Panji (formerly Pandji) was a legendary prince in East Java, Indonesia. His life has formed the basis of a cycle of Javanese stories. Along with the Ramayana and Mahabharata, this cycle is the basis of various poems and a genre of wayang (shadow puppetry) known as wayang gedog – "gedog" meaning "mask".[1] Panji tales have also spread from East Java to be a fertile source for literature and drama throughout Malaya, Thailand, and Cambodia.[2]
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Panji and the other characters in the Panji cycle appear with various names in different versions of the tales. Other names for Panji include Raden Panji, Raden Inu, Inu (of) Koripan, Ino (or Hino) Kartapati, Cekel Wanengpati, and Kuda Wanengpati of Janggala.[2] Panji also found as a name of Prince of the monarchy in Tabanan, rules by Shri Arya Kenceng on 1414 (Babad Arya Tabanan.) In Thailand, he is called Enau (Thai: อิเหนา) or Enau (of) Kurepan, or Raden Montree.
Panji is the prince of Kuripan (Koripan) or Janggala. He is usually depicted in an unadorned helmetlike rounded cap.[3] The mask for Panji has a smooth white or green face; narrow, elongated eyes; a straight and pointed nose; and delicate, half-open lips.[4]
Panji is engaged to be married to Candra Kirana (also known as Sekartaji), the princess of Daha (Kediri), when she mysteriously disappears on the eve of the wedding. Later in the story, she is sometimes called Kuda Narawangsa when she appears disguised as a man. Panji's principal adversary is Klono (Kelana Tunjung Seta), a ferocious king who desires Candra Kirana and tries to destroy Daha to get her. Other common characters are Gunung Sari (Candra Kirana's brother), Ragil Kuning or Dewi Onengan (Panji's sister married to Gunung Sari), Wirun, Kartala and Andaga (relatives and companions of Panji).[2]
There are many differing versions and episodes of the overall story. In one version,[5] The main story of Panji tells about the romance between Prince Panji and Princess Kirana; the Panji search for his long lost bride.
The kakawin Smaradhana originally was the work of the poet Mpu Dharmaja in early 12th century. However later incorporated as the prelude of Panji tales. The story tells about the disappearance of Kamajaya and his wife, Kamaratih from svargaloka because being burnt by the fire of Shiva. The spirit of Kamajaya and Kamaratih was fell upon the earth incarnated several times as the mortal among human beings.[6] The main character of Panji cyle; Prince Panji and Princess Kirana is the notable incarnation of Kamajaya and Kamaratih on earth. These are several episodes of the compilation of Panji story:
The tales of Chandra Kirana (sometimes called the tales of Dewi Anggraeni) is a tragic love story, the prequel of the main Panji story. The story began with the arranged marriage between Prince Panji Asmoro Bangun, and Princess Chandra Kirana from twin neighboring kingdoms of Kediri and Janggala. The dynastic marriage was meant to unite the once single kingdom under one dynasty as the means of peace agreement. During his early youth, the prince of Jenggala love to travel the country, visit some ashrams and hermitages and learn from various wise Brahmins and rishis across the kingdom. However during his stays in one of a remote hermitage, the prince fell in love with a beautiful commoner girl, Dewi Anggraeni. The prince married Anggraeni and took her home to the palace in the capital city of Jenggala. The marriage of a prince with the commoner girl uproared royal court of both Jenggala and Kediri. The angered Kediri envoys push the commitment of Jenggala to keep their promise on the arranged dynastic marriage, they threatened to wage the war if the marriage failed. However the love-struck Prince did not want to fulfilled his royal duty and refused to marry Kirana. To avoid the war, the elders of royal house plotted an assassination to kill Dewi Anggraeni.
Both Panji and Anggraeni was separated and tricked by being told to meet each other. Actually Anggraeni was brought by royal troops deep into a forest to be murdered. After she learned that the action was meant to avoid war and bloodshed between two kingdoms, the poor girl willingly gave up her life and sacrifice herself. After Panji learn about the death of Anggraeni, the prince went amok, fell unconscious and finally lost his mind. The prince went insane, suffer amnesia and wracking havoc across the kingdoms; attacking various villages authorities, lords, and bandits. Meanwhile in Kediri, Princess Kirana that learn about fate of her future husband, decided to go out from the palace to find and help him. Later princess Kirana disguised as a man involved in a battle with Panji and finally managed to cure the Prince from insanity. Surprisingly Princess Kirana looks exactly like the late Anggraeni, as actually they both was incarnated by the same spirit, Kamaratih, the goddess of love. Panji and Kirana later united in marriage and life happily ever after.
The episode of Panji Semirang tell another version of the story. The story began with the disappearance of Candra Kirana from the palace. After Candra Kirana disappears, a princess who claims to be Candra Kirana, though different in appearance, attempts to console Prince Panji, and alleges that she was carried off by Durga, and will regain her original appearance as soon as they are married. Panji orders preparations for the wedding resume, not knowing that the consoler is in reality a demon-princess who wants Panji for herself.
Meanwhile, the true Candra Kirana is alone in the forest, advised by gods that she must return to the palace disguised as a man to be reunited with Panji. She does so, discovers the wedding plans to the false Candra Kirana, writes a letter to Panji revealing the true situation, and vanishes. Upon discovering this, Panji rushes to search for his love while his courtiers kill the demonic impostor.
Panji undergoes many adventures, staying in forests with hermits, working as a servant in different palaces, always searching for traces of his lost bride. Candra Kirana, meanwhile, continues her male disguise, undergoes her own set of adventures, and ends up as the king of Bali. In the climax of the story, Panji and Candra Kirana unknowingly oppose each other on the battlefield. There, as witnesses are ordered to leave, she confides to her opponent that she is the bride of Panji, and that the disguise was assumed because of a command of the gods that she could win back her prince only in a face-to-face combat where his blood is made to flow. They fight with swords and arrows, but she is unable to harm him until she resorts to her hairpin. Panji is wounded, reveals his identity, and they are happily reunited.
