Odia Books

Panchasakhas the five saintly poets who had appeared in the sixteenth century at different places in odisha, initiated a religion of devotion and thereby enriched odia literature. In the first decade of the sixteenth century Sri Chaitanyadeva of Nadiya visited Puri and was accompanied by his disciples, Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami among them, who propounded a Vaishnava philosophy that preached
‘samkirtana’.

At that time Sanskrit was favoured as a medium for literature and theological discussions but the five saints Balarama Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Achyutananda Dasa, Yasovanta Dasa and Ananta Dasa, began to teach ‘bhaktidharma’ and ‘grihasthadharma’ in odia instead of Sanskrit. They undertook to translate the religious books into odia and to communicate the profound significance of the Vedas, the Vedanta and the Upanishads to the people. The ‘bhajanas’ of the Panchasakhas in honour of Sri Jagannath, Sri Krishna and the Sunyabrahma were almost similar to those of Sri Chaintanya’s samkirtana.

Sri Chaitanya was greatly moved by the devotional work of his five associates. The wonderful ‘shastric’ knowledge of Balarama Dasa, his keen devotion to Lord Jagannath and his unprecedented popularity among the common masses created a sensation among the Sanskrit pandits of Puri as they struck at the root of their false reputation.

He composed books against untouchability and the existing shams and took up the cudgel for women against all social evils. Sri Chaitanyadeva was extremely pleased with the work of Balarama as a devotee and social reformer and accepted him as his preceptor. Jagannatha Dasa will always be remembered as another stalwart of the Panchasakhas for his translation of the Bhagavata into odia with expository comments. Son of Bhagavana Dasa (a Puranapanda), he was a great devotee of Sri Jagannath.

Sri Chaitanyadeva bestowed upon Jagannatha Dasa the epithet ‘Atibadi’ (greatly great) in recognition of
his saintly character and high spiritual qualities. He left behind a ‘math’ at Puri and the Atibadi sect,
glorifying the odia Vaishnavite thoughts, mostly centring round Lord Jagannath. Jagannatha Dasa composed his songs in both Sanskrit and odia with the intention of educating the common people against religious fanatics who created confusion in the name of religion. His writings like Tulabhina, Jnanasaragita,Bhaktichandrika, Brahmanda bhugola, etc. express his ideas in a very simple and lucid manner. He accepted Balarama Dasa as his ‘spiritual mentor. Since there are many similarities of thought in most of their writings,they are considered two pillars of odia Vaishnavism.

There are few books in the whole of Indian literature which compare in terms of depth and pervasive
influence with the odia Bhagavata of Jagannatha Dasa. B.C. Majumdar in his introduction to The Typical
Selections from odia Literature says, “I cannot too highly speak of what Jagannatha Dasa has done to raise
his countrymen to a higher level of moral existence. No poet of old time enjoys so much popularity as poet as Jagannatha Dasa does.”

The third Panchasakha was Achyutananda Dasa. Born in a Gopala family, he was devoted to Lord Jagannath from his childhood. He was living at Puri when Sri Chaitanyadeva went there in AD 1509. His Harivamsha, like the Ramayana of Balarama Dasa and the Bhagavata of Jagannatha Dasa, is almost an original work. This book describes the life-story of Krishna, the Lord of the Gopala community. It was probably his intention to bolster the social status and social consciousness of the cowherds of odisha, of whom he still remains the patron saint.

Through this book he made all the esoteric teachings accessible to the common odia who had no knowledge of Sanskrit. He also wrote Gurubhakti gita, Surya samhita etc. He advocated the worship of Surya and the Alekha and laid emphasis on discovering the ‘Lord of the world’ in the Self. Against the social evils of the age, he wrote bhajanas bringing out the transitoriness of human life.In these he advises people to be extremely devotional in their attitude towards friends, acquaintances and preceptors. The establishment of a ‘math’ at Nemal in Cuttack district is a measure of his popularity among the masses of odisha.

Yasovanta Dasa, the fourth of the Panchasal(has, composed books like Loi gita, Premabhaktigita,
Brahmagita, Govindachandragita which became very popular. In Govindachandragita, he stressed the
transitoriness of the world and the worship of Parameshwara. In his Atmaparachegita Yasovanta emphasised the importance of realising one’s own self and held that performing one’s duties was of utmost importance. He also composed a number of bhajans for edification.

Ananta Dasa, the last of the Panchasakhas, composed books like Bhajanatattva and Anakarashabda eulogising Sri Krishna and the Sunyabrahma. The five associates appeared between the second half of the fifteenth century and the early years of the sixteenth. Together the five made a unique band of writers in the odia language. They wrote ballads to carry their message of ideal living and right attitude to life even to the illiterate people in the remote parts of the state.

They were akin in their spirit and goal for which they were designated Panchasakha. All that is moral, cultural or holy in rural odisha even today owes its origin largely to the missionary work of these five friends. The seventeenth century devotional poet Baligaon Dasa mentions in his book Bhavisyamalika that the five bhaktas were close associates having Lord Jagannath as their presiding deity.

Panchasakhas the five saintly poets who had appeared in the sixteenth century at different
places in odisha, initiated a religion of devotion and thereby enriched odia literature. In the first decade of the sixteenth century Sri Chaitanyadeva of Nadiya visited Puri and was accompanied by his disciples, Rupa Goswami and Jiva Goswami among them, who propounded a Vaishnava philosophy that preached
‘samkirtana’.

