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PURI: Lord Jagannath is being worshipped in 64 names of which three are most important – Sripatitapabana, Sridadhibamana, Sribhagabata. The Lord is worshipped as the sole entity in many temples across the state.
Sripatitapabana is revered at five places in the temple including the one at Singhadwar. Batapatitapabana is worshipped in front of Bataganesha on Srimandir precincts. According to senior priests, this idol was not so enormous as in the former days. The idol worshipped at Purana Panda Asthana near Natamandapa is known as Purana Purushottama Sripatitapabana.
The third one is at the temple of Srinilamadhava and the deity is called ‘Anandadata Sripatitapabana’.
The fourth one is at Charidham temple in Srimandir Bedha where it is identified as Mokshadata Patitapabana.
Similarly, the lord’s elder sibling Balabhadra is being worshipped at many places as Baladeba or Balarama.
Sripatitapabana consciousness under the aegis of Srimandir tradition has been in vogue since times immemorial.
According to Sanskrit Bhargaba Upapurana, Srimahat Yogi of Alwar community had the darshan of Lord Jagannath after he reached the Niladrikhetra. Several volumes of classical texts in Adhyar Library of Madras stand testimony to the Alwars treating Srikhetra as the divine abode of Lord Bishnu or ‘Dibya Desha’.
After Srimahatyogi’s return from Niladrikhetra, his daughter and another yogini Godamba had queried about the location of the ‘divine abode’. Srimahatyogi, in his reply, stated that he was overwhelmed by the sanctity and beauty of Sripatitapabana Chetana at Niladrikhetra.
Srimahatyogi had visited Niladrikhetra 200 years before the advent of Adishankaracharya, says Srijagannath Sanskrit University research officer Surendra Kumar Mishra. Research has concluded that Srimahatyogi was the first to use the term ‘Niladri’ in the context of Puri, Mishra affirmed.
According to mythological corroboration, Sripatitapabana Chetana has been the cornerstone of Simandir worship since 600AD. For, Srimahatyogi had apparently pronounced that Sripurushottam is the Lord of the suffering humanity (Patita). The mythology has used the term ‘Patita’ not in the context of caste but as a state of mental deterioration.
Worship of the Lord is the only way to elevate the self of a human being if it is heading towards a fall.
However, the idol of Sripatitapabana had not been consecrated at the Gumuta of Singhadwar when this interpretation was made by Srimahatayogi. For, the Gumuta was built around 1,000 years after Srimahatyogi’s visit to Niladrikhetra.
Thus, the saint had seen Sripatitapabana’s unique idol being worshipped inside the temple. The temple has the gracious presence of deities like Sribadrinath, Sriramnath and Sridwarikanath along with Sripatitapabana.
According to Biswabasu Binayak Das Mohapatra, “Phita neeti of Sripatitapabana is performed during Nabakalebara. Banakalagi ritual is performed after the end of Anasara and Maha Aanasara rituals signifying the ailment of the deities.” Lokanath Das Mohapatra said Nabakalebara ritual is observed for the deity at Srinilamadhava temple.