12/06/2022
, in Andha Bhunana's Lontar quote;
"Matang nyan meru mateges, me, ngaran meme, ngaran ibu, ngaran pradana tattwa, muah ru ngaran, guru, ngaran bapa, ngaran purusa tattwa, panunggalannya meru ngaran batur kalawasan petak. Meru ngaran pratiwimbha andha bhuana, tumpangnya pawakan patalaning Bhuana Agung lan Bhuana Alit".
It means, "Therefore, meru comes from the word me, which means meme, mother, pradana tattwa, while ru means teacher, father, purusa tattwa, so meru means batur kelawasan petak (the forerunner of creation).
Meru with it's roof level is a symbol of the natural layers of Bhuana Agung and Bhuana Alit.
Meru has two meanings & functions as follows :
1. Meru as Lingga Acala, a symbol of Mount Mahameru, the highest mountain which is believed to be the gathering place of the Gods / Papupulaning Sarwa Dewata to create life.
In this case, meru has a function as Dewa Pratista -- serves as a place of worship for the Gods. Meru as Dewa Pratista is found in temple complexes (Utama Mandala) such as Sad Kahyangan Temple, Kahyangan Jagat and Kahyangan Tiga Temples.
2. Meru symbolizes Linga - Yoni, Linga is a symbol of Purusa/Male Spirit/Aji Akasa (spirit) while Yoni is a symbol of Pradana/Female Spirit/Mother Earth (meta/material).
The union of Purusa/Male Spirit/Aji Akasa with Pradana/Female Spirit/Mother Earth produces an enormous power that is the source of creation of everything on earth.
This is the basis that meru functions as Atma Pratista, which is a place of worship of the holy spirits of the ancestors.
Meru with its beautiful tiered roof is symbolic of the natural layers (Bhuana Agung & Bhuana alit).
The natural layer consists of eleven layers (from bottom to top), namely:
1. Sekala,
2. Niskala,
3. Sunya,
4. Taya,
5. Nirvana,
6. Moksha,
7. Suksmataya,
8. Turnyanta,
9. Ghoryanta,
10. Acintyataya,
11. Cayen.
There is also a 21 roof of meru, but usually this can be seen on the container/tower during the Ngaben ceremony in Bali. This "special" Meru has the meaning of the Dasa Dewata (10 of God) as the main basis, plus 11 Atma stairs as a continuation.
The levels of the roof of Meru are a symbol of the unification of the ten letters (10 sacred letters) as the source of life for the universe. The ten holy letters and their power are located in the 10 corners of the universe, including the 2 in the middle.
The 10 holy letters are:
1. Sang, located in the east, the god Iswara, white in color
2. Bang, located in the south, the god Brahma, red in color,
3. Tang, located in the west, the god Mahadeva, yellow in color,
4. Ang, located in Uttara, the god Vishnu, black in color,
5. Ing is located in the middle of the bottom, the god is Uma Dewi, the color is brumbun / a mixture of the five (5) colors above
6. Nang, located in the southeast, the god Mahesora, pink / dice color,
7. Mang, located in the southwest, Rudra the god, orange in color,
8. Sing, located in the northwest, the god Sangkara, the color is green
9. Wang, located in the northeast, the god Sambu, the color is blue,
10. Yang, located in the top center, is the god Ciwa, the five (5) colors
The singularity of the 10 holy letters above leads to a symbol of the sacred script for Hindus, namely ONG (the holy letter of God/Sang Hyang Widi Wasa).
Meanwhile, the embodiment of the 10 holy letters and ONG in Meru is described as follows :
* Meru with 11 roofs is a symbol of 11 holy letters, namely 10 holy letters + ONG as a symbol of Eka Dasa Dewata.
* Meru with 9 roofs is a symbol of 8 letters in all directions (SANG, BANG, TANG, ANG, NANG, MANG, SING, WANG) + ONG in the middle, 9 letters are symbols of Dewata Nawa Sanga.
* Meru with 7 roofs is a symbol of 4 letters (SANG, BANG, TANG, ANG) + 3 letters in the middle ( ING, ONG, Yang). This is the symbol of Sapta Dewata/Rsi.
* Meru with 5 roofs is symbolic of 5 letters (SANG, BANG, TANG, ANG) + ONG in the middle. This is the symbol of the Five Gods.
* Meru with 3 roofs is symbolic of the 3 letters in the middle (ING, YANG, ONG), which is a symbol of Tri Purusa, namely Shiva, Sada Shiva and Parama Shiva.
* Meru with 2 roofs is symbolic of the two letters in the middle (ING, Yang) which are symbols of Purusa and Pradhana.
* Meru with one roof is symbolic of the singularity of the 10 holy letters, namely "ONG" or ONG Kara as a symbol of Sang Hyang Tunggal / One God.
