Significance of Ratha Yatra in Gaudiya Vaishnava tradition – Place, Purpose, Process – Hindi

[Bhagavatam class at ISKCON, Punjabi Bagh, Delhi, India]

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This is an AI-generated transcript and may contain some errors.
much. very important.
Whatever you did that day, sit and watch it all day. We will get bored in 15 minutes. Fast forward it.
Our life is not sufficiently interesting to even hold our own attention. Not to speak of other people’s attention. Our life is not so interesting that we can even take care of ourselves.
So whatever happened in the past, we can never remember it. There is no meaning in it. So we remember the important things in it.
And this is history. We have a personal history. Our nation has a national history.
Our family has a family history. Our soul has a spiritual history. Yes, when we come into devotion, we come into a community.
That community has a history. So now, whatever has happened in history, many things are in such a memory, which we do not need to keep in memory. He said this to me, he said that to me, this happened, that happened.
It is better to remove those things from memory. In English, it is called gossip. What is the Hindi word for gossip? What does gossip mean? When we hear something we like about someone we don’t like.
When we don’t like a person, and we hear something we like about him. We don’t like him, he did this, he did that. We remember it immediately.
So many things are in our memory, which we don’t need to keep in memory. But there are many things in our history, which we need to bring into our memory. So when there are important days in the calendar of our community, what do we have to do at that time? We have to bring the important events of our history into our memory.
And that can make our memory more spiritual. When we bring our spiritual history into our memory, then our memory becomes our treasure. When we remember the spiritual things that happened in our history, then our memory becomes our treasure.
So if someone has a lot of treasure, can we get a lot of happiness from that treasure? In that way, if our memory is full of divine, blissful things, then we get happiness from that. So that’s why, when we listen, chant, remember, serve, when we listen, chant, then our aim is to remember. So the Gaudiya Vaishnava community, on one hand, its history is 500 years old, and on the other hand, it has been going on for centuries.
The devotion to God is eternal, but its manifestation happens in different ways, at different times. So this festival of Jagannath Yatra, this festival of Jagannath Yatra, is very important in our community, because of three main reasons. First of all, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who is the founder of our community, Prabhupada Krishnabhau Nama Tantra’s founder, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the founder of the Gaudiya Vaishnava community.
So he used to live in Jagannath Puri, and the festival of Jagannath Yatra is very important there. So this is the first reason, where he used to live. The second is, what was his motive? And his motive was the same as that of the Yatra.
And the third is, what was his work? His special work was, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to dance. So the whole world was astonished by that, and was astonished, and Jagannath Ji was also astonished. So Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, was told that he was the dancing God.
So he expanded the method of dancing in the Yatra. And Nagar Sankirtan has become a very important part of our community. So in this way, the place, the purpose, and the process.
Because of these three things, the Yatra is very important in the Gaudiya community. So we will see these three things slowly. Now, how many years was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with us in this world? Sorry? Yes, 48 years.
Thank you. So how many years was he in Mayapur? 24 years. After that, where did he come? He came to Puri.
So for 24 to 48 years, his base was Puri. So for the next 6 years, he travelled. But still, wherever he used to go, he used to come to Puri.
So almost, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu can say, that for 23 to 24 years, he travelled. So now, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, now we will see, that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu after exhibiting his devotion, the place where he used to spend most of his time is Jagannath Puri. And why Jagannath Puri? Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, now when Bhagwan does some work, there are different reasons for that.
So there is an external reason and an internal reason. So there is an external reason, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu gave Sanyas, so he had a wish, where did he want to go? Vrindavan. And he was very eager, when will I go to Vrindavan? But his mother said, that now you will go to Vrindavan, so Vrindavan is so far away, I will not get any information about you, you will not get any information.
So please you stay in Jagannath Puri, because the same Bhagwan, who is Krishna, is in the form of Jagannath in Puri. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, after listening to his mother, came to Puri. But, when he came to Puri, so the enthusiasm, the eagerness, that he wanted to go to Vrindavan, with that same enthusiasm and eagerness, he came to Puri.
So for him, there was no difference between Puri and Vrindavan. So when he came to Puri, he saw Darshan of Jagannath Ji, immediately he became unconscious. He became unconscious, because, when do we become unconscious? When, our body, cannot bear our consciousness and feelings.
Sometimes, when there is a lot of pain in the body, then also we become unconscious. Or sometimes, when there is so much happiness or sorrow on the head, then also our body, cannot feel it. And then our consciousness switches off.
In Anandam Vrindavan Champu, it is said that, when in Raas Leela, Krishna left Radha Rani, then Radha Rani became so emotional, so distressed, that, as if Krishna is her life, so Krishna left her, so along with that, her life also left her. So, because her life did not leave her, there, Kavi Karnapur says in Anandam Vrindavan Champu, that, to save her life, there, his Yoga Maya, made a plan, that her consciousness should leave her, and that is why she became unconscious. So, in this way, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Jagannath Puri, and he was seeing Krishna directly.
