Pararaton
Encyclopedia
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 (1126 lines) contains the history of the kings of Singhasari
and Majapahit in eastern Java. The book is also called "Pustaka Raja", which is Sanskrit
for "book king", or "book of kings".
Pararaton opens with a former incarnation of the founder of Singhasari
kingdom (1222–1292), Ken Arok
(or Ken Angrok). Almost half of the manuscript is the story of Ken Arok's career before his accession to the throne in 1222. This part is clearly mythical in character. Then there follow a number of shorter narrative fragments in a chronological succession. Many of the events recorded here are dated. Towards the end the pieces of history become shorter and shorter and are mixed with genealogical
information concerning the members of the royal family of Majapahit.
The importance of the Angrok story is not only indicated by its length, but also by the fact that it furnishes an alternative name: Serat Pararaton atawa Katuturanira Ken Angrok or "The Book of Genealogy or the Recorded Story about Ken Angrok". Since the oldest colophon
in the manuscript
s contains the date 1522 Saka (AD 1600), the final part of the text must have been written between AD 1481 and 1600, presumably closer to the first date than to the second date.
to Yamadipati, the Javanese Door God, in order to save himself from death. As a reward, he was promised that upon his death he would return to Vishnu
's heaven and reborn as a superior king of Singhasari.
The promise was fulfilled. Ken Arok was begotten by Brahma
of a newly-wed peasant
woman. On his birth, his mother laid him in a graveyard
where his body, effulgent with light, attracted the attention of Ki Lembong, a passing thief. Ki Lembong adopted him, raised him and taught him all of his arts. Ken Arok indulged in gambling
, plunder and rapine. In the manuscript, it is written as such that Ken Arok was saved many times by divine
intervention. There is a scene in Mount Kryar Lejar wherein gods descend in conference and Batara Guru (Shiva
) declares Ken Arok as his son. Ken Arok is also destined to bring stability and power to Java.
The prelude of Pararaton is followed by the meeting of Ken Arok with Lohgawe, a Brahmanian
who came from India
to make sure Batara Guru's instructions were fulfilled. It was Lohgawe who asked Ken Arok to meet Tunggul Ametung, ruler of Tumapel
. Ken Arok then killed Tunggul Ametung to gain possession of Ametung's wife, Ken Dedes
; and also the throne to Singashari.
The manuscript was written under the nature of Javanese kingship. For Javanese, it is the function of the ruler to link the present with the past and the future and to give human life its appropriate place in the cosmic
order. The king is Javanese realm, the sacral embodiment of the total state, just as his palace as a microscomic copy of the macrocosmos. The king (and a founder of a dynasty
) possesses an innate divinity to a far higher degree than an ordinary men.
Ras compared the Pararaton with respectively the Sanskrit Canggal inscription
(732 AD), the Śivagŗha (Siwagrha) inscription (856 AD), the Calcutta Stone (1041 AD) and the Babad Tanah Jawi (1836 AD). This showed clear similarities in character, structure and function of these texts and also similarity with texts from the Malay historiography
. Ras suggests to place one specific type of texts from the whole Indonesian area together in one literary genre, the ‘government chronicle’ or the ‘book of kings’: historiography at the service of the legitimity of kingship.
Kawi language
Kawi is a literary and prose language on the islands of Java, Bali, and Lombok, based on Old Javanese, a language with a sizable vocabulary of Sanskrit loanwords. Kawi is the ancestor language of modern Javanese. The name "kawi" is derived from the root ku, which in Sanskrit means “poet”, and, in...
. The comparatively short text of 32 folio-size pages (1126 lines) contains the history of the kings of Singhasari
Singhasari
Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...
and Majapahit in eastern Java. The book is also called "Pustaka Raja", which is 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...
for "book king", or "book of kings".
Pararaton opens with a former incarnation of the founder of Singhasari
Singhasari
Singhasari was a kingdom located in east Java between 1222 and 1292. The kingdom succeeded Kingdom of Kediri as the dominant kingdom in eastern Java.-Foundation:...
kingdom (1222–1292), Ken Arok
Ken Arok
Ken Arok was the founder and first ruler of the Singhasari Kingdom, an ancient Hindu-Budhist kingdom in the East Java area of Indonesia. He was considered as the founder of Rajasa dynasty of both the Singhasari and Majapahit line of monarchs. He came from humble origins but subsequently rose to...
(or Ken Angrok). Almost half of the manuscript is the story of Ken Arok's career before his accession to the throne in 1222. This part is clearly mythical in character. Then there follow a number of shorter narrative fragments in a chronological succession. Many of the events recorded here are dated. Towards the end the pieces of history become shorter and shorter and are mixed with genealogical
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
information concerning the members of the royal family of Majapahit.
The importance of the Angrok story is not only indicated by its length, but also by the fact that it furnishes an alternative name: Serat Pararaton atawa Katuturanira Ken Angrok or "The Book of Genealogy or the Recorded Story about Ken Angrok". Since the oldest colophon
Colophon (publishing)
In publishing, a colophon is either:* A brief description of publication or production notes relevant to the edition, in modern books usually located at the reverse of the title page, but can also sometimes be located at the end of the book, or...
in the 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 contains the date 1522 Saka (AD 1600), the final part of the text must have been written between AD 1481 and 1600, presumably closer to the first date than to the second date.
