Snana Yatra (Bathing Ceremony) of Lord Jagannatha

[Guest guest]

Snana Yatra (Bathing Ceremony) of Lord Jagannatha on 22nd June 2005

in

Puri Dhama:

 

Snana Yatra or the Lord Jagannatha's bathing festival which takes

place

14 days before Shri Ratha Yatra Festival. During the 14 days period,

the temple remains closed for Darshana on the plea that Jagannatha

Swami

has caught a cold. It also enables the Deities to be repainted, or

renewed. Still others say that the reason that Lord Jagannatha feigns

sickness is to take a break from the thousands and thousands of

people who

visit Shri Puri Dhama everyday, most of who are asking, " Lord

Jagannatha, please fulfill my desires, give me this, give me that. "

So Lord takes

it easy for a couples of weeks before the Ratha Yatra, and along with

His brother and sister They peacefully enjoy fine sweet preparations

and

nectar drinks made cream, molasses and invigorating herbs.

 

Snana Yatra is when the Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Deities are

bathed. Snana means " bathing. " This is done on Jyestha Purnima. The

main

Deities along with Sudarshana disc are bought to the snana mandapa (a

platform in front of the temple). Around mid-day 108 pots of water

are

poured on the Deities from a sacred well which is dear to the goddess

Sitala. An emissary of the king of Orissa ceremonially sweeps the

platform. Then elephant-head masks are put on the Deities. This is

their

Ganesh vesha. The Deities are then offered cooked food and an arati

is

perform. This is the only time in a year that the public can see a

food

offering to the Deities. The Deities go back into the temple in a

procession and stay in seclusion for 15 days. The Deities are placed

in a

semi-reclining position in the hallway between the inner and outer

sanctum.

 

The word Anavasara is used when Shri Jagannathaji cannot be seen in

the

temple. After the bathing ceremony. Lord Jagannatha is supposed to

become sick. He is therefore removed to His private chambers. During

the

Anavasara festival, it is said that Lord Jagannatha suffers from

fever;

and is offered an infusion of drugs represented by fruit juice. The

dayita servants take care of Lord Jagannatha from the time of Snana

Yatra

up to the time the Lord is carried from His throne to the Ratha Yatra

carts. They sleep and stay with the Deities.

 

This 15 day resting and renovation period is also called Nibhrita, in

honor of the solitary place where the Supreme goddess of fortune

lives.

Lord Jagannatha lives there in seclusion enjoying svakiya rasa in the

company of His wife, Lakshmi. Then He asks Her permission lo leave

and

comes out for His Rathayatra chariot festival.

 

The body of Lord Jagannatha having been washed needs repainting. This

is known as Anga-Raga. This is done by the daityas. It takes about

two

weeks to complete the painting of Lord Jagannatha's body. The

renovation

festival is also called Nava-Yauvana, which indicates that the

Jagannatha Deity is being fully restored to youth.

 

Netrotsava (Reappearance) is when after two weeks absence, Lord

Jagannatha reappears. At sunrise, fifteen days after the bathing

ceremony the

Deities have recovered from their cold and are placed in front of the

inner sanctum in a reclining posi¬tion. They have been totally

repainted, except their eyes. At this time the eyes of the Deities

are painted

by their respective priests and the normal worship in the temple is

resumed, except the Deities are still reclining.

 

Alalanatha is also known as Brahmagiri. This place is about 14 miles

from Jagannatha Puri and is also on the beach. There is a temple of

Lord

Jagannatha there and a very large stone slab containing the imprint

of

Lord Gauranga's transcendental body. The stone melted while the Lord

lay their in ecstacy.

 

When Lord Jagannatha retires after His bathing ceremony for two

weeks,

Lord Gauranga becomes very unhappy because He can't see Lord

Jagannatha. Due to separation from Lord Jagannatha, Shri Gauranga

Mahaprabhu gave

up all association and went to Alalanatha temple. The Puri devotees

came there requesting Lord Gauranga to return because all the

devotees

were coming from Bengal to see Him. Lord Gauranga would often come

here

during the fortnight when Lord Jagannatha remained in seclusion

before

the Ratha Yatra festival.

