Place of Goddess Bimala in the Shakti Cult

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Orissa Review * September - October - 2005

Goddess Bimala is the Pitha-Devi of Srikshetra,Puri. She is described as Shrikshetraswari inmany Puranas of our mythology. She is the maingoddess in the Temple of Lord Jagannath. Thetemple of Bimala is a very old shrine. A four-roomed structure, it is situated in the southwestcorner of Jagannath Temple complex at Puri. Theconstruction of the temple dates back to the ruleof Ganga dynasty. It is believed that the shrine ofBimala was built on the foundations of an earlierShakta shrine dedicated to some other goddessof the time. As stated in Madala Panji, the firsttemple of Bimala, which refers to the aboveposition was constructed during the time of theSomavanshi king, named Jaya-I. It is stated inthe history of Orissa that the present structure ofthe Bimala temple was built during the rule ofAnanta Varman Chodaganga Dev in the first halfof the 12th Century. Goddess Bimala is entirely aShakta deity.

There is a small concrete structure in frontof the temple of Bimala. It is adorned with theimage of a lion pouncing upon the image of anelephant. The posture of the animals has asignificant disposition. The position of the lionpouncing on a crouching elephant is the symbolicexpression of the soul ruling over the intellect ofthe Jiva. The lion represents the soul and theelephant the intellect. Some scholars are of theopinion that the lion here conveys the expression

of intellect and the elephant, the expression ofAvidya, the adversarial qualities of the Jiva. Thecombination of the two animals in the aforesaiddisposition goes on to say that, when intellectreigns supreme, the Jiva is freed from the negativequalities of human nature like lust, greed, hatred,anger, jealousy and so on. Avidya actually hindersthe spiritual progress of an aspirant. If Avidya isvanquished, spiritual progress in general becomespossible and the Jiva is on spiritual march withoutobstruction to attain the goal of life. This is theunderlying concept of the lion and elephantsculpture situated in front Bimala temple and bythe side of Rohini-Kunda in Jagannath Templecomplex at Puri.

The image of goddess Bimala is made inchlorite stone. The image is consecrated in thetemple in a full-bloomed lotus pedestal. The imageis deified as Bhairabi having four hands in a divinemanifestation, one hand holding a rosary knownas Akshyamala, another hand holding a serpentknown as Nagaphasa, still another hand holdinga pot of ambrosia known as Amrit Kalasa andthe fourth hand displaying Varada-pose, a poseof blessing. Bimala is described as the prowessof delusion. She is at the same time invoked asKriya-shakti (the prowess of action) of LordBalabhadra, Ichha-shakti (the prowess of will)of Subhadra and Maya shakti (the prowess ofthe delusion) of Lord Jagannath. Not only this,

Place of Goddess Bimala in the Shakti Cult ofHindu Mythology

Durgamadhab Das

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She is also worshiped as Mahakali, Mahalaxmiand Mahasaraswati constituting the Shakti Triadin the Shakti cult of Hindu mythology. Bimala isall-powerful as the ruling governess of the Templeof Lord Jagannath and venerated as SrikhestraRajeswari and Sripada Rajeswari. We also getto know many more details about Bimala in theHindu scriptures like the Devi Bhabagbat andKalika Purana.

The Puranic descriptions say that one dayDakshya Prajapati, the Manasaputra (willed son)of Brahma, the Creator of the Universe, held adivine sacrifice in his place. He invited to thisfunction all gods, demigods and all his son-in-lawsbut not Lord Siva, the consort of Dakshya'sdaughter, Sati. Siva did not mind the lapse ofDakshya Prajapati. But Sati was greatlybewildered. She remembered the days when shewas given in marriage to Lord Siva against thewill of her father. Narada Maharshi, brother ofDakshya Prajapati, was actually instrumental inthis marriage. But for him, her marriage with Sivacould not have been possible. Sati thereforeconcluded that, out of a revengeful attitude, herfather had not probably invited Lord Siva to theaforesaid function. But Sati could not avoid thefunction despite the ill treatment meted out to herhusband. After all she was a daughter. How couldshe remain away from the function, which wasorganized by none other than her own father? Soshe decided to attend the function, albeit uninvitedin the usual order. She appealed to Siva to permither to attend the function. At first he denied sayingthat one should not attend a function withoutproper invitation. Yet, when Sati insisted on hispermission, at last he permitted her and Sati thusproceeded to her father's place and attended thesacrificial function. Dakshya Prajapati was neitherhappy nor unhappy seeing her daughter Sati athis place.

