46. The Culture of Jagannatha Worship

The Culture of Jagannatha Worship:

Daily Puja:

Many people consider Lord Jagannatha an idol and His worship idolatry. This misconception arises from not knowing the difference between idol worship and deity worship. The word "idol" is derived from the Greek word eidolon, "image." An idol is a powerless image of a person or thing, such as a photograph, painting, or statue. An idol and the substance it represents are not the same thing. An idol is simply an image of the original, perhaps even something imagined.

The word "deity," on the other hand, is derived from the Latin word deus, God. Unlike objects of this material world which are separate from their names and forms, the names and forms of God are transcendental and absolute. Because God is absolute, His name, form, and His person are not different from Him.

Here in this relative material world the name of something is not the same as the substance. For example, if we want some water, we cannot experience the taste or refreshment simply by calling "Water, water, water." That will not satisfy us. But spiritually, because God is absolute, you can chant God's name, see God's form, discuss God's activities, and you will experience direct union with God. The proof is in the experience itself. People from myriad religious traditions experience direct communion with God by glorifying Him, praying to Him, or seeing His form. That is the absolute nature of the Absolute Truth.

Although the Supreme Lord is transcendental and resides far away in His spiritual abode, the natural elements of earth, water, fire, and air are His creation. As the omnipresent Lord, He is simultaneously within these elements and aloof from them. What we call stone, wood, and metal are energies of the Supreme Lord, and energies are never separate from the energetic. Thus, the Lord can appear any where and everywhere because His diverse energies are distributed everywhere like sunshine.

In our present state, it is not possible to see God in His spiritual form, because our material eyes and senses cannot conceive of a spiritual form. We cannot even see the spiritual form of the individual soul. When a man dies we can't see how the spiritual form leaves the body. That is the defect of our material senses. Because conditioned souls are unable to see the Lord's spiritual form, He accepts forms made of material elements through which He accepts service. These forms are called arcă-vigraha. In the Srimad Bhagavatam (11.27.12) there are 8 types of arcă- vigraha forms listed:

saili däru-mayi lauhi, 

lepya lekhya ca saikati

mano-mayi mani-mayi, 

pratimasta-vidha smṛtā

"The deity form of the Lord is said to appear in 8 varieties—stone, wood, metal, earth, paint, sand, the mind, or jewels." 

The appearance of the Lord in so-called material ingredients can also be further explained as follows: 

We find many mailboxes on the street. If we post our letters in these boxes, they will arrive at their destination without difficulty. But if we put our letters in any box not authorized by the post office, our letters will not arrive. Similarly, God has authorized the deity form, or arcă-vigraha mentioned in scripture, as the proper form for our worship. The arca-vigraha is an incarnation of the Supreme Lord, and He will accept whatever service we render to Him in that form. When we fashion a form of the Lord as directed in sastra from wood, stone, metal, jewels, paint, or even within the mind, it is a bona fide, spiritual, transcendental form. When the material energy is engaged in the service of Supreme Spirit, so-called material energy is transformed into spiritual energy, just as an iron rod becomes fire when held in fire and heated to red-hot. The Lord is omnipotent and all-powerful; therefore, by His incarnation as arcă-vigraha, He accepts the devotees' services and thus allows those of us with conditioned and imperfect senses to serve Him. Thus, according to proper etymological definition, worship of Lord Jagannatha is not idolatry.

In the temple of Lord Jagannatha at Puri, the worship is performed in an intimate mood of opulence and grandeur. As a king has thousands of servants seeing to his needs and comforts, so Lord Jagannatha engages His devotees. Officials estimate that more than 30,000 men, women, and children depend on their work with the temple for their livelihood.