Achyutananda
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''Mahapurusa'' Achyutananda Dasa was a 16th-century poet seer and
Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...
saint from
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
, India. He was considered to have the power to see the past, present and future. He was a prolific author, and one of the group of five, that led a revolution in spirituality in Odisha by translating
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
texts into the Odia language for common people. He was one of the famous five seers collectively called Panchasakha, named Ananta Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa,
Balarama Dasa ''Krupasiddha'' Balarama Dasa (alternatively spelled ''Balaram Das''; ; ) was a mystic seer-poet who wrote in Odia, best known as the author of the voluminous ''Jagamohana Ramayana'' or ''Dandi Ramayana''. He was one of the five great poets in Odi ...
and Jasobanta Dasa who translated the ancient
Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...
scriptures into Odia, for the people of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. Achyutananda Dasa was the most prolific writer of the Panchasakha and wrote numerous books, many of which could be loosely translated as the Book of Prophecies. He is known as the ''Mahapurusa'' (a Great Person) for his vast knowledge on many subjects such as spirituality, Yoga, rituals, Yantra, Tantra,
Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...
, and other various shastras. His major works include ''Harivamsa'' (in Oriya), ''Kaibarta Gita'', ''Gopalanka-ogala'', ''Gurubhakti Gita'', ''Anakar-samhita'', ''Chahayalisa-patala'' etc.


Early life

As Achyutananda became a popular figure, much of his life began to become legend. He is famous for being one of the few who wrote about the social situation of his time and this is a scholarly reason many study his writings. His poetry was often cryptic about himself, and written in code or analogies. He took birth in a Karan family of village Tripura in
Cuttack district Cuttack district is one of the 30 districts of Odisha state in India. It is located in the coastal part of the state and its administrative headquarters are located in the city of Cuttack. As of 2011 Census, after Ganjam district, Ganjam, it is t ...
, his father Dinabandhu Mohanty was in the service of king
Prataparudra Deva Prataparudra Deva (Odia language, Odia: ଗଜପତି ପ୍ରତାପରୁଦ୍ର ଦେବ) was the third Gajapati (title), Gajapati emperor of Odisha from the Suryavamsa Gajapati Empire founded by his grandfather Kapilendradeva, Kapi ...
of
Gajapati Empire The Gajapati Empire was a Medieval India, medieval Hindu monarchy in the Indian subcontinent, Indian subcontinent, originally from the region of Odisha that reigned from c.1434 to 1541. It succeeded the Eastern Ganga dynasty, Eastern Gangas as ...
and had received the designation of "Khuntia" from Prataprudra Deva. His surname ''
Dasa DASA (officially Deutsche AeroSpace AG, later Daimler-Benz AeroSpace AG, then DaimlerChrysler AeroSpace AG) was a German aerospace manufacturer. It was created during 1989 as the aerospace subsidiary arm of Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Benz AG (later D ...
'' means servant of God.


Birth

Achyutananda Dasa's mother was Padmavati, and his father was Dinabandhu Mohanty who held the post of "Khuntia (Temple gatekeeper)" in Jagannath temple of Puri, and his grandfather was Gopinatha Mohanty, a scribe in the
Jagannath Temple The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti (reg ...
, Puri, his grandfather Gopinatha Mohanty was one of the private secretaries of King known by the name "Chamu Karana". Achyutananda Dasa while describing his lineage mentions that his father was a Karana attendant employed in
Jagannath Temple, Puri The Jagannath Temple is a Hindu temple dedicated to the god Jagannath, a form of Vishnu in Hinduism. It is located in Puri in the state of Odisha, situated on the eastern coast of India. As per temple records, King Indradyumna of Avanti bu ...
while his grandfather was the royal scribe of the Gajapati Kings, however Achyutananda Dasa refuses to identify himself as a "Karana" despite taking birth in a Karana family as he refrained from following the customs and traditions of his family after becoming a Vaishnava. He took birth after his mother prayed at the pillar in front of the Jagannath Temple, and his father had a dream that the divine bird
Garuda Garuda (; ; Vedic Sanskrit: , ) is a Hindu deity who is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. This divine creature is mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain faiths. Garuda is also the half-brother of the D ...
brought him a child. In legend he is believed to be an incarnation of Garuda. He left his samadhi at Nemalo village at Cuttack. His predecessors are Mahanta Gagananda Gosain, Mahanta Nigamananda Gosain and others.