In the Siva Purana, Siva is described asthe Lord of the Universe. He is also described asthe Supreme Brahman and the celestial causebehind the creation of the universe. Dakshya, inthese Puranas is described as the son of Brahma'sdivine will and his birth had a divine mission. Yet,under the influence of Maya, the divine illusion,Dakshya was motivated to commit an incredibleaberration in not inviting Lord Siva to the sacrificialfunction of the family. In the analogy of the cosmicpastime, this was a negative happening and yetthis, like every positive happening, had a divinepurpose. According to the Puranic descriptions,Sati was insulted at her father's place with a divinepurpose. However, Sati tolerated everything solong as his father's actions were directed againsther individual self. But things went beyond controlwhen Dakshya insulted Lord Siva. Now, Sati,awfully intolerant, jumped into the sacrificial fire.All those present there were but silent witnessesto the incredible happening. They counted dangerat hand. When Siva received the information, hegot wild at the loss of her beloved Sati. Heimmediately rushed to Dakshya's place where thesacrifice was being performed. He witnessed allthat had happened there. In no time, he took outthe half-burnt body of Sati from the sacred fire ofthe sacrifice and, stretching it on his shoulders, hestarted doing Tandab, frenzied by a historicalimpulse. The goddess of Earth could not bear thepoundage of the Lord's steps. So sheaccompanied by the Devas, went to Vaikunthaand appealed to Lord Vishnu for immediate helpto alleviate her distress. Vishnu having realizedher perplexities consoled goddess Earth that hewas fast going to Dakshya Prajapati's place tointervene in the unprecedented catastrophe andsolve her hardship in no time. Vishnu came to thespot. Siva was then awfully insolent in his dancingposes. Vishnu used his divine disc and severedthe half -burnt body of Sati from Siva's possession.



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The body of Sati thus decapitated was scatteredto different places. With the severing of Sati's bodyfrom his possession, Siva came to his senses. It isbelieved in this connection that, the leg portionsof Sati's body fell in Nilachal Dham of Udradesha.At a later period, the temple of goddess Bimalawas constructed at that place. This is how Bimalais known and worshipped as Pada Pitheswari andPada Rajasweri in the Temple of Lord Jagannath.Here, some scholars are inclined to hold that aftersevering of Sati's half-burnt body, her tongueportion fell at Nilachal Dham. So the citadel ofgoddess Bimala is also worshipped as theembodiment of her celestial tongue. There is alegendary belief that, because of this reason, thewomen of Udradesha while worshipping gods andgoddesses ululate in devotion to invoke theirdivine power. The practice of ululation, it is said,has originated from Udradesha i.e. Utkal for theaforesaid reason. This practice is not seen in anyother part of India.

Goddess Bimala , as described in thescripture, has an infallible yearning for the Prasadof Lord Jagannath in her daily ritualistic oblation.It is further said that, the Devi assumed this formin the Kaliyug (Iron Age) only to be worshippedin the massive Temple of Lord Jagannath with theoffering of Lord's Prasad. Pursuant to thecustomary religious practices of the Temple,everyday the Prasad of Lord Jagannath is re-offered to goddess Bimala in a golden plate. It isthen that the Prasad comes out of the Temple asMahaprasad for the consumption of the devotees.This ceremonial offering is not noticed in any othertemple of India. This is a peculiar religiouspractice, which is symbolic of both Shakta andVaishnavite rites.

How could this practice be introduced inthe Temple of Lord Jagannath ? A Puranic legendexplains its religious background. According to

this legend, once, on a special religious occasion,Maharshi Narada had the privilege to visitVaikuntha, the abode of Lord Vishnu. He had thedarshan of the Lord and his consort Mahalaxmiin their celestial position. Lord Vishnu was graciousenough to offer him Prasad in his own hands.Maharshi Narad enjoyed the Prasad and feltimmensely blessed and gratified. Then he leftVaikuntha and moved across the sky singing thename of Lord Narayana. Lord Siva was seatedthen in Kailash in deep meditation. The spiritualecstasy of Narada had the divine feeling of agleaming lustrous aura, which shook Yogiraj Sivafrom his spiritual repose. Siva opened his eyes asNarada passed across Kailash. He looked ontothe sky and had a glance at Narada Maharshi'ssplendorous drift in divine sublimation. Seeing theLord seated in meditation, Narada Maharshidescended on Kailash and said his usual prayerto Lord Siva. The Lord said to Maharshi Narada,"How come you are so delighted today ?"Maharshi said, Bhagawan, I had been to Vaikunthatoday. Lord Vishnu, graciously pleased, fed mePrasad in his own hands. I enjoyed its immaculatedivine taste, the one of which I had never enjoyedbefore. This is the cause of all that you see in metoday." Immensely gratified with his testimony,Lord Siva requested Narada to give him somePrasad. In fact, Lord Siva also wanted to havethe same divine gratification like Narada. ButNarada was virtually helpless. He rememberedwell that he had consumed the entire stock inVaikuntha. He explained his helplessness to LordSiva. But Siva was not prepared to leave Naradaafter hearing his explanation. He noticed at acorner of Naradaji's mouth a morsel of Kaibalya.Taking the morsel from his mouth, he took it withutmost satisfaction. Lo and behold ! Siva too hada similar divine sensation. In no time, he wasstooped to unusual divine swings in his eternalcelestial dance. Now Parvati appeared on the