 

Shri Snana Yatra Pastimes of Lord Gauranga Mahaprabhu in Shri

Jagannatha Puri Dhama from Shri Chaitanya Charitamrita by Shrila

Krishnadasa

Kaviraja Goswami. Translations and Purport by Shrila Prabhupada:

 

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TEXT 121

 

punarapi nilacale gamana karila

bhakta-gane meliya snana-yatra dekhila

 

TRANSLATION

After collecting these books, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to

Jagannatha Puri. At that time, the bathing ceremony of Jagannatha was

taking

place, and He saw it.

 

Madhya 1.122

 

anavasare jagannathera na pana darasana

virahe alalanatha karila gamana

 

TRANSLATION

When Jagannatha was absent from the temple, Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who

could not see Him, felt separation and left Jagannatha Puri to go to

a

place known as Alalanatha.

 

PURPORT

Alalanatha is also known as Brahmagiri. This place is about fourteen

miles from Jagannatha Puri and is also on the beach. There is a

temple of

Jagannatha there. At the present moment a police station and post

office are situated there because so many people come to see the

temple.

The word anavasara is used when Sri Jagannathaji cannot be seen in

the

temple. After the bathing ceremony (snana-yatra), Lord Jagannatha

apparently becomes sick. He is therefore removed to His private

apartment,

where no one can see Him. Actually, during this period renovations

are

made on the body of the Jagannatha Deity. This is called nava-

yauvana.

During the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord Jagannatha once again comes

before

the public. Thus for fifteen days after the bathing ceremony, Lord

Jagannatha is not visible to any visitors.

 

Madhya 1.123

 

bhakta-sane dina kata tahani rahila

gaudera bhakta aise, samacara paila

 

TRANSLATION

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remained for some days at Alalanatha. In the

meantime, He received news that all the devotees from Bengal were

coming

to Jagannatha Puri.

 

Madhya 1.124

 

nityananda-sarvabhauma agraha karina

nilacale aila mahaprabhuke la-ina

 

When the devotees from Bengal arrived at Jagannatha Puri, both

Nityananda Prabhu and Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya greatly endeavored to

take Sri

Caitanya Mahaprabhu back to Jagannatha Puri.

 

Madhya 1.125

 

virahe vihvala prabhu na jane ratri-dine

hena-kale aila gaudera bhakta-gane

 

When Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu finally left Alalanatha to return to

Jagannatha Puri, He was overwhelmed both day and night due to

separation

from Jagannatha. His lamentation knew no bounds. During this time,

all

the devotees from different parts of Bengal, and especially from

Navadvipa, arrived in Jagannatha Puri.

 

Madhya 1.126

 

sabe mili' yukti kari' kirtana arambhila

kirtana-avese prabhura mana sthira haila

 

After due consideration, all the devotees began chanting the holy

name

congregationally. Lord Caitanya's mind was thus pacified by the

ecstasy

of the chanting.

 

PURPORT

Being absolute in all circumstances, Lord Jagannatha's person, form,

picture and kirtana are all identical. Therefore when Caitanya

Mahaprabhu

heard the chanting of the holy name of the Lord, He was pacified.

Previously, He had been feeling very morose due to separation from

Jagannatha. The conclusion is that whenever a kirtana of pure

devotees takes

place, the Lord is immediately present. By chanting the holy names of

the

Lord, we associate with the Lord personally.

 

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TEXT 60

 

snana-yatra kabe habe puchila bhattere

bhatta kahe,——tina dina achaye yatrare

 

TRANSLATION

When the King asked the Bhattacarya when the bathing ceremony

[snana-yatra] of Lord Jagannatha would take place, the Bhattacarya

replied that

there were only three days left before the ceremony.

 

Madhya 11.61

rajare prabodhiya bhatta gela nijalaya

snana-yatra-dine prabhura ananda hridaya

 

TRANSLATION

After thus encouraging the King, Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya returned

home.

On the day of Lord Jagannatha's bathing ceremony, Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu was very happy at heart.

 

Madhya 11.62

 

snana-yatra dekhi' prabhura haila bada sukha

isvarera `anavasare' paila bada duhkha

 

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing the bathing ceremony of Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu became very happy. But when Lord Jagannatha retired after

the

ceremony, Lord Caitanya became very unhappy because He could not see

Him.

