Odia Books

Atibadi Jagannatha Das was born in 1490,the author of odia Bhagavata is a house-hold name in odisha
not only as a poet of devotion (Bhaktakavi) but also as a translator of the Bhagavata into odia in sonorous couplets. Sanskrit was the predominant language in odisha before the time of Jagannatha Das. The Brahmins recognised it as the official language by composing outstanding works in Sanskrit. The masses however, could not understand the significance of the Vedas, Vedangas, Puranas, Dharmasastras, etc. written in Sanskrit. The Brahmins influenced the rulers mainly to encourage composition in Sanskrit.

Although Gajapati Kapilendradeva of the Suryavamsa was himself a patron of Sanskrit he was never
indifferent to the odia language. He incorporated odia songs in his Sanskrit drama Parasurama Vijaya.During his period Sarala Dasa could become a Ganakavi for his Mahabharata, Ramayana and Chandipurana. Thereafter, Balarama Dasa also earned the same reputation for his odia Ramayana

During the time of Prataparudradeva, the common people in odisha were immediately attracted towards
the odia language. Born in the Kausika family, one Bhagavan Dasa of Kapileswarapur near Srikshetra
(Puri) was a professional reciter of the Puranas (Purana-Panda). His wife Padmavati, was extremely pious and devoted to him.

To them was born Jagannath Das in 1412 Saka era (1490 A.D.) on the eighth day of Bhadra bright fortnight. As he was intelligent and interested in learning he could acquire considerable knowledge of Sanskrit and Philosophy within a very short time. Being deprived of parental care in his early youth, and having devotion towards Lord Jagannatha, the poet began to recite puranas under the Banyan tree(Kalpa-Vata) within the precincts of the Jagannatha temple.

It is learnt that to fulfil his mother’s pious desire, Jagannatha Das began translating the Bhagavata into odia in 1508, at the age of eighteen years. He completed the Gopalila portion of the Dasamaskandha. When Chaitanya reached Puri in 1509-10 he was charmed to listen to the episode of Krishna’s Rasalila and praised him along with his other disciples.

Jagannatha Das wanted to be initiated by Chaitanya who had been greatly impressed by his spirit of
devotion and intellect, but Chaitanya advised him to get his initiation from Balarama Dasa, the greatest odia Vaishnava poet. This has been corroborated by the Jagannatha Charitamrita and Dibakara Dasa’s Nityagupta Chudamani. Chaitanya was extremely pleased with him and conferred upon him the title‘Atibadi’ (greatly great) indicating his saintly character. He is,therefore,popularly known as Atibadi.

Besides his Bhagavata, Jagannatha Das also wrote a number of books such as Krishnabhakti Kalpalata,
Krishnabhakti Kaopalataphala, Nityaguptamala, Upasana Sataka, Niladri Sataka, Sri Radharasamanjari,
Prema Sudhanidhi and Nityachara Upasanavidhi in Sanskrit, and Saivagama,Golokasaroddhara, Solachaupadi, Brahmanda Bhugola, Tula bhina, Artha Koiliet in Oriya. He has also composed numerous
Bhajans in honour of Lord Jagannatha and Krishna and many others on Brahmajnana. The first chapter of his Dwadasa Skandha bears hint that the poet died after the completion of his Ekadasa Skandha. Dwadasa Skanda was subsequently completed by his disciple, Mahadeva Dasa. He has left behind him a Matha at Puri, called the Bada Odiya Matha. He was one of the Pancha Sakhas (Five Associates) of odisha.

As time passed, the Sanskrit pandits became increasingly jealous of the immense popularity of Jagannatha Das’s Bhagavata among the masses in odisha. They devised ways to create scandalous stories about him on every occasion. Nevertheless, by the grace of Lord Jagannatha and his association with the Gajapati Prataparudradeva and his queen, he emerged unscathed from all attempts of defamation.

Gopalila
Krishna’s Rasalila
Nityaguptamala
Upasana Sataka
Niladri Sataka
Prema Sudhanidhi
Artha Koiliet
Tula bhina
Nityachara Upasanavidhi