Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra

Giriraj Swami: So, thank you Devakinandan Prabhu for giving enlightening presentation. I was also going to discuss the question of how Jagannatha deity came. Okay, so why do we Jagannatha look like as we see? That is what I am going to explain. And there are two versions. In one version Maharaja Indradyumna engaged Vishwakarma, who is the architect of the demigods to sculpt Krishna, Balarama, and Subhadra. And Vishwakarma agreed to it on the condition that he should not be interrupted in the process. So he was working behind closed doors, and King Indradyumna was waiting eagerly. And at a certain stage, Indradyumna Maharaja did not hear any sound from inside the room. So he entered the room and Vishwakarma disappeared before finishing the three sculptures of Krishna, Balarama, and Subhadra. And those incomplete forms are called Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra.

The other version which Devakinandan Prabhu mentioned. In Dvaraka, the ladies were hearing about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavan. Sometimes Krishna awake in the middle of night, and call out all the names of His devotees in Vrindavan. So they wanted to know what was so special about Vrindavan. And Rohini was in Vrindavan and now she was in Dvaraka, she was in a position to tell them about Krishna’s pastimes and devotees in Vrindavan. She didn’t want to be disturbed while she was speaking so she posted Subhadra outside the door to keep guard to see that nobody enters. Subhadra also wanted to hear. So she kept her ear to the door to listen. As she was listening, she melted in ecstasy and she assumed that form of Subhadra that we know. Meanwhile, Krishna and Balarama also came by and They saw Subhadra listening with her ear to the door in her ecstatic manifestation. So they also put their ears to the door to hear. Hearing about Krishna and Balarama’s pastimes in Vrindavan, they also melted in their ecstasy and they assume the form of Jagannatha and Baladeva as we have seen.

In Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu, Rupa Gosvami has enumerated sixty-four items of devotional service. He said that out of the sixty-four, five are most potent and slight association of one of the five can awaken dormant love for Lord Krishna. So what are the five? Sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana, bhāgavata-śravaṇa, mathurā-vāsa, and mūrtira śraddhāya sevana. So, sādhu-saṅga, Srila Rupa Gosvami gives a very specific definition of sādhu-saṅga. Sajātīyāśaye snigdhe sādhau saṅga svato vare. Sajātīya, in a literal sense, means belonging to the same caste or community. In our case, it means the followers of Srila Prabhupada. Snigdhe means that the sadhu should be affectionate to you; svato vare means the sadhu should be more advanced than you. So sādhu-saṅga, nāma-kīrtana – chanting of the holy name; bhāgavata-śravaṇa—hearing Bhagavad-gītā and Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; mathurā-vāsa means residing in Vrindavan, Mayapur, or Jagannatha Puri. mūrtira śraddhāya sevana—serving the deity with faith and veneration. Here in today’s program, mūrtira śraddhāya sevana, worship of the deity with faith and veneration. But along with the worship, we also heard and chanted the holy names. Srila Jiva Gosvami say that deity worship should be accompanied by nāma-saṅkīrtana.

So in this center here, in this program today, we have engaged in the five most potent items of devotional service. Of course mathurā-vāsa, Srila Prabhupada also said that our temples are Vaikuntha because Krishna is in the center. Everyone is working for the pleasure and satisfaction of Krishna. So, Srila Prabhupada has given us a wonderful process and we should take advantage of it and engage in these five processes. In one talk in Los Angeles, Srila Prabhupada said, “If you have time, chant the Hare Krishna. Don’t waste time. Don’t talk nonsense. Chant Hare Krishna.”

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

Once I was with His Holiness Gaura Govinda Swami Maharaja in Mauritius at the ISKCON Vedic Farm in Boman Khai. We did a program together and somehow after the program I mentioned these five most potent items of devotional service. When I mentioned mathurā-vāsa, His Holiness Gaura Govinda Swami Maharaja looked me in eyes and said, “Kamsa also resided in Mathura.” So, residing in the Mathura, Vrindavan are very powerful if we are in the right consciousness. Again, all of Srila Prabhupada’s temples are Vaikuntha, they are the spiritual world. We should come to the center and everyone should cooperate for his service of Krishna. So we should take full advantage of what Srila Prabhupada has given us. Read his books, study his books, distribute the books and read the books. We should read books, study their books. And distribute books. We should distribute the books. Even life members, Srila Prabhupada said that he devised the life membership program as a way for distributing his books. So yes, we should associate with devotees, chant the holy names, worshiping the deity with faith and veneration, and try to visit our temples which are also holy places, and make your life successful and at the end of life, we will go to the back home back to Godhead.

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare

Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare

So, thank you very much for listening for patiently and attentively. If you have any questions or comments or reflection, would like to share can raise your hands.

Devotee: Thank you, Maharaja, for a beautiful class. So I just want to ask that Kamsa would also be residing in a Mathura but his bhāva was not correct. So how to develop that bhāva? Because sometimes you see that we are performing the devotional service, we are taking the sādhu-saṅga, but the bhāva is not correct. While taking the darshan of deities, the bhāva is not correct. So, how to develop that correct devotional bhāva?

Giriraj Swami: I would recommend sādhu-saṅga. Sri Prabhupada said that Krishna consciousness has 90 percent association. So, if you associate with advance devotees, you will develop that consciousness. And along with that, sincere chanting of the holy names. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura said that if you chant attentively, all the other offences will be destroyed. And if you are inattentive while chanting then all the offences will flourish. So, it is very important to chant with attention.

Thank you very much.

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!