Panchasakha

Chapter-1
Introduction
In the holy land of Kalinga (Odisha) many saints, mystics, and devotional
souls have taken birth, from time to time, and have fortified the culture and the
spiritualism. Among the various great souls, the most prominent (in the domain of the
known History) are the Panchasakha (Five friends) who have deeply influenced both
the Oriya Spiritualism and the Literature. These five friends lived between 1450 to
1550 AD and enriched the spiritualism in a way that normal man can also
understand and benefit out of that. These great souls are: Achyutananda Das,
Ananta Das, Jasovanta Das, Jagannatha Das, and Balarama Das. They are
popularly known as Panchasakha (Five friends).
Pancha means five and Sakha means friends -The great spiritual leader
and Naamayogi Avataar Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has referred to these five of his
disciples as Panchasakha and stated that the Panchasakhaa are like his Pancha
Atma, i.e., five souls (Atma-Tattva) and are in no way lesser than some of the
Avatars of Vishnu. Shri Chaitanya was the first to establish the Bhaba-Mishrita
Naama Marga (the path of chanting the holy name with proper feeling and faith);
before him this method was not so popular or well-known even if the path is partly
described in the ancient Vedas. He first introduced this method for all the simple-
minded people and made many realize that God-realization can also be achieved by
simpler method of pure devotion without undergoing difficult method of austerities. It
is he who first disclosed the importance of the HareKrusna MahaMantra. The
Panchasakha converted ancient Hindu texts into prose (of simple language) easily
understood by the people of Udra Desha (Odisha). Shri Achyutananda Das was the
most prolific writer of the Panchasakhas and has written numerous books (called as
Pothi’s), believed not in one life but in many successive lives. He is known as the
Mahapurusha, which means - a great man. Mahapurusha Achyutânanda was a
shunya sadhak and had acquired immense knowledge about almost every aspect,
i.e. spiritualism, Ayurveda (Indian healing medical science that uses only natural
resources and herbs), various other sciences, and social regulations. There is an
interesting belief about the origin of Panchasakhâ which relates them to the
Mahabharat era (Dwapara-Yuga), and is also stated in Shunya Samhita written by
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Mahapurusha Achyutânanda. Here, Mahapurusha describes, Panchasakha literally
means “five mates or friends”. Towards the end of Mahabharat era when Lord
Krusna was leaving the mortal body, Nilakantheswara Mahadeva (another name of
Lord Shiva, residing in Puri, with a blue-coloured neck caused by intake of poison to
save the world) appeared and had a conversation with Lord Krusna. He revealed
that the Lord’s companions Dama, Sudama, Srivatsa, Subala, and Subahu would
reincarnate in the Kali-Yuga and will be known as Ananta, Acyutananda,
Jagannatha, Balarama, and Yasovanta, respectively. Thus, the believers of the
Panchasakhâ consider that these five saints were the most intimate friends of Lord
Krusna in Dwapara-Yuga, who came again in Kali-Yuga to serve Him. They are also
instrumental to perform the crucial and much-awaited Yuga-Karma of destroying the
sinners and saving the saints, according to the Sanatana-Hindu beliefs.
understand and benefit out of that. These great souls are: Achyutânanda Das,
Pancha means five and Sakha means friends -The great spiritual leader
and Naamayogi Avataar Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has referred to these five of his
disciples as Panchasakha and stated that the Panchasakhaa are like his Pancha
Atma, i.e., five souls (Atma-Tattva) and are in no way lesser than some of the
Avatars of Vishnu. Shri Chaitanya was the first to establish the Bhaba-Mishrita
Naama Marga (the path of chanting the holy name with proper feeling and faith);
before him this method was not so popular or well-known even if the path is partly
described in the ancient Vedas. He first introduced this method for all the simple-
minded people and made many realize that God-realization can also be achieved by
simpler method of pure devotion without undergoing difficult method of austerities. It
is he who first disclosed the importance of the HareKrusna MahaMantra.
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The Panchasakha converted ancient Hindu texts into prose (of simple
language) easily understood by the people of Udra Desha (Odisha). Shri
Achyutananda Das was the most prolific writer of the Panchasakhas and has written
numerous books (called as Pothi’s), believed not in one life but in many successive
lives. He is known as the Mahapurusha, which means - a great man. Mahapurusha
Achyutananda was a shunya sadhak and had acquired immense knowledge about
almost every aspect, i.e. spiritualism, Ayurveda (Indian healing medical science that
uses only natural resources and herbs), various other sciences, and social
regulations.
There is an interesting belief about the origin of Panchasakha which relates

them to the Mahabharat era (Dwapara-Yuga), and is also stated in Shunya Samhita
written by Mahapurusha Achyutananda. Here, Mahapurusha describes,
Panchasakha literally means “five mates or friends”. Towards the end of Mahabhârat
era when Lord Krusna was leaving the mortal body, Nilakantheswara Mahadeva
(another name of Lord Shiva, residing in Puri, with a blue-coloured neck caused by
intake of poison to save the world) appeared and had a conversation with Lord
Krusna. He revealed that the Lord’s companions Dâmâ, Sudama, Srivatsa, Subala,
and Subahu would reincarnate in the Kali-Yuga and will be known as Ananta,
Acyutananda, Jagannatha, Balarama, and Yasovanta, respectively. Thus, the
believers of the Panchasakha consider that these five saints were the most intimate
friends of Lord Krusna in Dwapara-Yuga, who came again in Kali-Yuga to serve Him.
They are also instrumental to perform the crucial and much-awaited Yuga-Karma of
destroying the sinners and saving the saints, according to the Sanatana-Hindu
beliefs.
To describe briefly the individual ways and specialities of the Panchasakha, it is told
that:
Yasovanta knows the things beyond the reach
Yantras using lines and figures are known to Ananta
Achyuta speaks the past, present, and future
Balarâma Dasa is fluent in tatwa (ultimate gist of anything)
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Ultimate feelings of devotion are known to Jagannâtha
These five friends are my five mahantas.
[English Version]
The birth/origin of the Achyutananda is described as:
!! Shunyaru khasilaa Pavane misilaa, anaakare helaa thula !!
!! Thula bhangigale athule misiba, rahijiba anaahata !!
“Mahapurusha Achyutananda”, is belived to have been born with special mercy or
divine intervention from “ଅ” which is symbolic for Lord Jagannath Himself (“Vibhuti
Yoga, Shrimad Bhagavat Geeta”). Hence the name of Mahapurusha is Achyuta (“A +
chyuta”: A= Shri Visnu; Chyuta = created from). Occasionally, “Mahapurusha
Achyutananda” is also referred to as “Achyuti”, which literally means “who has no fall
(“chyuti nahin jahara” in Oriya language)”. Sri Achyuta Das was born to Dinabandhu
Khuntia and Padma Devi in a village called Tilakona in Odisha in about 1510 AD on
a “Magha Sukla Ekadasi” (a specific time described in Oriya calendar). His parents
were childless for a long time and were praying to Lord Jagannath for a child. One
night his father had a vision that Garuda (the bird of Vishnu, an Eagle) gave him a
child. Next morning he rushed to the temple and prayed at the “Garuda Khamba” (a
pillar in front of the Jagannath temple) thanking the Lord for his mercy. At this point
there are two different beliefs: some are of the opinion that he (Dinabandhu Khuntia)
found a newborn divine child there and he is Achyuta. Some others believe that,
soon after this incident (vision), Padma Devi was booned with a divine child.
Mahapurusha Achyutananda had established various spiritual energetic centres

called ‘Gadis distributed throughout east India (former states known as Anga, Banga,
Kalinga, Magadha) and some in Nepal. These ‘Gâdis were host to most of the
spiritual actions, discourses, penance, and provided various services to the seekers.
Examples are, Nemal, Kakatpur, Garoi, Jobra Ghât (a river bank in Cuttack) etc.
During this brilliant era of Panchasakhâ, another seer His Holiness Arakshita Das
(the presiding seer of Olasuni near Paradeep) who was not among the Panchasakha
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but was a revered saint, once found a divine child and handed over the newborn
child to Mahapurusha Achyutananada. This child was known as Ram Das who is the
disciple of Mahapurusha Achyutananda, Panchasakha, and Arakshita Das together.
The Pancha Sakha were called as Pancha Guru (five Gurus) and together with Shri
Arakshita Das they were known as Sada-Goswami (six Lords). Shriguru Arakshita
Das, a great Shunya Sadhak, is the patron saint and seer in the Olasuni hills.
Olasuni hill is located near the border of Cuttack and Jajpur district, adjacent to the
Daitari- Paradeep Express Highway near the Ratnagiri and Laitgiri hills. The Gobari
river also flows nearby. Olasuni hill was the place of Sadhana where Shri Arakshita
Das performed austerities in a cave (Olasuni Gumpha) before attaining salvation.
The annual nine day Gumpha festival of Olasuni is very famous. There is also the
temple of Goddess Olasuni, near the tomb of Saint Arakshita Das. Baba Buddhanath
Das sings in a song that Goddess Olasuni is the mother of Shri Arakshita Das, one
of the greatest ShunyaVaadi Sadhakas. He is extremely merciful and accepts every
offer, irrespective of any other factor, when they are offered with feelings.
Subsequently the Pancha Sakha and Arakshita Das, in Samaadhi, could know that
in the 13th birth (also the last birth) of this child (Ram Das), all their souls (Atma-
Tattva) will remain in Ram Das and he will perform Yuga Karma on behalf of his
Gurus during the transition from Kaliyuga to Satyayuga. The devotees and followers
believe that His holiness Baba Shri Buddhanâth Das is the last incarnation of Yogi
Ram Das and is enlightened by the conscious of his six Gurus.
Objective
The theory of the universe, or in other words explanation of the uncaused cause has
ever been the first problem in every religion. Like the puranas and Tantric texts, the
Panchasakha literature also abounds with it,
The Panchasakha starts with the eternal question of “who was there when all this
phenomenal universe was not”. The problem of the Prime Mover is still beyond our
reach and can only be explained negatively”. He is not this not this “ neti neti”. The
prajnaparamita Hrdayagarbha, a later Buddhist scripture describes Sunyata as “ neti
neti”. Therefore, it seema that there is a lot of similarities between the Panchasakha
ideology of Sunyata and that of the Buddhists. The concept of Sunyata, being the
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most characterstic ideology behind Jagannath, formulated by the Panchasakhas can
be no doubt the continuation of the Vajrayana idea of the void accepted by
Vaisnavism after identifying it with the Vedantic idea ofNirguna Brahma.
Methodology
understand and benefit out of that. These great souls are: Achyutananda Das,
Review of literature
Although the social, economic and political condition remained more or

less same, however, religion underwent a good deal of change in the ‘Panchasakha’
period. At the advent of ‘Panchasakha’ period Odisha was passing through an
impact of heterogeneous religious forces like Buddhism, Saivism, Tantrism and God
Jagannath was on the way of evolution to a Vaishnavite God. The Panchasakhas
preached the theory of Void' (Sunya Vada). In that discussed Pinda-Brahmanda
theory. It means body was the universe.
The 'Panchasakha' through their literary products contributed a lot to the

