Millenniums ago there was a King named Indradyumna who was a great devoteeof Lord Krishna.
The king's priestly minister had informed the king that Lord Krishna waspresent on earth in his Deity form known as Nila Madhava.
When the King heard this news he asked his minister to find Lord NilaMadhava for him.
After a great deal of searching and endeavor the minister finally found thatLord Nila Madhava was in a cave being secretly worshiped by the leader of avillage of pig farmers.
After some intriguing endeavor, the minister finally discovered the secretlocation where Lord Nila Madhava was located.
The minister immediately went back and informed the great King Indradyumnathat he had located Lord Nila Madhava, and upon hearing this, the Kingimmediately set out with his entourage to fetch Lord Nila Madhava and bringHim back to his capitol to worship Him with great opulence.
After the very arduous journey, the traveling party finally reached thesecret cave where the Deity of Nila Madhava was located. With fullanticipation and excitement, upon entering the cave, the king was shocked todiscover that the Deity of Lord Nila Madhava was no longer there.
Lord Nila Madhava had left never to return and King Indradyumna was totallygrief stricken.
After some time, in a dream, Lord Nila Madhava came to the king telling himthat He would return and that a temple should be built for Him to reside in.
The King being absolutely delighted with this news began constructing amagnificent temple. This temple is now known as the famous temple ofJagannatha in the City of Puri in Orissa on the Bay of Bengal.
Lord Jagannatha Appears
As King Indradyumna waited for his worshipful Lord to manifest he becameanxious wondering when the Lord would appear. Then he had another dream.
In this dream Lord Krishna informed him that a huge log will float up ontothe beach. This will not be an ordinary log but very unique. No one willable to cut or even lift it except for one person. You will know that thisperson will be the one who will carve the log in the form of the Lord knownas Lord Jagannatha. Lord of the Universe.
True to the dream a large log floated up onto the beach which no one wasable to move. After many attempts to move this curious log by the strongestof men, one elderly man came forward and with ease single handedly liftedthe log.
The King knew this was the wood carver who had been empowered to carve theform of his worship able Lord.
The old wood carver agreed to carve the Deity of the Lord but under verystrict conditions.
As long as he was working no one should interrupt or enter the room wherethe work was going on. The king agreed.
As the days passed the King's anticipation and anxiety to see the Lord grewwhen all of a sudden the tapping of the wood carvers hammer and chiselstopped.
Unable to contain his eagerness any longer King Indradyumna burst into theroom where the Deities were being carved and true to his word the woodsculptor left immediately.
When the King saw the three sculpted forms before him he was stunned. The socalled form of his worshipful Lord Krishna appeared unfinished. It had shortstubs where the arms should be and huge round eyes.
King Indradyumna began to lament uncontrollably.
Shortly after the great sage Narada Muni appeared before the king andinquired as to the reason for his intense grief.
King Indradyumna informed the sage of the episodes that took place.
Narada Muni then informed the King that the form of Lord before him wasactually Lord Krishna in a most merciful form.
The origin of Lord Jagannatha's form
Narada Muni went on to explain to Indradyumna Maharaja the origin of thisunique form of Lord Krishna known as Jagannatha.
One day while in His Capital city of Dwarka, Lord Krishna began thinking ofHis sweet gopi friend Radharani from His village days in Vrndavan.
Feeling intense separation from her, the Lord fell unconscious. The greatsage Narada Muni happened to come there with Uddava and upon seeing thecondition of Krishna, they began discussing how to revive Him.
They concluded that Narada Muni should sing the glories of Krishna's formerVrndavan village life to Him. This would certainly relieve His condition.
Like many cures for diseases there is often times a side effect and suchwould be case with this cure.
Upon hearing the tales of Vrndavan from Narada Muni certainly Lord Krishnawould awaken but at the same time He would immediately want to go toVrndavan. However upon arriving their, Krishna would see all the residentsin such a piteous condition of crying due to His having left thempreviously, He would not want to return back to Dwarka. This would not begood for the citizens of Dwarka.
After some consideration it was concluded that Krishna's sister Subadrashould go there ahead of Krishna to inform them that He is returning. Inthis way they would arrange for a nice festive welcoming and their moodwould be very joyful.
When Subadra was ready to leave, her brother Balarama decided that He wouldaccompany her on His own Chariot. Balarama would take the lead with Subadrafollowing Him, and after they left, Narada Muni would revive Lord Krishna bysinging the glories of Vrndavan and Krishna would get on His chariot andimmediately follow Balarama and Subadra to Vrndavan.
This is how the origin of the order of the carts during the Ratha-Yatrafestival. First Lord Balarama's cart, then Subadra's and finally LordKrishna's.
When Krishna's Chariot arrived in Vrndavan His feelings of such acute pangsof separation from His beloved Radharani was so intense that His bodytransformed. His hands and legs became pushed into his body like a tortoise.This is the form or Jagannatha. With big dilated eyes He was only gazing atRadharani.
When King Indradyumna heard from Narada Muni of this pastime of LordKrishna, He was relived to hear that these unique deity forms that were justcarved standing in front of him were actually completed.
His grief now gone he arranged for three huge carts to bring the Deities ofLord Jagannatha, Balarama and Subadra to Their new temple. A grandprocession was arranged where all the citizens pulled the gigantic cartswith Their Lordships on them to Their magnificent new temple.
One for Lord Jagannatha, one for His sister Subadra and another for HisBrother Balarama.
------------------------------------------------------------------------Madhya-lila Chapter 13: The Ecstatic Dancing of the Lord at Ratha-yatra
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrta
CC Madhya 13 Summary
CC Madhya 13.1: May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Sri Krsna Caitanya,who danced in front of the car of Sri Jagannatha, be all glorified! Byseeing His dancing, not only was the whole universe held in wonder, but LordJagannatha Himself became very much astonished.
CC Madhya 13.2: All glories to Sri Krsna Caitanya and Prabhu Nityananda! Allglories to Advaitacandra! And all glories to the devotees of Lord SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu!
CC Madhya 13.3: All glories to the listeners of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta!Please hear the description of the dancing of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu atthe Ratha-yatra festival. His dancing is very enchanting. Please hear of itwith great attention.
