Rudra Sudhanidhi : Celestial Journey of the Quintessential Seeker

One can have a taste of poetry, drama, storytelling and divine thinking which makes the text a rare specimen of human intellect. To render into English the nuances and subtleties – in which its life lies – is no doubt a formidable endeavour.

The first-ever prose work in Odia language, Rudra Sudhanidhi, composed by Narayanananda Abadhuta Swami in about 1620 c.e. marks the begin­ning of Odia Katha literature. It a gripping tale of a seeker’s arduous journey from the world of desires to the realm of celestial bliss. A meeting place of yogis, kings and divine figures such as Lord Shiva, Goddess Parvati, Mohinikanya, her daughter and Goddess Lakshmi the text moves from a personal experience to a social document of sixteenth century Odisha, portraying the religious conflict among the Shaivites, the Vaisnavities and the Shakta yogis. It explains in great details the whole history of yogic adventure that includes the practice of alchemy, hathayoga and tantrik rituals. The author exposes those, who failing in their quest for liberation of the soul, rely more on magic and pollute the social life. The self-declaration of the author in the beginning of the text is a rare example of his self-confidence in matters of yogic experience. It has a remarkable prose style, a harmonious combination of the lyrical and the intellectual language, balancing between emotion and deep contemplation.