15. The Mysterious Mellows Behind Ratha Yatra

15. The Mysterious Mellows Behind Ratha Yatra:

The following article beautifully illuminates the inner meaning of Lord Jagannatha's chariot festival:

"Sriman Mahaprabhu viewed the deity of Jagannatha as non-different from the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Sri Krsna Himself, the origin of all incarnations. Merely seeing the disc at the summit of the Jagannatha temple from far away, Gauranga envisioned a dark-blue boy playing the flute. When Gauranga saw Lord Jagannatha directly in the temple, He deeply contemplated upon the impeccable three-fold bending beautiful form of Sri Krsna and rushed to embrace Him. During Jagannatha's cart festival, Mahaprabhu observed the deity and became overcome by the sublime sentiments of Śrī Rādhā.

The same Śrī Rādhā had nursed similiar sentiments on beholding Sri Krsna during the solar eclipse at Kuruksetra many, many years before. Thousands of years ago, there was very rare eclipse of the sun. On that auspicious occasion, many wealthy, influential kings came from all over India to assemble at Kuruksetra, an ancient place of pilgrimage.

Bhagavan Sri Krsna came in regal opulence from Dvaraka on His chariot driven by Daruka. Sri Krsna came with a huge army of soldiers, elephants, horses, chariots and infantrymen. With this incredible exhibition of opulence, Krsna encamped at Kuruksetra with costly tents adorned with canopies, costly bedsteads, silk cushions and other luxurious paraphernalia. Simultaneously, the Vrajavasis arrived from another direction. Torn in separation from their beloved Sri Krsna and intensely yearning to see Him, the Vrajavasis remained a short distance from Krsna's camp.

Their only real motive for coming there was to meet their beloved Krsna. Similarly, the primary reason for Krsna's coming to Kuruksetra was to pacify the love-pent emotions of the Vrajavasis. Finally, the traumatic meeting occurred between Sri Krsna and His parents, Nanda Baba and Yasoda Ma. Along with Krsna's mother and father came many other older residents, who had nourished parental affection for Krsna. It was a very touching scene. These simple villagers, with their voices choked up and streams of tears pouring from their eyes, embraced and fervently kissed Krsna on His cheeks. They had intended to say many things, but were prevented by the force of their emotions. The only words that they uttered were "My Gopal." Their tears of love drenched Sri Krsna from head to toe. Similar sentiments agitated Krsna's hearts as tears fell from His lotus eyes. Such touching moods of pure love are experienced by a perfected devotee when he attains his final sweet reunion with the Supreme Lord Sri Krsna.

Meanwhile, Krsna's bosom buddies Subala, Sridama and Sudama were standing nearby anxious to meet Him. Krsna offered obeisances to His crying parents and other elderly residents, and then approached His bosom companions who were absorbed in fraternal love. Upon meeting their beloved friend, they simply stood by speechless. Actually, Krsna's friends felt somewhat indignant however, and they wanted to voice their protest for being neglected for so long by Krsna. But the overwhelming ecstasy of the occasion immobilized their minds; they could not speak but simply muttered, "My brother Kaniya," and fondly embraced their long-lost friend. Sri Krsna reciprocated with each devotee according to his particular sentiment of love. There is no end to the glories of the Vrajavasis' love for Sri Krsna.

Then the inevitable meeting with the damsels of Vrndavana took place. Their pathetic condition was indescribable. Srimati Rādhikā, the crown jewel of the gopis, was swooning at every moment in pangs of separation; almost to the point of death. In fact, when the sakhis placed some cotton under Rädhä's nose, it barely moved, indicating that Her breath was almost finished.

Suddenly a loud cry of "O Syamasundara," penetrated the air. Radhika became rejuvenated and fully conscious of Her main reason for coming to Kuruksetra. In Ramananda Samvada, Rädhika's loving sentiments have been called the topmost of all spontaneous devotional practices. These highest sentiments contain a transformation of moods which enrich and nourish each other. The loving mellow which is torn asunder by mutual separation is called vipralambha and the direct conjugal loving mellow is called sambhoga. The conjugal loving mellow is nourished by love in separation; both exist for the proper transaction of loving mellows.

While dancing ecstatically in front of Jagannatha's cart, Mahaprabhu manifested the same loving sentiments that Rådhikā showed in Kuruksetra. After being separated for many long years, Rādhikā experienced overpowering bliss in Her reunion with Syama. Understanding the heart of Gauranga, the wise Svarupa Damodara sang the following couplet:

sei ta parana-natha päinu

yāhā lagi madana dahane jhuri genu

Radha said, "Now I have gained the Lord of My life, in the absence of whom I was being burned by Cupid and was withering away." (Cc. 2.13.113)

Hearing this, Mahaprabhu danced in great euphoria before Jagannatha's cart which crept along the road. Sometimes Mahaprabhu danced behind the chariot, and then Jagannatha's chariot would standstill. When Mahaprabhu returned to the front, again Jagannatha's cart trudged slowly forward.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura explained the mystery of this pastime. He said Mahaprabhu went behind the chariot to test whether His moods, which represented the original sentiments of Śrimati Radhika, were the reason for the movement of Jagannatha, or whether Jagannatha Sri Krsna had other motives in mind that propelled His chariot forward. To solve the doubt, Mahaprabhu pretended to move behind the cart. Understanding His action, Jagannatha stopped His own movement to wait for Gauranga. In other words, without the presence of Srimati Rādhikā, the Vraja madhurya-rasa cannot reach its par-excellence.

