HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj explained in detail how Lord Krishna took the form of Lord Jagannath on the third day of Kartik Yatra at Sri Jagannath Puri Dham
In the class Maharaj was giving a message that to enter into the spiritual world we should be free from envy because envy has no place in spiritual world.
Below is what HH Radhanath Swami Maharaj said how Krishna took the form of Lord Jagannath.
Queens of Dwarka are confused
Once the queens of Dwarka were discussing amongst themselves that we are doing everything to make Krishna happy. And in fact, Krishna is also doing everything to make us happy. He has expanded into 16,108 forms for us.
But still Krishna cries and calls the names of gopis and Radha in the middle of the night. One of the queens said, “Not just night but even during the daytime Krishna goes in trance and calls the names of gopis and Radha.”
Who are these gopis? Who is Radha? And what was the pastime in Vrindavan? The queens wanted to know. So, they approached Rohini.
How Rohini is special to Krishna?
Rohini has a special place in Krishna’s pastimes. When Rohini was pregnant, Vasudeva sent her to the house of Nanda and Yashoda. When Rohini met Yashoda, it was like meeting of Yamuna and Ganga at Prayag. Rohini and Yashoda were always together.
Rohini was there when Krishna and Balarama were performing their childhood pastimes in Vrindavan.
After Akrura came to take Krishna to Mathura, Nanda and some of the cowherd men and cowherd boys came with Krishna to Mathura. But Krishna sent them back to Vrindavan. Only Rohini remained.
So, only Rohini was living with Krishna and Balaram in Dwarka. And she had personally seen all the wonderful pastimes of Krishna with the gopis, gopas, with mother Yashoda and with Radharani.
Rohini says to the queens that they will not understand Vrindavan pastime
So, the queens approached Rohini to find out about the loving pastimes of Vrindavan. But Rohini said to the queens that you all will not be able to understand that pastime.
It is because your nature is aishwarya bhav. You all love Krishna with awe and reverence. You love Krishna’s majesty, his opulence.
But the residents of Vrindavan exclusively possess madhurya bhav. They do not have any concept about Krishna’s majesty. Krishna openly confesses that he is bound by the love of vrajvasis.
We do not see any other incarnation of the Supreme Lord like Lord Rama, Lord Varaha, Lord Kurma dancing. But Krishna dances with the gopis. Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan are very intimate. And those are very dear to Krishna and also to Balaram.
Rohini’s begins narrating Krishna’s Vrindavan pastime
Rohini said that if I share those pastimes then both the brothers will come here immediately, and I won’t be able to handle their emotions. It can also happen that Krishna will become desperate to go to Vrindavan.
But the queens were eager to hear the pastime. So, the arrangement was made that when Rohini will be narrating the pastime then someone will guard the door.
And the person will immediately inform Rohini as soon as Krishna and Balarama come and Rohini will stop immediately. Subhadra volunteered to guard the door.
Rohini began to describe the pastimes of Vrindavan. The queens of Dwarka were struck with wonder.
Envy: Foundation of material existence
A simple quality which defines a devotee is that a devotee has no envy.
Srila Prabhupada explains foundation of material existence is envy. When one tries to be proprietor, controller and enjoyer then that is an expression of envy towards God. God is the actual proprietor, controller and enjoyer.
bhoktāraṁ yajña-tapasāṁ
sarva-loka-maheśvaram
suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ
jñātvā māṁ śāntim ṛcchati
“A person in full consciousness of Me, knowing Me to be the ultimate beneficiary of all sacrifices and austerities, the Supreme Lord of all planets and demigods, and the benefactor and well-wisher of all living entities, attains peace from the pangs of material miseries.” Bhagavad Gita 5.29
When one recognizes this and lives in this spirit then one never suffers. Ahankara is the basis of material suffering.
Devotee always wants to see Krishna happy
But a viasnava recognizes Krishna’s greatness and wants to be an eternal servant of Krishna. When we find joy in Krishna’s greatness, his love, his knowledge, his glories then we become happy and satisfied.
In Brihad-bhagavatamrita, we see that each devotee is glorifying other devotees thinking that the other devotee is giving greatest joy to Krishna.
In Vrindavan too the mood is to give greatest joy to Krishna. In Vrindavan even the dust is conscious. And the dust too tries to serve Krishna and the devotees. We see gopis left everything to give pleasure to Krishna.
In fact, to cure Krishna’s headache gopis were willing to give dust of their feet and were willing to suffer in hell forever just to give a moment of joy to Krishna.
Similarly, when mother Rohini was narrating the pastimes of Krishna then the queens were feeling happy that gopis were giving so much happiness to Krishna and Krishna was also giving happiness to the gopis. The queens were not envious of the gopis.
Krishna says that wherever devotees are chanting my names and glories I am present there.
Krishna develops mahabhav and takes the form of Jagannath
So, Krishna came to know that his pastimes are being discussed in Dwarka. So, he immediately rushed to the place along with Balaram. Subhadra was so absorbed in hearing the pastime that she did not see Krishna and Balarama.
Krishna stood towards the left of Subhadra and Balarama towards her right. But the pastimes were so wonderful that Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra went in great ecstasy. They developed mahabhav. Their eyes dilated, hands and legs entered into their bodies.
Krishna’s body is not like ours. His body is purely spiritual. So, what is inside came out.
Krishna’s feeling of separation from Radharani was expressed on his body and that is Jagannath.
At that time Narada Muni arrived and he saw that wonderful and unique form of the Lord. He requested Krishna to show this wonderful form to all his devotees.
And Lord Krishna agreed and said that I will be present in this form in Jagannath Puri as Jagannath along with my brother Balaram and sister Subhadra.
Conclusion – Try to be seen by Krishna
Through this beautiful pastime of how Krishna took the form of Lord Jagannath, Maharaj also taught us many important lessons. One of the take home point is that we should be free from envy, if we want to particiapte in the pastime of Krishna in the spiritual world.
Maharaj said that we should serve Lord Jagannath so nicely that he should be pleased to see us. He is the seer and we are the seen. Life’s purpose is to serve Krishna, please Krishna so that Krishna is pleased to see us.
And when Krishna will be pleased, he will give us realization.