Odia literature and Odisi Vaishnavism. The religious background of Odisha in the
unity, belief in oneness of God and idea of universal brotherhood arising out of the
Bhakti-movement prevailing in India. The 'Panchasakha' though believed in 'nama-
tattva' (the theory of Chanting name), pinda-brahmanda tattva' (the theory of body
and world) and 'sristi-tattva' (the theory of cosmology), they also attached importance
to the doctrine Jnana misra Bhakti (devotion allied to knowledge).
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Chapter-2
Brief History of Odisha
The history of Odisha begins in the Lower Paleolithic era,

as Acheulian tools dating to the period have been discovered in various places in the
region. The early history of Odisha can be traced back to writings found in ancient
texts like the Mahabharata, Maha Govinda Sutta and some Puranas. The region was
also known to other kingdoms in region of East Indies due to maritime
trade relations.
In 1568 CE, considered a pivotal point in the region's history, the region was
conquered by the armies of the Sultanate of Bengal led by
the iconoclast general Kalapahad. The region lost its political identity and the
following rulers of the region were more often tributary lords than actual kings. By
1593, Odisha had passed completely to the Mughal Empire and became part of
the Bengal Subah. After 1751, the Marathas gained control of the region. During the
Maratha administration, literature and poetry flourished. In 1803, the region was
passed onto the British Empire, where they divided the region into parts of other
provinces. In 1936, the province of Odisha was formed on the basis of populations
of Odia-speaking people.
The region which comprises the modern-day Odisha was not known by the same
name throughout history. It and parts of it were referred by different names in
different era.
 Kalinga: According to some scriptures (Mahabharata and some Puranas), a king

Bali, the Vairocana, the son of Sutapa, had no sons. So, he requested the
sage, Dirghatamas, to bless him with sons. The sage is said to have begotten five
sons through his wife, the queen Sudesna. The princes were named Anga, Vanga,
Kalinga, Sumha, and Pundra. The princes later founded kingdoms named after
themselves. The prince Vanga founded Vanga Kingdom, in the current day region
of Bangladesh and part of West Bengal. The prince Kalinga founded the kingdom
of Kalinga, in the current day region of coastal Odisha, including the Northern
Circars.[5] Ptolemy, Pliny the Elder and Claudius Aelianus have also mentioned one
Calinga in their texts.
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 Utkala: Utkala was a part of Kalinga in some parts of the Mahabharata.[7] Karna is
mentioned to have conquered kingdom of Utkala among others. But, according to
other texts like the Raghuvamsa and the Brahma Purana, they were separate
kingdoms.[9] There are several views regarding the etymology of the name. Utkala
may have meant northern (uttara) part of Kalinga or ut-Kalinga. Utkala
desha (country or land) may have meant the land of "finest art" (utkarsha kala).
 Mahakantara: This name has been found in so.me Gupta-era inscriptions. It literally
means "great forest" and it is usually identified with the modern-
day Kalahandi and Jeypore region.[12][13] The Mahabharata also mentions a Kantara,
which may have or may not have referred to the same region.
 Udra: Udra (also Urda-desha) may have originally referred to an ethnic group or tribe
called Udra. But later may have referred to the kingdom of Udra, around the coastal
region of Odisha.
 Orda: Odra (also Orda-desha) similar to Udra, may have meant a tribe of people
called Odra, but later came to refer to the land of Odras.
 Oddiyana: Oddiyana, mentioned in some Buddhist texts, according to some scholars

may have referred to Odisha.
 Kamala Mandala: Literally "lotus region", a c. 13th-century inscription found

in Narla in Kalahandi refers to the region by this name.
 South Kosala: South Kosala (also Dakshina Kosala) may refer to the modern-
day Chhattisgarh and some part of Western Odisha. [18] It should not be confused
with Kosala, which is in current day Uttar Pradesh. According to the Ramayana, one
of Rama's sons, Lava, ruled Uttara Kosala, and his other son, Kusha, ruled over this
region.
 Kongoda: A copper plate found in Ganjam district refers to region as Kongoda (also
spelled Kangoda).
 Trikalinga: This name has been found inscribed on some copper plates found
in Sonepur. Tri-Kalinga may have literally meant "three Kalingas" and may have
referred to the three states of Kalinga, South Kosala and Kangoda.
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 Chedi: Chedi (also known as Chedirashtra) referred to the kingdom of Kharavela. It
was named after his dynasty, Chedi (also Cheti dynasty and Mahameghavahana
dynasty).
 Tosali: Tosali (also spelled Toshali) referred to a city and the region around it was
called Tosala, possibly a subdivision of Kalinga in Ashoka-era. The capital of Tosala
has been placed in modern-day Dhauli.[15] In later era (c. 600 CE), North Tosali
(Uttara Tosali) and South Tosali (Daskhina Tosali) have been mentioned, which
were possibly kingdoms north and south of the Mahanadi river.
 Uranshin: The name has been used by some 10th century Arab geographers.
 Jajnagar: The name used for Odisha in the Tabaqat-i-Nasiri (c. 1260), Tarikh-i-Firuz
Shahi (c. 1357), and other texts of the period.
 Odivissa: A name used in some Buddhist texts, including in those by Taranatha.
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Chapter-3
PANCHASAKHA
BALARAMA DASA
The eldest in the realm of ‘Panchasakhas’ was Balarama Dasa. He was the
son of Somanath Mohapatra and Yamuna Devi born sometime in A.D. 1497 and had
breathed his last probably in A. D. 1540. Srichaitanya had adorned him with the title
‘Matta’ and so he became famous as ‘Matta Balarama’. Not much is known about his
early life. From his own writings it is known that he was the son of Somanatha
Mahapatra and Jamuna Debi. Somanatha was a minister of Gajapati Prataparudra
Deva's court and originally belonged to the village of Erabanga in Puri district. He
was educated and was well versed in Sanskrit. Balarama naturally grew to be
proficient in both Odia and Sanskrit. He became a devotee of Jagannatha. In his
Middle Ages he came in contact with Chaitanya. It is speculated that he died while
on a pilgrimage to Puri in Begunia village near Konark. There is a memorial for him
near this village.
Statue of Balarama Dasa at Erabanga, his native place
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Balarama’s creations
Balarama Das, the poet-composer of Jagamohan Ramayana was a contemporary

of Gajapati Prataparudradeva and also of Chaitanya. The poet himself has given a
few details about his life. From his Jagamohan Ramayana and Srimadbhagavad Gita
it is known that his father was Mahamantri Somanatha Mahapatra. In Jagamohan
Ramayana, there is a reference to his mother, Manamayi and his family. He neither
mentions Gajapati Prataparudra nor Chaitanya in these works.
In yet another work Uddhaba Gita, Balarama Das gives some more details about his
life. According to it he used to please Lord Jagannatha with his songs during the
period of the Lord’s stay at Gundicha Mandir during Rathajatra festival. In his other
books such as Gitavakasa, Brahma Gita, Bhava Samudra, Bata Abakasa and
Panasa Chori,.
An exaggerated account of the poet’s devotion to Jagannatha can be seen along

with references to Prataparudradeva, who on many occasions tried to test
Balarama’s knowledge of scriptures like Gita, Vedanta, Brahma Vidya as well as his
devotion to Lord Jagannatha, Vedantasara Guptagita is his only work in which both
Prataparudra and Chaitanya have been mentioned. According to this work, the King
Prataparudra accepted Chaitanya as his Guru and Balarama Das as his Parama
Guru. But as the work is supposed to have been written in 1510, which coincides
with the year of Chaitanya’s arrival at Puri the fact mentioned is very doubtful.
Madhaba Pattanaik, most likely a younger contemporary of Balarama, in his

Vaishnava Lilamrita mentions that Balarama together with his four friends,
accompanied Chaitanya in his tour throughout odisha. And when Balarama died, the
whole of odisha, especially Puri, was shocked and people felt shaken as though a
mighty banyan tree had fallen. Devakinandan, a 16th century Vaishnava of Bengal,
in his Vaishnava Bandana, gives high tribute to Balarama for his supernatural
powers.
Divakara Das, the 17th century writer, who authored Jagannatha Charitamrita (the
biography of Jagannatha Das) makes a casual reference to Balarama. According to
him Balarama was a disciple of Hridaya Narayana in the line of Gauri Das Pandita
and was a devotee of high order. Further, Balarama Das was always absorbed in
reciting the Lord’s name and so was known as ‘matta Balarama’ (mad Balaram). He
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was one of the close associates of Chaitanya, who directed him to accept
Jagannatha Das as his disciple. He then went on a pilgrimage to Dwaraka.
According to another 17th century work, the Chaitanya Bhagavata (a biography of

