The Ratha-yatra festival in downtown Chicag Hare Kr~Qa, Hare Kr~Qa, Kr~Qa Kr~Qa, Hare Hare Hare , Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare The scene is a downtown area in a great Jagannatha, the Supreme Lord of the universe. Al­ metropolis: honking horns, vendors' shouts, though Ratha-yatra has been observed for thou­ crowded streets. Business goes on as usual as the sands of years in India, it is not an Indian or Hindu towering canopies appear in the distance, accom­ festival. The location of the above scene could just panied by the rhythmic sound of drums and hand as easily be 's Trafalgar Square as , cymbals. Suddenly, the parade explodes into India. Since 1966, as a result of the efforts of the view-three enormous, gaily decorated carts sur­ International Society for Consciousness, rounded by waving pennants, astonished the joyful Ratha-yatra festival has become an onlookers and dancers in saffron robes. As flower international event. People of all ethnic and petals rain down, the chanting rolls through the religious backgrounds now celebrate Ratha-yatra city streets in waves, inundating everything and in cities all over the world. everyone with transcendental sound-Hare Kr!?r:ta, This year, ISKCON will again present the tran­ Hare Kr!?r:ta, Kr!?r:ta Kr!?r:ta, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, scendental Ratha-yatra festival in major cities Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This is the throughout the world. This issue of BACK TO GOO­ maha-mantra, or Great Hymn for deliverance from HEAD explains what the Ratha-yatra festival is and material contamination. Composed entirely of the how it came to the West. We invite you to ex­ names of God, it is profusely chanted at the Ratha­ perience the spiritual excitement of Ratha-yatra by yatra festival described above. joining us in the streets of your city or by reading Ratha-yatra is an ancient festival glorifying Lord the pages of this magazine. His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

BACK TO GODHEAD 1 BACK TO GODHEAD THE MAGAZINE OF THE MOVEMENT CONTENTS FOUNDER Elev ation to Ecstasy 3 (UI~d('r d1e dirt'('civn of Hi) l>a\·inr Gun: A lecture delivered at a Ratha-yatra festiva l in ~rl Srirmd Bh:alwsiJdha nt :a S;au)v.ati Pr:ahhupld:a) , . Hi\.l)i,·inC' G r;ac.'t' by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. A .C . Bhakti Swami Prabhupada Rat ha-yat ri : An Ancient Festival Comes t o the West 7 How a festival previously celebrated only in India SENIOR EDITOR His Holiness Satsvarupa d:isa <;osvami has become an annual event in major cities throughout the West. by Visakhil-devi dasi MANAGING EDITOR j aga nn ~ t h a-sGu daS)

EDITORIAL BOARD Satsvanipa d~s a Gosvirni, Whose Worship Is Idol Wor ship? 14 Jayadvaita d:isa, Yaduvara dasa, Visakha-devi dasi A senior member of the Krsna consciousness movement dispels a commonly held misconception. EDITOR Santosa d:l>a by Jayadvaita dasa ART DIRECTOR Navadvipa dasa The Appearance of Lord J aganni tha 25 ILLUSTRATORS M ural idhara dasa, Bharadraja dasa , Lord Jagannatha: Who He is and Yadu r:ivi-devi dasi, Pariksit dosa how He made His transcendental appearance. by dasa PHOTOGRAPHERS Bhirgava diso, Yaduvara disa. Muralivadana dasa. Visakha-dcvi d:isi The Dance of Div ine Love 20 An excerpt from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta recounting the miraculous TECHNICIANS Madhus(tdana disa. Yarnaraj) disa. pastimes performed by Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu at a Cakradhara disa. Arcita dis) Ratha-yatra celebration almost 500 years ago. PROOFREADERS Dravic)a d~sa. Jayasac lnandana dis), iranslalion by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada Gopiparit.>adhana disa. Dcvimrta dasa

TYPE COMPOSERS M atsya disa, Jayad harma dasa, llalai-dcvi dasi INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR KRISHNA CONSCIOUSNESS CENTERS AROUND THE WORLD 4!llr; Publ ished monthly. S6 .00 per year ($7 .00 outside AFR ICA: Johannesburg. S. Africa- 59 Muller St.. 764-1373: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- Cane U USA) . by the Bhaklivedan<> Book Trust. 3764 Yeoville/ 43-2006: Lusaka. Zambia- Twin Palms Roacl. Cayetano Rodriguez No. 36. Watseka .'we. . Los Angel<>. Calif. 90034. P.O. Box 97 1 (Central Africa) : Mombassa. Kenya­ Maungano Road, P.O. Box 82224, East Altica: Nairobi, THE AND CANADA: Ann Arbor, 197S llhaktivcdanta !look Trust © Kenya-Muhoroni Close. Ngara Rd . P.O. Box 28946 (E. -718 W. Madison 481 031 (3 13) 665-6304: A11 rights rc)c rvcd. Printcd in USA. Africa)/ 3t56B: Port Louis, Mauritius-23 Wellington Atlanta, Georgia- 1287 Ponce de Leon Ave. N.E. 303061 Ave ., Ouatre Bornes. P.O. Box 718. (404) 37B-9182: Austin, Texas-1003 E. 14th St. 78702/ PRONUNCIATION OF SANSKRIT WORDS (512) 476·1558: Baltimore, Maryland-200 Bloomsbury Sanskrit words and names in IJACK TO GODH EAD ASIA: Bombay. India-Hare Krishna Land, Gandhi Gram Ave., Catonsville 21228: Berkeley, Californla-2334 arc spelled according to a system that scholars Road, Juhu. Bombay 400 0541 579-373: Calcutta. Stuart St. 94705/ ( 415) 843-7B74; Boston, throughout the world use to show how to lndia- 3 Alber! Road, Calcutta 7000171 44-3757 : Hy­ Massachusetts-72 Commonwealth Ave. 021161 (6 17) pronounce each word. Vowels in Sanskrit are derabad, India-Hare Krishna Land. Nampally Station 536-1 669; Boulder Creek, Californla-257 Sylvan Way pronounced almost as in Italian. The sound of the Road. AP : Jakarta, lndonesia- Gg. Kelinci IV: S·A: 950061 (408) 338-4465: Bridesville, Ca~ada-Roc k Kowloon, Hong Kong-38 Mody Rd. 41 fl., Tsim Sha Tsuyl Mountain Rd. British Columbia; Buffalo, New York- 132 short a is like the u in but. The long dis like the • in 3-668061 : Madras, India- 50, Aspiran Gardens. Madras Bidwell Pkwy. 14222/ (7 16) 882-0281 : Carriere, far and held twice as long as the short a, and t is like 600 01 01 612515; , lndia-ISKCON inter­ Mississippi-RI. 2. Box 449 zip: 394261( 60 1) 798-6705; the • in evade. Long I is like the i in pique. The national Center. PO Sree Mayapur Dham. W. Bengal Chicago, lllinois- 1014 Emerson St .. Evanston 602011 vowel ris pronounced like the tr in the English (District Nadia): New Delhi, lndia- 19 Todar Mal Lane. (312) 475-9126: Cleveland, - t5720 Euclid Ave .. E. word librr. The cis pronounced as in the English New Delhi 110001 : Taipei, Taiwan- 185· 19 HoPing E. Cleveland 441 121 1216) 851 -9367: Dallas, Texas-5430 word chair. The aspirated consonants (ch,jh. dh, etc.) Road, Section 1. 5th Floor: Tehran, Iran-P.O. Box Gurley Ave. 752231 (214) 827-6330; Denver, Colorado- ) re pronoune

