1898.] M. M. Chakravarti — Language and literature of Orissa. 
841 
each page. It is a curious mixture of Sanskrit and Oriya verses. It 
purports to be a biography of Jagannatha Dasa, but the first seven 
Adhyayas treat more of Caitanya than of Jagannatha, while the 20th 
Adhyaya is exclusively devoted to a description of the Purusottama 
Ksettra. The author Dibakara Kara was a Brahmin Yaisnava of 
• • • 
the Atibara subsect. 1 His time is unknown, but from the respect in 
which he is held by the Vaisnavas of that subsect, he cannot be less than 
150 to 200 years old. The biography is more full of quotations, eulogies 
and miracle descriptions than of facts, and after a wearisome reading, I 
have been able to cull the following few details about Jagannatha Dasa. 
Jagannatha was born at Kapilecvarapura Sasana, District Puri. His 
father was Bhagabana Dasa Purana Panda (reader of Puranas), and his 
mother was named Padma. The time of his birth is noted as noon of 
bhadra 9 ukla astami. As he grew into boyhood, he took up the usual 
studies of a Brahmin, and he is said to have read up to his eighteenth 
year. Apropos of the Bhagabata, it is said in the 1st Adhyaya :—- 
ssftwprm n;sf i sftflTJPur %Sf i \<s. i 
mm. *nn^cT i #t^ri fenjfwf? n \°<jj 
“ Having studied the Ramayana, he applied his mind to (studying) 
the Bhagabata ;—the twelve skandha-ed Bhagabata with all its notes 
and commentaries.” 
After finishing the studies, Jagannatha Dasa took up his father’s 
pursuits, viz., reading Puranas in the temple of Jagannatha. Here 
Caitanya often met him and was so much delighted with his reading 
and religious devotion that he made him a disciple. Gradually Jagan¬ 
natha became the favourite of Caitanya who gave him the surname 
Atibara or “the greatest.” This displeased the other disciples, most of 
whom left Purl. Caitanya grew more and more fond of him and 
recommended him to king Pratapa Rudra of Orissa. Soon after 
Caitanya disappeared (i.e., died). Jagannatha Dasa continued to reside 
in Puri. He showed various miracles to the king and converted him 
1 In the 5th Adhyaya the author thus speaks of his own ancestors. 
iff I facTT ifl'CtT I 8 I 
jfre iffCrc i i i ms. Folio 27. 
% • 
“ My name is Dibakara, a Bipra (Brahmin by caste). Nima Deba is my father, 
and Gdpala Dasa my uncle. Their father is Nanda Dasa, whose father is Ba-i 
Dasa. My mother is by name Campa. My gotra is Bharadvaja, and (my) pravara 
Vrhatyaqepra.” 
