhyāntathaivadhṛta cakra śaṃkhaṃ dakṣiṇa pārṣvasthayā suvarṇavarṇayā lakṣmyā sevyamānaṃ॥
vāmapārśvasthayā śiriṣa varṇayā sarasvatyā sevitaṃ pañcavarṇopeta vanamā ānvitam।
kundakusumābham śrīvatsa vakṣasamaruṇa kaustabhagrīvam॥
pūrvādidalastha saṃkarṣaṇapradyumnāniruddha nārāyaṇa brahmāviṣṇu narasiṃhavarāha sametam।
garuḍadhvajaṃ garuḍādhirūḍhaṃ sūryamaṇḍala candramaṇḍala vahnimaṇḍalopari śītāṣṭadala padmopaviṣṭaṃ॥



evam dhyātvā oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya namaḥ।


Second dhyāna quoted from a paddhati preserved in the Gaudhati University Library

vāsudevaṃ viśuddhasphaṭikaprabhaṃ anavaratasāmavedādi gāyanotphulla mukha kamalaṃ।
pītavastradvaya dharaṃ caturbhujaṃ dakṣiṇordhakaradhṛta kṛṣṇavarṇagadaṃ dakṣiṇādhakaradhṛta śuklapadmam।
vāmordhvakaradhṛta sūryaśatasamaprabha cakraṃ।
vāmādhakaradhṛta pūrṇacandrābhaśaṃkhaṃ।
dakṣiṇa pārśvasthayā suvarṇavarṇayā lakṣmyā sevyamānaṃ।
vāmapārśvasthayā śirīṣa varṇayā sarasvatyāsevyamānam॥
yajñopavītinaṃ pañcavarṇopeta vanamālānvitaṃ।
kundakusumābha śrīvatsa vakṣamaruṇa varṇa kaustubhagrīvaṃ
sauvarṇa kirīṭa kuṇḍalāṃgada kaṃkaṇāṅmgurīya keyuramaṇḍitaṃ।
hṛdi muktāhārānvitam।
pūrvādi dalastha saṃkarṣaṇa pradyumnāniruddha nārāyaṇa brahmā viṣṇunarasiṃhavarāha sametaṃ।
garuḍadhvajaṃ garuḍādhirūḍhaṃ sūryamaṇḍala candramaṇḍala vahnimaṇḍalopari śītāṣṭadala padmopaviṣṭaṃ॥

iti dhyātvā

This is acknowledged by Gaudiyas in the Vedanta-Shyamantaka well also,as noted in the following

section(especially the Gīḥ stotra of the Skanda Purana)

Steps in the making of the mahāprasāda of Jagannātha

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  1. After ācamana,pādya and ācamana again,the naivedya is ritually purified before it can be offered to Śrīpuruṣottama. For the offering to Puruśottama only a small portion of the bhoga is taken out of all the earthen pots and placed in a metallic plate in front of the devatās of the ratnavedī. The steps of purification of the naivedya before it can be offered to the devatā are as follows.
  2. Vikṣaṇa(worshipper looks at the naivedya uttering the mūlamantra while placing the index and thumb finger of the right hand as a span on the forehead,while the rest forms a fist)
  3. Prokṣaṇa:With kuśa grass in the prokṣaṇī-pātra(vessel) he sprinkles the naivedya thrice with the asramantra(praṇava asurāntakacakrāya svāha,astrāya phaṭ)
  4. Abhirakṣaṇa:The cakramudrā is deployed and the mantra (praṇava) namaḥ sudarśanāya astrāya phaṭ is uttered,and the naivedya is protected
  5. Tālatraya and digbandhana
  6. Avaguṇṭhana:Performed with the appropriate mudrā.
  7. Pariśoṣaṇa:Using the vāyubīja yaṃ the impurities of the naivedya are dried up
  8. Dāhana:Using the agnibīja raṃ the defilement of human touch is burned up,thus making it fit to be offered
  9. Āplāvana:Using the bīja of the svādhiṣṭhāna cakra,the new nectarine naivedya is recreated now which is entirely different from the old naivedya
  10. Amṛtīkaraṇa:The naivedya is touched with the right hand of the worshipper,the mūlamantra recited 8 times and thus turned into amṛta. It is worshipped tulasī and candana.

Offering the naivedya to the devatā

The deity is requested to accept the naivedya with the following śloka:

devāsuramanuṣyāditṛpteḥ paramakāraṇam
nānāvidhamayaṃ/(var.idam) deva naivedyaṃ pratigṛhyatām

The mūlamatra is uttered with the devatā taking a few drops of water in the palm along with the words śrīkṛṣṇāya saṇgāya sarvātmane idaṃ naivedyam svāhā and water is sprinkled with kuśa grass.