Photos: Murallvadana dasa BACK TO GODHEAD 3 "The Krsna conscious devotees here come from the same country. as you, and formerly they also felt frustrated . . :' kalav asmin yuge janab. One of the Krg1a movement, He said: similar festival, in which many thou­ symptoms of this age is that almost sands of people joined and chanted and bharata-bhumite haifa manu~ya-janma ytira everyone has a very short life span. We danced with us. Then I went to Chicago, janma stirthaka kari' kara para-upaktira understand from the Vedic literatures where we held the same ceremony. Now (Cc. Adi, 9.41) that in this age one can live for as many this morning I have come here, and I am as 1 00 years. There are four yugas, or He thus expressed His desire by saying so glad to see that you are also joining ages-Satya-yuga, Treta-yuga, Dvapara­ that anyone who has taken birth as a this movement. yuga and Kali-yuga. In the Satya-yuga, human being in Bharata-var~a. or India, Universal Movement or the yuga of truthfulness, we used to should understand the Kr~~a conscious­ live for 100,000 years. (I say "we used ness movement and spread it all over the This is a universal movement. Don't to live" because in fact we are eternal, world for the benefit of all humanity. He think that it's something only for In­ although we are changing from one body also said: dians or Hindus. It is a movement for to the next.) In the next age, Treta-yuga, the duration of life was reduced to 10,000 years, and in the next, Dvapara yuga, it was reduced to 1,000 years. Now, in Kali-yuga, our duration of life is limited to only 100 years. But unfor­ tunately, because we are fallen-because our bodily strength, our sense of mercy, our memory and our other good qualities have all been reduced-we do not live for even 100 years. For instance, I am now about eighty years old, so people think that I have lived very long. But eighty years is nothing; we should ac­ tually live for 1 00 years. Because of our sinful life, however, the time is coming when our duration of life will be reduced so much that if a man lives for twenty or thirty years, he will be con­ sidered a grand old man. Therefore, since we are not very com­ fortable in material life, the Km1a con­ sciousness movement is meant to take us to the spiritual life of the spiritual world. There is a spiritual world, and we receive information about it from Bhagavad-gita. Those who have read Bhagavad-git.a know this, and so I shall re­ quest all of you to read our Bhagavad-gita As It Is. We have published about twenty books, each a minimum of four hundred every living being. Kn~a is the supreme pages long, and Bhagavad-gita is eleven prthivite ache yata nagaradi grama living being, and we are subordinate liv­ hundred pages. Nevertheless, we shall sarvatra pracara haibe mora nama ing beings. Because we are part and have to publish about eighty books to parcel of Kr~t:J.a, we are qualitatively one fully explain the KrHla consciousness This is a prediction that in all the with Knt:~.a, but because of our material movement. villages and towns of the entire world, association, we have forgotten that our I know that all the American ladies the Kr~t:~.a consciousness movement will qualities are in the same category as His. and gentlemen here are educated and in­ be known. So with the cooperation of We are qualitatively the same as Knt:~.a telligent, and I am very much obliged to you young Americans who are kindly but quantitatively different, just as a the Americans who have he! ped me helping to spread this movement, it is drop of ocean water is equal in its make this movement popular all over now factually becoming well known all qualities to the entire ocean, although the world. When Sri Caitanya over the world. I recently went to the drop is but an insignificant portion Mahaprabhu first introduced the Hare Melbourne, Australia, where we held a of the great ocean. We are part .and

4 BACK TO GODHEAD "Now, however, they feel complete, and that is why they are chanting and dancing:'

parcel of God. God is great, and we are yami festival was well received. In fact, brahma-bhiitab prasanndtma small; God is the maintainer, and we are there is a great monument in London na socati na kan~ati maintained; God is the predominator, called the Nelson column, and because samab sarvqu bhute?U the master, and we are the predominated our Jagannatha car was so high, a lead­ mad-bhaktim labhate param servants. ing London newspaper, The Guardian, The meaning of this verse is that if you This understanding that God is great reported that the car competed with that come to the platform of self-realization, and that we are all servants of God is the monument. or brahma-bhiita understanding, you will essence of self-realization. Self-realiza­ So I am glad that in Europe, in always be jubilant. By our constitutional tion means knowledge of one's own America and, indeed, all over the world, position we are meant to be jubilant, and identity. The self-realized person must the Knlfa consciousness movement is therefore, despite frustration due to our be able to answer the question, "Who being very well received. A few days contact with matter, we are always am I?" and since this movement enables ago, we had a meeting in Melbourne, hankering for happiness. We have to get out of contact with matter and come to the stage of self-realization in order to be always jubilant. If you become self­ realized, you will have no more hanker­ ings and desires. Instead, you will feel, "Now I have everything and am fully satisfied." The Knlfa conscious devotees here come from the same country as you, and formerly they also felt frustrated. Now, however, they feel complete, and that is why they are chanting and dancing. Dance of Love This dancing is not the dancing of dogs; it is a dance offeeling. Those who are dancing are actually understanding God and feeling their relationship with God. Therefore, their dancing is not or­ dinary, it is a dance of love of God. And it is open to everyone who will simply chant the maha-mantra-Hare Kr~Jfa, Hare Kr~lf a, Knlfa Knlfa, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. You are generally young, whereas I am an old man who may die at any moment. Therefore I request you to take this movement seriously. Understand it yourselves and then preach it one to do so, it is a movement of self­ Australia, in which the Bishop of throughout your country. People outside realization. I am therefore very glad that Melbourne and many other priests America generally follow and imitate you are taking part in it. greatly appreciated this movement. In­ what America does. I am traveling all We celebrate the Ratha-yatra festival deed, they admitted that they can learn a over the world, and everywhere I see every year. I started the Ratha-yatra great deal from it. other countries building skyscrapers and festival here in San Francisco in 1967, I therefore request you not to consider in other ways imitating your country. and in your great country it has con­ this movement a sectarian movement or Therefore if you kindly become Knlfa tinued here since then. We also celebrate a cultural import from India, for this is a conscious and chant and dance in the same festival in other cities, such as movement meant for all humanity. Its ecstasy, in emotional love of God, the London. Last year when I was in Lon­ purpose is to educate men in such a way entire world will follow you. Thus the don, more than ten thousand people that humanity will be lifted to the entire world can become Vaikul)~ha, a followed our procession from Piccadilly brahma-bhuta platform, the platform of spiritual world in which there will be no Circus to Trafalgar Square. Our Ratha- self-realization. Bhagavad-gita says: more trouble. Thank you very much. G

BACK TO GODHEAD 5

It was in San Francisco, 1967, that Sri/a Prabhupada's disciples first came to him with a small carved wooden image. They didn't know what it was, but they were attracted to it-its bright colors, red, black and green, and its large, saucer/ike eyes. Moreover, the unique form was labeled "Made in India." The neophyte devotees couldn't help being surprised wherz Sri/a PrabhupaJa, upon seeing the image, immediately offered his obeisances and requested that two similar images be brought from the import emporium where one ofhis disciples had come across the first one. Thus, in this unassuming way, the eternal forms ofLord ]aganniitha, the Supreme Personality of Godhead; His sister, Subhadrti; and His elder brother, &lartima, made Their divine appearance in the Internatiorzal Society for Krishna Consciousness. Uporz Sri/a Prabhz1ptida's order, the disciples recarved the three-inch Deities in a much larger siz e, placed Them upon the altar of the San Francisco temple, arranged a curtain around Them, and from that time onward offered Them all respect and worship. RATHA-YATRA an Ancient Festival Comes to the West

by Visakha-devi dasi

THROUGH THE SASTR.AS;or scriptures relate to Him personally, God, the we learn that God's energy is every­ Supreme Person, descends to the mate­ where. God is not different from His .en­ rial world in the authorized form of the ergy, just as the sun is not different from Deity. In unusual circumstances, such a the sunshine; therefore it is correct to Deity may be found in an unlikely place, say that God, in His energy, is every­ such as an import emporium, but no where. However, it is not possibte fot us mattet where He is, He remains the to establish an intimate relationship Supreme Personality of Godhead, the with this impersonal, all-pervasive summum bonum, the cause of all causes. aspect of God. Therefore, to enable us to We may find gold in a dirty place, but its

BACK TO GODHEAD 7 Right: The Deities ofLord Jaganntitha (far right), Subhadra (center), and Balartima (left) made Their first public appearance in the western world in San Francisco, Jun e, 196 7.

