Bale Kertagosa has a piramyd roof characteristic, inside of its ceiling there is a painting that consists of nine line storied painting. The ceiling painting stories, namely: Line 1. The Tantri Kandaka Story, Line 2 & 3. The Atma Prasangsa Story, Line 4. Garuda mencari Tirta Amerta Story, Line 5. Palelindon (earthquake), Line 6 & 7. Bima Sena Story, Line 8. Sorga Roh Story, and Line 9.
Kisah Dewa Dewi. The theme and story on the ceiling of Bale Kertagosa is based on Bhima Swarga epic (wiracarita) and Hindu mythology such as the figures of gods and goddesses that acts as a guardian of universe in its own shape as avatāra
Arte-Polis 3 International Conference - Creative Collaboration and the Making of Place 530
Sangayu K.L. NILOTAMA & Setiawan SABANA According to Titib (2003:164) Avatāra in Sanskrit means : the one who descend (descend from heaven to earth). The Almighty God takes three forms of incarnation : (1) pūrna avatāra – the flawless avatāra, (2) āvesa avatāra- only in a certain moment or place, (3) āmsa avatāra – the partial/not whole incarnation.
Inside of Weda, the Almighty God is also described as a Personal God (God with personality). This description could be categorized into three, namely: (1) anthrophomorphic description (as a man with superiorities such as: a thousand eyes, three legged, four handed), (2) Semianthrophomorphic description (as a half man half animal) such as elephant headed man dewa Ganesha, horse headed man Hayagriwa, (3) Unanthrophomorphic description (non human, only as animal such as Garutma/Garuda, only as plants/Soma) (Titib 2003:33)
Figure 3 : Puppet painting stories “Bhima Swarga” of Bale Kertagosa Source : Idanna Pucci, 1985
The story of Bhima Swarga is related to the life philosophy concepts that is too abstractly involves human realm, hell realm, god realm and heaven realm. Bhima Swarga is a symbolization of spirit’s suffering on hell-heaven story, showing the result of their deeds while they’re still on earth. In Hindu mythology ‘swarga’ or heaven is as temporary stopover for good spirits/atma before they are reincarnated and swarga is the third layer of world of the seven worlds (upper world).
It is told that Bhima received a task from his mother (Dewa Kunti) dan his brothers the Pandawa (Yudistira, Arjuna, Nakula, Sadewa) to save the spirit of Pandu and Dewi Madri which turned out never to reach Swargaloka. According to the literature, even though Pandu and Madri are good and near perfect characters, still they have done mistakes on their past. On his journey in hell and heaven to look for and save Pandu, Bhima saw so many spirits that was being tortured for their deeds while their were on earth, they still had to go through the punishment process before they are totally clean to swarga. It can be seen here that the concept of desa kala patra, hukum karma and Tri Semaya took part in the making of the painting on bale pengadilan Kertagosa ceiling.
In this journey, Bhima also saw so many animals (fauna) that is helpful and useful for human life. Some of those animals are His sacred animal incarnation (myth and have symbolic meaning) and also used as the vehicle (vāhana) of the gods, such as garuda, swan, dragon, etc (Titib 2003:384). This sacred animals are also a form of His three incarnations (pūrna avatāra, āvesa avatāra, āmsa avatāra), i.e:
The swan Vāhana (āmsa avatāra) represent knowledge that gives wisdom (Vivekajńāna). The lion Vāhana (singha) is a vehicle of dewi Durga, took form of
singabarwang (lion face with body of a bear) – (Semianthrophomorphic) to represent the greatness of dewi Durga.
The upper world is a sacred world, a world for the gods who responsible for testing faith. Gods and goddesses is a personification of nature or as a form of Hyang Widhi Wasa almightiness. Those gods and goddesses are: Dewata Nawasanga (nine cosmos guardian gods) : North/Uttara – dewa Wisnu, Northeast/Airsania – dewa Sambu, East /Purwa – dewa Iswara, Southeast/Gneyan – dewa Mahesora, South/Daksina, Southwest/Neriti – dewa Ludra, West/ Pascima – dewa Mahadewa, and Northwest/Wayabya - dewa Sangkara.
Those gods inhabit the seven layers of heaven called the Saptaloka, namely: (1) Bhurloka, (2) Bhuwahloka, (3) Swahloka or Swargaloka which is the residence of Dewa Indra, (4) Mahaloka which is the residence of Rsi Bhrigu, (5) Janaloka which is the residence of the sons of Brahma, (6) Tapaloka which is the residence of Weragi race creature, (7) Satyaloka or Brahmaloka which is the residence of Brahma. Brahma is the supreme ruler of the Hindu concept of divinity.
Figure 4. The way to read the painting on the Kertagosa’s ceiling - Purwadaksina The state of nature (Bhuwana Agung) is staged, namely: ‘Alam Atas’ (Swahloka),
‘Alam Tengah’ (Bwahloka), dan ‘Alam Bawah’ (Bhurloka). Each has the Swah loka-Utama, Bwahloka-Madya, and Bhurloka-Nista nature. It is from this natural circumstance born the concept of Tri Angga, namely: Nista/ lower, Madya/ center, Utama/ upper, which is the basic value of Balinese morality custom that applied vertically, but if applied horizontally-linear it is called Tri Mandala and this concept is reflected on hierarchical values of traditional building on Bali such as the houses, villages, including Bale Kertagosa.