Chaitanya) of Ishwar Das, Balarama was the son of Somanatha, an officer of the
king, and came from Chandanpur, a village near Jajapur. When Chaitanya was
passing through this village, Balarama met him and joined his party.
Chaitanya initiated him in the ‘Ramataraka Paramabrahma’. Elsewhere he says that

once Balarama was invited to grace one grand festival (mahotsava) at Cutfack,
arranged by Prata-parudradeva, where he was honoured as the writer of the
Ramayana and Srimad Bhagavat Gita. Chaitanya made him the supervisor of the
Nanda Matha.According to Ishwar Das, Balarama having subdued a mad elephant
once was called ‘matta Balarama’ by the people for his dare-devil act.
According to a local tradition reported by Jagabandhu Singh in his Prachina Utkal, in

the early part of the present century, Balarama died at a ripe old age, on his way to
Puri, at Begunia, near Konarka, on the Akshaya Tritiya day (early April). There is a
samadhi of Balarama in this village and every year a festival (mela) takes place on
the Akashaya Tritia Day honouring Balarama.
In the nearby village, Erabanga, there is a Jagannatha temple, which it is believed

was built by Balarama, who used to offer his daily prayers to Lord Jagannatha in this
temple, as it was impossible for him to go to Puri due to his debilitating old age. The
people, in grateful remembrance of the builder, call this Jagannatha temple the
Balarama temple.
Balarama Das is famous as the poet of Jagamohan Ramayana also known as Dandi
Ramayana, the first and greatest complete Ramayana in Oriya literature. This
Ramayana, because of its immense popularity in odisha, had influenced almost all
the later poets of Rama-kavyas.
Among his creations Jagamohana Ramayana or Dandi Ramayana or Dakshini

Ramayana ranks high. Though the story of the Valmiki Ramayanatallies with
Balarama’s work still the poet has left certain facts of the original one. They are the
burning of kamasrama while sage Visvamitra was taking Rama and Laxmana to his
‘Ashram’, the origin of river Sarayu, the gift of arms to Rama and Laxmana by
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Visvamitra, the worship of ‘Lankesvara Lingam’ by Rama, the episode of King
Harischandra etc.’ The language of the epic is very lucid and the social picture like
the religious practices of the people, the preponderance of truth over all other facts,
the dress and ornaments of the time, the politics and administration of the period etc.
find place in it. This epic of Balaram is more lovable among the people of Odisha.
His Bhava Samudra is an epic poem full of devotion. It speaks how

Gajapati Prataprudradev drove away Balarama Dasa durig the car festival. The
poet's emotion of attachment to God Jagannath led him to the sea-shore where he,
ort of devotion and anger created the cars on sand and prayed God Jagannath that
his car should not move. Prataprudra at last comes to the poet, begs excuse and
then ar ‘Nandighosa moves on.
Lakshmi Purana of Balarama Dasa is famous in the nook and corner of

Odisha. The book is chanted with great devotion every year on Manabasa
Thursdays in the month of ‘Margasira’. It speaks the quarrel between Lakshmi and
Jagannath, how Balaram and Jagannath drove Lakshmi from the temple, how they
become poor, did not get anything to eat, atlast how they approached the maid-
servants of Lakshmi’s palace without knowing that as Lakshmi’s residence and-how
at last they felt the importance of Lakshmi and brought her back to the temple. It
speaks of equality which has been still observed in Puri temple even today.
Baula Adhyaya is a small creation of Balaram Dasa. It speaks how a cow

named Baula promised a tiger to meet him again after feeding her calf. She keeps
her promise and returns with her calf to meet the tiger who is anxious to eat her.
Being enchanted with the simplicity of Baula, it spares her with her calf. This is a
piece of advice to the man to follow the path of truth and to keep one’s promise.
Vedantasara Gupta Gita of Balarama Dasa is a critical work based on the

Vedanta philosophy. This book is divided into thirty-two chapters and the theory of
creation, twenty-five principles of Samkhya, five elements of human body including
the practice of Anganyasa, Asana (posture), mystery of the universe have been
explained in simple language and Gurjari style of nine letters (Navakshari). In it he
describes how he was humiliated by the Gajapati and at last after God Jagannath’s
advice in a dream the latter recognized the erudition of the former. After describing
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this, Balarama Dasa described the existence of crores of universe in God's body and
the description of Radha-krishna or Prakriti-Purusa in their central sport inside the
body.
Another outstanding work of Balarama Dasa is Amarakosa Gita. Many

important doctrines of the Odisi Vaishnavism like the theory of cosmology, Pinda-
brahmanda, Jiva-Parama, mystical birth of the five elements, practice of Sadachara
etc. have been discussed in this work. :
Brahmandabhugola is another unique work of Balarama Dasa based on

the commentary of Srimad Bhagavatgita. The entire work is an analytical doctrine of
the Odia Bhagavata which has been explained through a dialogue between Hari and
Arjuna. Balarama Dasa has quoted many important lines from Bhagavata and has
made analytical interpretation of the Vaisnavic theory of creation, pinda-brahmanda
and Jnanamisra bhakti. The central theme of the book is the theory of Yoga- the
main way to salvation.
Balaram Dasa had other creations numbering: Nearly fifty. Among them, famous
were Bragavata Gila, Bedha Parikrama, Durga Stuti, Rama Bibha Arjuna Cita,
Bhutakeli, Brahma Purana, Kurala Purana, Panasa Chori, Gupta Tika, Malasrietc.
notable creations.
JAGANNATHA DASA
Jagannatha Dasa was another great poet next to Balarama Dasa in the
‘panchasakha’ line. He was the son of Bhagaban Das and Padmavati of
Kapileswarpur Sasan near Pri. He was pious from the very childhood. His meeting
with chaitanya ans answer ti his questions before a gathering led the later to
embrace him adorning with the title ‘Atibadf. His life was full of many mystic
happenings. He met his end at about A.D. 1550 in Satalahari Math at Puri he had
more than fifty works both published and unpublished to his credit. Dasa was born in
Kapileswarpur Sasana (one of the 16 traditional Sasana villages in Puri
on Radhastami in 1490, in an established Brahmin family of the Kaushiki gotra. His
mother was Padmabati Debi and his father was Bhagabana Dasa.
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His father was a speaker of the Bhagabata in Utkala. Pleased with Bhagabana
Dasa's elucidation of the Purana, Purushottama Deva, the then reigning king of
Utkala, gave him the title "Purana Panda". He trained Jagannatha to follow him as a
Purana Panda. Jagannatha Dasa was almost the same age as Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu. Soon after their chance meeting under the Kalpa Bata tree, a spiritual
kinship grew between the two that developed into a warm, lifelong friendship.
Chaitanya was an avid admirer of Dasa and called him "Atibadi."
Ancient idol of Jagannatha Dasa in Puri's Bada Odia Matha, which Jagannatha himself
established
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Jagannath’s work
Atibadi Jagannath Dash is well known in everywhere of Odisha and in

some of the neighbouring districts of other states thro Atibadi Jagannath Dash ugh
his monumental work"Bhagawat" which is daily read and recited in almost all the
families of Odisha. He brought about a new revolution in the literary circle of the 16th
century Odisha and inspired hundreds of poets who typically imitated and followed
his style of writing. His pioneering role in Odiya literature, his role in the field of
reforms in Odisha can never be underestimated in the history of Odisha. He
advocated social equality and respect for every human being. Hence he had his
dialectical struggle with the so called great leader of his time and the Gajapati King
Prataprudradev of Odisha. As a result, he had to pay dearly for his convictions in life
but he never bowed down before the injustice meted out to him and the people by
those mighty persons, who had been advocating the continuous of caste and class
division in society. According to his biographies and the writers of 'Jagannath
Charitram' and 'Dardhyata Bhaktirasamruta' he was born to humble Brahimn family
in a remote village named 'Kapileswar Sasan' of Puri district in the year 1492 AD.
Right from the beginning of his life, he was shocked and horrified seeing the cast
system and the feeling of inequality during the contemporary society.His soul
revolted against such man-made injustice and he vowed to fight against this. His
informal way of education, his deep study of scriptures and Indian philosophy
provided him with immense strength of mind to proceed on his mission to preach the
doctrine of equality of mankind. At the age of eighteen, while he was composing his
'Bhagwat' in odiya in the premises of Lord Jagannath at Puri, he had the rare fortune
of meeting Sri Chaitnya Dev, the founder of Nec-Vaishnavite movement. Sri
Chaitnya Dev was so deeply moved by the deep erudition, love for mankind and his
faith in Bhakti cult that he openly conferred Jagannath Dash the title of Atibadi or the
Very great. After this historic meeting Jagannath Dash derived divine inspiration from
Sri Chaitanya Dev and his moral staength helped him to raise his voice against
society inequality. This young Brahmin boy after being initiated in to Vaishnavite faith
achieved spiritual perfection and he went on working with zeal and vigour, He had a
large number of followers who prepared large number of copies of his Bhagwat and
other works which supported the doctrine and philosophy of Atibadi Jagannath Dash.
His followers being inietiated into the fold of 'Atibadi Sect' as named after him, made
Page | 16
xtensive tour into the then political boundary of Odisha which stretched as far as
Singhbhum in the North and Midnapur in the North West Odisha and the bank of
Godavari river in South and the Raipur region in West. The people organised public
libraries called as 'Bhagwat Tungi' in almost all the village of Odisha. Their campaign
subsequently became the centre of propagation of the doctrines of Atibadi
Jagannath Dash. Through these centres the ideas of social equality and justice
spread from one place to another. The great mission of Atibadi Jagannath Dash
acquired great momentum in the common men were deeply touched by the work of
the mission and joined in the social strength and courage to fight against the evils of
society. The followers of Jagannath Dash among the women and downtrodden
people of society.High caste Hindu leaders enjoying the privilege of royal favour
became jealous and made fictitious allegations against Jagannath Dash and the
integrity of his conduct was questioned because of his contact with women folk. The
king imprisoned him, and finally when on the day of the trial Jagannath Dash refuted
the charges and was acquitted He was declared holy and was granted the freedom
to preach his philosophy. The king became very happy with the religious and social
activities of the great saint and his followers.
Odia Bhagavata is the greatest creation of Jagannath Dasa. Though the