And, Ratha Yatra is an ancient festival, it has been going on for a long time. But, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu became a part of it, he used to accompany her in such a divine way, he used to perform such divine rituals, he used to be in that very place, and the whole, if we have the Krishnabhavnagar organisation, then our biggest festival is, which one is ours? Janmahashtami, in a way. So, the whole year, around Janmahashtami, there is a cycle.
So, in Jagannath Puri, Jagannath Ratha Yatra, there is a cycle around it. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was residing there, whenever he had to go somewhere, the devotees used to say, Jagannath Ji’s festival is coming, this festival is coming, don’t go now, don’t go now. So, in this way, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, because he used to accompany her in that Ratha Yatra, that is why, the whole atmosphere got complete.
And then, along with Ratha Yatra, what happened was, the devotees of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who used to live in Mayapur, they used to feel very lonely. Anyway, they used to feel very happy to see Jagannath Ji, but especially, they used to see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, they used to worship Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. That is why, a whole travel party used to come.
In a large number, many devotees used to come from all over Bengal to Orissa. And all of them used to feel happy to see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The biggest question was, how does Chaitanya Mahaprabhu meet in Ratha Yatra? So, now, if we have to travel somewhere, then it is very easy.
If you want to travel, you can book it on the internet. There is no need to take a printout. Just show the ticket on the phone.
So, it is very easy to travel now. But, for that also, they have to do management. Where to go, which flight to book, which train to book, how to do all this.
I had calculated, two days ago, I had come from Australia. I had gone to Australia, America, Canada, New Zealand. So, I had gone for five months.
And in a week, I take ten classes. One class is one and a half hour. So, in five months, I spoke for two hundred hours.
Sorry. Anyway, how much will it be? Fifty hours per week, per month. So, approximately, two and a half hours.
So, I spoke for two and a half hours. So, I was calculating that it takes approximately one and a half hours to plan travel logistics. That means, half of the travel time goes into travel logistics planning.
Where to go, there is a festival here, there is time for retreat here, there are guests coming here, everything has to be adjusted. So, now, you can imagine, five hundred years ago, when there were very few facilities, how difficult it was to plan there. And who was responsible for planning that? Shivanan Sen.
So, any devotee who does service, the importance of service is understood only when it goes into context. Everything is easy till you yourself start doing it. Everything seems easy till you start doing it yourself.
If you start doing it yourself, then it is not an easy task. You have to do this, you have to do this, you have to do this. So, that is why, Shivanan Sen, what happens is, when we are going on a devotional journey, when we are going on a devotional journey, then we feel that we have to remember God, we have to remember God’s miracles, we have to have a strong feeling about God.
But, when we are going on a journey, we say to someone, look at the management. I am doing all this to get rid of management. So, to avoid all the tensions of management, we have to remember God.
But, what happens is, when everyone else is remembering God, and we feel, is this Prasad or not, is there a place to stay here or not, then what happens is, it can easily lead to resentment. Resentment means, grudging. Why do I have to do all this? But, what is Shivanan Sen’s feeling? He is always selfless.
And at that time, it was even more difficult to go. Why was it difficult? Because, Bengal was under Muslim rule, there was a Muslim king there, and in Orissa, there was a Hindu king. So, there was tension.
And because of that, going from one place to another, especially in Tolna, there, if someone is going there for religious reasons, then, there is a feeling that if we help them, then we will get merit. That is a religious feeling. But, what is a business feeling? If they are going for religious reasons, it means that they will definitely donate something there.
Donating means, they have money. So, instead of donating, we will take money from them. So, what happens is, when we used to go to Orissa, then, there were a lot of problems.
And despite that, Shivanand Sen, used to do everything very well. And sometimes, the most difficult thing is, when we serve someone, and if we make a mistake, then someone else scolds us. Even then, we feel bad.
But, if we have made a good effort, and the situation itself is against us, and because of that, if something does not go well, and that is when we get scolded, then it becomes very difficult to bear that. So, Shivanand Sen gives this Darshan, how to work in such a situation. So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to stay in Puri, and his Prime Minister, who used to come from Bengal to Puri, who was he? Dityanand Prabhu, yes.
When Dityanand Prabhu used to come, then, Dityanand Prabhu used to stay in his divine abode, and once, Shivanand Sen told me that he got stuck, that there was a conversation going on, he was asking for too much. And then, he did not know where to sit, where to eat, so he got angry. And when he got angry, when Shivanand Sen came in front of him, then he started scolding him.
And, when he started scolding him, what did he do? He kicked him with his feet. Now, here, it was normal, but, there was a big insult. But, what happens is that, our Krishna Bhavna, only then, there is a test, there is a manifestation, when there is a provocation.
