Planet ISKCON

A video by ISKCON Desire Tree.

Every January, pilgrims come from around India to bathe at Ganga Sagar, the confluence of the Ganges and the ocean, on the day the sun enters Capricorn. The students and teachers from Bhaktivedanta Academy's gurukula in Mayapur go there to sing harināma, to distribute the writings of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, the Founder-Ācārya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, and to serve thousands of plates of prasāda (sacred food) to the pilgrims who come there for the Mela. A video by Bhaktivedanta Academy (Mayapur).

Although little known in the western world, Mount Kailash is one of the most sacred spots on Earth. It is a holy pilgrimage site for people of the Hindu, Buddhist, Jain and Bon faiths.

Rukmini Walker on the power of vulnerability, Bhakti Yoga, healthy relationships between men and women, parenting and much more. A video by Inspire by Balarama.

(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 24 February 2019, New York, United States of America, Bhagavad-gita 7.7)

How can we look at Krsna and see Him as the well-wisher of all living beings when there is so much suffering in this world? There is so much distress around us. And then if we think about that, all the great hardships that are happening to people, then here we have the all kind, all loving Supreme Lord, the well-wisher of all living beings. How can we see it like that? How can we see suffering as a benediction? But that is exactly what suffering is. It is a bitter medicine!

We cannot just look at the suffering alone and isolate it. We have to also see our own stubbornness, our own sinfulness, our own inclination towards being cruel, our own insensitivity, our own degradation, all of which runs deep within us. So how can we correct that? By good intentions? The road to hell is paved with good intentions. That is not so simple.

Krsna may stop us in our tracks at times and gives us some suffering, but if we take it like that and grow to accept this as Krishna’s plan to somehow or other elevate us, then we can grow through the experiences of suffering and survive it by relying on Krsna. Naturally at times of hardship, it is difficult and we hope that it would be over soon. That is natural. Nonetheless, we somehow or other go through it all with knowing that whatever this is, this is for our purification. This is Krsna who is now giving us this medicine; to lift us out of our own weakness and so then we will grow.

In this way, we can be positive. Positive about everything, because ultimately Krsna is positive and if we take shelter of Krsna, then we know that whatever happens to us is surely going to be ultimately positive. Although in the short term it does not always look so positive, but in the long term we know that this is Krsna’s divine arrangement to bring us closer to Him. And so then we can see that He is there with us at every moment. Not just behind everything, but He is there, constantly involved, and He is making active arrangements for our ultimate benefit.

The article " Suffering – A bitter medicine " was published on KKSBlog.

I may die today. I may not be able to finish this piece of writing. I have an incurable condition which I was blessed to remember from my cancer diagnosis. I am a soul encased in a body that by identifying with gives me the view that I must suffer disease, old age, death, and rebirth.Read More...

[Talk at Auckland, New Zealand]

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Kirtan Tokyo (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare—these sixteen names composed of thirty-two syllables are the only means to counteract the evil effects of Kali-yuga. In all the Vedas it is seen that to cross the ocean of nescience there is no alternative to the chanting of the holy name.” (Kali-santarana Upanisad)

Continuing well into the night, the Lord dances and dances in the courtyard of Srivasa, surrounded by His most intimate devotees.

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After more than 530 years, Lord Nityananda Prabhu in the form of His Padukas from Sridhama Mayapur has paid His first visit to Bangladesh due to the prayers and calling of His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja and the sincerity, devotion, love and eagerness for His darshan by all the devotees. Jayapataka Maharaja has inspired and instilled such love in the hearts of everyone that this historic visit of Nitai could take place and it will be noted in Gaudiya Vaishnava history. It is also noteworthy that many of our purva acharyas are also from Bangladesh and have brought glory to this area, once a part of India.

The TOVP Tour, led by His Holiness Bhakti Caru Maharaja and Bhakti Purushottama Maharaja and accompanied by Braja Vilasa prabhu, visited only three Bangladesh temples, Sylhet, Chittagong and Dhaka. Yet thousands of devotees from all over Bangladesh, where there are over 70 temples, attended the ecstatic programs with great enthusiasm and happiness.

Lead by Lord Nityananda’s Padukas (divine shoes) and Lord Nrsimha’s Satari (divine helmet), these visits were truly miraculous and never before have we experienced such a grand welcome and reception, and huge attendance. From the airport convoys of vehicles, bicycles and hundreds of devotees performing kirtan and waving Vaishnava flags, to the specially designed and ornate welcome gates, to the beautifully decorated roads, to the elephant processions, these receptions were truly befitting the Supreme Lord coming to bless the devotees and give His darshan.

Hundreds of thousands of devotees and congregation attended the programs for abhisheka, arati, kirtan and prasadam, and the entire atmosphere at each event was like a Vaikuntha festival. The enthusiasm of all the participants was overwhelming and each and every devotee subsequently sponsored a Square Foot for the TOVP. Each of the three temples also sponsored a Kirtanam Pillar in the TOVP, and in the end we raised over $1 million in pledges. All in all this was truly a miracle when you consider that we were in a poor country under Muslim rule. Srila Prabhupada is certainly smiling down upon everyone and bestowing his blessings.