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scene. She could not believe her eyes seeing thecelestial dance of the Lord. She came to knowall details about the cause of Lord's excitementfrom Maharshi Narad. Parvati was the better halfof the Lord. In that way, she was also entitled toa portion of the Prasad, which the Lord had takenfrom Narada. She started fretting the moment shelearnt from Narad that the Lord had taken theentire morsel and that nothing was left out for her.In a frenzy of excitement, She resorted toausterities beseeching the blessings of Lord Vishnufor Kaibalya Prasad. Gratified with her devotion,Lord Vishnu appeared before her and offered herKaibalya, which she was frantically craving.Vishnu also blessed her saying that in Kaliyug, hewould make his appearance in Daru form inNilachal Dham by the side of sea in Udradesha.There, he would be offered Prasad in the form ofrice. Parvati would have the most sacred privilegeof being worshipped in His Temple in the nameof Bimala and partake of his Prasad in the orderof a customary practice. The Prasad that wouldcome out of his Temple would be then known asMahaprasad. This is how the Prasad of JagannathTemple has come to be known as Mahaprasadand the glorifying eminence of Bimala has comedown over the ages in the Cult of Lord Jagannath.Bimala has thus come to be known as the craverof Mahaprasad of Lord Jagannath. She is thecelestial amalgamation of both Vaishnabi andBhairabi Tatwa and in this sense, goddess Bimalais associated with Durgamadhab Puja, which isunique of its kind in Hindu mythology. It may bementioned here that Durgamadhab Puja hasoriginated from Udradesha i.e Utkal.

According to the ritual of Durgamadhabworship, both Bhairabi and Madhab areworshipped at one place two times in a year inthe Temple of Lord Jagannath. The first ritual ofthis order falls in the month of Chaitra (March-April). This ritual is celebrated for nine days starting

from the first day of the bright fortnight of Chaitra.The second one falls in the month of Aswina(Sept.-Oct.). This is celebrated for sixteen daysstarting from the 8th day of the dark fortnight ofAswina. Goddess Durga and Lord Madhab arethe presiding deities of this ritual. Beforewelcoming the deities to the acropolis, the blessingsof Subhadra are invoked by the priests for thesuccessful celebration of the ritual. According tothe practice being followed in this connection, thegolden idol of Durga is consecrated on the stoneplatform of the temple. Thereafter the idol ofDurga, after a formal customary rite, is taken toMajanamandap and installed there on a specialdivan. The image of Madhab is then brought tothis place and placed by the side of goddessDurga. After completion of all the rituals overhere, the deities, Druga and Madhab, a rarecombination in the Pantheon order of the Temple,are taken to Bimala temple and seated in apalanquin for ritualistic worship. The last eight daysof the ritual are performed in Narayani temple ofDolamandap sahi (street) of Puri. On the seventh,eighth and ninth days of the fortnight, the servitorsof the Temple make a temporary kitchen by theside of the temple of the goddess Bimala. ThePrasad of the goddess is prepared for these threedays at the temporary kitchen. As per the practicebeing followed, on Mahasaptami, Mahastami andMahanavami, fish is specially caught fromNarendra Tank, Puri and, after proper cookingin the temporary kitchen, the curry is offered togoddess Bimala in the ritualistic oblation. Notonly this. On the Mahastami night, a goat is killedin full obeisance of the goddess and then offeredto the goddess by the servitor-priests through asecret passage to her temple. This sacrifice isperformed at mid-night after the temple ofJagannath is closed. The offering is not directlypresented to Bimala. It is offered to an image ofDakhinakali enshrined within the Jagamohana of



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the temple. The sacrifice testifies to celebrationof Shakta rites encapsulated in the Tantrik order.During Durgapuja, Bimala is regarded and deifiedas both Durga and Bhairabi. The Devi, during thisperiod, is worshipped in red garment akin to thecustomary rituals of Tripura Bhairabi. Thus in theworship pattern of this Temple, we notice acombination of Vaishnavite and Shakta rites whichis peculiar to the Temple of Lord Jagannath.

Bimala is evidently a Shakta deity. She isthe earliest Shakta deity of PurusottamaSrikshetra. But her Vaishnavi character is moreconspicuous on account of her infatuation aboutthe Prasad of Lord Jagannath. This is a Vaishnaviteinclination. The origin of the Bimala ofPurusottama Srikshetra goes back to a hoarypast. It is believed that she emerged as thePithadevi of Nilachal, Puri even before theemergence of Lord Jagannath at this place.

Bimala is no different from Vishnu. It is said in thescriptures of our mythology that Lord Vishnuassumes Devi Shakti when he embarks upon anadventurous operation to vanquish evil and restorerighteousness on the earth. Bimala and Durga areone. Bimala is worshipped as Durga duringDashahara Puja in the Temple of Lord Jagannath.Bimala is believed to be the nourisher of the worldand bestower of happiness and well being ofmankind. She is addressed and worshipped indifferent names and although a Shakta deity, Sheenjoys a dignified place in the Vaishnavite cult ofHindu mythology.

Shri Durgamadhab Das lives at C-80, Palasapalli,Bhubaneswar - 20.

Hon'ble Chief Minister, Shri Naveen Patnaik inaugurating District Consumer Dispute Redressal(DCDRF) Forum Building at Angul on 4.9.2005. Shri Nagendra Kumar Pradhan, Minister, School &

Mass Education is also Present.



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