Below: Preparingfor the celebration. Devotee carpenters make the five-ton, forty-five-foot high carts.

value does not change; it is still gold. So, Knl).a is always Knt:J.a, wherever He may be. He is always Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe. As a pure devotee of Lord Above: Three huge carts Jagannatha, Srila Prabhupada perfectly await the arrival oftheir realizes that the form of Lord Jagannatha transcendental passengers and Lord Jagannatha Himself are non­ in Golden Gate Park, San different. Therefore he offered obei­ Francisco. sances to the Lord and instructed his dis­ Left: Jaganntitha, the ciples to worship the Deity. Lord ofthe universe, on Simply by following sincerely the in­ His way to the ratha cart, structions of an expert spiritual master, tuhere He will sit and one can make spiritual advancement, observe the festival in His surely and certainly. Thus when Srila honor. Prabhupada explained that there should Below: Sri/a Prabhupada be a great festival in honor of Lord participates in Ratha­ Jagannatha each year, his disciples were ytitrti every year, just as he eager to make the proper arrangements. did in his childhood. Here Malati-devi dasi, the young disciple who he arrives at the London had first brought the small carved Deity ceremonr to the San Francisco temple, recalls: "One day Srila Prabhupada called us up to his quarters and told us about a won­ derful yearly festival in Puri, Lord Jagannatha's home in India. He re­ quested that we also hold this great festival, called Ratha-yatra. He said that Jagannatha should be kept in seclusion for fifteen days prior to the festival, and in that time we should thoroughly cleanse and repaint the temple. So that's what we did. Srila Prabhupada ex-

8 BACK TO GODHEAD plained that Jagannatha, Balarama and been very dear to Srila Prabhupada. Subhadra should ride in three hand­ When Srila Prabhupada was a young pulled vehicles with wheels about eight boy, his father, Gour Mohan De, who feet high. But for the first festival we had was also a great devotee of the Lord, to simplify things, so we used a large built him a small cart. Then, at the same flat-bed truck, decorated with leaves and time that Lord Jagannatha, Balarama flowers. We began at the corner of and Subhadra were being magnificently Haight and Lyon Streets and proceeded pulled through the streets of Jagannatha to the ocean." During the journey, the Puri in three giant carts with millions of devotees continuously chanted Hare pilgrims in attendance, Srila Prabhupada KJ;~I).a and distributed fruit and chapatis and his young friends would pull their (a kind of bread) that had first been small cart through the streets near their offered to the Lord. "It was Lord Jagan­ home in Calcutta. This procession, al­ natha's first public appearance in the though small, was nonetheless glorious. West," said Malati dasi, "and what was Just in front of the cart some of the lacking in opulence was made up for by youngsters played mrdangas (drums) and everyone's enthusiasm." karatalas (cymbals) and sang for the The Ratha-yatra ceremony has always Lord's pleasure. Others pulled the cart

Top: The two and a half-mile journey to the sea begitts. Above: The streets ofPhiladelphia become sanctified by the presence ofthe Lord and His devotees. Right: The Deities' carts are pulled by hand with strong ropes.

BACK TO GODHEAD 9 10 BACK TO GODHEAD with ropes, while still others cared for the Deities during Their journey, fan­ ning Them and seeing to Their com­ forts. As the jubilant group passed, people would stop their work, come out of their homes or offices to watch, and be reminded of the Lord. In this way, everyone benefited. As confirmed in the revealed scriptures, "A person who sees the Lord's Ratha-yatra car festival and then stands up to receive the Lord can purge all kinds of sinful results from his body." (Brahmat~!ia Purti~) A similar statement appears in the Bhavi$ya Purtit~a: "Even if born of a lowly family, a person who follows the Ratha-yatra car when the Deities pass in front or from behind will surely be elevated to achieving equal opulence with Vi$1)U, the Supreme Lord." As the children grew, Gour Mohan De would have the cart built propor­ tionately larger, and each year the children would distribute ample prastida (food that had first been offered to the Lord in love) to one and all. Thus by im­ itating their elders these fortunate children were honoring the Lord from the beginning of their lives. Every one of us has a natural tendency to honor someone, just as a child has a natural propensity to walk. This propen­ sity to honor and love someone is pres­ ent in every living being. Even an animal like a tiger has this loving pro­ pensity at least in a dormant stage, and it is certainly present in human beings. The missing point, however, is where to repose our love so that everyone can be­ come happy. At the present moment, human society teaches one to love his country or family or his personal self, but there is no information about where to repose the loving propensity so that everyone can become happy. That miss­ ing point is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Jagannatha, and by celebrating different ceremonies in honor of the Lord, such as Ratha-yatra, we can learn to stimulate our original love for the Lord and thus enjoy our blissful life. As Sar1 Francisco's 1974 Ratha-ytitrti festival concludes, Sri/a Prabh11pada leads the entire m1dierzce, thirty-thousand, in a joyful kirtana (chanting of the holy names of the Lord).

BACK TO GODHEAD 11 Top: Aaompa11ied by His dwocees, guesrs a11d rhousa11ds ofparcicipams , Lord Ja.~amu!cha makes His way rl1rough rile screw ofdo1VIII011Jtt Chica~o. Bottom: Si11ce rhe]a gatmacha car fesri11al UlaS imrodured i11 rile Wesc, each year ir .~ rows larJ.er. Here, ;, Golde, Gate park, a11 l'a rlyfes rival is abouc co ht!,~il1.

12 BACK TO GODHEAD Crowds jam Londo11 's Trafalgar Square as Lord ]agam1iitha a11d His associates take Their places 011 the steps of the Nelso11 Monument.

It is for this reason, to revive the God Supreme Lord. Such a pure devotee is Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare-that consciousness dormant in their hearts described in Bhagavad-gita (9 .14) by seed will fructify, and the spiritual plant and in the hearts of others, chat Srila Lord Knt:ta Himself: "Always chancing of their love of Godhead will start co Prabhupada first asked his disciples to My glories, endeavoring with great grow and grow. organize a Ratha-yatra festival. Now this determination, bowing down before Me, This process of developing our dor­ ceremony is observed not only in Jagan­ these great souls perpetually worship Me mant love for God is easy, and it can be natha Puri and San Francisco (which with devotion." performed in a happy mood. One does Srila Prabhupada has called New Jagan­ The Ratha-yatra festival that will be not have to undergo any severe penance natha Puri), but also in many of the held this month in major cities or austerity. We can live this life serving other centers of the International Society throughout the world will enable God, guided by an expert spiritual for Krishna Consciousness around the millions of people co come directly in master, and in any position, anywhere in world. Previously Srila Prabhupada was touch with Knt:ta Himself. Those fortu­ the world, perform some kind of service participating with his playmates in chis nate souls will gee the opportunity to to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. great event, and today he is still par­ sow the seed of love of God in their Thus we can become eligible co go back ticipating, but now with his disciples. hearts, and if they water that seed by home, back to Godhead. One can start That is the nature of a pure devotee; he continuing to hear and chant the mahii­ the whole process simply by participat­ is continuously and fully absorbed in his mantra-Hare Kr~t:ta, Hare Knt:ta, Knt:ta ing in the Lord's wonderful Racha-yacra eternal loving relationship with the Knt:ta, Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare festival. Everyone is welcome. 0

Le ft : AsJagannatha, Subluuira and Balartima look on, a play based on Bhagavad-gita is performed by a devotee cast after the feast in San Francisco. Above: Everyone who took part in the celebration enjoys afi1ll-course meal ofpure vegetrlrian prasada (food first offered to Lord ]aganntitha).