CC Madhya 13.4: The next day, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personalassociates got up in the dark and attentively took their early-morningbaths.
CC Madhya 13.5: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His personal associates thenwent to see the ceremony of Pandu-vijaya. During this ceremony, LordJagannatha leaves His throne and gets up onto the car.
CC Madhya 13.6: King Prataparudra in person, as well as his entourage,allowed the Pandu-vijaya ceremony to be seen by all the associates of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.7: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His prominent devotees --Advaita Acarya, Nityananda Prabhu and others -- were very happy to observehow Lord Jagannatha began the Ratha-yatra.
CC Madhya 13.8: The very strongly built dayitas [carriers of the JagannathaDeity] were as powerful as drunken elephants. They manually carried LordJagannatha from the throne to the car.
CC Madhya 13.9: While carrying the Deity of Lord Jagannatha, some of thedayitas took hold of the shoulders of the Lord, and some caught His lotusfeet.
CC Madhya 13.10: The Lord Jagannatha Deity was bound at the waist by astrong, thick rope made of silk. From two sides the dayitas caught hold ofthis rope and raised the Deity.
CC Madhya 13.11: Strong, puffed-up cotton pads called tulis were spread outfrom the throne to the car, and the heavy Deity of Lord Jagannatha wascarried from one pillowlike pad to the next by the dayitas.
CC Madhya 13.12: While the dayitas carried the heavy Jagannatha Deity fromone pad to the next, some of the pads broke, and the cotton contents floatedinto the air. When they broke, they made a heavy cracking sound.
CC Madhya 13.13: Lord Jagannatha is the maintainer of the whole universe.Who can carry Him from one place to another? The Lord moves by His personalwill just to perform His pastimes.
CC Madhya 13.14: While the Lord was transported from the throne to the car,tumultuous sounds were made on various musical instruments. Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu was chanting "Manima! Manima!" but He could not be heard.
CC Madhya 13.15: While the Lord was being carried from the throne to thecar, King Prataparudra personally engaged in the Lord's service by cleansingthe road with a broom that had a golden handle.
CC Madhya 13.16: The King sprinkled the road with sandalwood-scented water.Although he was the owner of the royal throne, he engaged in menial servicefor the sake of Lord Jagannatha.
CC Madhya 13.17: Although the King was the most exalted respectable person,still he accepted menial service for the Lord; he therefore became asuitable candidate for receiving the Lord's mercy.
CC Madhya 13.18: Upon seeing the King engaged in such menial service,Caitanya Mahaprabhu became very happy. Simply by rendering this service, theKing received the mercy of the Lord.
CC Madhya 13.19: Everyone was astonished to see the decorations on the Rathacar. The car appeared to be newly made of gold, and it was as high as MountSumeru.
CC Madhya 13.20: The decorations included bright mirrors and hundreds andhundreds of camaras [white whisks made of yak tails]. On top of the car werea neat and clean canopy and a very beautiful flag.
CC Madhya 13.21: The car was also decorated with silken cloth and variouspictures. Many brass bells, gongs and ankle bells rang.
CC Madhya 13.22: For the pastimes of the Ratha-yatra ceremony, LordJagannatha got aboard one car, and His sister, Subhadra, and elder brother,Balarama, got aboard two other cars.
CC Madhya 13.23: For fifteen days the Lord had remained in a secluded placewith the supreme goddess of fortune and had performed His pastimes with her.
CC Madhya 13.24: Having taken permission from the goddess of fortune, theLord came out to ride on the Ratha car and perform His pastimes for thepleasure of the devotees.
CC Madhya 13.25: The fine, white sand spread all over the path resembled thebank of the Yamuna, and the small gardens on both sides looked just likethose in Vrndavana.
CC Madhya 13.26: As Lord Jagannatha rode in His car and saw the beauty onboth sides, His mind was filled with pleasure.
CC Madhya 13.27: The pullers of the car were known as gaudas, and theypulled with great pleasure. However, the car sometimes went very fast andsometimes very slow.
CC Madhya 13.28: Sometimes the car would stand still and not move, eventhough it was pulled very vigorously. The chariot therefore moved by thewill of the Lord, not by the strength of any ordinary person.
CC Madhya 13.29: As the car stood still, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu gatheredall His devotees and, with His own hand, decorated them with flower garlandsand sandalwood pulp.
CC Madhya 13.30: Paramananda Puri and Brahmananda Bharati were bothpersonally given garlands and sandalwood pulp from the very hands of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu. This increased their transcendental pleasure.
CC Madhya 13.31: Similarly, when Advaita Acarya and Nityananda Prabhu feltthe touch of the transcendental hand of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, They werevery pleased.
CC Madhya 13.32: The Lord also gave garlands and sandalwood pulp to theperformers of sankirtana. The two chief performers were Svarupa Damodara andSrivasa Thakura.
CC Madhya 13.33: There were altogether four parties of kirtana performers,comprising twenty-four chanters. In each party there were also two mrdangaplayers, making an additional eight persons.
CC Madhya 13.34: When the four parties were formed, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,after some consideration, divided the chanters.
CC Madhya 13.35: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu ordered Nityananda Prabhu, AdvaitaAcarya, Haridasa Thakura and Vakresvara Pandita to dance in each of the fourrespective parties.
CC Madhya 13.36: Svarupa Damodara was chosen as the leader of the firstparty and was given five assistants to respond to his chanting.
CC Madhya 13.37: The five who responded to the singing of Svarupa Damodarawere Damodara Pandita, Narayana, Govinda Datta, Raghava Pandita and SriGovindananda.
CC Madhya 13.38: Advaita Acarya Prabhu was ordered to dance in the firstgroup. The Lord then formed another group with Srivasa Thakura as the chiefman.
CC Madhya 13.39: The five singers who responded to the singing of SrivasaThakura were Gangadasa, Haridasa, Sriman, Subhananda and Sri Rama Pandita.Sri Nityananda Prabhu was appointed as a dancer.
CC Madhya 13.40: Another group was formed consisting of Vasudeva, Gopinathaand Murari. All these were responsive singers, and Mukunda was the chiefsinger.