Prelude
Pararaton commences with a brief of prelude telling how Ken Arok incarnated himself in which he became the king. He offered himself as a human sacrificeHuman sacrifice
Human sacrifice is the act of killing one or more human beings as part of a religious ritual . Its typology closely parallels the various practices of ritual slaughter of animals and of religious sacrifice in general. Human sacrifice has been practised in various cultures throughout history...
to Yamadipati, the Javanese Door God, in order to save himself from death. As a reward, he was promised that upon his death he would return to Vishnu
Vishnu
Vishnu is the Supreme god in the Vaishnavite tradition of Hinduism. Smarta followers of Adi Shankara, among others, venerate Vishnu as one of the five primary forms of God....
's heaven and reborn as a superior king of Singhasari.
The promise was fulfilled. Ken Arok was begotten by Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
of a newly-wed peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
woman. On his birth, his mother laid him in a graveyard
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
where his body, effulgent with light, attracted the attention of Ki Lembong, a passing thief. Ki Lembong adopted him, raised him and taught him all of his arts. Ken Arok indulged in gambling
Gambling
Gambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, plunder and rapine. In the manuscript, it is written as such that Ken Arok was saved many times by divine
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
intervention. There is a scene in Mount Kryar Lejar wherein gods descend in conference and Batara Guru (Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
) declares Ken Arok as his son. Ken Arok is also destined to bring stability and power to Java.
The prelude of Pararaton is followed by the meeting of Ken Arok with Lohgawe, a Brahmanian
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
who came from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to make sure Batara Guru's instructions were fulfilled. It was Lohgawe who asked Ken Arok to meet Tunggul Ametung, ruler of Tumapel
Tumapel
Tumapel was the capital city of Singhasari near the modern city of Malang. Prior to Singhasari, it was under Kediri Kingdom....
. Ken Arok then killed Tunggul Ametung to gain possession of Ametung's wife, Ken Dedes
Ken Dedes
Ken Dedes, first queen of Singhasari, was the consort of Ken Arok, the first ruler of Singhasari, Java, Indonesia. She was later considered as the origin of the lineage of kings that rule Java, the great mother of the Rajasa dynasty, the royal family that ruled Java from the Singhasari to the...
; and also the throne to Singashari.
Analysis of the manuscript
Some parts of Pararaton cannot be accounted as historical facts. Especially in the prelude, fact and fiction, fantasy and reality go together. Scholars such as C. C. Berg argued that texts as these are entirely supernatural and ahistorical, and intended not to record the past, but instead determine future events. However, the majority of scholars accept some historicity in the Pararaton, noting numerous correspondences with other inscriptions and Chinese sources, and accept the manuscript's frame of reference which a valid interpretation is conceivable.The manuscript was written under the nature of Javanese kingship. For Javanese, it is the function of the ruler to link the present with the past and the future and to give human life its appropriate place in the cosmic
COSMIC
Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere, and Climate is a program designed to provide advances in meteorology, ionospheric research, climatology, and space weather by using GPS satellites in conjunction with low Earth orbiting satellites...
order. The king is Javanese realm, the sacral embodiment of the total state, just as his palace as a microscomic copy of the macrocosmos. The king (and a founder of a dynasty
Dynasty
A dynasty is a sequence of rulers considered members of the same family. Historians traditionally consider many sovereign states' history within a framework of successive dynasties, e.g., China, Ancient Egypt and the Persian Empire...
) possesses an innate divinity to a far higher degree than an ordinary men.
Ras compared the Pararaton with respectively the Sanskrit Canggal inscription
Canggal inscription
The Canggal inscription is a Javanese inscription dated to 732, discovered in the Gunung Wukir temple complex in Kadiluwih village, Salam, Magelang Regency, Central Java. The inscription is written in the Pallawa script in the Sanskrit language...
(732 AD), the Śivagŗha (Siwagrha) inscription (856 AD), the Calcutta Stone (1041 AD) and the Babad Tanah Jawi (1836 AD). This showed clear similarities in character, structure and function of these texts and also similarity with texts from the Malay historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
. Ras suggests to place one specific type of texts from the whole Indonesian area together in one literary genre, the ‘government chronicle’ or the ‘book of kings’: historiography at the service of the legitimity of kingship.
Further reading
- J.L.A. Brandes, 1897, Pararaton (Ken Arok) of het boek der Koningen van Tumapěl en van Majapahit. Uitgegeven en toegelicht. Batavia: Albrecht; 's Hage: Nijhoff. VBG 49.1.
- J.J. RasHans RasJohannes Jacobus Ras was emeritus professor of Javanese language and literature at Leiden University, the Netherlands...
, 1986, Hikayat BanjarHikayat BanjarThe Hikayat Banjar is the chronicle of Banjarmasin, Indonesia. This text, also called the History of Lambung Mangkurat, contains the history of the kings of Banjar and of Kota Waringin in southeast and south Borneo respectively....
and Pararaton. A structural comparison of two chronicles. In: C.M.S. Hellwig and S.O. Robson (eds.), A man of Indonesian letters (Dordrecht, Cinnaminson: Foris VKI 121, pp. 184-203), ISBN 90-6765-206-7 - J.J. RasHans RasJohannes Jacobus Ras was emeritus professor of Javanese language and literature at Leiden University, the Netherlands...
, 2001, Sacral kingship in Java. In: Marijke J. Klokke and Karel R. van Kooij (eds.), Fruits of inspiration. Studies in honour of Prof. J.G. de Casparis, pp. 373-388. Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 2001. [Gonda Indological Studies 11.] ISBN 90-6980-137-X