The deity is requested to take the naivedya with the formula nivedayāmī bhagavate juṣanedaṃ havir hare and the tejas of the deity is imagined as entering into the mouth of the deity and a few drops is offered as āpośāna with the appropriate mantra(OṂ amṛtopastaraṇamasi svāhā)

After this the first five morsels of the naivedya is offered to the devatā just like it happens in the bhojana of any dvija jāti. (with the five set of mantras prānāya svāha,apānāya svāhā,vyānāya svāhā,udānāya svāha,samānāya svahā with praṇava prefixed).

The whole naivedya is then offered to the devatā with the naivedya mudrā/dravya mudrā with the mantra ṭhvauṃ namaḥ parāya avātmane aniruddhāya naivedyaṃ kalpayāmi.

The offered material to Jagannātha is next offered to Bhagavatī Vimalā as Her naivedya,and then only after that,it is known as Mahāprasāda.

All credit is to Gaya Charan Tripathi and his excellent work on Jagannātha:(Communication with God:The Daily Pūjā ceremony in the Jagannātha temple)

Āvaraṇas of Jagannātha as Kṛṣṇa in the Puri Śrīmandira

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There are seven āvaraṇas(surrounding ‘layers’ of deities) around the main Jagannātha deity in the Puri temple. They are:

  1. The four playmates of Kṛṣṇa
  2. Aṅgas of mantra
  3. Eight wives of Kṛṣṇa
  4. Parents,brother,sister of Kṛṣṇa,gopas and gopīs
  5. Five Kalpavṛkṣas
  6. Certain bhaktas of Kṛṣṇa
  7. 10 dikpālas

First āvaraṇa:Contains Dāmā,Sudāmā,Vasudāmā and Kiṅkiṇi(similar to Kṛṣna,adolescent,carrying flute and ball)
Second āvaraṇa:Contains the āṇgas conjoined with the corresponding parts of the main mantra(arcakāya svāhā, kṛṣṇāya hṛdayāya namaḥ, govindāya śirase svāhā…ultimately 9 members in this circle. The dhyānas of the pallavas are given in the Nīlādrīmahodaya(eg:svāhā is red-complexion,dressed in red and having a crown on head and two lotuses in hands,namaḥ being white complexioned,three eyed and basically like the common form of Bhuvaneśvarī in appearance otherwise)
Third āvaraṇa:Rukmiṇī,Satyabhāmā,Naganjitā,Sunandā,Mitravindā,Sulakṣaṇā,Jāmbavatī,Suśīlā(lotus and chowrie in their hands)
Fourth āvaraṇa:Vāsudeva,Devakī,Nanda,Yaśodā(the fathers with jñānamudrā and abhayamudrā,the mothers having a varadamudrā and a pot full of pāyasa),Balabhadra(halamusaladhārin,with quivering eyes under the effect of alcohol),Subhadrā(varābhaya,like hot gold or dark green),gopas and gopīs with flutes,cane sticks,horns,etc
Fifth āvaraṇa:The kalpavṛkṣas Mandāra,Santāna,Pārijāta,Kalpadruma,Haricandana(the last one is placed in the centre under which Kṛṣna is)
Sixth āvaraṇa:nityabhaktas:Nārada,Parvata,Uddhava,Akrūra,Niṣaṭha,Dāruka,Viṣvaksena,Vainateya(Garuḍa)
Seventh āvaraṇa:Indra,agni,Yama,Nairṛta,Varuṇa,Vāyu,Kubera,Īśāna,Ananta,Brahman

jagannAtha as puruShottama

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27971669_1986912698231017_7716324432107088171_n

 

This article is to be read in conjunction with the previous article on how the wooden God was initially considered as narasiMha.

In quite a few Sanskrit works on the temple,we find the Lord of Puri being referred to as puruShottama. One might ask,what is the origin behind this name and why this particular name has been linked with jagannAtha historically? I am summarizing GC Tripathi’s work here

Early sAtavata conception

The early sAtavata conception of this term is noted in the 15th chapter of the Gita embedded in the Mahabharata,where kR^iShNa is identified as puruShottama,as beyond the kShara and akShara puruSha,and having an identity with them. Also the shloka that goes “…atō.smi lōkē vēdē ca prathitaḥ puruṣōttamaḥ৷” is indicative of Krishna-Vishnu being identified with the puruSha concept even in vaidika terms. In ritual that is extant even today,the puruSha sukta is used for worshipping viShNu in pUjAs that require 16 upAchAras(each of the mantras of the sukta being used for a particular upAchAra). That the fact this ritual is old is attested in the Bombay recension of the Skanda Purana.

