Bhushanda Kaka: The Immortal Witness of Sri Jagannath

Maharaja Indradyumna wondered, “Where will I find a witness?” As he was contemplating this, his eyes fell upon the immortal crow, Bhushandakaka, who was sitting on the nearby Kalpabata (the eternal banyan tree). Immediately, he told Brahma, “This crow is my witness.”

“Indradyumna said, ‘I have a witness.
It is the crow sitting on the Kalpabata tree.'”

Bhushandakaka was a supreme devotee of Lord Sri Rama, and his lifespan was millions and millions of years. He had received the boon of icchhamrutyu (the ability to choose the time of his death) from Lord Sri Rama. Everyone then went and approached Kaka Bhushandi. In his book Deula Tola, Krushnadas writes:

“Brahma said, ‘O King, let us go and inquire.
We shall ask the witness whose temple this is.’

Brahma, Indradyumna, and Gala Madhava went,
And arrived at the base of the Kalpabata tree.”

At that time, Bhushanda Kaka was in deep spiritual practice (sadhana), in a state of Urdhvareta (a yogic state of upward-flowing energy). Bhushandakaka paid no heed to Brahma’s words. Getting annoyed and agitated, Brahma harshly rebuked the crow, saying, “Oh, you wretched bird! Being a mere crow, you pay no attention to my words. Do you know who I am? I am Brahma, the Lord of the Vedas, myself!”

“Brahma said, ‘Oh Bhushanda Kaka, you!
Listen, listen, O crow, I am asking you.’

Bhushanda Kaka, who was in his upward meditation, thought,
‘Who has called out to me in this mortal realm?’

Brahma said, ‘I am the master of the Vedas.
How dare you, a worthless crow, not speak to me!'”

Hearing this, Bhushanda Kaka replied, “Oh, which Brahma are you? I have already seen millions upon millions of Brahmas. There was one Brahma with a thousand faces, and he died within five days as I watched. You are but a four-faced Brahma, born only yesterday from the lotus of Vishnu’s navel. Chanting the name of Rama at the foot of this banyan tree, I have witnessed the passing of countless Brahmas.”

“‘Which Brahma are you?’ Bhushanda asked.
‘Countless Brahmas have passed before my very eyes.’

‘There was one Brahma with a thousand faces.
As I watched, he died in five days.’

‘You were born from Vishnu’s navel only yesterday.
With your four faces, what great authority do you claim?’

‘Countless Brahmas have come and gone under this banyan tree.
Holding onto the name of Rama, I alone have remained.'”

Hearing these words from Bhushanda Kaka, the delusion of Vedabara Brahma was shattered. He realized that this crow was no ordinary bird. This was the immortal, supreme devotee of Lord Sri Rama, Bhushanda Kaka. Then, he humbly posed his question, and Bhushanda Kaka replied that this magnificent monument was the work of Maharaja Indradyumna. The dispute between Gala Madhava and Maharaja Indradyumna came to an end. Vedapati Brahma consecrated Mahaprabhu Jagannath at Nilachala and then departed for Brahmaloka (the abode of Brahma). In the book Deula Tola, Kaka Bhushanda’s testimony is described as follows:

“Brahma said, ‘Tell me truly,
Whose temple is this?’

Bhushanda Kaka, looking at Brahma, replied,
‘This temple was built by Indradyumna.'”

Once, while meditating on the Mahaprabhu (the Great Lord) atop the Kalpabata, Bhushanda Kaka was in a state of deep meditative absorption (sushupti). Through inadvertence, he slipped and fell into the sacred Rohini Kunda, whereupon he attained a four-armed form (Chaturbhuja) and ascended to Vishnuloka (the abode of Vishnu). Today, one can have a darshan (holy sight) of Bhushanda Kaka at the Rohini Kunda, which is located in front of the Vimala Temple inside the Sri Mandir complex. The devotee Salabega wrote about the sight of Bhushanda Kaka:

“The dust of the Rohini Kunda,
Where the lion sits atop the elephant,
Will my eyes be truly blessed by the sight,
Where the crow fell and became the four-armed one?”

In the Ramcharitmanas, written by Saint Tulsidas, there is a detailed description of Kakabhushundi. It is said that Kaka Bhushundi composed a version of the Ramayana called the Bhushanda Ramayana. Shiva told Mother Parvati that Kaka Bhushundi had narrated the story of the Ramayana to Garuda, the king of birds. In the Ramcharitmanas, Saint Tulsidas writes:

“O Uma, I have narrated that entire beautiful story,
Which Bhushundi recited to the King of Birds (Garuda).”

Jai Jagannath

Capture the extraordinary legend of Bhushanda Kaka, the immortal devotee of Sri Rama and the sole witness to the creation of the Jagannath Temple. This exquisite piece brings to life the pivotal moment from the Deula Tola when the humble crow, meditating on the Kalpabata tree, humbled Lord Brahma himself by recounting the countless ages he had seen pass.