Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri
Venue: Jagannath Puri
Dated: December 25th 2018
Occasion: Annual yatra, Day one
Jaya Jaya Jagannath sacirananadan…

The Lord resides at Nilachala and carries certain symbols Gada, Padma, Sankha and Cakra. The same Jagannath carries different signs Danda and Kamandalu when He appeares in Mayapur.

The Lord took sannyasa for the welfare of the world. He was also grahasta but for the welfare of others He took sannyasa. He had come from Mayapur to Jagannath Puri. But we are going from Jagannath Puri to Mayapur, opposite route. We have come here to love. We are very fortunate. Coming to yatra means getting free from the material world.

When Caitanya Mahaprabhu was coming from Mayapur to Jagannath Puri Nityananda Prabhu broke his Danda, but his kamadalu is still there at Gambhira.

Jaya Jagannth Saciranandan, what does this mean? Jagannath is Saccinandan.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed here in His prakat lila for 18 years; otherwise He is always there in this dhama. Two Purushottam were here at the same time; Lila Purusottam and Prema Purusottam.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu is offering obeisances to Jagannath. Sevaka Bhagavan that is Caitanya Mahaprabhu is offering obeisances to Sevya Bhagvan that is Jagannath. The Lord becomes sevak.

Apani achari prabhu jivare sikhaya

The Lord becomes a devotee to teach others.

jayati jayati devo devaki-nandano sau jayati jayati ko vr?ni-vamsa-pradipa?
jayati jayati megha-syamala? komalango jayati jayati p?thvi-bhara-naso mukunda?
(CC Madhya 13. 78)

All glories unto the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is known as the son of Devak?. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead who is known as the light of the dynasty of V???i. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead whose bodily luster is like that of a new cloud and whose body is as soft as a lotus flower. All glories to the Supreme Personality of Godhead who appeared on this planet to deliver the world from the burden of demons and who can offer liberation to everyone.’

How does He lower the burden of the earth?
paritranaya sadhunam vinashaya cha dushkritam
dharma sansthapanarthaya sambhavami yuge yuge
Caitanya Mahaprabhu is not only Krsna but He is Radha Rani also.
“Sri Krsna Caitanya, Radha Krsna nahi anya”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed here in Radha bhava. Radha Rani is tapta kanchan gaurangi and Caitanya Mahaprabhu is also Gauranga.One Lord was here in deity form as Jagannath stable at one place, sthira and another Lord was mobile chalayman that was Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Jagannath ji is Krsna and Caitanya Mahaprabhu as Radharani, in bhava of Radharani. Jagannath puri is Audarya Dhama. Jagannath puri is also Vrndavan. Gundicha Mandir is Vrndavan. This is also Madhurya Dhama and also Aisvarya Dhama, so three is one. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is two in one, Radha and Krsna together. Jagannath puri and Mayapur together are Goloka Dhama.

Most lowest is Devi Dhama above it is Mahesh Dhama, above that is Vaikuntha and above that Goloka and Goloka has two parts. At one part is Radha Krsna and at other part is Gauranga. So being here means we have reached Goloka, Jai. So it will be great if we stay here forever and we can look down at Devi Dhama and say bye to others.

Krsna is the most superior and stays in Goloka. All other avatars stay at Vaikuntha Dhama. Caitanya Mahaprabhu took sannyasa and became parivrajakacharya and preached Hare Krsna all over. Vasudev gosha shares his realization in this bhajan.

“Jei Gaura, Sei Krishna Sei Jagannath” Vasudeva Ghosh says with folded hands, “He who is Gaura is He who is Krishna is He who is Jagannatha.”

We had gone to Bhubaneswar temple to take darsana but don’t know whether the Lord gave darsana or not. Because it depends on the giver. To how much level the Lord gives darsana, little or more or nothing..

So when Caitanya Mahaprabhu had darsana of Jagannath He could see Krsna. When Lord Panduranga stood at house of Pundarika, He kept his hands of His waist.

kara kata vari thevuniya

And till date He is standing in the same pose out of love for His devotee. Like that once Krsna took the form of Jagannath out of love for Vrajavasis. Caitanya Mahaprabhu always saw Jagannath as Krsna.

Once Prataprudra, the king was taking darsana of Jagannath ji but he could see Caitanya Mahaprabhu and not Jagannath ji. So he asked the panda, “Please see at Jagannath. What are you seeing?” We are having darsana of Jagannath ji. Oh don’t fear please tell correct. We are seeing Jagannath. But Jagannath ji was giving darsana as Caitanya Mahaprabhu to the king.