Education

Achyutananda had a formal education in Puri. It is agreed by most texts that, like many contemporaries, he met Shri
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (; ), born Vishvambhara Mishra () (18 February 1486 – 14 June 1534), was an Indian Hindus, Hindu saint from Bengal and the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu's mode of worshipping Krishna with bha ...
in his youth, and took mantra initiation from him. It is important to differentiate that he was an Utkaliya Vaishnava (ancient Odisha school of Vaishnavism, Jagannatha Temple tradition), not a
Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava Hindu denominations, Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region o ...
(which means Bengali Vaishnavism). He became the youngest of the Panchasakha.


Panchasakha

Achyutānanda was part of the famous Panchasakha ('five friends'), who lived between 1450 and 1550 CE. The contemporaneous five saints – Achyutānanda Dasa, Sisu Ananta Dasa, Jasobanta Dasa, Jagannātha Dasa, and Balarāma Dasa - shaped
Vaiṣṇava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along with Sh ...
philosophy, spiritualism and literature of
Odisha Odisha (), formerly Orissa (List of renamed places in India, the official name until 2011), is a States and union territories of India, state located in East India, Eastern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by ar ...
. The trio of Achyutananda Dasa, Balarama Dasa, and Ananta Dasa of the Panchasakha group came from the community of Karanas. Two important factors set the Panchasakhas apart from other Indian Hindu Saints. They were the first to take the Hindu
Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
texts into the reach of the common people, by translating them into the local language ( Odia). This was first done by Sāralā Dasa's translation of the ''
Mahābhārata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; , , ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India revered as Smriti texts in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the events and aftermath of the Kurukshetra War, a war of succe ...
'' in the mid-15th century, followed by Balarama Dasa's ''Jagamohana
Ramayana The ''Ramayana'' (; ), also known as ''Valmiki Ramayana'', as traditionally attributed to Valmiki, is a smriti text (also described as a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic) from ancient India, one of the two important epics ...
'', Jagannath Dasa's ''
Bhagavata Purana The ''Bhagavata Purana'' (; ), also known as the ''Srimad Bhagavatam (Śrīmad Bhāgavatam)'', ''Srimad Bhagavata Mahapurana'' () or simply ''Bhagavata (Bhāgavata)'', is one of Hinduism's eighteen major Puranas (''Mahapuranas'') and one ...
'', and Achyutananda Dasa's '' Harivamsa''. The second aspect is their form of Odia Vaiṣṇavism, traditionally called ''Utkaliya Vaishnavism'', which sees God as the "Sunya Purusa" and the nature of the soul as being able to merge into the Absolute. Some authors, such as N.N. Vasu, have depicted Odia Vaishnavism as 'Buddhist-Vaishnavism', since it does not accept
Ramanuja Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...
's Viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy (11th century), nor does it adhere to orthodox
Gaudiya Vaishnavism Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnavism, Vaishnava Hindu denominations, Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region o ...
created in the 16th century Bengal. Other scholars, such as Prabhat Mukerjee, have denied these claims supporting the different varieties of Vaishnava philosophy. Scholars debate the influence of the Panchasakha from the original Vaishnava Agama (
Pancharatra ''Pancharatra'' (IAST: ''Pāñcarātra'') was a religious movement in Hinduism that originated in late 3rd-century BCE around the ideas of Narayana and the various avatar and forms of Vishnu as their central deities.
s) while others source their ideas in Sahajayana Buddhism, and the
Natha Natha, also called Nath (), are a Shaivism, Shaiva sub-tradition within Hinduism in India and Nepal. A medieval movement, it combined ideas from Buddhism, Shaivism, Tantra and Yoga traditions of the Indian subcontinent.
sampradaya. though the Panchasakhas saw
Jagannatha Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushotta ...
as an incarnation of
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
as seen in the Dasāvatara image on the main mantel of the
Jagannatha Temple Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, ''Purushottama ...
.


Utkaliya Vaishnavism

''Utkaliya Vaishnavism'' (sometimes called Odia Vaishnavism in modern literature) developed into its present state, in the 15th century. According to the Panchasakhas, Lord Jagannath is the "Purna-Brahma", and all the avatars of Vishnu emanate from Him, and also enter into Him at the end. Jagannatha was the chief god of the devotional sect. The chief ideal of the Panchasakhas was that as a bhakta they would be faithful, humble, learned, selfless, active, benevolent and affectionate. The Panchasakhas were against the caste system; they considered all beings as one. They translated the Sanskrit Classics into local language Odia. Anyone could become a
Vaishnava Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, '' Mahavishnu''. It is one of the major Hindu denominations along wit ...
. At the time of Shri
Chaitanya Chaitanya or Chaithanya may refer to Philosophy *Chaitanya (consciousness), Hindu philosophical concept People *Chaitanya (name) *Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1533), founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism Media *Chaitanya (film), ''Chaitanya'' (film), ...
, his followers who came from Nadia, called later as
Gaudiya Gaudiya Vaishnavism (), also known as Chaitanya Vaishnavism, is a Vaishnava Hindu religious movement inspired by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486–1534) in India. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gaura or Gauḍa region of Bengal (present-day Malda dist ...
, considered themselves greater or superior to the Utkaliya Vaishnavas and disregarded them. So there was a cold war between them. Because of the animosity between the sects, Shri Chaitanya conferred the title of 'Atibadi' (the greatest one) on Jagannatha Dasa. The conflict of these two groups is evident in the ''Barana Charita Gita'' of Achyutananda and ''Jagannatha Charitamruta'' of Dibakara Dasa, and even in modern-day derogatory language of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas towards the Utkaliya Vaishnavas.


