12. Sri-kshetra- or Sri Mandir - Jagannath Puri dham

Sri-kshetra- or Sri Mandir - Jagannath Puri dham:

The word Śri refers to the internal potency of Bhagavan Sri Krsna known as Srimati Radharani, the source of all Krsna's saktis or powers. Thus the tract of land predominated by sri-sakti or Radharani is named Śri- kshetra. 

Madhurya-bhaktas see this as the place wherein the sweet charm of Sri Radha's madhurya-rasa manifests. For this reason, Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed here relishing rādhā-bhāva. Whenever He took darsana, Mahaprabhu saw Lord Jagannatha as Syamasundara and cried out, "O Prānanātha, beloved of My heart!"

Jagannatha shows His Syamasundara form only to one in Rādhā-bhāva and no one else. If one is feeling acute pains of separation from Krsna upon entering the temple, he will also see Jagannatha Swami in His supremely beautiful Syamasundara form. 

Śri-kshetra is the place where the sweetness of sri-prema, rādhā-prema, was displayed in its most intense form as madanakhya-mahabhāva. It is also interesting to note that local residents and Oriyan Vaisnavas refer to the main temple of Lord Jagannatha as "Sri Mandira" not Jagannatha Mandira.


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