 

PURPORT

After the bathing ceremony of Sri Jagannatha, which takes place just

a

fortnight before the Ratha-yatra ceremony, the body of the Lord

Jagannatha Deity is repainted, and this takes just about a fortnight

to

complete. This period is called Anavasara. There are many who visit

the

temple to see Lord Jagannatha regularly every day, and for them His

retirement after the bathing ceremony is unbearable. Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu

felt Lord Jagannatha's absence from the temple very much.

 

Madhya 11.63

 

gopi-bhave virahe prabhu vyakula hana

alalanathe gela prabhu sabare chadiya

 

TRANSLATION

Due to separation from Lord Jagannatha, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu felt

the same great anxiety the gopis feel in separation from Krishna. In

this

condition He gave up all association and went to Alalanatha.

 

Madhya 11.64

pache prabhura nikata aila bhakta-gana

gauda haite bhakta aise,——kaila nivedana

 

The devotees who had followed the Lord came into His presence and

requested Him to return to Puri. They submitted that the devotees

from

Bengal were coming to Purushottama-kshetra.

 

Madhya 11.65

sarvabhauma nilacale aila prabhu lana

prabhu aila,——raja-thani kahilena giya

 

In this way Sarvabhauma Bhattacarya brought Lord Caitanya back to

Jagannatha Puri. He then went to King Prataparudra and informed him

of the

Lord's arrival.

 

The word dayita refers to one who has received the mercy of the Lord.

Lord Jagannatha has a number of stalwart servants known as dayitas.

These servants do not come from very high-caste families (brahmanas,

kshatriyas or vaisyas), but because they are engaged in the service

of the

Lord, they have been elevated to a respected position. Thus they are

known as dayitas. These servants of Lord Jagannatha take care of the

Lord

from the day of the Snana-yatra up to the time the Lord is carried

from

the throne to the Ratha car. In the Kshetra-mahatmya these dayitas

are

said to come from the sabaras, a caste that keeps and sells pigs.

However, among the dayitas there are also many who come from the

brahmana

caste. Those dayitas coming from the brahmana families are called

dayita-patis, or leaders of the dayitas. The dayita-patis offer food

such as

sweetmeats to Lord Jagannatha during the anavasara, the resting

period

after Snana-yatra. They also make the early-morning offering of

sweetmeats daily. It is said that during the anavasara Lord

Jagannatha suffers

from fever and that the dayita-patis offer Him an infusion of drugs

represented by fruit juice. It is said that in the beginning Lord

Jagannatha was worshiped by the sabaras and was known as the Deity

Nila

Madhava. Later, when the Deity was established in the temple, the

Lord became

known as Jagannatha. Because the Deities were taken from the sabaras,

all the sabara devotees were elevated to the position of dayitas.

 

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The Panihati Chida-Dahi Festival of Lord Nityananda and Shrila

Raghunatha dasa on 20th June 2005 for India:

 

Antya Lila 6: Raghunatha dasa went to Panihati, and following the

order

of Nityananda Prabhu, he observed a festival (cida-dadhi-mahotsava)

by

distributing chipped rice mixed with yogurt. The day after the

festival, Nityananda Prabhu gave Raghunatha dasa the blessing that he

would

very soon attain the shelter of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

CC: Antya 6.43 - In the village of Panihati, Raghunatha dasa obtained

an interview with Nityananda Prabhu, who was accompanied by many

kirtana

performers, servants and others.

 

Antya 6.44 - Sitting on a rock under a tree on the bank of the

Ganges,

Lord Nityananda seemed as effulgent as hundreds of thousands of

rising

suns.

 

Antya 6.45 - Many devotees sat on the ground surrounding Him. Seeing

the influence of Nityananda Prabhu, Raghunatha dasa was astonished.

 

Antya 6.46 - Raghunatha dasa offered his obeisances by falling

prostrate at a distant place, and the servant of Nityananda Prabhu

pointed out,

" There is Raghunatha dasa, offering You obeisances. "

 

Antya 6.47 - Hearing this, Lord Nityananda Prabhu said, " You are a

thief. Now you have come to see Me. Come here, come here. Today I

shall

punish you! "

 

Antya 6.48 - The Lord called him, but Raghunatha dasa did not go near

the Lord. Then the Lord forcibly caught him and placed His lotus feet

upon Raghunatha dasa's head.