CC Madhya 13.41: Another two persons, Srikanta and Vallabha Sena, joined asresponsive singers. In this group, the senior Haridasa [Haridasa Thakura]was the dancer.
CC Madhya 13.42: The Lord formed another group, appointing Govinda Ghosa asleader. In this group the younger Haridasa, Visnudasa and Raghava were theresponding singers.
CC Madhya 13.43: Two brothers named Madhava Ghosa and Vasudeva Ghosa alsojoined this group as responsive singers. Vakresvara Pandita was the dancer.
CC Madhya 13.44: There was a sankirtana party from the village known asKulina-grama, and Ramananda and Satyaraja were appointed the dancers in thisgroup.
CC Madhya 13.45: There was another party that came from Santipura and wasformed by Advaita Acarya. Acyutananda was the dancer, and the rest of themen were singers.
CC Madhya 13.46: Another party was formed by the people of Khanda. Thesepeople were singing in a different place. In that group, Narahari Prabhu andRaghunandana were dancing.
CC Madhya 13.47: Four parties chanted and danced in front of LordJagannatha, and on either side was another party. Yet another was at therear.
CC Madhya 13.48: There were altogether seven parties of sankirtana, and ineach party two men were beating drums. Thus fourteen drums were being playedat once. The sound was tumultuous, and all the devotees became mad.
CC Madhya 13.49: All the Vaisnavas came together like an assembly of clouds.As the devotees chanted the holy names in great ecstasy, tears fell fromtheir eyes like rain.
CC Madhya 13.50: When the sankirtana resounded, it filled the three worlds.Indeed, no one could hear any sounds or musical instruments other than thesankirtana.
CC Madhya 13.51: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu wandered through all seven groupschanting the holy name, "Hari, Hari!" Raising His arms, He shouted, "Allglories to Lord Jagannatha!"
CC Madhya 13.52: Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu then exhibited another mysticpower by performing pastimes simultaneously in all seven groups.
CC Madhya 13.53: Everyone said, "Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu is present in mygroup. Indeed, He does not go anywhere else. He is bestowing His mercy uponus."
CC Madhya 13.54: Actually, no one could see the inconceivable potency of theLord. Only the most confidential devotees, those in pure, unalloyeddevotional service, could understand.
CC Madhya 13.55: Lord Jagannatha was very much pleased by the sankirtana,and He brought His car to a standstill just to see the performance.
CC Madhya 13.56: King Prataparudra was also astonished to see thesankirtana. He became inactive and was converted to ecstatic love of Krsna.
CC Madhya 13.57: When the King informed Kasi Misra of the glories of theLord, Kasi Misra replied, "O King, your fortune has no limit!"
CC Madhya 13.58: The King and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya were both aware of theLord's activities, but no one else could see the tricks of Lord CaitanyaMahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.59: Only a person who has received the mercy of the Lord canunderstand. Without the Lord's mercy, even the demigods, headed by LordBrahma, cannot understand.
CC Madhya 13.60: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had been very satisfied to see theKing accept the menial task of sweeping the street, and for this humilitythe King received the mercy of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He could thereforeobserve the mystery of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's activities.
CC Madhya 13.61: Although the King had been refused an interview, he wasindirectly bestowed causeless mercy. Who can understand the internal potencyof Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu?
CC Madhya 13.62: When the two great personalities Sarvabhauma Bhattacaryaand Kasi Misra saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu's causeless mercy upon the King, theywere astonished.
CC Madhya 13.63: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu performed His pastimes forsome time in this way. He personally sang and induced His personalassociates to dance.
CC Madhya 13.64: According to His need, the Lord sometimes exhibited oneform and sometimes many. This was being executed by His internal potency.
CC Madhya 13.65: Indeed, the Personality of Godhead forgot Himself in thecourse of His transcendental pastimes, but His internal potency[lila-sakti], knowing the intentions of the Lord, made all arrangements.
CC Madhya 13.66: Just as Lord Sri Krsna formerly performed the rasa-liladance and other pastimes at Vrndavana, Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhuperformed uncommon pastimes moment after moment.
CC Madhya 13.67: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's dancing before the Ratha-yatracar could be perceived only by pure devotees. Others could not understand.Descriptions of Lord Krsna's uncommon dancing can be found in the revealedscripture Srimad-Bhagavatam.
CC Madhya 13.68: In this way Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced in greatjubilation and inundated all the people with waves of ecstatic love.
CC Madhya 13.69: Thus Lord Jagannatha mounted His car, and Lord Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu inspired all His devotees to dance in front of it.
CC Madhya 13.70: Now please hear about Lord Jagannatha's going to theGundica temple while Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced before the Ratha car.
CC Madhya 13.71: The Lord performed kirtana for some time and, through Hisown endeavor, inspired all the devotees to dance.
CC Madhya 13.72: When the Lord Himself wanted to dance, all seven groupscombined together.
CC Madhya 13.73: The Lord's devotees -- including Srivasa, Ramai, Raghu,Govinda, Mukunda, Haridasa, Govindananda, Madhava and Govinda -- allcombined together.
CC Madhya 13.74: When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu desired to jump high whiledancing, He placed these nine people in the charge of Svarupa Damodara.
CC Madhya 13.75: These devotees [Svarupa Damodara and the devotees in hischarge] sang along with the Lord, and they also ran beside Him. All theother groups of men also sang.
CC Madhya 13.76: Offering obeisances to the Lord with folded hands, SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu raised His face toward Jagannatha and prayed as follows.
CC Madhya 13.77: "'Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Krsna,who is the worshipable Deity for all brahminical men, who is the well-wisherof cows and brahmanas, and who is always benefiting the whole world. I offermy repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead, known as Krsna andGovinda.'
CC Madhya 13.78: "'All glories unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whois known as the son of Devaki! All glories to the Supreme Personality ofGodhead, who is known as the light of the dynasty of Vrsni! All glories tothe Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose bodily luster is like that of anew cloud, and whose body is as soft as a lotus flower! All glories to theSupreme Personality of Godhead, who appeared on this planet to deliver theworld from the burden of demons, and who can offer liberation to everyone!'