We wish to especially thank His Holiness Jayapataka Maharaja for being the inspiration behind our success. All the devotees are completely dedicated to his service and desire to complete the TOVP and love him with all their hearts. Although not physically present, everyone could feel his spirit and influence.

We are also grateful to His Holiness Bhakti Caru Maharaja and His Holiness Bhakti Purushottama Maharaja for their support and help in making this tour a grand success. And special thanks go to Naru Gopal, Bangladesh Regional Secretary, for his oversight and implementation of the entire tour. Finally we wish to thank all the Bangladesh leaders such as His Holiness Bhakti Advaita Navadvipa Maharaja, His Holiness Bhakti Binaya Maharaja, His Grace Jagat Guru Gauranga prabhu, His Grace Charu Chandra prabhu, His Grace Bhagavat Karuna prabhu, His Grace Devarshi Srivas prabhu, His Grace Chinmay Krishna prabhu, and His Grace Jyotiswar Gour prabhu for their incredible job at organizing and promoting the programs, and complete cooperation and support. They spent lakhs of rupees on promotion, buses to bring devotees, accommodations and prasadam at their own expense. We wish to also thank His Grace Alai Govinda prabhu from the Mayapur Land Department for his special assistance.

Finally, although unable to be present, Ambarisa prabhu was so happy to hear about the Bangladesh Tour and he thanks Jayapataka Maharaja, the Bangladesh leaders and all the devotees for their enthusiastic participation and devotion to Srila Prabhupada and the TOVP.

All glories to Jayapataka Maharaja, the Bangladesh yatra and all the devotees!

[See image gallery at tovp.org]

 

TOVP NEWS AND UPDATES – STAY IN TOUCH

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The post Lord Nityananda Visits Bangladesh for the First Time on a Historic TOVP Tour appeared first on Temple of the Vedic Planetarium.

By Saurav Sarmah

Kama (Cupid) possesses five arrows, with which he inflicts all conditioned living entities. According to Sripad Prabodhananda Saraswati (in his commentary on the Gita Govinda), these arrows are: infatuation, agitation, heart-burning, extreme dryness and destruction Continue reading "Arrows of Kama
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By Gauranga Das

Every year the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) organizes the Circular Economy Symposium (CES). During the 3rd Edition of the Circular Economy Symposium this year, ISKCON Govardhan Ecovillage (GEV) received the Indian Circular Economy Award in the NGO category. Ganga Narayan Das, Chief Sustainability Officer, GEV received this award from Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog. The Award Ceremony was conducted during the Inaugural Session of the CES on the 17th June 2019 at FICCI Federation House, New Delhi. The conference was attended by various corporate heads, government authorities, university professors, NGOs etc. GEV also made a presentation on the second day in regard to its various circular economy initiatives. Continue reading "ISKCON Govardhan Eco Village receives the Indian Circular Economy Award (ICEA) 2019 in the Circular Economy Symposium
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Distributing Krishna conscious books in Seoul, South Korea (Album of photos)
The wonderful book distributor Nitya Kishore dasi has once again returned to Seoul and has again single-handedly distributed literally 1,000’s of Korean books so far and in a remarkably short time. She has personally discovered the very best ways to approach these Seoul-city dwellers so that their keen interest in spiritual knowledge is quickly awakened: upon which it becomes the most natural thing for them to eagerly and joyfully take and donate for the books! Here are just a few of the many blissful photos she has shared so far… All glories to Nitya Kishore dasi’s (mataji’s) sincere and successful efforts to shower Srila Prabhupada’s eternal blessings upon the conditioned souls currently residing in Seoul, South Korea…

Glorious Panama City Rathayatra 2019 (Album of photos)
By the mercy of His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhup...

The story of the Polish Gita! TAKA JAKA JEST!
On May 27, Nandini Devi Dasi, manager of Viva Kultura, the organization that runs Indradyumna Maharaja’s summer tours and festival programs, ordered 3000 hardbound, full size, Polish Bhagavad-Gitas. The problem: the books had to arrive in Poland on June 20th. This gave the BBT less than a month to produce, print, bind and ship this title. We just could not say no because it is such a wonderful opportunity to distribute the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is to so many festival goers. The translation was more or less ready, but the book had always been printed from film. The challenge for our pre press team and Guru-Kripa Prabhu, the polish editor and proofreader, was to make the book print ready within 12 days, an almost impossible task. Everyone worked hard, practically around the clock, including the printer in Germany, and made this wonderful book appear in time for the summer tour.

