Morning, Jayabaya, and Ranggawarsita

Tauhid Nur Azhar

Morning is a starting point for a dream that makes us walk in an illusion. Dimension by dimension and definition by definition about the journey across the space created by physical simulacra.

Human understanding of time is a critical aspect of our experience and behavior. Research in neuroscience has uncovered various mechanisms in the brain involved in time perception, from detecting short intervals to predicting long-term outcomes.

In conclusion, time is a perception built by neurological structures and our understanding of sensations. So, time is not real; it’s an illusion, present when we feel it, and trapped in matter that decays with all massive objects.

Time perception is the ability to sense, measure, and interpret time intervals. This becomes crucial when we become human.

Human ability to interpret time is used for various cognitive functions such as motor coordination, speech rhythm, and decision-making.

The human brain uses various structures and networks to manage time, enabling us to understand the sequence of events, anticipate the future, and coordinate actions accurately.

The basal ganglia play a crucial role in regulating short-time intervals, particularly in the scale of seconds to minutes.

Studies have shown that the basal ganglia, especially the striatum component, function as an internal clock that helps regulate motor and cognitive timing.

Neuronal activity in the striatum correlates with tasks that require time measurement.

The basal ganglia communicate closely with the prefrontal cortex to process temporal information, allowing humans to build a concept of time perception in a chronological timeline.

Meanwhile, the cerebellum, known for its role in motor coordination, is also involved in time perception, particularly in measuring very short intervals, such as in millisecond counts.

Various studies have shown that lesions in the cerebellum can cause deficits in short-time perception, indicating that the cerebellum helps in temporal calibration of fine motor movements and sensorimotor responses.

The prefrontal cortex, particularly the dorsolateral part, is involved in evaluating longer time periods and decision-making related to future predictions.

The prefrontal cortex is involved in tasks that require long-term planning and complex information processing, which requires a good understanding of event sequences and longer time durations. Thus, humans become visionary creatures capable of creating the future based on today’s dreams and imagination.

Let’s not forget the role of neurotransmitters like dopamine, which plays a significant role in regulating time in the brain.

Dopamine is known to influence activity in the basal ganglia and striatum.

Where fluctuations in dopamine levels can affect our perception of time. Dopamine deficits, such as those found in Parkinson’s disease, are often accompanied by disorders in time perception and motor rhythm regulation.

What’s unique is that, in line with human ability to build time perception, neuroplasticity makes time return to its relative nature.

Neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change and adapt to environmental dynamics and interaction processes, has a crucial role in time processing.

Experience and training can influence the structure and function of the neural networks involved in time perception. For example, intensive training in activities that require accurate timing, such as playing music, can improve time perception abilities through neuroplastic changes in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex.

We still remember Master Oogway from Kung Fu Panda, don’t we? For a figure like Master Oogway, who is famous for his quotes, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it’s called the present,” time can be slowed down, and every sequence of events can be observed and extracted for its value and wisdom as part of the self-development process.

On the other hand, for a figure with a functioning basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex like Master Oogway, time can also be fast-forwarded, and become part of the precise prediction process, often considered as part of prophecy.

Regardless of the controversies surrounding his genealogy, Indonesia is familiar with Jangka Jayabaya, a prophecy made several centuries ago, and as time passes, its accuracy has been proven to be in line with the timeline.

Of course, this is again related to the interpretation or perception of various parties who give meaning to it. But regardless of that, the predictive ability of “weruh sak durunge winarah” can indeed be constructed through the process of understanding signs, phenomena, and symptoms that have a pattern and can be felt across senses, with a clear mind and the ability to be sensitive to various volatile symptoms.

Who is Jayabaya? Is the Jangka Jayabaya prophecy authentic? We know it today from the literary works of the famous Javanese poet, Ranggawarsita.

Sri Jayabaya himself was a king who ruled in Kediri from 1135 to 1157 with the title Sri Maharaja Sang Mapanji Jayabhaya Sri Warmeswara Madhusudana Awataranindita Suhtrisingha Parakrama Uttunggadewa.

The Kingdom of Kediri was known to be prosperous under Jayabaya’s leadership because the king successfully implemented several fundamental strategies in the aspects of food security and maritime exploration.

The mountain king had a Nusantara vision and was aware of the maritime potential and geostrategic position of Nusantara.

Regarding the prophecy or ilmu Ladunni that he possessed, it can be said that he was a genius who was skilled in reading human psychological traits and various signs of the times.

