why subhadra has no arms?

[Guest guest]

> "why subhadra has no arms like Jagganatha and Baladeva?"

>

> any answers from the Lovers of Jaggannatha?

 

Hare Krsna.

 

Pranams.

 

I asked this question to the sincere Jagannath fanatic, bhakta charles of

Vrindavan (aka bhakta das). He has spent a lot of time and energy

researching all aspects of Lord Jagannath and his worship, particularly in

the libraries of Puri. I will repeat what I heard from him.

 

He told me that in Bhubaneshwar, Madhavananda prabhu (GGS) once showed him a

book which described the original forms of the deities that Indradyumna

Maharaja saw. All three dieties where sitting in yoga posture and all had

four arms. The book also described the four items that Subhadra was holding.

So one answer to the question "Why doesn't Subhadra have any arms?" is 'She

does have arms.'

 

As far as the forms we see today, we have to consider that the original

Jagannath deities were probably established in the Treta-yuga of this

Catur-yuga. Since that time the Jagannath temple has been repeatedly

destroyed, invaded, (and probably moved )and closed many times, even for

hundreds of years at a time. So there were instances when Jagannath deities

would have to be recarved from memory after long intervals. This may explain

the variation in form we now see.

 

There is a practical consideration for Subhadra not having any arms at the

moment. The Jagannath and Baladev deities are very heavy and the pandas

actually need to use Their arms for leverage to move them around. You can

see this at the Ratha-yatra festival in Puri. It is described that during

Ratha-yatra at the time of Mahaprabhu, the pandas would lift Jagannath from

pillow to pillow and because He was so heavy, the pillows would burst.

Nowdays, perhaps because the pandas are not so strong anymore, they simply

drag Jagannath along the concrete ground, using His arms to rock Him

backwards and forwards for momentum. You can pick up pieces of Jagannath by

walking behind Him.

But Subhadra is much smaller and lighter. Her arms are not required and she

is carried simply by laying down. This may be a consideration for Subhadra

eventually receiving no arms, or it may not.

 

There is another story that Subhadra has two arms, but they are folded in

front of her, covered with cloth.

 

Your servant,

Deenanath dasa