theme of the Sanskrit Bhagavata and that of Jagannath’s is same, still the self- style
of Jagannath Dasa has been reflected in it. He has deviated from the original one in
the number of volumes (Skandhas), chapters (Adhyayas) and verses (Slokas) too.
The Sanskrit Vagavata consists of twelve volumes or Skandhas while the Odia
Bhagavata is of thirteen Skandhas. Here Parikshita listens from Sukadeva about
‘Krishna Leela’ (Suka-Parikshita- Smbada). The first volume of Odia Bhagavata
deals with different incarnations of the God, the greatness of Bhagavata-nama and
kirttana, birth an accession of Parikshita to the throne and the composition of Srimad
Bhagavata by Vyasadeva.The second volume deals with the significance of Yoga,
devotion to the Bhagavata, theory of creation, the Virata-svarupa of the God and the
list of the devotees like Prahallada who attained salvation form the worldly bondage
taking refuge in Srikrishna. This volume also narrates the effects of Karma, Jnana
and the results of Jnana. The third volume describes briefly the sports of Srikrishna,
birth of Brahma and his meditation on the God etc. It also speaks regarding Bhakti-
Yoga - its practice and importance.
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The fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Skandhas of Odia Bhagavata
summarise the meditation of Dhruba on the God, the glory of the God, Sanatana
Dharma, salvation of Ajamila, Brahmacharya, Garhasthya and Banaprastha dharma
etc. The eighth and ninth Skandhas narrate mainly the Gajastuti, Saptamuni
Parichaya, Harischandra Charita etc.
The tenth and eleventh volumes are the most important in which much
stress has beenlaid on Bhakti. In tenth .Skandha Krishna’s Gopa Lila (child-hood
and sports), his Dvarika Lila and Rasalila (erotic sports with the Gopi - Milkmaids)
are found elaboration in which the supremacy of Bhakti has been established. The
eleventh volume contains the deep Vaishnavite philosophy and elucidates the
Bhagavata Dhama, the Jnanapodesa of God Krishna to Uddhava, the way of the
salvation of the self, the theory of Bhakti Yoga, Jnana- Yoga etc.
The last two volumes, ie. twelfth and thirteenth are the continuity of
Jaganntha Dasa’s Bhagavata but written by Mahadeva Dasa and Dvarika Dasa
respectively. Throughout the Bhagavata Jagannatha Dasa has tried veryoften to
identify God Jagannath with Srikrishna. The Odia Bhagavata besides its deep
philosophy of Jnana, karma and bhakti yoga, is the principal source of moral lessons
of royal duty and responsibility, obligation and humility of disciples and of human
idealism of the worldly men in the society.
Tulabhina is his creation. In it God Siva answers Parvati regarding many

deep philosophical ideas. In it we find ‘Pinda-Brahmanda Tattva’, the soul and
supreme soul, ‘Mahamantra Tattva’, the importance of chanting the name of Rama
etc.
Another work of Jagannath Dasa is Artha Koill, Here we find philosophical

discussion between God Krishna and Arjuna regarding ‘Jiva "‘Parama’, ‘Atma’ and
‘Paramatma’.
His Brahma Gitaand Darubrahma Gita are two other creations in which God
Krishna advises Arjuna regarding philosophy and five Pandava brothers before his
death respectively.
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Gupta Bhagavata is also a work of Jagannath Dasa. We find in it the birth
of Vyasa and Sukadeva, the theory of the creation of the world and the fruit of
twenty-four ‘Ekadasi, As all these hidden philosophy are contained in this book, its
name appears so.
Manasiksha is a very small book of Jagannath Dasa. It is a piece of

advices to the mind to attain salvation. As it is mainly meant to teach the mind, to
control it and restrain it, its name has been such.
Another book of Jagannath Dasa is Rasakrida. The scene on the river

bank of Yamuna has been depicted in it. The blowing of flute by God Krishna, the
coming of the sixteen thousand milk-maids, the selection of Vrindavati as his mate
by God Krishna and taking her to the deep forest, the pride in her mind, vanishing of
God Krishna, searching of Vrindavati by other milk-maids, the creation of sixteen
thousand Krishnas and the fulfilment of the desire of the milkmaids find place in it.
His Mruguni Stuti, a small piece of poem is known throughout Odisha.

Here a deer faces the hunter on the front, in the back there is fire and on the side
she faces dogs employed by the hunter. She prays to God who saves her from all
the impediments. At the last of this poem, the poet advises to all to pray God with
that devotion with which the deer had prayed.
The Gaja Siuti of Jagannath Dasa is a smal! poem of seven pages- It

speaks how a crocodile was thrown away by he waves of a sea on the sea-shore.
Finding it difficult to move on the land he addresses an elephant to take him to the
water addressing him as his friend. The elephant takes him with his trunk and by the
request of the crocodile goes deep in to the water where the latter tries to eat the
former. So, the elephant prays to God Krishna who Kills the crocodile by his ‘Chakra’
and saves his devotes the elephant.
Likewise, jagannath Dasa has composed Several works like Kali Malika,
Bhavisya Malika, Indra Malika, Rukmini Malika, Promoda Chintamani, Pata Parva,
Kaliya Dalana, Anakaraboli, Akruraboli, Bhakti Chandrika, Usa Parinaya, Gupta Gita,
Jnanasara Gita, Gundicha Vije, Dhruva Stuti, Dutibodha, Mala Nimaya, Diksha
Page | 19
Sambada and a host of writings. These Works are very Popular among the people of
Odisha.
ACHYUTANANDA DASA
Among the ‘Pancha Sakha’, Achyutananda was a great devotee of

Srichaitanya and preached Vaishnavism. He was born in or about A.D. 1482 at
Tilakana village on the river bank of Chitrotpaia in Cuttack district. His father was
Dinabandhu Khuntia and mother, Padmavati. Folk tale says that for a long time
Dinabandhu and Padmavati were issueless. They worshipped God Jagannath and
were told by Him that when they would visit Puri and see a boy in front of him, they
would get that boy as their son and thus born Achyutananda. In childhood,
Achyutananda had no interest for reading and a monk who came to the village
initiated him in a faith. After that Achyuta remained absent-minded and so his
parents took him to Puri where he accepted Vaishnavism by Srichitanya as his faith
and was asked by the latter to make a disciple of his own and to preach
Vaishnavism. Achyuta accepted Rama Das as his disciple and started pilgrimage.
He travelled Ramesvara, Chitrakuta, Gopa, Mathura, Vrindaban etc. and went to
Adhanga to meet Yasovanta where he was busy for seven days in a merry-go-round.
At last, he married Champavati, the daughter of king Raghuram of Adhanga.
Returning home, he was busy in his Creation of great works and preaching
Vaishnavism. At last he died saying his eisciples to keep his dead body at Nemala.
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[4] and this is a scholarly reason many study his writings. His poetry was often
cryptic about himself, and written in code or analogies. Mahapurusa Achyutananda
belonged to Gopal caste by birth.[5][6] His surname Dasa means servant of God.
Achyutananda was born in a village by the name Tilakana, [7] where two distributaries
of the Mahanadi, Luna (Labana Dhara) and Chitrotpala bifurcated, of Cuttack district
of Odisha, during the twenty first anka (year of region) of
the Gajapati (king) Purushottama Deva. This is thought to be somewhere between
1480 and 1505 by different scholars. His 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
Page | 20
the Jagannath Temple, Puri. He was born after his mother prayed at the pillar in front
of the Jagannath Temple, and his father had a dream that the divine
bird Garuda 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.
Achyutananda had a formal education in Puri. It is agreed by most texts that, like
many contemporaries, he met Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu 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 (which means Bengali Vaishnavism). He became the
youngest of the 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 philosophy, spiritualism and literature of Odisha.
Two important factors set the Panchasakhas apart from other Indian Hindu Saints.
They were the first to take the Hindu Sanskrit 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 in the mid-15th century, followed by
Balarama Dasa's Jagamohana Ramayana, Jagannath Dasa's Bhagavata Purana,
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's Viśiṣṭādvaita philosophy (11th
century), nor does it adhere to orthodox Gaudiya Vaishnavism created in the 16th
century Bengal. Other scholars, such as Prabhat Mukerjee, have denied these
claims supporting the different varieties of Vaishnava philosophy. [9] Scholars debate
the influence of the Panchasakha from the original Vaishnava Agama (Pancharatras)
while others source their ideas in Sahajayana Buddhism, and
the Natha sampradaya. Both the Sahajayana Buddhists and the Panchasakha
worshipped the image of Jagannatha as the Buddha,[10] though the Panchasakhas
Page | 21
saw Jagannatha as an incarnation of Vishnu as seen in the Dasāvatara image on the
main mantel of the Jagannatha Temple.
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, even Muslims.
At the time of Shri Chaitanya, his followers who came from Nadia,
called later as Gaudiya, 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.
Mahapurusa Achyutananda Dasa
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His works
Achyutananda Das is a medieval odia poet, and one of the Panchasakhas. The year
of his birth is generally placed between 1460 to 1512. According to S.N. Das, it is
1489. Achyutananda was the son of Dinabandhu of village Tilakana in Cuttack
district, belonging to ‘Aho’ family designated by some as ‘Karana’ and others as
‘Gopala’. Dinabandhu was an officer of Prataparudradeva and got the designation of
‘khuntia’, signifying his work of supplying dresses and other articles of decoration to
the deities at Jagannath, temple.
His grandfather Gopinatha was also an official under the king. Achyuta’s mother,
Padmavati was a princess of a royal family. Dinabandhu,childless for a long time,
dedicated himself to Lord Jagannatha and was blessed with the son Achyuta.
His childhood was quite mysterious. He was always unmindful and some times
stared at things like an idiot. He began studies at the age of five but was quite an
indifferent student. His father, being much worried finally took him to Puri where he
came in contact with Srichaitanya and was much delighted by his kirtan. He was
then initiated by Sanatana Gosvami at the instance of Srichaitanya.
Achyutanand, on Guru’s instruction, travelled to, different places to propagate the

