Discover Your Super Soul

55th Kolkata Rath Yatra 2026 – Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Bhakti Purusottama Swami Maharaja on SB 1.15.7 (19th July 2026)

Purushottam Nitai Das July 20, 2026

Lord Jagannath worshipped during the 55th Kolkata Rath Yatra 2026

What is the connection between Krishna and Lord Jagannath? While speaking on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 1.15.7, HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaja explained how Krishna’s final earthly pastimes are connected with Lord Jagannath, His mercy upon tribal devotees, Nila Madhava, and the sacred tradition of the Dayitapatis. Below article is based on the class which Maharaja gave on 19 July 2026 at the Kolkata Rath Yatra Pandal.

Krishna Is the Supreme Controller of Everything

After Krishna leaves the planet, Arjuna is speaking this verse to Yudhisthira. Arjuna says that by Krishna’s mercy, he got the strength to defeat the lusty princes and was able to marry Draupadi by piercing the eye of the fish.

It is not just about Arjuna; whatever strength we get is because of Krishna. Anything that happens to us is because of Krishna. But unfortunately, when something good happens, we think it is because of us, and if something bad happens, we blame God for it.

This is the mentality of demons. Devotees know that everything is done by Krishna, so they give credit to Krishna for everything. Krishna is in the heart of all, and from Him comes everything. Bhagavad Gita 15.15.

Knowledge and remembrance come from Him. We talk because the Lord allows us to talk, and we see because God wants us to see. All our senses are controlled by the demigods.

Demigods are īśvaras. Īśvara means controller. Above the īśvaras is Parameśvara, the Supreme Controller. Krishna is the Supreme Controller, and everything happens because of Him—sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam.

Krishna pre-plans everything. This is why Krishna says to Arjuna that, “I have already killed the Kauravas. You do it on the battlefield and take credit for it.”

Although we endeavour, the motivation for endeavour comes from Krishna. It is because of the Lord’s grace that we even think.

This is why devotees are neither too excited upon success nor depressed upon failure. Thus, they are free from karma-bandhana.

Lord Krishna’s Final Earthly Pastimes

This śloka of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam was spoken by Arjuna when Lord Krishna had already gone to Goloka.

Although it is not mentioned in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, in the scriptures it is mentioned that after killing all the demons, Krishna went to Mathura from Dvārakā. There He blew the conch shell and wore the dress of a cowherd boy. When the Vrajavāsīs heard the conch shell, they understood that Krishna was coming.

So Krishna entered Vṛndāvana, met Nanda and Yaśodā, and married the gopīs. There is also evidence that when both Krishna and Rādhārāṇī were young, Brahmā had got Them married. Again, in Vṛndāvana there was marriage, dance, rāsa-līlā, and all the Vrajavāsīs went to Goloka, the spiritual world. Nanda-nandana Krishna and Rādhārāṇī too went to Goloka. But Vāsudeva Krishna went back to Dvārakā.

In Dvārakā, He started thinking, “I have delivered the world, but what about My family in Dvārakā?” So, we have the well-known incident of the residents of Dvārakā making fun of the sādhus and getting cursed by them. They dressed Sāmba so that he looked like a pregnant lady.

They approached the sages and asked them to tell whether she would give birth to a boy or a girl. The sages got angry and said that whatever she gave birth to would be the cause of the destruction of the Yadu dynasty. A lump of iron came out from Sāmba’s body. The iron lump was grinded, but one small piece of iron was left. From the iron powder, sticks like bamboo but as hard as iron appeared.

Once when there was a quarrel among the Dvārakāvāsīs, they killed each other with the same bamboo sticks. Krishna knew all this. After this incident, He was resting under a tree.

Jara the Hunter and the Connection to Lord Jagannath

Today, I see people come to Rath Yatra but do not know much about the festival. They also do not know the connection between Krishna and Lord Jagannath.

I will share how Krishna and Lord Jagannath are related. In fact, Lord Jagannath and Lord Krishna are same. I will also share how Krishna and Lord Jagannath are so merciful to tribals and how the tribals are attached to the Lord.

The person who shot Krishna in the foot was a tribal named Jara. Lord enacted this pastime because he wanted to return back to the spiritual world. While he was about to leave, something interesting happens. He called Arjuna and asked him to touch Him. But Arjuna was apprehensive that if he touched the Lord, then all his strength and power would go away with the Lord. But when the Lord asked again, he held Krishna’s hand. And Arjuna lost all his strength. This is why we see that later Arjuna was not able to fight the people when he was taking Krishna’s queens to Hastinapur.

Jara was Vāli in his previous life.

A celestial chariot came to take Krishna to the spiritual world. But for the demons, Krishna left His body. Some say that when Krishna’s body was put on the funeral pyre, His heart did not burn. His heart was thrown into the ocean, and it floated to Puri. That same heart is the Brahma Padārtha in Lord Jagannath’s deity. This is why Lord Jagannath is Lord Krishna.