When everything is alright, anybody can be Krishna conscious. When everything starts going wrong, no, when everything is alright, everybody can be Krishna conscious. And when everything is all wrong, then also everyone can be Krishna conscious.
But, when it is in the middle, when everything is going well, then yes, it is easy to remember God. When everything is going wrong, then what should I do? Then there is no other way to remember God. But, when it is in the middle, that some things are going right, some things are going wrong, when somebody scolds you, it is very difficult for you to bear it.
I am trying. So, when we are provoked, when we are provoked, then how do we react? It is seen from that, that how much Krishna Bhavna has gone inside us. I was in America, and there, there was a person, he had become a devotee.
He, earlier, when the USSR was there, Soviet Russia was there, he was a spy of America in Soviet Russia. So, now, he has become a devotee. So, he used to say, what happens then is, he used to be trained, he used to be trained, that if you are sleeping, and when you are sleeping, somebody kicks you hard and lifts you up, then only, then only, if somebody lifts you up from sleep, then you get angry, if somebody kicks you and lifts you up, then you get angry.
Then only, people curse. So, his training was, that if you wake up from sleep, and somebody kicks you, if you curse, in bad words, you are saying it in Russian, or you are saying it in English. When you wake up from sleep, and when somebody kicks you, then only you are able to become a spy.
So, we have done something so different, when do we know that, when we are provoked, then our spontaneous reaction, what is spontaneous reaction? So, Shivanand Singh, in such a situation, he was also tired, he was also hungry, he was also talking to the troll, he must have also got tired, he must have also got tired, then suddenly, his eyes turned red. Then, what does he do? He says, that your lotus feet, to get this, great sages, not Narada, Brahmaji, do his abhilasha, and you gave me this lotus feet. So, this feeling, is very difficult.
We can pray to Shivanand Singh, that, if he comes in our life, then, in our life, in devotion, we can walk with more stability. So, Shivanand Singh Ki Jai. So, in this way, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and all his devotees, specially the devotees of Bengal, used to come to Puri.
When they used to come to Puri, I told them that, we will see, what is the importance of this, what is the importance of Gaudiya Sampradaya. So, where was Chaitanya Mahaprabhu present? The second thing is, what was the feeling of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu? So, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, is an avatar, typical of God. Radha Bhava Jyoti Suvalitam Navami Krishna Swarupam It is told that, Radha Bhava Jyoti Suvalitam Chaitanya Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Krishna Swarupam, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came, he took Radha Rani’s Bhava, and his Jyoti, his colour, his skin.
Jyoti Suvalitam Navami I salute him. Who is he in reality? Krishna Swarupam He is Krishna himself, but he is in Radha Rani’s Bhava. Radha Rani’s Bhava and Radha Rani’s skin.
But now, that is why he is called Gauranga. So, what is his Bhava? Krishna’s memory is at its peak when Krishna leaves. And when he is coming, we do not know.
So, when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ayi dina daya dranath hai, mathura nath kadav loke se, hrdayam tada loka ka taram, daite dhramani kim karo mya ham. Voh jo bhav hai, ayi dina daya dranath hai. Hey Prabho, aap to deen jo aatmaye hain, unke prati aap daya karte hai.
Main, Radharani ka bhaav hai ki main, aap ke virah mein badi deen avastha mein hoon, par mujh pe daya karne ke jagah pe kya ho gaya hai, mathura nath hai. Aap to mathura ke nath ban gaye hoon, aap mujhe chhod ke chale gaye hoon. ayi dina daya dranath hai, mathura nath kadav loke se.
Hey mathura nath, main aap to kab deekh paun? Kaun bhi, kadav ava loke se. Kabhi, kab mere aakhon ke path pe aap ka darshan ho bhai. hrdayam tada loka ka taram.
Jo aap ko na dekhni karan, aloka. Lok lochin, aakhen hain. Aloka matlab na dekhna, hrdayam tada loka ka taram.
Mera hruday ghayal ho gaya hai, kat gaya hai. Aap ko na dekhni karan. Mera mann abhi brahmit ho gaya hai.
Aap main kya karun? Yeh jo bhaav hai, Shri Krishna se bahut bhi teevr virah ka bhaav jo hai. Wah bhaav mein ek divya prakaar ka anand hai. Yad vipi, wo virah hai, aur virah ek tarah se dukh hai, par wo dukh mein ek divya anand hai.
Kaise hai? Ki Krishna ki smriti yeh ek amrut hai. Aur agar Krishna ki smriti unke sanyog mein hoti hai, toh woh ek madhur amrut hai. Aur Krishna ki smriti unke virah mein hoti hai, toh woh ek katu amrut hai.