BACK TO GODHEAD 13 Are t he Hare Kr~l) a devotees idol worshipers? A senior member of the International Soci ety for Krishna Consciousness resolves this question by explaining the authenticity of the Deity form of the Lord. Whose WorshiP. is Idol Worship?

by Jayadvaita dasa

T'S NATURAL for us to want to know worse still, in frustration he may con­ imagined by the human mind. The what God looks like, just as it's clude chat there is no such thing as God classic example occurs in the Bible. Inatural for a child who's never seen or that God really has no form at all. When Moses ascended Me. Sinai co his father to want to know what his However, actually seeing the form of receive the Ten Commandments, in his father looks like. And just as such a child God in the Ratha-yatra festival can absence the Israelites molded a golden may imagine, "Maybe my father looks rescue the soul from the perils of mate­ calf and began to worship it as God. like this" or "Maybe he looks like chat," rialism and the hopelessness that comes This, indeed, was idolatry, for instead of so we, too, speculate about what God from thinking that God is void or dead. worshiping God, they had worshiped must be like. The artist Michelangelo, Sometimes people unfamiliar with the their own whimsical creation. for example, knowing God to be the meaning of the Ratha-yatra festival But aren't the Hare Knr:Ja people also original person, speculated that He must think that the devotees singing and worshiping statues made of metal and actually look old, with white hair and dancing with their arms in the air are wood? T o understand what is actually the features of an aged man. In this way, offering homage to a statue. Indeed, going on in the Hare Kr$r:Ja temples and perhaps all of us have at one time or sometimes they condemn the entire the Ratha-yatra parade, first we must another formed at least some mental pic­ celebration as paganism. Or else they think about Kr$r:Ja, or God (Kr$r:Ja is a ture of God from whatever little we hesitate to join the Ratha-yatra parade, name of God), as a real person. We must knew of Him. Imagination, however, is for they remember that God is "a jealous overcome false notions that God is im­ not reality, and therefore the Supreme God" who commands, "Thou shalt have personal or void, for such ideas arise Lord, both in the Bible and in other no other God before Me" and "Thou only from a poor fund of knowledge. A scriptures, warns us not to engrave our shalt not worship a graven image." What child who sees a satellite floating in imaginary conceptions in wood or stone about this? Are the Hare Knr:Ja people space may think chat it's traveling on its and thus offer homage to our illusions. really idol worshipers? own, but the enlightened father knows But the soul hankers to see the that great teams of scientists are applying beautiful form of God, and if he cannot Golden Calf their intelligence and energy to guide do so, he is likely to try to satisfy himself To know for sure, first we must define the satellite in its orbit. Similarly, a with the beautiful but temporary things what idolatry is. Concisely, idolatry is thoughtful human being must know that to be seen in the material world. Or the worship of a material form of God directing all the greater satellites we call

14 BACK TO GODHEAD "Although the scriptures of the West consistently speak of God as a person, they give only scanty information about His personal form, qualities and Kingdom:' the stars and planets is a supreme intelli­ scriptures and refer to the scriptures to for nowhere else will you find the rietails gence, a supreme person. The cosmos, support their own words. They never in­ of His spiritual name, form, qualities, with its seemingly unlimited wonders, vent anything new. pastimes and abode. could not have just hatched from some However, although the scriptures of Consider chis excerpt from the void or impersonal force. Such an idea is the West consistently speak of God as a Bhakcivedanta purports of Bhagavad-gitti absurd. "Force" implies that ultimately As It Is: "The supreme abode of the Per­ a person must be applying the force. We sonality of Godhead, Kf$Qa, is described may not know who that person is, but in the Brahma-samhitii as cintiima~;~i-dhama, that is no excuse for denying that He a place where all desires are fulfilled. exists. The supreme abode of Lord Kl'$Qa, known as Goloka Vrndavana, is full of Honest Ignorance palaces made of touchstone. There Granting, as we reasonably are also trees called 'desire trees,' should, that such a person does ex­ which supply any type of eatable ist, why should we deny Him a upon demand, and there are name, form and other personal cows known as s11rabhi, which qualities? We may honestly ad­ supply a limitless supply of mit that we don't know what milk. In chis abode, the Lord they are, but to say that what is served by hundreds of thou­ we don't know about cannot sands of goddesses of fortune exist betrays a narrow, {lak~mis), and He is called unreasonable mind. If God is Govinda, the primal Lord the Supreme Person, the and the cause of all causes. Supreme Father, He must have The Lord is accustomed to all the qualities of a person. blow His flute (ve~;~um kva­ Otherwise, how could personal ~;~antam). His transcendental qualities appear in His sons? form is the most attractive in The emanations cannot have all the worlds-His eyes are more chan their source; the parts like lotus petals and His bodily cannot have more than the whole; color like clouds. He is so attrac­ the tiny drop cannot have more tive that His beauty excels chat of than the ocean. J usc as an ocean of thousands of cupids. He wears water has the same chemical makeup saffron cloth, a garland around His as its individual drops, the Supreme Liv­ neck and a peacock feather in His hair." ing Being must have all the personal Not Imagination qualities found in the innumerable liv­ ing beings who are part and parcel of It is co be stressed that these are not Him. Therefore, God must also have a imaginary conceptions, like those of a name, form and senses. person, they give only scanty informa­ poet or an artist. These are the explicit So if God has a personal form, what is tion about His personal form, qualities descriptions of the revealed Vedic scrip­ it? Our limited, imperfect mind and and kingdom. If we want more detailed tures. The Vedic scriptures cell us God's senses cannot tell us, for He is beyond information about God, we must turn to name- Kr$Qa-and they describe in them. Indeed, God is beyond the entire the Vedic scriptures of the KrHla con­ minute detail His qualities, pastimes, en­ universe. (How else could He be its crea­ sciousness movement. These arc books tourage and abode. And most important tor?) Therefore if we want to know like Bhagavad-gua, Srimad-Bhtigavatam and for resolving the question of idol wor­ about the personal qualities of God, we other scientific scriptures, which were ship, they describe in detail His form. must receive this information from God first compiled in writing in India some The forms of Kl'$Qa on the Ratha­ Himself, through the revealed scrip­ 5,000 years ago. yatra car and in the KnQa consciousness tures. We may also learn from a self­ This is the call of the Kr$Qa con­ temples are not imaginary creations. realized saint or spiritual teacher, but the sciousness movement: if you indeed They are fashioned exactly according to qualification of such saintly teachers­ want to understand God in His full glory the descriptions of the Vedic literature. like Jesus Christ, for example- is that as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, The Deity is not a whimsical icon. they always speak on the basis of the then you must turn to these scriptures, When we sec the form of the Deity of

BACK TO GODHEAD 15 A piijar'i (priest) m akes an offering to the Deity ofLo rd Jagannatha. "Tire reason tire Deit)' is naorded ~ uclr re11emrce is tlrmclreform of God is God. There is 110 drjji:mrre IJI'Iweerr rlreform oftire Lord atrd rlre Lord Him s1•/f"

KrHta, what we are seeing is the actual sonality of Godhead and His transcen­ laws that govern the prisoners. The tran­ form of God. dental form are the same spiritual iden­ scendental form of the Supreme Lord But even if we accept that the Deities tity. The Vedic literatures describe that has all opulence and power. Therefore in the Kr~J:ta consciousness temples ac­ each part of His transcendental body can the Lord has the power to appear in the curately represent what God looks like, perform any of the functions of any material world in His transcendental this still does not explain why the Hare other part. Thus although with our eyes form as the Deity but always remain the Kr~J:ta people worship the form of the we can only see, the Lord can not only same transcendental Lord. Deity as if it were actually God Himself. see with His eyes, but also taste, smell or We may object that God cannot have This is a matter that requires some hear with them. Thus the transcendental a form made of ordinary matter like philosophical astuteness. form of the Supreme Lord is unlimited wood or stone. But we should consider The reason the Deity is accorded such and all-powerful. that for the Lord there is no difference reverence is that the form of God is God. between matter and spirit, for the Lord Transcend There is no difference between the form ental Appearance can change spirit into matter and matter of the Lord and the Lord Himself. On The Lord's form is eternally transcen­ into spirit. Everything is God's energy, the material platform, a person and his dental wherever He appears, even in the and God is all-spiritual. Therefore all of picture, for instance, are different. material world. When an ordinary liv­ God's energy is also spiritual. We call it Seeing a picture of a friend may remind ing being comes to the material world, "material" or "spiritual" according to us of that friend, but the picture is only a the material energy subjects him to how it acts upon us, but in reality it is representation, not the friend himself. many limitations. It covers him with a one spiritual energy. To draw another Furthermore, in the material world a temporary material body that afflicts comparison, electricity is one single en­ person is different even from his very him with many mise ries. Thus he has to ergy, although sometimes it works in a body, for the body is matter whereas the get old and diseased and finally die and refrigerator to cool things and sometimes person is the spiritual spark within the accept another body. But the Supreme in a stove to make things hot. The expert body. But God, if we accept Him as Lord is not under the material laws of electrician who can master electrical en­ being fully spiritual, must be free from nature; He is beyond those laws, just as a ergy can use it to perform either func- all such dualities. The Supreme Per- king who visits a prison is beyond the (continued on page 19)

