Jakapuring - (Wayang Kulit)

Jakapuring - patih to King Sri Mahapunggung

Title	Jakapuring - (Patih) - Mahabharata
Other names	Hiranyarudra
Size	50 cm
Personal data	Patih Jakapuring was a scientist who discovered many different plants and other foods, including rice. He was the patih (assistant) to King Sri Mahapunggung, from the kingdom of Medhang Kamulan.
Appearance	Patih Jakapuring with droopy eyes, a messy bun and part of her hair is loose. Bejamang with the eagle facing away. Edited waderen. Daggers and the appearance of a dagger is visible, which indicates that he is not a knight. Dressed like an army. Long pants. The meaning of pants in Javanese is underwear. But for wayang kathok and pants are both worn. Long pants to the ankles and pantyhose only up to the thighs. Slightly different from other prime minister characters, in the Purwa Wayang Kulit visual art, Prime Minister Jaka Puring is depicted wearing a keris tucked into the back of his waist.
Collection	Private collection

Jakapuring – (Patih) – Mahabharata

During his tenure in Medhang Kamulan, Patih Jakapuring was very active in promoting agriculture, among other things by producing seeds that did not exist yet, which made the country develop rapidly. Patih Jakapuring's magic and wisdom secured Medangkamulan back to its former glory. But in those days there were also many monsters that interfering with the proper functioning of agriculture and causing a lot of damage in places where land is opened and tilled.

Patih Jakapuring was also very sakti (great in manipulating his magical power).
He became King Hiranjarudra at the kingdom of Gilingaja with the name Prabu Hiranyarudra. But even as a king, he was still working as an assistant for King Sri Mahapunggung. During this time period both the kingdom of Medhang Kamulan and the kingdom of Gilingaja were friends, and worked together to protect people and keep them at peace. This puppet can also be used to represent Patih Tambak Ganggeng or Patih Tuhayata if the set of puppets does not have those characters.

The pronunciation of patih in the Javanese kingdom is different from the pronunciation of patih in the Dutch government, for example. The Patih here is a rank below the regent and the same as the Anom Regent in the kingdom of Java, where the Patih leads all regents with the title of Kanjeng Raden Adipati. A Patih of the kingdom is more noble than the king's son, a prince. He has the power to elevate his subordinates to the rank of anom regent as his patih and also has the power to elevate other king's servants.

The word patih means a person who gains the trust of powerful people. Tumenggung Wiraguna, for example the one mentioned in Serat Pranacitra, also has a Patih. As a trusted person, a wife is also called her husband's patih.
In Indonesian, the word Patih means the assistant to the king. In situations where the king was unavailable, this assistant could act on the king’s behalf. In ancient times, as is still the case in the kingdom, patih was the highest rank of the king's servant.

There are other titles of Patih jaba (outer) and Patih jero (inner). This is proven by the presence of Patih Pragota and Patih Prabawa, Patih Prabu Baladewa. In puppetry Patih Pragota is the outer Patih and Prabawa is the inner Patih. The Patih outside runs the Patih's government in meeting the needs.
Generally in Surakarta the names of high-ranking people are followed with the name of the place like the name of the person, such as K.P.H. Hadikusuma. The district and village where this prince lives is called Hadikusuman. After the area became the residence of Kanjeng Pangeran Panji Singasari, the area changed its name to Singasaren. So clearly the name of the district or village follows the name of the noble or high-ranking person who lives there.

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Source: History of Wayang Purwa - Hardjowirogo - PN Balai Pustaka – 1982