Kidung Sunda is a Middle-Javanese

Javanese language

Javanese language is the language of the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, in Indonesia. In addition, there are also some pockets of Javanese speakers in the northern coast of western Java...

 kidung

Kidung

Kidung is a form of Old Javanese poetry. They differ from kakawin in that they use Javanese meters instead of imported Sanskrit ones, and mostly appeared later. The subject matter is based on historical events. Like kakawin, they later became an important source of inspiration for pictorial art...

 of probable Balinese provenance. In this poem, the story of king Hayam Wuruk

Hayam Wuruk

Hayam Wuruk, also called Rajasanagara, , was a Javanese King and the fourth monarch of Majapahit empire. Together with his prime minister Gajah Mada, he reigned the empire at the time of its greatest power. He was preceded by Tribhuwana Wijayatunggadewi and succeeded by his son in law...

 of Majapahit who was looking for a bride to be, is narrated. At last he chose the princess of Sunda

Sunda Kingdom

The Sunda Kingdom was a Hindu kingdom located on the western part of Java from 669 to around 1579, covering areas of present-day Banten, Jakarta, West Java, and the western part of Central Java...

, a kingdom in West Java

West Java

West Java , with a population of over 43 million, is the most populous and most densely populated province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, it is slightly smaller in area than densely populated Taiwan, but with nearly double the population...

. The princess' name is remained undisclosed in this story, however she corresponds to Dyah Pitaloka Citraresmi

Dyah Pitaloka Citraresmi

Dyah Pitaloka Citraresmi or Citra Rashmi , was the princess of the Sunda Kingdom in Western Java. According to the Pararaton or Book of Kings, she was supposed to marry Hayam Wuruk, the new young king of Majapahit who had a great desire to take her as his queen. However in the tragedy known as the...

 in Pararaton

Pararaton

The Pararaton, also known as the Book of Kings, is a manuscript in the Kawi language. The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages contains the history of the kings of Singhasari and Majapahit in eastern Java...

. Hayam Wuruk's grand vizier Gajah Mada

Gajah Mada

Gajah Mada was, according to Javanese old manuscripts, poems and mythology, a powerful military leader and mahapatih or prime minister of the Majapahit Empire, credited with bringing the empire to its peak of glory...

, betrayed his king and rejected this idea. There was a dispute about geopolitical relations between Sunda and Majapahit (i.e. Java). Gajah Mada considered Sunda to be a vassal state of Java. For that reason a great battle took place in Bubat

Battle of Bubat

The Battle of Bubat also known as Pasunda Bubat is the battle between Sundanese royal family and Majapahit army that took place in Bubat square on the northern part of Trowulan in 1279 Saka or 1357 CE...

, the port where the Sundanese party landed as they refused to be treated as vassals. There the Majapahit-Javanese army slaughtered the Sundanese. The grieved princess of Sunda committed suicide not long afterwards. This historical story has to be situated somewhere in the 14th century.

Different versions of Kidung Sunda

A Dutch philologist, Prof. Dr. C.C. Berg, has found several versions of Kidung Sunda. Out of them he has discussed and published two versions:

1. Kidung Sunda
2. Kidung Suṇḍâyana (The journey of the Sundanese)

The former is longer than the latter. It also has better literary merits. That is also the version, which is discussed in this article.

Synopsis

A short summary of the contents of Kidung Sunda is presented below. The summary is divided in different cantos.

Canto I

Hayam Wuruk, the king of Majapahit, was looking for a bride to be. He sent emissaries throughout Nusantara

Nusantara

Nusantara is an Indonesian word for the Indonesian archipelago. It is originated from Old Javanese and literally means "archipelago".The word Nusantara was taken from an oath by Gajah Mada, as written on an old Javanese manuscript Pararaton and Negarakertagama...

(Maritime Southeast Asia

Maritime Southeast Asia

Maritime Southeast Asia refers to the maritime region of Southeast Asia as opposed to mainland Southeast Asia and includes the modern countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei, East Timor and Singapore....

) to find a suitable bride for him. They all came back with paintings of lovely princesses. But none was able to charm him. Then Hayam Wuruk heard about the beauty of the princess of Sunda. Accordingly he sent an artist to Sunda and he came back with a painting. At that moment both his uncles: the king of Kahuripan and the king of Daha were in his palace. Both were concerned about the status of Hayam Wuruk who was still unmarried at that time.