Philosophical ideology of Achyutananda


Sunya Purusa

''nāhi tāhāra rūpa varṇa, adṛsha avarṇa tā cinha.''
''tāhāku brahmā boli kahi, śūnya brahmhati se bolāi.'' It has no shape, no colour,
It is invisible and without a name
This Brahman is called Sunya Brahman.
Achyutananda (and the other four saints) believed in a concept of God (
Vishnu Vishnu (; , , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the Hindu deities, principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism, and the god of preservation ( ...
) as Sunya (emptiness, void, zero) called Sunya Purusa and/or Sunya Brahman. This sunya signifies a transcendental principle that eludes the conceptual nexus applied to human thinking as described in the
Upanishads The Upanishads (; , , ) are late Vedic and post-Vedic Sanskrit texts that "document the transition from the archaic ritualism of the Veda into new religious ideas and institutions" and the emergence of the central religious concepts of Hind ...
. Achyutananda's culminating work is called the ''Sunya Samhita'' where he discusses this philosophy in depth.
''śūnyara ākāra viira śūnyara vicāra, śūnye thāi dekha vīra e sacarācara.''
''dekha e sacarācara śūnyare prakāsha, śūnyu ude hoicanti śūnyare vilāse.'' Oh vira look at the sunya
By placing yourself in sunya,
And meditate on mahasunya,
Sunya itself is the form,
Ground of all discriminating knowledge.
Look at the whole world from the pedestal of sunya;
You will find everything manifested in the sunya,
Everything arises out of sunya and
Everything flourishes in the Sunya Brahman.
The philosophy sees Sunya as being full or whole (''purna''), and this view of Brahman is sometimes called the ''Purna Sunya'' (the full/complete void). The Panchasakhas project the deity
Jagannatha Jagannath (; formerly ) is a Hindu deity worshipped in regional Hindu traditions in India as part of a triad along with (Krishna's) brother Balabhadra, and sister, Subhadra. Jagannath, within Odia Hinduism, is the supreme god, '' Purushotta ...
as the embodiment of the Sunya Purusa. Achyutananda uses a classical (pre-
Ramanuja Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...
) concept of
Vaishnavism Vaishnavism () ), also called Vishnuism, is one of the major Hindu denominations, Hindu traditions, that considers Vishnu as the sole Para Brahman, supreme being leading all other Hindu deities, that is, ''Mahavishnu''. It is one of the majo ...
that uses both form, and formless aspects of god. This is seen in his statement from the ''Gurubhakti Gita'' :
''dui je deṇāre pakṣī uḍikari jāi, dui je cakṣure sehi saṃsāre khelai.''
''eka je na thile kaṇā dui gale anḍha, eṇukari nirguṇa saguṇa sehi bheda.'' A bird can only fly with both wings. It can have a perfect vision with both the eyes.
In the absence of one, it becomes one-eyed, and in the absence of both, it is totally blind.
Thus like two eyes Nirguna od perceived as formlessnd Saguna od perceived with formare chained together.


Jnana-mishra bhakti-marga

The Panchasakhas were Vaishnavas by thought. But they differed from Chaitanya's path of devotion and preached ''Jnana-mishra bhakti'' or Devotion with mix of Wisdom. Chaitanya's path of devotion was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga (brought to Odisha in 1509), which says all one needs is love (devotion) to reach God. The Panchasakhas believed that one needs a combination of love (bhakti) and wisdom (Jnana) to reach God. With one's knowledge, if one shows one's pure love (bhakti), one can definitely reach the Sunyatma. The Panchasakhas therefore promoted a Vaishnavism that involved study of scriptures, yoga, rituals, and devotion.


Pinda-Brahmanda Tattwa

The concept of the Piṇḍa-Brahmāṇḍa is that the body (Piṇḍa) is a replica of the Universe (Brahmāṇḍa), or microcosm is a reflection of the macrocosm. Many of the yogic teachings of Achyutananda are based on this core concept. His teachings are filled with references to outer locations existing as energies in the body.


