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The Confidential Meaning of Ratha-

yatra

by

SrilaGour Govinda Swami Maharaja

There are many misconceptions about Lord

Jagannath and Ratha-yatra. We should understandthe tattva that Mahaprabhu described, thatMahaprabhu manifested, because Mahaprabhu isthe supreme authority. Who is Jagannath? There isno difference between Mahaprabhu, Krishna and

Jagannath: "sei krsna, sei gaura, sei jagannatha".The people in general dont understand. They havemany speculations or concoctions.

They are proud of their material learning, merit,intelligence and knowledge. But one cannotunderstand the Supreme Lord without the mercy ofthe Lord. That is the only thing required. And theyare not hearing from a sadhu, guru, vaisnava,without which no one can understand. Only a deardevotee of Jagannath, Krishna, Mahaprabhu will

understand. Mahaprabhu is an acarya. He came asan acarya, sadhu-guru, and He has described thetattva behind Ratha-yatra. It isnt easy tounderstand paramo nirmatsaranam satamvedyam.1 Srimad Bhagavatam says who canunderstand only a vaisnava who is non-envious.Although others may hear, still they cannotunderstand. It wont enter into their ears. I willdescribe the history and tattva of Ratha-yatra

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according to how Mahaprabhu has revealed it.

Jagannaths Birthday

Skanda Purana is the biggest Purana of theeighteen Puranas. There is one khanda namedUtkal-khanda. In Utkal-khanda we find everythingregarding Lord Jagannath and Purusottama-ksetra,which is also known as Jagannath-ksetra.Vyasadeva has written it. In Skanda Purana Lord

Jagannath tells Maharaja Indradyumna, "O King, Iappeared on the full moon day of the month of

Jyestha." This is the day on which we observeSnana Purnima Lord Jagannaths public bath.

That was in the Svayambhuva manvantara, in thefirst part of Satya-yuga. Lord Jagannath said, "Iappeared, being pleased with the performance ofyajna and bhakti." This is the birthday of

Jagannath-deva. So every year on this day thepublic bathing ceremony should be performed that was the order of Jagannath to IndradyumnaMaharaja. Maharaja Indradyumna is a greatdevotee. He performed one thousand horsesacrifices. Being pleased with his devotee and hisyajna performance, Lord Jagannath appeared inthe second part of the Svayambhuva manvantara

and Brahma installed the deities in the temple.

Ancient History

If you calculate this period you will find the dateson which the building of the Jagannath templestarted, when the temple was inaugurated, andwhen the Deities were installed on their

simhasana. This was fifteen crores and thirty-four

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lakhs (153,400,000) years ago. This is according tothe authority of Skanda Purana. Ratha-yatra beganin Svarocisa Manus time. There are fourteenManus in one day of Brahma. Their period of reignis called a manvantara. Vaivasvata manvantara isgoing on now. Svayambhuva is the first Manu, thenSvarocisa, followed by Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata,and Caksusa. Presently Vaivasvata Manu is goingon. Next will come Savarni, Daksa-savarni,Brahma-savarni, Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni,Deva-savarni, Indra-savarni. Fourteen manus in all.Svarocisa Manu is the second Manu and accordingto Skanda Purana the Ratha-yatra began during hisreign. That was Satya-yuga, and Ratha-yatra hasbeen continuing up till now. It is mentioned thatthis will continue until the end of the secondparardha [half] period of Brahma. Brahmaslifetime is one hundred years. So Ratha-yatra willcontinue to go on for half of his lifetime.

y

SrilaGour Govinda Swami Maharaja

There are many misconceptions about LordJagannath and Ratha-yatra. We should understandthe tattva that Mahaprabhu described, thatMahaprabhu manifested, because Mahaprabhu isthe supreme authority. Who is Jagannath? There isno difference between Mahaprabhu, Krishna and

Jagannath: "sei krsna, sei gaura, sei jagannatha".The people in general dont understand. They have

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many speculations or concoctions.

They are proud of their material learning, merit,intelligence and knowledge. But one cannotunderstand the Supreme Lord without the mercy ofthe Lord. That is the only thing required. And theyare not hearing from a sadhu, guru, vaisnava,without which no one can understand. Only a deardevotee of Jagannath, Krishna, Mahaprabhu willunderstand. Mahaprabhu is an acarya. He came asan acarya, sadhu-guru, and He has described thetattva behind Ratha-yatra. It isnt easy tounderstand paramo nirmatsaranam satamvedyam.1 Srimad Bhagavatam says who canunderstand only a vaisnava who is non-envious.

Although others may hear, still they cannotunderstand. It wont enter into their ears. I willdescribe the history and tattva of Ratha-yatraaccording to how Mahaprabhu has revealed it.

Jagannaths Birthday

Skanda Purana is the biggest Purana of theeighteen Puranas. There is one khanda namedUtkal-khanda. In Utkal-khanda we find everythingregarding Lord Jagannath and Purusottama-ksetra,which is also known as Jagannath-ksetra.Vyasadeva has written it. In Skanda Purana Lord

Jagannath tells Maharaja Indradyumna, "O King, Iappeared on the full moon day of the month of

Jyestha." This is the day on which we observeSnana Purnima Lord Jagannaths public bath.That was in the Svayambhuva manvantara, in thefirst part of Satya-yuga. Lord Jagannath said, "Iappeared, being pleased with the performance of

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yajna and bhakti." This is the birthday ofJagannath-deva. So every year on this day thepublic bathing ceremony should be performed that was the order of Jagannath to IndradyumnaMaharaja. Maharaja Indradyumna is a greatdevotee. He performed one thousand horsesacrifices. Being pleased with his devotee and his

yajna performance, Lord Jagannath appeared inthe second part of the Svayambhuva manvantaraand Brahma installed the deities in the temple.

Ancient History

If you calculate this period you will find the dateson which the building of the Jagannath templestarted, when the temple was inaugurated, andwhen the Deities were installed on theirsimhasana. This was fifteen crores and thirty-four

lakhs (153,400,000) years ago. This is according tothe authority of Skanda Purana. Ratha-yatra beganin Svarocisa Manus time. There are fourteenManus in one day of Brahma. Their period of reignis called a manvantara. Vaivasvata manvantara isgoing on now. Svayambhuva is the first Manu, thenSvarocisa, followed by Uttama, Tamasa, Raivata,and Caksusa. Presently Vaivasvata Manu is going

on. Next will come Savarni, Daksa-savarni,Brahma-savarni, Dharma-savarni, Rudra-savarni,Deva-savarni, Indra-savarni. Fourteen manus in all.Svarocisa Manu is the second Manu and accordingto Skanda Purana the Ratha-yatra began during hisreign. That was Satya-yuga, and Ratha-yatra hasbeen continuing up till now. It is mentioned thatthis will continue until the end of the second

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parardha [half] period of Brahma. Brahmaslifetime is one hundred years. So Ratha-yatra willcontinue to go on for half of his lifetime.