Author: Purushottam Nitai Das

Who installed the first deity of Lord Jagannath in Puri?

In Skanada Purana it is mentioned that the first deity of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi was installed by King Indradumya. Indradumya was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Once in a dream he saw the deity of Nila Madhava and he immediately fell in love with the beautiful form of sapphire colour deity: Nila means blue and Madhava is one of Krishna’s names.

Messengers sent to search the deity of Nila Madhava

Next morning, he sent his messengers in different direction to search the deity. All returned unsuccessful except Vidyapti, a brahmana.

Vidyapati had wandered to several places and had finally come to a place inhabited by Sabaras, pig farmers. There he found shelter in the house of Visvasu, a sabara. He later married his daughter, Lalita.

Vidyapati sees Nila Madhav at Nilachal

While staying, Vidyapati observed a peculiar behavior of Visvasu. Every night he would leave the house and return next day noon. His arrival would inundate the house with the fragrance of camphor and sandalwood. Vidyapati would ask Lalita about it but her father had warned her not to disclose it to anyone. Her husband’s repeated plea melted her heart and she revealed the secret.

Her father was furious but subsequently relented to take Vidyapati to Nilachal where he worshiped, Nila Madhava.  However, he put a condition that Vidyapati will have to travel blindfold.

Their journey began and, on the way, Vidyapati carefully dropped mustard seeds, which he had carried with him, to mark the way. When they reached the destination, Visvasu opened the blindfold and Vidyapati seeing the beautiful form of Nila Madhava started dancing in joy.

Nila Madhava wants to be served by King Indradumya

Visvasu happily began worshipping the Lord but his joy turned into sorrow when the Lord said, “You have served me with great love but now I want to accept the service of my dear devotee King Indradumya.”

Visvasu was heartbroken. How could he live without his Lord? He considered Vidypati the culprit, so he locked him in his house but Vidyapti with the help of his wife escaped.

Indradumya comes to meet the Lord

When King Indradumya heard about the Lord from Vidyapti, he immediately left with his entourage to Nilachal to meet the Lord. The mustard seeds was now small mustard plants and they followed that path to reach the destination.

But the deity of Nila Madhava was not there. The king was brokenhearted, he thought Visvasu has stolen the deity. His soldiers surrounded the village and arrested Visvasu. Then a voice came from the sky, “O King! Release Visvasu! He is innocent. I would now not be present as Nila Madhava but will appear in a wooden form as Daru – brahman. Construct a temple for me and install the wooden form of mine.” 

Giant wood with divine marks appears in the ocean

The Lord also informed that he would come floating on the ocean in his wooden form. On the shore, the king saw a giant wood piece having mark of conch, disc, club and lotus (sankh, chakra, gada, padma).

Many men tried to lift the wood but failed, even the elephants were not able to move the wood even by an inch. The king was disappointed but in the night in a dream the Lord expressed his desire that Visvasu be engaged in his service.

Next day the king brought Visvasu and put him on one side of the Daru brahman and on the other side was Vidyapati, the brahmana.

A golden chariot was placed in front of the wood. Now the Daru brahman was easily lifted and placed on the golden chariot.

Carving the first deity of Lord Jagannath

Now to carve the deity from the wood, Indradyumna invited many sculptors but their chisels would break as soon as they tried to touch the wood. Finally, it is said that the Supreme Lord himself came disguised as a sculptor. 

He put a condition that he would work all alone in a room for 21 days and no one should disturb him. But after 14 days as sound stopped coming from the room, the king became anxious and opened the door. The artist was not there but there was the beautiful form of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi. But the deities did not have hands and feet and they looked incomplete.

The king thought he made a great mistake by opening the door. The Lord again appeared in his dream and said, “I reside in Nilachal in this form as Lord Jagannath along with my brother and sister. Although I have no material hands and feet, but I accept all the offering from my devotees through my transcendental senses.”

In Svetasvatara Upanisad (3.19), it is mentioned, “Without legs and hands, He moves and accepts. Without eyes He sees, and without ears He hears. He knows all that is knowable, but no one knows Him. They call Him the original Supreme Person.”

Descendants of Vidyapati and Visvasu still serve the Lord

The king was overjoyed, he made elaborate preparations to worship the three deities. He made sure that Visvasu and his descendants would continue serving the Lord and they would be called dayitas.

The descendants of Vidyapati born from his brahmana wife would perform the deity worship. The descendants of Vidyapati born from his Sabara wife, Lalita, would cook food for the Lord.

This tradition continues in the temple of Lord Jagannath at Puri.

We won’t be able to see you but will feel you in our hearts forever

Dear HH Bhakti Charu Swami Maharaj,

Please accept my humble obeisances at your lotus feet. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

Dear Maharaj,

I still cannot accept the fact that you have left this world. When I had come to know about your health condition, I was sure that you will recover from it. But Krishna had a different plan. Krishna wanted you to return to his kingdom. And no one can interfere in Krishna’s plan because he being the Supreme Lord knows what is best for all.

Srila Prabhupada had famously said that a warrior does not die on bed. He loves to leave his body on the battlefield.  Srila Prabhupada’s battlefield was preaching.  You, being a lover of Srila Prabhupada, your battlefield was also preaching. You spent each and every moment of your life in preaching the message of Krishna consciousness all over the world. During this Coronavirus pandemic too, you were trying to spread the message of Krishna consciousness.

You have single handedly inspired thousands of people all over the world to practice Krishna consciousness.  

The life we have got is a gift of Krishna to us and the way we live is our gift to Krishna.

And by your example you have shown us how we should live in this world.  

When you first met Srila Prabhupada then he told you “Give one life to Krishna and be happy forever.”

And as per the instruction of Srila Prabhupada you dedicated your life completely to Krishna.

You represented the mood and mission of Srila Prabhupada at whose lotus feet you dedicated your entire life.  

Srila Prabhupada was so impressed by your dedication and purity that he gave you the service of cooking for him. He made you his personal secretary, the highest position available to any devotee during the lifetime of Srila Prabhupada.  

