Lord Jagannath

Today is the day of gundica-mandira-marjana, the cleansing of the Gundica Temple. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta states that the temple of Jagannatha represents Dvaraka, while the temple at Gundica is called Sundaracala and represents Vrndavana. All the gopis, such as Lalita, Visakha, and Srimati Radhika, are there in Vrndavana, and so are Nanda Baba, Yaçoda, and all the other Vrajavasis. Vasudeva, Devaki, Baladeva, Subhadra, and all the other Dvarakavasis reside in Dvaraka...

The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Chariot Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, “Where has my husband gone? He told me, ‘I am going for a change of environment for some days, and I will return very soon.’ It has been five days now, and still He has not come back.” Unable to tolerate this, she becomes very angry and gives orders to all her associates as though they had to fight with the enemy: “Take up your weapons!...

The meaning of Hera-pancami is as follows. On the fifth day of the Chariot Festival, Laksmi-devi becomes very worried and thinks, "Where has my husband gone? He told me, 'I am going for a change of environment for some days, and I will return very soon.' It has been five days now, and still He has not come back."

Having begun two days ago, the Chariot Festival is now taking place in Jagannatha Puri, and millions upon millions of people from all over the world are gathered there. Two days from now is Hera Pancami, after that the return festival will take place, and so many kirtanas and other events will be taking place daily...

In Dvaraka, Krsna became unconscious by thinking, "Radhika, Radhika!" It had now become a very big problem, and therefore Narada, Uddhava, and others who were there with Krsna began discussing how to bring Him back to consciousness...

I have not come to give class this morning, but to give so many thanks and heartly blessings to those who managed and organized yesterday's Jagannatha festival: to Pradhumna Misra prabhu, Mukunda prabhu, Sripad Asrama Maharaja, Sripad Tirtha Maharaja, Vidura prabhu, and all others. I became very happy, and I want that next year it will be still better. It was very beautiful and very successful. I came today, only to give my heartly blessings to you all...

The first Chariot Festival has now been completed, and the chariot has returned to Nilacala. On the return journey, Mahaprabhu and all His associates continued to think they were going to Vraja from Kuruksetra, and they performed the same pastimes as on their journey to Gundica. Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami explained that they did not think, "Krsna is returning to Dvaraka." Even at the time of returning, they always maintained the idea, "We are taking Krsna to Vrndavana...

The Chariot Festival is performed every year in Jagannatha Puri, a very beautiful place near the shore of the Indian Ocean. I have explained that Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself made the Gundica Temple neat and clean on the previous day, using His own garments, and after that Jagannatha went there. I have also related two histories explaining how Jagannatha, Subhadra, and Baladeva Prabhu manifested their forms...

Having read the essay entitled 'Sri Rathayatraya Sri Rupanuganucintana' [Ratha-yatra according to the conception of the followers of Srila Rupa Gosvami] published in the first issue, volume 13 of 'Sri Gaudiya Darsan' [the journal of Sri Caitanya Sarasvat Matha], it seems that this article has been printed without showing it to the most honourable editor, Pujyapada Srila Bhakti Raksaka Sridhara Maharaja...

Today is the day of the Jagannatha Chariot Festival. What is the meaning behind this festival? Our heart is like a chariot, and we pray to Krsna, "Please come and sit in my heart." This is how the gopis prayed to Him at Kuruksetra: "You should come and sit in our hearts. Our hearts are Vrndavana...

By approaching a realized spiritual master, inquiring of him submissively, and serving him, everything is reconciled. By this process you will realize everything automatically. Your mental speculation will not suffice. You may be a learned person, but your learning will also not help you; it will betray you...

As I have explained before, Mahaprabhu very rarely sees Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra. When He does, He at once enters a mood of very intense separation and prays, "After a long time I am meeting with My most beloved, for whom I was burning in the fire of separation." He addresses Jagannatha as gopibhartuh and prays, "Pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah"...