Ab yeh karwa amrut kaise ho sakta hai? Par yeh amrut toh amrut hi hai, par uska swaad jo hota hai, usmein karwa aata hai. Toh uska udhaaran mein, Krishna Prem jo hai, woh bahut garam ganne ke ras ke samaan hai. Toh woh ganne ka ras se swaadisht hai, meetha hai, isnein chahiye.
Par garam hai, jal raha, isnein nahi chahiye. Toh chaitanya maha, bhagwan ki smriti toh chahiye, par bhagwan se virah nahi chahiye. Par us samay jo virah hota hai, toh smriti aur badh jati hai.
Aur badh jati hai. Yeh kya hai? Yeh jo material psychology hai, uska transcendental bhaave hai. Hamara jo mann hai, waha kya hamesha, the mind undervalues what we have, and overvalues what we don’t have.
Jo hamare paas hai, waha hum dekhte nahi hai. Usko zyada gante nahi hai. Aur jo hamare paas nahi hai, wo gante hai.
Agar koi prasad serving kar raha hai, aur maan liye, koi prasad aisa hai, ki har ek ke plate mein, alag alag sweet item hai. Kisi ke paas gulab jamun hai, kisi ke paas jalebi hai, kisi ke paas malpua hai, kisi ke paas barfi hai. Toh hamare plate mein jo hai, wo swaadisht hai.
Par hamare plate mein hai, jo hamara dhyan uske unhe jayega, baaki ke plate mein kya kya hai, uske baad dhyan jayega. Aur is tarah se ham asantush terkhte hai. Par kya hai, yeh kehne ka matlab kya hai, ki jo hamare paas nahi hai, uske baare mein ham adhik utawale hote hai.
Uske baare mein hamare jo ichcha hoti hai, wo aur badh jaate hai. Toh theek usse tarah se, Bhagwan ka jo sanyog hota hai, toh bada anand hota hai. Par Bhagwan ka jo virah ho jata hai, toh unke baare mein, unki surti, unki baare mein utkantha jo hai, aur badh jaate hai.
Toh wo jo bhaav hai, ussi bhaav mein, ki Radharani hai, aur ussi bhaav mein, ussi bhaav ko mehsoos karne ke liye, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu mein, Radharani ka roop aur unka bhaav swikar kiya hai. Aur abhi Jagannath ji jo hai, wo kis bhaav mein hai? Jagannath ji ki jo hai, Jagannath ji, Jagannath Bhagwan jo hai, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu yeh hai, wo Krishna, Radha ke virah mein. Aur, Yes.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu kaun hai? Radha, Krishna ke virah mein. Jagannath kaun hai? Krishna, Radha ke virah mein. Toh jab, kya hota hai, hum kahani jaante hai, wo jaise, jo Rohini, Dwarka waasiyon ko, Krishna ke leelaon ke baarein bata rahe hoti hai, Krishna jo waha pe nahi hai.
Toh Krishna sunte hai, aur jab sunte hai, toh bhi kya hota hai, wo itne ekadra ho jaate hai usmein, ki, wo koi bhi distraction nahi chahiye, kuch bhi mujhe aur nahi dekhna hai. Jaise, koi log movie dekhna jaate hai, be aaj kal koi bhi movie hai, wo aap internet pe dekh sakte hai, aapne ghar mein dekh sakte hai, par phir bhi log kaafi paisa kharch karke theatre mein jaate hai. Theatre mein kya hota hai? No distraction from illusion.
Ki, moh me jaane mein koi webte nahi aata hai. Ki, see, even to enjoy illusion, you need absorption. Then what to speak of to enjoy devotion? Ki agar moh ka bhi bhog kar raha hai, to aapko usmein lean hona hai, chetna ko aapne lagana hai.
To usmein, bhagwan ke bhi smriti ko anand dekhna hai, to uske liye absorption jo hai, usmein ekagra hona bahut zaruri hai. Kehne ka bhaav kyaan pe kya hai? Ki, jab hum theatre mein jaate hai, toh do cheezein hoti hai. Ek hai, ek light band ho jata hai, aur doosra light chalo ho jata hai.
Baaju ka light hai, sab band ho jata hai. Toh baaki, kuch bhi nahi dekhta hai. Aur phir, ek light chalo ho jata hai.
So, saari chetna aage chalo jata hai. Toh jab hum, kisi cheez mein poora ekagra hona chahate hai, toh phir kya hota hai, jo bhi cheez, humein, humein, humare dhyan ko door le jaa rahi hai, toh phir hum usse, door rahe hai. Toh hum, usse, hum, we turn away from this, usko turn off kar dete hain.
