Ratha-yatra

Giriraj Swami: So, Ratha-yatra is a very ancient festival, thousands of years old, celebrated in Jagannatha Puri. And it was the mercy of our beloved founder, Acharya, His Divine Grace, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada that Ratha-yatra has been celebrated all over the world. The first big Ratha-yatra was in San Francisco, in Golden Gate Park, and the San Francisco Ratha-yatra is continuing till today. There is also a very big Ratha-yatra in Los Angeles. And now by the grace of Srila Prabhupada, Ratha-yatra is celebrated practically in every major city of the world. London, and Big Ratha-yatra, and in Australia. In fact, one year in Australia, the devotees were building a chariot, and just nearby where the devotees were, a building caught on fire. And there was a lady in the building who jumped out of the window. And the devotees used the canopy from the chariot to catch her. And it was publicized in the newspapers how the devotees had used the sacred canopy from the chariot to catch the woman who was jumping from the burning building. Srila Prabhupada forwarded that information to me in Bombay, and he said that we should tell people, and give this as an example, that we are doing the best service for humanity, materially and spiritually. So, we now find Ratha-yatra are celebrated everywhere and now even in Santa Barbara.

Ratha-yatra is a very merciful festival. People who don’t go to the temple to see the Lord can still see Him because He comes out of the temple in the Ratha-yatra. Lord Jagannatha is a very merciful form of the Lord. And it is said that anyone who participates in the Ratha-yatra festival is a guarantee to go back home, back to Godhead. Someone asked Srila Prabhupada, “How is that possible?” And Srila Prabhupada explained that, “At the time of death, all of one’s experiences in life pass through his mind. And when it comes to the experience of Ratha-yatra and the smiling face of Lord Jagannatha, it freezes on that image. And so the person will give up his body, thinking of Lord Jagannatha, and go back home, back to Godhead.” So, Srila Prabhupada has bestowed so much mercy upon the world in so many ways, through his books, through his temples, and through various festivals that he has given us to celebrate, and especially the Jagannatha Ratha-yatra. So our debts to His Divine Grace, is immeasurable. And as he said, “One can never repay the debt to the spiritual master, but the spiritual master is pleased when the disciple has that attitude of wanting to repay the debt.” And he said that the best way to repay the debt is to preach vigorously, like I am.

So yes, we thank you all for joining for the Santa Barbara Ratha-yatra. If any of you have any questions or comments or reflections you would like to share, you can raise your hand.

All right. Thank you very much.