Jagannath Ratha-yatra.” Srila B. S. Goswami Maharaj. July 17, 2015. Gupta Govardhan


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English

Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj 

Jagannath Ratha-yātrā 2015

(July 17, 2015. Gupta Govardhan)

https://mahamandala.com/en/audios/1114

 

Men of substance will prefer Kurukṣetra. Vṛndāvan is the land of meeting. But Kurukṣetra is where separation reaches its zenith point. Separation penetrates deeper regions of heart than meeting. In poetry they allude to the night that never ends, to the dance that never ends—that’s the rāsa dance. One will never be satisfied with the union with Kṛṣṇa. Separation intensifies the ecstasy and happiness of union. Hunger is the best spice. “We want a family life with You. We want Your lotus feet in our hearts!” Kṛṣṇa’s sharing His inner feelings, from His personal perspective in Chaitanya-charitāmṛta. Although Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent and omniscient, He cannot estimate the degree of love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī for Him. Jiva is impoverished śakti. No wealth of her own, really. Kṛṣṇa steals the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī... Then Śyāmasundar Kṛṣṇa appears as Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Purī is like Dwārakā... And Guṇḍicā represents Vṛndāvan. Sometimes Mahāprabhu is cleansing Guṇḍicā Temple with His tears, and He cleanses sringhasan with His clothes. Sometimes Mahāprabhu is doing uddaṇḍa-nṛtya: going up very high—up and down, up and down. The gods are descending in human forms to see the dance of Mahāprabhu, to get a glimpse of the beauty of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Tears are shooting from the eyes of Mahāprabhu as from the syringe and they wet all the devotees around. Those who are telling people about Kṛṣṇa—they are giving them the best thing ever! Either you are a suffering materialist or you are suffering in separation from Kṛṣṇa—medicine is the same: hearing about Kṛṣṇa. When Mahāprabhu’s hair stand on end—they are like thorns.—That’s intense! Ratha-yātrā is an auspicious day for the new beginnings. It’s a Birthday of Śrī Chaitanya Saraswat Maṭh.

 

Goswāmī Mahārāj: So, we should say something. Today’s the Guṇḍicā Mārjan, leading up to... and tomorrow the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā and these pastimes are at the heart of gaura-līlā, chaitanya-līlā. We can... It’s interesting to note, that the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā is going on for so long, you know, for a thousand years... or... And, so, there’s some particular concept they had up to the time of Mahāprabhu.

#00:00:57#

It would depend upon the inner awakenment, the depth of realization, conception, devotion of the particular devotee. But, with the advent of Mahāprabhu, and His residing in Jagannāth Purī—from the notes of Svarūp Dāmodar passed to Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāj Goswāmī—we come to gain a whole new perspective and insight into the Ratha-yātrā. Although, it’s mentioned in the Chaitanya-bhāgavat, it’s not described in detail there. What to speak of, the type of insight that’s provided by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāj Goswāmī.

#00:02:00#

So, that is why Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam is, you know, singular importance for the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. As Guru Mahārāj said... invoke with this maxim, “As connotation increases denotation decreases.” Though, we may say, “Well, there’s Bhagavad-gītā, we should all study the Bhagavad-gītā, north, south, east and west. Everyone will agree. The Vaiṣṇavas, the Māyāvādis, western scholars, movie makers, everyone ‘yes’, Bhagavad-gītā.” But, if we increase the connotation of what is meant by Bhagavad-gītā, the denotation will become... will narrow, in one sense, become more refined.

#00:03:06#

So, if we say, “Well, really Bhagavad-gītā has to be understood in terms of, in the light of the Bhagavat; Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.” Then you’re left with, really, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇavas... Ṣrī Vaiṣṇavas... Mādhavs, Gauḍīya, etc... But, if we take it further, and say, “Yes, and that needs that Bhāgavatam.” Where’s some key verses that are at play, in these pastimes. That needs to be understood in the light of the pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. Then your left with Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. So, this Kurukṣetra chapter, in the Bhāgavatam...

#00:03:58#

The Bhāgavatam is very mysterious in the presentation. As we can think, “Well, the first half is particularly relishable by the devotees.” Includes the childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, rāsa-līlā pastimes, which interestingly appear in these Ratha-yātrā pastimes. And... But, it includes Kṛṣṇa’s, so-called-apparent leaving Vṛndāvan, being taken to Mathurā, and into Dwārakā. And by the time He’s in the Dwārakā and so many other types of pastimes are at play. …makes me think, “Oh, the Vṛndāvan pastimes they’re so far behind, we left them so long ago. Now we’re in chapter 80’s and it was so... you know... 50 chapters ago.”

#00:05:00#

But, when the solar eclipse comes and, at that time, one should be engaged in some auspicious activities in the holy place. The... Kṛṣṇa, the Queens of Dwārakā, and all their attendants and associates, they’re on the plea of this solar eclipse, necessity of visiting the holy place, engage in some particular type of spiritual activities. They all go to Kurukṣetra, as do Nanda, Yaṣodā, and the gopīs and the gopas. Which, includes Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and her group, they’re coming from Vṛndāvan. They’re converging in Kurukṣetra.

#00:06:05#

This pastime is so significant to... and key and understanding Mahāprabhu; Śrī Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. I remember, when I first joined in the San Francisco temple, 1971, May, it was... it’s name... Prabupād would give different centers, different names. It was known as New Jagannāth Purī. It’s on the ocean and every year would be this celebration of Ratha-yātrā. So, we’re fortunate to see Śrīla Prabhupād riding on the chariot of Subhadrā, speaking about, you know, jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me (Śrī Śrī Jagannāthāṣṭakam), quoting Mahāprabhu.

#00:07:08#

And, speaking of the Six Goswāmīs and the significance of all this. And, later we heard Śrīla Guru Mahārāj say, that, when Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur, Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur were on pilgrimage, they also went on, like, dhām-parikramā. And, Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur gave his opinion that, “A man of real bhajan would prefer Kurukṣetra.” And, he had some... a mind, to do that himself, actually. Then he got this inspiration to go to Kṛṣṇa Nagar, Swarūpganj, I mean a... Svananda-sukhada-kunja, discover Māyāpur.

#00:08:08#

Kṛṣṇa directed him in another way. But, from his own personal point of view and preference, he expressed this preference for Kurukṣetra. And, not the Kurukṣetra of Bhagavad-gītā. Not in that sense, but in this sense. This meeting of Kṛṣṇa, and inhabitants of Dwārakā, and Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs, and inhabitants of Vṛndāvan. Why? Because... Guru Mahārāj told... heard from Saraswatī Ṭhākur... because he said,—and this his highly contextual,—but he said, “We know, Vṛndāvan is for shallow, hollow thinkers. But men of substance, they will prefer Kurukṣetra.”

#00:09:06#

So, this is a perplexing statement. Guru Mahārāj himself said, “When I heard this, it was as if I’d fallen out of the top of a tree.” That was how shocking it was. Saying, we’re hearing Vṛndāvan, that’s the highest, holiest places, Rādhā-kuṇḍa, all these places are there. Only the highest section of liberated souls can enter that plane. And, now Guru Mahārāj is telling, “That’s for shallow, hollow men, not men of substance. They will prefer Kurukṣetra.” How? Why? What sort of explanation must there be? And, it’s in the context, saying, that Vṛndāvan, what is it famous for? It is milane; meeting, union. Those pastimes are celebrated there.

#00:10:12#

It’s also, included within these particular pastimes, by inference and otherwise. Said... but, Kurukṣetra is where separation reaches its zenith point, bāhye viṣa-jvālā haya, bhitare ānanda-maya, kṛṣṇa-premāra adbhuta carita (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 2.50.3–4). The wonderful, astonishing characteristic of kṛṣṇa-prem, is that, although, externally it appears as though one is been poisoned, their bodies on fire. The hearts full of... as if it’s been poisoned, that’s externally. Internally, they’re relishing some particular, strange nectarean substance.

#00:11:17#

pīḍābhir nava-kālakūṭa-kaṭutā-garvasya nirvāsano
nisyandena mudāṁ sudhā-madhurimāhaṅkāra-saṅkocanaḥ
premā sundari nanda-nandana-paro jāgarti yasyāntare
jñāyante sphuṭam asya vakra-madhurās tenaiva vikrāntayaḥ

(Vidagdha-mādhava: 2.18)

#00:11:32#

Anyway, Rūpa Goswāmī saying like that, “Suffering the effects of being bitten by a cobra... like, suffering the effects of cobra venom while being... bathing in a shower of nectar.” So, these sort of contradictory sentiments are somehow united. The intensity of one, bringing depth of the other. So, we’re told, separation penetrates a deeper region of heart than union or meeting. Thus, the statement, “Vṛndāvan, the land of union, is for shallow thinkers. The men of real substance will prefer Kurukṣetra.” If, separation reaches its zenith point there, as it does, we understand the quality of the vraja-gopīs is such, that they’re condemning the creator Brahmā for making eyes that blink.

#00:12:42#

Because, for that momentary blinking, it’s... they’re unable to drink the nectarean beauty of Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ (Bs: 5.38.3). The inconceivable beauty of Kṛṣṇa, it’s so compelling, new at every moment, that a blink of an eye is intolerable, yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa, cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam (Cc: Antya-līlā, 20.39.1–2), seems like a yuga, millions of years. We’re told, the rāsa dance, it last for a night of Brahmā. That means 4,300,000,000. And, they... the intensity of what is in the heart of the vraja-gopīs, is such, that they think that amount of time... so many nights assemble at the call of Yoga-māyā... to extend that night.

#00:13:52#

Here in kṛṣṇa-līla is the expansion and contraction of time and space. It’s all possible by Kṛṣṇa. So, this night... and the romantic poetry and the romantic songs, they allude to a night that goes forever, that, they wish would not end. The dance that goes on forever, that will not end. That’s the rāsa dance, it’s that night. It’s the night of the rāsa dance, and the rāsa dance itself that goes on forever and never ends. So, as a means of measurement, 4,300,000,000. And, what is that, from the point of view of the vraja-gopīs? It’s saying, [finger snapping] it was like a blink of an eye. It was too fast. There wasn’t enough. Gurudev liked to quote this song of... who is it?.. Chandi... Chandidas wrote it...

#00:14:51#

It says, “One will never be satisfied by union.” It’s Kṛṣṇa... it’s not possible. One will always be left position of desiring more. So, they think, that eight... 4,300,000,000 is like a blink of an eye. But... so, that’s from the point of view of union. From the point of view of separation, they’re saying, [finger snapping] the blink of an eye is like, a day of Brahmā. The blink of an eye is like, intolerably long. It’s like 4,300,000,000. So, we see... separate... as inconceivable as the magnitude and depth of the ecstasy in union is, separation, going in another direction, achieves an even deeper region.

