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King Indradyumna was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu and was eager to meet him face to face. Once a brahmana came to the palace of the King Indrayumna and told him about an incarnation of Lord Vishnu named Nila Madhava. The king then sent different brahmanas out to search for Lord Nila Madhava. They all returned unsuccessful except a priest named Vidyapati. After traveling for a while Vidyapati came to an area inhabited by non-Aryans called sabaras. He stayed at the house of a local chief, called Visvavasu. When he arrived Visvavasu was not there, but his daughter Lalita was. Vidyapati stayed there for some time and eventually married Lalita, the daughter of the Sabara. she had overstepped that order by telling her husband. Vidyapati repeatedly requested to see Nila Madhava. Finally Visvavasu bound Vidyapati's
eyes and
took him to see Nila Madhava. Visyapati secretly carried some
mustard seeds in his cloth and he dropped them onto the path as he
was walking. When he reached Nila Madhava, the blind fold was
removed and Vidyapati saw Nila Madhava. Visvavasu went out to
collect some forest flowers to worship and Vidyapati stayed near
the Deity. During this time a crow fell off the branch of a tree
into a nearby lake and drowned. It immediately took a four armed
Vaikuntha form and started back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati
then climbed up onto the tree and was about to jump into the lake.
A voice came from the sky and said "Since you have seen Nila
Madhava, you should inform King
Indradyumna."
Visvavasu
returned and started his daily worship of Nila Madhava. Suddenly
the Lord spoke to him and said, "I have accepted for many days the
simple forest flowers and roots offered to me by you. Now I desire
the royal worship offered to me in devotion by King Indradymna."
Visvavasu felt cheated by his son-in-law, therefore, he bound him
up and kept in his house. After repeatedly being requested by his
daughter he let him go.The
brahmana then went to King Indradyumna and told him about his
discovery. By following the mustard seeds, which had grown into
small plants, they were able to follow the path to Nila Madhava.
When they reached the spot, they could not find him. King
Indradyumna had the village besieged and arrested Visvavasu.
Suddendly a voice came from the sky, " Release this sabara. On top
of Nila hill you should construct a temple. There I will manifest
as Daru-brahman (the Absolute Truth manifested in a wooden form).
You will not see me as Nila Madhava.
The King
constructed a temple. The King wanted Lord Brahma to consecrate the
temple. So he traveled to Brahmaloka and waited there for him.
During this time the temple became covered by sand. While he was
gone, first Suradeva and then Galamadhava became king of the area.
King Galamadhava uncovered the temple from the sand. Shortly
afterwards, King Indradyumna return from Brahma's abode.Indradyumna
claimed that he had built the temple and Galamadhava also claimed
the same thing. There was an old crow in the near by banyan tree
who was constantly singing the glories of Lord Rama. The crow had
seen the construction of the temple and said that Indradyumna had
build the temple and that Galamadhava had just uncovered it.
Because he had not told the truth Galamadhava was ordered by Brahma
to live outside the temple compound on the western side of
Indradyumna Sarovara lake.
Indradyumna
then asked Lord Brahma to consecrate the temple and the surrounding
area, which was called Sri Ksetra and gives the highest type of
liberation. Lord Brahma told him that Sri Ksetra is manifested by
the Supreme Lord's internal potency and that the Supreme Lord
manifests Himself. Therefore he could not install the Lord here,
but Lord Jagannath and his abode are eternally situated in the
material world. He said he would install the flag on the temple and
that anyone who sees this flag and offers prostrated obeisance
would easily be liberated.
After a
while King Indradyumna became frustrated with not seeing Nila
Madhava. He decided to lay on a bed of Kusa grass and to fast until
death. Lord Jagannath came to him in a dream and told him I shall
come floating from the sea in my wooden form as Daru-brahman at the
place called Bakimuhan.
The King
went to this place and saw a huge piece of wood which had the marks
of a conch, club, disc and lotus on it. Many men and elephants
tried to move Daru-brahman, but they could not move Him. That night
Lord Jagannatha spoke to Indradyumna in a dream and told him to
bring Visvavasu, who used to serve Nila Madhava and bring a golden
chariot in front of Daru-brahman. The king did this and
Daru-brahman easily was placed onto the
chariot.
Lord
Brahma then performed a sacrifice and established a Diety of
Narasimhadeva on the raised platform of the sacrifice arena. It is
said that the Deity of Narasimha in the present temple compound,
that is on the western side of the Mukti-Mandapa, is the original
Narasimha Deity.
King
Indradyumna had the best sculptors come to carve the Deity of Lord
Jagannath from Daru-brahman. As soon as they started their chisels
broke to pieces. The Supreme Lord Himself came in Disguise as an
old artist who called Himself Ananta Maharana (According to the
Narada Purana, Visvakarma, the architect of the demigods carved the
Deities by the desire of Lord Vishu, who took the form of an old
brahmana). He said that if he was able to work behind closed doors
for 21 days then the deities could be carved. The old sculptor then
took Daru-brahman into the temple and the doors were closed. After
14 days passed, the king could not hear any sounds of the artist's
tools and he became fully anxious. The king then personally opened
the door of the temple by force.
The King
did not see the sculptor, but instead he saw the three forms of
Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Lord Balarama. Their fingers and toes
were unfinished. Thinking himself a great offender the king decided
to give up his life. He then laid on a bed of kusa grass and began
to fast. Lord Jagannath appeared to him in a dream. He told the
king that He is eternally situated here in Nilacala in the form of
Lord Jagannath as Daru-brahman. In the material world, I descended
in 24 Deity incarnations along with my abode. I have no material
hands and feet, but with my transcendental senses I accept all the
items offered by My devotees. The fact that you broke your promise
is part of the pastime for me to manifest in the form of Jagannath.
Those devotees whose eyes are smeared with the salve of love will
always see Me as Symasundara, holding a
flute.
The King
prayed to Lord Jagannath that those in the family of the sculptor
who manifested your form will continue to assist in constructing
the three carts. He also told him that the descendants of
Visvavasu, who served Me as Nila Madhava, should generations after
generations serve Me. They shall be called as dayitas. The
descendants of Vidyapati born from his brahmana wife should perform
the Deity worship to me. The descendants born from his sabari wife,
Lalita, should cook My food. They shall be knows as suyaras.King
Indradyumna then requested Lord Jagannath, that the doors of the
temple should be closed only 3 hours a day. The King also requested
that he would not have any decendants, so that no one in the future
would claim the temple of Lord Jagannath as their own
property.
It is
said in the Narada Purana (Uttara Khanda 52.123), that the Supreme
Lord Narayana told Lakshmi Devi: "In that great abode known as
Purusottama-ksetra, which is rarely achieved among all the three
worlds, the Kesava Deity, who was fashioned by the Supreme Lord
Himself is situated. If men simply see that Deity, they are easily
able to come to My abode."
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