doctrine of Jnanamisra bhakti. Then he joined Balarama, Jagannatha, Yasovanta
and Ananta and was recognised as one among the Five Associates. Traditions
believe that Achyutananda had visited the whole of India and during his itinerary he
established his abode (hemitage) at Majjhikhanda or Akhandachala very close to the
Maninaga hill in the state of Ranapur. Achyutananda composed odia
Bhagavatalahari Harivamsa under the patronage of Padmanabha Narendra, the king
of Ranapur.
Achyuta still remains as the patron-saint of millions of Gopalas (cowherds), for whom
he wrote a series of ‘Ogalas’ (Riddles for the cowherds).He wrote 36 samhitas, 78
gitas, 27 vamsanucharitas, besides 7 volumes of Harivamsa, 22 Upavamsas,100
malikeas, some koilis, some chautisas, tikas, vilasas, nirnayas, ogalas and bhajanas
depicting the excellence of Srikrishna. Many of his books have not yet been printed.
But his works like Bhagavatalahari Harivamsa, Sunyasamhita, Grurubhakti Gita,
Anakara Samhita, Paramagupta Gita, Anantagoi, Ogala,Agata Bhavisya,
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Sisuvedasaptanga, Anakara Brahmayantra, Ekakshare Samhita and others have
been greatly appreciated by the critics and the general readers.
He exceeded all the ‘Sakhas’ in his creation. He writes that he was the author of
thirty-six ‘Samhitas’ seventy-eight ‘Gitas’, Twinty seven Vansanucharitas, twenty two
Upavansanucharitas, one hundred ‘Bhavisyamalikas’ etc. Among his creations, the
most popular work among the Odias even today is Harivamsa. This is not the exact
reproduction of its Sanskrit counterpart. The characters and places are also changed
according to the situation. It starts with the birth of Nanda, Kamsa, Srikrishna, the
boy-hood of God Krishna, the birth of Meru-mountain, the killing of different demons
like Aghasura, Bakasura, Yamalasura etc. It also includes the episodes like ‘Kaliya
Dalana’, ‘Kubuja Mokshaprapti’, ‘Rukmini Harana’, the marriage of Srikrishna with
Satyavati, Kamala and Tulasi, the sending of Uddhava by Srikrishna for the Gopis,
‘Subhadra Parinaya’, ‘Kokuabhaya’ to destroy the Yadu clan and at last the death of
God Krishna by Yara the hunter etc. Its simple and lucid description enchants the
people even now.
Sunya Samhita is another creation of civ ulananda. It Speaks about the

Worship of formless Almighty. In the first part, he attaches yupenance in chanting the
‘Nama’ of God. Then he speaks the importance of ‘Guru’ by which true knowledge
can be Obtained and salvation can be achieved. He has taken the mantra ‘Hare
Rama Hare Krishna’ as ‘Maha Mantra’ and describes its meanings which are very
difficult on the part of common men to follow. The book mainly depicts the
importance of Sunyavada, Sunya-Sadhana and we find the use of such words like
Alekha, Niranjana, Sunya, Mahasunya etc,
Gopala Ugala is a very popular creation of Achyutananda. Its language is

very simple because it is meant for the milkmen. It has .been composed in a very
chit-chat manner. It describes about Radha-Krishna, flute, stick and rope, Vrindavan,
the hom of buffallo, the feathers of peacock, plucking of flower etc. During the period
of ‘Dola Purnima’, the milkmen of the villages of Odisha chant these simple theories
in the form of songs while filling up their pitchers with water.
Ananta Goi or Agata Bhavisya is another work of Achyuta full of

Philosophical teachings. It speaks different perverted aspects of ‘Kali Yuga’.
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In Biprachalaka, which was probably the creation of Achyuta in his youth-
hood is an anthology if questions and answers between the Brahmins and him. Here
he advises them to follow the formless God (Nirakara).
Achyutananda’s Anakara Samhita is an important work on the valuable

doctrines on Anakara Tattva, theory of ‘Nama’ and its sublimity. It is difficult to be
understood by the common man.
His Chauraasi Yantra is a book based on tantra-system, with eighty-four

figures of different yantras inside the body. He narrates the importance of each one
of them in uplifting the physical and moral standards of men.
Bhavanabara is a small creation of the poet. Here the best thinkings of

the poet find place. Though it appears difficult from its name but the thinkings that
find place in it are very simple and easy to follow.
Tattvaboahini is another philosophical treatise of Achyutananda. Here

different theories relating to 'Sunya’, ‘Omkara’, ‘Ardhamatra ‘ Panchaveda’,
‘Panchabhuta’ etc. find place. Here he further discusses that human life is not
permanent. It is just like the bubble of the water. It is too difficult to attain salvation by
Yoga. So, it is indispensable on the part of human beings to chant the ‘Name’ and
obtain salvation.
His Gurubhakti Gita is a master-piece of his creations. Here he discusses

the traditions relating to the relationship between teacher and student. He also
discusses how he is the milkmen, how he has sixteen thousand disciples (who were
sixteen thousand milk-maids in the past). Here he also discusses about $ri
Chaitanya, Ramananda, Vishnusvami, Madhavacharya and Mimbarka.
Among his other creations, Astagujjart, Brahmasankuli, Anakara Samhita,

Akalita Samhita, Amara-Jamara Samhita, Sabdabrahma Samhit, Manivarana Gita,
Manibandha Gita, Garuda Gita, Janapradipa, Sunya Gita, Kaliyuga Gita, Kali Kalpa
Gita, Adilia Gita, Avada Samhita, Dasa Patala, Udaya Kahani, Nirghanta Sabda,
Nitya Rahasa, Varuna Charita, Sarasvata Malika etc. are important.
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YASOBANTA DASA
Among the ‘Pancha Sakha’, Yasobanta Dasa was a great Yogi who had
attained ‘siddhi’. He was born at Adhangagarh near Jagatsingpur. His father was
Jagannath Mallick and mother Rekha Devi. He left home in his boy-hood at the age
of twelve and travelled deferent pilgrimages of our country. He was initiated to
Vaishnava faith by Srichaitanya at Puri. Then he returned Adhanga and married
Anjanadevi, the sister of Raghuram, the then zamindar of Adhanga who built a math
for him there. His life was also full of miracles liks Jagannatha Dasa and Balarama
Dasa. He breathed his last at Adhanga and till now the math is being regulated by
the successors of Yasobanta. Early life of Jasobanta is mainly sourced from the
work Jasobanta Dasanka Chaurashi Agyan (Eighty-four arts of Jasobanta Dasa) by
one of his disciples Sudarshan Das.[5] He was born at village Adhanga,
Jagatsinghpur, part of undivided Cuttack District. His father's name was Jagu Mallika
and his mother's name was Rekha Dei.[5] He came to Puri by the inspiration of Sri
Chaitanya. He got initiated into Vaishnavism during Srichaitanya's stay in Puri.
Rupa Gosain, image of Jasobanta
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His works
Among his creations Siba Svorodaya deserves special mention. This is

a philosophical treatise - a dialogue between God Siva and Parvati. It contains
theories like the importance of pulse, the knowledge regarding pulse, the praise of
Voice (Svara), seduction of woman, the theories of different air (Pranadi Vayu).
Premabhaktibrahma Gita is another creation of the poet. Here we find a

perfect blend between love and Devotion. Regarding the importance of love, he
describes the theory of the creation of the world, the creation of Sri Radha and Sri
Krishna, the love and bondage between them etc. Likewise, he express the
importance of Devotion, the idea of the formless God, the creation of Yoga-maya,
the tattva of Pinda and Brahmanda and the importance of Purusottama Kshetra, i.e.
Puri.
The work Govinda Chandra of the poet is a very popular one. After
knowing that Govinda Chandra, the king of Vanga will live for a short time, his
mother Muktadevi advises him to be a monk. Govinda becomes the disciple of
Hadipa - a great Yogi. By his advice, Govinda knows the reality of life and attains
salvation. It became so popular among the Odias that it was translated into more
simple Odia language and bore the name Tika Govinda Chandra. It became the
means for earning livelihood for the Yogis. Even now the Yogis (beggars, who ask
for alms by singing) move door to door by blowing ‘Kendara’ and singing the verses
of Tika Govinda Chandra to beg alms.
Chaurasi Ajna is another controversial work created by Yasobanta Dasa. Pandit