Main New Zealand mein tha, toh wahan pe ek bhakta hai, woh abhi mujhe batata hai ki, woh body language mein Ph.D. kar raha hai. Par, alag alag cheez mein Ph.D. hota hai, achi baat hai. Toh batata hai ki, agar, abhi toh phone booth hote nahi hai, pehle phone booth hota karte the, abhi sab ke aas mobile hota hai, par agar koi mobile pe baat kar raha hai, toh agar, woh abhi, yahan pe traffic chal raha hai, aur, agar apne kamar pe haath rakhe hai, phone pe baat kar raha hai, toh sari traffic ko dekhte bhi baat kar raha hai.
Aur phir woh, agar, koi diwaar hai, traffic hai yahan pe, woh poora traffic se mudh ke, diwaar pe dhyan bhakte baat kar raha hai. Toh batata raha hai ki, if, agar woh, diwaar ki aur rahe ke, baat kar raha hai, toh aap samajh sakte hai ki, probably, woh apne girlfriend se baat kar raha hai. Aur duniya ke aur dekh ke baat kar raha hai, toh apne patni se baat kar raha hai.
Isme kya hota hai ki, of course, aisa zaruri nahi hai, par, point yaha pe yeh hai, ki, jab hum distraction nahi chahate hai, toh kya hota hai, hum duniya se poora mudh jate hai. Toh hum jo hai, shariq star pe kuch karte hai, jaise, kya hum, duniya se diwaar ke aur dekhege, ya hum theatre me chale jaayenge. Par bhagwaan, agar cheez me poora ekag raha jate hai, toh kya hota hai, bhagwaan, ke sharir hi parivartit ho jata hai.
Toh kya hota hai, jo bhi unko distract karega, kabhi kabhi, kuch log hota hai, woh fidget karte rahete hai, na haath, pehar uthate rahete hai. Toh, poora, unka haath, pehar hi, poora andar se raha jata hai. Aur abhi, kya kar raha hai, woh apne aankhon se, unke aankhen bade ho jate hai.
Taaki kya ho sake, woh jo, la keval woh sun rahe hai, par apne antarang aankhon se, woh usko kalpit kar rahe hai. Toh, Jagannath ji jo hai, is tarah se, poore ekag raha jate hai. Abhi, abh gaike, kaan se sunna hai, toh kaan bade ho jane chahiye.
Par aise nahi hai, kaan jo hota hai, bade kaan se zyada sunna hota hai, aise zaruri nahi hai. Bade kaan se zyada hum, distraction bhi aa sakte hai. Toh kya hai ki, woh, it is, sound, jo chetan ma, jo, sun rahe hai, Rohin jo katha bata rahe hai, woh, keval woh apne antarang karanon se sun rahe hai.
Aur jo bahay karan hai, woh, aur koi dhoni sun sakte hai. Toh usse hume nahi sun rahe hai. Toh hota hai, humare aatma jo hai, woh keval bhagwan ki kaam, bhagwan ki ichcha kar rahe hai.
Par jo humara man hai, uske aise saikro aur ichcha kar rahe hai. Toh uske beech mein, jo hai, hum fase hue hai bhi. Par wahan pe, poore ekagraha hai.
Toh usse tarah se, yeh kehne ka matlab, yahan par kya hai, ki Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, issi bhaav mein, issi, jo virah ka prem hai, woh anubho kar rahe hai. Aur, isliye Jagannath ji jo hai, woh virah ke bhaav nahi hai. Abhi, Krishna ji, Vrindavan mein hote hai, toh wahan pe, virah ka bhaav nahi hai.
Wahan pe, sanyog ka bhaav hai. Wahan pe, milan ka bhaav hai. Toh isliye, Chaitanya, humare liye, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, ka Jagannath Puri mein, rehna mahatmata poona hai.
Par, abhi jab, Jagannath rath yatra mein, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, agar woh, Jagannath ji, apne mandir se bahar aa rahe hai. Uska mat, uska sab, kya hai, ki abhi, jo Gopiya hai, woh apne haathon se, woh rath kheech ke, le ja rahi hai, Krishna ko, wapas, Vrindavan mein. Toh, woh jo bhaav hai, ki abhi, virah hai, aur, virah ka, anta bhi hone wala hai.
Toh, tabhi, utsaha, bahut badh jata hai. Abhi, agar, saadhanantaya, hum, roj ke din, anna ko yaad nahi karte hai, utna, jitna, upwas ke din yaad karte hai. Par, agar, upwas ke din bhi yaad kar rahe hai, toh, abhi, poora 24 gante hai, upwas ko, todne ke liye.
Toh, tabhi, anna ki yaad aati hai, par, utni hi aati hai. Par, maan bhi, nirjal upwas kiya hai humne, aur, saad 13 ko, abhi, fast breaking hai. Toh, abhi, saad 5 ho gaya hai, saad 6 ho gaya hai.