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[Talk at Brisbane, Australia]
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[Talk at Brisbane, Australia]
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The post Overcoming discouragement 2 – Empower yourself with gratitude appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Talk at Brisbane, Australia]
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[Talk at Brisbane, Australia]
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The post Go beyond comfortable happiness appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

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The post Scripture without guru is deluding appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

[Bhagavatam class on 4.12.15 at ISKCON, Perth]

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The post Going back to godhead 1 – Three ways to cultivate spiritual desire – RAP acronym appeared first on The Spiritual Scientist.

Big harinama in Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: To say nothing of the spiritual adv...

Harinama in Budhanilkantha, Nepal (video)
Srila Prabhupada: By chanting the holy name of Krishna one is cleansed of the dirt t...

Not bad for quiet Tuesday evening!
Shastrakrit Das: I was just sitting behind my book table and chanting and i hear this car approaching with the windows open blasting loud Sanskrit prayers. Out of the car comes these two really friendly priests and they come straight to my book table. They asked me for the Vedas. So I thought I will just go along and asked them if they want the Vedas in Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi or English. They said “in Hindi please” so I opened my van trunk and brought the set of Hindi Bhagavatam and showed them and they were super attracted to the printing quality and the artwork and they asked how much? I said these books are worth about 700 but since you are holy men if you can give a couple of hundred dollars to cover the shipping cost, they come from Juhu Bombay. The priest on the left goes” these are worth not just $700, at least $7000. So they donated generously and drove off with the books…

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Lecture – Srimad Bhagavatam 8.16.56 I will Surrender When I Turn 99.99 years old 2014-11-21 Los Angeles

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Preaching program in Poland (Album of photos)
Srila Prabhupada: Worship of the Lord, whose name is like the sun, for just as a...

This the video by West Bengal Tourism in their youtube channel on ISKCON Mayapur Gaura Purnima festival. ISKCON Mayapur, already being a very popular and most sought spiritual tourist destination in West Bengal, especially the festivals celebrated all round the year is the most attractive time, when thousands and thousands of visitors make their trip […]

The post West Bengal Tourism promotes ISKCON Mayapur! appeared first on Mayapur.com.

Request for prayers.
Sarvani Dasi: I have just been asked by Daru Brahma devi dasi, Darlene Dossick, to let you all know that ...

By Giriraj Swami

One of Srila Prabhupada's early disciples, Malati dasi, saw a small figure in an import store, Cost Plus, and brought it to Srila Prabhupada. When Prabhupada saw the figure, his eyes opened wide. He folded his palms and bowed his head in respect Continue reading "From Snana-yatra to Ratha-yatra
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A talk by Giriraj Swami on July 13, 2008, in Berkeley, California. This year Snan-yatra was on June 16, and Ratha-yatra will be on July 4.

It is a great honor, privilege, and pleasure to be here on the auspicious occasion of Snana-yatra. The first deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in ISKCON were discovered in San Francisco in 1967. One of Srila Prabhupada’s early disciples, Malati dasi, saw a small figure in an import store, Cost Plus, and brought it to him. When Prabhupada saw the figure, his eyes opened wide. He folded his palms and bowed his head in respect. Then he said, “You have brought Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe. He is Krishna.” He said that Lord Jagannatha was worshipped with two other deities: His brother, Balarama, and His sister, Subhadra. Malati confirmed that there were other, similar figures at the store, and Prabhupada asked her to go and buy them. So she and her husband, Shyamasundar, immediately went and brought the other two figures. Srila Prabhupada placed them with Lord Jagannatha on his desk and told the devotees about Jagannatha’s appearance in India thousands of years ago, and how He was still worshipped in a great temple in Puri and taken in an annual procession with His brother and sister, each in a huge chariot, in the Ratha-yatra festival. Prabhupada chanted, jagannatha-svami nayana-patha-gami bhavatu me: “O Lord of the universe, kindly be visible unto me.” And he said that henceforth San Francisco should be called New Jagannatha Puri.

Prabhupada asked if any of the devotees knew how to carve, and Shyamasundar said that he did. So Prabhupada requested him to carve three-foot-high replicas of the small Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra. Shyamasundar got three large blocks of wood, and, following sketches and directions that Prabhupada gave him, he carved the first large deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra in the West.

Then Prabhupada said that the devotees should hold a Ratha-yatra festival. So, following Prabhupada’s instructions, Shyamasundar and the others arranged a flatbed truck on which they erected five tall columns and covered them with cloth to serve as a canopy over the deities. And then they decorated the “chariot” with flowers. The devotees didn’t have many vehicles then, and those they did have were pretty old and dilapidated—and unpredictable in their performance.

At the time, Srila Prabhupada was unwell, and the devotees had rented a place for him at nearby Stinson Beach, where he could recuperate. Although he was unable to attend the festival, the devotees—along with the Ratha-yatra truck, the deities, and some hippies—came to visit him the next day. They were excited and eager to report. Shyamasundar explained that while he had been driving the truck up a steep hill, the truck had stalled, and although he had tried to start the engine, he couldn’t. Then the brakes had failed, and the truck had begun to roll backwards down the hill. Finally he had been able to stop it, but when he had tried to move forward, again the engine had stalled and the truck had rolled backwards. Again and again he would get it started, the truck would go forward, the engine would stall, and the truck would roll backwards. The situation had seemed hopeless, and the devotees had wondered if they would be able to finish the parade.