You were with Srila Prabhpada during his last moments on this planet earth. You have described so many times Srila Prabhupada’s different pastimes and especially his pastime of leaving the world.

I remember during Kartik Yatra of HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj in Vrindavan in 2014 on the disappearance day of Srila Prabhupada you narrated his final pastime of leaving the world which touched everyone’s heart.

Srila Prabhupada gave you the responsibility of translating all his books into Bengali language. And he wanted that the translation should be of very high quality. He was confident that you can do it and so he gave you this service. Following the footsteps of Srila Prabhupada you used to get up in the middle of the night and used to translate the books for many hours and you completed this service by 1995. You translated more than 50 books of Srila Prabhupada.

You also made the TV serial Abhay Charan on the life of Srila Prabhupada. You were the director of the serial and you used to make sure that everything happens in a perfect way. In fact, devotees have said that you personally used to act and show the actors how they should act and express their emotions. And this is the reason why the serial has come out so beautifully.

You played an important role in spreading Krishna Consciousness all over the world.  You have thousands of disciples and thousands of devotees take inspiration from you. But still when someone used to interact with you, it would look as if you had all your time for him. In your presence everyone of us felt that we are special, and we are close to you.

We used to eagerly wait for your classes. And fortunately, you used to come to Kolkata on a regular basis.  I learned so much just by sitting and hearing your classes. Whatever doubts I used to have it got cleared just by listening you.  

One of my doubts used to be that as a grihastha (householder) “How can I do my prescribed duty properly if I do not have any material ambition?”

And you said that if Arjuna can do his prescribed duty without any motive then why can’t you.

And then you said “DO NOT HAVE ANY MATERIAL AMBITION. IF KRISHNA WANTS, HE CAN MAKE YOU EVEN BRAHMA.”

Your answer completely cleared all my doubts.  It showed me how a devotee should do his prescribed duties in this world without any material ambition.  Our only ambition should be to serve Krishna to the best of our capability.

But I never knew that this would be my last question to you.

Once you had told me that as a grihastha it is my responsibility that I should make my house a temple. I should make everyone in my house a devotee of Krishna. And whatever money I have should be used in the service of Krishna.

Your answers always touched my heart.

During your classes, devotees used to ask many questions and you used to immediately clear their doubts and inspire them to grow in their devotional journey.

When I first heard you singing, I could not believe that someone can have such a sweet voice. You had a silken voice. Your kirtans and Vaishnava songs are so touching to the hearts.

HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj have said that “Bhakti Charu Maharaj’s kirtan is famous in all the 14 planetary systems.”

We live in Kaliyuga, the age of hypocrisy.  So, we see so many people wearing the dress of a sannyasi or of a sadhu and indulging in abominable activities.

But great personalities like you through your exemplary life has shown to the entire world that what should be the character of a devotee of Krishna.

It is famously said that, “If you want to know how rich you are then count the number of things you have which money can’t buy.”

As a sannyasi you did not possess any material wealth but by your spiritual wealth you purchased the love of thousands of devotees from all over the world.

People from all over the world was praying for you when you were in hospital. Today everyone is feeling separation from you. Many have tried but almost everyone has failed to hold back their tears. Because everyone is missing you.

Your innocent smile, eyes full of compassion for all of us, effulgent face and heart inundated with love for Krishna immediately drew us towards your lotus feet. You always looked relaxed and in complete control of yourself, free from all material anxiety, continuously absorbed in the holy names of Krishna.

Your divine presence gave us assurance that you are the ultimate protector for all of us. In your company I felt that a fallen soul like me who is so engrossed in this material world have chance to get purified and return to the lotus feet of Krishna.

I know that you left us physically, but you are always with us through your mellifluous words, through your books, through your heart touching kirtans.

I was recently reading the section “Dhruva Mahārāja Goes Back to Godhead” from Srimad Bhagavatam. The book beautifully described how Lord Vishnu sent jewel studded transcendental plane from the spiritual world for Dhruva Maharaj to take him back to the spiritual world. Even two servants of Lord Vishnu, Nanda and Sunanda, came to take back Dhruva Maharaj.

I am just imagining that in Florida, USA too the transcendental plane from the spiritual world would have descended. The servants of Lord Krishna would have invited you to come and sit on that beautiful plane. And along with them you would have gone to the kingdom of Krishna, Goloka Vrindavan. You would have met Krishna, Srila Prabhupada, many great Vaisnava acharyas, your godbrothers and godsisters. And as per the direction of Krishna and Srila Prabhupada you would have already got engaged in your service.

Each and everyone of us wished that you be with us forever. But I know that great personality like you are required in different universes to preach the message of Krishna Consciousness. You would have already been engaged by Krishna and Srila Prabhupada to spread his teachings in different part of the universe.

I know that one day I will also die.

I do not fear death. I fear life devoid of Krishna Consciousness.

But I hope that throughout my life I follow your teachings and guidelines so that I can also purify myself and return back to the spiritual world to serve you, to serve Srila Prabhupada, to serve all the great souls.

Please shower your mercy upon me so that every moment of my life I can remember and serve Krishna as per your teachings.

With our material eyes we won’t be able to see you, but we will always feel you in our hearts forever.

Your eternal Servant

Purushottam Nitai Das

When was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?

Rath Yatra is one of the most important festivals of India. It is being celebrated since hundreds of years. But when was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?Where was it first celebrated? Who all participated in the first Rath Yatra festival?  

We all have experienced that when Lord Jagannath with his elder brother Balarama and little sister Subhadra enthrone the beautifully decorated majestic chariots on the Rath Yatra day then the hearts of lakhs of people dance in joy.  

Lord Jagannath takes Lakshmi Devi’s permission to ride the chariot

After snana yatra, Lord Jagannath remains confined in a secluded place for 15 days. During this period, he performs his pastimes with Lakshmi Devi, the goddess of fortune. He then takes permission from her and come to ride on the chariot to give pleasure to the devotees.  And the devotees without any delay enthusiastically start pulling the ropes of the mammoth chariots to invite the Lord to reside in their hearts.