16 BACK TO GODHEAD FREEDOM IN KNOWLEDGE Read th e books of His Divine Grace A. C. Bh aktivedanta Swa mi Prabhupada

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Songs of the Vai~r:rava Acaryas City ______State ______Zip ___ The most 1mportant songs and mantras of K! $~0 consCIOUS lllornlure IS also ava1latlle 1n Span1sh, French. German.ltahan. H1nd1 the Hare K!~l) a movement S2.95(SVA) Swedosh, Sw ahilo and Olher languages Please wnte lo r mforma110n The members of the Link· UP International Society for Krishna Consciousness to the most important spiritual master invite you to visit any of the more than in the world today. sixty-five Krsna conscious centers ~ for weekday classes and a As it's said, hearing is the beginn ing of delightful feast every Sunday. understanding. Now, with a Golden Avatar tape Write or call the center subscription, you can hear the message of Krl?t:~a consciousness directly from a bona fide spiritual nearest you for further information. master, a pure devotee of K rl? t:~a - H is Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. "(/is ted on page two of this issue! Each week, you'll receive lectures, interviews, classes and intimate conversations with His Divine Grace, all recorded only a few days before. You'll find that listening to these transcendental sounds is a wonderful way to make advancement on the path toward spiritual perfection. Krsna. .. Conscious Calendar Kr~l)a conscious devotees follow a spiritual calendar that d Lvides the year into twelve months, each oamed for a dif· ferent form of Kr~rJa . The year is full of Kr~Qa conscious festivals, and some of the upcoming ones are listed here. The devotees of the ISKCON center nearest you will gladly tell you more about the meaning of these festivals.

Year 489, Caitanya Era Va i~l)ava Month of (30 days, june 24-July 23)

KmJa · pak~a (dark fortnight)

Disappearance of Srlla Disappearance of Srlla Syamananda Prabhu. Vakresvara PaQ<;lita.

Disappearance of Srlla Yogini-ekadasi. Srlv.!sa Thakura.

Ekadasi Paraoa before 9:27a.m. Disappearance of Cadadhara Pal)<;lita and Bhaktivinoda Thakura. Cleansing of the CuQ<;lica Temple.

Sukla - pak~a (bright fortnight)

Ratha-yatra of Lord Disappearance of. Srlla Jagannatha. Svaropa Damodara CosvamT and Srlla Sivananda Sena.

Hera-pai'lcaml and Sri Return YaWl of Lord Lak~mT-vijaya. Jagannatha.

sayana-ekadasl. Ekada ~i ParaQa before 9:30a.m.

Beginning of Caturmasya Vrata. Disappearance of Srlla Sanatana CosvamT. uWherever God's energy is existing, God Himself is also existing; just as the sun is present wherever there is sunshine."

(contimledfrom page 16) adherence to the rules of the scriptures dental nature of the name, form, cion. Similarly, the Lord, the master of are the essential ingredients that make qualities and pastimes of the Lord all energies, can turn matter into spirit at Deity worship vastly different from through his materially contaminated His will. Who can stop Him? So even if worship of an ordinary idol. If the form senses. Only when one becomes we accept the Deity as being stone or one worships is merely imaginary, then spiritually saturated by transcendental wood, we must admit that the Supreme one's worship is whimsical idolatry. But service to the Lord are the transcenden­ Lord has the power to change stone o.r if one worships the authorized transcen­ tal name, form, qualities and pastimes of wood into spirit at any moment. dental form of the Lord with a sincere the Lord revealed to him." desire to serve the Lord, and if one The Padma Puratta specifically men­ Eternal Omnipresence strictly adheres to the rules and regula­ tions that we can best begin to purify our In one sense, the Lord is already pres­ tions of the scriptures, his worship is senses by purifying the tongue. Of all the ent in all stone and wood - as well as transcendental, and the Lord will cer­ senses, the tongue is the most difficult to everywhere else- because everything is tainly accept it. The example is often control. Nevertheless, one can control it His energy. Wherever God's energy is given of a post office and an authorized very easily by eating food fi_rst offered to existing, God Himself is also existing, mailbox. Because the post office may be KniJ.a and by chanting the holy name of just as the sun is present wherever there far from our homes, the postal officials I4$IJ.a, as found in the mahti-mantra­ is sunshine. A fully God conscious per­ install authorized boxes in various Hare Kq!).a, Hare Kr~IJ.a, Kr~IJ.a Kr~IJ.a, son can recognize God's presence in His neighborhoods so that we can use them Hare Hare/ Hare Rama, Hare Rama, energy, and therefore He can see God to send our mail. One can paint any box Rama Rama, Hare Hare. This will cer­ everywhere. For the benefit of those who blue and red and call it a mailbox, but it tainly purify the tongue of even a most are not so advanced, however, the energy will have no value. However, when the materialistic person. And when the of God can be shaped into the transcen­ postal officials install an authorized tongue is thus engaged in the service of dental form of God so that ev~n in this mai\box, that box is as good as the post the Lord, all the other senses can also be material world we can see the transcen­ office itself. Similarly, an imaginary engaged. dental form of the omnipresent Supreme form of God is nothing more than an The worship of the Lord as the Personality of Godhead. idol; but the authorized form of the Lord Deity-and specifically the worship of Those who are addicted co the idea of is as good as the Lord Himself, and the Lord Jagannatha in the Ratha-yatra a formless, impersonal God object to the Lord, in His transcendental form as the festival-is an opportunity for us to worship of the Deity in the temple. Deity, will accept the service we render purify our senses in this way. When the "God is everywhere," they say. "Why to Him and will also reveal Himself to us Lord appears before us as the Deity, we should we worship Him in the temple?" more and more. can purify our minds simply by thinking But if God is everywhere, is He not in Now, we may see the Deity to be no about Him. Similarly, we can purify our the temple also? God is certainly every­ more than wood or stone, but that is due eyes simply by seeing Him, our ears and where, but we cannot see Him every­ only to our defective vision. The Lord tongues just by hearing and chanting His where. We are all eternal servants of the cannot be seen with our blunt material holy names, our nostrils by smelling rhe Lord, but we have forgotten our rela­ senses. One has to purify his eyes by incense and flowers offered to Him, and tionship with Him. Therefore the Lord, seeing through the vision of the scrip­ our bodies by standing up to see Him, by His causeless mercy, appears as the tures and by rendering devotional ser­ dancing before Him or bowing down to Deity in the temple so that even in this vice to the Lord. This is the process for offer Him our obeisances. world of material forgetfulness we can developing our spiritual vision so that Kr~IJ.a says in Bhagavad-gita, ye yatha see Him and revive our eternal relation­ we will be able to see the supreme mtitil prapadyallte tatils tathaiva bhajamy ship with Him. Lord. aham: "As one surrenders himself unto How does the Lord change matter Me, I reciprocate with him." Thus for into spirit? He does so when He appears, Process of Purification one who refuses to accept the verdict of by the grace of His devotee, as the tran­ Only by devotional service can the the Vedic scriptures and who therefore scendental form of the Deity. When a Lord be known. As confirmed m the considers the Deity a wooden idol, K~~t).a pure devotee paints or carves the form of Padma P11Tti1;1a, will remain an idol forever. The scrip­ the Deity and calls upon the Lord to tures say thar such a person is cursed atab sri-kr~~;~a -namadi kindly agree to accept his humble ser­ tla bhaved grahyam indriyaib with a hellish mentality. But for one vice, the Lord agrees to do so, provided sevonmukhe hi jihvadau who tries co appreciate the Lord's pres­ everything is done according to the svayam eva sphuraty adab ence as the Deity and render service scriptural regulations. One's sincere at­ unto Him, the Lord will one day fu lly titude of service to the Lord and strict "No one can understand the tunscen- reveal Himself. 0

BACK TO GODHEAD 19 THE DANCE OF DIVINE LOVE FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has sponsored Ratha-y~tr~ festivals in major cities throughout the world. The devotees of the Kr$(1a consciousness movement are introducing this ancient festival to the modern world because they are followers of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who is pictured at the right. Lord Caitanya Is an Incarnation of Kf$(1a who appeared 500 years ago to teach that the best way to achieve spiritual perfection In the present Age of Quarrel is to chant the holy names of the Supreme Lord. The following article recounts the miraculous dancing and transcendental pastimes performed by Lord Caitanya Mah8prabhu when He personally took part in the Ratha-ytltra festival in Jagann~tha Purl, India. The article is an excerpt from Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya-lila, Chapters 13-14), a work originally composed in Bengali. shortly after Lord Caitanya's disappearance, by the great poet and spiritual master K($(1ad~sa Kaviraja Gosv~mi. It has been translated into English by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhup~da, who has supplemented the work with Illuminating purports.