Surya Narayan Das thinks that it has been composed by Yasovanta. It is debate that
there are two Chaurasi Ajna in Odisha - one by Sudarsan Das and another by
Yasobanta. Bansidhar Mohanty speaks that it was composed by Sudrsan Das, the
disciple of Yasobanta. In it eighty-four codes regarding human conduct have been
described.
Atma Parache Gita is his creation. We find in it the description about the
poet ‘Guruvada’ - the theory of Jnana, the ways to realise self, the presence of
‘Brahman inside human body etc.
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Adhangagada Malika is a small book of Yasobanta Dasa. The
descriptions We find in it is of question-answer type between Garuda and God
Balarama. Here the description regarding the future happenings find place. Though
its language Is simple but it is not popular among the Odia due to some unbelievable
descriptions.
Among the philosophical creations of the poet, Rasa deserves special

Mention. It is a very small book but it exhibits high philosophical thinking. It describes
about the practice of meditation (Yoga and samadhi). To the poet this human body is
a Ground where always play Radha and Krishna. So, it is indispensable to mediatate
upon them and to know their real identity for attaining salvation.
Mantraboli- a small book was also the creation of Yasobanta. This is written
in form of a dialogue between Yasobanta and his disciple Loi. Here we find the
context of Brahmajnana, four Vaishnavacharya, the mantras of Ananta, Achyuta,
Jagannatha and Yasobanta. It was meant to popularise Vaishnavism. :
Yantraboli is his another religious work that speaks of different ‘Chakras’ -

like Navi Chakra, Linga Chakra, Guhya Chakra, Hrudaya Chakra, Kantha Chakra
and Lalata Chakra. However, this book is a controversial one. Krushna Charan Sahu
opines that its author was Sudra Yasobanta of Eighteenth Century.
His Banabhojiboli is a small book written in a very simple language, it

describes how the milk-maids who have gone to Mathura have been offended by the
Brahmins for taking the name of God Krishna. However, the Brahmanas Purchased
all the curd. It also speaks how one day God Krishna comes to the forest with his
friends and by his instruction when they go to beg alms, the Brahmanis come with
varieties of food and seeing God Krishna fulfil their desire. This shows the
transformation in the Brahmanas.
Besides, Yasobanta’s Divyadehi, Bhajana Sara, Bagha Leela, Dhana

Chori etc. are famous in Odia literature. Of course, these works are Not very popular
among the people of Odisha.
Page | 28
ANANTA DASA
Last but no least among the ‘Pancha Sakha’ was Ananta Dasa. He is
farnous asSisu Ananta’ because he was the founder of ‘Sisu Sect’,. He was born in
AD. 1486 or 1493 at Balipatna in Puri district. His father was Kapila Mohanty and
Mother, Gauri. He was residing at Khandagiri and folktale speaks that he went to
Konark and accepted Vaisnavism form Sri Chaitanya. He was the creator of ‘Sisu
Vaishnava Sampradaya’ and during his period and after his death his disciples were
famous as ‘ Sisu VBaishnava’. Not much is known about his early life. Some of the
later writers have mentioned his parentage. Ananta was born Ananta Mohanty in
Balipatana village, his father's name was Kapila Mohanty who had received the title
"Mahapatra" and belonged to Karana community. He was one of the chief saints of
Utkaliya Vaishnavism and propagator of the Sisu sampradaya.
Mahapurusa_Sishu_Ananta
Page | 29
His works
India is the holy place of worshipping different gods. And Hinduism is not just a
religion, it's dharma itself. We have four abodes (char dhams) in India- Badrinath,
Rameswaram, Dwarka, Puri. It is believed if a person visits all of these sites once in
his/her lifetime, then he/she can achieve moksha. Among these char dhams, Puri is
one of the pilgrimage sites in Odisha where Lord Vishnu is worshipped as
Jagannath, which is his avatar in Kal-Yug.
The importance of this article is not just about Puri, but a saint (Lord)
called Sri Ananta Das known as Sisu Ananta who achieved the consciousness of
Lord Vishnu (Jagannath) with his Bhakti and Devotion. Sisu Ananta is one of the
Panchasakhas (Balaram Das, Achyutananda Das, Jagannath Das, Yasobanta Das,
Sri Ananta Das) from Odisha who has showed that true Bhakti and devotion is the
only way for achieving Moksha and God. He was born in Balipatna village near
Bhubaneswar, Odisha in 1488. Son of Kapila and Goura Devi, Sisu Ananta is not
only a saint or devotee of Lord Jagannath, but he is also worshipped as a God in his
math (Ashram) in Balipatna. One day in his dream, he was asked by Surya Narayan
in Konark to go and meet Chaitanya. So he approached Chaitanya and took Diksha
initiation from Nityananda Prabhu. Sisu Ananta Das resided in the Khandagiri area
which is now known as Gadi Tapovana Ashram today. Because of his sadhana and
devotion, he achieved mystic powers through which he would often change his form
as a child. So, he is known as Sisu Ananta. In this form, he became the adopted son
of the wife of king Prataparudra. It is believed that he found a Jagannath Murti or
Patita Pavan in Balipatna Ashram. His main disciples were Barang Das, Hamsa Das,
and Sisu Das.
Sri Ananta Das, composed many devotional literatures like Chumbaka
malika, Nilagiri charita, Hetu Udaya Bhagabata, Artha Tareni Prasnottara, Anakāra
Samhitā, Bhaktimuktipradayaka Geeta etc. In Udaya Bhagabata, he describes Lord
Jagannath as combination of Sri Krishna and Radha. Ananta Dasa was also an
exponent of the Bhakti or Pure devotion towards The Lord. He asks his devotees to
submit their mind and soul to God like a wife submits herself to her husband. In this
way of Bhakti and devotion, he achieved consciousness of the supreme God,
Vishnu. Today, many do not know his contribution to devotional literature and Lord
Jagannath's culture. Due to lack of interest, these important contributions as going
Page | 30
away from our culture and society. But this short description might help in creating
awareness among people.
Among his creations, Hetu Udaya Bhagavata finds Special mention. Here he
speaks about the importance of Guru, the theory of creation, Pinda-Brahmanda etc,
The tinge of Buddhism is discemable in it. The poet speaks that Jagannath is
Buddha. The work also speaks that transformation of king Krutasena to ‘Abadhuta’
by the initiation of Guru Gorekhanath. In form of dialogue between the Guru and
disciple, the cult of Love of the Vaisanava of Odisha has been amply reflected.
Garuda Kesaba Chautisa is a nice creation of the poet. In order to know regarding
the happenings of ‘Kali Yuga’ Garuda asks certain questions to God Vishnu which he
answers. In it God Vishnu Speaks about the Somavamsi dynasty, Ganga dynasty.
Suryavamsi dynasty and Bhoi dynasty, the events of the period and the conditions of
the subjects. His Ude Bakhara is just like Garuda Kesaba Chautisa. The fact of the
former is same as of the latter but the two incarnations of God Vishnu, i.e. Buddha
and Kalki, find mention in it. At the end of the book, the poet advises the listeners to
be well and good and to follow the religious path. Besides, other works of the poet
include Thikabakhara, Chumbaka Malika, Anakara Sabda, Bhavisya Purana,
Padmavanarasa, Sisumantra Vichara, Vaishnava Purana, Dhama Chhatra etc.
Chapter-4
Page | 31
Role of Panchasakha in the Socio-Religious life of the people of
Odisha
Odisha displayed remarkable socio-religious harmony through the different

