What's so special about Jagannath Puri Dhama ?

[krsna]

Excerpt from

Embankment of Separation

by

Sri Srimad Gour Govinda Swami

 

Chapter Seven

 

Sri Kshetra Dhama

 

 

 

 

 

Jagannath Puri Dhama is known as Sri Kshetra. Sri Devi is the svarupa-sakti, Krishna’s internal potency. Therefore, that dhama which is glorified by the presence of the sri-sakti is known as Sri Kshetra. ‘Sri’ means sarva-laksmimayi amsini radhika, Srimati Radhika, who is the source of all saktis. All goddesses of fortune in Vaikunthapura are expansions of Radhika. And the 16,108 wives of Krishna — Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, etc. — are all expansions of Radharani. They are aisvarya-mayi, full of opulence. The gopis of Vrajabhumi are also expansions of Radharani, so Radharani is amsini, the source. The laksmis are aisvarya-mayi, whereas Radharani is madhurya-mayi, full of sweetness. Therefore, those who are followers or devotees of madhurya-rasa can see that Sri Kshetra is the ksetra in which Radharani’s madhurya-rasa is manifested. Only such madhurya-rasa bhaktas can see it; others cannot. That is why Jagannath Puri is known as Sri Kshetra. And Mahaprabhu stayed there because He had assumed radha-bhava. Upon seeing Jagannath He would see Syamasundara and think, “O beloved of My heart!” Therefore that ksetra which is glorified and influenced by Radharani’s madhurya-rasa is known as Sri Kshetra.

 

In Vaisnava-tantra it is mentioned,

 

mathura dvaraka-lila yah karoti ca gokule

nilacala sthitah krsna sta eva racati prabhuh

 

"Whatever lilas of Sri Krishna are manifest in Gokul, Mathura and Dwarka are all found in Nilacala, Sri Kshetra."

 

If you have the vision, you can see all the lilas there. When Mahaprabhu stayed there He saw Vrindavan. When He saw Cataka-parvata He said, “Oh! Govardhan!” When He saw the sea, “Oh! It is the Yamuna.” When He saw the garden called Jagannath-vallabha, “Oh! It is Vrindavan.” Mahaprabhu saw all of Krishna’s lilas there in Sri Kshetra.

 

In the Utkala-khanda of the Skanda Purana, which is the largest Purana, Srila Vyasadeva has described the special characteristics of Sri Kshetra, Jagannath Puri Dhama. This Kshetra is very beautiful and wonderful. It is dasa-yojana-vistrta, ten yojanas in diameter — that means eighty miles. (One yojana is equal to eight miles.) It is situated on the shore of the ocean and is known as tirtharaja, the king of all places of pilgrimage. At the middle portion there is a nila-parvata, a blue mountain. ‘Acala’ also means mountain, therefore it is also called Nilacala. Sri Bhagavan says, “That ksetra which is situated on the northern side of the ocean and the southern side of the river Mahanadi, in Orissa, is very famous throughout the world.” Srila Vyasadeva has mentioned that if one visits Jagannath Puri Dhama he will get the result of visiting all tirthas. For one who has been to Jagannath Puri Dhama there is no need to go to any more places of pilgrimage.

 

Puri Dhama begins from Bhubaneswar, also known as ekamra-kanana. From Bhubaneswar it goes up to Candrabhaga (Konarka), where the Sun-god is worshiped in the Surya-mandira.

 

This dhama is very confidential. It is durlabha ksetra, difficult even on the part of Lord Brahma to attain. Because the form of this ksetra is like a conchshell, with the stomach portion sunk into the sea, it is also known as Sankha Kshetra. The head portion is towards the western side, where the gate is guarded by Nilakantha Siva. There, Siva is known as Bhubaneswar, Lingaraja, and Kshetrapala, the protector of the dhama. Bhubaneswar is the gateway through which one can enter into this Kshetra.

 

This Kshetra is parama pavana, supremely purifying. And some also call it dasavatara ksetra, the ksetra of the ten incarnations: Mina, Kacchapa, Nrsimha, Vamana, etc.

 

Krishna, who is lila-purusottama — the enjoyer of innumerable pastimes — eternally resides there as arca-avatara, the deity form. Therefore it is also known as Purusottama Dhama. And He is Jagannath, the master of the three worlds. Therefore His dhama is known as Jagannath Puri Dhama.

 

Snana-yatra

 

According to Skanda Purana, the Jyestha Purnima, or the full moon day of the month of Jyestha (May-June), is the birthday of Jagannath. Jagannath is Krishna, but Krishna’s birthday is Janmastami, the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra. Therefore, when it is said that the Jyestha Purnima is Jagannath’s birthday, it is understood that on that day Krishna appeared in His form with big dilated eyes, a round face and His hands and legs shrunken. This is known as mahabhava-prakasa, or the ecstatic manifestation of Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra.