Read from the Northeast corner (East/Purwa) Line 1,2, 4 and 5
Read from the Southeast corner (South/Daksina) Line 3, 6, 7, 8 and 9
East / Kangin North/ Kaja
West/ Kauh
South/ Kelod
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Figure 5. Tri Angga vertical concept and Tri Mandala horizontal concept Source : Budihardjo 1985
According to Dharmayudha (1991:15) as the cause of human that is located at the centre (centrum), comes the antinomis such as: (1). Hulu-Teben, which hulu means kepala/ utama and teben means hilir/ nista. The concept of hulu teben has been used to show the quality of directions. Mountain Direction is called Utara/Kaja/Hulu, and Sea Direction is called Selatan/Kelod/Teben. (2).
Purwadaksina-Prasawya, means clockwise and counter-clockwise.
Purwadaksina/Pradaksina, clockwise is used as a symbol of purification ceremony toward Swahloka. While Prasawya, counter-clockwise is used as a symbol of fusion ceremony or returning to Bhuta toward Bhurloka.
It is found on the research that the way to read this painting on the ceiling is clockwise – starting from the rigth side to the left side (purwadaksina). There are some interesting findings in this research, that the story from the first, second, fourth and fifth line is read from the northeast corner (east/Purwa). Characters on first line doesn’t have any connection with the next line (second, fourth and fifth line), but there is a common in the method of delivering moral teaching so that human not to tell lies, not to hurt fellow creatures, also friendship and love meaning. The third, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth begins from the southeast corner (south/Daksina). These lines is the main story in Bhima’s spiritual journey in hell realm and heaven realm.
Cosmological cardinal directions is an important basic concept on various activities that related to religious rituals. East and West as the Religious Axis while North and South as the Earth Axis. Both of this space values concept can be described that the main value is north and east, the average value is middle/centre, and the stigma value is south and west. It is mentioned in Batur Kelawasan palmyra script, that the castle position on northeast is Utama, castle is the residence of King (Dewa Agung) and king is an incarnation of God’s avātara on earth. Sun is the source of light in real nature/ sekala giving the light of life. So, that the Hindu religion has sacred directions, Northeast/ East and the
mountain/upstream direction, for it is the highest place, the place of Sang Hyang Widi Wasa. While Southeast/ South/Daksina means right, Brahman or Sang Hyang Widi Wasi. From these two sources, if it looked closer the third, sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth rows of the painting have entered the heaven realm or Swargaloka which is the residence of god Indra and toward to Brahmaloka where Brahma resides.
CONCLUSION
Puppet painting art was rapidly grow on Kamasan since the 17th century (ca.
1686) based on the guidance of the king of Klungkung (Dewa Agung). One of the cultural medium used by Balinese Hindu to spread the Hindu religion values is through the art of puppet painting. In the Kamasan style puppet painting that located at Bale Kerta, it can be seen that the concept rwa bhineda-dualistic concept is symbolized by the theme or of the puppet characters characteristic. It is also shown in the story, the atma of the characters who are tormented by Dewa Yama in hell, and the message from the desa kala patra concept is clearly visible because it is associated with a person’s karma during the journey of life in accordance with the concept of Tri Semaya.
The Bhima Swarga painting on the Bale Kertagosa’s ceiling, provides information about the nature of the Balinese life purpose and meaning in line with the aim of ethics, which is to foster ethical (moral teaching), the sacred teachings handed down by Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa. The purpose of the Balinese life is based on the concept of Tri Hita Karana which intended as a harmonious and balanced relationship between human and God, human and natural environment, and human beings with each other, namely: Moksartham Jagadithiya ca iti Dharma (the harmony between bhuwana alit with bhuwana agung). The paintings on Kerta Bale is expected to enlightens the Balinese of their life purpose, that is to reach Moksha.
This painting is a media of cultural values system, conceptions that life in the minds of most citizens of the community in terms of something that is considered most important or most valuable in life. This cultural value system is the most abstract level of customs and ideal manifestation of culture. The message of this teaching that is to be conveyed through the stories in the form of painting in the hope that each person can take a look on themselves and take a lesson from every bad deeds of the spirit (Atma) in hell, this painting is symbolized as the embodiment of the concept of karma law (karmapala).
This research is not yet finished, for there are many other elements of the Bale Kertagosa puppet paintings that is included in Bali's cultural heritage which has not been revealed. Values in the work of art is something that always be subjective, depending on one who judge it. In value there is also a practical value, as "something" is said to have valued for its usefulness. Value also as "something"
is told to contain the value of art or not at all depending on the assessment of artistic judgement of others. As a part of the custom, values are contextual in the sense related to practical needs and functioning in life. Painting medium is a perfect way to convey a message of moral and ethics that can be seen at any and
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