Bima Sakti

The Milky Way in Javanese Tradition

Look up at the Milky Way from Java, and the bright band of stars is interrupted by dark lanes of interstellar dust. In Javanese tradition, this became Bima Sakti, associated with Bima, the immensely strong Pandawa hero of wayang, Java's traditional puppet theater, especially its famous shadow-puppet performances. The name combines Bima, the hero, with sekti (Indonesian sakti), meaning supernatural power. The bright Milky Way could be imagined as Bima, with a great serpent entwined around him.

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Bima originated as Bhima, one of the five Pandava brothers of the Indian Mahabharata. Over centuries, his adventures took on a distinctly Javanese character. In one Javanese telling, Bima's teacher, Resi Durna, sent him to search for the water of life, secretly hoping that the dangerous quest would kill him. Bima survived encounters with two giants before diving into the ocean, where he was attacked by a fearsome dragon named Nemburnawa. Their battle lasted for days, churning the sea into white foam. Finally, Bima struck the dragon's throat with a magical weapon, releasing a brilliant light that shone into the heavens. The pale band of the Milky Way was said to commemorate his victory.