English
Japa Talk - 25th January
Speaker - HG Dharmaraj Prabhu
Topic - Pushya abhishekmahatmya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu pastimes in Jagannath Puri
HG Dharmaraj Prabhu prays mangalacharanprayers. All my obeisances unto my Gurumaharaj and all the Vaishnavas present here.I thank Hg Padmamali prabhu to allow me to speak today. Today is Pushya Abhishek festival according to the Vaishnav calendar and that’s why you can see my background with flowers and Tulsi. So Srila Prabhupada said about this festival that Sri Krishna is like toy in the hands of the Gopi’s , whatever the Gopi’s say that Sri Krishna has to do. One day they decided to decorate Sri Krishna with flowers, ornaments and beautiful clothes. They thought to decorate Krishna with all beautiful jewels. So Pushya Abhishek isa festival where the Lordships are decorated with lot of flowers, jewels and ornaments. So today in most of the temples today the deities of the Lord are decorated with flowers, Abhishek is done with flowers specially in Mayapur, but in Mayapur the deities are huge still they have Abhishek with flowers.
Pushya Abhishek Mahatmya
In the Bhagvad Gita Krishna says-
patraṁpuṣpaṁphalaṁtoyaṁ
yo me bhaktyāprayacchati
tad ahaṁbhakty-upahṛtam
aśnāmiprayatātmanaḥ
Translation
If one offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit or water, I will accept it.[BG 9.26]
So when Krishna sees that a devotee is giving me a flower with so much love he doesn’t stay “fool” anymore he becomes intelligent. ShrilaPrabhupad says that after offering a flower to Krishna when we get it back it becomes mahaprasad and when we smell it we become pure our senses become pure and Krishna Conscious.
Importance of Tulsi
Amongst the flowers special is the tulsi which is also offered to the Lord. Tulasi is also called as pushpa sara which means the topmost of all flowers without whom Krishna does not like to look upon other flowers.
Vrindavani,vrinda, visvapujita, pushpasara, nandini, Krishna-jivani, visva-pavanitulsi (Asta nama stave from padma purana).On the full moon day of Kartik Lord Krishna Himself worships Srimati Tulasi Devi with this mantra.
So those who worship Tulasi with this mantra everyday obtain Her special mercy. SoTulasi is very important. Even in Krishna’s Vaijayanti mala Tulasi is very important there may be any flowers in it but Tulasi is very important. Krishna does not even accept Prasad without Tulasi and even on His Lotus feet we offer Tulasi.
Even the four Kumaras immediately got benefited by having the offered tulasi from the Lords feet of the Lord-
tasyaravinda-nayanasyapadaravinda-
kinjalka-misra-tulasi-makaranda-vayuḥ
antar-gataḥsva-vivareṇacakarateṣaṁ
sankṣobhamakṣara-juṣamapicitta-tanvoḥ
Translation
When the breeze carrying the aroma of tulasi leaves from the toes of the lotus feet of the Personality of Godhead entered the nostrils of those sages, they experienced a change both in body and in mind, even though they were attached to the impersonal Brahman understanding.[SB 3.15.43]
It appears from this verse that the four Kumaras were impersonalists or protagonists of the philosophy of monism, becoming one with the Lord. But as soon as they saw the Lord’s features, their minds changed. Till now the four kumaras were not able to get a good understand of Bhakti but as soon as they took the fragrance of the Tulasi from the Lords Lotus feet their thinking changed.
