42. "REMOVE THIS RESTRICTION" - By HDG Srila Prabhupada

"REMOVE THIS RESTRICTION" - By HDG Srila Prabhupada:

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada while visiting Jagannath Puri on 26 January 1977, Srila Prabhupada was invited to speak to a group of temple priests and scholars. The following are some excerpts from that talk. At that time he refused to enter the Jagannath temple unless his disciples were allowed entrance.

In the Western countries, Ratha-yatra is being introduced one after another, and Jagannath Swami is attracting the attention of the Western people. So people will now come to your Jagannath Puri from all parts of the world. That is beneficial from various points of view... But, unfortunately, you do not allow these foreigners to enter the temple. How it can be adjusted? This stumbling block should be dissolved. You want to pack Jagannath Swami up inside your home and do not want to expand His mercy. He is Jagannath, the Lord of the universe, not only the Lord of Puri or the Lord of Orissa. 

Krishna declares in the Bhagavad-gita, 

bhoktaram yajña-tapasām sarva-loka-maheśvaram

"I am the enjoyer of all sacrifices and the Supreme Lord of all planets." (Bg 5.29). 

That is the definition of Jagannath, sarva-loka-mahesaram. So why should you deny the inhabitants of the world (sana-loka) the darsana of Jagannath? Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu never approved such a thing. 

He said:

pṛthivite ache yata nagarādi grāma sarvatra pracăra haibe mora nama

In as many towns and villages as there are on the surface of the earth, my holy name will be preached.

When that thing is being done and when they are eager to come here, why should you restrict them?

Of course, if you do not allow them, there is no loss on the part of the foreigners, because Jagannath has already gone there, and they are worshiping Him. But it is etiquette to give honor to the vaishnavas. Vaishnava-aparadha has been condemned by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. When these vaishnavas are so eager to come to Puri and see Jagannath, you should welcome them.

I have specially come to request you to remove this restriction and be friendly to the foreign devotees. And you should also come overseas and see how there are so many Jagannath temples and Radha-Krishna temples are there. See how these foreigners are worshiping Them, how they have become pure vaishnavas. They are strictly observing the four principles of sinful life by negation: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no fish-eating, no egg-eating, no intoxication, and no gambling. They are purified.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu converted many Pathans into vaishnavas and changed their names. So why should you not receive them as vaishnavas and give them proper reception? That is my request. There are many learned scholars and devotees present here. They should endeavor to remove this short-sighted restriction. Let us work together for Jagannath to preach the bhakti cult for the benefit of the whole world.

This knowledge is there in India. If it is denied, it is not good for human society. So I request; you learned scholars and panditas present here, to cooperate with this Krishna consciousness movement, and let us work cooperatively, to spread the Jagannath cult.

A number of modern leaders of Orissa have been supportive of foreign devotees being allowed entrance into the Jagannath temple. 

Harekrushna Mahatab (1899-1987) served twice as Chief Minister of Orissa. Popularly known as Utkal Keshari, "the lion of Orissa", in 1948 Mahatab used police force to let Dalits enter the Jagannath temple premises. He was also favorable to ISKCON, and after the disappearance of Srila A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, he tried for many years to help foreign devotees gain entrance into the Jagannath temple, but was unsuccessful.

The current king of Puri and chairman of the Puri Jagannath Temple Management Committee, Gajapati Dibyasingha commented in 2007, "The tradition will continue. But we are ready for a debate. Debates yield consensus and then only changes take place."

Another Chief Minister of Orissa," Janaki Ballabh Patnaik," initiated a debate over the issue in 1996 that was also without success. Mr Patnaik recently said," "It is unbearable that although we call the deity Jagannath - "Lord of the Universe", we bar the majority of the people, even Hindus not of Indian origin, from entering His abode in Puri. I wait to see the day when people of all ethnicity enter Sri Jagannath temple hand in hand."