But somehow they had, and they had come to give the report. Srila Prabhupada told them the story of how Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had celebrated the Ratha-yatra in Puri. He said that in Puri too the chariot would stop, even with thousands of people pulling the ropes. The king would order powerful wrestlers and elephants to push the chariot, but still it wouldn’t move. Finally, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would put His head on the back of the chariot and push, and only then would the chariot move. “Now that Ratha-yatra has come to the West,” Srila Prabhupada said, “this pastime has come too.”

So, Ratha-yatra is a very ancient festival in Puri, and in ISKCON’s history it began here, in San Francisco, on a flatbed truck, in 1967. From that first Ratha-yatra, the festival has been celebrated yearly, not only in San Francisco but also in many other major cities throughout the world.

According to the Skanda Purana, the history of the installation of the Jagannatha deities in Puri goes back about a hundred and fifty-three million years. Although there is a history of how the deities came to be carved in the shapes in which they now appear, actually Lord Jagannatha and His associates are eternal. His being carved is just a pastime to facilitate His manifestation on earth. As Srila Prabhupada explains, “Fire is already present in wood, but by a certain process, fire is kindled. Similarly, God is all-pervading. He is everywhere, and since He may come out from everything, He appeared . . . Lord Nrsimha appeared from the pillar of Hiranyakasipu’s palace, Lord Varaha appeared from the nostril of Brahma, and Lord Kapila appeared from the semen of Kardama, but this does not mean that the nostril of Brahma or the pillar of Hiranyakasipu’s palace or the semen of Kardama Muni is the source of the appearance of the Lord. The Lord is always the Lord.” (SB 3.24.6 purport)

So, Lord Jagannatha is eternal, just as Krishna is eternal. Although Krishna had His appearance pastime in the prison house of Kamsa, He resides eternally on His spiritual planet, Goloka Vrindavan, and He eternally manifests His pastimes within the material world. Lord Jagannatha also has an eternal planet in the spiritual sky. He is the source of all incarnations, and He appears in whatever form His devotee wants to see Him. Sometimes in Puri the pujaris dress Him as a demigod—such as Ganesh, with an elephant’s trunk. That is also to confirm the philosophical principle that by worshipping Lord Jagannatha—Krishna—one worships all the demigods automatically. All the demigods are included in Jagannatha, and all the expansions of Godhead are included. But Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers, Gaudiya Vaishnavas, see Lord Jagannatha as Krishna. When Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw Jagannatha in Puri, He would see Krishna, Syamasundara.

The appearance of Lord Jagannatha also is mentioned in the Skanda Purana. As recounted there, Lord Jagannatha tells King Indradyumna, who had the first Jagannatha deities carved and who built the first, great temple for Lord Jagannatha in Puri, that He appeared on the full-moon day of the month of Jyestha, being pleased with the king’s devotion and sacrifices. It is on this date every year that Snana-yatra, the public bathing of Lord Jagannatha, is held.

For the Snana-yatra in Puri, Lord Jagannatha is brought into public view on a rooftop, or terrace, of the great temple and bathed. Then, as it is said, the Lord catches a cold and is removed to His private quarters—the quarters of Lakshmi, the goddess of fortune, who for two weeks serves Him hand and foot.

Of course, that is another question, about His hands and feet. A disciple once asked Srila Prabhupada, “We are told to meditate on the Deity beginning with the lotus feet, but how do we begin our meditation on Lord Jagannatha? He doesn’t have feet.” And Srila Prabhupada replied, “You can meditate on whatever you can see.” (Advanced devotees can see Lord Jagannatha’s lotus feet.) There are philosophical principles and specific pastimes that account for why He has no feet or hands—or why they are not visible. The Upanishads say that the Lord has no legs but that He can overcome all others running. “No hands or feet” really means that He has no material hands or feet. He has spiritual hands and feet. Still, in ecstasy, He sometimes withdraws His limbs—and widens His eyes.

Krishna had so much love for the residents of Vrindavan that even in Dvaraka, in the middle of the night, He would sometimes call the names of the cowherd boys and cows, or of Srimati Radharani and the gopis, or of His mother and father, Nanda and Yasoda. Sometimes He would be so overwhelmed with ecstatic love for the residents of Vrindavan that He would not eat or sleep. It was a mystery to the residents of Dvaraka: “Who are these special people? And what is this special place, Vrindavan? What happened when Krishna was there in His childhood that makes Him so attached to them and Vrindavan?”