CC Madhya 13.79: "'Lord Sri Krsna is He who is known as jana-nivasa, theultimate resort of all living entities, and who is also known asDevaki-nandana or Yasoda-nandana, the son of Devaki and Yasoda. He is theguide of the Yadu dynasty, and with His mighty arms He kills everythinginauspicious, as well as every man who is impious. By His presence Hedestroys all things inauspicious for all living entities, moving and inert.His blissful smiling face always increases the lusty desires of the gopis ofVrndavana. May He be all-glorious and happy!'
CC Madhya 13.80: "'I am not a brahmana, I am not a ksatriya, I am not avaisya or a sudra. Nor am I a brahmacari, a householder, a vanaprastha or asannyasi. I identify Myself only as the servant of the servant of theservant of the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna, the maintainer of the gopis. Heis like an ocean of nectar, and He is the cause of universal transcendentalbliss. He is always existing with brilliance.'"
CC Madhya 13.81: Having recited all these verses from scripture, the Lordagain offered His obeisances, and all the devotees, with folded hands, alsooffered prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
CC Madhya 13.82: When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and jumped high,roaring like thunder and moving in a circle like a wheel, He appeared like acircling firebrand.
CC Madhya 13.83: Wherever Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stepped while dancing, thewhole earth, with its hills and seas, appeared to tilt.
CC Madhya 13.84: When Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced, He displayed variousblissful transcendental changes in His body. Sometimes He appeared as thoughstunned. Sometimes the hairs of His body stood on end. Sometimes Heperspired, cried, trembled and changed color, and sometimes He exhibitedsymptoms of helplessness, pride, exuberance and humility.
CC Madhya 13.85: When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu fell down with a crash whiledancing, He would roll on the ground. At such times it appeared that agolden mountain was rolling on the ground.
CC Madhya 13.86: Nityananda Prabhu would stretch out His two hands and tryto catch the Lord when He was running here and there.
CC Madhya 13.87: Advaita Acarya would walk behind the Lord and loudly chant"Haribol! Haribol!" again and again.
CC Madhya 13.88: Just to check the crowds from coming too near the Lord, thedevotees formed three circles. The first circle was guided by NityanandaPrabhu, who is Balarama Himself, the possessor of great strength.
CC Madhya 13.89: All the devotees headed by Kasisvara and Govinda linkedhands and formed a second circle around the Lord.
CC Madhya 13.90: Maharaja Prataparudra and his personal assistants formed athird circle around the two inner circles just to check the crowds fromcoming too near.
CC Madhya 13.91: With his hands on the shoulders of Haricandana, KingPrataparudra could see Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu dancing, and the King feltgreat ecstasy.
CC Madhya 13.92: While the King beheld the dancing, Srivasa Thakura,standing in front of him, became ecstatic as he saw the dancing of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.93: Seeing Srivasa Thakura standing before the King,Haricandana touched Srivasa with his hand and requested him to step aside.
CC Madhya 13.94: Absorbed in watching Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu dance, SrivasaThakura could not understand why he was being touched and pushed. After hewas pushed again and again, he became angry.
CC Madhya 13.95: Srivasa Thakura slapped Haricandana to stop him frompushing him. In turn, this made Haricandana angry.
CC Madhya 13.96: As the angered Haricandana was about to speak to SrivasaThakura, Prataparudra Maharaja personally stopped him.
CC Madhya 13.97: King Prataparudra said, "You are very fortunate, for youhave been graced by the touch of Srivasa Thakura. I am not so fortunate. Youshould feel obliged to him."
CC Madhya 13.98: Everyone was astonished by the dancing of CaitanyaMahaprabhu, and even Lord Jagannatha became extremely happy to see Him.
CC Madhya 13.99: The car came to a complete standstill and remained immobilewhile Lord Jagannatha, with unblinking eyes, watched the dancing of SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.100: The goddess of fortune, Subhadra, and Lord Balarama bothfelt great happiness and ecstasy within their hearts. Indeed, they were seensmiling at the dancing.
CC Madhya 13.101: When Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced and jumped high, eightwonderful transformations indicative of divine ecstasy were seen in Hisbody. All these symptoms were visible simultaneously.
CC Madhya 13.102: His skin erupted with goose pimples, and the hairs of Hisbody stood on end. His body resembled the simuli [silk cotton tree], allcovered with thorns.
CC Madhya 13.103: Indeed, the people became afraid just to see His teethchatter, and they even thought that His teeth would fall out.
CC Madhya 13.104: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's whole body flowed withperspiration and at the same time oozed blood. He made the sounds "jajagaga, jaja gaga" in a voice choked with ecstasy.
CC Madhya 13.105: Tears came forcefully from the eyes of the Lord, as iffrom a syringe, and all the people surrounding Him became wet.
CC Madhya 13.106: Everyone saw the complexion of His body change from whiteto pink, so that His luster resembled that of the mallika flower.
CC Madhya 13.107: Sometimes He appeared stunned, and sometimes He rolled onthe ground. Indeed, sometimes His legs and hands became as hard as dry wood,and He did not move.
CC Madhya 13.108: When the Lord fell to the ground, sometimes His breathingalmost stopped. When the devotees saw this, their lives also became veryfeeble.
CC Madhya 13.109: Water flowed from His eyes and sometimes through Hisnostrils, and foam fell from His mouth. These flowings appeared to betorrents of nectar descending from the moon.
CC Madhya 13.110: The foam that fell from the mouth of Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu was taken and drunk by Subhananda because he was very fortunateand expert in relishing the mellow of ecstatic love of Krsna.
CC Madhya 13.111: After Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had performed Hisdevastating dance for some time, His mind entered into a mood of ecstaticlove.
CC Madhya 13.112: After abandoning the dancing, the Lord ordered SvarupaDamodara to sing. Understanding His mind, Svarupa Damodara began to sing asfollows.
CC Madhya 13.113: "'Now I have gained the Lord of My life, in the absence ofwhom I was being burned by Cupid and was withering away.'"
CC Madhya 13.114: When this refrain was loudly sung by Svarupa Damodara, SriCaitanya Mahaprabhu again began rhythmically dancing in transcendentalbliss.