M ay the Supreme Personality of Godhead, SrT Kr~Qa King Prataparudra in person [the King of Orissa], as well Caitanya, who danced in front of the cart of Sri Jagannatha, as his entourage, allowed the pa(u;/u-vijaya ceremony to be be all glorified! By seeing His dancing, not only was the seen by all the associates of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. whole universe held in wonder, but Lord Jagannatha Him­ self became very much astonished. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His prominent devotees­ Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu and others-were All glories to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Nityananda greatly happy to observe how Lord Jagannatha was begin­ Prabhu, Advaita Acarya and all the devotees of Lord Sri ning the Ratha-yatra. Caitanya Mahaprabhu. T he very strongly built dayitas [carriers of the Jagan­ Glorifying the listeners of Caitanya-caritamrta, I request natha Deity) were as powerful as drunken elephants. They them to hear the description of the dancing of Lord Caitanya manually carried Lord Jagannatha from the throne to the Mahaprabhu at the Ratha-yatra festival. This is very car. enchanting. Please hear it with great attention. PURPORT Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates The word dayita refers to one who has received the got up in the dark and attentively took their early morning mercy of the Lord. Lord Jagannatha has a number of stal­ baths. wart servants known as dayitas. These servants do not come from very high-caste families (brahmaoas. k~atriyas They then went to see the ceremony of par:u;Ju-vijaya. or vaisyas), but because they are engaged in the service During this ceremony, Lord Jagannatha leaves His throne of the Lord, they have been elevated to a respected and gets up onto the ratha car. position.

20 BACK TO GODHEAD

While carrying the Deity of Lord Jagannatha, some of the dayitas took hold of the shoulders of the Lord, and some caught His lotus feet. The Lord Jagannatha Deity was bound at the waist by a strong, thick rope made of silk. From two sides the dayitas caught hold of this rope and raised the Deity. Strong, puffed-up cotton pads called tu/is were spread out from the throne to the cart, and the dayitas carried the heavy Deity of Lord Jagannatha from one pillow-like pad to the next. While the dayitas carried the heavy Deity, some of the pads broke, and the cotton contents floated into the air. When they broke, they made a heavy, cracking sound. "THE SEER AND THE DANCER WERE ONE AND THE SAME Lord Jagannatha is the maintainer of the whole universe. SUPREME PERSON... " Who can carry Him from one place to another? However, the Lord moves by His personal will, just to perform His the King became eligible to receive Sri Caitanya pastimes. Mahaprabhu's mercy. If a devotee accepts Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu While the Lord was transported from the throne to the car, as the universal guru and Lord Jagannatha as tumultuous sounds were made on various musical instru­ the Supreme Personality of Godhead K($f)a, he ments. SrT Caitanya Mahaprabhu was chanting "Mal)ima is benefited by the combined mercy of K($f)a mal)ima," but He could not be heard. and guru. That is stated by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in His instructions to Rupa Gosvami (Cc. Madhya 19.151 ): PURPORT The word maoima is used in Orissa to address a brahmaoc;la bhramite kona bhagyavan jiva respectable person. Lord Jagannatha was being respect­ guru-kr~oa-prasade paya bhakti-lata-bija fully addressed by Sri Caitanya in this way. While the Lord was being carried from the throne to the The seed of devotional service fructifies and becomes a car, King Prataparudra personally engaged himself in the transcendental creeper. Finally it reaches the lotus feet of Lord's service by cleansing the road with a broom that had a the Lord in the spiritual sky. This seed is obtained by the golden handle. mercy of the Lord and the guru. By the Lord's mercy one gets the association of a bona fide guru, and by the mercy The King sprinkled the road with water scented with san­ of the guru, one gets the chance to render devotional ser­ dalwood. Although he was the owner of the royal throne, he vice. Devotional service, the science of bhakti-yoga, car­ engaged himself in menial service for the sake of Lord ries one from this material world to the spiritual world. Jagannatha. E veryone was astonished to see the decorations on the Although the King was the most exalted and respected ratha car. The car appeared to be newly made of gold, and it person, he nonetheless accepted the menial service of the was as high as Mount Sumeru. Lord. Thus he became a suitable candidate to receive the Lord's mercy. The decorations included bright mirrors and hundreds and hundreds of camaras [white whisks made of yak tails]. Upon seeing the King engaged in such menial service, On top of the car were a neat and clean canopy and a very Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. Simply by ren­ beautiful flag. dering this service, the King received the mercy of the Lord. PURPORT The car was decorated with silken cloth and various pic­ Unless one receives the mercy of the Lord, he cannot tures. Many brass bells, gongs and ankle bells rang. understand the Supreme Personality of Godhead or For the pastimes of the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord engage in His devotional service. Jagannatha got aboard one car, and His sister, Subhadra, and elder brother, Balarama, got aboard two other cars. athapi te deva padambuja-dvaya­ prasada-leMnugrhtta eva hi The fine white sand spread all over the path before the janati tattvarh bhagavan mahimno car resembled the bank of the Yamuna, and the small gar­ na canya eko 'pi cirarh vicinvan dens on both sides looked just like those in Vrndavana. (Srtmad-Bhagavatam, 10.14.29) A s Lord Jagannatha rode in His car and saw the beauty on both sides of Him, His mind was filled with pleasure. Only a devotee who has received a small fraction of the mercy of the Lord can understand Him. Others may The pullers of the car were known as gaur;Jas, and they engage in theoretical speculation to understand the Lord, pulled with great pleasure. However, the car went some­ but they cannot know anything about Him. When Sri times very fast and sometimes very slow. Caitanya Mahaprabhu saw the King engaged in menial Sometimes the car would stand still and not move, even service for Lord Jagannatha, He became very happy. Thus though it was drawn very forcibly. The chariot therefore