The chariots sometimes move very fast, sometimes very slow and sometimes just stand still even though it is pulled vigorously. It is said that the chariots move by the desire of the Lord and not by the efforts of an ordinary person.

The forms of the three deities are quite unique. They have big round eyes, have a huge smile on their faces but have no hands and feet.

What happened when Lord Krishna left Vrindavan?

Krishna was the darling of braja but when he left them then all the brajvasis were devastated. Every moment they would remember Krishna, would always talk about Krishna and would hope that one day their Krishna will return back to Vrindavan. 

Krishna although had left Vrindavan but he too always remembered his cowherd friends, his mother, Yashoda, his father, Nanada Maharaja, and of course the love of his life, Srimati Radharani.

Brajvasis come to Kurushetra during solar eclipse

Once there was a solar eclipse and Krishna along with his brother Balarama and sister Subhdra travelled on a chariot to Kurushetra to observe the Vedic custom of taking bath in a sacred place during solar eclipse. The residents of Vrindavan too had come to the holy city.

Brajvasis meet Krishna after several years of separation

And here after several years Krishna and brajvasis saw each other. Their hearts danced in joy; eyes were filled with tears.

Overwhelmed with love and with broken words they complained as why did he betray them?

Why he did not keep his promise of returning to Vrindavan? Krishna was speechless, how could he make them understand that although physically he may not be with them, but his heart was always in Vrindavan.

Brajvasis pull the chariot of Krishna to Vrindavan  

Krishna was now the king of Dwarka, he was dressed gorgeously and was on a beautiful chariot. He was accompanied by beautiful queens and hundreds of soldiers. 

The residents of Vrindavan did not like the opulence of Krishna. For the gopis Krishna was their paramour, for gopas he was their friend with whom they joked and played and for Nanda and Yasoda he was their naughty little child. Such simple, selfless and pure love can be experienced only in Vrindavan.

They wanted him to come to Vrindavan and so all the brajvasis started pulling Krishna’s chariot to Vrindavan.

To commemorate this beautiful pastime Rath Yatra is celebrated.  

So, the chariot festival began around 5000 years ago when Lord Krishna met brajvasis in Kurushetra after several decades of separation.

Lord Krishna as Lord Jagannath along with his brother Baladeva and sister Subhadra Devi rides on the chariot during the Rath Yatra festival. Jagannath Puri is the abode of Lord Jagannath. The Lord permanently resides in Puri along with his brother and sister. In Puri, this pastime of the Lord is celebrated every year.

The Rath Yatra festival of Puri is immensely popular and draws millions of people every year from all over the world.  On the day of Rath Yatra millions of people come together to pull the chariot of Lord Jagannath.

Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi’s deities are taken out from the temple and put on three different chariots. 

The devotees enthusiastically chant the names of Lord Jagannath and pull towards the Gundicha temple.

Lord Jagannath’s temple is said to be Dwarka and Gundicha temple is said to be Vrindavan.

So, the devotees like the brajvasis pull the chariot of Lord Krishna or Lord Jagannath from Dwarka and plead him to come and reside in Vrindavan. 

The glorious Ratha Yatra festival spreads all over the world

Several hundred years have passed but this tradition is continuing in Jagannath Puri.  Hundreds of devotees daily come to the temple and thousands of devotees throng the temple city on the occasion of Rath Yatra.

Today Rath Yatra is not just confined to Puri but have spread all over the world.

In fact, it is now common to see Lord Jagannath’s chariots rolling through the streets of London, New York, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris and other cities of the world.

It is because of Srila Prabhupada, the founder acharya of Iskcon, that the chariot festival is being celebrated in almost all the parts of the world.

Conclusion

When was the first Rath Yatra festival celebrated?

Around 5000 years ago

Where was it first celebrated?

In Kurushetra

Who all participated in the first Rath Yatra festival?  

Brajvasis, the residents of Vrindavan participated

Amazing facts about the massive chariots of Jagannath, Baladeva & Subhadra

We all might have seen the massive chariots on which Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva & Subhadra Devi rides in Puri during the world famous Rath Yatra festival.  The chariots are so humongous that when the Britishers saw it they were amazed.

In fact, the English word juggernaut has come from the word Jagannath.

Merriam-Webster describes the history of word Juggernaut as follows: In early 14^th century Friar Odoric, a Franciscan missionary, saw a massive Rath Yatra festival in Puri, India. He saw a huge deity of Lord Jagannath on an enormous chariot and thousands of people pulling the chariot. He was fascinated by the sight. He carried this story to Europe and eventually it spread throughout Europe. By 19^th century the Europeans had started using the word juggernaut to refer to any enormous object which had crushing capability.

The dictionary defines juggernaut as a massive inexorable force, campaign, movement, or object that crushes whatever is in its path.

The huge chariots are unique and such chariots are not built in any other parts of the world.         

Let us see the amazing facts about the massive chariots of Jagannath, Baladeva & Subhadra

Lord Jagannath’s chariot

1. Lord Jagannath’s chariot is called Nandighosa.
2. It is 45 ft high and 45 ft broad at the level of its wheels.
3. The chariot has 16 wheels and each wheel is seven ft in diameter.
4. The chariot contains 832 pieces of wood
5. Daruka is the charioteer
6. Number of horses are 4
7. Colour of the horses are white
8. Name of the rope is Sankhachuda
9. Weapons on the chariot are Sankha and Chakra
10. Name of the flag is Trailokyamohini
11. Lord Jagannath’s chariot is adorned with red and golden yellow strip of cloth.

