Latest / Majapahit: The Empire That Once Ruled Indonesia — Fexingo History / Majapahit's Bhinneka Tunggal Ika: Unity in Diversity
Transcript
- Lucas: So Luna, we've talked a lot about Majapahit's power, its trade, its wars. But today I want to focus on something a little different: an idea. A phrase that's still on the national emblem of Indonesia today: Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. Luna: I've seen that on the Garuda Pancasila — it means 'Unity in Diversity,' right? Lucas: Exactly. But most people don't realize it's a direct quote from a 14th-century poem, the Kakawin Sutasoma, written by a poet named Mpu Tantular during the reign of Hayam Wuruk. It's a long epic in Old Javanese, mixing Sanskrit and Javanese meters. Lucas: The full line is 'Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, tan hana dharma mangrwa.' Roughly: 'They are different, yet one, because there is no duality in truth.' It's a statement about religious harmony. Luna: So it wasn't originally a political motto, but a religious one? Lucas: Yes, and that's key. The poem itself is about Prince Sutasoma, an incarnation of the Buddha, who preaches tolerance between Shaivism and Buddhism. In Majapahit, both religions coexisted, and the court respected both. The phrase argues that despite different paths, the ultimate truth is one. Lucas: Mpu Tantular was a Buddhist poet, but he wrote with deep knowledge of Hindu texts too. The poem references the Vedas, the Puranas, and Buddhist sutras. It's a masterpiece of syncretism. Luna: So how exactly was it rediscovered? I mean, the text survived all those centuries? Lucas: The Sutasoma was preserved in Balinese palm-leaf manuscripts, lontar. It was studied by Dutch scholars in the 19th century, but it wasn't until the 20th century that it entered the national consciousness. Indonesia's founding fathers, like Sukarno and Mohammad Yamin, were looking for a unifying motto for a diverse archipelago. Lucas: They found it in Bhinneka Tunggal Ika. It was adopted as the national motto in 1950, and it appears on the Garuda Pancasila, the national emblem. So an ancient Javanese Buddhist poem became the slogan for a modern Muslim-majority republic. Luna: That's a fascinating journey — from a 14th-century court to a 21st-century passport cover. Lucas: It really is. And the phrase itself is grammatically interesting. 'Bhinneka' means 'different' or 'diverse' — it's a Sanskrit loanword. 'Tunggal' means 'one,' and 'ika' is a demonstrative, 'that.' So literally 'different, one, that.' It's almost poetic shorthand. Lucas: The poem also contains the line 'tan hana dharma mangrwa,' which means 'there is no duality in truth.' That's the philosophical core: that truth is one, even if our understandings of it differ. Luna: Did Mpu Tantular write anything else? Lucas: He's also credited with the Kakawin Arjunawijaya, another epic, this one about Arjuna from the Mahabharata. So he was equally comfortable with Hindu themes. That's typical of the East Javanese period — poets were often bilingual in Hindu and Buddhist traditions. Lucas: The Sutasoma is quite long — over 100 stanzas. It tells the story of Prince Sutasoma, who is actually the Buddha in a previous life. He preaches non-violence and tolerance, even converting a cannibal king named Bhairawa. Luna: Wait — a cannibal king? That's a vivid image. Lucas: Yes, Bhairawa is a terrifying figure, but Sutasoma tames him through compassion. The poem is full of magical encounters, philosophical debates, and battles. It's a rich narrative, but its enduring legacy is that one line. Lucas: What's also interesting is that the motto wasn't universally accepted. Some Muslim groups objected to using a phrase from a Hindu-Buddhist text. But Sukarno argued that it represented the spirit of the nation, and it stuck. Luna: It makes me think about how nations choose their symbols. They often reach back to a golden age, like Majapahit, to claim legitimacy. Lucas: Absolutely. And Majapahit was a natural choice because it was the last great Hindu-Buddhist empire, and it controlled much of what is now Indonesia. The motto tied modern Indonesia to that legacy of unity. Lucas: The poem also uses the word 'dharma' in a way that's inclusive — it doesn't specify which dharma. So it's a deliberate openness. That's probably why it resonated so strongly with the founders. Luna: So when we look at the Garuda today, we're seeing a direct thread from Majapahit to now. Lucas: Exactly. And not just the phrase — the Garuda itself is a mythical bird from Hindu-Buddhist mythology, and it holds a shield with Pancasila. It's all deliberately layered with meaning. Lucas: I think the takeaway is that Majapahit wasn't just a military or economic power. It also produced intellectual and artistic works that shaped the identity of an entire region. Sutasoma is a testament to that. Luna: It makes me want to read the poem, or at least a translation. Lucas: There are translations, but the original Old Javanese is so rhythmic that something is always lost. Still, the core message is clear: unity can coexist with diversity. It's a message that's as relevant today as it was in the 14th century. Lucas: And that, to me, is the real power of Majapahit's legacy — not just empires and battles, but ideas that last. Luna: Thanks, Lucas. I'll never look at that motto the same way again.