Toh, hum, jab kar rahe hai, mooh se, krishta krishta bol rahe hai, maan se, paani, paani, paani, paani bol rahe hai. Toh, jitna, virah ke anta bhi, karib aa raha hai, toh, us cheez ke sunuti, aur, badh jata hai. Toh, abhi, jab jagannath ji, rath yatra pe, jagannath rath pe, aa gaye hai, matlab kya hai, wo virah hai, virah ka anta ho ke, abhi milan hone hi wala hai.
Milan bhi kaise hai? Ek toh se kahe sakte hai, gopiyaan krishna ko dekh rahi hai, gopiyaan hi rath ko kheech rahi hai, toh krishna ko dekh rahi hai. Toh, milan ho gaya hai. Par, kya hai ki, hare ek, prakaar ke, rishta ke liye, ek ucheet, maahon zaruri hai.
Toh, matlab kya hai ki, agar, koi, mata aur apne pichche ka prem hai, toh phir, waha, agar, jo maa, agar school mein hai, toh apne bachche pe, us tarah se, wo prem nahi nahi, dekht kar sakte, jaise apne ghar mein kar sakte. Toh ki kya hai, wo maahon, waha pe alag hai. Toh, us tarah se, jo gopiyaan hai, waha, krishna se milan, tabhi mehsoos karegi, jab wo krishna, vrindavan ke maahon.
Tabhi hum, vrindavan jaahi rahe hai, waha bhaav hai. Jaldi hi, vrindavan bhaav jaayegi, aur milan ho jaayega. Toh, rath kyaatra mein, jo virah bhaav hai, uski parakashtha, prangati hai.
Aur se liye, jo chaitanya mahabharu ka bhaav hai, rath kyaatra ka bhaav hai, waha, bilkul ek hi hai. Isliye bhi, rath kyaatra, bahut mantap hon hai. Aur isne aata hai, jo sarodamodar, sarodamodar vaswami, waha, vrindavan ka aishwar, se liye kya hai, wo batate hain.
Ek baar, sarodamodar vaswami, aur shri vas pandit mein, ek bahas ho jaate hain. Waha kahte hain ki, ye dekho, Vaikunth mein toh aishwarya, itna vada vada hai. Vade vade mehel hai, jeewar hai.
Par vrindavan toh, bahut saadharan hai. Sarodamodar vaswami, batate hain, ki vrindavan ka aishwarya, kya hai? Sabse bada aishwarya jo hai, wo hai vrindavan. Ki, ab ye kaise hota hai ki, hamare, jab hamare paas paisa hota hai, toh when we have money, our friends know us.
When we have no money, then we know our friends. Matlab kya, jab hamare paisa hota hai, toh, saari log bolte hain, kya hai, tum pata hai, hum milete ek sab milete, hum bachpan mein saad the, our friends know us. Jab kisi ke baas koi aishwarya hai, dhan sampatti hai, toh tabhi, abhi kaun asli mitra hai, toh pata jala jaata hai, jab kisi ke baas kuch bhi nahi hai.
Jab hamare paisa nahi hai, main jaanta hoon tumko, kab milete, mujhe rahaat nahi hai. Logon aise rehte hain ki, jaan ke unjaana bana jaate hain. Toh fir tabhi, kisi jo hamare saath rehte hai, wo asli mitra hai.
Toh jab aishwarya nahi hai, tabhi jo metri rehte hai, tabhi jo sneha rehte hai, wo waas toh mein asli isni hai. Iska matlab yeh nahi ki, Vrindavan mein aishwarya nahi hai. Vrindavan mein jab bhi, aishwarya ki zarurat padh jati hai, toh Bhagwan ki ichcha se, Yogmaya ki ichcha se, jitna bhi aishwarya chahiye, wo turant prakat ho sakta hai.
Par, Vrindavan mein, aishwarya ki, pradhan nahi hai. Usme prem pradhan hai. 11 abhi adhyay, Bhagwan ji taan, 11 abhi adhyay kaunsa hai, kisi ko bata hai? Yes? Virat roop darshan, vishwa roop darshan jo hai.
Toh abhi, usme, Prabhupada ji, ek bada hai, dilchast tatpar mein, ek paan bolte hai, ki, a devotee is not interested, in seeing such a godless, display of opulence. Ki jab, anik bahu, dairavakta netram, ki, bahot se muh hai, bahot se sir hai, bahot se mukut hai, bahot se haath hai, bahot se pair hai, toh yeh jo hai, yeh darshan karne mein, bhakti ruchi nahi hoti hai. Bhakt Bhagwan ka, sundar, jo, do haath wala roop hai, woh dekhna chahate hai.
Par, yahan bhi jo, jo shabda, Prabhupada ji, istamal kar rahe hai, woh bade dilchast mein, ki, a devotee is not interested, in seeing a godless, display of opulence. God is displaying, his opulence. Bhagwan hi apna, aishwarya darsha rahe hai, vishwaroop jo hai, woh Bhagwan ka hi, aishwarya hai.