Nilachala Nivasaya Nityayaa Paramatmane;
Balabhadra Subhadrabhyam Jagannathayate Namah

Every kid of Orissa knows this mantra. I was once corrected by a child when I stopped while chanting this mantra. To learn this mantra we should write it down. We are not srutidhara. People of Kaliyuga are manda sumanda and they become more manda when they go to the temple. But while going to shopping they are full enthusiastic.

Jagannath temple is on Nilachala hill and on Sundarachala hill is Gundicha temple. Gundicha was the name of wife of Indradyumna Maharaja. You can do shopping here of Lord’s Holy name. Caitanya Mahaprabhu when He took sannyasa, He wanted to go to Vrndavan. But Sacimata met Him in Shantipur and said, “Vrndavan is far away I will not get your message and I will not be able to meet you. So stay at Jagannath Puri.” She used to call him Nimai Nimai Nimai. So with some devotees Caitanya Mahaprabhu moved towards Puri from Shantipur. On the way He took darsana of Shira Chora Gopinath and there recited Katha of Gopinatha. And in Katak had darsana of Sakshi Gopal and Nityananda Prabhu gave katha on Sakhi Gopal. Lord came walking to Orissa. Once a devotee asked the Lord to walk to Orissa. The Lord said, “Oh I can’t walk” Devotee said, “Prabhu if you can talk, you can walk also.” So the Lord walked to Orissa.

On the way is Atharanala, 18 canals. From there He saw the chakra of the temple and then He came running towards the temple. Entered the temple and had darsana of Jagannath and had astavikar. He could not say Jagannath. He said Jag Jag…and felt unconscious. People said to Caitanya Mahaprabhu to have darsana from far away. Because from near His astavikar would increase. So He took darsana from Garuda stamba, there are imprints of His fingers. I also once kept fingers there and something happened to me.

Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya took Him to his house and Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed there for two months. Bhattacharya did not realize that Caitanya Mahaprabhu is the Lord. So Caitanya one day gave him special darsana sadbhuja darsana at his house.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu then wanted to go to South India yatra. Six years He was on yatra after staying for two months. Devotees said to Caitanya Mahaprabhu not to go but Caitanya Mahaprabhu said, “I want to meet Visvarupa.” Balaram becomes Visvarupa. While doing yatra He came to Pandharpur there He got the news that Visvarupa has left this world. After snana yatra Jagannath temple is closed. So people go to Atharanala for darsana. Caitanya Mahaprabhu also went, He paid obeisances and the shila there melted and also His bodies print is still there on that shila.
Haridas Thakur is Brahma ji. Haridas Thakur was born in Muslim family so he could not have darsana of Jagannath. Caitanya Mahaprabhu named him as Namacharya Haridas Thakur.

In 1977, I came for the first time to Jagannath Puri and one day before ratha yatra darsana of Jagannath opens. That’s called netrautsava. So we also went at Simha dwara. I was new sannyasi with danda also Riksharaj Prabhu was with me, he was from South Africa. The pandas caught me, “Stop you can’t go. You are Christian. ISKCON converted you. You are not born Hindu.” Riksharaj Prabhu moved little away and as pandas were busy with me, he entered in. The pandas lifted me and kept me out. We were searching where is Riksharaj and then Riksharaj came and said, “Maharaja charan tulsi for you.” Laughter and I hugged him.

Haridas took darsana of cakra. He never tried to go inside the temple. This is his humility. In this state of mind one can chant the holy name.

trinad api sunicena. taror api sahishnuna.
amanina manadena. kirtaniyah sada harihi

Caitanya Mahaprabhu daily used to give him darsana. Jagannathji used to come as Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Haridas Thakur stayed at Siddha Bakul.

Haridas Thakur knew that Caitanya Mahaprabhu will leave this world so he wanted to go before Caitanya Mahaprabhu. He left his body having darsana of Caitanya Mahaprabhu. This departure was like departure of Bhishma in Kurukshetra. He was also having darsana of Krsna and glorifying Him. His stuti is also famous in Srimad Bhagavatam. So dying is also a kala. Now a days people also die in style. They get admitted in five star hotel and die in five star ICU.

So kirtan was going on and Caitanya Mahaprabhu lifted Haridas Thakur and started dancing and went to sea beach. Haridas Thakur’s abhishek was also done by sea water. In Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s presence Haridas Thakur was given samadhi by other devotees. And there is samadhi also. And from that day Caitanya Mahaprabhu said this sea beach is also a tirtha Sthana.

We are also having snana here in sankirtana and harikatha. Snana of atma. This is more important than the body bath. People don’t know this. More important is hearing katha from the dhama guru. So by hearing and reading we can have darsana. Without hearing we can’t have darsana. We should see through shastra chakshu. Without that your yatra is not successful.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare.