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In the Wayang Kulit the role of gods (Bhatara,
Dewi, Dewata) is very important. Goddess in
local language is Batari , Dewati and the other
synonym is Hyang. They have their own kingdom
where gods live:
Kahyangan: a place where gods (Hyang)
live, or
Kadewatan: a
place where gods (Dewa) live, or
Kaindran: a
place where gods live under the supervision of
god Indra (Indra has been assigned by Guru to
take care of god's kingdom), or Suralaya
The supreme
god is Bhatara Guru (teacher), he has full
authority from Sang Hyang Wenang (power holder
of all gods) to direct other gods to perform
their duties, as well as to govern all kinds of
life in the universe included life and fate of
human beings. His other names are Sang Hyang
Jagadnata (king of the universe) and Sang Hyang
Girinata (king of mountains). In the ancient
times, all kingdoms were located on top of
mountains. When he was young, before receiving
his authority of power, his name was Sang Hyang
Manikmaya.
In his
capacity as supreme god, he was assisted by
Bhatara Narada (means wise), his other name was
Resi Kaneko Putro, a senior god acting as his
envoy in dealing with mankind.
 Bhatara Guru is
the son of Sang Hyang Tunggal. One day, Sang
Hyang Tunggal was throwing an egg to create
three Dewas. The eldest is Togog (Tedjomantri)
serves king of giants, he has a company, Bilung
(Sorowito). Togog and Bilung were always against
Semar and his sons who serve honest ksatrias.
Togog was created from the egg's shell. The
second was Semar (Sang Hyang Ismoyo) the most
famous servant for Pandawa. He has three sons,
named Gareng, Petruk and Bagong. Semar was
created from the yolk of the egg. The youngest
was Guru (Sang Hyang Manikmoyo), he was created
from the white substance of egg.
The existence
of gods and world of gods was created by
supernatural power. Bhatara Guru has several
sons, named Sang Hyang (S.H.) Basuki, S.H.
Srimoyo, S.H. Sambo, S.H. Brahma, S.H. Indra,
S.H. Wisnu, S.H. Bayu.
Other
well-known figures were : S.H. Surya, Bhatara
Kamajaya & Dewi Ratih (god and goddess of love)
, Dewi Supraba (the most beautiful goddess, who
married Arjuna), Dewi Uma (wife of Guru),
Bhatara
Kala (considered by other dewa) as a trouble
maker. Bhatara Wisnu was the most active dewa in
protecting human life against evils. He always
fought for the truth. He had incarnated several
times. As told in the wayang story, he had
reincarnated as human being at least three
times. The first when he became Ramabargawa or
Wiku Jamadagni as a giant. Ramabargawa had a
heirloom of a bow and arrows, called Bargawa.
He met King
Arjuna Sosrobahu of Maespati, also known as a
Wisnu reincarnation. Although Arjuna Sosrobahu
was a wise king but he was greedy. He defeated
other kings and those who defeated had to send
material obligations to him, those who did not
pay should be killed right away. Arjuna
Sosrobahu was killed by Bargawa's arrow and his
soul 'joined' Ramabargawa.
In his pursuit
of death, Ramabargawa met Ramawijaya happily,
also a reincarnation of Wisnu. Before being
killed by Ramawijaya, he begged Ramawijaya to
lead his soul to live together with Wisnu.
Ramabargawa died and his soul 'joined'
Ramawijaya. Wisnu's incarnations to Ramawijaya
and Kresna were more famous.
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Rama and
Kresna had received authorization from S.H.
Wenang to preserve a good, just, peaceful and
Prosperous life in the earth. Both of them had
the same heirloom - Cakra, which were used only
against evil people. They were very wise, knew
everything what's going to be. Kresna had
another divine heirloom called Kembang (flower)
Wijaya Kusuma.
This Wijaya
Kusuma could make a dead people to live again,
only by slightly touching it to the body of the
man. Sometime the peaceful life of gods in their
domain, kahyangan could be disturbed by two
things:
1. By hot
weather or uncomfortable feeling which
penetrated kahyangan due two a man strong
meditation. For instance, someone had a strong
wish for something, and he was aware that only
Bhatara Guru could help accomplished his wish.
Then he went to solitude, alone, fasting and
didn't sleep days and nights and solemnly
meditated with full of concentration and would
not stop before S.H. Guru agreed with his
request. This meditation should bring
uncomfortable situation in Kahyangan. Usually
Bhatara Guru should instruct Narada to stop his
meditation. Narada could send some goddesses to
attract the meditator, in the hope that he would
stop his meditation. If his concentration could
not be deviated, Guru should grant his wish by
sending Narada. After that, the situation in
Kahyangan should be normal again.
2. By the
attacks of some evil powerful giants because his
request to marry a certain goddess was rejected.
As the giant is sakti, having powerful
supernatural power, he had the ability to make
chaos in Suralaya. If there is no god could
expel him, then Guru should call a ksatria to
defeat the attacker. In the aftermath, the
ksatria should receive certain gift from Guru
could be a goddess, a heirloom or a ksatria
wish.
Note: Giant in
Javanese is Buto or Wuto means blind. This is
symbolizing a blind man can not see the good and
wrong.
SERAT
JITAPSORO
The dewas have
a sacred book, called SERAT JITAPSORO. SERAT
means letter or book, JITAPSORO means
descendants of supernatural being. In JITAPSORO
it is written the dewas family tree and all
secret events in the universe (in the past, at
present and future). Bhatara Panyarikan was the
one who wrote the book upon instruction by Guru.
Kresna, in his
capacity as Wisnu's reincarnation, visited Guru
and Narada just before Bharatayuda broke, asking
them the fate of Pandawa and Kurawa which had
to be decided in a family war.
Why dewas did
not decide to instruct Kurawa to return to
Pandawa the Amarta Kingdom ? Thus to avoid
bloodshed of many people.
Guru through
Narada replied that Bharatayuda was already
written in JITAPSORO, so it could not be
avoided. The duty of Wisnu in that case Kresna
was to supervise the war to be in accordance
with the scenario of the secret book.
Then Kresna
with the permission of Guru read JITAPSORO, so
he knew what was going to happened.
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