Lord Baladeva’s chariot

1. Lord Baladeva’s vehicle is called Taladhwaja.
2. It is 44 ft high
3. It has 14 wheels and diameter of the wheel is 6’6”
4. The chariot has 763 pieces of wood
5. Matali is the charioteer
6. It has 4 horses
7. The horses are black in colour
8. Name of the rope is Basuki
9. Weapons on the chariot are Hala & Musala
10. Name of the flag on the chariot is Unnani
11. Lord Baladeva’s chariot has red and green strip of cloth.

Subhadra Devi’s chariot

1. Subhadra’s chariot is known as Devadalana/Darpadalana/Padmadhwaja.
2. It is 43 ft high.
3. It has 12 wheels and diameter of the wheel is 6 feet.
4. The chariot has 539 pieces of wood.
5. Arjuna is the Charioteer
6. Number of horses are 4
7. The horses are red in colour
8. Name of the rope is Swarnachuda
9. Weapons on the chariot are Padma & Kalhar
10. Name of the flag on the chariot is Nadambika
11. Subhdra’s chariot has red and black colour cloth.

How the chariots are built?

The chariots are built every year from the wood of trees brought from Dasapalla, Orissa, an erstwhile princely state. Hereditary carpenters build the chariots.

When the construction of the chariots starts?

The construction begins on Akshaya Tritiya, the first day of summer when candana – yatra also starts. In 58 days the work gets completed. The process to procure the wood and build the chariots has remained the same since the inception of Rath Yatra.

What happens to the chariots after Rath Yatra festival?

After the festival i.e. after Ulta Rath Yatra the chariots are dismantled, and the woods are used as fuel in the temple kitchen of Jagannath Puri. The temple kitchen is said to be the largest in the world.

The Lord is worshipped and served opulently in Puri.

How the food is prepared for Jagannath in world’s largest kitchen?

1. 5000 trained cooks get involved in preparing food for the Lord.
2. 56 different varieties of vegetarian dishes are cooked daily for the Lord.
3. All the food (bhoga) prepared are first offered to Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi.
4. After being offered to Lord Jagannath, the sanctified food (prasad) is offered to Bimala Devi. Bimala Devi is Parvati and her deity is in the temple premise.
5. After that the food goes to Anand Bazar (pleasure market) and is available for all to enjoy and honour.
6. The temple kitchen has the capacity to feed between 2,000 to 200,000 people daily.  

Jagannath on wheels comes calling and inviting

Every year on the day of Rath Yatra, Lord Jagannath comes out of His magnificent temple along with His brother and sister riding on the majestic chariots. He comes on the street to invite us to join Him in His ever-relishing pastimes.

Millions from all over the world come to welcome him, to have a glimpse of Him, to shower their affection on Him. On this day, everyone forgets their worldly identities – men and women, rich and poor, young and old, Hindus and non – Hindus, all participate in the Rath Yatra festival.  They joyfully pull the long ropes tied to the chariots.

The camaraderie among the lovers of the Lord is in full display.  The devotees are not just eager to pull the ropes but they encourage and assist others in pulling the rope. 

The ropes bind the heart of the devotees with that of the Lord, the heart gets cleansed of all dirt and love for the Lord manifests.

“When Lord Jagannatha is on His Rath-yatra cart and is moving along the road, at every step there is a loud presentation of prayers and songs chanted by large assemblies of brahmanas. Hearing their hymns Lord Jagannatha is very favorably disposed towards them. He is the ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the worlds.” (Sri Jagannathastaka)

Why did Lord Jagannath’s chariot stop for Salabega, his Muslim devotee?

There are innumerable pastimes associated with Jagannath Puri Rath Yatra festival. One of the most famous pastimes is when Lord Jagannath’s chariot stopped for Salabega,a Muslim devotee. This pastime took place around 400 years ago in 17th century.

But who was Salabega? Why did Lord Jagannath’s chariot stop for him? Why he was not there during Rath Yatra?

The chariot did not move even by an inch

Millions of people from far of places had come to welcome Lord Jagannath. Meditating on the Supreme Lord’s wonderful qualities they were pulling the ropes of the majestic chariot on which Lord Jagannath was seated. Brother Baladeva and little sister Subhadra were also on their respective chariots.

But suddenly Lord Jagannath’s chariot had stopped. Thousands of people were trying their best to pull the ropes of the chariot. But the chariot did not move even by an inch. The Lord was not willing to move ahead. No one could understand what has happened. What could be the reason? Everyone wondered. Just few moments back Jagannath’s chariot was swiftly dancing through the streets.

But now the Lord was not in a mood to budge. Is He upset? Why would He be upset? The broad smile on His face was conveying that He isn’t unhappy. But His big eyes were anxiously looking for someone today, so he stood still. Who was that fortunate soul for whom Jagannath was waiting?

Meanwhile Salabega was running towards Puri with a hope to see the Lord.

Who was Salabega?

Salabega was Muslim by birth and was the son of a Mughal subedar. Once he got severely ill but got miraculously cured when he started chanting Jagannath’s names. He thus became a devotee of Lord Jagannath. Once with a desire to see Lord Jagannth, he went to the Jagannath temple. But he was not allowed to enter the temple because he was a non-Hindu. Salabega immediately left for Vrindavan to perform his devotion. While in Vrindavan, he came to know about the Rath Yatra festival and with a desire to see Lord Jagannath he left for Puri.

Salabega falls sick on his way to Puri

But on the way, he fell sick. He thought that he would not be able to reach Puri in time and will not be able to see the Lord. He felt helpless and desperately prayed to Lord Jagannath to wait for him until he reaches Puri – satasa pacasha kosha cali na parai/moha jivajaen nandighose thiva rahi. “It is very difficult to walk the 750 kosas (distance between Vrindavan and Puri) to see You. Please remain on Nandighosha (Jagannath’s chariot) until then.”

Jagannath‘s chariot stopped for Salabega

And today Lord Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, to fulfill the wish of his dear devotee was waiting for him anxiously. Salabega reached and saw the beautiful Lord, with tears in his eyes he offered prayers.  Lord was happy, Salabega was satisfied and now when the devotees pulled the ropes Jagannath’s chariot started rolling again. 

