Sunday, October 7, 2012

BHIL PRITHU - Devotee of Lord JAGANNATH





BHIL PRITHU   -   A Devotee of Lord   JAGANNATH


It is actually very difficult to place the story of Bhil Prithu within a specific time frame, as it refers to a period when the temple of Sri Jagannatha in Puri was deserted and in disrepair, and has been transmitted by oral tradition only. The Bhils are a tribal population in Orissa who live in a very simple and natural way, depending on the forest products and without observing the complex Vedic ceremonies or practices.
Padma purana mentions the Bhils among the non-Vedic populations who attained the highest spiritual realization by worshiping Sri Jagannatha.

It is said that one young man of the Bhil tribe once wandered around the temple of Sri Jagannatha and climbed on a tree to collect fruits. From that vantage position, he was able to see the wonderful form of the Lord. Inspired by spontaneous devotion, he entered the dilapidated temple and offered some fruits to the Lord; a piece of the offered fruits fell to the ground and the man automatically picked it and ate it, thus attaining immediate spiritual realization to the point of liberation from all material conditionings. It is said that after this incident the entire Bhil tribe started to repair the temple and re-established a simple form of worship for the Lord.


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