Antareja - (Wayang Kulit)

Antareja - son of Bima

Title	Antareja - (Raden) - Javanese poets
Other names	Anantareja - Antasena - Senaputra - Wasianantareja
Size	45 cm
Personal data	Antareja is the son of Bima/Werkundara, one of the five Pandava warriors, with Dewi Nagagini, daughter of Hyang Anantaboga and Dewi Supreti from Heaven Saptapratala. Antareja has 2 (two) brothers from other mothers, named: Raden Gatotkaca, son of Bima with Dewi Arimbi, and Arya Anantasena, son of Bima with Dewi Urangayu. He married Dewi Ganggi, daughter of Prabu Gangkatranawa, king of snakes in Tawingnarmada, and had a son, Arya Danurwenda.
Appearance	...
Collection	Private collection

Antareja - (Raden) - Javanese poets

Anantararaja, or more often abbreviated as Antareja, is a puppet character who is not found in the Mahabharata because he was originally created by Javanese poets. In other versions such as the Surakarta version of the classic wayang , Antareja is another name for Antasena , but in the Yogyakarta version , Antareja is the mother's other sister, Antasena.

Bima and Nagagini's marriage occurred after the Sigala-Gala Hall fire incident where the Kauravas tried to kill the Pandavas as if by accident. Bima then left Nagagini while pregnant. Antareja was born and raised by Nagagini and his grandfather in Saptapratala (foundation of the earth) until when he grew up he decided to look for his biological father. In Subadra Larung's play, the Mustikabumi ring was shown to Arya Werkudara's father, so that Bima recognized him as his son.

Anatareja has Napakawaca skin, given by Hyang Anantaboga, making him immune to weapons. His tongue is very powerful, any creature that licks the soles of his feet will die. He also has the Mustikabumi ring, a gift from his mother Nagagini, which has supernatural powers, keeps death away as long as it touches the earth or the ground, and can be used to revive death outside of destiny. Another supernatural power is that Anantareja can live and walk inside the earth. With this special weapons Antareja departed for the Amarta Kingdom.

Antareja is domiciled in kasatriyan Randuwatang or Jangkarbumi . At the time of Antareja's birth, Kahyangan Suralaya was at that time under attack from the king of the ANGKArbumi State , namely Prabu Nagabaginda who wanted to ask Dewi Supreti, Sanghyang Antaboga's wife, to be his queen. Batara Antaboga then brought his baby grandson to face Prabu Nagabaginda. Before being fought, Antareja's baby was coated in Antaboga's saliva so that it became immune to all weapons. Antareja's baby did not die but grew older when hit by a weapon. Finally, the king of ANGKArbumi was destroyed by Antareja, and the land of ANGKArbumi was handed over to him.

In the middle of the road Antareja found the body of a woman loaded in a boat without a driver. Using Napakawaca, Antareja brought the woman to life, who was none other than Subadra, Arjuna's wife. Gatotkaca , who was assigned to watch over his aunt's body, became suspicious and accused Antareja of killing Wara Subadra. A fight between the two could not be avoided, but Subadra separated the two nephews and introduced them to each other. Meanwhile, Subadra herself also admitted that the person who killed her was the Madyapura satriya Raden Burusrawa, the son of Prabu Salya , king of Mandaraka. Antareja and Gatotkaca were happy about the meeting. Bima's two sons worked together and finally managed to catch the real perpetrator of Subadra's murder, namely Burisrawa.

At the end of its history, Antareja became the sacrifice of the Pandavas' victory in the Bharatayudha war . The Kurawas were not willing to sacrifice any of their family, but instead killed Ijrada, Traka and Sarka , while on the Pandava side, Antareja and Wisanggeni were willing to sacrifice themselves for the Pandavas' victory. Antareja licked the soles of his own feet as a tawur (sacrifice for victory) and received the gift of occupying Sri Krishna 's ninth level of heaven .

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Source: History of Wayang Purwa - Hardjowirogo - PN Balai Pustaka – 1982
Blog: Hadisukirno - Yogyakarta - 2011