Latest / Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History / Majapahit's Forbidden Literature: The Kakawin Sutasoma and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika
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- Lucas: If you've been stepping into history with us episode by episode, you've probably heard the phrase 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika' — 'Unity in Diversity' — the national motto of Indonesia. Luna: It's on the coat of arms, right? And on the flag. Lucas: Exactly. But the phrase itself comes from a 14th-century poem called the Kakawin Sutasoma, written by a court poet named Mpu Tantular during the reign of Majapahit's King Hayam Wuruk. It's a long, complex Buddhist epic, and it very nearly didn't survive to the present day. Luna: Wait — the national motto of the largest Muslim-majority country in the world comes from an old Hindu-Buddhist poem? Lucas: That's right. And that's part of what makes it so fascinating. The poem was rediscovered in Bali in the 19th century — Bali remained Hindu while Java converted to Islam — and it was only then that scholars realised this was the source of that famous line. But let's step back. Lucas: We deliberately don't run ads on these episodes. If you want to support that choice, the link is buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. Luna: Yeah, it's a nice way to keep this independent. Lucas: So the poem itself — the Kakawin Sutasoma — is about a prince named Sutasoma, who is actually a bodhisattva, a future Buddha. He's compassionate, wise, and totally non-violent. Luna: What happens to him? Lucas: The story revolves around a cannibal king called Poonoh, who has a habit of eating humans. He's been cursed to be a man-eating demon, and he's terrorised the land. Sutasoma, instead of fighting him, offers himself up as a meal — but through his teachings and compassion, he converts the king to non-violence. Lucas: It's a classic Buddhist tale of taming evil through kindness, not force. But what's remarkable is the context: it was written in a Hindu-majority court, for a king who was also a Hindu. The poem blends Hindu and Buddhist ideas, and that's where the famous line comes in. Luna: It's explicitly about religious tolerance? Lucas: The exact line is: 'Bhinneka tunggal ika, tan hana dharma mangrwa.' It means 'They are different, yet they are one — there is no duality in truth.' In context, it's about the unity of Hindu and Buddhist teachings — saying they're both paths to the same ultimate truth. It's a very sophisticated idea for the 14th century. Luna: So it wasn't originally about ethnic or cultural diversity — it was about religious syncretism. Lucas: Exactly. But when Indonesian nationalists adopted it in the 20th century, they expanded its meaning to include all the different ethnic groups and cultures across the archipelago. That's a pretty common move — ancient symbols get repurposed for modern politics. Lucas: But here's the thing: the poem itself is over 1500 stanzas long. It's a rich literary work with its own mythology and philosophy. The line we know is just one verse among hundreds. And the poem almost disappeared. Luna: Because of the Islamisation of Java? Lucas: Partly. After Majapahit fell, Hindu-Buddhist culture retreated to Bali. Many manuscripts were taken there, and that's where the only surviving copies of the Kakawin Sutasoma were found. A Dutch scholar named J.L.A. Brandes first published the poem in the late 19th century, and later another scholar, I Wayan Darma, worked on it. Without them, we might have lost it entirely. Luna: So it's a miracle it survived at all. Lucas: Absolutely. And it's not just the motto — the poem also contains other famous phrases, like 'Rwaneka dhatu winuwus' — about the diversity of elements. But the poem's plot is quite violent and fantastical, with demons and gods. It's not a dry philosophical text; it's a gripping story. Lucas: There's also a subplot about Sutasoma's friend, a prince named Patapan, who gets involved in wars. The poem describes battles, magic, and divine interventions. It's a classic kakawin — the Javanese form of epic poetry, with strict meters and ornate language. Luna: Were there other kakawin from that period? Lucas: Yes, the most famous is the Negarakertagama, which we've talked about before — it's a more historical poem about Majapahit itself. But the Sutasoma is more philosophical and mythological. Both were written around the same time, under the patronage of King Hayam Wuruk. The court was a centre of literature and learning. Luna: And both poets — Mpu Prapanca wrote the Negarakertagama, and Mpu Tantular wrote the Sutasoma — they were both Buddhist, right? Lucas: We think so, yes. Prapanca was a Buddhist court poet, and Tantular was also a Buddhist. But they were working in a Hindu-dominated court. That's exactly why the message of unity was so important — it wasn't just theoretical; it was a practical political statement. Lucas: There's a debate among scholars about whether the poem was actually written to promote religious tolerance or whether it was just a conventional expression of piety. Some argue that the famous line has been taken out of context and that the poem itself is more about Buddhist supremacy than equality. Luna: Interesting. Can you give an example? Lucas: Well, in the poem, Sutasoma is clearly the superior figure — he's a bodhisattva, and he converts the cannibal king who represents a kind of extreme Shaivism. So some read it as Buddhism absorbing and taming Hinduism, not as a partnership of equals. But the line itself, 'tan hana dharma mangrwa' — 'there is no duality in truth' — is explicitly non-dualistic. Luna: So it's ambiguous. That's partly why it's still a living text — people can interpret it differently. Lucas: Exactly. And that's what makes the Kakawin Sutasoma such a rich subject. It's not just a source of a slogan; it's a window into Majapahit's intellectual world, where Hindu and Buddhist traditions coexisted and competed. The poem itself is a masterpiece of Old Javanese literature, with vivid imagery and complex philosophy. Lucas: One of my favourite parts is where Sutasoma faces the cannibal king and says, 'If you must eat, eat me — but let the others go.' It's a moment of radical compassion, and the king is so shocked that he stops his violence. That's the core of the story. Luna: It's almost like a folktale, but with sophisticated theology behind it. Lucas: Yes, and the poem also includes references to Javanese landscape, like mountains and rivers, grounding it in the real world. It's a work that bridges myth and geography. Luna: So next time I see the Garuda Pancasila, I'll think of that cannibal king. Lucas: Exactly. And the story of how that phrase 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika' became a national motto is almost as dramatic as the poem itself. It was chosen during the Indonesian National Revolution, in 1945, as a way to unify a diverse archipelago. The founders of the republic knew the old Majapahit phrase and adopted it. Lucas: So you have this 14th-century Buddhist poem, written by a poet in a Hindu court, rediscovered on a Hindu island, and then used by a 20th-century Muslim-majority nation as its guiding principle. That's a journey. Luna: It's a testament to how history gets recycled. Lucas: And it's a reminder that Majapahit's legacy isn't just in ruins or artefacts — it's in ideas that still resonate today. The Kakawin Sutasoma may be a forgotten epic to most, but its one line has become a global symbol of pluralism. Luna: So what happened to the poem after independence? Is it still read? Lucas: It's studied in universities, especially in Indonesia and the Netherlands. There have been translations into Indonesian and English. But it's not widely known outside academic circles. The phrase is famous, but the poem itself is obscure. That's one reason I wanted to talk about it — it's a hidden gem. Lucas: And it connects to so many other things we've covered: Majapahit's court culture, its religious policies, its literature, and its afterlives in Bali and modern Indonesia. Luna: Thanks for bringing it to light. Lucas: Absolutely. So next time you hear 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika', you'll know it comes from a poem about a bodhisattva who offered himself to a cannibal. That's the kind of history that sticks with you.