89. Pastime of Lord Jagannath Himself allowed no entry into Jagannath Temple...🙂🙂🙂❤️❤️❤️

89. Pastime of Lord Jagannath Himself allowed no entry into Jagannath Temple...🙂🙂🙂❤️❤️❤️

More astonishing than the other, however, are the events that take place every year at the time of the Ratha-yatra.

The list of Jagannath's festivals generally begins with His bathing ceremony on Snana-purnima, which introduces a series of events culminating in Ratha yatra. But there is a significant event, intrinsically related to the festival of the chariots, that takes place 4 days prior to the Snana yatra. The festival, called "Rukmini-harana" or "Rukmini vivaha" takes place inside of the temple, and it enacts the marriage of Lakshmi devi to Lord Jagannath, represented by the Madan Mohan deity.

One of the priests dresses up as Sishupal and tries to oppose the marriage. A popular part of the ceremony is when the mock Sishupal is tied up and made prisoner, following which Balaram comes and releases him. As part of the ceremony, some clothes belonging to Lakshmi and Jagannath are tied together. Jagannath and Lakshmi's wedding ceremony takes place on the Sada Ekadasi of the month of Jyaishta (May-June).

Four days later is the full moon day famous in Orissa as Snäna- purnima, or Snana-yatra. Since this is the day that Lord Jagannath was originally installed by Lord Brahma in the Satya-yuga at the Gundicha mandir, it is considered to be His second birthday (His first being Janmashtami). For the occasion, Jagannath sits on a special throne on the top of the wall of the temple and has a public bath. After being bathed with hundreds of pots of water it is said that Jagannath becomes sick with a fever. This period is called anavasara. Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada describes in his purport to Cc. madhya 1.122:

The word anavasara is used when Sri Jagannathji cannot be seen in the temple. After the bathing ceremony (snäna yatra). Lord Jagannath apparently becomes sick. He is therefore removed to his private apartment where no one can see Him. Actually, during this period renovations are made on the body of the Jagannath deity. This is called nava-yavana. During the Ratha-yatra ceremony, Lord Jagannath once again comes before the public. Thus for 15 days after the bathing ceremony, Lord Jagannath is not visible to any visitors.

Angry Lakshmi devi:

During the anavasara period, as an ideal newly wedded wife, Lakshmi completely devotes Herself to nursing Her sick husband. For 14 days She gives up sleeping, after which She understandably becomes a little tired and falls asleep. As soon as He sees that Lakshmi has fallen asleep, Her husband Jagannath unties His cloth from Lakshmi's and immediately leaves for the Gundicha temple to see His girlfriends, Radharani and the vraja-gopis. This takes place on the second day of the bright half of the month of Asadha, and is known as Gundica-yatra or Ratha-yatra.

Lakshmi devi wakes up a few days later to find her husband gone. When she inquires where He is; Jagannath's servant explains that He went to see His girlfriends. Hearing this, Lakshmi leaves the altar, and goes to stay in the storage room of the Jagannath temple-just like a depressed wife would. She refuses to take opulent food, and dines like poor Orissan people on dalua rice and kalamba saga.

The 16th chapter of the Vamadev-samhita describes that Lakshmi went to Bimala devi and said, "O dear elderly lady, you already know about the misdeeds of Jagannath. I don't know where He and His sister went. Being his wife, do I not at least have the right to know where He goes? What wrong did I do to deserve such a thing? What can I say about His promiscuous nature? In His absence, I've not even observed my pati-vrata dharma of taking a bath!

Bimala replied:

yada dhavo va pi viveka-sunyo
'py uccatanam tatra prasiddham eva
curnam grhitva 'pi dhavo 'pi yatra
tat-parsvakam gaccha suresvari tam (Text 43)

"When a husband loses his intelligence, it is well known that one has to make him leave his nonsense by means of magic. Therefore take this magic powder and go to where your husband is, O queen of the demigods."

The following morning, on the 5th day after Jagannath's departure, Lakshmi wakes up in a sulky mood. She finally has a bath and puts on ornaments. Then, collecting some of Her associates (traditionally represented by the deva-dasis), she is carried on a palanquin to the Gundicha mandir to see her newly wedded husband. This festival is known as Hera-pancami, and takes place on the 5th day after Ratha-yatra. Hera means "to behold", while pancami means "the 5th day. The festival is also sometimes called, Lakshmi-vijayotsava, or "the victory celebration of Lakshmi."

As described by Srila Krishnadas Kaviraj Goswami in the 14th chapter of the madhya-lila of Caitanya-caritamrta, the Hera-pañcami festival was greatly relished by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and His associates.

