The Island of Thousand Temples (54)

Function of Padma Tiga at Besakih

The foremost sanctum sanctorum at Besakih Temple is Padmasana shrine that dwells on the second tier of Penataran Agung area lays three Padmasana shrines coalescing into one altar facing the Elephant or Pawedan pavilion (pavilion where the lay priest offer their prayers on leading sacrificial rite).

It is these Three Padmasanas (shrine dedicated to the supreme godhead and prime mover of the Universe) that become the foremost shrine in the complex of Besakih Temple. In the Holy Scripture Wrehaspati Tattwa is mentioned that the function of Padmasana is as locus to worship the Lord Sada Siva. It constitutes one epithets of the Supreme God’s manifestation. In the Hindu concept of Siva Sidhanta, it is also called Tri Purusa.
Sanghyang Tri Purusa means God as the soul of tri loka (tripartite universe)—Purusa (Sanskrit) means inner being or resource of life. Siva as Sanghyang Tri Purusa signifies the soul of tripartite universe. However, even though God becomes the soul of tri loka or in other words existing in the beautiful and scented locus, He is never influenced by such beauty and fragrance since God Himself is not an influenceable object. God is an influential object. Nothing can influence God. It happens on the contrary, instead that nothing on this universe that does not lay under influence of God.
In Hindu teaching, there is a concept on God as Avatar—Avatar means going down to cross. God’s Avatar means God that goes down to cross the cosmic nature as its soul. When God inspires the cosmic nature, it is called Purusa Avatar (God goes down to cross the cosmic nature to inspire the tri loka sphere).
When God acts as resource that determines the human quality, He is called Guna Avatar. It is God as Tri Purusa that is venerated by means of Padma Tiga in the complex of Penataran Agung of Besakih Temple.
Padmasana on the right side is festooned with black array as a venerating locus of the Lord Parama Siva. It is symbolized with black (dark) color since He is too far from the universe where there is the sun. Such black color arises since it abides too far that the sunlight does not reach it. Padmasana in the middle is means of venerating God as Sada Siva in white array. White color is the symbol of akasa (ether) that is within the reach of the sunlight. Meanwhile, Padmasana on the left side in red array is medium of venerating God as the Lord Siva.
Worship of God in Padma Tiga as Sanghyang Tri Purusa implants a conception that all beings on this universe are the creation of God. Such beings that are created by God are entitled to get the right of life and treatment that is full of affectionate love. Thus, veneration of God by means of Padma Tiga also describes those human beings, as the perfect being of God’s creation should maintain the purity of Tri Loka mentioned above as abode of God. Therefore, there is Tawur Kesanga that performed annually in the Sasih Kesanga or ninth month in the Balinese calendar system.
On the carrying out of the tawur, three groups of priests lead such exorcism rites, namely Pandita Siva as symbol to lead the purification of svah loka (heaven or the mental plane); Pandita Budha as priest who leads the purification of bhuvah loka (Antariksha or the astral plane); and the Pandita Bujangga as priest who leads the purification of bhur loka (earth plane).
It should be understood properly. It is proved that human beings who live in the bhuvah loka can annihilate the upper world. For instance, the use of machine that produces excessive smoke can be harmful to the lower atmosphere that ultimately results in greenhouse effect. The use of Freon (an aerosol propellant or refrigerant) on air-conditioning systems at bhur loka can bring about damage of the ozone layer, and so forth.
(BTN/Wiana)