Latest / Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History / Majapahit's Bhinneka Tunggal Ika: The Politics of a Motto
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the Kakawin Sutasoma before — Mpu Tantular's epic, the source of Indonesia's national motto. But I want to dig deeper into what that phrase, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, actually meant in Majapahit's time. Because it's often presented as this timeless call for multicultural harmony, but the political reality was more complicated. Luna: Okay, I'm interested — because we usually just hear it as 'unity in diversity', like it's self-explanatory. Lucas: Exactly. And the full verse from the poem is: 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, tan hana dharma mangrwa.' Roughly, 'They are different, but they are one — for there is no duality in truth.' The poem was written during the reign of Hayam Wuruk, probably in the 1360s or 1370s, at the height of the empire. Mpu Tantular was a Buddhist poet in a predominantly Hindu court. Lucas: And that's the key context: Majapahit's elite was split between Shivaite Hindus and Buddhists, with some tantric traditions thrown in — especially in the later period, like at Candi Sukuh. The poem's message was a kind of diplomatic theology: Buddhism and Hinduism are different paths to the same ultimate truth. Don't fight over doctrine. Luna: So it was a tool for political stability? Lucas: Exactly. The Sutasoma epic tells the story of Prince Sutasoma — a previous life of the Buddha — who confronts the cannibal king Purusada. There's a famous scene where Purusada is about to eat people, and Sutasoma preaches non-violence and the unity of all beings. The poem uses this Buddhist fable to argue for tolerance, but it's also a mirror for Majapahit's own situation: a king who must unify diverse subjects. Lucas: Now, the interesting thing is that the phrase 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika' is only one line in a very long poem. It wasn't the official motto of the empire — that's a modern adoption. But the sentiment was very much a court ideology. Mpu Prapanca, in the Negarakertagama, describes how Hayam Wuruk celebrated both Hindu and Buddhist festivals, and the royal family supported both temples. Luna: Was there actual conflict between the two groups? Lucas: Occasionally. There were tantric rituals that blurred boundaries, and some sects were more exclusive. But what's striking is that the Majapahit court seems to have consciously promoted a syncretic ideal. The Sutasoma was probably recited at court ceremonies — it's a kakawin, a poem meant to be performed. So when the court heard 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika', they were hearing an official endorsement of pluralism. Lucas: But the real test came later, during the Paregreg civil war in the early 1400s. That conflict split the kingdom between Wikramawardhana and Bhre Wirabhumi — and it was partly religious: the eastern faction was more tantric, the western more orthodox. After the war, the unity the poem preached was shattered. Some scholars think the motto was actually used after the war as a kind of nostalgic ideal. Luna: So the motto became more important after the empire started falling apart? Lucas: Maybe. We don't have direct evidence, but the timing is suggestive. The Negarakertagama was written during the golden age, but the Sutasoma survives only in later manuscripts. It was copied and recopied, especially in Bali after the empire fell. That suggests it had lasting resonance as a statement of what Majapahit was supposed to be. Lucas: And then, of course, in the 20th century, the phrase was adopted by Indonesian nationalists — Sukarno and others — as the national motto. They were looking for a pre-colonial precedent for unity in diversity, and they found it in Majapahit. But they stripped it of its original Buddhist vs. Hindu context and made it about ethnic and religious pluralism in a modern state. Luna: So the meaning shifted completely. Lucas: Completely. But that's also fascinating — how an old Javanese poem from a Hindu-Buddhist empire became the foundational slogan for the world's largest Muslim-majority country. There's a direct line from Candi Sukuh's syncretic carvings to the Pancasila state philosophy. Lucas: If you've been coming with us through these conversations about Southeast Asia, you'll know we're trying to show how these old empires still echo today. And because we don't run ads on these episodes — that's a choice we've made deliberately — listener support is what keeps it going. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a small thing, but it lets us keep doing deep dives like this without interruptions. Lucas: Exactly. So, back to the poem: one of the most interesting aspects is that the Sutasoma actually critiques violence and sacrifice. Purusada wants to eat the king, but Sutasoma converts him to non-violence. That's a radical message in a context where royal power was often linked to martial prowess. It suggests that the ideal ruler was not just a conqueror but a teacher. Luna: Is that a direct contrast to Gajah Mada's Palapa Oath? Lucas: Possibly. Gajah Mada's oath was about conquering Nusantara through force. But Hayam Wuruk, after Gajah Mada died, seems to have shifted toward a more diplomatic, cultural hegemony — using marriage alliances, tribute missions, and religious patronage. The Sutasoma fits that later period: it's soft power. The empire as a moral community, not just a military machine. Lucas: There's also a tantric layer. Some verses describe Sutasoma in highly esoteric terms — he's both Buddhist and Shivaite. The poem may have been used in initiation rituals. So the motto wasn't just political philosophy; it was also a mystical teaching. 'Tan hana dharma mangrwa' — there is no duality in truth — that's a direct statement about ultimate reality. Luna: So the same line was both a state slogan and a religious mantra. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what makes it so powerful. When the Indonesian constitution says 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika', it carries that whole history, even if most people don't know it. The phrase is a palimpsest: you can still see the Majapahit layer underneath. Lucas: One last thing: the Sutasoma was rediscovered in the 19th century by Dutch scholars, and it was first published in 1900. So the nationalists who adopted it were reading a colonial edition. There's a kind of irony there — a Dutch publication of a Javanese Buddhist poem used to argue for Indonesian independence. But that's how history works. Luna: It's like the motto itself: different layers, one truth. Lucas: Exactly. And that's a good note to end on.