Srimandira Purusottama Jagannatha and Sri Chaitanya l Pandit Nilambar Nanda The cosmic functions of creation, leads to the liberation of the immortal soul through union with the Lord. preservation and destruction constitute the sport of the Lord. He is the root of all Vedas, Upanishads, Bramhasutras, existence, the source and substance of all Mahabharata, Ramayan, Bhagabat and the creatures. He appears in different Gita have described this glory of the incarnations in different ages and displays Supreme Lord. In Srimad Bhagabatam, the his grandeur and divine majesty. He is called powers and skill of Lord Krishna together the Purusottama and Jagannatha, the Lord with His blissful sport have been described of the universe. exhaustively. By the sixteenth century, the entire country accepted this Bhagabata The supreme lord enacts his leelas in the mundane world, thereby enabling people school of religious philosophy as the to visualize Him and join His sport guideline. Bhagabata was accepted as the delightfully. Such spontaneous and cheerful hand book of religious tenets by all sections of people of the country. The essence of participation in His play is the secret of union with Him. When this is realized, action is Bhagabata Dharma was propagated by performed entirely for His sake. The ancient different religious teachers including Vedic seers realized this truth and therefore Sri Chaitanya Dev. The entire Sanskrit text performed all their individual and social was beautifully and lucidly translated by the duties as sacrifices on the altar of the Lord. greatest Oriya Vaishnava saint, Sri Jagannatha Dasa of Puri, who recited it daily This was known as yagna. Gradually ritualism veiled the essence of the divine in the temple premises of Lord Jagannatha. purpose, giving rise to formal festivals. Time The scripture, Bhagabata has been inspired and again, bold speculators came and by a deep and concentrated love for revealed their visions of truth in different Krishna-Jagannatha. systems of philosophy. Out of the six The Bhagabata explains standard schools of Indian philosophy, is comprehensively all the intricate subjects Vedanta as propounded by Vyasadeva. It is like the secrets and purposes of creation, the most perfect system of knowledge, the nature of the individual soul, the law of which leads to the realization of God in this karma, the preservation of the world by the very life. The Vedanta sutras of Vyasadeva Lord. The leelas of different incarnations, have been variously interpreted by Acharyas with particular emphasis on Lord Krishna like Sankara, Ramanuja and Madhva. But and His glories. The central teaching of all of them have accepted God-realization Bhagabata is that the 'Lord of lords' alone as the sole object of Vedantic pursuits. The will bring about the highest welfare of aim of Vedanta is to realize the integral self- mankind by eliminating all miseries of the consciousness of one's existence, entire humanity, with a view to establish consciousness and bliss. This self- lasting peace, harmony, brotherhood and realization clears the veil of ignorance and equality among different races through 16 Srimandira unalloyed devotion to the Lord. This manifested itself at Puri. This truth has been philosophy teaches man about His proclaimed loudly by all the great spiritual relationship with God, the duty of man and teachers such as Sankara, Ramanuja, the prospect of attaining love and joy Madhva, Tulsidasa, Kavir, Nanak, through devotion to the Lord. This intense Chaitanya, Jagannatha Dasa and Salabega. love for the Lord has been fully practiced The utopian concepts of socio-political and and perfectly attained by devotees in four religious perfections of life propagated by important spiritual centres of India namely, the Greek philosophers like Socretes, Plato (1) Bithalanatha of Maharastra, (2) and Aristotle remained in their philosophical Ranganatha of Mysore, (3) Tirupatinatha of teachings only. But the Supreme Lord Andhra Pradesh and (4) Jagannatha of Puri, Jagannatha, out of His infinite mercy and besides numerous other temples and holy compassion towards His children, revealed shrines in India. this perfect culture to the ancient temporal A true devotee of the Lord does not leaders of the country, like the great king hanker after worldly pleasures of the lower Indradyumna of Orissa. The great saintly self, enjoyed through senses, as he derives king Indradyumna discovered the secret of the highest bliss in life, by contact and all secrets, the panacea to all problems of communion with the Supreme Lord of all the mankind and attained supreme bliss in delights. This is known as 'Life Divine'. his own life, by surrendering to Lord Through such intense devotion to God, a Jagannatha. He declared that all are saved devotee is freed from all distresses and he by a mere glimpse of His graceful easily scores victory over the vices such as countenance. This intensity of faith and greed, vanity, hatred and fear permanently. profoundity of love transcends