CC Madhya 13.115: The car of Lord Jagannatha began to move slowly while theson of mother Saci went ahead and danced in front.
CC Madhya 13.116: While dancing and singing, all the devotees in front ofLord Jagannatha kept their eyes on Him. Caitanya Mahaprabhu then went to theend of the procession with the sankirtana performers.
CC Madhya 13.117: His eyes and mind fully absorbed in Lord Jagannatha,Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to play the drama of the song with His two arms.
CC Madhya 13.118: When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dramatically enacting thesong, He would sometimes fall behind in the procession. At such times, LordJagannatha would come to a standstill. When Caitanya Mahaprabhu again wentforward, Lord Jagannatha's car would slowly start again.
CC Madhya 13.119: Thus there was a sort of competition between CaitanyaMahaprabhu and Lord Jagannatha in seeing who would lead, but CaitanyaMahaprabhu was so strong that He made Lord Jagannatha wait in His car.
CC Madhya 13.120: While Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dancing, His ecstasychanged. Raising His two arms, He began to recite the following verse in aloud voice.
CC Madhya 13.121: "'That very personality who stole away my heart during myyouth is now again my master. These are the same moonlit nights of the monthof Caitra. The same fragrance of malati flowers is there, and the same sweetbreezes are blowing from the kadamba forest. In our intimate relationship, Iam also the same lover, yet still my mind is not happy here. I am eager togo back to that place on the bank of the Reva under the Vetasi tree. That ismy desire.'"
CC Madhya 13.122: This verse was recited by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu againand again. But for Svarupa Damodara, no one could understand its meaning.
CC Madhya 13.123: I have already explained this verse. Now I shall simplydescribe it in brief.
CC Madhya 13.124: Formerly, all the gopis of Vrndavana were very pleasedwhen they met with Krsna in the holy place Kuruksetra.
CC Madhya 13.125: Similarly, after seeing Lord Jagannatha, Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu awoke with the ecstasy of the gopis. Being absorbed in thisecstasy, He asked Svarupa Damodara to sing the refrain.
CC Madhya 13.126: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu spoke thus to Lord Jagannatha:"You are the same Krsna, and I am the same Radharani. We are meeting againin the same way that We met in the beginning of Our lives.
CC Madhya 13.127: "Although We are both the same, My mind is still attractedto Vrndavana-dhama. I wish that You will please again appear with Your lotusfeet in Vrndavana.
CC Madhya 13.128: "In Kuruksetra there are crowds of people, elephants andhorses, and also the rattling of chariots. But in Vrndavana there are flowergardens, and the humming of the bees and chirping of the birds can be heard.
CC Madhya 13.129: "Here at Kuruksetra You are dressed like a royal prince,accompanied by great warriors, but in Vrndavana You appeared just like anordinary cowherd boy, accompanied only by Your beautiful flute.
CC Madhya 13.130: "Here there is not even a drop of the ocean oftranscendental happiness that I enjoyed with You in Vrndavana.
CC Madhya 13.131: "I therefore request You to come to Vrndavana and enjoypastimes with Me. If You do so, My ambition will be fulfilled."
CC Madhya 13.132: I have already described in brief Srimati Radharani'sstatement from Srimad-Bhagavatam.
CC Madhya 13.133: In that ecstatic mood, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu recitedmany other verses, but people in general could not understand their meaning.
CC Madhya 13.134: The meaning of those verses was known to Svarupa DamodaraGosvami, but he did not reveal it. However, Sri Rupa Gosvami has broadcastthe meaning.
CC Madhya 13.135: While dancing, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu began to recite thefollowing verse, which He tasted in the association of Svarupa DamodaraGosvami.
CC Madhya 13.136: "[The gopis spoke thus:] 'Dear Lord, whose navel is justlike a lotus flower, Your lotus feet are the only shelter for those who havefallen into the deep well of material existence. Your feet are worshiped andmeditated upon by great mystic yogis and highly learned philosophers. Wewish that these lotus feet may also be awakened within our hearts, althoughwe are only ordinary persons engaged in household affairs.'"
CC Madhya 13.137: Speaking in the mood of Srimati Radharani, CaitanyaMahaprabhu said, "For most people, the mind and heart are one, but becauseMy mind is never separated from Vrndavana, I consider My mind and Vrndavanato be one. My mind is already Vrndavana, and since You like Vrndavana, willYou please place Your lotus feet there? I would deem that Your full mercy.
CC Madhya 13.138: "My dear Lord, kindly hear My true submission. My home isVrndavana, and I wish Your association there. But if I do not get it, thenit will be very difficult for Me to keep My life.
CC Madhya 13.139: "My dear Krsna, formerly, when You were staying inMathura, You sent Uddhava to teach Me speculative knowledge and mystic yoga.Now You Yourself are speaking the same thing, but My mind doesn't accept it.There is no place in My mind for jnana-yoga or dhyana-yoga. Although Youknow Me very well, You are still instructing Me in jnana-yoga anddhyana-yoga. It is not right for You to do so."
CC Madhya 13.140: Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "I would like to withdrawMy consciousness from You and engage it in material activities, but eventhough I try, I cannot do so. I am naturally inclined to You only. Yourinstructions for Me to meditate on You are therefore simply ludicrous. Inthis way, You are killing Me. It is not very good for You to think of Me asa candidate for Your instructions.
CC Madhya 13.141: "The gopis are not like the mystic yogis. They will neverbe satisfied simply by meditating on Your lotus feet and imitating theso-called yogis. Teaching the gopis about meditation is another kind ofduplicity. When they are instructed to undergo mystic yoga practice, theyare not at all satisfied. On the contrary, they become more and more angrywith You."
CC Madhya 13.142: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu continued, "The gopis have falleninto the great ocean of separation and are being devoured by the timingilafish of their ambition to serve You. The gopis are to be delivered from themouths of these timingila fish, for they are pure devotees. Since they haveno material conception of life, why should they aspire for liberation? Thegopis do not want that liberation desired by yogis and jnanis, for they arealready liberated from the ocean of material existence.