#00:15:48#

And how do they work together, so that generates the... what... in the śloka... samutkaṇṭhā, that means this kind of intense pining, longing, hankering, so, that when union finally takes place, it’s of greater intensity. Separation intensifies the ecstasy and happiness of union. As Guru Mahārāj would say, “Hunger...” There’s this saying, ‘hunger is the best spice.’ If you’re really hungry, you’re relishing every morsel of what’s being taken. So, under that principle, when the heart as reached the depths of union, then... of separation... then union can be appreciated.

#00:16:50#

That’s way, without such feelings, it’s not advisable, by the spiritual experts, to culture the pastimes of union. They only come to give relief to the separation plagued heart. It’s like, snake venom is nectar if someone is suffering from snake bite. Then, it’s life giving nectar. Without the snake bite, there may be some other consequences. So, those vraja-gopīs, who are cursing the Creator... these girls, half civilized, simple, silly, jungle girls. Guru Mahārāj called them, like, “These gopīs, they have the audacity to curse Brahmā, the Creator, for making eyes that blink.”

#00:17:45#

Rādhārāṇī, in one place, said, “I would rather been a fish. Were they have... their eyes are always open. They’re not blinking.” Most of them. [Laughing.] So, that group, who can’t tolerate the blink of an eye, been separated from Kṛṣṇa for so long, that, at last, they get the opportunity to meet with Him in Kurukṣetra. And, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj gave the example of the... like in football, soccer for the Americans. [Laughing.] But, said... if the ball comes... if it’s going back and forth midfield... it’s not... people really don’t care... it’s not a great loss if it goes this side, that side, this side, that side. But, if it comes down near the goal and just misses, then it’s intolerable to the people.

#00:18:52#

Our London Maṭh is in East London. I mean, it’s England, so, it gets weird. The team, West Ham plays in East London. Figure it out. But, the stadium’s right there next to our Maṭh. And, sometimes, maybe there’s 100,000 people there. And, you can hear if the ball just misses the goal, 100,000 people in unison go “ahhhhhh... ahhhhhh.” It’s amazing, there’s 100,000 people go “ahhhhhh.” [Laughing.] You know... they’re like... They had some poster Devashis Prabhu told me, it said, something... for some people football, they think football is, like, as important as life. They said, “It’s more important than that.” [Laughing.] So, that’s how they feel about that, 100,000 people.

#00:19:48#

When the vraja-gopīs come and see... to see their beloved Kṛsna, they can’t tolerate the blink of even, of an eye of separation. And, they... before them is rāj-veṣ, He’s in the dress of a King. They see no flute. He’s wearing a crown, there’s no gopa-veṣ, cowherd dress. And, all the vraja-gopīs “ahhhhh.” So close, but no goal. Can’t reach the desired goal. They can’t conceal their disappointment. So, that Bhāgavatam śloka. Really, we can say, it’s full... it’s more fully expressed or revealed in the pastimes of Mahāprabhu.

#00:20:47#

āhuś ca te nalina-nābha padāravindaṁ
yogeśvarair hṛdi vicintyam agādha-bodhaiḥ
saṁsāra-kūpa-patitottaraṇāvalambaṁ
gehaṁ juṣām api manasy udiyāt sadā naḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 1.81)

#00:21:05#

Where the gopīs expressing their disappointment, Rādhārāṇi, Herself, “Previously, you sent Uddhava to assuage our separation plagued hearts. And that Uddhava is telling us to; we should learn yoga, gopīs should start doing yoga. And learn how jñān,—to meditate—sit there in yoga and, you know, meditate on Kṛṣṇa. Or, telling us telling us from jñān point of view, ‘God’s everywhere, in everything.’ And we should learn that type of culture, so we can see God in everywhere and everything, like that. Or, learn how to meditate like these yogis.” And, she and vraja-gopīs are saying, “We’re not jñānīs, we’re not yogis, we’re those half civilized, silly, jungle girls.”

#00:22:07#

“We only know one thing, that we want a family life with you, we want your lotus feet in our hearts.” That means back in Vṛndāvan, anyera hṛdaya—mana, mora mana—vṛndāvana (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.137.1). Rādhārāṇī... Mahāprabhu’s expressing her sentiments. He’s expressing them before Jagannāth as the Ratha-yātrā festival takes place. But, normally, one’s heart and mind are taken to be one, She’s saying, “My heart and Vṛndāvan are one.” rādhā-padāìkita dhāma, vṛndāvana jār nāma (Śrī Rādhāṣṭaka, 1.3), Vṛndāvan, really is the soil that’s embellished with the lotus footprints of Śrīmatī Rādhārāni.

#00:23:05#

yathā yathā gaura-padāravinde
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy akasmāt
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāṁbu-rāśiḥ

(Chaitanya-chandrāmṛta: 88)

#00:23:18#

Through chaitanya-līlā, the entrance to... through gaura-līlā... the entrance to kṛṣṇa-līlā is there. The Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi (Prabodhānanda Saraswatī) flows from the heart, those who dedicate themselves in the service of the lotus feet of Guru and Gaurāṅga. So, Rādhārāṇī’s expressing Her disappointment, and also, they want to know, has Kṛṣṇa forgotten them. Mahāprahbu will dance before Jagannāth, and then we’re told, He’ll go to the back of the chariots. He’s playing the drama with His hands. He’s dancing in a particular way. In the mood of Rādhārāṇī, He goes to the back to see, “Have you forgotten us?” Jagannāth is Dwārakā-Kṛṣna. Then the chariot will stop. Jagannāth will stop the chariot, all three chariots stop. He saying, “No, I have not forgotten you.”

#00:24:22#

mayi bhaktir hi bhūtānām
amṛtatvāya kalpate
diṣṭyā yad āsīn mat-sneho
bhavatīnāṁ mad-āpanaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.89)

#00:24:38#

Kṛṣṇa tells them, that normally the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogīs, they all want my connection; to get free from sinful reactions, to get liberated from this world of suffering. Relief from the body, mind, senses, so many things. And, if they do get connection with me, they consider themselves most fortunate.” And, it’s true. That’s true for them, it’s not untrue. He’s saying, “But, Me, what about Me?” This is what the whole Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam reveals, that, really we don’t find so clearly expressed, anywhere else, in any other scripture, Kṛṣṇa’s can... He’s sharing His inner feelings from His perspective.

#00:25:38#

That we don’t hear, so much, in other places. Kṛṣṇa being very candid in revealing how He feels. And, He’s saying, “But, I consider myself fortunate that I am the object of the pure love that’s within your hearts.” And, although, He says in the Gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante, tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (Bg: 4.11.1–2), “As they surrender to me, I reciprocate.” Saying, “In this instance, I cannot, na pāraye haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ (SB, 10.32.22.1), I cannot reciprocate. What you have in your heart is beyond me, Kṛṣṇa.” Told in Charitāmṛtam, Kṛṣṇa cannot, although He’s omniscient and omnipotent, He cannot estimate the degree of the love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī for Him.

#00:26:41#

śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-, svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ (Cc: Adi-līlā, 1.6.1–2), He realizes that He can only theoretically understand, that what She’s experiencing, is 10 million times greater than what I’m experiencing. And who is He, rāsa-rāj-kṛṣṇa. akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrti. He’s ecstasy personified. And, He’s saying, “The happiness She’s experiencing, in this mutual loving exchange, is not only greater than mine, or marg... equal to marginally better than what I experience, it’s 10 million greater than what I experience. That’s my estimation, being omniscient Kṛṣṇa. But, I can’t taste that from my present position.”

#00:27:46#

Why? Because Kṛṣṇa... what do we say?.. govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs: 5.39.4), He’s the supreme male, the original male, the original enjoyer. From the position of an enjoyer, that cannot be relished. And, this is the key for understanding devotion and Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Unless we think that, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa gets to enjoy everything, we get nothing.” As one man said to Saraswatī Ṭhākur here, Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “Everything and everyone, ourselves included, is meant for Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment.” And the man said, “Then what is our position?” Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “You have no position.” [Laughing.] Guru Mahārāj said, “Jīva’s an impoverished śakti.” No wealth of her own, really. So, must come under the shelter of the āśraya-vigraha. And, then become... and that udayād; awakening of that wealth potential comes and the associate... shelter and association of the āśraya-vigraha. Then something substantial can be expressed. So, Kṛṣṇa realizes, then He will have to take her position.

#00:29:24#

apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Ādi-līlā: 4.52)

#00:29:44#

Rūpa Goswāmī, the Caitanyāṣṭakam says, “Kṛsṇa steals the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.” And, being in possession of, and enveloped by her heart the radiance of which is the kānti; bhāv and kānti, rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita (Cc: Ādi-līlā, 1.5.4). Then, Śyāmasundar-Kṛṣṇa appears as Gaurāṅga-sundar Mahāprabhu. And, then He can understand what is Her position. So, Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs at that meeting in Kurukṣetra, Her idea... their idea is, to take Kṛṣṇa back with them to Vṛndāvan. That’s the idea.

#00:30:39#

We heard that originally from Śrīla Prabupād, in the beginning, saying, “What is it? What is this supposed to mean?” He said, “It’s celebrating the joy of taking Kṛṣṇa back to Vṛndāvan. After all this separation, the intensity.” So, Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur said, “At that time, because separation has reached its zenith point, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is in the greatest need of assistance from Her serving group.” And, he said, “So, if you can render service at that time and that place, under those circumstances, then you draw the greatest sort of remuneration. There’s no question of ever descending into this plane ever again.” And, Guru Mahārāj further elucidated this by saying, “The gratitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to the servitors rendering service at that time, is such, that the gift exceeds the constitutional capacity of jīva souls.” Here, by Rūpa Goswāmī, they can... you know...

#00:31:52#

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
[1.4.15]

athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premnaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
[1.4.16]

(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15–16)

#00:32:13#

Kṛṣṇa-prem, and how far can they go, sneha, mān, rāg, anurāg, bhāv, up to the plane of bhāv. But, mahābhāv, we’re told, that is the exclusive domain of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. But, Guru Mahārāj said, “In this instance, Rādhārāṇī is so pleased by the servitors rendering service, at that time, that She’s distributing mahābhāv to them. What is beyond the constitutional capacity of a jīva to experience. She’s giving them a taste of that, saying, “Here, have a taste of what we’re enjoying.” And Guru Mahārāj said, “Once experiencing that, not only all other tastes, but all other rāsas become tasteless.”

