22. History of Appearance of Lord Jagannath Deity - Story II

History of Appearance of Lord Jagannath Deity - Story II

This story will answer the following four questions: 

1. How did the unusual form of Lord Jagannatha manifest in this world? 

2. What krsna-lila from Dvapara-yuga is depicted in the annual Jagannatha Ratha-yatra? 

3. Why does Jagannatha rock back and forth when coming out to mount His chariot?

4. Why Baladeva's chariot leads the procession and Jagannatha Swami's comes last?

When Sri Krsna lived in Dvaraka, He was always thinking of Radha's suffering in His separation. Even while dreaming, Sri Krsna cried, "Radhe! Radhe! Radhe!" Identifying with Radhika's deep viraha-bhava, emotions of separation, Gauranga Mahaprabhu always sang. "Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna, Krsna he" while wandering through South India. Similarly, the Vraja-gopis, remembering their Priyatama Syama, wailed uncontrollably.

"Krsna, Krsna, Krsna" and sometimes collapsed unconscious on the ground. In Lalita-madhava, Srila Rupa Gosvami says that one day in Dvaraka, Krsna cried piteously, "Radhe, Radhe, Radhe" and fainted. The astonished palace attendants became very worried when all their attempts failed to revive Krsna. There was nothing they could do to bring Krsna back to consciousness. Narada, Balabhadra and Uddhava met to resolve the crisis. They decided that Narada should sing the glories of Vraja with his vina in order to stir Sri Krsna to consciousness. Feeling apprehensive, Narada said, "I think when Sri Krsna returns to external consciousness, He will immediately run to Vrajabhumi." "You are correct," replied Uddhava, "And if Krsna visits Vrndavana and sees the miserable state of the Vrajavasis and hears their piteous wailing, He will never come back to Dvaraka." Narada replied, "Uddhava, you are Krsna's reliable messenger. Therefore, you should go ahead to Vrndavana and inform the Vrajavasis of Krsna's imminent arrival."

Uddhava said, "I cannot refuse the request of an advanced devotee like you. Nevertheless, Krsna sent me once before to Vraja, but I failed in my mission to console them. The Vrajavasis are crying for Krsna 24 hours a day. How could I tell the Vrajavasis not to cry for Sri Krsna; that would be an offense. I promised them that I would immediately send Krsna from Mathura. But it has not happened till now, and that was 50 years ago! If I go to Vrndavana again, they will never ever put faith in my words. The Vrajavasis will deride me, saying, "You are a liar; that's all!"

Balarama said, "Narada, I would have immediately gone to Vraja after you had suggested it. But like Uddhava, I also went to Vrndavana once before and stayed for two months in an effort to pacify the Vrajavasis and remove their pains of separation from Krsna. I told them, 'You need not feel so badly, Krsna is coming back soon.' I even promised mother Yasoda to send Krsna to Vrndavana upon My return to Dvaraka. But I never did that. I let her down and that was 50 years ago!

"Although I repeatedly begged, 'Krsna, please go to Vrajabhumi and save Your family and friends, Kanu only said, 'Yes, yes I will go' but He never went. So Narada, if I go to Vrndavana, what would I tell Yasoda? How would Yasoda put any faith in My words?" Saying this, Balabhadra broke down crying.

Subhadra said, "Everyone just relax, I will go first to Vrndavana. I will sit on mother Yasoda's lap, dry the tears from her eyes and tell her, 'Krsna and Balarama are coming home to see you.' I will inform each and every gopi. Then all the Vrajavasis will become blissful and organize a huge festival to welcome Krsna." Narada, Uddhava and Baladeva approved of Subhadra's proposal. Baladeva said that He would accompany Subhadra on the chariot to Vrndavana.

Meanwhile, back in the bedroom, Narada strummed his vina and started singing Vraja prema-kirtana in Krsna's ears. At once, Sri Krsna stood up displaying His beautiful three-fold bending form (tri-bhanga-lalitam), which was never before seen in Dvaraka. Immersed in vraja-bhāva, Sri Krsna queried, "Who stole My flute? The Vraja-gopis must have." Krsna then ran here and there searching for His flute.

