Lord Shree Jagannath - a Great Assimilator of Tantric Impressions ...

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something benign and serene. The life force in him incited him to believe in a superior force behind the vast universe. This thought ultimately culminated, in “Pinda - Brahmanda” theory of the Tantras and a unification of the supreme self and the individual self in the thought - “Yatha dehe, tatha Deve” (i.e whatever is in body is there in Deity)- forming the basis of the psychology of all worships. According to ‘Pinda- Brahmanda’ theory, human body is a microcosm of the Universe or Brahmanda’. The “Visvasa ra Tantra’ says, ‘Whatever is here (in this body) is also there (i.e, in the Universe). The five elements constituting the body are in no way different from the cosmic elements, i.e,. “Pancha Mahabhutas”, constituting the Universe. The body has a mind and the spirit and universal body has also a cosmic mind ritam comprising of three tendencies Ichha, Jnyana and Kriya, at the root of all evoluation and the Supreme Spirit, the Super Consciousness pervading the entire Universe. According to Hindu scriptures, the individual self may be able to realise the Supreme Spirit provided the enveloping mind and body are removed from it giving it a separate and finishing dimension otherwise, called “Avidya”. This Avidya also has its source in the Supreme Self as there cannot be anything in the Pinda which is not there in the Supreme Self or Brahma, is may or a finitising factor in the supreme consciousness which appears in the primordial cause of all ‘Prapancha’, the world or the Universe. Similarly mind in the individual body is the cause of all fetters of the Soul in its realization of the Brahman. The fetters are to be removed. And what is this way ? Man has pondered over it through all ages since the dawn of civilization and the Indian thinkers have shown that the path to know Brahman is to be Brahman. How ? The Lord is pure, infinite spirit, in this aspect to the relative world as its Creator, Maintainer and Destroyer. July - 2011 Orissa Review Man is the selfsame spirit and in one aspect is immutable and in another is finitised by Mind and Matter. Mind, though an unconscious force, appears to be conscious as described by Vedantists, because it is the vehicle of Spirit which is consciousness itself. Once mind is detached from this body and finitising matter, it is merged in spirit and spiritualised as an iron rod becomes red-hot fire in a blacksmith’s furnace. Hence, for the realization of the Supreme Spirit, mind has a very vital role to play. When the individual self wants to concentrate on this Supreme Self, a mindray projected from the mind which goes forth to the object of worship, be it an image, or an idol, or a yantra, or a mere idea and takes its form, and returns and models the mind itself into the form of the object. Thus, by constant and complete attention on the form of the Lord without distraction, the mind transformed into the shape of the object in the form of the Lord. Thus, mind acquires the qualities of the Lord by such concentration being shaped into this image of the Lord. This is the basis of all worships, a method adopted by all devotees of the world whatever may be their caste, creed or birth, to realize God. And because mind and body have a common origin, the one as subject can know the other as object. Cognition is then recognition. The same power which has the capacity to veil itself can unveil itself to the seeker or the worshipper. How is that worship or Upasana to be made? Its first design is to secure that the mind shall have a good object as the symbol of God before it for concentration. In case of Upasana of Lord Shri Jagannath, object of Upasana or worship is Lord Jagannath Himself. Taking into cognition of facts prevailing in Pre-Vedic and pre - Mahabharat in Udra Rajya or the modern day Orissa, it is the Lady deity which predominates into the worship of Lord Jagannath into a particular mode which is known as Dakshina Kalika. 55
Orissa Review The mode of worship or Upasana of Shri Jagannath is unique and different from that of other Hindu Temples in North or South India. His Puja or worship has been well developed and systematised in a well designed process by coordinating the basics of Vedic, Tantric, Vaishnavite, Puranic streams. Hindu scriptures prescribe three main streams for Puja of Hindu Deities, i.e, Nigam , Agam and Lokachara. Nigam is pure Vedic system. Agam is pure Tantric system and Lokachara is combination of both Nigam and Agam and some locally adjusted system prevalent for many years. Nigam system is guided by Karmakanda which concentrates mainly on “Japa”, “Jaaga” and “Yagyan” (fire sacrifice), where as Agam system is very much elaborate and contains innumerable, but prescribed (as in Tantric Literatures) systems of Puja. Agam means it is that which has come out of the mouth of Shiva, that which has entered into the mouth of Mahamaya Uma and that which is the opinion of Vishnu. Tantric system is a means for overall development of human beings and human society. Tantra aims to transform every action in life into a ritual, so that the individual performs every action and thought with a feeling of worship and awareness. The action of bathing, dressing, sitting for worship, offering various symbolic sacrifices, sexual relations, stages of development from conception in the womb, to birth and marriage etc. are transformed into worship. Tantric system has seven number of “Acharas” (mythology of Upasana), out of which “Dakhinachara” as well as “Kulachara” are most suitable for Vaishnavite Tantric Upasana. In Tantric Upasana, Yantra and Mantra play major roles. “Yantra” is the body of the Deity. Puja of a Deity is required to be taken up on a Yantra, so Yantra is definitely very important 56 “Sarbeshameb Devanam Yantrapuja Prasasashyate” (“Gautami Tantra”) without a Yantra, Puja cannot be undertaken. If the “Yantra” is not known, then eight-petalled lotus is to be undertaken accordingly. “Mantra” is the soul of the Deity on a “Yantra” (“Mantra yate guptam Paribhasa te iti Mantrah”). Mantra is secret, to be learnt from a perfect “Guru” (Master). The sound of the Mantras being chanted combined with the power of the resolve made by the person performing the Puja, reaches the divine power that converts the chants into the desired blessings. Mantras in a gross level are special sound patterns. On a deeper sense, they are much more. Mantras are most important and considered as the essence of the practical Tantra. Mantras and Yantra (i.e., Mandals) are utilised in conjunction with each other to form a powerful combination. A Mandala, a Yantra or a Devata is the form of consciousness. The Mandalas, or Yantras or Devatas are the manifested form, configuration of “Shakti”, while, the “Mantra” which is also “Shakti”, is the link between consciousness and form. This system applies to everything in the world around us. The visible form is the expression, while the Mantra is the vehicle of expression. Mantra is the direct link with the beyond. Taking into cognition of all the historical, archaeological and Puranic facts into consideration which are available at least from first century AD, it can safely be stated that Shri Jagannath Upasana is nothing but a ‘Tantric Upasana’ of Vajrayana Period (Tantric Buddhist rituals which originated from Orissa during 3rd / 4th century and went on spreading to India. Tibet and beyond through the Guru Padmasambhaba who happened to be the son of King ascertic Indrabhuti, King of the then Sambalaka (modern July - 2011
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