At that time Sanskrit was favoured as a medium for literature and theological discussions but the five saints Balarama Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Achyutananda Dasa, Yasovanta Dasa and Ananta Dasa, began to teach ‘bhaktidharma’ and ‘grihasthadharma’ in odia instead of Sanskrit. They undertook to translate the religious books into odia and to communicate the profound significance of the Vedas, the Vedanta and the Upanishads to the people.

The ‘bhajanas’ of the Panchasakhas in honour of Sri Jagannath, Sri Krishna and the Sunyabrahma were almost similar to those of Sri Chaintanya’s samkirtana. Sri Chaitanya was greatly moved by the devotional work of his five associates. The wonderful ‘shastric’ knowledge of Balarama Dasa, his keen devotion to Lord Jagannath and his unprecedented popularity among the common masses created a sensation among the Sanskrit pandits of Puri as they struck at the root of their false reputation. He composed books against untouchability and the existing shams and took up the cudgel for women against all social evils.

Sri Chaitanyadeva was extremely pleased with the work of Balarama as a devotee and social reformer and accepted him as his preceptor. Jagannatha Dasa will always be remembered as another stalwart of the Panchasakhas for his translation of the Bhagavata into odia with expository comments. Son of Bhagavana Dasa (a Puranapanda), he was a great devotee of Sri Jagannath.

Sri Chaitanyadeva bestowed upon Jagannatha Dasa the epithet ‘Atibadi’ (greatly great) in recognition of
his saintly character and high spiritual qualities. He left behind a ‘math’ at Puri and the Atibadi sect,
glorifying the odia Vaishnavite thoughts, mostly centring round Lord Jagannath. Jagannatha Dasa composed his songs in both Sanskrit and odia with the intention of educating the common people against religious fanatics who created confusion in the name of religion.

His writings like Tulabhina, Jnanasaragita,Bhaktichandrika, Brahmanda bhugola, etc. express his ideas in a very simple and lucid manner. He accepted Balarama Dasa as his ‘spiritual mentor. Since there are many similarities of thought in most of their writings,they are considered two pillars of odia Vaishnavism.

There are few books in the whole of Indian literature which compare in terms of depth and pervasive
influence with the odia Bhagavata of Jagannatha Dasa. B.C. Majumdar in his introduction to The Typical
Selections from odia Literature says, “I cannot too highly speak of what Jagannatha Dasa has done to raise
his countrymen to a higher level of moral existence. No poet of old time enjoys so much popularity as poet as Jagannatha Dasa does.”

The third Panchasakha was Achyutananda Dasa. Born in a Gopala family, he was devoted to Lord Jagannath from his childhood. He was living at Puri when Sri Chaitanyadeva went there in AD 1509. His Harivamsha, like the Ramayana of Balarama Dasa and the Bhagavata of Jagannatha Dasa, is almost an original work. This book describes the life-story of Krishna, the Lord of the Gopala community. It was probably his intention to bolster the social status and social consciousness of the cowherds of odisha, of whom he still remains the patron saint.

Through this book he made all the esoteric teachings accessible to the common odia who had no knowledge of Sanskrit. He also wrote Gurubhakti gita, Surya samhita etc. He advocated the worship of Surya and the Alekha and laid emphasis on discovering the ‘Lord of the world’ in the Self. Against the social evils of the age, he wrote bhajanas bringing out the transitoriness of human life.In these he advises people to be extremely devotional in their attitude towards friends, acquaintances and preceptors. The establishment of a ‘math’ at Nemal in Cuttack district is a measure of his popularity among the masses of odisha.

Yasovanta Dasa, the fourth of the Panchasal(has, composed books like Loi gita, Premabhaktigita,
Brahmagita, Govindachandragita which became very popular. In Govindachandragita, he stressed the
transitoriness of the world and the worship of Parameshwara. In his Atmaparachegita Yasovanta emphasised the importance of realising one’s own self and held that performing one’s duties was of utmost importance. He also composed a number of bhajans for edification.

Ananta Dasa, the last of the Panchasakhas, composed books like Bhajanatattva and Anakarashabda eulogising Sri Krishna and the Sunyabrahma. The five associates appeared between the second half of the fifteenth century and the early years of the sixteenth. Together the five made a unique band of writers in the odia language. They wrote ballads to carry their message of ideal living and right attitude to life even to the illiterate people in the remote parts of the state.

They were akin in their spirit and goal for which they were designated Panchasakha. All that is moral, cultural or holy in rural odisha even today owes its origin largely to the missionary work of these five friends. The seventeenth century devotional poet Baligaon Dasa mentions in his book Bhavisyamalika that the five bhaktas were close associates having Lord Jagannath as their presiding deity.

Jagannatha Dasa

Bhagavata
Artha Koili
Darubrahma Geeta
Dhruba Stuti
Shunya Bhagabata

Balaram Dasa

Lakshmi Purana,
Vendantasara Guptagita
Bhava samudra
Nama-Mahatmya
Kamalalochana Chautisa
Kanta Koili

Shri Ananta Das

Chumbaka malika
Nilagiri charita
Hetu Udaya Bhagabata
Anakara Samhita
Artha Tareni Prasnottara

Shri Jasovanta Das

Shiba Shirodaya
Premabhaktibrahma Geeta,
Atmaparatey Geeta,
Gobindachandra

Shri Achyutananda Das

Mahagupta Padmakalpa,
Chausathi Patala
Dasa Patala
Shiva Kalpa
Manmatha Chandrika
Brahma Shankuli
Pancha Sakhaa Bhajana