Suddenly stumbling into Uddhava, Krşņa said with astonishment, "Hey Uddhava, what are you doing in Vraja?" Then Sri Krsna noticed Narada and said, "O Narada, you are also here?" Surfacing to Dvaraka awareness. Krsna said, "This is not Vraja-bhumi."

Uddhava consoled Krsna, "My Lord, we knew that You would immediately run to Vrndavana, so we prepared a chariot for You. Please board Your chariot." Captivated by the thought of meeting Kisori, Syama started rocking and swaying like an intoxicated man as he staggered toward the chariot. With great difficulty Narada and Uddhava placed Krsna on the chariot. This is the reason why during Ratha-yatra, Lord Jagannatha observes the Pahandi ceremony of rocking back and forth while slowly mounting His chariot, Jagannatha Krsna is inebriated over the prospect of returning to Vrndavana (Gundica) for a reunion with Radhikā. When Baladeva and Subhadra entered Vrndavana, They noticed how all the Vrajavasis appeared half-dead due to burning in separation from Krsna. Propelled to the limits of ecstasy, Baladeva and Subhadra swooned while manifesting their mahabhava-prakasa rupas, unique forms of intense love. They perspired, trembled and cried profusely. Their bodily hair stood erect and their voices choked up.

The wrenching pains of separation from Krsna carried Radhikā to Nidhuvana to sacrifice Her life. Rädhä had entered the final state of divine love madness, adhirudha mahabhava. Radha seemed to be in a dying, unconscious state. All the Vrajavasis were in anxiety over Radha's impending departure. Lying in Her nikunja in Nidhuvana, Radha rested Her head on Lalita's thigh. Just at that time, Sri Krsna's chariot arrived in Nidhuvana where Radha was lying half dead. Seeing the plight of Priyaji, Syama ran into nikunja, shouting, "O Radhe, Radhe, Radhe! Please give Me Your lotus feet so I can hold them on My head." Devastated by the pangs of separation from Rādhikā, Krsna collapsed on the ground. With unlimited intensities, all eight sattvika- bhavas simultaneously seized Sri Krsna's divine form and transformed it into a tortoise-hands, legs, and neck pushed inside His body. With big, dilated and expanded eyes Kurma Krsna gazed at Radhika lying motionless in the kunja and then He fell unconscious. This is the form of Jagannatha Swami in Puri-Sri Krsna in His mahabhava-prakasa rupa.

Suddenly a gentle breeze passed over Krsna's body, and acted as a balm to revive Radha. Lalita-sakhi whispered, "Pyarijeu! Krsna has come!" Rādhā slowly opened Her eyes, saw Her Pranavallabha and then stood up; Her life regained. But Krsna's tortoise-like form was still lying unconscious on the ground of Nidhuvana. Rādhikā directed Visakha to help Syama, and she did by calling, "Radhe, Radhe, Radhe" in Syama's ear. Regaining consciousness, Krsna opened His eyes and looked directly at Rādhikā-eye to eye union.

At that time, Sri Krsna told Sri Radha, "Baladeva, Subhadra and I will reside in Jagannatha Puri Dhama forever manifesting our mahabhava-prakasa forms that We revealed here in Vraja. In Kali-yuga, I will come as Mahaprabhu and spend twenty-four years in Sri Ksetra experiencing Your feelings of separation from Me. Residing in Puri as Jagannatha Swami, I will be experiencing intense pangs of separation from You."

Srila Krsnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami describes Gauranga's mahabhava-prakasa rupa as a tortoise form, kürmera ākāra. After searching here and there, Govinda Dasa, Ramananda Raya and Svarupa Damodara Gosvami came to the cowshed near the Simha-dvāra. There they saw Mahaprabhu lying unconscious among the cows.

petera bhitara hasta-pada

kürmera ākāra mukhe phena pulakānga

netre aśru-dhāra acetana padiyāchena

yena kuşmānda-phala

bahire jadima antare ananda-vihvala

"Gauranga's arms and legs had entered the trunk of His body, exactly like those of a tortoise, Gaurahari's mouth was foaming, there were eruptions on His body, and tears flowed from Gaura's eyes. As Mahaprabhu lay there unconscious, 

His body resembled a large pumpkin. Externally Gauranga was completely inert, but within He felt overwhelming transcendental bliss." (Cc. 3.17.15- 17) (Embankment of Separation, adapted)