Unearthing Local Wisdom from Darmo Gandul, I La Galigo, and Sarak Basandi Kitabullah
By,Jacob Ereste
Freelance Journalist
Sabdo Palon and Noyo Genggong are spiritual figures in Javanese culture, also known as the spiritual advisors to Prabu Brawijaya V, the last king of Majapahit, who reigned between 1453-1478. Records in the Serat Darmo Gandul and Serat Sabdo Palon Noyo Genggong, as well as in the Jangka Jayabaya prophecies, offer more detailed and straightforward accounts. Their essence can be studied for its relevance to Indonesia’s current situation, which has increasingly forgotten the glorious past of Nusantara’s ethnic groups. This includes the grand legacy of the Sriwijaya kingdom in Sumatra and the heritage of the Kutai Kartanegara Kingdom in East Kalimantan, located on the banks of Muara Kaman. This kingdom was a continuation of the Kutai Martadipura Kingdom, which developed Hindu-Buddhist traditions before transforming into an Islamic Sultanate in the 16th century.
However, long before that, the Galuh Kingdom was established in West Java in 669 AD, located in what is now Ciamis. This was followed by the Sunda Kingdom from the 10th to the 16th centuries AD. This illustrates the continuity and interconnectedness of the history of Nusantara’s ethnic groups, who possess local wisdom that can serve as a spiritual and deeply national foundation for Indonesia today in global inter-nation relations.
The Sunda Pajajaran Kingdom, as the successor to the Galuh Kingdom, was also known as Pakuan Pajajaran, centered in what is now Bogor City. Thus, Pajajaran represented the unity of politics and culture of both Galuh and Sunda. Although both cultures shared similar teachings, as they originated from the same ethnic group in Tatar Sunda (West Java), there were historical and cultural differences. Galuh was centered in Ciamis, and Pasundan Pajajaran in Bogor.
Galuh more distinctly emphasized aristocratic values and a strong royal system, while Sunda Pajajaran was more modern, open, and egalitarian, boasting diverse art forms ranging from oral literature to pantun and tembang (traditional songs).
Thus, the figures of Sabdo Palon and Noyo Genggong became a symbol of the spiritual and cultural transition from Hindu-Buddhist to Islam, mirroring the shifts that occurred in the Kutai Kartanegara and Majapahit Kingdoms.
The Serat Darmo Gandul itself—often associated with Nusantara’s spiritual figures—provides guidance for life to avoid straying from the right path. Furthermore, through the Darmo Gandul text, it is hoped that a harmonious order can be built between humans, nature, and God. Therefore, the Serat Darmo Gandul—besides being an ancient Javanese literary work—is rich in moral (spiritual) teachings and life philosophy, delving into matters of character, wisdom values, and guidance for living life with full awareness and responsibility, not only to God but also to humanity and the natural environment.
The Serat Darmo Gandul also contains wise messages on how individuals can maintain their honor, behave well in society, and firmly uphold spiritual teachings and guidance to live in harmony with the universe and the Creator.
This is why corrupt, treacherous, deviant officials who abuse their authority, positions, and power, clearly and certainly have never read—let alone sought to internalize—the guidance from the Darmo Gandul text, which is still often considered mystical and misleading to anyone who reads it.
Yet, many pearls of wisdom from the ancestral texts of Nusantara’s ethnic groups remain unappreciated and unutilized. This is precisely like the Kitab I La Galigo from the ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, which contains a wealth of knowledge whose philosophical values, placing social norms as a measure of human honor and dignity, have not been fully leveraged. Its concepts of the upper world (ruler of the universe), the middle world (humans), and the lower world (spirits) serve as a foundation for a religious and harmonious life.
Similarly, the local wisdom that forms the fundamental principle of the Minangkabau ethnic group in community life strongly adheres to religious guidance and teachings, such as Sarak Basandi Kitabullah (customs based on the Book of God), as a philosophy of life rooted in the Quran. Thus, customs, laws, and social and cultural order must be aligned and consistent with Islamic law. This is because Indonesia’s national energy wealth is not limited to electricity or mineral resources. Rather, it encompasses the energy embedded in local wisdom, not buried deep within the earth, but scattered in the form of neglected ancient literary treasures.
Such is the harmonious order embedded in the culture of Nusantara’s ethnic groups. Local wisdom values deserve more exploitation and exploration than the energy resources found within the earth, like mineral resources that incite greed and avarice, leading to unrest and anxiety due due to neglect of environmental harmony and the interests of local communities. This is how capitalist—worldly—ideology has buried the idealistic, philosophical, and truly non-materialistic legacy values of Nusantara’s ancestors.**
Stasiun Kota, June 14, 2025
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