#00:33:08#

So, Guru Mahārāj, in his interpretation on the Gīta śloka. rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (Bg: 2.59.3–4). What’s the superior taste? Chaitanya-līlā, gaura-līlā. So, the very best thing is being given. When someone heard Guru Mahārāj give this most astonishing talk about these ślokas and Mahāprabhu and His descent and His gift.

#00:33:40#

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.53)

#00:33:48#

With his mouth open in astonishment a devotee said, “Why does Mahāprabhu do this, give the highest thing to the lowest people?” And, Guru Mahārāj answers by saying, “This is the very nature of Śrī Chaitanya-avatār.” What Kṛṣṇa has estimated to be the highest thing,

#00:34:08#

(yadi) gaura nā hoito, tabe ki hoito,
             kemane dharita de?
rādhāra mahimā, prema-rasa-sīmā,
                jagate jānāta ke

(Yadi Gaura Nā Hoito, 1: Vasudev Ghosh)

#00:34:22#

He’s saying, “What Rādhārāṇī possess in Her heart, there’s no greater thing then that.” There is no greater Kṛṣṇa Consciousness then that. Kṛṣṇa-mayī, there’s no greater source of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, of Kṛṣṇa, of Kṛṣṇa giving, then Her. So, what He understands to be the most valuable thing, that’s His idea, to gift that to the most fallen souls.

#00:34:56#

kṛṣṇa-līlā amṛta-sāra, tāra śata śata dhāra,
           daśa-dike vahe yāhā haite
se caitanya-līlā haya, sarovara akṣaya,
          mano-haṁsa carāha’ tāhāte

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 25.271)

#00:35:12#

He saying, “Kṛṣṇa-līlā is reserved for the highest section of liberated souls.” What is chaitanya-līlā? The audārya element. The element added of magnanimous distribution, it’s being distributed, daśa-dike means in the ten directions: North, South, East, West, and everything in between, and up and down, everywhere. So, this pastime when once a year, we’re told, Purī is like Dwārakā, Jagannāth’s like Kṛṣṇa in Dwārakā. Once a year He’s overwhelmed, to the extreme degree, by separation from Vṛndāvan. And, wants to visit there on the plea of going with His brother and sister to His home town.

#00:36:17#

So, that the Goddess of Fortune and those who represent the Goddess of Fortune, there won’t be any suspicion or anything. With brother and sister, go visit the home town. So, after the snān-yātrā, which was a couple of weeks ago, Jagannāth is in seclusion and not seen. So, for the genuine devotees, they’re really heartbroken during this time. They can’t have the darśan of the Lord. Mahāprabhu is particularly affected, going to other places. But, the time of the Guṇḍicā Mārjan, they reassemble. And Guṇḍicā represents Vṛndāvan. So, Jagannāth’s going to go from the Purī... His Purī temple, along the main road, in the Ratha-yātrā procession. And end up in Guṇdīcā, which is Vṛndāvan, and stay there for some nine days or so.

#00:37:28#

So, Mahāprabhu and His devotees, they go to the Guṇdicā Temple, and it’s once a year, and clean that place. How do they clean it? They’re using buckets of water, everyone’s chanting kṛṣṇa-nām, that’s how they indicate everything. But, we’re told, Mahāprabhu, sometimes Mahāprabhu is cleansing with His tears. He’s wiping the sringhasan with His cloth and cleansing with His tears. He’s also examining... the... what the devotees... how much dust and dirt their collecting. Encouraging some to follow the example of others. Sometimes, chastising someone a little bit, that they could do better. And, although, it’s a literal pastime, metaphorically also, it has to do with cleansing one’s heart and making it prepared for the Lord to appear there.

#00:38:35#

In that śloka... what is that... bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat, piśācī hṛdi vartate (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 19.176.1–2), Guru Mahārāj said, “How can we invite the most dignified lady, bhakti-devī, to sit in our hearts and in the presence of the two which is bhukti and mukti?” So, there are many things to be considered. But... and, it’s very sweet pastimes. But, Mahāprabhu Himself, is engaged in cleansing that temple and preparing it for the Lord’s arrival. And, we’ll see tomorrow, actually it’s also broadcast on India... Indian television. It’s like in some countries, they have a big parade. They might broadcast a national parade, military parade, or different types of parades.

#00:39:40#

In India, it’s a national television broadcast... of the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā. And, they will describe everything, the chariots. It’s a very extraordinary thing. Because, Jagannāth... how did He get this form? There’re different pastime description. But, what is most consistent, with the theme of separation, is as we hear in Bhāgavatāmṛtam. Kṛṣṇa in Dwārakā, when they’re so overwhelmed, He cannot get out of bed. Rohiṇī, Balarām’s mother, has a place in Vṛndāvan and Dwārakā, she’s telling the queens about vraja-līlā.

#00:40:40#

Because, they’re eager to hear that. They hear that sometimes... they discuss with one another Kṛṣṇa’s behavior, or, sometimes His apparent absent-mindlessness. So, one queen is sharing, “Sometimes He’s, you know, at night in His sleep, He’s calling out the names of cows.” “Oh, really.” “And, not only that, the names of gopīs.” “Really, huh” And, another queen says, “No, what do you mean at night during sleep. Sometimes during the day, He’s, as if He’s not here.” And, He is overwhelmed in separation. And, so, talking about Vṛndāvan, Rohinī is sharing so many things with them. That brings about this intense separation in Dwārakā-Kṛṣṇa. So, intense that the ecstatic transformation transforms His Divine form.

#00:41:45#

Like, when there’s... move... motion in a particular direction, if you stop that motion, immediately the force of the momentum will bring about some kind of a transformation in the object. So, we can say that, Kṛṣṇa’s moving at the speed of infinity in dwārakā-līlā. As Guru Mahārāj said... the infinite... Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “Goloka means it’s a sphere... a ball of infinity.” An infinite number of points make a line, an infinite number of lines make a plane, an infinite number planes... what is that?.. an infinite lines make a plane... of planes... I forget the last part. But, in the end, it’s... Goloka is here, a sphere of infinites.

#00:42:48#

So, He’s moving in dwārakā-līlā at the speed of infinity, and the pull of Vṛndāvan, the separation from Vṛndāvan is pulling in another direction. And, that creates this ecstatic transformation. The intensity is such, that His arms enters His body, His eyes become big, very big, and, He takes on the form of Jagannāth. And by extension, contact, Balarām and Subhadrā as well. So, that Dwārakā-Kṛṣṇa, Jagannāth, Mahāprabhu and His devotees see Him come out of the temple. He’s... we can say, that He’s stunned in this ecstatic condition. He needs the help of His servitors.

#00:43:47#

So, the gauḍas, they’re carrying Jagannāth on these giant cotton pads, called the pāṇḍu-vijay. They can carry them, these very strong... They lift Him up and the sort of drop Him on one, pick Him up and take Him to another. When they set Him down in them, they have a tendency to crack, the cotton floats into the air. We hear the servitors of Jagannāth, they’re even... how do you say it?.. Cursing, [laughing] expressing complaints. [Laughing.] But, it’s all part of His play, they take Him gradually. You’ll see, it takes... the pānḍu-vijay takes maybe, eight hours. To come outside and for Jagannāth, Subhadrā, and Balabhadra to ascend their chariots. And, then they begin moving after sometime. And, Mahāprabhu would come before Jagannāth saying,

#00:44:53#

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.53)

#00:45:02#

And, some prayer from Mukunda-mālā-stotram, again the Bhāgavatam,

#00:45:09#

ayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo
yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam
sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ susmita-śrī-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam

(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.90.48)

#00:45:29#

gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.80.4), entering this gopī-bhāv, and particularly rādhā-bhāv. Sometimes we’re told, He’s doing the uddaṇḍa-nṛtye, means, like a... going very high... leaping very high into the air and coming down. Leaping very high into the air and coming down. Svarūp Dāmodar is singing songs, Nityānanda Prabhu is dancing. Advaita Ācārya’s dancing, Vakreśvara Paṇḍit is dancing, Śrīvās Ṭhākur is dancing, other devotees are singing songs. There’re seven groups, 14 mṛdaṅgas, expert singing, dancing. Sometimes, Mahāprabhu shows Himself in all seven groups.

#00:46:24#

Just like in the rāsa-līlā, everyone thought Kṛṣṇa was looking at her and with her, and her alone. Mahāprabhu’s showing this also with the group and the devotees. Sometimes, He’s doing the tāṇḍava-nṛtya, which means like, devastating dance, dancing wildly, madly. Nityānanda Prabhu trying to catch him. Advaita going behind, going, “Haribol! Haribol!” Mahāprabu running madly, Nityānanda can’t catch him. Sometimes, Nityānanda looks over and see Mahāprabhu before Jagannāth and he doesn’t see Mahāprabhu, he sees Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Herself. She’s before Jagannāth, pouring Her heart out in divine song and prayer. And, Nityānanda at those times, he won’t go near, because that will bring Mahāprabhu out of that particular divine mood. Only he can see that, or special devotees.

#00:47:34#

But, then we’re told, Mahāprabhu sometimes singing, what would be the equivalent of a mundane song. And, Guru Mahārāj’s saying, “That, really, it’s a famous śloka that’s used to teach alaṇkār.” It’s use for teaching Sanskrit. How to properly combine words, concepts, sounds, many things, concepts particularly. And, it’s a girl... spoken from the point of view of a girl, who’s pining for the lover of her youth. When she was a young girl, they were on the banks of a particular river. And, they were in love together, and, like that.

#00:48:33#

So, some people would think, “Why is Mahāprabhu singing this song?” There’re also simple hearted devotees, that whatever is done, that doesn’t cross their mind. But, some are thinking, “This is unusual. Why should he be singing this?” Svarūp Dāmodar knows why, svarupaṁ bibhraṇo jagad-atulam... (Sm: 1.3.1). He’s incomparable, mahāprabhura haya iṅha dvitīya kalevar (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 11.76.2). But, were told, one year, Rūpa Goswāmī, he writes a parallel śloka, saying, “Who is that girl, who is that boy, what is that river, what is that.” It’s all Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa, Jamuna, Vṛndāvan. When Mahāprabhu found that śloka, He was shocked, and asked Svarūp Dāmodar, “How can Rūpa know this? I know what it means and, you what it means. But, besides the two of us, no one else knows really what this means. How could he know that?”

#00:49:37#

And, Svarūp Dāmodar says, “You must have revealed it to him. [Laughing.] That’s the only thing, I didn’t say anything. So, you must have revealed this in his heart.” And, Mahāprabhu saying, “Yes, because he’s qualified to know all these things. He’ll carry on My line.” Therefore, it’s the Rūpānuga-sampradāya; Rūpānuga line. And, interestingly, during the dancing... we told, Pratāparudra Mahārāj, he’s got an attendant named Haricandan, he’s like on his shoulders, watching the dancing of Mahāprabhu. The Gods are descending, in human form, to see the dancing of Mahāprabhu.

