Satya Mahima Dharma
Encyclopedia
Satya Mahima Dharma is a religious tradition in Hinduism
, from Orissa
. It goes back to a historic person called Mahima Svama (or Mahima Gosain).
He is said to have appeared in Puri
in 1826. Dissatisfied with the ritualised idol worship of Lord Jagannath
, he left Puri and travelled to the Kapilas hills near Dhenkanal where he engaged himself in severe yogic practices. In 1862 he became a siddha
and started preaching a new dharma
. He is said to have attained samadhi
in 1876. Under his first disciple, Govinda Baba, and the dissident saint poet Bhima Bhoi
, the movement shifted away from the coastal region towards the central and western parts of Orissa. Spreading also to other states (Madhya Pradesh
, AP, West Bengal
, Assam
), people from different regions and sociocultural backgrounds joined as followers. Since then, several monastic as well as lay currents and competing associations emerged and various regional centres (Joranda, Khaliapali) have been established. Mahima Dharma is a popular ascetic movement which considers the void, shunya, as the divine principle, opposing as such any idol worship. The void can only be venerated through fire or its manifestation in the sun, traits which link Mahima Dharma to the nirguna bhakti
tradition.
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
, from Orissa
Orissa
Orissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
. It goes back to a historic person called Mahima Svama (or Mahima Gosain).
He is said to have appeared in Puri
Puri
Puri is district headquarter, a city situated about south of state capital Bhubaneswar, on the eastern coast of the Bay of Bengal in the Indian state of Orissa. It is also known as Jagannath Puri after the Jagannath Temple . It is a holy city of the Hindus as a part of the Char Dham pilgrimages...
in 1826. Dissatisfied with the ritualised idol worship of Lord Jagannath
Jagannath
Jagannath is a transcendental non-anthropotheistic Hindu god worshiped primarily by the people of Indian state of Orissa, and, to a great extent, West Bengal...
, he left Puri and travelled to the Kapilas hills near Dhenkanal where he engaged himself in severe yogic practices. In 1862 he became a siddha
Siddha
A Siddha सिद्ध in Sanskrit means "one who is accomplished" and refers to perfected masters who, according to Hindu belief, have transcended the ahamkara , have subdued their minds to be subservient to their Awareness, and have transformed their bodies into a different kind of body dominated by...
and started preaching a new dharma
Dharma
Dharma means Law or Natural Law and is a concept of central importance in Indian philosophy and religion. In the context of Hinduism, it refers to one's personal obligations, calling and duties, and a Hindu's dharma is affected by the person's age, caste, class, occupation, and gender...
. He is said to have attained samadhi
Samadhi
Samadhi in Hinduism, Buddhism,Jainism, Sikhism and yogic schools is a higher level of concentrated meditation, or dhyāna. In the yoga tradition, it is the eighth and final limb identified in the Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali....
in 1876. Under his first disciple, Govinda Baba, and the dissident saint poet Bhima Bhoi
Bhima Bhoi
Bhima Bhoi was a poet and Satya Mahima Dharma activist from Orissa, India.The most permanent contribution of Orissa toour cultural heritage is Bhima Bhoi, Poet-prophet of Mahima dharma, who wielded his pen against the prevailing social injustice, religious bigotry, and caste discrimination...
, the movement shifted away from the coastal region towards the central and western parts of Orissa. Spreading also to other states (Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
, AP, West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
, Assam
Assam
Assam , also, rarely, Assam Valley and formerly the Assam Province , is a northeastern state of India and is one of the most culturally and geographically distinct regions of the country...
), people from different regions and sociocultural backgrounds joined as followers. Since then, several monastic as well as lay currents and competing associations emerged and various regional centres (Joranda, Khaliapali) have been established. Mahima Dharma is a popular ascetic movement which considers the void, shunya, as the divine principle, opposing as such any idol worship. The void can only be venerated through fire or its manifestation in the sun, traits which link Mahima Dharma to the nirguna bhakti
Bhakti
In Hinduism Bhakti is religious devotion in the form of active involvement of a devotee in worship of the divine.Within monotheistic Hinduism, it is the love felt by the worshipper towards the personal God, a concept expressed in Hindu theology as Svayam Bhagavan.Bhakti can be used of either...
tradition.