Sarala Das

Sarala Das (15th century) was an Odia poet-saint and the author of the first and most celebrated vernacular retelling of the Mahabharata in the Odia language. He is regarded as the father of Odia literature and a central figure of the Bhakti movement in Odisha.

Background

Sarala Das was born in the village of Khandasara in the Cuttack district of Odisha. Little is known of his early life, but tradition holds that he was a devotee of Jagannath (a form of Vishnu) at Puri. He lived during the 15th century, a period of cultural flourishing in Odisha under the Gajapati dynasty. His devotion to Jagannath shaped his literary and spiritual vision.

Teachings

Sarala Das’s theology centered on devotion to Jagannath as the supreme deity. His retelling of the Mahabharata is not a literal translation but a creative reimagining, infused with Odia cultural sensibilities and Vaishnava theology. He emphasized dharma, the accessibility of God to all devotees regardless of caste, and the power of divine grace. His work made the epic accessible to the common people of Odisha in their own language.

Works

• Sarala Mahabharata — a complete Odia retelling of the Mahabharata in approximately 16,000 couplets, considered the foundation of Odia literature
• Devotional poems and hymns dedicated to Jagannath

Legacy

Sarala Das is honored as the Adikavi (first poet) of Odia literature. His Mahabharata remains a living text, recited and performed in Odisha to this day. He established Odia as a literary language and laid the groundwork for the rich Vaishnava devotional tradition of the region. The Jagannath cult of Puri, to which he devoted his life, remains one of the most important pilgrimage traditions in India.