time, The Bhakta has no ego; he is modest in religions, caste and race. This knowledge respecting all and is compassionate towards of the Supreme has been permanently the whole world, feeling God's presence introduced and idolized in the cult of everywhere. He sees his adorable Lord- Jagannatha, yet it baffles idolatry. Vasudeva in himself and around him, in all Brotherhood, sisterhood, motherhood and beings, in insects as well as plants. He loves love are permanently attained, where there and serves them all, like the dearest 'tulsi' is no narrowness of caste, creed and colour. tree, the favourite of all Vaishnavas, In a Wealth and power are of no consequence nutshell, this Bhagabata Dharma brings before the eternal glory of the supreme lover. about the steadfast union of man with God, The real wealth, the most precious through love alone, which integrates all other possession of all hearts, is a view of the virtues of self-perfection like selfless 'Karma' adorable Lord and the feast and ecstasy of and the spreading of spiritual knowledge for millions of souls for all times. This realization removing all worldly fears. is open to all races. Self-realization through this path brings eternal youth to the entire Fortunately, this perfect socio-political mankind, who are otherwise decaying with religious culture of India was established by fear and ignorance, till the discovery of the the Lord Himself in Orissa. Due to the august highest self-perfection, called Purusottama and benign presence of Lord Jagannatha, of the Universe. who is the incarnation of the supreme consciousness, this perfect culture The sublime attraction of 17 Srimandira Purusottama is like the pure water of for Srikrishna. Such consummate love for Mother Ganges, which purifies and Krishna was possible in Vrindavan and it sanctifies everything. With a gold-handled again appeared in Nilachala due to the broom, the spiritual successor and advent of the same Srikrishna, as Lord progeny of Indradyumna publicly Jagannatha. Thus, experience of this demonstrates this truth of cleaning the consciousness of God, in its intense form, hearts of the millions of people, through is the perfection of self-delight of the intense love for God, and by repeating the unalloyed souls, like Sri Chaitanya and act of cleaning and sweeping the chariots Sri Jagannatha Dasa. In fact, the Lord has of the deities every year in the public view manifested himself in countless forms, for of millions of devotees. Saints and sinners revealing His playful self-delight. Such are delivered equally by the Lord during Delight-Incarnate, is therefore called, the Car festival. One wonders at the Jagadananda Kanda. Like Gopis, there grandeur of the supreme consciousness are many such associates of Lord of Lord Jagannatha during this festival. Jagannath, engaged in the various This has been realised by the saints like services of the temple. Nimai (Chaitanya) of the past and Nimai This super human relationship with Harichandan of the present age. Lord is not accessible to ordinary mind. In the sixteenth century, Chaitanya However, this system of philosophy is known propagated this cult for long eighteen years as Achintya Bhedabheda Cult. till his miraculous disappearance. His love Vrindvanam parityajya for Lord Jagannatha was the essence of his ecstatic union with the supreme Padamekham na gachhati consciousness. It is traceable in the tenth This eternal love-consciousness of the canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, particularly in supreme is open to all and closed to none. "Gopi-Gita", "Bhramar Gita", and "Mahisi The followers of the Lord can attain self- Gita". The earthly sports of Sri Radha, delight in their present lives. Gopabandhu revealed in Vrindavan, during the advent of Das once said, "Anywhere in India, I am in Srikrishna, was again revived as the power Nilachala." The essence of this realization of Allahadini in Chaitanya. Sri Chaitanya is that the outer self may move anywhere, assumed the role of a world teacher and but the inward reality remains unmoved. therefore he appeared as Krishna- Purusottama is perfect in all respects. Chaitanya to the outsiders, while retaining He comes out twice a year, to meet people. his internal-potency of 'Allahadini' at the time Real seekers are indeed very particular to of adorning Lord Jagannatha as Srikrishna. have Darshanas and come in close contact Unique indeed was another spiritual with their dearest Lord on such special contemporary, the famous Vyasa of Orissa, occasions. In fact, He extends special Sri Jagannatha Dasa Goswami, who also invitations contained in the utterances of propounded this culture. He thought himself realized saints and sages - to be Radha and represented perfect bridal devotion for 'Krishna-Jagannatha'. Both Sri Ratharudho gachhan pathi milita. Chaitanya and Sri Jagannatha Dasa Rathetu Bamanam drustwa, Punar-janma na vidyate. represent the consummation of intense love There is no rebirth after this vision and 18 Srimandira realization.