The episode Ande Ande Lumut told another version of the union between Prince Kusumayuda and Kleting Kuning, the youngest of four sisters, all are the daughters of a widow in a village within the Prince Kusumayuda's father domain. The widow daughters are named according to colors; from the oldest Kleting Abang (Kleting Merah/Red Kleting), Kleting Biru (Blue Kleting), Kleting Ijo (Green Kleting), and Kleting Kuning (Yellow Kleting). All of Kleting Kuning's older sisters are jealous because Kleting Kuning is very beautiful. Kleting Kuning actually was an adopted daughter, she is actually the missing princess of Janggala kingdom, later known as Dewi Candrakirana. Prince Kusumayuda always remember the beautiful princess that betrothed to him years ago, his future consort the future queen of Banyuarum kingdom. Unfortunately they were separated as the princess is missing.
Several years later a rich and handsome eligible bachelor named Ande Ande Lumut declared that he is searching for a bride to be married. Many girls across the kingdom are smitten and interested to be his wife, including Kleting Kuning's sisters. However Kleting Kuning was not interested since she always remember her true love Prince Kusumayuda. However a magical crane bird told Kleting Kuning to participate in this event since her true fate is waiting. All of the girls are all dressed up beautifully, put on their make up and marched towards Ande Ande Lumut's house. However her stepmother ordered Kleting Kuning not to dressed up and even disguised her in ugly and dirty clothes, in favour of her own daughters to win the bachelor's heart. She only gave her a sapu lidi (broom made of coconut leaf spines) in order to make Kleting Kuning looks like a poor servant, however actually it was a magical broom.
In their journey, the girls have to cross a large river without any ferry services. The river was guarded by a giant freshwater crab named Yuyu Kangkang. Yuyu Kangkang offered to take the girls crossed the river rides upon its back, in return for a kiss. In order to reach Ande Ande Lumut's house as fast as possible, hastely the girls agreed on this condition and allowed Yuyu Kangkang to kiss them. Kleting Kuning arrived late on the river bank where Yuyu Kangkang awaits and again Yuyu Kangkang offers its service for a kiss. Of course Kleting Kuning whom always uphold her modesty and chastity refuse its offer. Yuyu Kangkang angered with Kleting Kuning refusal and tried to eat her. In defense Kleting Kuning hit the river with her broom and magically all the water in the river is dried, so Kuning able to cross the river safely. Yuyu Kangkang is very scared and beg for her mercy and forgiveness to return the river, its home, as it was before. All the girls including Kleting Kuning's sisters reach Ande Ande Lumut's house and greeted by Ande Ande Lumut's mother. Although the girls are pretty, Ande Ande Lumut refused all of them because he can detect the smelly pungent fishy kiss of Yuyu Kangkang on them. Finally Kleting Kuning arrived, she looks dirty and ugly. However Ande Ande Lumut received her as he can see the true beauty beneath and he knows that Kleting Kuning is the long lost princess. At that time Kleting Kuning realized that Ande Ande Lumut is actually Prince Kusumayuda himself. They are reunited, married and life happily ever after.
Another episode is the sequel of the main story. The tale of Keong Emas took place after the union of Panji Asmoro Bangun and Sekartaji in a marriage. There is several versions of the tale. The story began with Sekartaji being magically transformed into a golden snail. The golden snail was saved and kept as a pet by a poor widow fisherwoman named Mbok Rondo. Magically Sekartaji able to turned back into her human form for some period and she paid back the widow's kindness by cooked her delicious dishes and cleaned her house. The curious Mbok Rondo finally learn that the snail is a princess and she broke the snail shell and thus undo the magic spell. Sekartaji was adopted as the widow's daughter and finally reunited with her husband, Panji Asmoro Bangun.
In these romances, he is said to do deeds traditionally ascribed to mythical ancestors,[7] and it has also been conjectured that the basis of the story reflects an ancient sun and moon myth.[2] Some details of Panji may also be based on Kameçvara, a twelfth-century Javanese king of Kediri.[8] While the details of Panji's consort, Chandra Kirana, was based on queen Çri Kirana. The curious thing is, the kingdoms in the tale was switched from the historical kingdoms. In the tale Panji was said to be the prince of Janggala, while the historic Kameçvara was the prince of Kediri. Vice versa, in the tale, Chandra Kirana was said to be the princess of Kediri, while the actual historic Çri Kirana was the princess of Janggala. In the Surakarta court poet Ranggawarsita's genealogy Pustaka Radja Mada, the Javanese kings, including Panji, are considered the descendents of the Pandawas of the Mahabharata.[9]
Scenes from the Panji cycles appear in the narrative reliefs of the walls of East Javanese candi from the 13th century, where they are presented gracefully, naturalistically and delicately, in contrast to wayang style.[10]
Sunan Giri is credited, along with other innovations in wayang, with the creation of wayang gedog in 1553, to enact the Panji stories.[11] Wayang kulit performances of the Panji cycle are in general the same as in performances of the wayang purwa (those based on the Indian epics); however, because of their material they are considered less significant. In addition, their headdresses are simpler and the garment worn on the lower body is based on Javanese court dress[12] Plots based on the Panji cycle are also common in East Javanese wayang klitik (using wooden puppets), in West Javanese wayang golek (using three-dimensional rod puppets), and in wayang beber (stories depicted pictorially on scrolls).[13] It is also the principal basis of the stories used in wayang topeng (masked dance-pantomime).[14] In Bali, where the cycle is known as Malat, the story is performed in the Gambuh plays and in the operatic Arja.[2]