puruShottama as used in early literary records and epigraphy of the Jagannath temple

  1. anargharAghava of murAri(circa 900s CE):puruShottama is described as being on the salt ocean and drawing patterns on the breasts of kamalA with paste of musk and His yAtrA.
  2. prabodhachandrodaya of kR^iShNamishra(was written between 1060-70CE) where the kShetra of puruShottama is referred to
  3. puruShottama mAhAtmya of the skanda purANa(1300s CE)
  4. mahApuruShavidyA(1600s CE?)
  5. Maihar inscription at a sarasvatI temple(middle of the 10th century)
  6. Dasgoba Copper plate grant of Rajarajadeva,recording the construction of the new temple of Jagannath Chodagangadeva.

 

puruShottama in tAntrika literature

Now that we have noted the earliest literary and epigraphical references to that term puruShottama,we should now turn to the tAntrika literature which has been influential in the usage of this term(and which has influenced the ritualism of the shrImandira) to understand what did the people in those eras mean when they said puruShottama(as already noticed in the anargharAghava,the deity is already alluded to as having an erotic component and is in play with lakShmI)

The aspects of puruShottama can be noted under the following headings in the shAradAtIlaka according to Tripathi

  1. puruShottama-trailokyamohana
  2. shrIkara-puruShottama
  3. kAma-puruShottama
  4. kR^iShNa gopijanavallabha

In later works like kramadIpikA of keshavabhaTTa(which has been influential on most of the existing pUjAvidhis of jagannAtha) and the gautamIya-tantra(one of the most influential Agamika texts on the worship of kR^iShNa) puruShottama is noted as puruShottama-bhuvanamohana  and puruShottama-trailokyamohana and invoked in the former in a highly erotic form with the yonI of lakShmI getting wet due to amorous excitement and the divine couple being surrounded by thousands of damsels of devas,nAgas etc intoxicated and languid due to the effect of love,and the gautamIyatantra’s description of the couple has shrI embracing Him tightly seducing Him with amorous gestures(sakAmalIlAya devam mohayantI). In these texts,it is puruShottama alone who is referred to as jagannAtha,which facilitated the name interchangeability. Whereas,in earlier texts like the shAradAtIlaka,trialokyamohanA whose link with kAma is obvious in His gAyatrI,and the dhyAna as elaborated by rAghavabhaTTa who notes that lakShmI embraces(dakShiNena Ali~Nganam) Him,and His eyes are enlarged and languid,due to the effect of liquor:And worshipping Him grants the 4 puruShArthas of life;in the later two texts,kR^iShNa becomes prominent and the puruShottama aspect becomes reduced to usages in special rites,while the jagannAtha epithet of puruShottama acquired more and more popularity amongst even literature in the vernacular and the masses.

The testimony of the skandapurANa’s puruShottama mAhAtmya

The puruShottama mAhAtmya refers to subhadrA as lakShmI at three incidents(two of which are being cited here),and interestingly,when referring to events cited as happening in the hoary past.

  1. The incident of puNDarIka and ambarISha;two mahApApIs who could visualize jagannAtha as being with lakShmI who is offering Him a betel-leaf(5th adhyaya). Later too SHe is described as shrI standing between viShNu and shesha
  2. The 19th adhyaya explicitly pleads for the identification of the female deity as shrI(lakShmI),and not any fraternal identity

The testimony of the mahApuruShavidyA

This mahApuruShavidyA(also called puruShottama mAhAtmya) is a text which,according to Tripathi has been composed by shAkta brAhmaNas of the Sasana villages near Puri,who are also with a great affinity towards the Jagannath cult sometime around the 1500s. In this text,the female deity is almost invariably identified as lakShmI even under the mere name of subhadrA

vAmA~NgarUpiNIM lakShmIM tasya dakShiNapArShvagam|
apashyad divyayA dR^iShTyA subhadrArUpadhAriNIM||

And She sports with Her lord like an ordinary human being in the cave of the nIlAchala mountain(nIlAchalaguhAmadhye naralIlAvihAravAn…)

The actual temple layout and aspects of ritual

  1. The garbhagR^iha has space for two(and only two) deities[implying that yes,balabhadra was added later,this is a matter that will be dealt with in a future article] representing puruShottama and lakShmI
  2. These two deities were represented by (kAma)-puruShottama and lakShmI
  3. In existing ritual at the shrImandira:the pIThashaktis of kAma-puruShottama reappear as the mates of bhUvaneshvarI(the current identity of the deity known as ‘subhadrA’). The artificial form of the names of these deities signify that these were originally meant for the worship of kAma-puruShottama and not bhuvaneshvarI initially,and were readapted into Her yantra here at a later date. Also when lakShmI is considered to be of golden complexion when She is in union with puruShottama in the shAradAtIlaka,the same bodily complexion of the deity identified as subhadrA today,the possibility of the female deity having being considered as the sister of viShNu is unlikely to have been the historical conception of the deity initially.
  4. The yantra for pUjA for jagannAtha Himself is a mixture of the yantras of trailokyamohana-puruShottama and shrIkR^iShNa gopijanavallabha in the sense that a sexagon is central,but an 8-petalled lotus is involved,rather than the standard 10 petalled lotus for shrIkR^iShNa.