How does the chariot move?

The chariot does not move by the efforts of the devotees. It moves because of the love of the devotees. The Lord gives all of us an opportunity to pull his chariot. When he sees devotion in our hearts then he allows himself to be pulled by us and the chariot begins to move.

Countless such pastimes are associated with Rath Yatra festival. The festival is unique and massive. It is one of the most important festivals of India. The history of Rath Yatra festival is too old to be dated.  

Lord Jagannath is the Lord of the universe. He is the Lord of all – Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Parsis, Jews, rich, poor, black, white, brown, men, women, young and old.  

He is Supreme Father of all the living entities. He loves us all. He is an ocean of mercy.

On the Rath Yatra day, he comes out of his temple to shower his mercy upon all his children. For him, everyone of us are dear to him. The Lord waited for Salabega, the Supremely Merciful Lord is waiting for us too. With His open arms, He is welcoming us. Let us let go all our worldly attachments and embrace the Lord in our hearts. 

To celebrate Salabega’s devotion, every year the chariot of Jaganntah stops briefly near his samadhi.

Also Read:

Reason behind Lord Jagannath’s unique form

What is the reason behind Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath?

We might have seen many pictures of Lord Jagannath having Hathi Besha or elephant head like Ganesha, the son of Lord Shiva. It looks so different. What could be the reason behind Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath? 

Specially on the day of Snana Yatra, Lord Jagannath is decorated as Gajanana or Hati Besha. His face is decked up as having an elephant head.

Lord Jagannath is extremely merciful and fun loving. He is known for many sweet pastimes which delights all.  He goes extra mile to please anyone and everyone.  

The Lord took the Hathi Besha because he wanted to satisfy the desire of a person who visited his temple in Puri.

A devotee of Ganesha visits the temple

Ganapati Bhatta was a devotee of Lord Ganesha. Once he came to Jagannath Puri. He had heard a lot about the temple in Puri and the different festivals which are conducted in the temple. He had come during Snana Yatra time and went to the temple to participate in the bathing ceremony of the Lord. He was excited.

But when he saw Lord Jagannath was not having an elephant head like Ganesha, he became disappointed.

He left the place.  He had given his heart to Ganesha and wanted to worship only Ganesha.

Lord Jagannath resides as paramatma within everyone’s heart. He immediately understood the desire and the cause of dissatisfaction of Ganapati Bhatta.

Jagannath took the form of a brahmana

The Supreme Lord took the form of a brahmana. He went to Ganapati Bhatta. Meanwhile the devotee of Ganesha was planning to leave Puri.

As a brahmana, the Lord tried to convince Ganapati Bhatta to again visit the temple. He was reluctant. But the Lord persuaded him.  So, he agreed. He decided to visit the temple in the evening.

The Lord had planned something special for him that day.

As promised to the brahmana, Ganapati Bhatta went to the temple in the evening.

Ganapati Bhatta sees Hathi Besha of Lord Jagannath

As he saw the Lord he began dancing in joy. 

It was unbelievable. It was so surprising.

Lord Jagannath was having an elephant head, Hathi Besha, like Ganesha. He saw his beloved Lord Ganesha and he saw all merciful Lord Jagannath.

To please Ganapati Bhatta, Lord Jagannath appeared in this form. The Supreme Lord was having a big smile on his smile.

Ganapati Bhatta’s heart cried in joy. He bowed again and again to the Lord.

The Supreme Lord is the source of all the demigods

He now understood that Lord Jagannath is the Supreme Lord. Everything comes from him. He is the source of all the demigods. The demigods are not independent but are parts and parcels of the Supreme Lord. All the powers which they have come from the Supreme Lord only.

Srimad Bhagavatam 4.31.14 says, “As pouring water on the root of a tree energizes the trunk, branches, twigs and everything else, and as supplying food to the stomach enlivens the senses and limbs of the body, simply worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead through devotional service automatically satisfies the demigods, who are parts of that Supreme Personality.”

When we worship Krishna, we satisfy all the demigods

This pastime of Lord Jagannath clearly tells us that if we worship the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krishna or Lord Jagannath then there is no need to worship any demigod because Krishna is the original source of everything. During the Govardhan pastime also Lord Krishna had demonstrated that demigod worship is not required.  

Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.1 says, “Kṛṣṇa who is known as Govinda is the Supreme Godhead. He has an eternal blissful spiritual body. He is the origin of all. He has no other origin and He is the prime cause of all causes.”

In fact, the demigods too get pleased when he sees that we are worshipping the Supreme Lord Jagannath or Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna and Lord Jagannath are the same.

Lord Jagannath is supremely merciful and magnanimous. He fulfils everyone’s desire.  He has millions of devotees but to satisfy one devotee he took Hathi Besha form.

We should always approach the Lord with spiritual desire and not material desire. Material desire even if fulfilled will not bring happiness in our life.

But if our desires are devotional then it will bring us closer to the Lord and give us unlimited happiness.

Brihad-bhagavatamrita tells the journey of Gopa Kumara to Goloka Vrindavan

Brihad-bhagavatamrita beautifully narrates the journey of Gopa Kumara to Goloka Vrindavan. Just like you and me, Gopa Kumara was also in this material world where we are living now. But Gopa Kumara unlike us consciously decided to leave this material world and return to the spiritual world. The joy he experienced upon reaching his cherished destination cannot be described in words.

In his magnum opus, Brihad-bhagavatamrita, Sanatana Goswami explain in detail about the journey of Gopa Kumara to Goloka Vrindavan.   Goloka Vrindavan is the abode of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Each nugget of the book allows us to experience the emotions he went through during his travel. The book captivates our mind and tantalizes us to join Gopa Kumara in his journey.

Our never-ending journey in the material world

In this world we are on a never-ending journey.  We have been wandering in this material world away from Krishna for uncountable number of years.