One person in Dvaraka had been present in Vrindavan for Krishna’s childhood pastimes—Rohini-devi, the mother of Balarama. Like Devaki, she was a wife of Vasudeva’s, but with all the atrocities being committed by King Kamsa, Vasudeva had arranged for her to stay in Vraja with Nanda and Yasoda, who were relatives and family friends. Balarama, by the arrangement of Yogamaya, had been transferred from the womb of Devaki in Mathura to the womb of Rohini in Vrindavan, and Rohini had been present for all of Balarama and Krishna’s childhood pastimes there. Wanting to hear about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, the residents of Dvaraka asked, “Who are these special people? What is this special place?” She said, “I will tell you, but no one should disturb me while I am speaking.”

So, they all assembled in a large hall in Dvaraka, and Subhadra was posted at the door to make sure that no one entered. But she too wanted to hear about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan, so she put her ear to the door. Hearing the pastimes, she became ecstatic, and in her ecstasy her eyes opened wide, her mouth smiled broadly, and her limbs withdrew into her body. She assumed the features that we see today in the deity of Subhadra.

Then Krishna and Balarama came and saw Subhadra with her ear to the door and with those ecstatic features. And They thought, “Let Us also hear what is being said inside.” So They put Their ears to the door, and when They heard the pastimes, They too became ecstatic and assumed Their own particular features, with Their limbs withdrawn and Their eyes open wide and Their mouths in broad smiles. So that is how Their Lordships came to assume these special forms.

After the Snana-yatra, Lord Jagannatha retires for fifteen days, during which time Lakshmi serves Him day and night. In particular, she prepares various medicinal beverages, represented by fruit juices, to help Him recover from His illness. After two weeks, Lord Jagannatha feels better, and He feels separation from His other devotees. And so, taking permission from the goddess of fortune, He embarks on a journey (yatra) in a chariot (ratha) to see them. When He doesn’t come back after three or four days—especially since He had indicated that He would be gone for only one—she becomes restless and impatient. Just imagine: Lakshmi serves Him hand and foot for two weeks, He says that He wants to go out for the afternoon to see His other devotees, and days pass and He doesn’t come home. So she exhibits an extraordinary type of transcendental jealous pride and anger (mana), and with all opulence she proceeds with her maidservants in a procession to Sundaracala to bring back Lord Jagannatha.

The Ratha-yatra begins at the Jagannatha temple in Nilacala and proceeds to the Gundica temple in Sundaracala. Nilacala represents Dvaraka, where Krishna lives as a king and is worshipped in opulence, and Sundaracala represents Vrindavan, where Krishna is loved simply as a cowherd boy, the son of Nanda and Yasoda. During the year, the Gundica temple (named after the wife of King Indradyumna) is empty, and naturally dust and dirt accumulate. (In India most temples have an open style of architecture.) The day before Ratha-yatra is Gundica-marjana, and on that day Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates would thoroughly clean the Gundica temple.

As described in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would gather thousands of men, and together they would clean the temple. First, with thousands of brooms, they would sweep it—twice—and then they would wash it with thousands of pots of water. They didn’t have hoses then—only pots. They would fill thousands of pots with water and wash the temple inside and out, just to make the temple fit for the Lord.

Metaphorically, the cleansing of the Gundica temple is the cleansing of the heart to make it a fit place for the Lord. Such cleansing is effected by hearing and chanting about Krishna (srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah).

srnvatam sva-kathah krsnah
punya-sravana-kirtanah
hrdy antah stho hy abhadrani
vidhunoti suhrt satam
       (SB 1.2.17)

When a sincere devotee (satam) hears the messages of Krishna, all the dirty, inauspicious things (abhadrani) in the heart (hrdyantah) are cleansed (vidhunoti). Similarly, by attentive chanting and hearing of the holy names of the Lord—sankirtana—one’s consciousness is also purified (ceto-darpana-marjanam). Thus Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His followers cleaned the Gundica temple to make it a fit place for the Lord to reside. And, as Srila Prabhupada often said, “When you clean the temple, you clean your heart.”

So, five days after the Ratha-yatra, when Lord Jagannatha does not return, the goddess of fortune comes out in full force and, with her maidservants, marches on the Gundica temple. Her maidservants arrest the servants of Lord Jagannatha and bring them before her. They beat the Ratha car with sticks and treat the servants like thieves, ridiculing and abusing them. They say, “What is wrong with your master? He abandoned the opulence of the goddess of fortune for the sake of a flower garden—a few leaves and fruits and flowers. What is wrong with Him? Now bring Him before the goddess of fortune.” “Okay, okay,” they reply. “Whatever you say. Tomorrow we shall bring Him.”

Thus pacified, Lakshmi returns to her abode. And Lord Jagannatha, not the next day but four days later, eventually comes, in the return Ratha-yatra. All this is very nice, but for Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was in the mood of Srimati Radharani in separation from Krishna—the highest level of ecstatic love in separation—to not see Lord Jagannatha for two weeks was unbearable, and He almost went mad. When He had first arrived in Puri and entered the temple and seen the Deity of Jagannatha, He had thought, “Here is My Lord, for whom I’ve been searching.” He had run to embrace Jagannatha—Krishna—and fainted in the ecstasy of pure love. So for Him to have achieved the Lord of His life and then lost Him (when Jagannatha went into seclusion) was intolerable. He could not remain in Puri. And so He walked fourteen miles west by foot to Alalanatha (Alarnath), in an area called Brahmagiri, which is named after Lord Brahma because Brahma is said to have come to earth and installed the Deity of Lord Narayana worshipped there.