Many people do not keep their promises and break their own oaths, which is a phrase that arises from his ability to analyze psychosocial phenomena and their correlation with human nature, which often prioritizes egocentrism in public spaces.

Greed and covetousness will eventually devour integrity and moral values that become the benchmark. And isn’t that true in every era?

Isn’t it similar to what motivated Hammurabi to create the first written laws, as recorded in the Code of Hammurabi?

The Code of Hammurabi is a Babylonian law text written around 1755–1750 BCE. It is the longest, most organized, and best-preserved law text from the ancient Near East.

The code was written in Old Babylonian Akkadian dialect during the reign of Hammurabi, the sixth king of the First Babylonian Dynasty.

Meanwhile, the wisdom and insight of Jayabaya can be traced, studied, and read from the works of Raden Ngabehi Ranggawarsita (1802–1873), a prominent poet from the Surakarta Palace, who was also an alumnus of Kiai Khasan Besari’s pesantren.

Ranggawarsita’s real name was Bagus Burhan. He was the son of Mas Pajangswara (Mas Ngabehi Ranggawarsita). His father was the grandson of Yasadipura II, the chief poet of the Kasunanan Surakarta.

Bagus Burhan’s father was a descendant of the Pajang Sultanate, while his mother was a descendant of the Demak Sultanate. Bagus Burhan was raised by Ki Tanujaya, a servant of his father.

Due to his exceptional talent, Bagus Burhan was sent to study at the Gebang Tinatar Tegalsari Ponorogo pesantren.

When he returned to Surakarta after completing his studies, Bagus Burhan was adopted by Panembahan Buminoto (the younger brother of Pakubuwana IV). He was later appointed as Carik Kadipaten Anom with the title Mas Pajanganom on October 28, 1819.

Ranggawarsita’s expertise in interpreting omens and his sharp awareness made many of his predictions come true over time.

Ranggawarsita predicted the independence of the Republic of Indonesia through signs and symbols, specifically in the year Wiku Sapta Ngesthi Janma.

The sentence consisting of four words is found in the Serat Jaka Lodang, and is a Suryasengkala sentence that, when interpreted, yields the number 7–7–8–1.

The Suryasengkala reading is done in reverse, from back to front, which is equivalent to 1877 Saka, or 1945 CE, the year of Indonesia’s independence.

Now, in an era where generative AI is reigning, patterns and signs can be processed at incredible speeds, almost approaching the speed of light.

So, will the prophecy of Jayabaya about Java being divided into two, often associated with the massive eruption of Mount Slamet, come true?

Because, if we examine the geological history of ancient Java, the eastern coast of Java was indeed located at the foot of Mount Slamet, specifically in Bumiayu.

The Bumiayu site is one of the most important prehistoric sites, located east of the Cijolang site and southwest of the Semedo site.

This region preserves archaeological contents at several locations, including Kaliglagah, Satir, and Cisaat.

The Bumiayu area is part of the Serayu North Zone, which borders the Bogor Zone. This area has been uplifted by the geosynclinal movement of the northern part of the Java Island during the Lower Pleistocene era (around 1.8 million years ago), which was later covered by volcanic deposits.

It is possible that the Bumiayu, Cijulang, Prupuk, and Ajibarang areas formed the eastern boundary of the Java Island during the end of the Pliocene era, when the western part of Java was already a landmass, while the central and eastern parts were still underwater around 2–2.4 million years ago.

Based on the geophysical map by van Bemmelen (1949), the Bumiayu area and surrounding regions are part of the Serayu North Zone, which is separated by the Quaternary volcano, Mount Slamet.

The western boundary is bordered by the Bogor Zone, the eastern boundary is bordered by the Kendeng Zone, the northern boundary is bordered by the Northern Java Alluvial Plain, and the southern boundary is bordered by the Central Java Depression 3.

The area containing fossil vertebrates is located in the hills about 6 km north of Bumiayu, along the Tegal-Bumiayu road.

Layers of Miosen age and containing fossil vertebrates can be observed in several river valleys, including Kaliglagah, Kalibiuk, and Cisaat.

Long before the Java Central and East Java regions we know today existed, Bumiayu was the outermost coastline on the eastern side of Java Island. After the geosynclinal movement lifted most of the Java Island we know today, the modern Java geomorphology was formed.

The geological history of the uplift can still be studied and learned in the Karangsambung natural laboratory with various Melange formations. Also, at the ancient volcano Nglanggeran geological site.

So, what are the predictions about various natural phenomena in the future that will become a reality? Let us learn together with the spirit of evidence-based learning, learning from signs and evidence, to achieve objective cognition that can be agreed upon universally.