Sometimes we travel to the upper planetary systems to enjoy good karma.  And sometimes we are compelled to go to the lower planetary systems to suffer bad karma.

Sometimes we wander in a human body, sometimes in a non – human body. And sometimes we live on land, sometimes in water and sometimes in the sky.

The dollops of happiness given to us during our travels hardly give any joy, in fact it brings more frustration.

Just as the water of the ocean cannot quench our thirst, the allurements of this world cannot satiate our hearts.

The temporary relationship of this world

During our journey we come across other travelers too. We identify them as our father and mother, brother and sister, spouse and children, friends and foes. And gradually, we start liking their company. We desire to live with them forever.  

But just as the waves of the ocean devoid of emotions demolishes the castle of sand, the unconquerable time unmoved by our tears crushes all our dreams and steals all our loved ones from us.

This is the nature of this world. This is how this world has been functioning since the dawn of creation.

Krishna has already warned us

So, Krishna, the architect of this world, warns us that nowhere in this entire material creation one can enjoy perennially, miseries are everywhere because death is everywhere. Bhagavad Gita 8.16

But away from this material world is the spiritual world which is not ephemeral but is eternal. In that world there is no death and is free from all sufferings.

So Krishna asks us to return back to the spiritual world.  Srila Prabhupada in his writings has underlined the importance of returning to the spiritual world thousands of time.

In fact, he started a monthly magazine and named it as “Back to Godhead (BTG).” 

Just as a fish separated from the ocean will always remain miserable similarly as long as we are separated from our eternal spiritual homes we will continue to suffer.

Everyone of us has a chance to live in the kingdom of Krishna forever.

Gopa Kumara decides to return back to the spiritual world

When Gopa Kumara got the opportunity, he immediately grabbed it.  With enthusiasm and confidence and complete faith he decided to march towards his final destination.

While on his journey to Goloka Vrindavan, Gopa Kumara also went to the higher planets of this material world. But he wasn’t happy there. So, from there he went to the spiritual world. He went to different spiritual planets of the spiritual world. He went to Vaikuntha, to Ayodhya, to Dwarka. In that spiritual abode he met the spiritual residents who were as glorious as the Supreme Lord and all were in utter bliss.  There he experienced unlimited joy, he achieved complete perfection. 

But still he missed something. He missed Krishna. He missed brajvasis. There was a tinge of dissatisfaction in his heart. His heart longed to be with Krishna. He desperately wanted to go to Goloka Vrindavan.

How will Krishna not fulfill the desire of his dear devotee!

A celestial plane which travelled faster than the speed of the mind travelling along a very wonderful path took Gopa Kumara to that glorious land which is the topmost of all the spiritual planets.

Gopa Kumara arrives in Goloka Vrindavan

Sages and saints meditate for thousands of years to get a glimpse of that land. In that glorious land of Goloka Vrindavan, Gopa Kumara’s heart attained supreme satisfaction. He wanted to see Krishna and so began searching Krishna. He saw the brajvasis, the most exalted devotees, and inquired from them about Krishna.

But they were so absorbed in Krishna that they were not able to utter a word. One elderly man who was overwhelmed with emotions in broken words showed him the palace of Gopa King, Nanda. At the palace he saw millions and millions of wonders which he had never seen or imagined.

At the entrance of the palace, Gopa Kumara inquired from an elderly brajvasi about Krishna. With a heavy heart she said, “he who has stolen our hearts left with his friends and cows in the morning to the forest to enjoy his pastimes.”

In separation brjavasis’ desperation

Unable to bear separation from Krishna the brajvasis with great difficulty were spending their time.

To alleviate their pain some had absorbed themselves in remembering his many pastimes. Some composed songs which described his many activities and sang it throughout the day. 

Many got busy in preparing delicious preparations which they planned to serve him as soon as he returns. Engaged in different activities, everyone tried their best to hide their emotions, but their eyes belied them, tears constantly flowed from their eyes and in broken words they kept calling Krishna, Krishna.

It was difficult for anyone to understand whether they were in bliss or were in pain.

Whether they were with Krishna or not with Krishna.

Brajvasis desperately wait at Yamuna for Krishna

They were desperately waiting for Krishna to return from the forest. And as soon as it was evening, all frantically ran towards the shore of Yamuna. Fixing their eyes towards the forest trying their best not to blink they were eagerly waiting for him.

Suddenly the atmosphere got filled with the melodious sound of the flute. The Yamuna stopped flowing. The birds flying in the air stood still. The trees decorated with beautiful flowers spread their arms to embrace the sound. 

Some of the brajvasis overwhelmed with emotions fainted. Many desperately tried looking in the direction of the sound but their tears blurred their vision. Some stood stunned.

Gopis carrying pots of delicacies ran hurriedly. Some fell on the ground. And in great pain of separation, they cried again and again.  Yashoda with her husband, Nanda Maharaj, Radharani with her many friends and along with all the moving and non- moving residents of braj anxiously waited to have a glimpse of Krishna.

And Krishna arrives!

And suddenly a bluish boy in yellow garments appeared. He was decorated with forest flowers and was wearing crown made of peacock feathers.  The fortunate flute whom the bluish boy had embraced with his lips joyfully danced and informed all that Krishna had arrived. It was celebration time.

Krishna was so happy to see all. After whole day work, he was back home.

But suddenly Krishna’s joy multiplied manifold.

Krishna meets Gopa Kumara after a long time

Amongst the brajvasis who had assembled at the shore of Yamuna, he saw Gopa Kumara. He stopped playing his flute. Leaving his friends, leaving his cows, and leaving all confused he ran frantically towards him.

He leaped towards Gopa Kumara and embraced him. Seeing his dear friend after such a long time, Krishna overwhelmed with emotion fainted in the arms of Sarupa.

After regaining consciousness, Krishna took the hand of Gopa Kumara in his left lotus hand and inquired, “How are you? I missed you so much, Sarupa. Every day I waited for you hoping that you will return one day for sure. I am so thankful. I am so grateful. You are back. Now please stay here. Don’t go anywhere.”  