But how could Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was in the mood of Radharani—who knows no one other than Krishna—find solace by going to Alarnath to see a four-handed Deity of Lord Narayana? Further, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first saw the Deity and offered prostrated obeisances, the stone slab on the temple floor beneath Him melted. In the Jagannatha temple there is a pillar called the Garuda-stambha, where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to stand to have darshan of Jagannatha. There are imprints of His fingers on the pillar and of His lotus feet on the floor where, in great ecstasy, He would behold Lord Jagannatha. But in Alarnath we find the unique impression of His entire body, which melted the stone when He prostrated Himself in extreme ecstasy. This is all very mysterious.

Once, during His springtime rasa-lila at Govardhana Hill, Sri Krishna disappeared from the scene, suggesting that He wanted to be alone with Sri Radha. He hid in a secluded bush, waiting for Her to pass by, but in the meantime the other gopis came looking for Him. They all were in the mood of separation—mad in separation from Krishna, mad in love for Krishna—having been attracted by His transcendental beauty, His charming gestures, and His loving words. They were searching all over Govardhana for Him, and finally they sighted Him in the bush. When He saw them, Krishna became struck with emotion. He could not hide Himself, and so He assumed His four-armed Narayana form. When the gopis saw Lord Narayana, they said, “Oh, He is not Krishna. He is Lord Narayana, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.” They had no interest in Lord Narayana; they were interested only in Krishna. So they offered Him respects and prayed, “Please bless us with Krishna’s association.” Otherwise, they had no use for Him. They went on searching for Krishna. Then, when Srimati Radharani came, Krishna wanted to maintain His four-armed form to joke with Her, but although He tried His best, He was unable to do so. The influence of Her ecstatic love forced Him to return to His original two-armed form. He couldn’t maintain His feature as Lord Narayana. He was conquered by Srimati Radharani’s love and so revealed His original form as Krishna.

rasarambha-vidhau niliya vasata kunje mrgaksi-ganair
drstam gopayitum svam uddhura-dhiya ya susthu sandarsita
radhayah pranayasya hanta mahima yasya sriya raksitum
sa sakya prabhavisnunapi harina nasic catur-bahuta

“Prior to the rasa dance, Lord Krsna hid Himself in a grove just to have fun. When the gopis came, their eyes resembling those of deer, by His sharp intelligence He exhibited His beautiful four-armed form to hide Himself. But when Srimati Radharani came there, Krsna could not maintain His four arms in Her presence. This is the wonderful glory of Her love.” (Ujjvala-nilamani, Nayika-bheda 7)

Transcendentally, Alarnath in Chaitanya’s lila in Puri is compared to Paitha at Govardhana. It is a place of intense separation. The gopis, in separation from Krishna, roamed the forest there, looking for Him. And Paitha is the place where Lord Narayana wasn’t really Lord Narayana. He was actually Krishna assuming the form of Narayana to play a joke on the gopis—and to bring out their exclusive love for Him. Thus, although the external form of the Deity of Lord Alarnath is that of four-armed Narayana, internally He is Krishna. And the pujaris of Alarnath admit that in their worship they recite very confidential mantras to Krishna, the lover of Srimati Radharani.

During those fourteen days, called anavasara, when Lord Jagannatha retires to His private quarters and receives service from Lakshmi, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in separation, stays in Alarnath.

So, there are many deep feelings connected to Ratha-yatra. This whole pastime—like all the pastimes of Jagannatha in Puri—is very deep and full of separation. Jagannatha Puri is vipralambha-dhama. Vipralambha means “separation.” Lord Jagannatha, in His opulent temple, feels separation from Srimati Radharani and His other pure devotees in Vrindavan. And Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, in the mood of Srimati Radharani after Krishna left Vrindavan for Mathura and Dvaraka, also feels separation. So Jagannatha Puri is a place of crying. But that crying is ecstasy. That separation is ecstasy. It is not what we experience in the material world.

After this period of separation, when Lord Jagannatha finally leaves His private quarters, He emerges from the temple and mounts His chariot; and for the first time in two weeks Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and the other devotees are able to see Him. So they become ecstatic. And in the Ratha-yatra, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is in the mood of Radharani bringing Krishna back to Vrindavan.