Thus the picture of the beautiful princess of Sunda enchanted king Hayam Wuruk. Shortly afterwards, he sent yet another emissary. This time it was an important official, whose name was Madhu, to Sunda to ask for the hand of the princess.

After just six days at sea, Madhu arrived in Sunda. He demanded an audience with the king and told him about the purpose of his journey. The king rejoiced as the most celebrated king of Majapahit was willing to marry his daughter. But the princess herself didn’t say much.

Soon Madhu journeyed back home to Majapahit and handed over the letter of reply of the king of Sunda to king Hayam Wuruk. Not long afterwards, the Sundanese party departed for Majapahit. They sailed with 200 big vessels and smaller boats also escorted them. The total number of the ships must have been about 2,000.

But before the Sundanese royal family entered their vessel, they saw a bad omen. Their vessel was a “Tatar junk, which became in common use after Wijaya’s war.” (Wijaya

Raden Wijaya

Raden Wijaya was a Javanese King, the founder and the first monarch of Majapahit empire. The history of his founding of Majapahit was written in several records, including Pararaton and Negarakertagama...

 was the founder of Majapahit. There was also a failed invasion

Mongol invasion of Java

In 1293, Kublai Khan, the Great Khan of the Mongol Empire and the founder of the Yuan Dynasty, sent a large invasion fleet to Java with 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers...

 of Majapahit by a Mongolian armada in 1293. Usually the word Tatar means Mongolian or Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 in Javanese.)

Meanwhile in Majapahit, they were busy preparing the reception of the Sundanese guests. Ten days later the chief head of the port in Bubat reported that the Sundanese party was already visible. Hayam Wuruk and both his uncle got ready to receive them. But the grand vizier Gajah Mada disapproved. He held the view that a great king of Majapahit shouldn’t receive a vassal kingdom such as Sunda in such a manner. Who knows he is an enemy in disguise.

And thus the intention of Hayam Wuruk was not fulfilled. He followed Gajah Mada’s advice. The other palace servants and dignitaries were shocked in hearing this. But none dared to resist.

In Bubat, the news about the latest developments in Majapahit already leaked in. The king of Sunda then sent an envoy, consisting of the grand vizier, Anèpakěn, three other dignitaries and some 300 footmen. They went directly to Gajah Mada’s residence. There they told him that it appeared as if the king of Majapahit doesn’t accomplish his commitment, accordingly the king of Sunda prepared to sail back home. Then, a hefty discussion followed as Gajah Mada held the view that the Sundanese should act as vassals, just like any other vassals from Nusantara. After both parties exchanged insults, a fight seemed unavoidable. But a royal pundit named Smaranata intervened. The Sundanese envoy went away after they got an assurance that the king of Majapahit will present them a final decision within two days.

In the mean time, after the king of Sunda received the news, he stated that he was not willing to serve as a vassal. He told his men his decision that it is better to die in the battlefield as a ksatriya (warrior) than to live on, only to be humiliated by the Majapahit Javanese. His men agreed to follow and to defend their king.

After that, the king of Sunda came to his wife and daughter and told them to return home. They refused however and insisted to stay with him.

Canto II

Everything was ready. The Majapahit Javanese sent a messenger to the Sundanese camp. The conditions were read. They told them to surrender and to submit as vassals. Angrily the Sundanese refused and a war was inevitable.

The Majapahit army consisted of footmen, dignitaries, and the grand vizier Gajah Mada, and finally Hayam Wuruk and both his uncles.

There followed a bitter fight. In the beginning many Majapahit Javanese perished, but in the end the Sundanese bit the dust. Almost all of them were slaughtered. Anèpaken was killed by Gajah Mada while the king of Sunda was killed by the fathers of his children in law: the king of Kahuripan and the king of Daha. Pitar was the only Sundanese officer who survived. He pretended to be dead among the corpses of the perished soldiers. He escaped and went straight to the pavilion of the queen and the princess. There he reported the latest developments. They were depressed and committed suicide. After that the women of the soldiers committed ritual suicide on the corpses of their husbands.

Canto III

King Hayam Wuruk felt worried after he witnessed the battle. He went to the Sundanese camp, looking for the princess. But she was already dead. He lamented her and wanted to be united with her.