 

Antya 6.49 - Lord Nityananda was by nature very merciful and funny.

Being merciful, He spoke to Raghunatha dasa as follows.

 

Antya 6.50 - " You are just like a thief, for instead of coming near,

you stay away at a distant place. Now that I have captured you, I

shall

punish you.

 

Antya 6.51 - " Make a festival and feed all My associates yogurt and

chipped rice. " Hearing this, Raghunatha dasa was greatly pleased.

 

Antya 6.52 - Raghunatha dasa immediately sent his own men to the

village to purchase all kinds of eatables and bring them back.

 

Antya 6.53 - Raghunatha dasa brought chipped rice, yogurt, milk,

sweetmeats, sugar, bananas and other eatables and placed them all

around.

 

Antya 6.54 - As soon as they heard that a festival was going to be

held, all kinds of brahmanas and other gentlemen began to arrive.

Thus

there were innumerable people.

 

Antya 6.55 - Seeing the crowd increasing, Raghunatha dasa arranged to

get more eatables from other villages. He also brought two to four

hundred large, round earthen pots.

 

Antya 6.56 - He also obtained five or seven especially large earthen

pots, and in these pots a brahmana began soaking chipped rice for the

satisfaction of Lord Nityananda.

 

Antya 6.57 - In one place, chipped rice was soaked in hot milk in

each

of the large pots. Then half the rice was mixed with yogurt, sugar

and

bananas.

 

Antya 6.58 - The other half was mixed with condensed milk and a

special

type of banana known as canpakala. Then sugar, clarified butter and

camphor were added.

 

Antya 6.59 - After Nityananda Prabhu had changed His cloth for a new

one and sat on a raised platform, the brahmana brought before Him the

seven huge pots.

 

Antya 6.60 - On that platform, all the most important associates of

Sri

Nityananda Prabhu, as well as other important men, sat down in a

circle

around the Lord.

 

Antya 6.61 - Among them were Ramadasa, Sundarananda, Gadadhara dasa,

Murari, Kamalakara, Sadasiva and Purandara.

 

Antya 6.62 - Dhananjaya, Jagadisa, Paramesvara dasa, Mahesa,

Gauridasa

and Hoda Krsnadasa were also there. Antya 6.63 - Similarly, Uddharana

Datta Thakura and many other personal associates of the Lord sat on

the

raised platform with Nityananda Prabhu. No one could count them all.

 

Antya 6.64 - Hearing about the festival, all kinds of learned

scholars,

brahmanas and priests went there. Lord Nityananda Prabhu honored them

and made them sit on the raised platform with Him.

 

Antya 6.65 - Everyone was offered two earthen pots. In one was put

chipped rice with condensed milk, and in the other chipped rice with

yogurt.

 

Antya 6.66 - All the other people sat in groups around the platform.

No

one could count how many people there were.

 

Antya 6.67 - Each and every one of them was supplied two earthen

pots-one of chipped rice soaked in yogurt and the other of chipped

rice

soaked in condensed milk.

 

Antya 6.68 - Some of the brahmanas, not having gotten a place on the

platform, went to the bank of the Ganges with their two earthen pots

and

soaked their chipped rice there.

 

Antya 6.69 - Others, who could not get a place even on the bank of

the

Ganges, got down into the water and began eating their two kinds of

chipped rice.

 

Antya 6.70 - Thus some sat on the platform, some at the base of the

platform, and some on the bank of the Ganges, and they were all

supplied

two pots each by the twenty men who distributed the food.

 

Antya 6.71 - At that time, Raghava Pandita arrived there. Seeing the

situation, he began to laugh in great surprise.

 

Antya 6.72 - He brought many kinds of food cooked in ghee and offered

to the Lord. This prasadam he first placed before Lord Nityananda and

then distributed among the devotees.

 

Antya 6.73 - Raghava Pandita said to Lord Nityananda, " For You, Sir,

I

have already offered food to the Deity, but You are engaged in a

festival here, and so the food is lying there untouched. "

 

Antya 6.74 - Lord Nityananda replied, " Let Me eat all this food here

during the day, and I shall eat at your home at night.