 

Krishna and Balaram are the sons of Vasudeva. Krishna’s mother is Devaki, and Balaram, His elder brother, is the son of Rohini. Their sister Subhadra is the daughter of Vasudeva and Devaki. So They are brothers and sister and They appeared in Their forms as Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra in Purusottama Kshetra.

 

Because Jyestha Purnima is the birthday of Jagannath, on that day He takes public bath along with His brother and sister. This festival is known as snana-yatra, and hundreds of pots of water are poured over Them. Because of this, Jagannath’s color fades away and for fifteen days He will not give darsana. This is known as anavasara. During this time He will be painted with new colors, therefore He cannot give darsana. It is generally said that Jagannath falls sick, but that is not correct. The people say this, but it is not mentioned in the scriptures such as Skanda Purana. Sastra says that during these fifteen days His wooden form, carved out of neem wood, is repainted. Another name for Lord Jagannath is Daru-brahma. ‘Daru’ means wood. So a thin piece of cloth is pasted over that murti. The old cloth is removed during this period and replaced with a new cloth on which the new colors are painted. Then, one day prior to Ratha-yatra, Jagannath gives darsana in His fresh color and young appearance, known as nava-yauvana vesa. This is how it is described in the Skanda Purana.

 

Message of Love

 

Then the question is why does Krishna assume such a form? A vaisnava poet from Orissa, whose name was Kanai Khuntia, has written a sastra named Mahabhava Prakasa. There he has mentioned why Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra assume these forms. Mahabhava-prakasa is the ecstatic manifestation of the Lord who feels intense separation, viraha-vidhura. Krishna, Balaram and Subhadra are feeling the pangs of separation from Vraja-dhama, vraja-viraha-vidhura. They reside there eternally, but They are feeling the pangs of separation from Vraja-dhama. Especially Jagannath is feeling the pangs of separation from Radharani and the gopis.

 

When Akrura went to Vraja-dhama and brought Krishna and Balaram to Mathura on his chariot, all the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi felt separation from Krishna. That is known as mathura-viraha. Especially the vraja-gopis and Radharani felt very acute pangs of separation from Krishna. For them, every moment seemed to be like a long yuga, yugayitam nimesena. This is expressed by Mahaprabhu in His Siksastaka. Those acute pangs of separation were intolerable. All the damsels of Vrajabhumi turned mad. It is as if, although surviving, they were dead, jivana-mrta-avastha. So, do you think that these acute pangs of separation are only felt by the gopis and Radharani? No. Because there is a loving reciprocation, they were also felt by Krishna. It is not one-sided. There are two sides. Krishna also feels such acute pangs of separation from the gopis, Radharani, Vrajabhumi and the vrajavasis. So He also felt much pain in His heart. It was intolerable for Krishna, and just as the gopis had turned mad, similarly Krishna also turned mad. Now what shall they do? Krishna could not go to Vrajabhumi and they could not come to Him. So the only alternative was to send a message of love. Krishna thought He should send a message of love to the vrajavasis, especially His father and mother, the gopis and Radharani. But who could deliver it? Someone was required to carry the message. Such a person must be a very dear and intimate devotee of Krishna.

 

In the eleventh canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, Krishna has expressed how Uddhava is so very dear to Him.

 

na tatha me priyatama atmayonir na sankarah

na ca sankarsano na srir naivatma ca yatha bhavan

 

"Brahma is not so dear to Me; Sivaji is not so dear to Me; My brother Sankarsan is not so dear to Me; My wife Lakshmi is not so dear to Me; My own self is not so dear to Me as you are, O Uddhava." (1)

 

Therefore Krishna chose such a dear, intimate devotee. Who else could carry such a message of love? He called Uddhava and, dragging him very close, made him sit on His lap. Then, with both hands, Krishna caught hold of Uddhava’s right hand and spoke to him in a very pitiful voice,

 

gacchoddhava vrajam saumya pitror nah pritim avaha

gopinam mad-viyogadhim mat-sandesair vimocaya (2)

 

“Uddhava, immediately go to Vrajabhumi and deliver this message of love. First go to My father and mother, Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda-mata, and console them. Then go to the vraja-gopis, the damsels of Vrajabhumi. They are feeling very acute pangs of separation from Me. Deliver this message of love to them also and give them consolation. As they are feeling separation from Me, similarly I also feel separation from them. This message will be a soothing balm for them. So please deliver it.”

 

In this way, Krishna sent a message of love through His very dear and intimate devotee, Uddhava. That message is known as uddhava-sandesa. And the gopis also sent a message through a swan, a hamsa. Therefore Rupa Goswami has written two books, Uddhava-sandesa and Hamsaduta. Uddhava was the messenger from Krishna’s side and the swan was the messenger from the gopis’ side. The tenth canto of Srimad Bhagavatam also speaks about uddhava-sandesa, the message Krishna sent for Nanda, Yasoda and the gopis. The intense separation felt by the gopis, especially Radharani, is described there.

 

References

 

1) Bhag. 11.14.15

2) Bhag. 10.46.3