#00:50:33#

sadopāsyaḥ śrīmān dhṛta-manuja-kāyaiḥ praṇayitāṁ
vahadbhir gīr-vāṇair giriśa-parameṣṭhi-prabhṛtibhiḥ
sva-bhaktebhyaḥ śuddhāṁ nija-bhajana-mudrām upadiśan
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Adi-līlā, 3.66)

#00:50:49#

Brahmā, Śiva, and others, they’re descending as human beings to get a glimpse of the beauty of Gaurāṅga-sundar. rasoddāmā kāmārbuda-madhura-dhāmojjvala-tanur (Sm: Volume 1: Prathama Chaitanyastaka, 4.1), like, ten million cupids in full blown cupidity. That sort of sweetness. And... why did I say this?.. that... so... about Rūpa Goswāmī...

[Long pause, then inaudible voice of devotee.]

#00:51:47#

Goswāmī Mahārāj: Pardon me. [Inaudible voice of devotee.] Oh, into his heart and what he expressed in that śloka by Mahāprabhu. So, these two... or there are two focal points that are only underscored and fully expressed in the Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam. The importance of this pastime, celebrated every year, by Mahāprabhu, for some 18 years or so. Only in the end, what are we told, the last 12 years in Purī, I’m sure, He came out for this, in the Gambhīrā with Rāmānanda and Svarūp Dāmodar, plunging the depths of rādhā-bhāv at the time of the Uddhava-darśan.

#00:52:50#

That means to say Bhramara-gītā, the Divine madness expressed by Śrīmatī Rādhārāni. So, Ratha-yātrā, the zenith of separation and this other separation point. But, that went behind closed doors was Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāmānanda, and this publicly... Oh, what I was saying, Pratāparudra, on the shoulders of Haricandan to get a glimpse of Mahāprabhu. But, then Śrīvās Ṭhākur is there dancing in ecstasy. And Haricandan, he doesn’t know who Śrīvās is, he’s like... you know, “The King is on my shoulders... can you move out of the way.” And, he, like, pushes Śrīvās Ṭhākur. And, Śrīvās Ṭhākur turns around and slaps him. [Laughing.] And, Haricandan, he’s upset and then Pratāparudra Mahārāj is saying, “You’re so fortunate, you were touched by the hand, the lotus hands of Śrīvās Ṭhākur. I’m not so fortunate.” [Laughing.]

#00:53:57#

These things are going on too. Mahāprabhu sometimes... tears are shooting out of His eyes as if from a syringe. And, it’s making all the devotees surrounding wet. There’s three circles, one with Nityānanda Prabhu and others, another level, a third level. And, Mahāprabhu, we’re told, Sometimes He’s foaming at the mouth. And, it looks like nectar descending from the Moon. Another devotee named Śubhānanda will take that foam and drink it. And, he’s described as a rasik-vaiṣṇava. That’s the kind we’re interested in. It’s extraordinary... so... that... So, when Mahāprabhu being touched by Pratāparudra publicly, He’s saying, “Oh, who know what will happen to me, I’ve been touched by materialistic King, I’m so unfortunate.”

#00:54:58#

That play is there. After, the exhaustion from the dancing, in the midway point, Mahāprabhu enters the garden. It’s Pratāparuda Mahārāj who’s massaging His lotus feet. Then, Mahāprabhu is embracing him when he sings Gopī-gītā, particularly,

#00:55:17#

tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.31.9)

#00:55:28#

Again, He’s saying, “Those who tell people about Kṛṣṇā are giving people the best thing ever!” Because, whether you’re just a suffering materialist, or a suffering conditioned soul, or you’re suffering in separation from Kṛṣṇa, you’re the most exalted thing. The same medicine is there for everybody. It’s only this one thing, there’s not two things, there’s just this one thing: Is to hear about, talk about Kṛṣṇa. That’s what this is all about. What should we say to people? Tell them about Kṛṣṇa. Let them hear the name of Kṛṣṇa. Let them hear something about Kṛṣṇa. Don’t worry about the consequences. The consequences of it are actually, really good. [Laughing.]

#00:56:23#

Tapta... tapta means it’s the relieve of all suffering. “Why am I wondering about this?” Don’t wonder about it. Somehow or other, tell people about Kṛṣṇa, by hook or by crook, by trick. It’s the only benefit they’re going to get in this life. To live through this whole life, when Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is here, available. And, to not get some connection with it, is tragic. It’s like, so close to the goal, “ahhhhhh.” Something... some connect... that’s why Mahāprabhu was saying, like, “What your give, and how valuable, I don’t know how to reciprocate. I just want to hug you.” So, He embraces him. That Mahāprabhu, who... His... when you say His hairs stand on end.

#00:57:25#

Like, we may say, “Oh yeah, you know different time my hair stands on end.” When Mahāprabhu hairs stand, they’re like thorns. That’s intense. Like, gold... it looks like golden thorns. That’s intense. His legs... sometime becomes like wood. Tears shooting out of His eyes. When He falls to the ground, the earth shakes. And, devotees in the midst of all this ecstasy and happiness, sometimes when they see these things it’s so devastating, that it appears as though, He’s going to leave the world. And, now they’re devastated. The minute before, they were so happy. Now it appears as though, He’s leaving the world. It’s that intense. But, somehow He... is revived.

#00:58:30#

So, rolling on the ground, Kavirāj Goswāmī said, “It looks like a golden mountain rolling.” And, Guru Mahārāj, Golden Volcano, we’ve seen sometimes on the internet, on Youtube volcanic eruption. You see the lava come out, and whatever it envelopes, it just consumes. They’re saying, “The Śikṣāṣṭakam is like lava coming out of the heart.” It’s intense what’s being expressed. We may not detect the intensity, Guru Mahārāj did. It’s that lava-like hotness, and it’s like that type of volcanic eruption from the heart. He’s saying, “That’s what the Śikṣāṣṭakam is from Mahāprabhu.”

#00:59:32#

Guru Mahārāj has the ability to read that level of depth and intensity and, express it perfectly. That the perfect example. So, it’s a very happy festival. It’s also, very intense. And... it’s, we’re told, the... “Who will save the world will appear in the East.” That means Purī. So, it’s taken, in some instances, oh, that means Jagannāth and He comes out once a year for everybody. And, all throughout the year, the Jagannāth prasād is distributed to everyone. Jagannāth Purī is so exalted, we’re told, that even every living being there appears to have four arms; Viṣṇu forms, even, animals.

#01:00:33#

Saying, if you sleep there, it’s like... it’s equivalent to samādhi. If you lie down, it’s like giving daṇḍavats. And, there’re other... many other things too. So... it’s so, special, [tapping] but, someone is saying, “The Savior will come from the East...” Jagannāth Purī, Jagannāth prasād, etc... Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur appeared on that... If, he was any closer—Bhaktivinod residence, was any closer—to the Temple, he would have appeared, like on the altar. You can’t get any closer then where Saraswatī Ṭhākur appeared in this world. And, when that... what does it say?.. rathārūḍhasyārād adhipadavi... (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.207.1), Rūpa Goswāmī, talking about chariot coming down the main road.

#01:01:31#

That’s when his mother, Bhagavatī Devī, brought him out to show to the Deity. They put the baby before Jagannāth. Jagannāth’s garland fell onto the baby, to acknowledge the presence of... So, and, Guru Mahārāj said, “It’s so auspicious.” Tomorrow, it’s a good time for new beginnings. So, it’s on that day, tomorrow, in 1942, that he declared, śrīmac-caitanya-sārasvata-maṭhavara udgīta-kīrtir jayaśrīṁ... (Guru Maharaj motto for SCS Maṭh. 1). It’s the birthday of Śrī Chaitanya Saraswat Maṭh. When Guru Mahārāj said, “It’s a good day to begin something.” New beginnings. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

#01:02:33#

śrīmac-caitanya-sārasvata-maṭhavara udgīta-kīrtir jayaśrīṁ
bibhrat sambhāti gaṅgā-taṭa-nikaṭa-navadvīpa-kolādrirāje
yatra śrī-gaura-sārasvata-mata-niratā gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti
śrīmad-rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhā-jitāśā

(Guru Maharaj motto for SCS Maṭh)

#01:02:56#

And, this is what Śrīla Guru Mahārāj is bringing us in connection with. So, this is not a peripheral pastime. It’s central, very central to Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. And, very important for all of us, jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me (Śrī Śrī Jagannāthāṣṭakam). Hare Kṛṣṇa.

 

Cc: Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta
Bs: Brahma-saṁhitā
Bg: Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā
Sm: Stava-mālā

Transcribed by: Radha Raman Das, Enakshi Devi Dasi




←  «История Господа Джаганнатха». Шрила Б. Н. Ачарья Махарадж. 17 июля 2013 года | “Lord Jagannath: Discovery and Deity Appearance.” Srila B. N. Acharya Maharaj. 17 July 2013 ·• Архив новостей •· «Перед взором Господа Джаганнатха». Шрила Б. С. Говинда Дев-Госвами Махарадж. Из книги «Поток вдохновения» | “Before the Eyes of the Lord Jagannath.” Srila B. S. Govinda Dev-Goswami Maharaj. From Affectionate Guidance  →

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English

Srila Bhakti Sudhir Goswami Maharaj 

Jagannath Ratha-yātrā 2015

(July 17, 2015. Gupta Govardhan)

https://mahamandala.com/en/audios/1114

 

Men of substance will prefer Kurukṣetra. Vṛndāvan is the land of meeting. But Kurukṣetra is where separation reaches its zenith point. Separation penetrates deeper regions of heart than meeting. In poetry they allude to the night that never ends, to the dance that never ends—that’s the rāsa dance. One will never be satisfied with the union with Kṛṣṇa. Separation intensifies the ecstasy and happiness of union. Hunger is the best spice. “We want a family life with You. We want Your lotus feet in our hearts!” Kṛṣṇa’s sharing His inner feelings, from His personal perspective in Chaitanya-charitāmṛta. Although Kṛṣṇa is omnipotent and omniscient, He cannot estimate the degree of love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī for Him. Jiva is impoverished śakti. No wealth of her own, really. Kṛṣṇa steals the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī... Then Śyāmasundar Kṛṣṇa appears as Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Purī is like Dwārakā... And Guṇḍicā represents Vṛndāvan. Sometimes Mahāprabhu is cleansing Guṇḍicā Temple with His tears, and He cleanses sringhasan with His clothes. Sometimes Mahāprabhu is doing uddaṇḍa-nṛtya: going up very high—up and down, up and down. The gods are descending in human forms to see the dance of Mahāprabhu, to get a glimpse of the beauty of Gaurāṅga Mahāprabhu. Tears are shooting from the eyes of Mahāprabhu as from the syringe and they wet all the devotees around. Those who are telling people about Kṛṣṇa—they are giving them the best thing ever! Either you are a suffering materialist or you are suffering in separation from Kṛṣṇa—medicine is the same: hearing about Kṛṣṇa. When Mahāprabhu’s hair stand on end—they are like thorns.—That’s intense! Ratha-yātrā is an auspicious day for the new beginnings. It’s a Birthday of Śrī Chaitanya Saraswat Maṭh.