CC Madhya 13.143: "It is amazing that You have forgotten the land ofVrndavana. And how is it that You have forgotten Your father, mother andfriends? How have You forgotten Govardhana Hill, the bank of the Yamuna andthe forest where You enjoyed the rasa-lila dance?
CC Madhya 13.144: "Krsna, You are certainly a refined gentleman with allgood qualities. You are well-behaved, softhearted and merciful. I know thatthere is not even a tinge of fault to be found in You. Yet Your mind doesnot even remember the inhabitants of Vrndavana. This is only My misfortune,and nothing else.
CC Madhya 13.145: "I do not care for My personal unhappiness, but when I seethe morose face of mother Yasoda and the hearts of all the inhabitants ofVrndavana breaking because of You, I wonder whether You want to kill themall. Or do You want to enliven them by coming there? Why are You simplykeeping them alive in a state of suffering?
CC Madhya 13.146: "The inhabitants of Vrndavana do not want You dressed likea prince, nor do they want You to associate with great warriors in adifferent country. They cannot leave the land of Vrndavana, and without Yourpresence, they are all dying. What is their condition to be?
CC Madhya 13.147: "My dear Krsna, You are the life and soul ofVrndavana-dhama. You are especially the life of Nanda Maharaja. You are theonly opulence in the land of Vrndavana, and You are very merciful. Pleasecome and let all the residents of Vrndavana live. Kindly keep Your lotusfeet again in Vrndavana."
CC Madhya 13.148: After hearing Srimati Radharani's statements, Lord Krsna'slove for the inhabitants of Vrndavana was evoked, and His body and mindbecame very much perturbed. After hearing of their love for Him, Heimmediately thought Himself to be always indebted to the residents ofVrndavana. Then Krsna began to pacify Srimati Radharani as follows.
CC Madhya 13.149: "My dearest Srimati Radharani, please hear Me. I amspeaking the truth. I cry day and night simply upon remembering all youinhabitants of Vrndavana. No one knows how unhappy this makes Me."
CC Madhya 13.150: Sri Krsna continued: "All the inhabitants ofVrndavana-dhama -- My mother, father, cowherd boyfriends and everything else-- are like My life and soul. And among all the inhabitants of Vrndavana,the gopis are My very life and soul. And among the gopis, You, SrimatiRadharani, are the chief. Therefore You are the very life of My life.
CC Madhya 13.151: "My dear Srimati Radharani, I am always subservient to theloving affairs of all of you. I am under your control only. My separationfrom you and residence in distant places have occurred due to My strongmisfortune.
CC Madhya 13.152: "When a woman is separated from the man she loves or a manis separated from his beloved woman, neither of them can live. It is a factthat they live only for each other, for if one dies and the other hears ofit, he or she will die also.
CC Madhya 13.153: "Such a loving, chaste wife and loving husband desire allwelfare for each other in separation and do not care for personal happiness.Desiring only each other's well-being, such a pair certainly meet againwithout delay.
CC Madhya 13.154: "You are My most dear, and I know that in My absence Youcannot live for a moment. Just to keep You living, I worship Lord Narayana.By His merciful potency, I come to Vrndavana every day to enjoy pastimeswith You. I then return to Dvaraka-dhama. Thus You can always feel Mypresence there in Vrndavana.
CC Madhya 13.155: "Our love affair is more powerful because of My goodfortune in receiving Narayana's grace. This allows Me to come there unseenby others. I hope that very soon I will be visible to everyone.
CC Madhya 13.156: "I have already killed all the mischievous demons who areenemies of the Yadu dynasty, and I have also killed Kamsa and his allies.But there are two or four demons still living. I want to kill them, andafter doing so I shall very soon return to Vrndavana. Please know this forcertain.
CC Madhya 13.157: "I wish to protect the inhabitants of Vrndavana from theattacks of My enemies. That is why I remain in My kingdom; otherwise I amindifferent to My royal position. Whatever wives, sons and wealth I maintainin the kingdom are only for the satisfaction of the Yadus.
CC Madhya 13.158: "Your loving qualities always attract Me to Vrndavana.Indeed, they will bring Me back within ten or twenty days, and when I returnI shall enjoy both day and night with You and all the damsels ofVrajabhumi."
CC Madhya 13.159: While speaking to Srimati Radharani, Krsna became veryanxious to return to Vrndavana. He made Her listen to a verse which banishedall Her difficulties and which assured Her that She would again attainKrsna.
CC Madhya 13.160: Lord Sri Krsna said: "Devotional service unto Me is theonly way to attain Me. My dear gopis, whatever love and affection you haveattained for Me by good fortune is the only reason for My returning to you."
CC Madhya 13.161: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu would sit in His room with SvarupaDamodara and taste the topics of these verses day and night.
CC Madhya 13.162: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced completely absorbed inecstatic emotion. While looking at the face of Lord Jagannatha, He dancedand recited these verses.
CC Madhya 13.163: No one can describe the good fortune of Svarupa DamodaraGosvami, for he is always absorbed in the service of the Lord with his body,mind and words.
CC Madhya 13.164: The senses of Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu were identicalwith the senses of Svarupa. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to becomefully absorbed in tasting the singing of Svarupa Damodara.
CC Madhya 13.165: In emotional ecstasy, Caitanya Mahaprabhu would sometimessit on the ground and, looking down, would write on the ground with Hisfinger.
CC Madhya 13.166: Fearing that the Lord would injure His finger by writingin this way, Svarupa Damodara checked Him with his own hand.
CC Madhya 13.167: Svarupa Damodara used to sing exactly according to theecstatic emotion of the Lord. Whenever a particular mellow was being tastedby Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, Svarupa Damodara would personify it by singing.
CC Madhya 13.168: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu looked upon the beautifullotuslike face and eyes of Lord Jagannatha.
CC Madhya 13.169: Lord Jagannatha was garlanded, dressed with nice garmentsand adorned with beautiful ornaments. His face was glittering from the raysof sunshine, and the entire atmosphere was fragrant.
CC Madhya 13.170: An ocean of transcendental bliss expanded in the heart ofLord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and symptoms of madness immediatelyintensified like a hurricane.
CC Madhya 13.171: The madness of transcendental bliss created waves ofvarious emotions. The emotions appeared like opposing soldiers staging afight.
