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Balinese Esteemed Heroes
Assuredly,
The Mahabharata epic that is supremely popular
among the community of Bali retains heroic
narrative on the warriors of Pandavas and
Kauravas that fight bravely on the Kuruksetra
battlefield. The fight between Gatotkaca
and Karna, for instance, comes to an end
with the defeat of Gatotkaca.
Mourning cloud was enveloping the hearts
of Pandavas and their entire relatives when
they saw Gatotkaca being killed. Courageous
warrior, the son of Bima, was killed in
the Kuruksetra battlefield because he was
shot dead by the weapon Konta belonged to
Karna. However, Krishna who discerned the
incident peacefully encouraged the Pandavas.
“Why should my son become the victim
of Karna’s magical weapon?” asked
Bima, the father who was shocked due to
the loss of his beloved son while putting
hands on hips in front of Krishna.
“The Supreme Being has predestined
the path of human life. It’s now the
time for Gatotkaca to meet His call.”
“Yet, am I faulting if I mourn over
the loss of my cherished heart?” Bima’s
voice did not flow freely and was in empty
sight, even though he seemed to look strong
in front of Krishna.
“Do not feel too sad, the death of
Gatotkaca should make us more valiant as
he has become an example of sincere warrior
to sacrifice his soul in fighting for the
sake of our mother country, upholding the
truth and justice. He is a young man who
has shown his whole-hearted bhakti (devotion)
to his parents. In the meantime, Gatotkaca
has been predestined to save the Pandavas
from terrible attack of lethal weapon belonging
to Karna,” expounded Krishna while
slapping Bima’s shoulder.
Krishna’s peaceful suggestion made
Bima and other Pandavas aware and feel relieved
to escort the corpse of Gatotkaca to cremation
place. Suddenly, a shower of flower came
down from the celestial realm that calmed
down and refreshed their mind. By this,
as if the troops of the Pandavas had obtained
encouraging invisible force to resume the
struggle of Gatotkaca. They shouted to reverberate
the greatness of Gatotkaca’s soul,
acclaim him as a figure of country’s
flower that abides forever in the mind of
the Pandavas’ troops.
“Long life the warrior Gatotkaca, the
justice upholder, long life the Pandavas,”
heroic yell reverberated for so long.
By analogising the heroic story that made
Gatotkaca’s name famous as the saviour
of the Pandavas from the Konta lethal weapon
belonging to Karna mentioned above, so the
Indonesian and especially Balinese in their
history to expel the colonialist also gave
to birth thousands of generations who can
be made into leaders as the figure of scenting
and endless country’s flower.
This independent and sovereign Republic
of Indonesia is the outcome of struggle,
sacrifice and hard work of the entire citizens
of Indonesia that was established by the
trailblazers of the Independence Movement.
They were killed in the midst of bitter
battle to fight for the state’s sovereignty
against cruel deeds of the colonialists.
Even though being armed with sharp bamboo,
they never hesitated to move forward to
the front line of the battlefield facing
the enemy’s force that equipped with
complete and sophisticated weapons. A variety
of reliable war tactics, ranging from guerrilla
to intruding and attacked the enemy from
behind were carried out in furious zeal
across this archipelago. Just mention a
name like I Gusti Ngurah Rai in Bali with
his Ciung Wanara troops has once made the
colonialist’s heart shrivelled up.
Guerrilla war was carried out by him from
the foot of Mount Agung then explored the
dense forest where he never felt fatigued
and finally was killed at Marga Village,
Tabanan. The location where the warriors
were killed is made into Margarana War Memorial
and high regard to these heroes is held
every 20 November, while the nationwide
celebration of the Memorial Day is brought
about on 10 November at Pancaka Tirta Hero’s
Burial Park in Tabanan City and similar
celebration is also done at every regency/municipality
throughout Bali that has Hero’s Burial
Park.
In Bali, there is a quatrain of old Javanese
poetry, Kekawin Nitisastra, that at all
times resounds at the very bottom of heart
and encourages the lion-hearted warriors
of Bali in the battlefield as follows:
Sang sura menanging rananggana mamuki suka
wibhawa bhoga wiryawanSang sura pejahing
rananggana mangusir surapada siniwi ng surapsari
Yan bhiru n mawedi ng rananggana pejah yama-bala
manikep mamidana
Yan tan mati tininda ring parajanenirang-irang
inanang sinoraken
(Nitisastra, IV.2)
Great
warriors who triumph in the war is satisfied
to enjoy his authority, benefit and courageousness
Warriors who are killed in the war reach
the abode of the gods, surrounded by angels
While the coward who dare not go to war,
when he dies will be captured and tortured
by the followers of Yama
If he does not die, he will be under arrest,
censured and humiliated by enemies.
Spirit of the poetry that is persistently
chanted by Balinese people through pesantian
(chanting) activity has become a light for
the warriors of Bali. “Freedom or Die”
is a phrase that generates them to move
forward and succeed. They, the country’s
flower, beloved children of the Mother Earth,
accompany the people of Indonesia to achieve
the independence from the life-threatening
chain of the colonialists that came one
after another to exploit this archipelago.
For the Balinese, to respect the Heroes,
at the same time, also constitutes a sense
of obligation to the ancestors who has extended
meritorious service to found the independent
country. Their straightforward spirit of
movement and struggle for years by betting
their soul, materials and leaving family
and relatives have been appropriately made
an imperishable clear mirror at the heart
of every single generation of this republic
at present. Respect and appreciation toward
the country’s flowers are also executed
by making a devotional visit to a sacred
place and waving the Red and White flag
on Memorial Day, 10 November.
Such respect and appreciation certainly
do not suffice just by founding a burial
park or through several ceremonial activities
on yearly Memorial Day. However, it should
be more than that how the government, community
and entire components of the nation can
establish a representative burial park for
those heroes by delightful landscape design
and well management. By doing so, this Hero’s
Burial Park, apart from being used for recalling
the great heroes, at the same time, also
used to be made a centre for studies of
historical value for pupils and students,
while for general public, it can be made
into historical tourism object. At this
park, people can discover the spirit of
eternity spring of the heroes that endlessly
flows penetrating cross-age.When celebrating
the Memorial Day on 10 November and Puputan
Margarana on 20 November 2005, heroic values
are not only implemented in the form of
building Indonesia physically, but also
spiritually, namely setting up the mind
that is free from desire, anger, greed,
envy, delusion and confusion. Such epic
constitutes a morality enlightenment that
releases the world from violence.
Through the recitation of Bharatayudha poetry
retaining such heroism, the Balinese would
like to remind that warfare springing up
lately at every hemisphere of the world
indeed provoked by human disability to conquer
their inner enemies. They are so easily
trapped by a desire to control over others,
lose temper and get drunk on reaching the
summit of technological advancement. Developed
countries greatly hunger for exploiting
the natural resources throughout the world
for self-interest, so in order to get them,
they oppress other countries. In conclusion,
confusion occurs everywhere, in such confused
condition one cannot control his deeds and
tragedies occur across the world.
So, heroic values for the Balinese for the
time being is an endeavour to conquer the
inner enemies. It is this endeavour that
makes Bali safe and comfort even though
it has been torn twice by bomb explosion.
Should you put any interests to learn more
about the story and heroic values that are
interpreted through philosophical approach
of the Balinese, simply come by at the Pancaka
Tirta Hero’s Burial Park, Puputan Margarana
War Memorial or other burial parks that
spread throughout Bali.(Ketut Sumadi)
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