After that a ceremony in remembrance of the deaths was performed. Soon, king Hayam Wuruk himself died in misery. After the funeral rites were performed, his two uncles discussed the whole affair. Both blamed Gajah Mada for the situation. Then they marched to his residence as they wanted to capture and to kill him. In the mean time, Gajah Mada felt that his time was near. So accordingly, he put on his religious attires and began to meditate and to perform yoga

Yoga

Yoga is a physical, mental, and spiritual discipline, originating in ancient India. The goal of yoga, or of the person practicing yoga, is the attainment of a state of perfect spiritual insight and tranquility while meditating on Supersoul...

. Then he disappeared (moksha

Moksha

Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...

) into nothingness in a state of invisibility.

Thereafter the king of Kahuripan and the king of Daha returned home, as they felt that everything in Majapahit reminded them to the sad unpleasant events.

Some analysis

Kidung Sunda has to be considered as a literary work of art and not as a reliable historical chronicle. However the events told in this text might have been based on true factual events.

On the whole, the story narrated in this text, is told in a direct way. It is rather different from other works in the same genre. The narration combines both romantic and dramatic elements in an appealing manner. With lively descriptions and dialogues, the protagonists are brought to life.

Furthermore the story is logical and real. There are no mentions of impossibilities, exaggerations beyond belief and supernatural things, except for one thing, that is the disappearance of Gajah Mada (his moksha

Moksha

Within Indian religions, moksha or mukti , literally "release" , is the liberation from samsara and the concomitant suffering involved in being subject to the cycle of repeated death and reincarnation or rebirth.-Origins:It is highly probable that the concept of moksha was first developed in...

). This doesn’t correspond either to other contemporary historical sources.

It has to be said that the author or narrator has chosen the side of the Sundanese in this narration. Therefore many things do not correspond to other sources as mentioned earlier briefly.

Authorship

All manuscript

Manuscript

A manuscript or handwrite is written information that has been manually created by someone or some people, such as a hand-written letter, as opposed to being printed or reproduced some other way...

s of Kidung Sunda are of Bali

Bali

Bali is an Indonesian island located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east...

nese provenance. However it is not known where this work was composed, either in Java or in Bali. The identity of the author is not known either. Neither is the date of composition known. In this story there are mentions of firearms. But these don’t prove to be a valid criterion to date the text. The Indonesian people already knew the firearms relatively early. At least after the Portuguese

Portugal

Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...

 came to the archipelago in 1511, but probably much earlier from the Chinese. It is a known fact that the Portuguese were greeted by salvo

Salvo

A salvo is the simultaneous discharge of artillery or firearms including the firing of guns either to hit a target or to perform a salute.Troops armed with muzzleloaders required time in which to refill their arms with gun powder and shot...

s when they arrived in the Molluccas.

In any case, this poem has to be composed after 1540 as there is a description of the horse

Horse

The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...

 of Anepakěn, the Sundanese vizier. His horse is compared to the horse of Rangga Lawe, a well-known character from another Javanese poem; Kidung Rangga Lawe. The latter was composed in 1540.

Islamic influences are already discernible. Kidung Sunda contains some Perso-Arabic loanwords such as kabar (news) and subandar (harbourmaster).

Some fragments

Some fragments of the text will be presented on the following. The text is taken from C.C. Berg’s edition (1927). However, the spelling has been somewhat modified to modern usage. Just as in Berg’s edition, no distinction between retroflex and dental stops is made. The Sanskrit

Sanskrit

Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...

loanwords are spelt in the Javanese manner.

Gajah Mada who is verbally abused by the Sundanese envoy (verse 1. 66b – 1. 68 a.)

Ih angapa, Gajah Mada, agung wuwusmu i kami, ngong iki mangkw angaturana sira sang rajaputri, adulurana bakti, mangkana rakwa karěpmu, pada lan Nusantara dede Sunda iki, durung-durung ngong iki andap ring yuda.

Abasa lali po kita nguni duk kita aněkani jurit, amrang pradesa ring gunung, ěnti ramening yuda, wong Sunda kagingsir, wong Jipang amburu, praptâpatih Sunda apulih, rusak wadwamu gingsir.

Mantrimu kalih tinigas anama Lěs Beleteng angěmasi, bubar wadwamu malayu, anânibani jurang, amurug-murug rwi, lwir patining lutung, uwak setan pating burěngik, padâmalakw ing urip.

Mangke agung kokohanmu, uwabmu lwir ntuting gasir, kaya purisya tinilar ing asu, mengkene kaharěpta, tan pracura juti, ndi sasana tinutmu gurwaning dustârusuh, dadi angapusi sang sadubudi, patitânêng niraya atmamu těmbe yen antu.