CC Madhya 13.172: There was an increase in all the natural emotionalsymptoms. Thus there were awakening emotions, peacefulness, joined, mixed,transcendental and prevalent emotions, and impetuses for emotion.
CC Madhya 13.173: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu's body appeared like atranscendental Himalayan mountain bearing ecstatic emotional flower trees,all of them blooming.
CC Madhya 13.174: The sight of all these symptoms attracted everyone's mindand consciousness. Indeed, the Lord sprinkled everyone's mind with thenectar of transcendental love of Godhead.
CC Madhya 13.175: He sprinkled the minds of the servants of Lord Jagannatha,the government officers, the pilgrim visitors, the general populace and allthe residents of Jagannatha Puri.
CC Madhya 13.176: Upon seeing the dancing and ecstatic love of Sri CaitanyaMahaprabhu, everyone became astonished. In their hearts they becameinfatuated with love of Krsna.
CC Madhya 13.177: Everyone danced and chanted in ecstatic love, and a greatnoise resounded. Everyone was overwhelmed with transcendental bliss just tosee the dancing of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.178: Apart from the others, even Lord Jagannatha and LordBalarama, with great happiness, began to move very slowly upon seeing thedancing of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.
CC Madhya 13.179: Lord Jagannatha and Lord Balarama sometimes stopped thecar and happily observed Lord Caitanya's dancing. Anyone who was able to seeThem stop and watch the dancing bore witness to Their pastimes.
CC Madhya 13.180: When Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was dancing andwandering in this way, He fell down in front of Maharaja Prataparudra.
CC Madhya 13.181: Maharaja Prataparudra picked the Lord up with greatrespect, but upon seeing the King, Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu came to Hisexternal senses.
CC Madhya 13.182: After seeing the King, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu condemnedHimself, saying, "Oh, how pitiful it is that I have touched a person who isinterested in mundane affairs!"
CC Madhya 13.183: Not even Lord Nityananda Prabhu, Kasisvara or Govinda tookcare of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He fell down. Nityananda was in greatecstasy, and Kasisvara and Govinda were elsewhere.
CC Madhya 13.184: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu had already been satisfied by theKing's behavior, for the King had accepted the service of a sweeper for LordJagannatha. Therefore Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu actually desired to see theKing.
CC Madhya 13.185: However, just to warn His personal associates, the SupremePersonality of Godhead, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, externally expressedfeelings of anger.
CC Madhya 13.186: King Prataparudra became frightened when Lord Caitanyashowed external anger, but Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya told the King, "Don'tworry."
CC Madhya 13.187: Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya informed the King, "The Lord isvery satisfied with you. By pointing you out, He was teaching His personalassociates how to behave with mundane people."
CC Madhya 13.188: Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya continued, "I shall submit yourpetition when there is an opportune moment. It will then be easy for you tocome and meet the Lord."
CC Madhya 13.189: After circumambulating Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhuwent behind the car and began pushing it with His head.
CC Madhya 13.190: As soon as He pushed, the car immediately started to move,making a rattling noise. The people all around began to chant the holy nameof the Lord, "Hari! Hari!"
CC Madhya 13.191: As the car began to move, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu took Hispersonal associates in front of the cars occupied by Lord Balarama andSubhadra, the goddess of fortune. Greatly inspired, He then began to dancein front of them.
CC Madhya 13.192: After finishing the dance before Lord Baladeva andSubhadra, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu came before Lord Jagannatha's car. Uponseeing Lord Jagannatha, He began to dance again.
CC Madhya 13.193: When they reached the place called Balagandi, LordJagannatha stopped His car and began to look left and right.
CC Madhya 13.194: On the left side, Lord Jagannatha saw a neighborhood ofbrahmanas and a coconut-tree grove. On the right side, He saw nice flowergardens resembling those in the holy place Vrndavana.
CC Madhya 13.195: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and His devotees were dancing infront of the car, and Lord Jagannatha, having stopped the car, watched thedancing.
CC Madhya 13.196: It was customary that food be offered to the Lord atvipra-sasana. Indeed, innumerable dishes of food were offered, and LordJagannatha tasted each one of them.
CC Madhya 13.197: All kinds of devotees of Lord Jagannatha -- from neophytesto the most advanced -- offered their best cooked food to the Lord.
CC Madhya 13.198: These devotees included the King, his queens, hisministers and friends and all other big and small residents of JagannathaPuri.
CC Madhya 13.199: All the visitors who had come from different countries toJagannatha Puri, as well as the local devotees, offered their personallycooked food to the Lord.
CC Madhya 13.200: The devotees offered their food everywhere -- in front ofthe car and behind it, on the two sides and within the flower garden.Wherever possible, they made their offering to the Lord, for there were nohard and fast rules.
CC Madhya 13.201: While the food was being offered, a large crowd of peoplegathered. At that time Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stopped His dancing and wentto a nearby garden.
CC Madhya 13.202: Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu entered the garden and, immersedin great ecstatic emotion, fell flat on a raised platform there.
CC Madhya 13.203: The Lord was very much fatigued from the hard labor ofdancing, and there was perspiration all over His body. He therefore enjoyedthe fragrant, cool breeze of the garden.
CC Madhya 13.204: All the devotees who had been performing sankirtana camethere and took rest under each and every tree.
CC Madhya 13.205: Thus I have described the great performance ofcongregational chanting by Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu as He danced infront of Lord Jagannatha.
CC Madhya 13.206: In his prayer known as the Caitanyastaka, Srila RupaGosvami has given a vivid description of the Lord's dancing before the carof Jagannatha.
CC Madhya 13.207: "Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced down the main road ingreat ecstasy before Lord Jagannatha, the master of Nilacala, who wassitting on His car. Overwhelmed by the transcendental bliss of dancing andsurrounded by Vaisnavas who sang the holy names, He manifested waves ofecstatic love of Godhead. When will Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu again be visibleto my vision?"
CC Madhya 13.208: Anyone who hears this description of the car festival willattain Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He will also attain the elevated state bywhich he will have firm conviction in devotional service and love ofGodhead.
