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Yagnya Purush was Laxmi. (Sri - consort of
Vishnu and the daughter of the Ocean) The
Yagnya-sthala (Brahma-bana) was the place of
union of Vishnu and Laxmi as husband and wife.More-ever the
Yagnya-Jupa has been considered
as Sri Sudarshan subsequently. The thirty two-
petalled-lotus drawn on the Vedi, the' Chakrabja
Mandal,' on which the Yagnya was performed
has been later designated as Yagnya-Narasimha
and His basic upasana was made under
'Mantraraja' mantra.3
Hence Sridevi, Bhudevi (Biswadhatri) and
Madhab are the three initial deities of Srikhetra,
at present seen in small figures, on the Ratnavedi
/Antarvedi / Mahavedi within Srimandir.
Development of Worship of Madhab,
Narasimha and Nilamadhab in Srikhetra -
Mahabharat puts forth -
'Maunadhyanascha yogascha biddhi bharat
Madhabh' (5-10-4). On account of His silence
(mouna), prayer (dhyna) and yoga, He is the
epithet of Madhab. Out of main 24 Avatars of
Vishnu - Keshab, Narayan and Madhab sprang
from Para-Vasudev, the supreme Brahman, who
has neither beginning nor end. Chaturbhuja
Madhab is Chakra-Sankha- Padma-Gada-Dhari.
In Orissa, the following Mangalastak of Madhab
is chanted in all auspicious occasions and before
initiation of any good work
'Madhabo Madhabo Vishnuh
Madhabo Madhabo Harih /
Smaranti Sadhabo Nityam
Sarbakaryeshu Madhabam' //
Madhab is Laxmikanta, Sarba-Subha-
Phal-Pradayak, so His name is uttered five timesbefore taking up
any work. Maa is Laxmi, Sarba-
Subha-Phal-Pradayini; She is Khirabdhi-tanaya,
Lokamata and Ramaa, Agra-pujya in all spheres.
In course of time the idol worship of the
primitive Sabars entered into the Vedic Culture
and the worship of Madhab was initiated in a joint
venture. The shrine of Nilamadhab at Puri appears
to have its origin during the rule of the Sailodbhaba
kings of Kalinga, the then Kangoda. The copperplate grant of
Madhabaraja of Sailodbhaba
dynasty is the first reference of Madhab worship
in Kalinga - Prabratta-Chakra-Chakradhar
eba Bhagaban, Madhab Raja Kushali. The
Madhabaraja and Madhaba Barman designated
Sailodbhaba kings, as it appeared from their
names, were tribals, they lived on the 'Saila' or
mountains, their ancestors were Sabars or their
synonyms. During their reign, the Sabar chieftain
Biswabasu must have been entrusted with the
Sevapuja of Nilamadhab. Vidyapati, the
messenger of Maharaja Indradyumna, after his
arrival at Nilasaila, has seen this Nilamadhab as
described in Skanda Puran.
In Skanda Puran, after his return from
Nilasaila, Vidyapati narrates to Indradyumna -
"On the top of Nilagiri there is a perennial Bata
Brikhya, towards its west there is Rohini Kunda
and there is a Sphatik-manimaya Vedi around it.
Gada-Padma-Sankha-Chakradhari, sapphire
colored, Indra-nila-manimaya, Nilamadhab, isseated on a golden
lotus, on this Vedi, under the
cooling shade of the Banyan tree, His lotus-like
hands embrace Laxmi, who is seating on His left
thigh and playing flute, Ananta Nag in backside
covers Him in shape of an umbrella. Sudarshan is
seen in front of Him and Garuda is seated with
folded hands just in the front side."
This image of Nilamadhab and the Rohini
Kunda are stated to have vanished (buried under
the sands) due to a severe cyclone, in betweenthe periods when
Vidyapati saw Nilamadhab and
Indradyumna arrived the holy place. However,
Sri Narasimha, enshrined on the Nilasaila under
an 'Aguru' tree, was all along present before and
after the disappearance of Nilamadhab.
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Initiation of Purusottam Upasana
At this juncture Acharya Sankar arrived at
Srikhetra; his mission was to revive the Vedic
system of worship of all the Indian Gods andGoddesses and to
eliminate the Buddhist influence
on Hindu rituals. Acharya Sankar, the founder
Acharya of Purusottam Tatwa, during 9th century,
in his Gita Vasyajustified that the Nilamadhab
worshipped in Sri Khetra was Gita's Purusottam.
- 'Atoasmi loke Bede cha prath itah
Purusottamah'. In this process, he revived the
cult of Purusottam in the holy land of Srikhetra,
consequent upon construction of a new temple
and consecration of blue-stone-made
Parameswar therein, during the reign of Jajati
Keshari. However there was no basic difference
in the iconographic features between Nilamadhab,
vanished earlier and Purusottam worshipped later
on.
Sri Narasimha Upasana by king
lndradyumna, Construction of Daru-Devatas
Maharaja Indradyumna along with Narada
reached Srikhetra but could not get the darshan
of Sri Nilamadhab and became very muchworried. In absence of
Nilamadhab, he could get
the darshan of Sri Narasimha under the 'Aguru
tree, as per advice of Narada worshipped Him
and obtained His blessings, conducted
Ashwamedha Yagnya, found the Aporusheya
Daru in the nearby sea-shore and three images of
Narayana, Laxmi and Ananta within it, arranged
their construction in Adapa Mandap (present
Gundicha Temple). But there was a prolonged
delay in their consecration and in shifting them to
present Srimandir.
End of worship of one God and the initiation
of the Hindu Triad
The Brahmin culture in the then Kalinga
accepted the worship of 'Jugal-murti' and 'many
images' in their temples, based on the Buddhist
influences. The upasana of Laxmi-Narasimha,
Durga-Madhab and Siva-Parbati were its specific
examples. Acharya Sankar was worshippingPurusottam as 'Siva'
during 9th century, but
Acharya Ramanuj started describing Subhadra
and Jagannath as Laxmi-Narayan during 12th
century. The present Srimandir has been
constructed in between the period of both the
Acharyas. Sri Purusottam (combination of
Balabhadra, Subhadra and Jagannath) in course
of time has been separated into three icons, such
as Sri Balabhadra, Sri Subhadra and Sri
Jagannath and they are being worshipped under
different mantras. Based on Buddhist influenceSri Jagannath and
Sri Subhadra are considered
as brother and sister.
God has created the world; He sustains it;
destroys it and then regenerates it again. This basic
interpretation generated the synthesis of the Triad
- Brahma; Vishnu and Maheswar - the creator;
the preserver and the destroyer. Brahma is the
prime member of the Hindu Triad; He was born
from the lotus that appeared on Vishnu's navel.
He is known as Prajapati; master of the populace.His four heads
represent the four Vedas. Swan is
his vehicle. Vishnu is the most popular God of
the Hindu Triad. He has got one thousand names;
ten incarnations. Garud; the king of the birds, is
His Vahana. Most powerful, Maheswar is the
destroyer so also the reproducer; He is Sivalinga;
He has hundreds of names; His mode of transport
is a bull -Nandi.
In Hinduism the wives of the Triad are also
revered more. Saraswati is the Goddess ofLearning; we always
seek Her blessings; She is
'Buddhiprada Sarada'. Just like Brahma; swan is
Her vehicle. Laxmi is the Goddess of good fortune;
wealth and prosperity. She sits on a lotus and
owl is Her vahana. Parvati is sometimes benevolent