times of her history. Right from the ancient period, Odisha, assumed to be a melting
point of different religions and cultures. By the time when the Muslims started ruling
over Odisha, Jainism, Buddhism, Sakti worship, Sun worship, Saivism and
Vaishnavism all mingled together to influence the religious life of the people. This
has been reflected in the social habits, food, dress and ornaments; and dance, music
and festivals. A resume of such a socio-religious harmony was displayed in the
period of Panchasakha. Odisha in the medieval period marks an era with the past in
respect of the evolution of society. The Hindus gradually accommodated the
newcomers viz., the Muslims and they became parts of Odishan society. The
absence of racial conflicts exhibits the better social and religious understanding of
the people belonging to all the segments of medieval Odisha. Introduction The bhakti
movement influenced the whole country at different times, and had a definite impact
not only on religious doctrines, rituals, values and popular beliefs, but on arts, culture
and the state systems as well. The social protest and popular movement in medieval
Orissa not only had a close bearing on the bhakti movement, it influenced almost the
entire body of the contemporary society and culture. In this article, there is an
attempt to discuss the role of Panchasakhas in Odia culture. Their influence on the
ruling class of contemporary period has also been noticed. Numerous social
changes that appeared in medieval Orissa like the growth of education and moral
upliftment with the emergence of the Bhagavata Ghara, development of Pala, goti-
pua dances, performance of suangas and organisation of Dola Yatra bear the
unmistakable marks. When Hindu religion was full of dogmas, superstitions and
rituals and when the caste rigidity, the system of untouchability became unbearable,
during that period (1470-1550 A.D) there flourished a band of five comrades
generally known as Panchasakha in Odisha and they were Balaram Das, Jagannath
Das, Ananta Das, Jasobanta Das and Achyutananda Das. 1 By 1510, a great Bhakti
philosopher Sri Chaitanya from Nabadvipa of Bengal visited Puri with the Vaishnava
message of love and settled there till 1533 A.D. 2 Sri Chaitanya was closely
associated with the Panchasakhas and other Odia followers during his long stay in
Puri. It is evident from the MadalapanJi3 and different writings of Achyutananda
Page | 32
Dasa4 and Sudarshan Dasa5 that the panchasakhas participated in the sankirtan of
SriChaitanya. He introduced the Nagara Sankirtana where there were no
discriminations based on caste or social class, and the songs of the kirtanas were
not only in classical Sanskrit but also in the popular languages such as Bengali and
Oriya, encouraging ordinary and low-caste people to participate more directly.
Chaitanya also accepted low-caste people as his followers, embraced fishermen and
honored “ex-Muslim” devotees such as Haridasa, Rupa and Sanatana etc. So the
Panchasakha were deeply influenced by Sri Chaitanya. They followed the path of
Bhakti adopting mantra, tantra and yantra in their sadhana; they manifested mystic
power and could change their body into different forms. Chaitanya has referred to
these five friends as Panchasakha and stated that the Panchasakha are like Pancha
Atma, i.e., five souls (Atma- Tattva) and are in no way lesser than Avataars of
Vishnu. However, there is an interesting belief about the origin of Panchasakha
which relates them to the Mahabharata in the Dwapara-Yuga, and is also stated in
Shunya Samhita written by Mahapurusha Achyutananda. Here, Mahapurusha
describes Panchasakha literally meaning „five mates or friends‟. Towards the end of
Mahabharat era when Lord Krishna was leaving the mortal body, Nilakantheswara
Mahadeva appeared and had a conversation with Lord Krishna. He revealed that the
Lord‟s companions Dama, Sudama, Srivatsa, Subala, and Subahu would
reincarnate in the Kali-Yuga and will be known as Ananta, Acyutananda,
Jagannatha, Balarama and Yasovanta, respectively. Thus, the believers of the
Panchasakha consider that these five saints were the most intimate friends of Lord
Krishna in DwaparaYuga, who came again in Kali-Yuga to serve Him. Shri Chaitanya
was the first to establish the Bhaaba-Mishrita Naama Marga (the path of chanting the
holy name with proper feelings and faith). He first introduced this method for all the
simpleminded people and made many realize that God- realization can also be
achieved by simpler method of pure devotion without undergoing difficult method of
austerities. It is he who first disclosed the importance of the Mahaa Mantra Hare
Krisna Hare Krisna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama
Hare Hare! Like the Puranas and Tantric texts, the Panchasakha literature also
abounds with it. They were the first to take the Hindu Sanskrit texts into the reach of
the common people, by translating them into the local language, Odia. This was first
done by Sarala Dasa‟s translation of the Mahabharata in the mid-fifteenth century,
followed by Balarama Dasa‟s Jagamohan Ramayana, Jagannath Dasa‟s Bhagabat
Page | 33
Purana, and Acyutananda Dasa‟s Harivamsa. The second aspect is their form of
Odia Vaisnavism, which sees God as the‟ Shunya Purusha‟ and the nature of the
soul as being able to merge into the Absolute. According to the Panchasakhas, Lord
Jagannath is the „PurnaBrahma‟, 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 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 Vaisnava,
even Muslims. Chaitanya‟s path of devotion was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga,
but the Panchasakhas differed from Chaitanya and believed in Gyana Mishrita
Bhakti Marga. The Panchasakha converted ancient Hindu texts into prose (of simple
language) easily understandable by the people of Udra Desha (Odisha). The
Panchasakhas believed in a concept of God as Sunya (emptiness, void, zero) called
Shunya Purusha or Shunya Brahman. This Shunya signifies a transcendental
principle that eludes the conceptual nexus applied to human thinking as described in
the Upanishads. The Panchasakhas project the deity Jagannath as the embodiment
of the Shunya Purusha.
Chapter-5
Page | 34
Contribution to odia literature
Five notable Odia poets emerged during the late 15th and early 16th
centuries: Balarama Dasa, Atibadi Jagannath Das, Achyutananda Das, Ananta
Dasa, and Jasobanta Dasa. Although their works spanned over one hundred years,
they are collectively known as the "Panchasakhas", since they adhered to the
Utkaliya Vaishnavism school of thought. The word pancha means five, while the
word sakha means friend.
The Panchasakhas were Vaishnavas by faith. In 1509, Shri Chaitanya came to

Odisha carrying his Vaishnava message of love. Before him, Jaydev had prepared
the ground for Vaishnavism through his Gita Govinda. Chaitanya's path of devotion
was known as Raganuga Bhakti Marga. He introduced chanting as a way to form a
spiritual connection and taught the importance of Hare Krishna mantras. Unlike
Chaitanya, the Panchasakhas believed in Gyana Mishra Bhakti Marga, similar to the
Buddhist philosophy of Charya literature.
The Panchasakhas were significant because of their poetry and their spiritual legacy.
In the holy land of Kalinga (Odisha) saints, mystics, and devotional souls were born,
fortifying its culture and spiritualism. The area uniquely includes temples
of Shakti, Shiva and Jagannatha Vishnu. Rituals and traditions were sustained by
various seers – including Buddhist ceremonies, Devi "Tantra" (tantric rituals for
Shakti), Shaiva Marg and Vaishnava Marg.
The origin of the Panchasakhas were described in Achyutananda's Shunya

Samhita. As per his narration, towards the end of Mahabharat when
Lord Krishna was leaving his mortal body, Nilakantheswara Mahadeva appeared and
revealed to him that the Lord's companions Dama, Sudama, Srivatsa, Subala, and
Subahu would reincarnate in the Kali Yuga and be known as Ananta, Acyutananda,
Jagannatha, Balarama and Yasovanta, respectively. Thus, believers in the
Panchasakha consider them to be the most intimate friends of Lord Krishna
in Dvapara Yuga, who came again in Kali Yuga to serve him. They are instrumental
in performing the crucial and much-awaited Yuga-Karma, where they destroy the
sinners and save the saints, according to Sanatana-Hindu beliefs.
Balaram Das's Jagamohana Ramayana provided one pillar, along with Sarala-
Das's Mahabharata, upon which subsequent Odia literature was built. His Lakshmi
Page | 35
Purana is considered the first manifesto of women's liberation or feminism in Indian
literature. His other major works are Gita Abakasa, Bhava samudra, Gupta Gita,
Vedanta Sara, Mriguni Stuti, Saptanga Yogasara Tika, Vedanta Sara or Brahma
Tika, Baula Gai gita, Kamala Lochana Chotisa, Kanta Koili, Bedha Parikrama,
Brahma Gita, Brahmanda Bhugola, Vajra Kavacha, Jnana Chudamani, Virata Gita,
Ganesha Vibhuti, and Amarakosha Gita.
The most influential work of this period was Atibadi Jagannath Das's Bhagabata,
which had a great influence on the Odia people as a day-to-day philosophical guide,
as well as a lasting one in Odia culture. His other works include Gupta Bhagavat,
Tula vina, Sola Chapadi, Chari Chapadi, Tola Bena, Daru Brahma Gita, Diksa
Samyad, Artha Koili, Muguni Stuti, Annamaya Kundali, Goloka Sarodhara, Bhakti
Chandrika, Kali Malika, Indra Malika, Niladri Vilasa, Nitya Gupta Chintamani, Sri
Krishna Bhakti Kalpa Lata.
Shishu Ananta Das was born in Balipatana near Bhubaneswar in the late 15th
century. He wrote Bhakti mukti daya gita, Sisu Deva gita, Artha
tarani, Udebhakara, Tirabhakana, a Malika and several bhajan poetries.
Yashobanta Das was the composer of Govinda Chandra (a ballad or Gatha-

Sangeeta), Premabhakti, Brahma Gita, Shiva Swarodaya, Sasti mala, Brahma gita,
Atma pariche gita, a Malika and several bhajans.
Mahapurusha Achyutananda is the most prolific writer of the Panchasakhas. He is

believed to have been born through special divine intervention from Lord Jagannath.
The name Achyuta literally means "created from Lord Vishnu". He is also referred to
as "Achyuti", i.e. "He who has no fall" in Odia. He was born to Dinabandhu Khuntia &
Padma Devi in Tilakona, Nemal around 1485 AD. He established spiritual energetic
centers called "gadis" across east India (in the former states of Anga, Banga,
Kalinga, Magadha) and Nepal. Gadis such as Nemal, Kakatpur, Garoi, and Jobra
Ghat were places for spiritual action, discourse and penance. He was learned
in Ayurveda, sciences and social regulations. His works are Harivamsa,
Chapter-6
Page | 36
Impact of the Panchasakha Period
Although the social, economic and political condition remained more or

less same, however, religion underwent a good deal of change in the ‘Panchasakha’
period. At the advent of ‘Panchasakha’ period Odisha was passing through an
impact of heterogeneous religious forces like Buddhism, Saivism, Tantrism and God
Jagannath was on the way of evolution to a Vaishnavite God. The Panchasakhas
preached the theory of Void' (Sunya Vada). In that discussed Pinda-Brahmanda
theory. It means body was the universe.
Odisi Vaishnavism
The 'Panchasakha' through their literary products contributed a lot to the

Odia literature and Odisi Vaishnavism. The religious background of Odisha in the
unity, belief in oneness of God and idea of universal brotherhood arising out of the
Bhakti-movement prevailing in India. The 'Panchasakha' though believed in 'nama-
tattva' (the theory of Chanting name), pinda-brahmanda tattva' (the theory of body
and world) and 'sristi-tattva' (the theory of cosmology), they also attached importance
to the doctrine Jnana misra Bhakti (devotion allied to knowledge).
Chapter-7
Page | 37
Bhakti Movement
The impact of Bhakti-movement and the spread of Suddha-Bhakti or pure

devotion with the coming of Sri Chaitanya to Odisha in 1510 A. D, had deeply moved
the ‘Panchasakha’ to accept devotion or Bhaki/ as an unavoidable trait Of their
doctrine to reach the spiritual destination. Balarama Dasa, a strong believer of Jnana
had advocated the cause of Bhakti as the main way of spiritual attainment. He
advised the devotees to love the God like a beloved with 'Radha-bhava’ which is
identified as ‘Prema-bhakti’. Atibadi Jagannath Dasa narrated in his Bhagavata and
Nityaniladri Vilasa the greatness of Bhakti based on Gopibhava for God Krishna.
Achyutananda, though a strict doctrinaire of Yoga, Yantra, Mantra etc. had described
Jnana and Bhakti as two wings of a bird, inseparable from each other. Likewise
Ananta and Achyuta also believed in Bhaktimarge as is apparent from their literature.
Vaishnavism in Odisha existed as an ancient religion as is evident from the