Par, Bhagwan gah rahe hai, ki yeh, bhagwat rahit, aishwarya ka darshan, bhakta ko, ko ruchi nahi hoti hai. Yeh, Prabhupada ji, kya kah rahe hai, yeh vrindavan, yeh bhaav mein kah rahe hai, yeh sneha, jo, Arjun ka bhi, vrindavan ka bhaav, wale hi nahi ho, par, Arjun ka bhi. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Jagannath Ji both were being praised and all the devotees were praising him but Sarod Damodar Goswami said that this is the opposite view Jagannath Ji’s body his soul his consciousness is in Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Jagannath Ji is in the temple and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is outside so he said that Jagannath Ji’s body is divine you can’t call him unconscious there were many problems so the capacity to find faults is also a strength if something is not at the right level which is not in the right poetry in the right music in that to find fault is also a strength is also a talent but what happens those people those who have the capacity to find faults they make it their only capacity some people can find fault that is fine but some people can’t see anything and others say this is good no, there is a problem oh, you are so expert you can see fault so what happens if he gets ego that others they are emotional they don’t understand I know what is right and wrong so if someone knows tattva gyan it is a good thing and if something is wrong it is important to tell but you have to tell and you have to tell that person’s feeling that excitement that is not bad we see Sarodana Goswami he tells the fault it is not like that brahmin has made his shloka and all the devotees are praising him but Sarodana Goswami is not excited that he has told wrong all the devotees say let it be that brahmin says I want to tell you Sarodana Goswami knows that it is wrong but what is when do we have a right to find fault when we get no joy in pointing out the fault when do we have the right to blame someone when we don’t get any joy in telling the fault of course that is not the only right but still it is very important if our ego gets joy I caught you I caught you then we should not see the fault Sarodana Goswami says once or twice Sarodana Goswami says no later he says then Sarodana Goswami listens and when he listens then he says and not only he finds fault then he says listen to bhagwat from a person from his bhagwat you are the principle of bhakti understand it from the right bhakti then do guldaan not only he finds fault then how to find fault he tells about it Sarodana Goswami in the leela of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is very deep and the bhav of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in that bhav no person should act he guards for that there is a secretary if you want to meet a big person then no one can meet you first take an appointment then meet so Prabhupada ji says Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is a secretary secretary means not only to meet but in his bhav no person should act so Sarodana Goswami gives a very deep guldaan so Sarodana Goswami ki jaya now I will tell you the last point so Chaitanya Mahaprabhu the main contribution we can see in Raghunatha Yajna and Gaudiya Vaishnava so purpose place, purpose and process purpose what was the bhav of avatar the process now in Vrindavan it is said that when people speak, they sing when they walk, they dance so Krishna dances very beautifully and Krishna with Gopis dances very beautifully so now Rath Yatra is going on since ancient times and the devotee pulls the chariot with his hands like Gopis but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu did a wonderful job that the dance how to dance in bhakti and how to dance in such a way that the devotee’s mind gets engrossed that is Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s darshan the bhav of Gopis when we dance when we are very happy so dance is a spontaneous expression of joy a natural expression of happiness so when Gopis are coming with Krishna to Vrindavan they are very happy so to welcome Krishna and that happiness they dance Chaitanya Mahaprabhu by dancing and praising God that method even before that it was happening but Chaitanya Mahaprabhu has strengthened it and has followed it very extensively in many temples in South-South India in temples when there is God’s aarti then you see the aarti when there is kirtan then there is no music there is no music only one person sings so it is not responsive we don’t get a chance to sing so when God is being worshipped there is a serious atmosphere that feeling is right when we are worshipping Vishnu but when there is Krishna Krishna Krishna is God at home God is at home and at home there is spontaneity, joy and the feeling of joy is done by dancing so when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to dance it was so attractive when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used to dance people used to forget everything and from far people used to come not only to see Jagannath ji but also to see Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and even Krishna Swamy has written Chaitanya Jagatam in Bengali but in the first shloka in the first shloka he has told the meaning of that shloka in a Sanskrit shloka and in the 13th shloka Jagannath ji was also surprised like Gopiyan Krishna dances in Rashtrila similarly Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is coming back to Krishna Vrindavan and after coming what a divine joy Chaitanya Mahaprabhu with that feeling so this contribution of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is the same contribution of our Sampradaya and especially Prabhupada ji established Jagannath Yatra all