 

Goswāmī Mahārāj: So, we should say something. Today’s the Guṇḍicā Mārjan, leading up to... and tomorrow the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā and these pastimes are at the heart of gaura-līlā, chaitanya-līlā. We can... It’s interesting to note, that the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā is going on for so long, you know, for a thousand years... or... And, so, there’s some particular concept they had up to the time of Mahāprabhu.

#00:00:57#

It would depend upon the inner awakenment, the depth of realization, conception, devotion of the particular devotee. But, with the advent of Mahāprabhu, and His residing in Jagannāth Purī—from the notes of Svarūp Dāmodar passed to Raghunāth Dās Goswāmī and Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāj Goswāmī—we come to gain a whole new perspective and insight into the Ratha-yātrā. Although, it’s mentioned in the Chaitanya-bhāgavat, it’s not described in detail there. What to speak of, the type of insight that’s provided by Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāj Goswāmī.

#00:02:00#

So, that is why Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam is, you know, singular importance for the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. As Guru Mahārāj said... invoke with this maxim, “As connotation increases denotation decreases.” Though, we may say, “Well, there’s Bhagavad-gītā, we should all study the Bhagavad-gītā, north, south, east and west. Everyone will agree. The Vaiṣṇavas, the Māyāvādis, western scholars, movie makers, everyone ‘yes’, Bhagavad-gītā.” But, if we increase the connotation of what is meant by Bhagavad-gītā, the denotation will become... will narrow, in one sense, become more refined.

#00:03:06#

So, if we say, “Well, really Bhagavad-gītā has to be understood in terms of, in the light of the Bhagavat; Śrīmad Bhāgavatam.” Then you’re left with, really, Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava... Vaiṣṇavas... Ṣrī Vaiṣṇavas... Mādhavs, Gauḍīya, etc... But, if we take it further, and say, “Yes, and that needs that Bhāgavatam.” Where’s some key verses that are at play, in these pastimes. That needs to be understood in the light of the pastimes of Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. Then your left with Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas. So, this Kurukṣetra chapter, in the Bhāgavatam...

#00:03:58#

The Bhāgavatam is very mysterious in the presentation. As we can think, “Well, the first half is particularly relishable by the devotees.” Includes the childhood pastimes of Kṛṣṇa, rāsa-līlā pastimes, which interestingly appear in these Ratha-yātrā pastimes. And... But, it includes Kṛṣṇa’s, so-called-apparent leaving Vṛndāvan, being taken to Mathurā, and into Dwārakā. And by the time He’s in the Dwārakā and so many other types of pastimes are at play. …makes me think, “Oh, the Vṛndāvan pastimes they’re so far behind, we left them so long ago. Now we’re in chapter 80’s and it was so... you know... 50 chapters ago.”

#00:05:00#

But, when the solar eclipse comes and, at that time, one should be engaged in some auspicious activities in the holy place. The... Kṛṣṇa, the Queens of Dwārakā, and all their attendants and associates, they’re on the plea of this solar eclipse, necessity of visiting the holy place, engage in some particular type of spiritual activities. They all go to Kurukṣetra, as do Nanda, Yaṣodā, and the gopīs and the gopas. Which, includes Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and her group, they’re coming from Vṛndāvan. They’re converging in Kurukṣetra.

#00:06:05#

This pastime is so significant to... and key and understanding Mahāprabhu; Śrī Kṛṣṇa Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. I remember, when I first joined in the San Francisco temple, 1971, May, it was... it’s name... Prabupād would give different centers, different names. It was known as New Jagannāth Purī. It’s on the ocean and every year would be this celebration of Ratha-yātrā. So, we’re fortunate to see Śrīla Prabhupād riding on the chariot of Subhadrā, speaking about, you know, jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me (Śrī Śrī Jagannāthāṣṭakam), quoting Mahāprabhu.

#00:07:08#

And, speaking of the Six Goswāmīs and the significance of all this. And, later we heard Śrīla Guru Mahārāj say, that, when Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur, Śrīla Saraswatī Ṭhākur were on pilgrimage, they also went on, like, dhām-parikramā. And, Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur gave his opinion that, “A man of real bhajan would prefer Kurukṣetra.” And, he had some... a mind, to do that himself, actually. Then he got this inspiration to go to Kṛṣṇa Nagar, Swarūpganj, I mean a... Svananda-sukhada-kunja, discover Māyāpur.

#00:08:08#

Kṛṣṇa directed him in another way. But, from his own personal point of view and preference, he expressed this preference for Kurukṣetra. And, not the Kurukṣetra of Bhagavad-gītā. Not in that sense, but in this sense. This meeting of Kṛṣṇa, and inhabitants of Dwārakā, and Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs, and inhabitants of Vṛndāvan. Why? Because... Guru Mahārāj told... heard from Saraswatī Ṭhākur... because he said,—and this his highly contextual,—but he said, “We know, Vṛndāvan is for shallow, hollow thinkers. But men of substance, they will prefer Kurukṣetra.”

#00:09:06#

So, this is a perplexing statement. Guru Mahārāj himself said, “When I heard this, it was as if I’d fallen out of the top of a tree.” That was how shocking it was. Saying, we’re hearing Vṛndāvan, that’s the highest, holiest places, Rādhā-kuṇḍa, all these places are there. Only the highest section of liberated souls can enter that plane. And, now Guru Mahārāj is telling, “That’s for shallow, hollow men, not men of substance. They will prefer Kurukṣetra.” How? Why? What sort of explanation must there be? And, it’s in the context, saying, that Vṛndāvan, what is it famous for? It is milane; meeting, union. Those pastimes are celebrated there.

#00:10:12#

It’s also, included within these particular pastimes, by inference and otherwise. Said... but, Kurukṣetra is where separation reaches its zenith point, bāhye viṣa-jvālā haya, bhitare ānanda-maya, kṛṣṇa-premāra adbhuta carita (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 2.50.3–4). The wonderful, astonishing characteristic of kṛṣṇa-prem, is that, although, externally it appears as though one is been poisoned, their bodies on fire. The hearts full of... as if it’s been poisoned, that’s externally. Internally, they’re relishing some particular, strange nectarean substance.

#00:11:17#

pīḍābhir nava-kālakūṭa-kaṭutā-garvasya nirvāsano
nisyandena mudāṁ sudhā-madhurimāhaṅkāra-saṅkocanaḥ
premā sundari nanda-nandana-paro jāgarti yasyāntare
jñāyante sphuṭam asya vakra-madhurās tenaiva vikrāntayaḥ

(Vidagdha-mādhava: 2.18)

#00:11:32#

Anyway, Rūpa Goswāmī saying like that, “Suffering the effects of being bitten by a cobra... like, suffering the effects of cobra venom while being... bathing in a shower of nectar.” So, these sort of contradictory sentiments are somehow united. The intensity of one, bringing depth of the other. So, we’re told, separation penetrates a deeper region of heart than union or meeting. Thus, the statement, “Vṛndāvan, the land of union, is for shallow thinkers. The men of real substance will prefer Kurukṣetra.” If, separation reaches its zenith point there, as it does, we understand the quality of the vraja-gopīs is such, that they’re condemning the creator Brahmā for making eyes that blink.

#00:12:42#

Because, for that momentary blinking, it’s... they’re unable to drink the nectarean beauty of Kṛṣṇa, yaṁ śyāmasundaram acintya-guṇa-svarūpaṁ (Bs: 5.38.3). The inconceivable beauty of Kṛṣṇa, it’s so compelling, new at every moment, that a blink of an eye is intolerable, yugāyitaṁ nimeṣeṇa, cakṣuṣā prāvṛṣāyitam (Cc: Antya-līlā, 20.39.1–2), seems like a yuga, millions of years. We’re told, the rāsa dance, it last for a night of Brahmā. That means 4,300,000,000. And, they... the intensity of what is in the heart of the vraja-gopīs, is such, that they think that amount of time... so many nights assemble at the call of Yoga-māyā... to extend that night.

#00:13:52#

Here in kṛṣṇa-līla is the expansion and contraction of time and space. It’s all possible by Kṛṣṇa. So, this night... and the romantic poetry and the romantic songs, they allude to a night that goes forever, that, they wish would not end. The dance that goes on forever, that will not end. That’s the rāsa dance, it’s that night. It’s the night of the rāsa dance, and the rāsa dance itself that goes on forever and never ends. So, as a means of measurement, 4,300,000,000. And, what is that, from the point of view of the vraja-gopīs? It’s saying, [finger snapping] it was like a blink of an eye. It was too fast. There wasn’t enough. Gurudev liked to quote this song of... who is it?.. Chandi... Chandidas wrote it...

#00:14:51#

It says, “One will never be satisfied by union.” It’s Kṛṣṇa... it’s not possible. One will always be left position of desiring more. So, they think, that eight... 4,300,000,000 is like a blink of an eye. But... so, that’s from the point of view of union. From the point of view of separation, they’re saying, [finger snapping] the blink of an eye is like, a day of Brahmā. The blink of an eye is like, intolerably long. It’s like 4,300,000,000. So, we see... separate... as inconceivable as the magnitude and depth of the ecstasy in union is, separation, going in another direction, achieves an even deeper region.

#00:15:48#

And how do they work together, so that generates the... what... in the śloka... samutkaṇṭhā, that means this kind of intense pining, longing, hankering, so, that when union finally takes place, it’s of greater intensity. Separation intensifies the ecstasy and happiness of union. As Guru Mahārāj would say, “Hunger...” There’s this saying, ‘hunger is the best spice.’ If you’re really hungry, you’re relishing every morsel of what’s being taken. So, under that principle, when the heart as reached the depths of union, then... of separation... then union can be appreciated.