 

Antya 6.75 - " I belong to a community of cowherd boys, and therefore

I

generally have many cowherd associates with Me. I am happy when we

eat

together in a picnic like this by the sandy bank of the river. "

 

Antya 6.76 - Lord Nityananda made Raghava Pandita sit down and had

two

pots delivered to him also. There were two kinds of chipped rice

soaked

in them.

 

Antya 6.77 - When chipped rice had been served to everyone, Lord

Nityananda Prabhu, in meditation, brought Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

 

Antya 6.78 - When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived, Lord Nityananda

Prabhu stood up. They then saw how the others were enjoying the

chipped

rice with yogurt and condensed milk.

 

Antya 6.79 - From each and every pot, Lord Nityananda Prabhu took one

morsel of chipped rice and pushed it into the mouth of Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu as a joke.

 

Antya 6.80 - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, also smiling, took a morsel of

food, pushed it into the mouth of Nityananda and laughed as He made

Lord

Nityananda eat it.

 

Antya 6.81 - In this way Lord Nityananda was walking through all the

groups of eaters, and all the Vaisnavas standing there were seeing

the

fun.

 

Antya 6.82 - No one could understand what Nityananda Prabhu was doing

as He walked about. Some, however, who were very fortunate, could see

that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was also present.

 

Antya 6.83 - Then Nityananda Prabhu smiled and sat down. On His right

side He kept four pots of chipped rice that had not been made from

boiled paddy.

 

Antya 6.84 - Lord Nityananda offered Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu a place

and had Him sit down. Then together the two brothers began eating

chipped

rice.

 

Antya 6.85 - Seeing Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu eating with Him, Lord

Nityananda Prabhu became very happy and exhibited varieties of

ecstatic

love.

 

Antya 6.86 - Lord Nityananda Prabhu ordered, " All of you eat,

chanting

the holy name of Hari. " Immediately the holy names " Hari, Hari "

resounded, filling the entire universe.

 

Antya 6.87 - When all the Vaisnavas were chanting the holy

names " Hari,

Hari " and eating, they remembered how Krsna and Balarama ate with

Their

companions the cowherd boys on the bank of the Yamuna.

 

Antya 6.88 - Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and Lord Nityananda Prabhu are

extremely merciful and liberal. It was Raghunatha dasa's good fortune

that

They accepted all these dealings.

 

Antya 6.89 - Who can understand the influence and mercy of Lord

Nityananda Prabhu? He is so powerful that He induced Lord Sri

Caitanya

Mahaprabhu to come eat chipped rice on the bank of the Ganges.

 

Antya 6.90 - All the confidential devotees who were cowherd boys,

headed by Sri Ramadasa, were absorbed in ecstatic love. They thought

the

bank of the Ganges to be the bank of the Yamuna.

 

Antya 6.91 - When the shopkeepers of many other villages heard about

the festival, they arrived there to sell chipped rice, yogurt,

sweetmeats

and bananas.

 

Antya 6.92 - As they came, bringing all kinds of food, Raghunatha

dasa

purchased it all. He gave them the price for their goods and later

fed

them the very same food.

 

Antya 6.93 - Anyone who came to see how these funny things were going

on was also fed chipped rice, yogurt and bananas.

 

Antya 6.94 - After Lord Nityananda Prabhu finished eating, He washed

His hands and mouth and gave Raghunatha dasa the food remaining in

the

four pots.

 

Antya 6.95 - There was food remaining in the three other big pots of

Lord Nityananda, and a brahmana distributed it to all the devotees,

giving a morsel to each.

 

Antya 6.96 - Then a brahmana brought a flower garland, placed the

garland on Nityananda Prabhu's neck and smeared sandalwood pulp all

over His

body.

 

Antya 6.97 - When a servant brought betel nuts and offered them to

Lord

Nityananda, the Lord smiled and chewed them.

 

Antya 6.98 - With His own hands Lord Nityananda Prabhu distributed to

all the devotees whatever flower garlands, sandalwood pulp and betel

nuts remained.

 

Antya 6.99 - After receiving the remnants of food left by Lord

Nityananda Prabhu, Raghunatha dasa, who was greatly happy, ate some

and

distributed the rest among his own associates.

 

Antya 6.100 - Thus I have described the pastimes of Lord Nityananda

Prabhu in relation to the celebrated festival of chipped rice and

yogurt.

 

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