The Origin of Ratha-yatra- - çré çré guru-gauräìgau jayataù The Origin of Ratha-yatra-- a compilation of lectures by ÇRÉ ÇRÉMAD BHAKTIVEDÄNTA NÄRÄYAËA MAHÄRÄJA Våndävana, Uttar Pradesh, India OTHER TITLES BY ÇRÉLA NÄRÄYAËA MAHÄRÄJA: The Nectar of Govinda-lélä Going Beyond Vaikuëöha Bhakti-rasäyana Çré Çikñäñöaka Veëu-géta Çré Prabandhävalé Çré Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu-bindu Çré Manaù-çikñä Bhakti-tattva-viveka Pinnacle of Devotion Çré Upadeçämåta Arcana-dépikä The Essence of All Advice Çré Gauòéya Géti-guccha Dämodara-lélä-madhuré Çrémad Bhagavad-gétä Çrémad Bhakti Prajïäna Keçava Gosvämé – His Life and Teachings Five Essential Essays Çré Harinäma Mahä-mantra Secret Truths of the Bhägavata Jaiva-dharma Çré Vraja-maëòala Parikramä Çré Bhajana-rahasya Çré Brahma-saàhitä Rays of the Harmonist (periodical) For further information, please visit www.igvp.com or www.gaudiya.net Copyright © Gauòéya Vedänta Publications 2003 ISBN 81-86737-13-8 First printing – 5000 copies, June 2003 CONTENTS Preface i Acknowledgements v Introduction vii Maìgaläcaraëa xv CHAPTER 1: The First History 1 CHAPTER 2: The Second History 17 CHAPTER 3: Guëòicä-mandira-märjana 41 CHAPTER 4: Mahäprabhu and King Pratäparudra 71 CHAPTER 5: Reunion at Kurukñetra 99 CHAPTER 6: Kåñëa meets the Gopés at Kurukñetra 123 CHAPTER 7: Herä-païcamé 187 CHAPTER 8: The Third History 225 CHAPTER 9: Just after the Festival 241 CHAPTER 10: The Relationship between Jagannätha Puré and Navadvépa 259 CHAPTER 11: Closing Words 287 Appendix 305 Glossary 315 Verse Index 337 PREFACE Our most worshipable Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Mahäräja began to preach in the West in 1996. In July 1997, he began to observe the Ratha-yäträ Festival in the West along with his followers, at the same time that it was taking place in Jagannätha Puré. The festival was observed in Holland in 1997; in England in 1998; in France, England, and Holland in 1999; in Wales in 2000; and again in England in 2001 and 2002. On one occasion, when Çréla Mahäräja was addressing his international audience, he gave the following explanation for his traveling and holding these festivals: “Today is pratipat, one day before Ratha-yäträ. I remember when Çréla Prabhupäda Bhaktivedänta Swämé Mahäräja called for me in his last days. He was going to join his Rädhä and Kåñëa in Goloka Våndävana, and He requested me to help the many devotees whom he had brought from both Western and Eastern countries. In those last days he also requested me to place him into samädhi, which I did. There is no difference between çikñä-guru and dékñä-guru if they are both qualified; and Çréla Swämé Mahäräja is my çikñä- guru, so I must obey his order. That is why I am traveling around i THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ the world in my old age, by the combined mercy of my dékñä- and çikñä-gurus, without any desire for worldly profit.” During each Ratha-yäträ Festival, Çréla Mahäräja thanked and blessed the devotees for participating. In 1997, seeing the success of the festivities, he told his audience, “Previously, I observed Jagannätha Ratha-yäträ Festival in Mathurä every year. I am not there this year, but I am glad that you have helped me to make a festival here. You were all joining in the kértanas, and all of you were happy, so I think you’ll have the grace of Jagannätha.” In each such week-long festival, Çréla Mahäräja discussed the quintessence of Çrémad-Bhägavatam and Çré Caitanya- caritämåta. He explained that entering into the deep meaning of Ratha-yäträ enables the devotee to realize the mission of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, the secret truths of the tattva (philosoph- ical truths) and lélä (pastimes) of Rädhä-Kåñëa, and the ultimate goal of serving Them. Toward the end of one of his Ratha-yäträ lectures, Çréla Mahäräja told his audience, “You are lucky to hear all these topics; it is rare that one possesses the good fortune to hear all these truths. Try to take something from what you are hearing. If you take only a hundred-thousandth part of this teach- ing of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu, you will be fully successful in life. I have come here only to give you inspiration, and all of you who have assembled here are certainly very fortunate.” It was in France, in 1999, that Çréla Mahäräja first brought up the idea of publishing this book. After relating the first history of Lord Jagannätha’s appearance, he told his audience, “I wanted to publish the history of Ratha-yäträ in Bhägavata Patrikä and Gauòéya Patrikä, our Hindi and Bengali monthly magazines. Now I am thinking that I should make an entire book on this subject, explaining the three reasons behind Jagannätha’s appearance. It will be very interesting and helpful for all devotees.” ii PREFACE Among the Ratha-yäträ Festivals mentioned above, the largest thus far was held in Birmingham on June 24, 2001. Here are some excerpts from a report on the festival, published on www.vnn.org.: The cart procession proceeded to Victoria Square, where a large pavilion had been set up. The organizers of the event, the devotees of the Birmingham Gour-Govinda Gauòéya Maöha, also set up a mini-fair just in front of the pavilion, with stalls manned by the local devotees and their friends from many diverse groups. The fair was thus billed, “A Universal Interfaith Gathering,” in honor of the Lord of the Universe, Lord Jagannätha. Birmingham dignitaries who attended the festival included the Council General of the Indian Consulate, the Deputy Mayor of Birmingham, and the president of the National Council of Hindu Temples and Vice Co-chairman of Interfaith Network U.K. Before Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja gave his own talk, they gave speeches in the presence of Çréla Mahäräja, his devotees, and the thousands of guests. They expressed appreciation for Çréla Mahäräja’s message and the importance of the devotees’ efforts in bringing Lord Jagannätha to the people of Birmingham. Ms. Wood of Life Foundation Worldwide had brought the world peace flame, which had traveled around the world to five continents and had been presented to the Pope, Nelson Mandela, and others who were considered instrumental in bringing about world peace, and she presented it to Çréla Mahäräja with honor. The material that comprises this book was taken solely from public lectures that Çréla Näräyaëa Mahäräja spoke in English on his world preaching tours during the years 1997–2002. Some of the chapters consist of entire lectures. Others are compilations of different lectures and parts of lectures, and they are divided by subtitles. In presenting this material, for the most part we have tried to follow the sequence of the events as they are presented iii THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ in Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Madhya-lélä, Chapters 12–15, which elaborately describe the Ratha-yäträ pastimes of Caitanya Mahäprabhu and His devotees. Please forgive us fallen conditioned souls for any mistakes we may have made in presenting Çréla Mahäräja’s teachings in this book. An aspirant for eternal service to the Vaiñëavas, ÇYÄMARÄËÉ DÄSÉ Päpa-mocané Ekädaçé March 28, 2003 Gopénätha-bhavana, Çré Våndävana iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Editorial advisors: Çrépada Bhaktivedänta Mädhava Mahäräja, Brajanätha däsa Editors: Çyämaräëé däsé, Jïäna däsa Vanacäré, Prema-viläsa däsa Sanskrit Editors: Çrépada Bhaktivedänta Bhägavata Mahäräja, Atula-kåñëa däsa Proofreaders: Çänti däsé, Lavaìga-latä däsé, Giridhäré däsa Brahmacäré Manuscript Coordinator: Sulatä däsé Layout and design: Kåñëa-prema däsa Typesetting: Prema-viläsa däsa Typists: Mana-mohana däsa, Sulatä däsé, Sävitré däsé, Rädhikä däsé, Premavaté däsé, Anaìga däsé, Lalitä-kiçoré däsé Glossary: Çänti däsé, Sulatä däsé Most of the Sanskrit and Bengali verses and their translations quoted from Çré Caitanya-caritämåta, Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and other scrip- tures were taken from the Bhaktivedänta Vedabase folio. Special thanks to the Bhaktivedänta Book Trust for its kind permission to use these invaluable reference quotes. The many other devotees who have helped with the production of The Origin of the Ratha-yäträ are to numerous to name here, but Kåñëa and His associates know who they are. v INTRODUCTION In Birmingham, England, on July 22, 2001, the first day of his visit there and the first day of his series of classes on Ratha-yäträ, Çréla Bhaktivedänta Näräyaëa Mahäräja gave a commencement address that heralded the arrival of the festival. He began his class by glorify- ing the many well-decorated deities that he saw on the altar. Today I have become very happy. When I first sent the deity of Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu from Navadvépa to England, I was very worried that He would be quite alone there. But now that I have come here, I see a great utsava (festival) surrounding Him. He is not at all alone here. He is in the Gambhérä and He is absorbed in the Chariot Festival. Jagannätha, Baladeva, and Subhadrä are here, Nityänanda Prabhu and all his associates are here, and even Giriräja-Govardhana and all the associates of Våndävana are here. Vasanta-åtu (springtime) is here, as the scene is full with yellow flowers, and Caitanya Mahäprabhu is very happy here, weeping, “O My Präëanätha, where are You? O Kåñëa, where are You? Today I am meeting You after a long time; after a long separation.” sei ta paräëa-nätha päinu yähä lägi’ madana-dahane jhuri’ genu Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (Madhya-lélä 13.113) vii THE ORIGIN OF RATHA-YÄTRÄ Now I have gained the Lord of My life, in whose absence I was being burned by Cupid and was withering away. Today is the observance of guëòicä-mandira-märjana; it is the day to cleanse our hearts. Caitanya Mahäprabhu wanted to make a seat for Jagannätha, Baladeva, and Subhadrä – especially for Vrajendra-nandana Muralédhara Navakiçora Naöavara.