#00:16:50#

That’s way, without such feelings, it’s not advisable, by the spiritual experts, to culture the pastimes of union. They only come to give relief to the separation plagued heart. It’s like, snake venom is nectar if someone is suffering from snake bite. Then, it’s life giving nectar. Without the snake bite, there may be some other consequences. So, those vraja-gopīs, who are cursing the Creator... these girls, half civilized, simple, silly, jungle girls. Guru Mahārāj called them, like, “These gopīs, they have the audacity to curse Brahmā, the Creator, for making eyes that blink.”

#00:17:45#

Rādhārāṇī, in one place, said, “I would rather been a fish. Were they have... their eyes are always open. They’re not blinking.” Most of them. [Laughing.] So, that group, who can’t tolerate the blink of an eye, been separated from Kṛṣṇa for so long, that, at last, they get the opportunity to meet with Him in Kurukṣetra. And, Śrīla Guru Mahārāj gave the example of the... like in football, soccer for the Americans. [Laughing.] But, said... if the ball comes... if it’s going back and forth midfield... it’s not... people really don’t care... it’s not a great loss if it goes this side, that side, this side, that side. But, if it comes down near the goal and just misses, then it’s intolerable to the people.

#00:18:52#

Our London Maṭh is in East London. I mean, it’s England, so, it gets weird. The team, West Ham plays in East London. Figure it out. But, the stadium’s right there next to our Maṭh. And, sometimes, maybe there’s 100,000 people there. And, you can hear if the ball just misses the goal, 100,000 people in unison go “ahhhhhh... ahhhhhh.” It’s amazing, there’s 100,000 people go “ahhhhhh.” [Laughing.] You know... they’re like... They had some poster Devashis Prabhu told me, it said, something... for some people football, they think football is, like, as important as life. They said, “It’s more important than that.” [Laughing.] So, that’s how they feel about that, 100,000 people.

#00:19:48#

When the vraja-gopīs come and see... to see their beloved Kṛsna, they can’t tolerate the blink of even, of an eye of separation. And, they... before them is rāj-veṣ, He’s in the dress of a King. They see no flute. He’s wearing a crown, there’s no gopa-veṣ, cowherd dress. And, all the vraja-gopīs “ahhhhh.” So close, but no goal. Can’t reach the desired goal. They can’t conceal their disappointment. So, that Bhāgavatam śloka. Really, we can say, it’s full... it’s more fully expressed or revealed in the pastimes of Mahāprabhu.

#00:20:47#

āhuś ca te nalina-nābha padāravindaṁ
yogeśvarair hṛdi vicintyam agādha-bodhaiḥ
saṁsāra-kūpa-patitottaraṇāvalambaṁ
gehaṁ juṣām api manasy udiyāt sadā naḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 1.81)

#00:21:05#

Where the gopīs expressing their disappointment, Rādhārāṇi, Herself, “Previously, you sent Uddhava to assuage our separation plagued hearts. And that Uddhava is telling us to; we should learn yoga, gopīs should start doing yoga. And learn how jñān,—to meditate—sit there in yoga and, you know, meditate on Kṛṣṇa. Or, telling us telling us from jñān point of view, ‘God’s everywhere, in everything.’ And we should learn that type of culture, so we can see God in everywhere and everything, like that. Or, learn how to meditate like these yogis.” And, she and vraja-gopīs are saying, “We’re not jñānīs, we’re not yogis, we’re those half civilized, silly, jungle girls.”

#00:22:07#

“We only know one thing, that we want a family life with you, we want your lotus feet in our hearts.” That means back in Vṛndāvan, anyera hṛdaya—mana, mora mana—vṛndāvana (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.137.1). Rādhārāṇī... Mahāprabhu’s expressing her sentiments. He’s expressing them before Jagannāth as the Ratha-yātrā festival takes place. But, normally, one’s heart and mind are taken to be one, She’s saying, “My heart and Vṛndāvan are one.” rādhā-padāìkita dhāma, vṛndāvana jār nāma (Śrī Rādhāṣṭaka, 1.3), Vṛndāvan, really is the soil that’s embellished with the lotus footprints of Śrīmatī Rādhārāni.

#00:23:05#

yathā yathā gaura-padāravinde
vindeta bhaktiṁ kṛta-puṇya-rāśiḥ
tathā tathotsarpati hṛdy akasmāt
rādhā-padāmbhoja-sudhāṁbu-rāśiḥ

(Chaitanya-chandrāmṛta: 88)

#00:23:18#

Through chaitanya-līlā, the entrance to... through gaura-līlā... the entrance to kṛṣṇa-līlā is there. The Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi (Prabodhānanda Saraswatī) flows from the heart, those who dedicate themselves in the service of the lotus feet of Guru and Gaurāṅga. So, Rādhārāṇī’s expressing Her disappointment, and also, they want to know, has Kṛṣṇa forgotten them. Mahāprahbu will dance before Jagannāth, and then we’re told, He’ll go to the back of the chariots. He’s playing the drama with His hands. He’s dancing in a particular way. In the mood of Rādhārāṇī, He goes to the back to see, “Have you forgotten us?” Jagannāth is Dwārakā-Kṛṣna. Then the chariot will stop. Jagannāth will stop the chariot, all three chariots stop. He saying, “No, I have not forgotten you.”

#00:24:22#

mayi bhaktir hi bhūtānām
amṛtatvāya kalpate
diṣṭyā yad āsīn mat-sneho
bhavatīnāṁ mad-āpanaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 8.89)

#00:24:38#

Kṛṣṇa tells them, that normally the karmīs, the jñānīs, the yogīs, they all want my connection; to get free from sinful reactions, to get liberated from this world of suffering. Relief from the body, mind, senses, so many things. And, if they do get connection with me, they consider themselves most fortunate.” And, it’s true. That’s true for them, it’s not untrue. He’s saying, “But, Me, what about Me?” This is what the whole Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam reveals, that, really we don’t find so clearly expressed, anywhere else, in any other scripture, Kṛṣṇa’s can... He’s sharing His inner feelings from His perspective.

#00:25:38#

That we don’t hear, so much, in other places. Kṛṣṇa being very candid in revealing how He feels. And, He’s saying, “But, I consider myself fortunate that I am the object of the pure love that’s within your hearts.” And, although, He says in the Gītā, ye yathā māṁ prapadyante, tāṁs tathaiva bhajāmy aham (Bg: 4.11.1–2), “As they surrender to me, I reciprocate.” Saying, “In this instance, I cannot, na pāraye haṁ niravadya-saṁyujāṁ (SB, 10.32.22.1), I cannot reciprocate. What you have in your heart is beyond me, Kṛṣṇa.” Told in Charitāmṛtam, Kṛṣṇa cannot, although He’s omniscient and omnipotent, He cannot estimate the degree of the love of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī for Him.

#00:26:41#

śrī-rādhāyāḥ praṇaya-mahimā kīdṛśo vānayaivā-, svādyo yenādbhuta-madhurimā kīdṛśo vā madīyaḥ (Cc: Adi-līlā, 1.6.1–2), He realizes that He can only theoretically understand, that what She’s experiencing, is 10 million times greater than what I’m experiencing. And who is He, rāsa-rāj-kṛṣṇa. akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrti. He’s ecstasy personified. And, He’s saying, “The happiness She’s experiencing, in this mutual loving exchange, is not only greater than mine, or marg... equal to marginally better than what I experience, it’s 10 million greater than what I experience. That’s my estimation, being omniscient Kṛṣṇa. But, I can’t taste that from my present position.”

#00:27:46#

Why? Because Kṛṣṇa... what do we say?.. govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi (Bs: 5.39.4), He’s the supreme male, the original male, the original enjoyer. From the position of an enjoyer, that cannot be relished. And, this is the key for understanding devotion and Kṛṣṇa Consciousness. Unless we think that, “Oh, Kṛṣṇa gets to enjoy everything, we get nothing.” As one man said to Saraswatī Ṭhākur here, Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “Everything and everyone, ourselves included, is meant for Kṛṣṇa’s enjoyment.” And the man said, “Then what is our position?” Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “You have no position.” [Laughing.] Guru Mahārāj said, “Jīva’s an impoverished śakti.” No wealth of her own, really. So, must come under the shelter of the āśraya-vigraha. And, then become... and that udayād; awakening of that wealth potential comes and the associate... shelter and association of the āśraya-vigraha. Then something substantial can be expressed. So, Kṛṣṇa realizes, then He will have to take her position.

#00:29:24#

apāraṁ kasyāpi praṇayi-jana-vṛndasya kutukī
rasa-stomaṁ hṛtvā madhuram upabhoktuṁ kam api yaḥ
rucaṁ svām āvavre dyutim iha tadīyāṁ prakaṭayan
sa devaś caitanyākṛtir atitarāṁ naḥ kṛpayatu

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Ādi-līlā: 4.52)

#00:29:44#

Rūpa Goswāmī, the Caitanyāṣṭakam says, “Kṛsṇa steals the heart of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī.” And, being in possession of, and enveloped by her heart the radiance of which is the kānti; bhāv and kānti, rādhā-bhāva-dyuti-suvalita (Cc: Ādi-līlā, 1.5.4). Then, Śyāmasundar-Kṛṣṇa appears as Gaurāṅga-sundar Mahāprabhu. And, then He can understand what is Her position. So, Rādhārāṇī and vraja-gopīs at that meeting in Kurukṣetra, Her idea... their idea is, to take Kṛṣṇa back with them to Vṛndāvan. That’s the idea.

#00:30:39#

We heard that originally from Śrīla Prabupād, in the beginning, saying, “What is it? What is this supposed to mean?” He said, “It’s celebrating the joy of taking Kṛṣṇa back to Vṛndāvan. After all this separation, the intensity.” So, Bhaktivinod Ṭhākur said, “At that time, because separation has reached its zenith point, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī is in the greatest need of assistance from Her serving group.” And, he said, “So, if you can render service at that time and that place, under those circumstances, then you draw the greatest sort of remuneration. There’s no question of ever descending into this plane ever again.” And, Guru Mahārāj further elucidated this by saying, “The gratitude of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī to the servitors rendering service at that time, is such, that the gift exceeds the constitutional capacity of jīva souls.” Here, by Rūpa Goswāmī, they can... you know...

#00:31:52#

ādau śraddhā tataḥ sādhu-saṅgo ‘tha bhajana-kriyā
tato ‘nartha-nivṛttiḥ syāt tato niṣṭhā rucis tataḥ
[1.4.15]

athāsaktis tato bhāvas tataḥ premābhyudañcati
sādhakānām ayaṁ premnaḥ prādurbhāve bhavet kramaḥ
[1.4.16]

(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.4.15–16)

#00:32:13#

Kṛṣṇa-prem, and how far can they go, sneha, mān, rāg, anurāg, bhāv, up to the plane of bhāv. But, mahābhāv, we’re told, that is the exclusive domain of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Śrī Chaitanya Mahāprabhu. But, Guru Mahārāj said, “In this instance, Rādhārāṇī is so pleased by the servitors rendering service, at that time, that She’s distributing mahābhāv to them. What is beyond the constitutional capacity of a jīva to experience. She’s giving them a taste of that, saying, “Here, have a taste of what we’re enjoying.” And Guru Mahārāj said, “Once experiencing that, not only all other tastes, but all other rāsas become tasteless.”

