विरजक्षेत्रमाहात्म्य- The Glory that was Virajaksetra (An Old and Rare Book)

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Viraja Ksetra at Jajpur, Cuttack District. Orissa enjoys the glory and glamour from the hoary past. It was put on par with Kuruksetre, Varanasi, Gaya and Ujjaini in ancient texts. The rich heritage of the place in the form of excellent works of architecture and sculpture was destroyed by the vandalism of Muslim invaders of the 16th century and in subsequent periods some of them were recovered, reinstated and new sanctums replaced the ruins. It attracts the pilgrims from every nook and corner of India including Nepal and other places. Like all other places of pilgrimage, it has the special charm of the majestic structure of temples of the Goddess Viraja, Lord Varaha etc.
The text claims to be a part of the Brahmanda Purana and is attributed to Vyasa, the great author of the Mahabharata and the Puranas.
The present monograph consists of two parts; in the first part an attempt has been made to incorporate the panoramic view of the work from a very widen perspective and the second part contains the Sanskrit text in twentynine chapters, written in Devanagari after the collation of differarnt manuscripts for critical edition.

Dr. Upendra Nath Dhal has been teaching Sanskrit Literature and Indian Culture at the Utkal University, Bhubaneshwar since 1975.
He obtained his Master's degree in Sanskrit in 1961 and Oriya in 1965 from Utkal University. He was awarded the Ph.D. degree in 1974 from the same University for his thesis captioned, "GODDESS LAKSMI : ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT", which was published in 1978.
His research papers on various aspects of Purana literature and Indian religion appear regularly in reputed research Journals. He has also contributed learned articles to volumes felicitating distinguished scholars. He is now engaged in preparing the critical edition and exposition of "Ekamra Purana", an Upa-Purana of Orissa unknown to the scholarly world.

I have great pleasure in introducing to the world of scholars the work: The Glory that was Virajaksetra by my friend Dr. U.N. Dhal of the Utkal University, Bhubaneshwar. The work represents the critical edition on the basis of two manuscripts and a translation into Oriya of the Virajamahatmya which is preceded by a detailed critical introduction touching on points such as the title of the text, the antiquity of Virajaksetra, the rise of the Siva Cult, the Visnu Culture and their synthesis with other cults, the geography of the Ksetra apart from discussing the date of the composition and giving a summary of its contents.
Virajaksetra with its main city of Virajanagara, modern Jajpur, has occupied a prominent place in Orissa because of its having been a sacred place for centuries past. Sanctified with the presence of Mother Goddess and association with the river Vaitarani, it is extolled even in such ancient texts as the Mahabharata and the Puranas. A better awareness of the importance of the region based on a older text was, therefore, a desideratum which the present work fulfils most eminently.
The text under notice represents a class of works that grew in India as either a part of the Puranas or as in the form of independent treatises. The aim was to attract primarily the pious and the devout to certain places by glorifying them as most sacred by associating them with certain gods and goddesses that would earn the prospective visitors infinite religious merit together with a place in heaven or even attainment of salvation. The literature apart from its religious significance has its social, cultural and geographical significance also and consequently deserves serious notice.

Virajakṣetra in Orissa forms a significant part of the religious literature of ancient India. The glory of the Ksetra has been endorsed in various texts starting from the age of Epics and Puranas and onwards. It has manifold religious identity. Through the ages sundry religions and sects have left their footprints in the Ksetra in the form of beautiful temples and other relics. The principal divinities adorning the Kṣetra include mother goddess Viraja, Lord Varaha-Visnu and Siva in the form of numerous lingas. Several relics of Buddhism and Jainism also make their presence felt. Though several deities adore the Ksetra goddess Viraja with her lunar splendour pales the stormy presence of other gods. as the presiding deity. Pilgrims from every nook and corner of the country visit it, take a dip in the sacred river Vaitarani flowing beside, pay their homage to the deities and offer prayers and presents in the loving memory of their ancestors. Thus it brings cultural and emotional unity in the great paradox of diversity that is India. In course of time the religious and cultural tradition of the region took the form of a Sanskrit text namely Virajaksetra Mahatmya which formed a part of the Brahmanda Purana.
To call Virajaksetra only a place of religious worship is to demean it. The political and historical significance of the region makes it more glamorous. It dominated the political scene of Orissa and shaped the destiny of many a kingdom for a considerable period of time starting from the sixth century A.D. to tenth century onwards when the Bhaumakaras and Somavams1 kings made it the capital of their vast Utkal kingdom. Though in course of time the empire met its doom, the Kṣetra continued to influence the religious [and political life of India at large for a longer time.