Translation:

• “Well, what does it mean, Gajah Mada, for you have such a big mouth against us? You expect us to deliver the princess accompanied by tokens of obeisance? You see us as vassals? We are different, we are Sundanese, and we have never lost a battle.

• It is as if you forget the former times, when you attacked the villages on the mountains. It was a fierce battle, the Sundanese were routed, chased after by men of Jipang. But then the grand vizier of Sunda came and stroke back. Your men were in retreat.

• Both your ministers Lěs and Beleteng; were struck and killed. Your men were in disarray and retreated. Some fell into the ravines and were pricked the thorns. They died as monkeys, weasels and setan (satan, ghost). There were moaning all over the place. Everyone asked to be let alive.

• And now you are vomiting such big words? The smell of your breath is like the wind of a cricket, as the excrement left behind by a dog. Such a desire of yours is unsuitable and deceiving. Well what kind of law are you following, that you are a master of evil and corruption? You want to mislead good people? Your soul shall descend to the hell later, when you die!”

The king of Sunda rejecting the conditions of Majapahit (verse 2.69 – 2.71)

[...], yan kitâwĕdîng pati, lah age marĕka, i jĕng sri naranata, aturana jiwa bakti, wangining sĕmbah, sira sang nataputri.

Wahu karungu denira sri narendra, bangun runtik ing ati, ah kita potusan, warahĕn tuhanira, nora ngong marĕka malih, angatĕrana, iki sang rajaputri.

Mong kari sasisih bahune wong Sunda, rĕmpak kang kanan keri, norengsun ahulap, rinĕbateng paprangan, srĕngĕn si rakryan apatih, kaya siniwak, karnasula angapi.

Translation:

• [...]. “If you are afraid to die, then come forward and pay obeisance at the feet of His Majesty the King and offer him the living evidence of your servitude: the fragrant obeisance, the princess.”

• The Sundanese king just barely heard this, as he stood up angrily: “Hey, listen you messengers, just tell your master that I don’t have the intention to approach him and to convey the princess!

• Even if the Sundanese only have one arm left, or even more if both the right and the left arms are destroyed, their eyes won’t be impressed if they are outnumbered on the battlefield.” The Sundanese vizier also got irritated as he heard the sharp words (of the Majapahit envoy).

Hayam Wuruk lamented the dead princess (verse 3.29 – 3. 33)

Sireñanira tinañan, unggwani sang rajaputri, tinuduhakěn aneng made sira wontěn aguling, mara sri narapati, katěmu sira akukub, perěmas natar ijo, ingungkabakěn tumuli, kagyat sang nata dadi atěmah laywan.

Wěněsning muka angraras, netra duměling sadidik, kang lati angrawit katon, kengisning waja amanis, anrang rumning srigading, kadi anapa pukulun, ngke pangeran marěka, tinghal kamanda punyaningsun pukulun, mangke prapta angajawa.

Sang tan sah aneng swacita, ning rama rena inisti, marmaning parěng prapta kongang mangkw atěmah kayêki, yan si prapta kang wingi, bangiwen pangeraningsun, pilih kari agěsang, kawula mangke pinanggih, lah palalun, pangdaning Widy angawasa.

Palar-palarěn ing jěmah, pangeran sida kapanggih, asisihan eng paturon, tan kalangan ing duskrěti, sida kâptining rawit, mwang rena kalih katuju, lwir mangkana panapanira sang uwus alalis, sang sinambrama lěnglěng amrati cita.

Translation:

• He asked the nannies regarding the whereabouts of the princess. They showed him a place in the middle where there was someone lying. The king came and saw that it was covered with a blanket made of green golden threads on the ground. He uncovered and was shocked, as she had become a corpse.

• The paleness of her face was enrapturing, her eyes were half shut; her lips were beautiful to see; her uncovered teeth presented a friendly appearance and rivalled the fruits of a sri gading tree (some kind of coconut). It was as if she greeted him: “My lord, please come near and see how my meritorious deed by coming to Java is rewarded …(? unsure).

• This has been in the mind of my father and my mother all the time. And this was their desire. That is the reason why they accompanied me. And behold how it all ends up! If you were here the day before yesterday, I might have been still alive and to be wed. Oh how cruel is this fate provided by the Almighty!

• Let us hope my Lord that we will be united and lie next to each other on couch, without the evil fate getting in our way. Then the wish of my father and my mother will be fulfilled, which will delight both of us.” It was as if the corpse spoke in such a manner. The one who was spoken to, was bewildered, he felt dejected.