CC Madhya 13.209: Praying at the lotus feet of Sri Rupa and Sri Raghunatha,always desiring their mercy, I, Krsnadasa, narrate Sri Caitanya-caritamrta,following in their footsteps.
Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of theInternational Society for Krishna Consciousness
------------------------------------------------------------------------Ratha Yatra in Puri
At the height of Indian summer, right at the beginning of the Monsoon, theLord of Puri goes to his garden palace for the annual summer vacation.Originally the festival has its foundation in the residents of Vrindavanbringing back their Lords, Krishna, Balaram and Lady Subhadra fromKurukshetra.
Today in Puri He, the Lord of the Universe travels in some style from histemple in Puri, to his garden temple, located outside the town centre calledGundicha. Thousands of Hindus flock to see, and to pull the grand chariotsfrom one temple to the other. The English word "Jagannaut" comes from thegiant chariots of Lord Jagannath of Puri. The British were so stunned by thesize of the chariots, they coined a word for it!
In Puri, Lord Jagannath is worshipped with his elder brother Bala-Rama andhis sister Subhadra. Each sibling has his / her own chariot and goes to thesummer residence with great pomp. Each of the chariots is covered indistinctly coloured cloth. Various symbols and signs help pilgrimsdistinguish between the three gods. As a mark of respect, and humbleness,the king of Puri sweeps the chariots of the Gods of Puri. Festival beginswith a huge fanfare of conches, trumpets, drums and cymbals. Accompanied bymusic and dancers, the divine travellers begin their journey to the gardentemple.
In order to accommodate the three chariots, the street leading from the maintemple to the garden temple is very wide. Temples, ashrams, hotels, inns,shops and mansions of the old aristocracy line the route. All buildings arecolourfully decorated with flags, buntings and awnings of bright colours.Ladies in colourful saries crowd the balconies, doors and windows deckedwith flowers. Men and women rush to pull the chariots along this main streetof Puri. This is an exciting time in Puri. The Lord who is rarely glimpsedoutside his inner sanctum, is now easily accessible to everyone in thestreets of Puri !
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, away from the innumerabletemple servants, away from their spouses, the siblings enjoy their"Vrindavan-like" garden retreat. The temple routine in the garden temple isvery much relaxed compared to the main temple. Various festivities and funare planned for their short stay in this leafy abode. ( Depending on thelunar cycle, this festival can last anywhere from 1 - 2 weeks. )
As the Lord has only taken his brother and his sister on this holiday, thewives are left at home! Alone and brooding, Goddess Lakshmi (Goddess ofwealth), seeks help from Goddess Vimala to get their husband back.Travelling by night, in a closed palanquin, she arrives at the garden templeof the Lord. She enchants the Lord and entreats him to return.
A few days later, Lord returns to his city temple. Though delighted, goddessLakshmi orders the temple doors to be shut in His face - in the vain hope ofteaching Him a lesson! In the conversation that follows, female attendants(dev-dasi) of the Goddess blame the Lord of being inconsiderate, "Jack theLad", taking His wife for granted and being far too easily led by thein-laws (sounds familiar?).
The mood of the sevaks in Puri is that Jagannath is their friend as opposedto Him being their Master, as in other lilas. In many cases the residents ofPurushottam Sri Kshetra make many comparission with their own lives indealing with Jagannath. These intimacies reflect the overall mood, and carrythe tradition of heritage of Jagannath's original coming to Puri manythousands of years before and the wonderful pastimes of the saintlyIndradyumna maharaj vision of the Lord, Visvavasu the Sabara's attachment tothe Lord as Nila Madhav, and finally the mystical appearance of theDharu-Brahma from which the first Deities were carved by the architect ofthe devas Vishvakarma, the mystical carrying of the log by the descendant ofVisvavasu (Virabhadra) that many elephants and men could not budge. Suchwonderful depictive pastimes make one's hair stand in horipulations at theirrecitation.
Today in Puri Lord's servants explain that He really had no choice, as theybring Him back that He went against His will, He still loves Her deeply andrespects Her enormously!! Eventually, the Lord offers the femalegate-keepers bribess and enters the inner sanctum to pacify the GoddessLakshmi. Such are the dramas of a married man's life! The next day, Lord andthe Goddess once again appear in the public, reconciled and as loving asever. Lord's summer vacation is over, and life in the great temple returnsto its age old routine.
Of all the festivals, the Ratha Yatra of Jagannatha is the most famous. Thistakes place on the second day of the waxing phase of the moon of the asadhamonth. Jagannatha ordered King Indradyumna to take him to his birth place,the Gundica Mandira (symbolically Vrindavana), on this day.
Jagannatha's ratha is marked with a cakra and garuda, is yellow in color,with four white horses. The protecting deity is Nrsimha.
Baladeva's cart is blue, with a palm tree insignia, and four black horses.The protecting deity is Sesa.
Subhadra's cart is black, with lotus insignia, protected by Vanadurga.
Sudarsana is carried out first and placed on Subhadra's cart. In successionSubhadra, Baladeva, and Jagannatha are moved to their carts using silkropes. After being situated on their carts they are decorated andworshipped. Midway on the journey, the carts stop, the deities are bathed inpancamrta and cool water, and naivedyam and aratrika are offered. On arrivalat the Gundica Mandira, aratrika is offered, and then the deities enter thetemple for rest.
On the fifth day of the lunar month, called Hera (looking for) Pancami,Laksmi comes looking for Jagannatha with Siva and her maid servants. Whenthe servants of Jagannatha see her at the first gate of the Gundica Mandira,they close the door of Jagannatha's bhoga mandira so that she cannot seehim. She becomes angry and breaks a piece of Jagannatha's ratha. Aftertaking a meal she returns to the main temple.
On the ninth day of the moon, the return Ratha Yatra takes place, and Laksmiand her servants come to meet Jagannatha. Jagannatha gives her his garlandto appease her.
Several days later on dvadasi, Laksmi closes the temple doors in anger andher servants quarrel with Jagannatha's servants. After Jagannatha concedesdefeat, the doors are opened again.
Such is the reverance, the fun, the mysticism, and overall bliss ofRathyatra in Jagannath Puri.
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