The Greatest Siliwangi - Dewaraja Cult of Siliwangi As Religion Institution of His Kingship

Dewaraja Cult of Siliwangi As Religion Institution of His Kingship

The principal religion of ancient Sundanese is portrayed by three old Sundanese manuscripts like Cariosan Prabu Siliwangi, Bujangga Manik and Carita Ratu Pakuan or Babad Pakuan. Some sentences in the manuscript, indeed, revealed influences of Hindu-Buddhism to the Dewaraja Cult (Danasasmita 1977; 1982; J.Noorduyn 1962; 1982).

The Dewaraja Cult presupposes that king must be representative of God and observer also protector of dharma (i.e. the highest rule on earth). If the king did not succeed to organize the earth rules (dharma), so then he would not succeed as a king neither not either as God representative on the earth (Ekadjati 1981).

Based on the Rajadewa cult, long before ascending to a throne, a king has to show that he is superior among the populace. He should first practice all of the dharma's essence and be respected by his citizenry. Moreover, a king has to prove that he is not only God representative on earth but also a God by himself who comes to earth. It is that such kind of legitimization.

So, the question is what must a king do to be God like? It is comparable to Tantrayana concept in Hindu – Buddhism. It is in that way that somebody to become God like during their life. But its process is the very chancy and also dangerous, thus there are not so many persons who are able to do (Magetsari 1981; 1982a;1982b).

Referring to the Tantrayana, a king who will be a candidate of God like is called sisya and should pass through so many stages (phases). He must find the true / real teacher (ghuru) who will estimate that his disciple is appraising the capability, able or not be able following the teaching step by step while the sisya reached the level. The sisya is not only "the thought" but is also "the gesture" (mudra) and "the attitude and behaviour" (Sedyawati Hadimulyo 1977; Balkrishna Govind 1977).

As a matter of fact, a king, as a sisya, has to be declared to have "eight Godlike features" as follow:

1. Suryya (feature which evokes nobleness which were propels authority)
2. Yama (feature which evokes justice to citizenry)
3. Kuwera (feature which protect law or dharma)
4. Wayu / Bayu (feature which represents the nature of magnanimity)
5. Waruna / Baruna (feature which represents capacity in economical field)
6. Indra (feature which represents capacity of dominating seasons)
7. Candra (feature which represents tenacity and calm in action)
8. Agni (feature which represents fire on a ceremonial offerings and blare between of human being and God)

Dewaraja Cult is a guidance for a king to reach a state of God in his lifetime. Dewaraja cult had been applied by ancient Sundanese in classical period since the 5th century, in the period of Tarumanagara (which is testified by two stone inscriptions, Tugu inscription and Ciaruteun inscription) which is known as the cult of Vishnu image (Poerbatjaraka 1921). This cult is a replacement of the Indra cult which dominated in the Galuh and Sunda period, getting along side by side and become dewaraja cult altogether.

The Dewaraja cult means that the religion institution of a kingship is the most important. Dewaraja as an ideals of a kingship can be glimpsed also on the Ramayana script, an adaptation of several redaction of Sanskrit Ramayana stories (Hooykaas 1985), which dates to the second half of the 9th century (Poerbatjaraka 1926; de Casparis 1956). In the Ramayana, a kingdom is compared with the mount Meru and Indra's heaven, the king is thought to be Indra or the God on earth, and eight places in heaven (Lokapalas) were named as the above mentioned eight principles. Consequently a king must act in accordance to the trust of these eight deities.

The concept of Dewaraja is similar to the Tantric of Mahayana Buddhism telling that the king candidate has to reach a situation of liberation towards the wairoccana as the highest religion rules (Tathagata). Its main objective is that a king must govern as a king and, with the help of his people, be able to reach the state of a Buddha.

It is clear that why King Siliwangi is symbolized as God (or “Hiyang” in ancient Sundanese religious concept). According to Hindu, Rajasuya ceremonial event was an attempt of government, or ruler, to expand its territory to extend dharma. While under the reign of Siliwangi, the concept was extended to save people from suffering Samsara or Sangaskara (Sundanese and Balinese spelling). In Sundanese concept, Rajasuya is interpreted as to who instruct, how to act hereafter, how to placate numerous monsters in the svarga (here is definitely not to be translated as "heaven" but as "hereafter") and how to overcome the dangerous obstructions.

Therefore, it is clear that being a king also has to be God of earth during the reign as the concept is saving people from suffering. Based on this concept, Siliwangi and ancient Sundanese people and also most of the kings in the classical period had to have tolerance in practicing their religions. That is why ancient Sundanese succeeded living harmonious co-existence between Hindu-Buddhism and Sunda Wiwitan, their local religion.