Continuing Vedic Heritages ofIndonesia

Indonesia once was part of The Greater India or
Suvarnabhumi. The Hindus for centuries called
her Dvipantara, “the islands between”, perhaps
extended from Jambudvipa (modern Indian
subcontinent) to Astralaya (Australia in archaic
Javanese). The Indonesians, especially Javanese
and Balinese Hindus, also use the name
Nusantara for this magnificent archipelago, which
has same meaning as Dvipantara in Kavi language
(a Sanskritized Ancient Javanese language, may be
seven out of ten words was Sanskrit).
Indonesia has a long history of Vedic civilization
for more than 1500 years (according to
archaeological findings). She continued as the
greatest Hindu/ Vedic country in Southeast Asia
until the fall of the last Hindu Empire of Bilvatikta
(Majapahit) and emergences of Islamic kingdom
and Sultanates on late 13th century. Today
Indonesia is one of the biggest Moslem countries,
with the Moslems majority more than 85%. But
the deep rooted Vedic practices from centuries
weren’t easily ceased and remain as traditional
native’s customs scattered here and there
throughout Indonesian Archipelago. One of such
a condition we can find in Bali, a small island in
the centre of Indonesia, where the Hindu-born
peoples built the majority. After the fall of
Bilvatikta, the Hindu nobilities and brahmanic
priests of the said empire were fled and settled in
Bali, to protects their Vedic traditions, spiritual
practices, and the vast body of ancient Hindu
scriptures. In spite of Balinese strong faith for
Hinduism and Vedic traditions, there are also
many Hindus, both the born and the converted
ones, in all over Indonesia, including the major
cities of Jakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Medan, etc.
They are always trying very hard to keep their faith
on Vedic traditions of their forefathers for
centuries, and maintaining their religious practices
among Moslems majority, often under mental and
sometimes physical pressures from their
neighbour and government.
I myself was come from such a family. Like the rest
of other Balinese we are Hindus by birth, always
protecting our ancestral religion for centuries.
Our family lineage trace back to ancient East
Javanese kingdom of Ishanavansha, when our
ancestor first migrated from South Indian state of
Tamilnadu. According to our preserved inscription
on bronze plates and palm leaf manuscripts, our
first ancestor came to Indonesia as a Brahmin
who serves the Kadiri Kingdom for compiling the
book of law and propagating Vedic knowledge in
the reign of the famous king, Sri Jayabhaya (Sri
Maharaja Jayabhaya Varmeshwara
Madhusudanavataraanindita Sri
Singhaparakramottungadeva). The legend said
this Brahmin was an accomplished sadhaka, both
in Vaishnavite and Vajrayana practices (that was
common in India at that time because of rising
influence of Buddhism), even He was called Rishi
Vajrasattva. One of his descendants in his lineage
was a celibate brahmachari and of course has no
wife. The peoples used to call him “Our Venerable
Childless Sage”. So how could we become his
descendant? He was a mantra-siddha, an
accomplished mystic yogi. We believe he was such
a powerful sage and still living in subtle realm to
this very day. He wasn’t died but simply vanished
from mundane vision with his physical form
centuries ago to protect his descendants of future
time. So he made a certain homa, fire sacrifice,
and obtained one cintamani, a wish-fulfilling gem,
then by the power of that gem, he got a baby son.
This celebrated son came to Bali and initiated into
Vedic spiritual practices by the great serpent god
Nagaraja Vasuki and married one girl from
Balinese noble family. This is the beginning of our
Balinese and Javanese family lineages. Do you
belief this story? I know its look like too fanciful
imagination. But here in Bali everyone, every
family has such a legendary origin. So please hold
your laugh…


For centuries we heard these words from our father,
and his father, and his father…
This is our land my child… the land of our great
ancestors. Protected by the loving gaze of our
most venerable guardian. The greatest of all
sages, Dapunta Hyang Kalashaja, our supreme
Guru Agasthiya… and the Vipras…
This is our land my child… our loving mother.
Same as our original mother in the land of
Aryans. You are born in my family, by my own
blood, the same blood as your noble ancestors
from centuries ago. Here is our heart, tightly
bound to the lotus feet of ancient Vedic Rishis.
Here we saw every river as sacred as Ganges,
every mountain as great as Himalaya, every lake as
holy as Pushkara, and every forest as glorious as
Naimisharanya. This is Dvipantara, with thousand
of her islands, the very land of great Kings and
Brahmins, illuminated by the sun of Veda-dharma,
fertilized by graceful rain of Lord Vishnu’s divine
love. Every baby grow up with the story of our
victorious Lord Rama and His beloved Hanuman…
with protection of our most worshipable Lord
Krishna and His dearmost Pandavas of
Mahabharata… and with the taste of sweet milk of
Puranas
Could you ever think to disgrace her? Could you
ever think to leave our dharma? Could you ever
think to worship any foreign god or following any
foreign prophet? Whenever you could, please
remember the greatness of our ancient sages and
kings. Please remember how they make you
become one of the best of human races. Should
you abandon the very hand that gives you life?
Should you deny the sources of your circulating
blood? Should you pierce their heart?....
So if we do a descendant of Vedic Brahmin, we
have to lead a life of real Brahmin. But this
brahminical status wasn’t only about jati, mere
birth right. We always think brahminical status or
any noble position as a facility, a special right. But
actually it wasn’t. It was an undeniable
responsibility, great responsibility. Here we are,
born in noble family lineage. We suppose not to
lead an ordinary life, a normal life, or nothing
special life without any meaning. We had born to
perform our dharma, to protect our dharma, to
be highly qualified spiritual being. That’s why I
said there is nothing special with me. But we have
to try to become special, every of us. This is the
life of real nobility, and this is what I learn from
Sriman Mahaprabhu Caitanyadeva’s teachings.
Without my Mahaprabhu, I’m just unimportant
creature. My wealth doesn’t make me special, nor
my birth (jati). Without Mahaprabhu I’m just one
Indonesian boy bringing only shame to my great
ancestors. But now, by Sriman Mahaprabhu’s
grace I shall learn to become precious…

Source : vasuntara.blogspot.com 2009_02_01_archive.html?m=1