22 BACK TO GODHEAD moved by the will of the Lord, not by the strength of any or­ and He brought His car to a standstill just to see the perfor­ dinary person. mance. As the car started, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gathered all King Prataparudra also was astonished to see the His devotees and, with His own hand, decorated them with sar'lkirtana. He became inactive and was converted to flower garlands and sandalwood pulp. ecstatic love of Kr~oa. Paramananda Purl and Brahmananda Bharati were both When the King informed Kasi Misra of the glories of the personally given garlands and sandalwood pulp from the Lord, Kasi Misra replied: "0 King, your fortune has no limit!" very hands of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This increased their transcendental pleasure. The King and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya were both aware of the Lord's activities, but no one else could see the tricks Similarly, when Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu. felt the touch of the transcendental hand of Sri Caitanya Only a person who Mahaprabhu, They both became very pleased. has received the mercy of the Lord can understand. Without the Lord's mercy, even the T he Lord also gave garlands and sandalwood pulp to the demigods, headed by Lord Brahma, cannot understand. performers of sar'lkirtana. The two chief performers were Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Svaropa Damodara and Srlvasa TMkura. became very satisfied to see the King accept the menial task of sweeping the street, and There were four parties of kirtana performers, comprising for this humility, the King received the mercy of Sri Caitanya twenty-four chanters. In each party there were also two Mahaprabhu. He could therefore observe the mystery of Sri mrdar'lga players, making an additional eight persons. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's activities. There was also a sar'lkirtana party from the village known PURPORT as Kullna-grama. and Satyaraja were ap­ The mystery of the Lord's activities is described by Sri/a pointed the dancers in this group. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Tha.kura. Lord Jagannatha was astonished to see the transcendental dancing and Another party came from Santipura and was formed by chanting of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and He stopped Advaita Acarya. Acyutananda was the dancer, and the rest His cart to see the dancing. Lord Caitanya Maha.prabhu of the men were singers. then danced in such a mystical way that He pleased Lord Jagannatha. The seer and the Another party was formed by the people of Khao<;Ja. These dancer were one and the same Supreme Person, but the people were singing in a different place. In that group, Lord, being one and many at the same time, was exhibiting Narahari Prabhu and Raghunandana were dancing. Four the variegatedness of His pastimes. That is the m~aning parties chanted and danced in front of Lord Jagannatha, behind His mysterious exhibition. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the and on both sides were two other parties. Another was at the King could rear. understand how both of Them were enjoying each other's activities. Another mysterious exhibition was Thus there were seven parties of sat'lkirtana, and in each Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's simultaneous presence in party two men were beating drums. Thus fourteen drums seven groups. By the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, were being played at once. The sound was tumultuous, and the King could understand that also. all the devotees became mad. Although the King was refused an interview, he was in­ All the Vai$Qavas came together like an assembly of directly granted causeless mercy. Who can understand the clouds. As the devotees chanted the holy names in great internal potency of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu? ecstasy, tears fell from their eyes like rainfall. PURPORT When the sar'lkirtana resounded, it filled the three worlds. Since Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was playing the part of Indeed, no one could hear mundane sounds or musical in­ a world teacher, He had refused to see the King because a struments other than the sat'lkirtana. king is a mundane person interested in money and women. Indeed, the very name "king" suggests one who is Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered through all seven always surrounded by money and women. As a sannyasl, groups, chanting the holy name, "Hari, Hari!" Raising His Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was afraid of both money and arms, He shouted, ':.\11 glories to Lord Jagannatha!" women. The very word "king" is repugnant to one who is in Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then exhibited another mystic the renounced order of life. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu power by performing pastimes simultaneously in all seven refused to see the King, but indirectly, by the Lord's groups. causeless mercy, the King was able to understand the mysterious activities of the Lord. Lord Caitanya Everyone said, "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present in Mahaprabhu's activities were exhibited sometimes to my group. Indeed, He does not go anywhere else. He is reveal Him as the Supreme Personality of Godhead and bestowing His mercy upon us:• sometimes to show Him as a devotee. Both kinds of ac­ tivity are mysterious and appreciated only by pure Actually, no one could see the inconceivable potency of devotees. the Lord. Only the most confidential devotees, those in pure unalloyed devotional service, could understand. When the two great personalities Sarvabhauma Bhat­ tacarya and Kasi Misra saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu's cause­ L ord Jagannatha was very pleased by the sar'lkirtana, less mercy upon the King, they became astonished.

BACKTOGODHEAD 23 Lord Sri Caitanya MahAprabhu performed His pastimes PURPORT for some time in this way. He was personally singing and in­ Lord Sri K($Oa expanded Himself into many forms while ducing His personal associates to dance. engaged in the rasa-lila dance, and He also expanded Himself when He married 16,000 wives in Dvarak8. The According to His need, th8 Lord exhibited sometimes one same process was adopted by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu form and sometimes many forms. This was being executed when He expanded Himself into seven forms to dance in by His internal potency. each and every group of the sal'lkirtana party. These ex­ Indeed, the Personality of Godhead forgot Himself in the pansions were appreciated by pure devotees, including course of His transcendental pastimes, but His internal King Prataparudra. Although for reasons of external for­ potency [lila-saktJ], knowing the intentions of the Lord, mality Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu refused to see King Pra­ made all arrangements. taparudra because he was a king, King Prataparudra be­ PURPORT came one of the Lord's most confidential devotees by the Lord's special mercy upon him. The King could see Sri As stated in the Upani~ads: parasya sal

24 BACK TO GODHEAD The Appearance of LORD JAGANNATHA

'1"\E RATHA-YATRA secret place to worship .I festival, the parade Sri Nlla-madhava. of the chariots of Lord A fter that day, J agannatha, Subhadra 's joy knew no and Balarama, is yearly bounds. Actually Lalita celebrated at the home of had been ordered by her Lord J agannatha in father not to tell anyone India called Jagannatha about Sri Nila-madhava, Purl. At Jagannatha Puri, but she overstepped that Lord Jagannatha is order by telling her hus­ worshiped in one of the oldest temples Vidyapati immediately became in India. The story of how Lord Jagan­ by Nitii elisa eager to see Sri Nlla-madhava, and natha appeared is a very interesting finally one day, by the repeated request episode in Vedic history. shelter in the house of a local of the of his daughter, the Sahara Visvasu King Indradyumna was a great devo­ name Visvasu. When he arrived, the bound the eyes of Vidyapati and took tee of Lord Vi~~u and was very eager to master of the house was not there, but him to see Sri Nlla-madhava. As they meet Him face to face. One time, by the his young daughter, Lalita, was there were leaving, Vidyapati's wife. secretly Lord's arrangement, a devotee of the alone. In a short time the master of the bound some mustard seeds in the border Lord arrived in the court of King In­ house returned and instructed his of Vidyapati's cloth, and so while pass­ dradyumna, and in the course of discus­ daughter to render all service needed for ing on the path he threw them down to sion he began to talk about an incarna­ hospitality to the briihmat;IQ guest. For mark the way. When they reached Sri tion of Lord Vig1u named Nila­ some rime Vidyapati stayed there, and Nila-madhava the Sahara removed the madhava. After hearing these topics, later, by the special request of the Sahara, blindfold, -and Vidyapati, seeing the King Indradyumna became very in­ he married the Sahara's young daughter. unprecedented beauty of the Deity of Sri spired and sent different brahmar;ras in While Vidyapati lived in the house of Nila-madhava, began to dance in ecstasy different directions to search for and in­ the Sahara, he noticed some peculiarity and ofFer prayers. quire about Lord Nila-madhava. All of in his host's behavior. Every night the Here it is clearly seen that Sri Nila­ them, however, were unsuccessful and Sahara would go out, and on the next madhava was a Deity incarnation of the · returned to the capital city of the King, day at about noon he would return to the Supreme Lord. Deity incarnations are except for one priest of the name house scented with various fragrances called arcii-vigraha. The Lord appears in Vidyapati. After wandering in many such as camphor, musk and sandalwood. Deity forms to benefit His devotees, es­ places, Vidyapati finally came to a dis­ Vidyapati inquired from his wife about pecially those who are less advanced. trict whose population was of a non­ the reason for this, and she informed Since the Lord cannot be seen by any but Aryan type called Sahara. There he tOok him that her father would go out to a the most advanced devotees, He appears