As described in Srimad-Bhagavatam, after Krishna had been living as a king in Dvaraka for many years, He was informed that there was going to be a solar eclipse. To observe the eclipse, Krishna announced that He would go to Kurukshetra, a holy place (dharma-ksetra kuru-ksetra) in North India. The Vedas recommend that one go to Kurukshetra to perform the various rituals associated with eclipses—to bathe in the sacred waters, perform sacrifices, give charity, and so on. When the news reached the residents of Vrindavan that Krishna was going to Kurukshetra, they thought, “Let us go, too.” They weren’t interested in the ritual baths or ceremonies. They were interested in Krishna. Since He had left Vrindavan, they had been feeling intense separation. Their only business had been crying for Krishna. They decided, “We shall also go.” And so they went.

It was a very touching scene when Krishna met the residents of Vrindavan—heart rending. Although He first met the elders, beginning with Nanda and Yasoda and their associates, within His heart He was thinking of Radharani and the gopis. So He took an opportunity to steal away from the others to meet them. Yet although Radha was seeing Krishna, it wasn’t the same. She said, “You’re the same Krishna, and I am the same Radha, but it’s not the same here. Please come back to Vrindavan. Here there are crowds of people, elephants, and horses, and the rattling of chariots. In Vrindavan there are flower gardens and the chirping of birds and the humming of bees. Here You are dressed like a royal prince with all sorts of opulent paraphernalia, accompanied by great warriors. In Vrindavan You appeared just like a cowherd boy, dressed in Your yellow dhoti (pitambara) and decorated with a peacock feather, accompanied only by Your flute. Here in Kurukshetra there is not even a drop of the ocean of transcendental happiness that I enjoyed with You in Vrindavan. So please come back to Vrindavan and let Us relish pastimes as We did in Our youth.”

In that mood of Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, dancing in front of Lord Jagannatha in the Ratha-yatra, would recite a verse from a romantic poem:

yah kaumara-harah sa eva hi varas ta eva caitra-ksapas
te conmilita-malati-surabhayah praudhah kadambanilah
sa caivasmi tathapi tatra surata-vyapara-lila-vidhau
reva-rodhasi vetasi-taru-tale cetah samutkanthate

“That very personality who stole away my heart during my youth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the month of Caitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweet breezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, I am also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager to go back to that place on the bank of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That is my desire.” (Padyavali 386; Cc Madhya 1.58, 13.121)

That emotional pulling of Krishna from Kurukshetra to Vrindavan is the mood of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the Ratha-yatra. There is so much reciprocation between Lord Chaitanya and Lord Jagannatha based on Srimati Radharani and the gopis pulling Krishna back to Vrindavan. Sometimes Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would go ahead and Lord Jagannatha, astonished by the dancing of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, would stop His chariot to watch. Sometimes Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would stay behind the chariot and eventually Lord Jagannatha would stop. Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu would come forward, and then Lord Jagannatha would move forward, too.

ei-mata gaura-syame, donhe thelatheli
svarathe syamere rakhe gaura maha-bali

“Thus there was a sort of competition between Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Jagannatha in seeing who would lead, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu was so strong that He made Lord Jagannatha wait in His car.” (Cc Madhya 13.119)

Srila Prabhupada, citing Srila Bhaktisiddhanta’s commentary, explains that Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s leading Lord Jagannatha toward the Gundica temple corresponded to Srimati Radharani’s leading Krishna toward Vrindavan. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s following at the rear of the chariot indicated that Lord Jagannatha, Krishna, was forgetting the inhabitants of Vrindavan. In the role of Srimati Radharani, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was examining whether the Lord still remembered the inhabitants of Vrindavan. “When Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell behind the Ratha car, Jagannatha-deva, Krsna Himself, understood the mind of Srimati Radharani. Therefore, Jagannatha sometimes fell behind the dancing Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to indicate to Srimati Radharani that He had not forgotten. Thus Lord Jagannatha would stop the forward march of the ratha and wait at a standstill. . . . While Jagannatha was thus waiting, Gaurasundara, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, in His ecstasy of Srimati Radharani, immediately came forward to Krsna. At such times, Lord Jagannatha would proceed ahead very slowly. These competitive exchanges were all part of the love affair between Krsna and Srimati Radharani.” (Cc Madhya 13.119 purport)

Ultimately Jagannatha reaches Vrindavan, the Gundica temple. There is so much feeling in these festivals.

Now we shall read about Snana-yatra from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, not only to hear directly from Srila Prabhupada about Snana-yatra, but also to realize what an unlimited wealth of knowledge—of nectar—exists in Prabhupada’s books. I am going to read four or five verses—out of hundreds and thousands—and yet in just these few verses there is so much nectar.

jaya jaya sri-caitanya jaya nityananda
jayadvaita-candra jaya gaura-bhakta-vrnda

We shall read from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, Chapter One: “The Later Pastimes of Lord Caitanya.” In verse 121, the author, Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami, mentions that Lord Chaitanya witnessed the Snana-yatra festival. He then continues:

TEXT 122

anavasare jagannathera na pana darasana
virahe alalanatha karila gamana

TRANSLATION

When Jagannatha was absent from the temple, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who could not see Him, felt separation and left Jagannatha Puri to go to a place known as Alalanatha.