Leaves also means Tulsi and it also means the different leaves of vegetables.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Pastimes in Jagannath Puri
Now we will hear about this. Once in Jagannath Puri during the appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu this leela happened- Once Chaitanya Mahaprabhu went to take darshan of Jagannath Ji and the watchperson at the door was standing there.He welcomed Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.Then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu asked him to show beloved Krishna,Mahaprabhu asked where is my Beloved Krishna, please show Him to me.He held the hand of the watchperson and pleaded him to show Krishna who is the deliverer of everyone.
eka-dinakarena prabhu jagannathadarasana
jagannathedekhesakṣatvrajendra-nandana
Translation
One day, while Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was looking at Lord Jagannatha in the temple, Lord Jagannatha appeared to be personally Sri Kṛṣṇa, the son of Nanda Maharaja.[CC Antya 15.7]
Mahaprabhu and that watchperson reached a place called Jagmohan.Where Jagannath Ji is placed that is called the Shri Mandir and the place where Garuda is there that is called Jagmohan. Behind this is the Bhogmandap.There was the deity and the watch person asked Chaitanya Mahaprabhu to see the darshan saying that this deity is the one you are talking about.
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu saw this from behind Garuda ji,while taking darshan the impression of Mahaprabhu’s fingers got impregnated on the wall behind Garud Ji.
Today also when devotees go for darshan they keep their finger on that impression and then take darshan.Once when I went for darshan I dint know where that finger impression was so I was trying to find it within that time a very old lady came,her hair was all white she held my fingers and placed it on that impression of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s finger and I was shocked. I was thinking who she must have been
So we would keep our hand on that impression, take darshan and pray to Lord Jagannath. So when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was seeing the Jagannath Deity it got transformed into Krishna who was playing the flute(Vamsidhari).So Jagannath deity gave darshan to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the form of Krishna playing the flute.
About this Raghunath Das Goswami has written in his book called Gaurang stavakalpavriksha,it says-
kva me kantaḥ kṛṣṇastvaritamiha tam lokayasakhe
tvamevetidvaradhipamabhivadannunmadaiva
drutamgacchadraṣṭumpriyamiti tad-uktenadhṛta-tad-
bhujantargaurangohṛdayaudayan mam
Translation
“My dear friend the doorkeeper, where is Krsna, the Lord of My heart? Kindly show Him to Me quickly.” With these words Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu addressed the doorkeeper like a madman. The doorkeeper grasped His hand and replied very hastily, “Come, see Your beloved!” May that Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu rise within my heart and thus make me mad also.[Song name is Gatim DrstvaYasyaPramada;Book name-Stavavali]
Another pastime of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Jagannath Puri
Many types of different prasadam offerings are made to Jagannath ji.He is Anna-Brahma.Just like in Pandharpur. He is Naad Brahma that same way in Jagannath Puri the Lord is Anna Brahma.Once the Gopala vallabhBhoga was being offered to Jagannath Ji.After aarti the Prasad plate was taken out and then Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to take Prasad and He was given the same.First the pujari wore Jagannath Ji’s garland to Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and he also gave Him Prasad.That Prasad was undoubtedly nice but it also had a very delicious fragrance.So when Prasad is offered to the Lord it becomes even more delicious and gets a special fragrance.Now for example the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya is established and many devotees are saying that the darshan before and after the deity installation are different.Just like Guru Maharaj said in the Japa talk that Lord Rama saw me and I also saw Him.SoMahaprabhu was given the Mahaprasad and the pujari tied some of the Mahaprasad eaten by Mahaprabhu.Immediatelyadter having the Prasad Mahaprabhu was ecstatic and had tears in the eyes,He started thinking where is this taste coming from then he thought that this must surely be the taste of Krishna ‘s Adharamrit.From here Mahaprabhu went to Shantipur after having bath in Yamuna.