Gopa Kumara’s name in the spiritual world was Sarupa. Although Gopa Kumara had forgotten the name Sarupa but Krishna remembered. Sarupa got reunited with Krishna and with his spiritual family in the spiritual world to live eternally and blissfully.

In the spiritual world there is no anxiety, no fear, and it is free from all kinds of suffering which afflict us in this world.

Scriptures tell us that the same destiny awaits us too.

Sanatana Goswami in Brihad-bhagavatamrita describe in details about the journey of Gopa Kumara to Goloka Vrindavan.

Through this book he is also inviting you and me to take up the journey to the spiritual world.

Are we ready?

What Vedas say about calamities like Coronavirus?

Why we suffer? What Vedas say about calamities like coronavirus? Was there any period in the history of mankind when there was no suffering. Let us try to reflect on these topics.

If we turn the pages of history we would find that we the living beings have been suffering in this world since the time Brahma created this universe. At present we are devastated by the deadly coronavirus which has killed thousands of people all over the world and have brought billions of people to their knees.

The world has always been ravaged by severe calamities and wars which have killed millions of people. 

1. The plague in India (1896 to 1939) resulted in the death of 12 million people. 
2. Spanish Flu took 12 million lives in only 3 months in 1918 in India.
3. Influenza affected a third of the world’s population and claimed between 50 and 100 million lives.
4. In USA, the most developed country of the world, on an average 27,000 to 70,000 people die because of the common Flu every year.
5. In World War 1 around 37 million people died.
6. In World War 2 around 60 – 70 million people died.

This history is just of 100 years. And more over whether there is pandemic or no pandemic people continue to die every day. 

Our forefathers faced almost the same problems which we are facing now.  Our suffering is not new. Hopefully in few months there will be medicine or vaccination available for the virus. The scientist who will discover the medicine will most probably get a Nobel Prize, we will pat on our back saying that we have won a war against the material nature. 

And we will start living again as if nothing had happened till the time some other calamity in some other form will strike us.

Lord Krishna without any ambiguity says that this world is full of miseries – duhkhalayam asasvatam (B.G. 8 .15). He does not give any false hope.

It means that coronavirus or any other calamity will continue to inflict unlimited suffering upon us as long as we remain in this ephemeral material world.

Brahma looking at the unfortunate condition of the living beings tells to Lord Vishnu, “O great actor, my Lord, all these poor creatures are constantly perplexed by hunger, thirst, severe cold, secretion and bile, attacked by coughing winter, blasting summer, rains and many other disturbing elements, and overwhelmed by strong sex urges and indefatigable anger. I take pity on them, and I am very much aggrieved for them.”

The scriptures tell about the three types of miseries which always afflict us.

The only solution as per the wise sages and sacred Vedas is to take shelter of the Supreme Lord who can provide us all protection from all the sufferings. He can even take us back to the spiritual world which is free from all diseases, where there is no calamity and where there is no death. 

Brahma explains the great fortune of those who surrender to Lord Krishna, “For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord… the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf’s hoof-print. Their goal is param padam, Vaikuntha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step.” Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 10.14.58

The Supreme Lord is always present in his holy names like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra and in the deity form. He personally comes in this material world in various incarnations as Lord Krishna, as Lord Rama, as Lord Chaitanya to invite us back to the blissful spiritual world.   

And as Lord Jagannath, Lord Krishna even comes out of the temple during Rath Yatra. He goes on the street showering his blessings upon everyone even upon those who are not interested in devotional life.

And if anyone participate enthusiastically and welcome the Lord during the Rath Yatra festival then he quickly destroys the vast ocean of sins which is causing unlimited suffering.

Vedas say that as long as we remain addicted to this material world we will suffer from calamities like Coronavirus.

But if we take shelter of the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord all our sufferings will dissipate.  Lord Krishna is an ocean of mercy, he is our true friend.

If we develop friendship with him, if we take his shelter then we can save ourselves from all the miseries even in this world and in next life we can return back to the spiritual world which is filled with bliss.

What is the best way to overcome maya?

We the living entities always have two options. One option is to take shelter of Krishna. And the other option is to take shelter of Krishna’s illusory energy i.e. maya. If we are not with Krishna, then by default we are with maya.

And when our master is maya then we are in a dangerous situation because maya constantly subject us to many kinds of sufferings.

Maya is extremely powerful. It consists of three modes of material nature. With these three modes, maya shackles the living entities and imprisons them in this world. 

The miserable condition of all the living entities is best explained by Lord Chaitanya, “In the material condition, the living entity is sometimes raised to higher planetary systems and material prosperity and sometimes drowned in a hellish situation. His state is exactly like that of a criminal whom a king punishes by submerging him in water and then raising him again from the water.” Chaitanya Charitamrita Madhya 20.118

Along with it maya also steals the intelligence of all her prisoners who start living in the illusion that he/she is enjoying here. For example, a hog eats stool and thinks he is happy. Bereft of intelligence we, the conditioned souls, begin to believe that suffering is part and parcel of our life. We start living with it. We all know we are going to die. But still we live as if we are never going to die.

We become so ignorant that we don’t even question as why we are suffering in this world and why we are dying.

But Krishna is extremely merciful. He incarnates in this world to give us a chance to free ourselves from these never-ending suffering.

If we choose Krishna we choose an eternal blissful life.

But if we choose not to choose Krishna, we choose a life of suffering.

Because on our own we cannot free ourselves from the clutches of maya. Krishna says in BG 7.14, “This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” 

So, if we want freedom from pain and suffering then we need to choose Krishna.

The best way to take shelter of Krishna is to chant the holy names of Krishna like the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.  Chaitanya Charitamrita Adi, 7.76 says, “For spiritual progress in this Age of Kali, there is no alternative, there is no alternative, there is no alternative to the holy name, the holy name, the holy name of the Lord.”