PURPORT by Srila Prabhupada

Alalanatha is also known as Brahmagiri. This place is about fourteen miles from Jagannatha Puri and is also on the beach. There is a temple of Jagannatha there. At the present moment a police station and post office are situated there because so many people come to see the temple.

The word anavasara is used when Sri Jagannathaji cannot be seen in the temple. After the bathing ceremony (snana-yatra), Lord Jagannatha apparently becomes sick. He is therefore removed to His private apartment, where no one can see Him. Actually, during this period renovations are made on the body of the Jagannatha Deity. This is called nava-yauvana.

COMMENT

Nava-yauvana means “ever-fresh,” or “always youthful.” At this time the Jagannatha Deity is fully restored to youth.

PURPORT (continued)

During the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord Jagannatha once again comes before the public. Thus for fifteen days after the bathing ceremony, Lord Jagannatha is not visible to any visitors.

TEXT 123

bhakta-sane dina kata tahani rahila
gaudera bhakta aise, samacara paila

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained for some days at Alalanatha. In the meantime, He received news that all the devotees from Bengal were coming to Jagannatha Puri.

COMMENT

Every year, the devotees from Bengal would travel by foot to Jagannatha Puri for the Ratha-yatra and the four months of the rainy season called Caturmasya.

TEXTS 124–125

When the devotees from Bengal arrived at Jagannatha Puri, both Nityananda Prabhu and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya greatly endeavored to take Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu back to Jagannatha Puri.

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu finally left Alalanatha to return to Jagannatha Puri, He was overwhelmed both day and night due to separation from Jagannatha. His lamentation knew no bounds. During this time, all the devotees from different parts of Bengal, and especially from Navadvipa, arrived in Jagannatha Puri.

TEXT 126

sabe mili’ yukti kari’ kirtana arambhila
kirtana-avese prabhura mana sthira haila

TRANSLATION

After due consideration, all the devotees began chanting the holy name congregationally. Lord Caitanya’s mind was thus pacified by the ecstasy of the chanting.

PURPORT

Being absolute in all circumstances, Lord Jagannatha’s person, form, picture, and kirtana are all identical. Therefore when Caitanya Mahaprabhu heard the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, He was pacified. Previously, He had been feeling very morose due to separation from Jagannatha. The conclusion is that whenever a kirtana of pure devotees takes place, the Lord is immediately present. By chanting the holy names of the Lord, we associate with the Lord personally.

COMMENT

This is a very important lesson. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was in such deep separation from Jagannatha that He could not do anything or think of anything else. Finally the devotees decided to perform kirtan. By chanting the holy names of Krishna, who is Lord Jagannatha, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu felt pacified, because He was experiencing the association of Jagannatha through the holy name.

As Prabhupada mentions here in the purport, the holy name of Krishna—the holy name of Jagannatha—is the same as Krishna. Seeing the form of Lord Jagannatha and hearing the name of Lord Krishna—the name of Lord Jagannatha—are the same. In one sense, all service is absolute. There is no difference between worshipping the form of the Lord and chanting the name of the Lord. But to engage in Deity worship, there are so many requirements. You need deities; you must be clean; you must be initiated; you must know the mantras; you must have the paraphernalia—sixteen different types of items to offer—you require so many things. But with chanting you don’t require anything. As Srila Prabhupada said, all you require is your tongue and your ears. You don’t even need your mind. In fact, it is better to leave your mind out of it. Once, a disciple asked Srila Prabhupada, “What do I do with my mind when I chant?” And Prabhupada said, “Your mind? What is the question of mind? With your tongue you chant and with your ears you hear.” With our tongue we chant, with our ears we hear, and with our intelligence we remain fixed.

By kirtan, by chanting and hearing, we associate with Krishna. And all of our feelings of separation can be mitigated. The holy names of Krishna include everything. His names, His forms, His qualities, His pastimes, His paraphernalia, His entourage—all are included. Srila Prabhupada and his parampara are also included. The whole spiritual world is included. Everything is revealed when we chant and hear with attention, chant and hear with love.

Now the devotees here will be suffering in separation from Lord Jagannatha for fifteen days. But we can take shelter of the holy names of Lord Jagannatha and read the pastimes of Lord Jagannatha and Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Sri Caitanya-caritamrta. And we can read about Srila Prabhupada and Ratha-yatra in Srila Prabhupada-lilamrta. We should read these books; they are important. Prabhupada stayed up all night to write his books. He would take rest at ten o’clock and get up at twelve to write these books, not just for us to sell—of course, it is good that we sell them—but for us to read; we should also read them. As Prabhupada said, “Distributing my books will keep them [devotees] happy, and reading my books will keep them.” Reading will keep us fixed. So we need to do all these things. We can’t afford to waste a moment. As Prabhupada said, “Don’t talk nonsense. Don’t waste time. If you have got time, chant Hare Krishna.”

[Talk at Brisbane, Australia]
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