eka-dinasantipure, prabhu adwaiteraghare,
dui prabhu bhojanebosilo
sakkoriaswadana, prabhu bole bhakta-gaṇa,
eisakkṛṣṇaaswadilo
Translation
O brothers! One day at Sri Advaita's house in santipura, the two Lords-Caitanya and Nityananda-were seated for lunch. Lord Caitanya tasted the green leafy vegetable preparation and addressed the assembly of His devotees, "This sak is so delicious! Lord Krsna has definitely tasted it.[CC Antya 15.7]
In context to this Bhaktivinod Thakur says-
henosak-aswadane, kṛṣṇa-premaaise mane,
sei preme koro aswadana
jaḍa-buddhiparihari, prasad bhojanakori,
`harihari' bolo sarvajan
Translation
At the taste of sak like this, love of Krsna arises in the heart. In such love you should taste these remnants. Giving up all materialistic conceptions and taking the Lord's prasad, all of you just chant `Hari! Hari!'" [Text 2, Ek Din Santipure, By Bhaktivonod thakur]
So Mahaprabhu is thinking that the Prasad that He has got is so delicious because it is tasted by Krishna Himself.But when Mahaprabhu saw that the servants in the temple were seeing all this Mahaprabhu immediately handled Himself so that the people around don’t misunderstand,because once when previously Mahaprabhu was taking darshan of Jagannath Ji He shouted Jaga!! Jaga!! And people around thought that this is fake.
That’s why Mahaprabhu started walking away from there and said that only the one who is very fortunate gets the Mahaprasad offered to the Lord,so the servants of the Jagannath temple asked Mahaprabhu to explain what He is saying,so here it is said
maha-prasadegovinde
nama-brahmanivaisnave
svalpa-punya-vatamrajan
visvasonaivajayate
Translation
O king, for those who have amassed very few pious activities, their faith in maha-prasada, in Sri Govinda, in the Holy Name and in the Vaisnava is never born.[Mahabharat]
So only have done good deeds for births together get an opportunity to obtain the pure love of God.
bahunaṁjanmanam ante
jnanavan mam prapadyate
vasudevaḥsarvamiti
sa mahatma su-durlabhaḥ
Translation
After many births and deaths, he who is actually in knowledge surrenders unto Me, knowing Me to be the cause of all causes and all that is. Such a great soul is very rare.[BG 7.19]
How we should take Prasad and the beautiful description of Krishna
So when food is offered to the Lord and is touched by His Lips it becomes Mahaprasad and similarly when He plays His flute the sound that comes is the Hare Krishna Mahamantra.So when we chant the Mahamantra we must think that it has Krishna’s Adharamrit so must try to recite it again and again.So when the gopis see that Krishna is playing the flute they think become ecstatic.
barhapiḍamnaṭa-vara-vapuḥkarṇayoḥkarṇikaram
bibhradvasaḥ kanaka-kapisaṁvaijayantiṁ ca malam
randhranveṇoradhara-sudhayapurayangopa-vṛndair
vṛndaraṇyamsva-pada-ramaṇampravisadgita-kirtiḥ
Translation
Wearing a peacock-feather ornament upon His head, blue karṇikara flowers on His ears, a yellow garment as brilliant as gold, and the Vaijayantī garland, Lord Kṛṣṇa exhibited His transcendental form as the greatest of dancers as He entered the forest of Vṛndavana, beautifying it with the marks of His footprints. He filled the holes of His flute with the nectar of His lips, and the cowherd boys sang His glories.[ŚB 10.21.5]
So just like by adding His adharamrit food becomes mahaprasad similarly while playing the flute when Krishna touches His lips on the flute the sound that comes is non different from Krishna.
That sound reaches the person whom it has to reach unto.Krishna’s name and He Himself are non different from each other.That is why a pure devotee always thinks about Krishna.Everybody does not get this opportunity.When we accept an offered Lamp we accept it because it is offered to Krishna and it has a spiritual energy.SoMahaprabhu left from there but was constantly thinking about Krishna.
In ISKCON when we say OM NAMO BHAGVATE VASUDEVAYA everybody tends to sleep but during MahaprasadeGovinde everybody becomes awake,so this should not happen. So we should also take Prasad in the same way as Mahaprabhu has taken we should complain about it we should glorify the Prasad while taking it by this both the soul and body will get purified. So I stop here.Hare Krishna!!
HG Padmamali prabhu thanks HG Dharmaraj prabhu for such a wonderfull talk by chanting the Hare Krishna Mahamantra!!