Sabda Brahman

The concept of the Sabda Brahman is that God created the universe as sound, and that all things have sound vibration as their essence. The writings of Achyutananda are filled with mantras and esoteric concepts about sounds and their effects on consciousness. For example, in Achyutananda's ''Rama Rasa Boli'', the demon Ravanna is said to have meditated on the sound "Sleem" while focusing on the ten other sacred sounds (yoga-dasakhyara) to please Goddess Sita. Even more esoteric is this verse from the ''Sunya Rahasa'' where one can see the interwoven nature of internal yogic theory and sound found in Achyutananda's writings:
Oh Jnanins: utter the name of Hari odbr /> May be you are the eldest or the youngest.
Piercing six chakras blooms the lotus
Near the ethereal void of air
Between the Sutala and Rasatala
The bee abides at the zenith of the void
One is not a servant of the Lord just because they have a rosary
Unless he utters the name of Krisna in his inner heart;
The Name is the seed, rosary its robe
Rosary is of no use if God's name is mindlessly uttered
The three cords are the three triadic streams
Make your oblations there
Ayudhya, Dwarika, and the city of Gopa
This knowledge is memorised by every soul.
Social reformer Achyutananda Dasa, despite taking birth in a noble Karana family of his time, used to associate with communities like Keutas (Fishermen) and Gaudas (Cowherds) and wrote treatises for their communities to uplift their social status in Odia society, Acyutananda Dasa is also regarded by the above communities as their patron saint in Odisha.


References


Notes

*Chaini, Ratnakar. ''Achyutananda Das''.
Sahitya Akademi The Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, is an organisation dedicated to the promotion of literature in the languages of India. Founded on 12 March 1954, it is supported by, though independent of the Indian government. Its off ...
, Calcutta, 1998. *Mansingha, Mayadhar. ''History of Oriya literature''. Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi,1962. *Patnaik, Tandra. ''Sunya Purusa''. Utkal Studies in Philosophy XII.
Utkal University Utkal University (UU) is a public university in Bhubaneswar, Khordha, Odisha, and is the oldest university in the state, and the 17th-oldest university in India. The university was established in 1943 and was operating from Ravenshaw College ...
, Bubhaneswar in association with D.K. Printworld (P) Ltd., New Delhi, 2005. *Mishra, Ramprasad. ''Sahajayana: A Study of Tantric Buddhism''. Punthi Pustak, Calcutta, 1991. *Mukherjee, Prabhat. ''History of Medieval Vaishnavism in Orissa''.
Asian Educational Services Asian Educational Services (AES) is a New Delhi, India-based publishing house that specialises in antiquarian reprints of books that were originally published between the 17th and early 20th centuries. Founded by Jagdish Lal Jetley in 1973, the ...
, New Delhi, 1981. *Sri Sri Mahapurusa Siddha Ashram. ''Glimpse of a Yogi; Sri Sri Mahapurusa Achyutananda Das''. Sri Sri Mahapurusa Achyutananda Trust, Sri Ram Nagar, Puri, Odisha, India, 1998.
''The History of Orissa: An Introduction'' from ''Pages from the history of India and the sub-continent (South Asian History)'' a non-commercial web project
*Das, Alekh Prasad. ''Jibanara Daka; an autobiography'', 1994; published by Sri Lalita Prakasani, Bhubaneswar. Won Odisha
Sahitya Academy Award The Sahitya Akademi Award is a literary honour in India, which the Sahitya Akademi, India's National Academy of Letters, annually confers on writers of the most outstanding books of literary merit published in any of the 22 languages of the ...
for autobiography in 2000. *http://www.sai.uni-heidelberg.de/abt/IND/publikation/biborissa/biborissa.htm :The library of the South Asian Institute (SAI), University of Heidelberg, has some references and recollections of the original works of Sri Achyutananda Das. An "Orissan Project" was undertaken some decades ago, funded by the German Research Council, as a part of the studies of the South Asian cultures. A number of references can be found in this library.


External links

* http://www.garoiashram.org/english/index-eng.html# * https://web.archive.org/web/20071105091526/http://www.sriachyuta.org/ * https://web.archive.org/web/20081019042242/http://www.trahiachyuta.com/sri.htm * https://web.archive.org/web/20110716184243/https://tagmeme.com/orissa/pothis.html {{Authority control Vaishnavism 16th-century Indian philosophers Indian male poets Bhakti movement Indian astrologers 16th-century astrologers Poets from Odisha Odia-language poets 16th-century Hindu religious leaders Hindu poets 16th-century Indian poets Scholars from Odisha Odissi music composers Odia Hindu saints Shudra Hindu saints Vaishnava saints