When we chant we awaken our dormant love for Krishna. We start getting closer and closer to Krishna. Just as sun appears darkness disappears.  Similarly, as soon as we invite Krishna to reside in our heart by chanting his beautiful names all the sufferings begin disappearing from our heart.

Krishna frees us from the clutches of maya. We no longer suffer from the vicious cycle of birth and death. We start leading a blissful life.

Krishna is the best master. He is our best well-wisher. He can help us to easily overcome maya.

How to attain freedom from never ending suffering?

We all want freedom from never ending sufferings but in spite of that we are kncoked down by suffering again and again.

The Coronavirus pandemic has killed thousands of people all over the world. Even the wealthiest and the mightiest people of the world are helpless in front of it.

It has plunged the whole world into misery. As we are struggling for survival and trying our best to save ourselves from this tiny little virus, let us pause for a moment and ask ourselves as why we are always subjected to suffering in this world?

Or why suffering never ceases to end in this world? And is there any place in the entire creation of God where there is no suffering and where we can live fearlessly?

Its not that people were free from the diseases before the attack of the virus. It will also not happen that once the cure of the virus has been found people will never suffer from any diseases.  People were dying in the past; people are dying in the present and people will continue to die in the future.

Suffering in this world is everywhere

In fact, Bhagavad Gita 8.16 says that there are no planets in the entire material universe where there is no suffering and no death.

Miseries in this world follow us like a shadow.

We do not want to suffer from any disease but still we suffer. None of us want to grow old but every moment we grow old. In fact, a tiny little kid playing carelessly in its pram is also growing old every second.

We all want to live forever. We all want to remain united with our parents, with our spouse, with our siblings, with our children, with our friends forever. But we are forced to get separated. But we are not able to save them when the agents of death take them away from us. We helplessly watch as they are slowly devoured by death.

Their tears and our tears do not melt the heart of the cruel and emotionless death. A day will come when we will also be forced to leave this world.

As per the stringent laws of the material universe we cannot live here permanently. And as per the laws of this world as long as we live here, we will also have to undergo different types of sufferings.

Three types of sufferings

The scriptures tell about three types of miseries which always afflicts anyone and everyone in this world.

• adhidaivika-klesa: Sufferings caused by the higher powers like the demigods. Droughts, earthquakes, storms and other natural calamities come under this category.
• adhibhautika-klesa:  Sufferings caused because of other living beings like insects, mosquitoes, or fellow human beings.
• adhyatmika-klesa: Sufferings because of one’s own body and mind. For example, mental anxiety, fear, indecision, other mental illness or physical problems related to our body.

Everything ends one day

We make so many plans to mitigate these miseries.  We anchor our hope on technological advancement hoping that it will succeed one day in shielding us against all the miseries which nature inflict upon us. We believe that by creating more wealth, we will attain freedom from never ending suffering. Wealth will help us to secure our future and we can then celebrate our life.

And most importantly we desperately hope that a day will come when the medical science will discover an elixir which will make us immortal.

Like us, our forefathers too had the same wishes. They too did not want to suffer. They too did not want to die.

But history is testimony to the fact that no one has ever succeeded in bypassing the laws of this material world.

The Supreme Lord, our original father, and the architect of this world have clearly said that this world is temporary, this body of ours is temporary, this world is full of suffering, this body of ours is full of suffering and no matter how hard we try everything is going to come to an end one day.

The rebellious child

So, did God create us to live miserably and die miserably? Does God enjoy seeing us, his children, suffer? Definitely Not.

In fact, most of the children of God are supremely blissful and are celebrating their life in the company of God in the kingdom of God. But unfortunate souls like us decided to be here in this material world away from God.

Sometimes a child out of foolishness rebels against his family, rejects his father’s wise advice and runs away from his house. Away from his home, away from his family and away from his loving and caring mother and father he simply suffers.

Our condition is akin to that rebellious son. We are suffering because we ran away from our spiritual homes and came to this material world. In the spiritual world under the shelter of Krishna we were enjoying our life along with the residents of the spiritual world. And away from Krishna here we are suffering every moment.

Are we destined to suffer forever?

So, what is the solution? Are we condemned forever? Are we going to suffer forever.? Are we never going to attain freedom from never ending suffering? Not at all. Although we leave Krishna, but Krishna never leaves us. He always lives with us in our heart as Parmatma. He incarnates in this world again and again to invite us to return back to his abode.

And he is always accessible to us through his holy names. Padma Purana says that the name of Krishna and Krishna Himself are identical.

So when we are chanting his names with sincerity, it means we are directly associating with him and taking his shelter. To live a life free of suffering and free of fear we do not have to wait to return back to the spiritual world. In fact, while living in this world, we can experience supreme bliss and live without fear.

Krishna frees us

Sufferings end when we reconnect with Krishna

When we practice devotion to Krishna our sufferings vanish because we get cleansed of all our sins. We eventually attain freedom from never ending suffering. Also, when we take shelter of Krishna then Krishna who is the controller of this material world takes charge of our life.

A tiny little fish can swim against the gigantic waves which can devour gigantic ships because it has taken shelter of ocean. Similarly, we too start living fearlessly in this world which is inundated with unlimited miseries by taking shelter of Krishna.

Prahlada Maharaj while offering his prayers to the Lord says, “O best of the great personalities, I am not at all afraid of material existence, for wherever I stay I am fully absorbed in thoughts of Your glories and activities.”

Material solution to the material suffering can give temporary relief. But the suffering eventually comes in different form and continues knocking us down again and again.

But Krishna promises that if we turn towards him then he will free us from all past sins and will remove all sufferings from our life. Bhagavad Gita 18.66

Krishna also assures that once we return back to his abode then we will never come again to this material world which is full of suffering.

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kuntī, never takes birth again.” Bhagavad Gita 8.16

So, let us worship the lotus feet of Krishna, the son of mother Yashoda, which makes one fearless and brings all auspiciousness.  This is the best solution to attain freedom from never ending suffering.