Latest / Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History / Majapahit's Buddhist Mystic: The Lost Wisdom of Mpu Tantular
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- Lucas: So today, we're going to talk about someone who was arguably just as important as Gajam Mada or Hayam Wuruk, but who never led an army or sat on a throne. I'm talking about Mpu Tantular — the poet-philosopher who gave Majapahit its spiritual soul. Luna: Wait — the guy behind 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika'? The Indonesian national motto? Lucas: The very same. That phrase — 'Unity in Diversity' — comes from his epic poem, the Kakawin Sutasoma. And it wasn't just a throwaway line. For Tantular, it was a profound theological statement about how Buddhism and Hinduism could coexist, and by extension, how the diverse kingdoms of Nusantara could be united under Majapahit. Lucas: It's worth remembering that Majapahit was a deeply syncretic civilization. The court at Trowulan was Hindu, especially in the Shivaite tradition, but Buddhism had deep roots in Java too. Tantular himself was a Buddhist poet writing in a Hindu court. And his great work wasn't just art — it was statecraft. Luna: I suppose that kind of ideological glue would have been useful for an empire that controlled everything from Sumatra to the Moluccas. Lucas: Exactly. And you know, that's part of why we're able to bring you these stories — because listeners like you help us keep the show ad-free and independent. If you've been enjoying our deep dives into Southeast Asian history, you can support us at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's what lets us spend the time on these lesser-known figures instead of just rehashing the same old tales. Luna: Absolutely. And it really does make a difference. So back to Tantular — when did he live exactly? Lucas: We think he was active during the reign of Hayam Wuruk, in the mid-14th century. That was Majapahit's golden age. The Kakawin Sutasoma was likely written around the 1360s or 1370s. It's a massive poem — over 1,500 stanzas — and it retells the story of Prince Sutasoma, a previous incarnation of the Buddha, who tames a man-eating demon through non-violence and compassion. Lucas: But the poem isn't just a Buddhist morality tale. Tantular weaves in Hindu deities and concepts throughout. The famous line comes in a passage where the Buddha argues that the ultimate reality — called 'Siwa' in Hinduism and 'Buddha' in Buddhism — is actually the same thing, just described differently. Luna: So he was literally arguing for theological unity as a model for political unity. Lucas: Precisely. The line goes: 'Rwaneka dhatu winuwus Buddha Wiswa, Bhinnêki rakwa ring apan kena parwanosen, Mangka ng Jinatwa kalawan Siwatatwa tunggal, Bhinnêka tunggal ika tan hana dharma mangrwa.' Which means: 'It is said that the Buddha and Shiva are two different substances. They are indeed different, yet how can they be separated? For the truth of the Jina and the truth of Shiva is one. They are different, yet they are one — there is no duality in truth.' Luna: Wow. That's incredibly sophisticated for 14th-century Java. Lucas: It really is. And it wasn't just abstract philosophy. This syncretic outlook had real political consequences. The Majapahit court actively patronized both Hindu and Buddhist institutions. The Negarakertagama, written by Mpu Prapanca in 1365, describes Hayam Wuruk visiting both Hindu and Buddhist temples during his royal tours. Lucas: There's even evidence that Tantular's ideas influenced later Javanese rulers. When the Mataram Sultanate rose in the 16th and 17th centuries, they adopted a similar policy of blending Islam with older Hindu-Buddhist traditions. The shadow puppetry, the gamelan music, the court rituals — all of that has roots in this syncretic worldview. Luna: And of course the motto itself lived on. Indonesia adopted it as its national motto in 1945. Lucas: Yes. Sukarno and the other founding fathers were deeply familiar with Javanese literature. They saw the Kakawin Sutasoma as a perfect expression of the new nation's aspirations — a country made up of hundreds of ethnic groups and languages, united under one identity. So a 14th-century Buddhist poem became the slogan of 20th-century nationalism. Lucas: But we shouldn't romanticize it too much. The poem was written for an elite audience. It's in Old Javanese, full of Sanskrit loanwords, and it assumes a high level of religious education. This wasn't popular literature — it was courtly philosophy. Luna: Still, the fact that it survived at all is remarkable. Do we have the original manuscript? Lucas: We have several palm-leaf manuscripts, called lontar, that date from later centuries. The oldest surviving copy is probably from the 16th or 17th century, but we know the poem existed in Tantular's time because the Negarakertagama mentions it by name. It was clearly considered an important work even then. Lucas: One of the most interesting things about the Sutasoma is its treatment of violence. The demon-king that Sutasoma confronts is named Kala — and he represents the forces of chaos and destruction. But Sutasoma doesn't defeat him by fighting. He uses his spiritual power and his willingness to sacrifice himself. It's a very different model of kingship from the warrior ethos you see in, say, the Ramayana. Luna: So the ideal ruler, for Tantular, was more of a bodhisattva than a conqueror. Lucas: Exactly. And that might have been a subtle critique of the militaristic expansion under Gajah Mada. Remember, Gajah Mada was all about the Palapa Oath — conquering the entire archipelago. But Tantular is saying: true power comes from wisdom and compassion, not from armies. Lucas: We don't know if there was any direct tension between the two men. Gajah Mada died around 1364, just before the Sutasoma was probably written. But the philosophical contrast is striking. Majapahit's power was built on both the soldier's sword and the poet's pen. Luna: And the poet's vision has arguably lasted longer. Lucas: Well, the empire is gone, but the motto is still on the national seal. So I'd say yes. Mpu Tantular's words outlived the walls of Trowulan, the fleets of jongs, and even the Paregreg civil war. That's a legacy worth remembering. Luna: Absolutely. And it makes you wonder — what other treasures are still hidden in those palm-leaf manuscripts? Lucas: That's the beautiful thing about history. There's always another layer to uncover. For now, we've touched on how a poet helped shape an empire. Next time, we might look at the everyday people — the farmers, the merchants, the sailors — who made that empire possible.