Illustrations: Par1k$it dasa BACK TO GODHEAD 25 as the Deity to accept worship. Kt"~tJ.a "Although his minister again and says in Bhagavad-gitii (9.34), again forbade him, the King, on man-mana bhava mad-bhakto the advice of his queen, by force mad-yaji miim namaskuru opened the door of the temple with his own band." '1\lways think of Me, become My devo­ tee, worship Me and offer Me your obei­ The. King, in great ecstasy, went forth sances." Therefore He appears as the with many people to bring back Sri Deity to accept the worship and obei­ Nila-madhava. From the mustard seeds sances of His devotees. He" puts Himself thrown along the path by Vidyapati, in the hands of His devotees to receive small plants had grown. So by following their service and help them develop love these plants the King was able to trace for Him. This is an aspect of Kt"~tJ. a's the path to Sri Nila-madhava. When great mercy and His desire to free all the they reached the spot, however, they did conditioned souls from bondage in this not find Him. material world. Thus Vidyapati per­ Not being able to see the beautiful sonally witnessed the mercy of Sri Nila­ form of the Lord, King Indradyumna madhava. besieged the village of the Sabaras and After Vidyapati finished his prayers, arrested the Sahara named Visvasu. Sud­ the Sahara kept him near the Deity and denly, however, a voice in the sky said to went out to collect roots and forest the King, "Release this Sahara! On top 6owers for worship. While the Sahara of Nila Hill you should construct a was out, Vidyapati witnessed an temple. There as Daru-brahman, or the astounding thing. A sleeping crow fell Absolute Truth manifest in a wooden off a branch of a tree into a nearby lake form, you will see Me. You will not see and drowned. It immediately took a Me as Nila-madhava." four-armed VaikuQ.!ha (spiritual) form To build the temple, King In­ and started back to the spiritual sky. dradyumna made arrangements to bring Seeing this, the brahmat;UZ climbed up the stone from a place called Baulamala by tree and was about to jump into the lake, building a road from there to the Nila­ following the liberated crow. Kandara Hill. The holy abode of Sri As he was about to jump, however, a K~etra, or Purl, is in the shape of a voice in the sky said, "0 brahmat~Q , since conch, and in the navel of that conch the you have been able to see Sri Nila­ King established a town of the name madhava, you should before all else in­ Rama-Kt'~Qa-~ura and constructed the Galamadhava put forward the claim that form King Indradyumna." T hus the temple. The temple extended 60 cubits he was its constructor. In a banyan tree brahmQtuJ climbed down from the tree beneath the earth and rose 120 cubits near the temple, however, lived a bhu- and waited. above the surface. At the top of the 1at'4i crow who had been living through The Sahara soon returned carrying temple the King built a kalasa, or round many ages, constantly singing the name forest Bowers and roots and started his pinnacle, and on top of that a cakra, or of Lord Rama. From his abode on the daily worship of Lord Nila-madhava. As disc. He also had the temple decorated branches of that banyan tree, the crow he was engaged in the service of the with golden ornamentation. T hen King had seen the whole construction of the Lord, the Lord spoke to him, saying, "I Indradyumna, desiring for Lord Brahma temple. Therefore he made it known have for so many days accepted the to consecrate the temple, traveled ~o that actually King Indradyumna had simple forest Bowers and roots offered to Brahmaloka and spent a long time there constructed the temple and that in his Me by you. Now I desire the royal ser­ waiting for him. During that time, the absence it had been covered by sand. He vice offered to Me by My devotee King temple, which is very near the sea, be­ further said that King Galamadhava had Indradyumna." came covered with sand from the shore. later merely uncovered the temple. Be­ When the Sahara heard this, he When King Indradyumna was away, cause King Galamadhava had concealed thought, "I shall be cheated from the first Suradeva and then Galamadhava the truth, Lord Brahma then ordered service of Sri Nila-madhava!" Therefore took over as the kings of that area. It was him to reside outside the grounds of the he bound his son-in-law Vidyapati aqd Galamadhava who raised the temple temple, on the western side of the lake kept him in his house. After a time, from within the sands, where it had called Indradyumna-sarovara. however, at the repeated request of his been buried for a long time. Shortly after Indradyumna then prayed to Lord daughter, he freed the brahma~;~a and the temple was uncovered, however, Brahma to consecrate the temple and the allowed him to go. The brahma~;~a then King Indradyumna returned from Lord surrounding area, known as Sri ~etra immediately went to King Indradyumna Brahma's abode. Indradyumna claimed which gives the highest type of libera­ and informed him of the discovery. that he had constructed the temple, but tion. But Lord Brahma said, "This Sri

26 BACK TO GODHEAD placed on the chariot and taken to an ap­ pointed place. There Lord Brahma began a sacrifice and established a Deity of Lord Nrsimhadeva on the raised plat­ form of the sacrifice. It is said that the place where the present temple stands is the place where the sacrifice was per­ formed and that the Nrsimha Deity now standing at the western side of the Muk­ ti-mai)

BACK TO GODHEAD 27 by opening the doors seven days too know, however, that My limbs are the scendants of Visvasu, who used to serve soon, Lord Jagannatha had manifested ornaments of all ornaments." Me as Nila-madhava, should generation Himself in that way. The Vedas assert, specifically in the after generation serve Me. They may be Then the King, thinking himself a Svetti.Svatara Upani1ad (3.19): called My dayitas. The descendants of great offender, decided to end his life. Vidyapati born from his brahmat;Ja apti~;~i -pado javano grahito wife Thus again he lay down on a bed of kusa should perform the Deity worship pasyaty aca~ub sa srooty akart;Jab for grass and began fasting. When half the sa vetti vedyam na ca tasyasti vetta Me. And his descendaqts born from his night had passed, Lord Jagannatha ap­ Sabari wife, Lalita, should cook M y tam ahur agryam pu~am mah4ntam peared to the King in his dreams. The food. They shall be known as suytiras." Lord said, "I am eternally situated here "Without legs and hands, He moves and Then King Indradyumna said to the in Nilacala in the form of Lord Jagan­ accepts. Without eyes He sees, and with­ Lord Jagannatha, "My Lord, kindly natha as Daru-brahman. In this material out ears He hears. He knows all that is grant one favor to me. Let the doors to world, I descend in twenty-four Deity knowable, but no one knows Him. They Your temple be closed for only three incarnations with My abode. I have no call Him the original Supreme Person." hours a day. The rest of the time, let the material hands and feet, but with My To protect this assertion of the Vedas, doors be open so th'a~ all the residents of transcendental senses I a ccept all the Lord Jagannatha takes His form without the universe may have access to se~ You. items offered in service by My devotees, hands and legs. Still, Lord Jagannoitha is Further, let it be that all day lon_g'Your and for the benefit of the world I move able to accept fifty-six different types of eating may go on and that Your lotus· from one place to another. You have food, offered eight times daily, and He fingers may thus never become dry." broken your promise, but that is just a tours the world in His splendid carts. Lord Jagannatha replied, "Tathastu, so part of the sweetness of My pastimes to Hearing the words of Lord Jagannatha be it. And for yourself, what benediction manifest this Jagannatha form, which in his dream, the King became satisfied do you ask?" protects the eternal words of the Vedas. and prayed to Him as follows: "My The King replied, "So that no one in Anyway, those devotees whose eyes are Lord, grant that those who appear in the the future will be able to claim Your smeared with the salve of love will al­ family of the sculptor who manifested temple as his own property, I desire to be ways see Me as Syamasundara, holding a Your form may age after age assist in without descendants. Kindly just grant flute. If your desire is to serve Me in constructing the three carts." me this one benediction." opulence, then from time to time I may Lord Jagannatha, slightly smiling, Lord Jagannatha replied, "Tath4stu, be decorated with hands and feet made replied, "That shall be." Then Lord so be it." of gold or silver. You should certainly Jagannatha said to the King, "The de- Thus the merciful Lord Jagannoitha, ..._------1------; Subhadra and Balarama appeared in chis material world to benefit all living beings. What is the benefit They bestow? That is stated in the Norada Purtit;~a (U.Kh. 52.12): pratimam tatra tam dmva iTour svayam devena nirmitam - with advanced disciples anayasena v~i yonti of the Hare Kr~Qa movement bhavanam me tato narob Experience life in a mobile The Supreme Lord NarayaQa tells asrama. Daily classes in Laksmi-devi, "In that great abode mantra meditation and the known as Puru$Ottama-k$etra, which is philosophy of Bhagavad-gita. rarely achieved among all the three worlds, the Kesava Vegetarian yoga diet Learn to Deity, who was fashioned by the Supreme Lord Himself, play ancient Eastern instruments. For a week, a month is situated. If men simply see that Deity, or longer. Call (904) 377-1496 they are easily able to come to My abode." In this way Lord Jagannatha is delivering the whole universe, especially as He rides on His cart before the eyes of all. Therefore I offer my prostrated obei­ sances to LordJagannatha, Subhadra and Balarama on the occasion of Their chariot ride and pray for Them to forgive me for any offenses I have com­ mitted in my clumsy attempt to describe Their glorious appearance. 0

28 BACK TO GODHEAD e F H E -A As N T T I I N N 6 for and 'T B H -A El N lls e A I N N B 6 s The Annual Jagannatha Car Festivtll

Chicago-Saturday, July 12. Parade starts at State and Adams St., 1 :00 P.M. ; feast at Civic Center, 3:00 P.M.

Philadelphia-Saturday, July 12. Parade starts at Art Museum oval, 12 noon; feast at Independence Mall, 3:00 P.M.

San Francisco-Sunday, July 20. Parade starts at john F. Kennedy Dr. entrance to Golden Gate Park, 12 noon; feast in Lindley Meadow, 3:15 P.M.