#00:33:08#

So, Guru Mahārāj, in his interpretation on the Gīta śloka. rasa-varjaṁ raso ’py asya, paraṁ dṛṣṭvā nivartate (Bg: 2.59.3–4). What’s the superior taste? Chaitanya-līlā, gaura-līlā. So, the very best thing is being given. When someone heard Guru Mahārāj give this most astonishing talk about these ślokas and Mahāprabhu and His descent and His gift.

#00:33:40#

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.53)

#00:33:48#

With his mouth open in astonishment a devotee said, “Why does Mahāprabhu do this, give the highest thing to the lowest people?” And, Guru Mahārāj answers by saying, “This is the very nature of Śrī Chaitanya-avatār.” What Kṛṣṇa has estimated to be the highest thing,

#00:34:08#

(yadi) gaura nā hoito, tabe ki hoito,
             kemane dharita de?
rādhāra mahimā, prema-rasa-sīmā,
                jagate jānāta ke

(Yadi Gaura Nā Hoito, 1: Vasudev Ghosh)

#00:34:22#

He’s saying, “What Rādhārāṇī possess in Her heart, there’s no greater thing then that.” There is no greater Kṛṣṇa Consciousness then that. Kṛṣṇa-mayī, there’s no greater source of Kṛṣṇa Consciousness, of Kṛṣṇa, of Kṛṣṇa giving, then Her. So, what He understands to be the most valuable thing, that’s His idea, to gift that to the most fallen souls.

#00:34:56#

kṛṣṇa-līlā amṛta-sāra, tāra śata śata dhāra,
           daśa-dike vahe yāhā haite
se caitanya-līlā haya, sarovara akṣaya,
          mano-haṁsa carāha’ tāhāte

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 25.271)

#00:35:12#

He saying, “Kṛṣṇa-līlā is reserved for the highest section of liberated souls.” What is chaitanya-līlā? The audārya element. The element added of magnanimous distribution, it’s being distributed, daśa-dike means in the ten directions: North, South, East, West, and everything in between, and up and down, everywhere. So, this pastime when once a year, we’re told, Purī is like Dwārakā, Jagannāth’s like Kṛṣṇa in Dwārakā. Once a year He’s overwhelmed, to the extreme degree, by separation from Vṛndāvan. And, wants to visit there on the plea of going with His brother and sister to His home town.

#00:36:17#

So, that the Goddess of Fortune and those who represent the Goddess of Fortune, there won’t be any suspicion or anything. With brother and sister, go visit the home town. So, after the snān-yātrā, which was a couple of weeks ago, Jagannāth is in seclusion and not seen. So, for the genuine devotees, they’re really heartbroken during this time. They can’t have the darśan of the Lord. Mahāprabhu is particularly affected, going to other places. But, the time of the Guṇḍicā Mārjan, they reassemble. And Guṇḍicā represents Vṛndāvan. So, Jagannāth’s going to go from the Purī... His Purī temple, along the main road, in the Ratha-yātrā procession. And end up in Guṇdīcā, which is Vṛndāvan, and stay there for some nine days or so.

#00:37:28#

So, Mahāprabhu and His devotees, they go to the Guṇdicā Temple, and it’s once a year, and clean that place. How do they clean it? They’re using buckets of water, everyone’s chanting kṛṣṇa-nām, that’s how they indicate everything. But, we’re told, Mahāprabhu, sometimes Mahāprabhu is cleansing with His tears. He’s wiping the sringhasan with His cloth and cleansing with His tears. He’s also examining... the... what the devotees... how much dust and dirt their collecting. Encouraging some to follow the example of others. Sometimes, chastising someone a little bit, that they could do better. And, although, it’s a literal pastime, metaphorically also, it has to do with cleansing one’s heart and making it prepared for the Lord to appear there.

#00:38:35#

In that śloka... what is that... bhukti-mukti-spṛhā yāvat, piśācī hṛdi vartate (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 19.176.1–2), Guru Mahārāj said, “How can we invite the most dignified lady, bhakti-devī, to sit in our hearts and in the presence of the two which is bhukti and mukti?” So, there are many things to be considered. But... and, it’s very sweet pastimes. But, Mahāprabhu Himself, is engaged in cleansing that temple and preparing it for the Lord’s arrival. And, we’ll see tomorrow, actually it’s also broadcast on India... Indian television. It’s like in some countries, they have a big parade. They might broadcast a national parade, military parade, or different types of parades.

#00:39:40#

In India, it’s a national television broadcast... of the Jagannāth Ratha-yātrā. And, they will describe everything, the chariots. It’s a very extraordinary thing. Because, Jagannāth... how did He get this form? There’re different pastime description. But, what is most consistent, with the theme of separation, is as we hear in Bhāgavatāmṛtam. Kṛṣṇa in Dwārakā, when they’re so overwhelmed, He cannot get out of bed. Rohiṇī, Balarām’s mother, has a place in Vṛndāvan and Dwārakā, she’s telling the queens about vraja-līlā.

#00:40:40#

Because, they’re eager to hear that. They hear that sometimes... they discuss with one another Kṛṣṇa’s behavior, or, sometimes His apparent absent-mindlessness. So, one queen is sharing, “Sometimes He’s, you know, at night in His sleep, He’s calling out the names of cows.” “Oh, really.” “And, not only that, the names of gopīs.” “Really, huh” And, another queen says, “No, what do you mean at night during sleep. Sometimes during the day, He’s, as if He’s not here.” And, He is overwhelmed in separation. And, so, talking about Vṛndāvan, Rohinī is sharing so many things with them. That brings about this intense separation in Dwārakā-Kṛṣṇa. So, intense that the ecstatic transformation transforms His Divine form.

#00:41:45#

Like, when there’s... move... motion in a particular direction, if you stop that motion, immediately the force of the momentum will bring about some kind of a transformation in the object. So, we can say that, Kṛṣṇa’s moving at the speed of infinity in dwārakā-līlā. As Guru Mahārāj said... the infinite... Saraswatī Ṭhākur said, “Goloka means it’s a sphere... a ball of infinity.” An infinite number of points make a line, an infinite number of lines make a plane, an infinite number planes... what is that?.. an infinite lines make a plane... of planes... I forget the last part. But, in the end, it’s... Goloka is here, a sphere of infinites.

#00:42:48#

So, He’s moving in dwārakā-līlā at the speed of infinity, and the pull of Vṛndāvan, the separation from Vṛndāvan is pulling in another direction. And, that creates this ecstatic transformation. The intensity is such, that His arms enters His body, His eyes become big, very big, and, He takes on the form of Jagannāth. And by extension, contact, Balarām and Subhadrā as well. So, that Dwārakā-Kṛṣṇa, Jagannāth, Mahāprabhu and His devotees see Him come out of the temple. He’s... we can say, that He’s stunned in this ecstatic condition. He needs the help of His servitors.

#00:43:47#

So, the gauḍas, they’re carrying Jagannāth on these giant cotton pads, called the pāṇḍu-vijay. They can carry them, these very strong... They lift Him up and the sort of drop Him on one, pick Him up and take Him to another. When they set Him down in them, they have a tendency to crack, the cotton floats into the air. We hear the servitors of Jagannāth, they’re even... how do you say it?.. Cursing, [laughing] expressing complaints. [Laughing.] But, it’s all part of His play, they take Him gradually. You’ll see, it takes... the pānḍu-vijay takes maybe, eight hours. To come outside and for Jagannāth, Subhadrā, and Balabhadra to ascend their chariots. And, then they begin moving after sometime. And, Mahāprabhu would come before Jagannāth saying,

#00:44:53#

namo mahā-vadānyāya
kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te
kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya-
nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Madhya-līlā, 19.53)

#00:45:02#

And, some prayer from Mukunda-mālā-stotram, again the Bhāgavatam,

#00:45:09#

ayati jana-nivāso devakī-janma-vādo
yadu-vara-pariṣat svair dorbhir asyann adharmam
sthira-cara-vṛjina-ghnaḥ susmita-śrī-mukhena
vraja-pura-vanitānāṁ vardhayan kāma-devam

(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.90.48)

#00:45:29#

gopī-bhartuḥ pada-kamalayor dāsa-dāsānudāsaḥ (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.80.4), entering this gopī-bhāv, and particularly rādhā-bhāv. Sometimes we’re told, He’s doing the uddaṇḍa-nṛtye, means, like a... going very high... leaping very high into the air and coming down. Leaping very high into the air and coming down. Svarūp Dāmodar is singing songs, Nityānanda Prabhu is dancing. Advaita Ācārya’s dancing, Vakreśvara Paṇḍit is dancing, Śrīvās Ṭhākur is dancing, other devotees are singing songs. There’re seven groups, 14 mṛdaṅgas, expert singing, dancing. Sometimes, Mahāprabhu shows Himself in all seven groups.

#00:46:24#

Just like in the rāsa-līlā, everyone thought Kṛṣṇa was looking at her and with her, and her alone. Mahāprabhu’s showing this also with the group and the devotees. Sometimes, He’s doing the tāṇḍava-nṛtya, which means like, devastating dance, dancing wildly, madly. Nityānanda Prabhu trying to catch him. Advaita going behind, going, “Haribol! Haribol!” Mahāprabu running madly, Nityānanda can’t catch him. Sometimes, Nityānanda looks over and see Mahāprabhu before Jagannāth and he doesn’t see Mahāprabhu, he sees Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, Herself. She’s before Jagannāth, pouring Her heart out in divine song and prayer. And, Nityānanda at those times, he won’t go near, because that will bring Mahāprabhu out of that particular divine mood. Only he can see that, or special devotees.

#00:47:34#

But, then we’re told, Mahāprabhu sometimes singing, what would be the equivalent of a mundane song. And, Guru Mahārāj’s saying, “That, really, it’s a famous śloka that’s used to teach alaṇkār.” It’s use for teaching Sanskrit. How to properly combine words, concepts, sounds, many things, concepts particularly. And, it’s a girl... spoken from the point of view of a girl, who’s pining for the lover of her youth. When she was a young girl, they were on the banks of a particular river. And, they were in love together, and, like that.

