Danghyang Nirartha, also known as Pedanda Shakti Wawu Rauh, was a

Shaivite Shaivism (; sa, शैवसम्प्रदायः, Śaivasampradāyaḥ) is one of the major Hindu traditions, which worships Shiva as the Supreme Being. One of the largest Hindu denominations, it incorporates many sub-traditions rangin ...

religious figure in

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and N ...

and a

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

traveler during the 16th century. He was the founder of the Shaivite priesthood in Bali.Pringle, p 65

Early life

Nirartha came to Bali in 1537 to become the chief counselor to the Gelgel king

Dalem Baturenggong Dalem Baturenggong, also called Waturenggong or Enggong, was a King ( Dalem) of Bali who is believed to have reigned in the mid 16th century. He is in particular associated with the golden age of the Balinese kingdom of Gelgel, with political e ...

. He had left the royal courts of

Blambangan The Blambangan Kingdom was the last Javanese Hindu kingdom that flourished between the 13th and 18th centuries, based in the eastern corner of Java. The capital was at Banyuwangi. It had a long history of its own, developing contemporaneously ...

Java Java (; id, Jawa, ; jv, ꦗꦮ; su, ) is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north. With a population of 151.6 million people, Java is the world's most ...

, with his family earlier that year after one of the wives of his patron had fallen into unrequited love with him. Some myths state that he made the journey from Java to Bali on top of a

pumpkin A pumpkin is a vernacular term for mature winter squash of species and varieties in the genus ''Cucurbita'' that has culinary and cultural significance but no agreed upon botanical or scientific meaning. The term ''pumpkin'' is sometimes use ...

, giving rise to the

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

among some Balinese

Brahmins Brahmin (; sa, ब्राह्मण, brāhmaṇa) is a varna as well as a caste within Hindu society. The Brahmins are designated as the priestly class as they serve as priests (purohit, pandit, or pujari) and religious teachers (guru ...

on the consumption of pumpkins.Of Temples and Dragons
Bali Plus Dang Hyang Nirartha Statue Uluwatu

After arrival

After arriving in Bali, he arrived in the court of King Dalem Baturenggong. Bali had been hit with many

plague Plague or The Plague may refer to: Agriculture, fauna, and medicine *Plague (disease), a disease caused by ''Yersinia pestis'' * An epidemic of infectious disease (medical or agricultural) * A pandemic caused by such a disease * A swarm of pe ...

s in the years before, and Nirartha presented the king with a hair from his head, stating that this would remove the sufferings. This hair was placed in a temple which became a prominent Shaivite pilgrimage spot in Bali.

Architecture

Nirartha was the creator of the padmasana architecture in Balinese

Hindu temples A Hindu temple, or ''mandir'' or ''koil'' in Indian languages, is a house, seat and body of divinity for Hindus. It is a structure designed to bring human beings and gods together through worship, sacrifice, and devotion.; Quote: "The Hind ...

. These temples are considered by devotees to be the embodiment of the supreme

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hi ...

. The temples on the coasts of Bali were augmented with the padmasana shrines by the dozen during the travels of Nirartha.Sekelumit Sejarah dan Cara Sembahyang
'' Bali Post'' 8 July 2007

Religious work

Nirartha was responsible for facilitating a refashioning of

Balinese Hinduism Balinese Hinduism ( id, Agama Hindu Dharma; Agama Tirtha; Agama Air Suci; Agama Hindu Bali) is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali.McDaniel, June (2013), A Modern Hindu Monotheism: Indonesian Hindus as ‘ ...

. He was an important promoter of the idea of

moksha ''Moksha'' (; sa, मोक्ष, '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'' and ''mukti'', is a term in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, enlightenment, liberation, and release. In its soteriologic ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guinea. In ...

. He founded the Shaivite priesthood that is now ubiquitous in Bali, and is now regarded as the ancestor of all Shaivite Pedandas.

Footnotes

References

* Pringle,Robert. (2004) ''A Short History of Bali: Indonesia's Hindu Realm''. Crows Nest, NSW: Allan & Unwin .
Hinduism and Islam in Indonesia: Bali and the Pasisir World
''Indonesia'', Vol. 44. (Oct., 1987), pp. 30–58. {{DEFAULTSORT:Nirartha, Dang Hyang Javanese people Shaivite religious leaders Hindu missionaries Hinduism in Bali Year of death unknown Year of birth unknown Indonesian missionaries Indonesian Hindu religious leaders