 

namo gopIjanavallabhAya|

On worldly usages of Krishna mantras as seen in the 3rd rAtra of the Narada Pancharatra

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The 3rd rAtra of the Narada Pancharatra(of the Krishna centred stream) gives various Krishna mantras and their dhyAnas and kAmya usages

  1. 18 and 20 akShara:smR^iti medhA mati balam labdhvA sa kavi vAgbhavet+mukundacharaNa lAbha
  2. bAlagopAla(11 akShara)[seated on yashodA]:gaining one’s desireSh
  3. puntanA-nAshaka(30 akShara):Relief from afflictions like bhUtas,bAlagrahas,loss of memory
  4. shakaTAri dhyAna[as the one who upturned shakaTAsura’s cart]:For vighnanAshana
  5. bAlagopAla(another dhyAna):For AyuH and Arogya
  6. puruShottama(10 akShara):For long life
  7. Krishna(30 akShara):For long life
  8. Poison eradicating mantras and dhyAnas:As dancer on kAliya’s heads
  9. govardhananAtha dhyAna+gopIkrIDA in yamunA dhyAna: For controlling rain
  10. kR^iShNa as the saviour of sandIpani muni’s sons:apamR^ityu nAsha
  11. putralAbha is also referred to
  12. A dhyAna regarding the vanquishing of enemies [Him emitting fire from His mouth,mounted from Gaurda,and also being referred to as the vanquisher of Rukmi]
  13. Krishna as pulling Kamsa from his throne:Destruction of enemies(even those who have taken amR^ita)
  14. Krishna as pArthasArathi on ratha with hand in vyAkhyAna mudrA/vishvarUpa dhyAna:For dharmavR^iddhi/explaining all shAstras respectively.

All the above are to be learned by sadguru to be effective,and I apologize if I have been misleading or anything wrong has been done.

The backdrop to puruShottama:shrI nIlamAdhava [A very brief note]

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[I am summarizing HV Stietencorn’s work over here]. I am also assuming that the readers are familiar with the legends and lore surrounding indradyumna and puri

The indradyumna legends,like a lot of other ones of our plays and purANas is a stellar example of telescoping of multiple rulers into the activity of a single figure. Here,the activities of three rulers are telescoped into this indrdadyumna period:

  • A conqueror who builds a temple(yayAti I)
  • Settles down with his ministers in coastal Odisha(yayAti II)
  • Decay of the temple of puruShottama/nIlamAdhava(late somavaMshi period)
  • A [new] conqueror comes,finds this tradition decayed and builds a new temple for puruShottama(anantavarman choDagA~Ngadeva)

About this first temple(build between 949-959CE),we now discuss on the possibilities of the mUrti installed,which are:

  • A shilAmaya(sculpted in stone) image of nIlamAdhava standing(mostly) alone
  • A shIlAmaya image of kamalA-puruShottama(also occasionally called nIlamAdhava)
  • A dAru-rUpi(wooden) vigraha of puruShottama alone
  • A dAru-rUpi vigraha of puruShottama and shrI
  • A dAru-rUpi vigraha of puruShottama,balabhadra and subhadrA

It is found that the deities described as dAru-rUpi start appearing in literary descriptions around ga~NgA period from the 1200s onwards(passages in the skAnda and brahma purANa,tantrayAmala and mAdaLA pA~njI),which leaves us with the first two as possibilities. And out of the first two,it is the first image which is the image most likely to have been established in the first puruShottama temple of Puri,as it is the image of this type which is noted in literary sources(and plastic evidence of such images carved in bluish-black muguni stone also exist). This original nIlamAdhava is described in the brahma purANa thus

pItavastram chaturbAhuM sha~NkhachakragadAdharaM||
vanamAlAvR^itoraskaM padmapattrAyetekShaNam|
shrIvatsoraHsamAyuktam mukuTA~Ngadashobhitam||

He’s also described in the padma purANa as 4 armed,with attendants,but without any brother or sister.

An example of such an image,as in the general template above has been given from that same work to illustrate of a template to concieve of the original nIlamAdhava in the first temple to puruShottama at Puri.

shrIchakrapANaye namaH|