Biography of Atibadi Jagannath Das
By Lokanath Mishra:
In the year 1487, on the bright eighth day of the Bhadrava month, a divine child was born in the village of Kapileshwarpura in Puri district, Odisha. His father’s name was Bhagaban Das and his mother’s name was Padmavati Devi.
Kapileshwarpura was a Brahmin Sashan village. It was affiliated with the Mukti Mandap of the Jagannath Temple, the council of the greatest scholars of Odisha. Learned Brahmins lived there and served Lord Jagannath through teaching, rituals, and reading scriptures. Both Bhagaban Das and his son Jagannath Das were Purana readers in the Jagannath Temple and respected scholars of the Mukti Mandap.
Early Life
When Jagannath Das was born, the entire village felt unusual peace. Birds stopped chirping, animals grew calm, and people’s hearts filled with joy. Some said divine fragrance spread in the air and heavenly sounds were heard. People believed the child was blessed by God.
From childhood, Jagannath Das showed extraordinary intelligence and devotion. He loved chanting God’s name. He had a very sharp memory and could understand scriptures even without a teacher. Soon, people noticed that he was gifted with deep knowledge of Bhagavat Tattwa (the essence of Lord Vishnu’s teachings) and language.
Meeting with Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu
As a young man, Jagannath Das met Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Puri. This meeting changed his life. Chaitanya was amazed at his humility, wisdom, and poetic language. He lovingly gave him the title “Atibadi”, which means the greatest. From then, he became famous as Atibadi Jagannath Das.
Chaitanya and Jagannath Das became close spiritual friends. They often discussed devotion, poetry, and the path of bhakti. Chaitanya encouraged him to write scriptures in the Odia language so that ordinary people could understand God’s teachings.
Odia Bhagavata
Inspired by this, Jagannath Das wrote his most famous work, the Odia Bhagabata – a translation of the Srimad Bhagavatam. Before this, scriptures were only in Sanskrit, which common people could not read. Jagannath Das wanted even his own mother, Padmavati Devi, to read and understand God’s words. So he wrote it in simple Odia language.
The Odia Bhagabata became so popular that it found a place in almost every Odia household. People gathered in villages to listen to its recitation. This work made Jagannath Das one of the immortal poets of Odia literature.
Other Works
Apart from the Bhagabata, Jagannath Das wrote many other books in both Odia and Sanskrit.
• In Odia:
• Artha Koili
• Darubramha Geeta
• Tula Bhina
• Solachaupadi
• Pasanda Dalana
• Gaja Nistarana
• Mruguni Stuti
• In Sanskrit:
• Krushna Bhakti Kalpalata
• Nityaguptamala
• Upasana Sataka
• Niladri Sataka
• Prema Sudhanidhi
• Sri Radharasamanjari
He also composed many devotional songs (bhajans) in praise of Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna, which are still sung today.
Struggles and Challenges
Though people loved him, Jagannath Das also faced many hardships. Some scholars and temple ministers became jealous of his popularity. They did not like that he wrote scriptures in Odia, making them accessible to all people instead of keeping them in Sanskrit. They accused him of breaking tradition and often harassed him. Even the king sometimes supported these critics.
But Jagannath Das never stopped his work. He stayed humble and firmly believed that God wanted His message to reach everyone, rich or poor, man or woman, scholar or commoner.
Atibadi Sampradaya and the Panchasakha
Jagannath Das founded the Atibadi Sampradaya, a spiritual movement that taught humility, equality, and complete devotion to God. He believed that God does not see caste or class, but only devotion.
He was also one of the famous Panchasakha (five friends), a group of five great saint-poets of Odisha. The other four were Balaram Das, Achyutananda Das, Yasovanta Das, and Ananta Das. Together, they spread the bhakti movement in Odisha through poetry, songs, and spiritual teachings.
His Legacy
Atibadi Jagannath Das lived a simple, spiritual life. He dedicated his entire life to spreading devotion, knowledge, and love for Lord Jagannath. His Odia Bhagabata is still recited daily in homes and temples across Odisha. His writings continue to inspire people even after more than 500 years.
He is remembered as:
• A great poet and scholar
• A true devotee of Lord Jagannath
• A reformer who made spiritual knowledge available to everyone
• A leader of the Atibadi Sampradaya
• One of the five great saint-poets (Panchasakha) of Odisha
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✨ The life of Atibadi Jagannath Das teaches us that true greatness lies in humility, devotion, knowledge, and courage to stand for what is right. He remains an eternal light in the history of Odisha.
O Radhe, Please Give Me Back My Flute