The Mahapralaya

Memorial samadhi shrines of The Royal Varmadeva kings of Bali.

Lord Udayana, Marakata, and Anak Wungsu in Gunung Kawi.

Lets we go back to the history once again. From the marriage of Mahendradatta with the Balinese Varmadeva king, three sons were born. They were Airlangga, Marakata, and the so called Anak Wungsu (literary means the youngest one). Sri Dharmavansha has no male heir and the great mystic sage Barada was asked to went to Bali, where his older brother, mPu Kuturan, became Acharya of the reigning Udayana Varmadeva. The sage took Sri Dharmavansha’s proposal to offer his princess for marriage with Airlangga and appointed him to become his next throne-heir of Javanese Kingdom. Young, 16 years old Airlangga then came to Java. Unfortunately when the great marriage celebration was conducted and the whole kingdom was in happy mood, the king Wurawari, a vassal of Srivijaya attacked Dharmavansha’s kingdom with full support from Srivijaya. Unprepared kingdom was accepted total defeat and destruction. The pious Sri Dharmavansha himself was killed in the battle. The loyal minister named Narottama, took the Royal Heir safely to forest. This sad happening was famous as “Mahapralaya”. Srivijaya who tried to become the sole controlling power of Nusantara was behind this attack.

The Royal Heir lived as ascetic in the forest and Airlangga got association with many mystic hermits and sages. The most revered among them was Barada, who was accepted by Airlangga as his own Acharya or spiritual preceptor. Barada and his older brother Kuturan (or Rajakritha) were accomplished siddha-rishis. Their genealogical myth (called Babad in Bali) told us that the two brothers were sons of a great Vaishnava Brahmin called Hyang Rishi Vishnu Sunyamurti and Brahmani Indirakiranadevi. (Other Babad said their father was Bhatara Danghyang Agnijaya) The designation Hyang indicated his greatness, the same name used only to approach the most revered Devas. Rishi Kuturan went to Bali and became the prime advisor, Acharya, and Rajaguru of Sri Dharmodayana Varmadeva and his sons. Both sages attained perfection or siddhis in many secret teachings of Vedas and Tantras. Barada Rishi was said not only become authority in Vaishnavism but also other sects as well, even the most secret practices of Mahayana-Vajrayana Buddhism.

Silayukti Temple. The monastery of mPu Kuturan in Bali

Samadhi shrine of the revered mPu Kuturan in Silayukti

Nagarakritagama, the law book and chronicle of later Bilvatikta Empire, and compiled by Buddhist royal priest (mPu Kasugatan) and counselor named Prapancha, glorified Barada Rishi elaborately.
“Once there was a great Mahayana ascetic, realized all yogas and tantras. Lived in the cemetery ground of Lemah Citra, guardian of our world. Arrived on Bali by walking on the surface of the sea water. His name was Barada, the knower of past, present, and future.
Agreed to bestow his mercy by dividing the land. Created their limiting line from the shower of his water pitcher, kamandala (said to manifest as today’s Porong River in East Java). From west, east, and finally reached the ocean. The king’s kingdom of Java was separated. The North and South become parted as far as the width of ocean.
At the tamarind tree finally he stopped and came down from the sky. At Palungan village he put his world purifying kamandala. His cloth was get stuck by the branches. Thus he cursed the tamarind tree so it wouldn’t grow anymore.”

The Javanese Vajrayana Buddhists accept him as their preceptor. They said the revered sage attained immortality (the vajrakaya, indestructible adamantine body) and so his only daughter called Vedavati. After the departure of his disciple, Airlangga, they lives in Vidyadharaloka (the realm of mystic knowledge holder), disappeared from mundane sight, but still protecting the Javanese. The traditional Javanese (non Muslim) sometime appealed to him and called him Hyang Barada. (Hyang could be means divinities, deified ancestors, or great personalities. The term changed and become Eyang, the modern Javanese term to call one’s grandfather/mother and also respected supernatural beings).