Angry and jealous, Lakshmi devi is in the mood of an adhira nayika, a restless, aggrieved heroine. She takes the magical powder given to Her by Bimala devi and goes to see Jagannath via a different route than the one Her husband used. Jagannath is not expecting Lakshmi to come by that route, and seeing Her, He feels embarrassed. Following a traditional tantrik process (probably blowing the substance at His face), Lakshmi uses the magical powder on Jagannath. She then goes to Jagannath's cart, and, unnoticed by anyone, breaks part of it. Without saying a word to Jagannath, Lakshmi goes to His chariot driver and says to him, "Tell your master that Lakshmi is going back to the palace." She then returns to the temple via the neighborhood known as Hera Gohiri Sahi, where the local people give Her an enthusiastic heroine's greeting at their homes with offerings of fruits and other worship.

After staying at the Gundicha temple for 7 days, Jagannath, along with Balaram and Subhadra return to the main temple on Their chariots. At this time the king of Puri tries to help patch up the misunderstanding between the couple by arranging a reunion known as Lakshmi Narayana Bhet. Lakshmi is brought to the cähäni mandapa near the Lion-gate to see that Her husband has returned. An elephant is then brought to bring Her from the temple, but She sulkily refuses. When the offer is made again, She finally comes out in a palanquin to Jagannath's cart. She circumambulates Her husband and then quietly goes back inside of the temple. This generally takes place on the 10th day of the bright fortnight of the month of Asadha.

Jagannath wears a special dress on the next day known as suna vesa. That day is known in Orissa as "Bahudha Ekadasi" or the "return Ekadasi". Having returned to the Sri Mandir, Lord Jagannath wants to pacify His sulky newly-wedded wife. Some say that it is for this purpose that on the evening of Bahudha Ekadasi He wears the suna-vesa, golden dress. This most opulent of all Jagannath's dresses consists of solid gold hands and feet, and many, many gold necklaces, earrings and various gold ornaments. It's said that on this day,the three deities wear more than one ton of gold-an appropriate dress to pacify the goddess of fortune.

Locked Out:

The following day, the deities go back inside of the Sri Mandir. First Balaram and Subhadra return to Their places on the altar. However, when Jagannath is about to get down from His cart to go inside, Lakshmi's maidservants slam the Lion-gate shut and bar Jagannath's entry.

Following this there is a dialogue carried out in the form of Sanskrit songs between a representative of Jagannath and a representative of Lakshmi. Jagannath's spokesperson goes to the gate and loudly proclaims something to the effect of "Jagannath loves His wife Lakshmi very much. He feels very bad, and is begging for Her forgiveness."

The voice of Lakshmi's maidservant comes from the other side. "Go away!"

After some more sweet words, finally Jagannath is allowed to enter the Lion-gate. But when He arrives at the inner Jaya-Vijaya-gate, again Lakshmi's maidservants close the door and deny Him entrance. The dialogue continues between the two parties. Lakshmi tells her maidservants to tell Jagannath the following:

atra sthale 'smakam api
devi candi sthita vibho
asmin-sthale 'pi tvat-saukhyam 

deva nästi priya na hi

"Only goddess Chandi (the ferrocious and angry form of Lakshmi's expansion Durga, who carries a chopper in one hand and a decapitated head in the other) is present here, O Lord. Your beloved is not here; there is no happiness for you here [therefore you should go elsewhere!" (Vamadeva-samhita 16.29)

candanadi-sugandham yad bhaksya-bhojyadikam ca yat
idam virahini-sthanam
tat-sthanam gaccha he vibho

"All fragrant substances such as candana and all nice eatables and so on are there in the place of your lover who must be feeling separation from you. Go to her place. O Lord!" (16.30)

Lakshmi is nursing Her neglect and humiliation. In this mood She is called the manini-näyika, the angry heroine. Jagannath replies, "I was with my elder brother, Balaram. How could you accompany me?"

Jagannath then promises Lakshmi various valuable gifts. But Lakshmi says that She does not deserve them for she comes from a poor family. Finally, after giving Her a sari, nice ornaments, and some rasagullas, Lakshmi relents and allows Jagannath to re-enter the temple. This festival of angry words from the goddess of fortune, and Jagannath's ultimate triumphant return to the Sri Mandir, is called the "Niladri Vijaya". Once Jagannath has returned to the temple there is another ceremony wherein they again tie together Lakshmi's and Jagannath's cloth. The couple is finally re-united.