Lord Gaurasundara realized that Jagannatha's forward movement was checked by the superior devotional potency of Śrīmati Rādhikā. In response, Gauranga Mahaprabhu thrilled with joy and lunged before the car in boundless bliss as an abashed Jagannatha trudged slowly behind. When Mahaprabhu exhibited Radha's intense moods of love for Sri Krsna, Jagannatha deva could not imitate them. In this way, the loving moods of Mahaprabhu towards Jagannatha and the reciprocal sentiments of Lord Jagannatha competed with each other. However, Mahaprabhu's intense loving moods, which exactly resembled Radha's own moods, won in the end.

While dancing, Sriman Mahaprabhu intoned a verse depicting the loving reunion of a mundane hero and heroine. Somehow, Srila Rupa Gosvami detected the exact devotional sentiments in the heart of Mahaprabhu and composed the following verse which parallels Gauranga's verse:

priyah so'yam krsnah 

sahacari kuru-ksetra-militas 

tathāham så radha tam idam 

ubhayoh sangama sukham

tathapy antah-khelan-

madhura-murali-

pañcamajuse 

mano me kalindi-pulina-

vipinaya sprhayati

Srimati Rādhikā said, "O My dear sakhis, I met our beloved Sri Krsna in Kuruksetra today. I am the same Radha and We met with the usual feeling of ecstasy. Nevertheless, My mind is yearning to meet Krsna in the forest groves along the Kalindi river. I want to hear Syama blissfully playing the melodious 5th note on His flute." (Cc. 3.1.79)

Śrila Krsnadāsa Kaviraja quotes Radha saying, "O Krsna! Here in

Kuruksetra, there is not even a drop of the ocean of transcendental happiness that I enjoyed with You in Vrndāvana." Mahaprabhu was in Radha's sentiment of taking Krsna back to their original residence of Vrndavana. In that mood, Mahaprabhu recited the following verse:

ahus ca te nalina-nabha padaravindam, yogeśvarair hṛdi vicintyam agadha- bodhaih

samsara-kūpa-

patitottaranavalambam, 

geham juşam api 

manasy udiyat sada nah

"O Master, whose navel is just like a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who have fallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped and meditated upon by great mystic yogis and highly learned philosophers. We wish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, although we are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs." (SB 10.82.48) 

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami commented on this verse, saying:

tomāra carana mora 

vraja-pura-ghare

udaya karaye yadi, 

tabe vāñchā pūre

Radha thought, "O Krsna, if Your lotus feet again come to our home in Vrndāvana, our desires will be fulfilled." (Cc. 2.1.82) 

The heart of Srimati Rādhikā is immersed in the loving sentiments of Vrndavana dhama, where only pure desires for satisfying Krsna's senses exist and nothing else. Not a trace of awe, reverence and royalty can exist in pure conjugal mellows, For this very reason, Śrīmati Rādhikā did not appreciate at all the regal splendor of Bhagavan Sri Krsna with all His camels, horses, servants and costly apparel.

In that mood, Radhika said, "O Krsna! If You actually love Me, then give up all this fancy opulence which diminishes pure conjugal love. Please assume Your youthful, cowherd boy form and accompany Me to Vraja. There, in the lonely forest groves under the kadamba trees along the Yamuna, You should play Your flute while exhibiting Your charming, three-fold bending posture. By Your merciful glance, please freely bestow Your grace upon this forlorn servant of Yours."

The hearts of the damsels of Vraja were saturated with natural devotion. Consequently, there was no room to receive instructions on jnana or yogic mysticism. The same love-stricken cowherd maidens were trying to take Sri Krsna from Kuruksetra to Śridhäma Vrndāvana; the transcendental place of spontaneous, eternal loving dealings.

In the Ratha-yatra pastime of Lord Jagannatha, the main temple is synonymous with the opulence that Dvaraka Sri Krsna displayed at Kuruksetra. And the Gundica Temple represents the pure devotion of Sridhama Vrindāvana perfectly embodied in the damsels of Vraja. Ultimately, a devotee can attract Sri Krsna only by possessing natural and spontaneous pure devotion. What was actually pulling or moving Jagannatha's chariot was this rope of pure devotion.

Vrndāvana das Thakura called Mahaprabhu the moving Jagannatha. It is this very Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanyadeva, appearing in the guise of a sannyasi, who has emphatically declared that the all-powerful holy name of Sri Krsna can give all perfection to everyone. While enacting His internal pastimes of relishing spontaneous loving mellows, Gauranga Mahaprabhu is also inviting all of us to follow His path to achieve the highest bliss. To achieve the highest mellows of pure bhakti, one must have the proper qualification; which can be attained only by taking complete shelter of the chanting of the holy name. (Art of Sadhana)