over the world once Prabhupada ji was in London and he was not well so he said there was going to be a Yatra but he said I will come he said I may not be able to come but I will try to come and Prabhupada ji not only came but he saw that there is a big Yatra going on in Trafalgar Square so then Prabhupada ji was so delighted when in western countries especially when British were ruling over India so Jagannath was the prime example of the ignorance that underlay the worship of the primitive Hindus means when British used to say that Hindus are so primitive are so blind are so foolish the biggest symbol of that is the worship of Jagannath ji they used to say Krishna’s form is very attractive Jagannath ji used to say what is this? big eyes, big face no hands, no legs and in front of such idol you dance and sing and not just one or two lakhs of people this foolishness may be in one or two people but lakhs of people are foolish this is what he felt so the worship of Jagannath was a symbol of the ignorance of Hinduism but by the grace of Prabhupada ji what happened? Prabhupada ji also knew when Prabhupada ji was in Scottish Church College he used to learn Bible and when he used to learn Bible there he used to be criticised for Hinduism when he used to teach how our Bible is higher than yours so when Prabhupada ji went to London and the British used to say that the worship of Jagannath is a symbol of the ignorance of India in the same Britain the same Jagannath has come and the same people of Britain are dancing in front of Jagannath so the cultural success was a very important moment when Jagannath ji was travelling in London Prabhupada ji was very tired and he saw that there were only British people and not many immigrants so Prabhupada ji lost his energy when he came out of his room he did not have the energy to walk and the servants were standing beside him so that Prabhupada ji would not fall but when he came in front he got so much energy that he started dancing in front of Jagannath ji and the whole chariot was dancing the whole chariot was dancing and the devotee who was sitting there I met him in Gurdas he told me that when there is a Kirtan in the temple it is a bit excessive and when we do Kirtan outside it is also a bit excessive but at that time when he saw Prabhupada ji dancing thousands of people were dancing and they were immersed in the divine emotions so it was not only Prabhupada ji’s ecstasy but his divine emotions were applying to all people in the same way Prabhupada ji has given Krishna Bhavna in the same way he has given Krishna Bhavna to others also in the same way he has given Krishna Bhavna to others also so this is the divine importance and this is a divine gift of Prabhupada ji in conclusion how in the beginning the topic was the importance of Rath Yatra I started by saying that history and smriti are two different things.
But if we bring the spiritual aspects of history into our smriti, then does that smriti become our treasure? And in our daily life, in today’s work, in the work of the present and the future, in the celebrations, we get our consciousness, our spirit, and we do smriti of that. We try to make smriti of what is in history. So how did I discuss about that? Shaitan Mahaprabhu, for almost 24 years, most of the time, after starting his devotion, was in Puri.
That is why Puri is very important for us. And we saw the sacrifice of Shivanand Sen. Shivanand Sen was in a state of bliss.
But he was planning the whole management. And our Krishna Bhavna is known when? When we are inspired. And when someone scolds us after serving us well, then it is very easy to get angry.
But Shivanand Sen is always calm. And he is always grateful. And this is his greatness.
Then we saw the place and purpose of Shaitan Mahaprabhu. The purpose is to feel the feeling of Krishna’s separation from Radharani. And what is there in Rathyatra? Krishna is waiting for the end of that separation.
And in Shaitan Mahaprabhu, Radharani is also about to end the separation. So the peak of the feeling of separation can be seen in Rathyatra. It was a very important event for Shaitan Mahaprabhu.
And what is the biggest Aishwarya of Nihar? It is the Aishwarya of Love. The purpose of all other Aishwaryas is to reach the Aishwarya of Love. And Krishna Prem is the Aishwarya of Love.
This can be seen in Swarudama Darshan. You have to stop Krishna and Shaitan Mahaprabhu with your own feelings. First you talk to Shiva Shakur.
And then you stop the Bengal Brahmin from meeting Shaitan Mahaprabhu. It is a talent to see the fault. But it is not a talent to see only the fault.
When to see the fault? How to tell the fault? And after seeing the fault, how to solve it? All these are important. All these can be seen in Swarudama Darshan. And then the last one.
Shaitan Mahaprabhu’s singing is going on for a long time. Rathyatra is going on for a long time. But the singing of Shaitan Mahaprabhu by dancing and the special dance of Shaitan Mahaprabhu that is a special talent of Shaitan Mahaprabhu.
And the special talent of Shaitan Mahaprabhu is done by Prabhupada like Rathyatra all over the world. And especially the British people used to say that the worship of Jagannath is the symbol of ignorance of India. The same British people, Prabhupada ji in the Rathyatra of Jagannath in the number of hundreds and thousands did the Rathyatra in the dance of Bhakti.
So this is the great grace of Prabhupada ji. And that grace is with all of us today. Through this, we can also benefit our heart and the hearts of all the Yogis who are with us with Bhakti.
Thank you very much. Shaitan Mahaprabhu Ki Shri Jagannath Yatra Mahamahotsav Ki Shri Prabhupada Ki Gaur Bhatt Vrindaki Tai Gaur Premanandai