The Lord’s Mercy Upon Tribal Devotees

We see here how a tribal is associated with the Lord’s pastimes.

In Lord Rama’s pastimes also, we see how Śabarī, a tribal woman, served the Lord. In fact, she had so much love for the Lord that before giving Him berries to eat, she tasted them to check whether they were sweet or sour. The Vedic rule did not work here. The Lord did not say that He accepts food only from a brāhmaṇa who chants mantras. The Lord happily accepted Śabarī’s offering.

We read how Bhrigu Muni behaved with Lord Vishnu when he wanted to know who among Brahmā, Shiva, and Vishnu is the Supreme Lord. Bhrigu kicked Lord Vishnu to test His tolerance. Although Lord Vishnu tolerated it, His wife, Lakshmi Devi, did not forgive Bhrigu. This is why brāhmaṇas are always poor.

We see how tribals deal with the Lord and how the brāhmaṇas do.

Nila Madhava, Daru Brahma, and the Dayitapatis

During the first 50 years of Brahmā’s life, the Lord was worshipped as Nila Madhava in Puri. Only the demigods would see Him and worship Him as Nila Madhava. Among human beings, only Vishvavasu, a Śabara tribal, was able to see Him and serve Him.

When Indradyumna Maharaja came, Nila Madhava disappeared. Then there was a celestial voice saying, “Now I will be worshipped as Daru Brahma.” That Nila Madhava appeared as Daru Brahma.

After the first 50 years of Brahmā’s life, the Lord is worshipped as Lord Jagannath in Puri.

In Puri, even today, the descendants of Vishvavasu serve the Lord. They are called Dayitapatis. Dayita means “dear.” For example, we sing, “Rādhe Jaya Jaya Mādhava-Dayite.”

The Dayitapatis say, “Neither are we brāhmaṇas nor bhaktas, but we are part of the family of Lord Jagannath.”

Why Lord Jagannath Comes Out During Rath Yatra

When the Lord’s Nava Kalevara takes place, the Dayitapatis perform śrāddha rituals, just as we follow śrāddha rituals.

From Lord Jagannath, we receive karuṇā, whereas from other forms of the Lord, we receive kṛpā.

For example, we go to Lord Krishna’s temple or Lord Rama’s temple and receive kṛpā. But Lord Jagannath personally comes out and shows karuṇā to everyone. Lord Chaitanya is also like that.

In Lord Rama’s pastimes again, we see that He met Guha, a tribal king. Saints and sages do not easily receive the mercy of the Lord’s lotus feet, but Lord Rama embraced Guha.

In the song Jaya Radhe Jaya Krishna Jaya Vrindavan, there is the phrase “Abhīra Nagarī.” Abhīra means tribal. The gopīs say that the tribal girls are so fortunate because they smear their bodies with the dust of Krishna’s feet. When Krishna would go to the forest to herd the cows, the sand would become red because of the kuṅkuma on Krishna’s feet. The tribal girls would apply that sand to their bodies, and their bodies would become red.

We see how tribals are connected to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

ISKCON Tribal Care and the Devotion of Tribal Communities

We have started ISKCON Tribal Care, and we see how interested they are in devotional life. There are many such examples.

Example 1

There were tribal children whom we brought to our āśrama and started teaching. We found that they quickly learned Śikṣāṣṭakam, Dāmodarāṣṭakam, Brahma-saṁhitā, and many verses from Bhagavad-gītā. They are God-gifted and have talent too. Also, they are not distracted by TV, smartphones, or social media.

Example 2

Once when I went to Assam, to a tribal area, I saw pictures of Pañca-tattva in many homes. I was surprised at how they had got these pictures. These tribals narrated an interesting story. They said, “We have been worshipping Them for the last 500 years.” They said that 500 years ago there was a person named Parthahajum. He was fed up with something and went to commit suicide in the Brahmaputra.

But he heard a voice asking him to go to Puri. The voice said that all his desires would be fulfilled in Puri. He had no money and no boat, so he decided to swim. While he was swimming, a local king saw him and asked him why he was risking his life in the river. After hearing his story, the king arranged for his visit to Puri.

When he came to Puri, it was the day of Rath Yatra. Lord Chaitanya and Lord Nityananda were performing saṅkīrtana. He became excited and began dancing. Everyone inquired, “Who is he?” Chaitanya Mahaprabhu said, “He is a devotee of Lord Nityananda.”

Lord Nityananda asked him to go, take a bath, and come back to Him. When he returned, Lord Nityananda gave him dīkṣā. He was empowered by the Lord. He introduced Pañca-tattva worship in the Hajum tribe of Assam.

These were some of the important points from the Srimad Bhagavatam Class by HH Bhakti Purushottam Swami Maharaja on 19th July 2026 at Kolkata Rath Yatra Pandal.