#00:48:33#

So, some people would think, “Why is Mahāprabhu singing this song?” There’re also simple hearted devotees, that whatever is done, that doesn’t cross their mind. But, some are thinking, “This is unusual. Why should he be singing this?” Svarūp Dāmodar knows why, svarupaṁ bibhraṇo jagad-atulam... (Sm: 1.3.1). He’s incomparable, mahāprabhura haya iṅha dvitīya kalevar (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 11.76.2). But, were told, one year, Rūpa Goswāmī, he writes a parallel śloka, saying, “Who is that girl, who is that boy, what is that river, what is that.” It’s all Rādhā, Kṛṣṇa, Jamuna, Vṛndāvan. When Mahāprabhu found that śloka, He was shocked, and asked Svarūp Dāmodar, “How can Rūpa know this? I know what it means and, you what it means. But, besides the two of us, no one else knows really what this means. How could he know that?”

#00:49:37#

And, Svarūp Dāmodar says, “You must have revealed it to him. [Laughing.] That’s the only thing, I didn’t say anything. So, you must have revealed this in his heart.” And, Mahāprabhu saying, “Yes, because he’s qualified to know all these things. He’ll carry on My line.” Therefore, it’s the Rūpānuga-sampradāya; Rūpānuga line. And, interestingly, during the dancing... we told, Pratāparudra Mahārāj, he’s got an attendant named Haricandan, he’s like on his shoulders, watching the dancing of Mahāprabhu. The Gods are descending, in human form, to see the dancing of Mahāprabhu.

#00:50:33#

sadopāsyaḥ śrīmān dhṛta-manuja-kāyaiḥ praṇayitāṁ
vahadbhir gīr-vāṇair giriśa-parameṣṭhi-prabhṛtibhiḥ
sva-bhaktebhyaḥ śuddhāṁ nija-bhajana-mudrām upadiśan
sa caitanyaḥ kiṁ me punar api dṛśor yāsyati padam

(Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta: Adi-līlā, 3.66)

#00:50:49#

Brahmā, Śiva, and others, they’re descending as human beings to get a glimpse of the beauty of Gaurāṅga-sundar. rasoddāmā kāmārbuda-madhura-dhāmojjvala-tanur (Sm: Volume 1: Prathama Chaitanyastaka, 4.1), like, ten million cupids in full blown cupidity. That sort of sweetness. And... why did I say this?.. that... so... about Rūpa Goswāmī...

[Long pause, then inaudible voice of devotee.]

#00:51:47#

Goswāmī Mahārāj: Pardon me. [Inaudible voice of devotee.] Oh, into his heart and what he expressed in that śloka by Mahāprabhu. So, these two... or there are two focal points that are only underscored and fully expressed in the Chaitanya-charitāmṛtam. The importance of this pastime, celebrated every year, by Mahāprabhu, for some 18 years or so. Only in the end, what are we told, the last 12 years in Purī, I’m sure, He came out for this, in the Gambhīrā with Rāmānanda and Svarūp Dāmodar, plunging the depths of rādhā-bhāv at the time of the Uddhava-darśan.

#00:52:50#

That means to say Bhramara-gītā, the Divine madness expressed by Śrīmatī Rādhārāni. So, Ratha-yātrā, the zenith of separation and this other separation point. But, that went behind closed doors was Svarūp Dāmodar and Rāmānanda, and this publicly... Oh, what I was saying, Pratāparudra, on the shoulders of Haricandan to get a glimpse of Mahāprabhu. But, then Śrīvās Ṭhākur is there dancing in ecstasy. And Haricandan, he doesn’t know who Śrīvās is, he’s like... you know, “The King is on my shoulders... can you move out of the way.” And, he, like, pushes Śrīvās Ṭhākur. And, Śrīvās Ṭhākur turns around and slaps him. [Laughing.] And, Haricandan, he’s upset and then Pratāparudra Mahārāj is saying, “You’re so fortunate, you were touched by the hand, the lotus hands of Śrīvās Ṭhākur. I’m not so fortunate.” [Laughing.]

#00:53:57#

These things are going on too. Mahāprabhu sometimes... tears are shooting out of His eyes as if from a syringe. And, it’s making all the devotees surrounding wet. There’s three circles, one with Nityānanda Prabhu and others, another level, a third level. And, Mahāprabhu, we’re told, Sometimes He’s foaming at the mouth. And, it looks like nectar descending from the Moon. Another devotee named Śubhānanda will take that foam and drink it. And, he’s described as a rasik-vaiṣṇava. That’s the kind we’re interested in. It’s extraordinary... so... that... So, when Mahāprabhu being touched by Pratāparudra publicly, He’s saying, “Oh, who know what will happen to me, I’ve been touched by materialistic King, I’m so unfortunate.”

#00:54:58#

That play is there. After, the exhaustion from the dancing, in the midway point, Mahāprabhu enters the garden. It’s Pratāparuda Mahārāj who’s massaging His lotus feet. Then, Mahāprabhu is embracing him when he sings Gopī-gītā, particularly,

#00:55:17#

tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.31.9)

#00:55:28#

Again, He’s saying, “Those who tell people about Kṛṣṇā are giving people the best thing ever!” Because, whether you’re just a suffering materialist, or a suffering conditioned soul, or you’re suffering in separation from Kṛṣṇa, you’re the most exalted thing. The same medicine is there for everybody. It’s only this one thing, there’s not two things, there’s just this one thing: Is to hear about, talk about Kṛṣṇa. That’s what this is all about. What should we say to people? Tell them about Kṛṣṇa. Let them hear the name of Kṛṣṇa. Let them hear something about Kṛṣṇa. Don’t worry about the consequences. The consequences of it are actually, really good. [Laughing.]

#00:56:23#

Tapta... tapta means it’s the relieve of all suffering. “Why am I wondering about this?” Don’t wonder about it. Somehow or other, tell people about Kṛṣṇa, by hook or by crook, by trick. It’s the only benefit they’re going to get in this life. To live through this whole life, when Kṛṣṇa Consciousness movement is here, available. And, to not get some connection with it, is tragic. It’s like, so close to the goal, “ahhhhhh.” Something... some connect... that’s why Mahāprabhu was saying, like, “What your give, and how valuable, I don’t know how to reciprocate. I just want to hug you.” So, He embraces him. That Mahāprabhu, who... His... when you say His hairs stand on end.

#00:57:25#

Like, we may say, “Oh yeah, you know different time my hair stands on end.” When Mahāprabhu hairs stand, they’re like thorns. That’s intense. Like, gold... it looks like golden thorns. That’s intense. His legs... sometime becomes like wood. Tears shooting out of His eyes. When He falls to the ground, the earth shakes. And, devotees in the midst of all this ecstasy and happiness, sometimes when they see these things it’s so devastating, that it appears as though, He’s going to leave the world. And, now they’re devastated. The minute before, they were so happy. Now it appears as though, He’s leaving the world. It’s that intense. But, somehow He... is revived.

#00:58:30#

So, rolling on the ground, Kavirāj Goswāmī said, “It looks like a golden mountain rolling.” And, Guru Mahārāj, Golden Volcano, we’ve seen sometimes on the internet, on Youtube volcanic eruption. You see the lava come out, and whatever it envelopes, it just consumes. They’re saying, “The Śikṣāṣṭakam is like lava coming out of the heart.” It’s intense what’s being expressed. We may not detect the intensity, Guru Mahārāj did. It’s that lava-like hotness, and it’s like that type of volcanic eruption from the heart. He’s saying, “That’s what the Śikṣāṣṭakam is from Mahāprabhu.”

#00:59:32#

Guru Mahārāj has the ability to read that level of depth and intensity and, express it perfectly. That the perfect example. So, it’s a very happy festival. It’s also, very intense. And... it’s, we’re told, the... “Who will save the world will appear in the East.” That means Purī. So, it’s taken, in some instances, oh, that means Jagannāth and He comes out once a year for everybody. And, all throughout the year, the Jagannāth prasād is distributed to everyone. Jagannāth Purī is so exalted, we’re told, that even every living being there appears to have four arms; Viṣṇu forms, even, animals.

#01:00:33#

Saying, if you sleep there, it’s like... it’s equivalent to samādhi. If you lie down, it’s like giving daṇḍavats. And, there’re other... many other things too. So... it’s so, special, [tapping] but, someone is saying, “The Savior will come from the East...” Jagannāth Purī, Jagannāth prasād, etc... Śrīla Bhakti Siddhānta Saraswatī Ṭhākur appeared on that... If, he was any closer—Bhaktivinod residence, was any closer—to the Temple, he would have appeared, like on the altar. You can’t get any closer then where Saraswatī Ṭhākur appeared in this world. And, when that... what does it say?.. rathārūḍhasyārād adhipadavi... (Cc: Madhya-līlā, 13.207.1), Rūpa Goswāmī, talking about chariot coming down the main road.

#01:01:31#

That’s when his mother, Bhagavatī Devī, brought him out to show to the Deity. They put the baby before Jagannāth. Jagannāth’s garland fell onto the baby, to acknowledge the presence of... So, and, Guru Mahārāj said, “It’s so auspicious.” Tomorrow, it’s a good time for new beginnings. So, it’s on that day, tomorrow, in 1942, that he declared, śrīmac-caitanya-sārasvata-maṭhavara udgīta-kīrtir jayaśrīṁ... (Guru Maharaj motto for SCS Maṭh. 1). It’s the birthday of Śrī Chaitanya Saraswat Maṭh. When Guru Mahārāj said, “It’s a good day to begin something.” New beginnings. Hare Kṛṣṇa. Hare Kṛṣṇa.

#01:02:33#

śrīmac-caitanya-sārasvata-maṭhavara udgīta-kīrtir jayaśrīṁ
bibhrat sambhāti gaṅgā-taṭa-nikaṭa-navadvīpa-kolādrirāje
yatra śrī-gaura-sārasvata-mata-niratā gaura-gāthā gṛṇanti
śrīmad-rūpānuga śrī-kṛtamati-guru-gaurāṅga-rādhā-jitāśā

(Guru Maharaj motto for SCS Maṭh)

#01:02:56#

And, this is what Śrīla Guru Mahārāj is bringing us in connection with. So, this is not a peripheral pastime. It’s central, very central to Mahāprabhu’s pastimes. And, very important for all of us, jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me (Śrī Śrī Jagannāthāṣṭakam). Hare Kṛṣṇa.

 

Cc: Śrī Chaitanya-charitāmṛta
Bs: Brahma-saṁhitā
Bg: Śrīmad Bhagavad-gītā
Sm: Stava-mālā

Transcribed by: Radha Raman Das, Enakshi Devi Dasi


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