Worship of different forms of Vishnu. The ‘Panchasakha’ popularised it and made it
Ganadharma (the religion of the mass). Vaishnava cult was no more the monopoly of
the Brahmins who were well-versed in Sanskrit. The ‘Panchasakha’, through their
literature contributed a lot for the spread and popularisation of Vaishnavism and
made it accessible to all, irrespective of caste, creed, wealth and knowledge. They
as pointed out earlier opposed caste-system tooth and nail and paved the way for
the creation of a healthy society and fusion of all the religions in a single faith. i.e. the
Jagannath consciousness.
Vaishnavism in Odisha has centred round God Jagannath. Jagannath in a

systematic process of the amalagamation aboriginal, Jaina, Buddhist, Saivite, Saktas
and Tantric elements gradually turned into a Vaisnavite God. As stated earlier,
Sarala and the ‘Panchasakha’ all sang the glory of God Jagannath in no uncertain
terms. In their descriptions they highlighted the importance of Purusottama-kshetra
or Puri which became the centre of all religious practices and the place for all to
attain salvation.
Chapter-8
Page | 38
Conclusion
One could not think of socio-cultural life of Medieval Orissa without
Panchaskha of 16 century A D The age of Panchasakha is a significant landmark m
the cultural history of Orissa They gave a new colour to Oriya literature by
consolidating the solid literary and linguistic foundation laid by Sarala Dasa They
revolted against the Sanskrit supremacy and monopoly of Brahmins over scriptures
They translated the unattainable and inaccessible knowledge of Hindu scriptures
(written m Sanskrit) into simplified language of the people Thereby, they educated
the people of Orissa irrespective of caste and creed and created joy, awe and
devotion in the hearts of the common people On the other hand, they raised their
voice against the conservative and orthodox social systems of the epoch In spite of
their close relationship with Sri Chaitanya and their acceptance of bhakti bhava and
Radha-Krishna idea from his teaching, they stuck to their own ideology and
philosophy Their religious oriented writings, like ‘Lakshmi Purana’, ‘Oriya
Bhagavata’, ‘Oriya Ramayana’, ‘Harivamsa’. ‘Govind Chandra Gita’ and so many
others have become the dearest possession of Oriya people, have influenced
Orissan society, religion, literature and ethical values and regulated the moral
attitude of the people for centuries.
A number of studies have been earned out about Panchasakha in the field
of Oriya literature But very few studies have been conducted regarding them from
the historical point of view These studies are mainly confined to the literature,
individual study of five comrades and their reformatory zeal ‘Oriya Bhagavata’ of
Jagannath Dasa and its impact on socio-cultural life of Orissa has been studied m a
larger perspective The present work has striven its best to make an m-depth study of
the life of Panchasakha, their literature, religion, reformatory zeal and above all their
contributions and impact of then reformatory religious writings on the then socio-
cultural life of Orissa for generations to come But before the far reaching and
magnanimous contributions of the Panchasakha to the life of the Oriya people, the
present work purports to exhaustively deal with these vital micro-empirical issues for
final macro-structural perspectives.
The society of Orissa before the Panchasakha period was very healthy,
peaceful, settled and organized There was no difference m the life style of the
Page | 39
people as it is today m the rural life of Orissa The Kings of Orissa adopted an
eclectic religious policy As a result, people were deeply religious and tolerant to
various sects, like Saivism, Saktism, Buddhism, Tantricism, etc But Vaisnavism was
the state religion and Lord Jagannath was regarded as the State deity There was no
system of mass education The Brahminical Sanskrit learning was confined to the
elite section of the community But after the writing of ‘Oriya Mahabharata’ by
Sudramani Sarala Das, Oriya script and language was developed as a common
man’s expression.
'Malta ’ Balarama Dasa, 'Atibadi ’ Jagannath Dasa, Mahapurusa

Achyutananda Dasa, ‘Sisu ’ Ananta Dasa and Mahapurusa Jashovanta Dasa are
generally known as Panchasakha or the Five Comrades in the religious history of
Orissa They were saint poets, philosophers and also religious reformers They were
also the main architects of Oriya language and literature, preceding Sarala Dasa
There is still controversy regarding their birth, death, parentage and place of living
But they contributed a vast body of religious literature m the Onya language,
presenting an assertive stance against classical Sanskrit They translated sacred
books of the Hindus to Oriya language by which the common people of Orissa
irrespective of caste and creed could get the knowledge of Hindu scriptures.
The Oriya religious cum spiritual classics, such as ‘Oriya Ramayana’, ‘Oriya
Bhagavata’, ‘Harivamsa’, ‘Hetu Udaya Bhagavata’, ‘Govinda Chandra Gita’, ‘Sunya
Samhita’, ‘Gurubhakti Gita’, ‘Brahmanda Bhugola’, ‘Vendantasara Gupta Gita’,
‘Malikas’ and ‘bhajanas’ are some of the most important writings of Panchasakha
Through their writings, they protested against Brahminical supremacy over
scriptures, rigidities in the temples, caste-discrimination and externality in spiritual life
They opened the door of their philosophy to all, irrespective of caste, creed, position
and birth By the recitation of writing of ‘Bhagavata Gita’, in the form of Oriya
Chhandas, Balarama Dasa smashed two myths one was that only Brahmins were
able to interpret the scriptures and the second was that it was not necessary that the
scriptures could be only m Sanskrit language. They could be expressed m the very
language of the people and against opposition from the classical pandits.
Page | 40
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Page | 44

Panchasakha

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Chapter-1

There is an interesting belief about the origin of Panchasakha which relates

Yasovanta knows the things beyond the reach

Yantras using lines and figures are known to Ananta

Achyuta speaks the past, present, and future

Balarâma Dasa is fluent in tatwa (ultimate gist of anything)

These five friends are my five mahantas.

The birth/origin of the Achyutananda is described as:

!! Shunyaru khasilaa Pavane misilaa, anaakare helaa thula !!

!! Thula bhangigale athule misiba, rahijiba anaahata !!

“Mahapurusha Achyutananda”, is belived to have been born with special mercy or

Mahapurusha Achyutananda had established various spiritual energetic centres

Although the social, economic and political condition remained more or

The 'Panchasakha' through their literary products contributed a lot to the

Brief History of Odisha

The history of Odisha begins in the Lower Paleolithic era,

 Kalinga: According to some scriptures (Mahabharata and some Puranas), a king

 Oddiyana: Oddiyana, mentioned in some Buddhist texts, according to some scholars

 Kamala Mandala: Literally "lotus region", a c. 13th-century inscription found

 Odivissa: A name used in some Buddhist texts, including in those by Taranatha.

Statue of Balarama Dasa at Erabanga, his native place

Balarama Das, the poet-composer of Jagamohan Ramayana was a contemporary

An exaggerated account of the poet’s devotion to Jagannatha can be seen along

Madhaba Pattanaik, most likely a younger contemporary of Balarama, in his

According to another 17th century work, the Chaitanya Bhagavata (a biography of

Chaitanya initiated him in the ‘Ramataraka Paramabrahma’. Elsewhere he says that

According to a local tradition reported by Jagabandhu Singh in his Prachina Utkal, in

In the nearby village, Erabanga, there is a Jagannatha temple, which it is believed

Among his creations Jagamohana Ramayana or Dandi Ramayana or Dakshini

His Bhava Samudra is an epic poem full of devotion. It speaks how

Lakshmi Purana of Balarama Dasa is famous in the nook and corner of

Baula Adhyaya is a small creation of Balaram Dasa. It speaks how a cow

Vedantasara Gupta Gita of Balarama Dasa is a critical work based on the

Another outstanding work of Balarama Dasa is Amarakosa Gita. Many

Brahmandabhugola is another unique work of Balarama Dasa based on

Atibadi Jagannath Dash is well known in everywhere of Odisha and in

Odia Bhagavata is the greatest creation of Jagannath Dasa. Though the

Tulabhina is his creation. In it God Siva answers Parvati regarding many

Another work of Jagannath Dasa is Artha Koill, Here we find philosophical

Manasiksha is a very small book of Jagannath Dasa. It is a piece of

Another book of Jagannath Dasa is Rasakrida. The scene on the river

His Mruguni Stuti, a small piece of poem is known throughout Odisha.

The Gaja Siuti of Jagannath Dasa is a smal! poem of seven pages- It

Among the ‘Pancha Sakha’, Achyutananda was a great devotee of

Utkaliya Vaishnavism (sometimes called Odia Vaishnavism in modern

Mahapurusa Achyutananda Dasa

Achyutanand, on Guru’s instruction, travelled to, different places to propagate the

Sunya Samhita is another creation of civ ulananda. It Speaks about the

Gopala Ugala is a very popular creation of Achyutananda. Its language is

Ananta Goi or Agata Bhavisya is another work of Achyuta full of

Achyutananda’s Anakara Samhita is an important work on the valuable

His Chauraasi Yantra is a book based on tantra-system, with eighty-four

Bhavanabara is a small creation of the poet. Here the best thinkings of

Tattvaboahini is another philosophical treatise of Achyutananda. Here

His Gurubhakti Gita is a master-piece of his creations. Here he discusses

Among his other creations, Astagujjart, Brahmasankuli, Anakara Samhita,

Rupa Gosain, image of Jasobanta

Among his creations Siba Svorodaya deserves special mention. This is

Premabhaktibrahma Gita is another creation of the poet. Here we find a

Chaurasi Ajna is another controversial work created by Yasobanta Dasa. Pandit