Jagannath Month Week 2 Ratha Yatra

Week 1- Jai Jagannath

Week 2- Ratha Yatra

Week 3- Cleaning Gundicha Temple

Week 4- Ulta Rath- Make your own Rath festival

A Story about Krishna’s pastimes

If you focused on the first half of the Jagannath story last week, you can focus on the second half of the
Jagannath story which can be found here:

The advent of Jagannath- you can find the story in a drama-video on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueWPTgz1cCA

Or here http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/video/video/listTagged?tag=Jagannath+Priya+Natakam

Or read it here: http://www.iskcondesiretree.com/page/the-complete-story-of-lord-jagannatha-

appearance-in-puri

I think it would be very sweet to include stories in this section about Ratha Yatras from around the
world, such as Srila Prabhupad’s first Ratha Yatra in New York, London, San Francisco etc. These stories
would be especially interesting for older kids (and adults ) I think.

If you want a new story for this week, you could tell the story of how Lord Jagannath expressed this
particular form of ecstasy when he went to Kurukshetra.

I found this rendition from the BTG: http://btg.krishna.com/why-krishna-appears-jagannatha

The Utkala-khanda of the Skanda Purana gives another account related to Krishna’s appearance as Jagannatha.
(Utkala is the traditional name for Orissa.) Once, during a solar eclipse, Krishna, Balarama, Subhadra, and other
residents of Dwaraka went to bathe in a holy pond at Kurukshetra. Knowing that Krishna would be there, Srimati
Radharani, Krishna’s parents Nanda and Yashoda, and other residents of Vrindavana, who were burning in the fire
of separation from the Lord, went to meet Him. Inside one of the many tents the pilgrims had set up at Kurukshetra,
Rohini, Lord Balarama’s mother, narrated Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes to the queens of Dwaraka and others.
The residents of Dwaraka are said to be in the mood of opulence (aishvarya), and they worship Krishna as the
Supreme Lord. But the residents of Vrindavana are in the mood of sweetness (madhurya), and they have a
confidential relationship with Krishna that surpasses awe and reverence because it is based on friendship and love.
Rohini’s narration was thus extremely confidential, so she posted Subhadra at the door to prevent anyone from
entering.

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Krishna and Balarama came to the door and stood on Subhadra’s left and right sides. While listening to Rohini’s
narration of Krishna’s intimate Vrindavana pastimes, Krishna and Balarama became ecstatic, and Their internal
feelings were exhibited externally. Their eyes became dilated, Their heads compressed into Their bodies, and Their
limbs retracted. Seeing these transformations in Krishna and Balarama, Subhadra also became ecstatic and assumed
a similar form. Thus, by hearing about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Krishna and Balarama, with Subhadra in
between, displayed their ecstatic forms of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra.

The Lord’s Highest Ecstasy

Jyestha Purnima is the day of Snan Yatra. Perhaps this is why Jagannath traditionally has His bathing
ceremony on that day.

It is interesting that Srimati Radharani is also described as the Mahabhava Rupa- or the form of highest
ecstasy, and that Lord Chaitanya appears in order to taste this same Mahabhava- and he does so by
taking darshan of the Mahabhava Prakash- Lord Jagannath.

According to the Skanda Purana, the Jyeshtha-purnima, the full-moon day of the month of May-June, is the
birthday of Jagannatha. Jagannatha is Krishna, but Krishna’s birthday is Janmashtami, in the month of Bhadra
(August-September). This apparent contradiction is resolved if we understand that the Jyeshtha-purnima is the time
when Krishna appeared in the form of Jagannatha with big, dilated eyes and shrunken limbs. This is known
as mahabhava-prakasha, the ecstatic form of Krishna. Mahabhava means “the highest ecstasy,” and prakasha means
“manifestation,” so Jagannatha is literally the ecstatic form of Krishna.

The poem Mahabhava Prakasha by the Oriyan poet Kanai Khuntia describes the confidential meaning behind the
form of Jagannatha: He is the embodiment of Krishna’s pangs of separation from the residents of Vrindavana,
particularly Radha and the gopis. Scriptures explain that intense feelings of spiritual ecstasy, especially in this mood
of separation from a loved one, produce transformations in the body. Since Krishna is not different from His body,
His internal feeling showed externally, and He assumed the form of Jagannatha.

The ecstasy of mahabhava is compared to an ocean. In the pastime with King Indradyumna, a giant log floated on
the ocean. Similarly, the forms of Jagannatha, Balarama, and Subhadra float on the ocean of mahabhava.
When the sage Narada saw Krishna transformed as Jagannatha, he prayed to the Lord to appear like this again.
Although the Lord is not obliged to anyone, He reciprocates with His devotees to fulfill their desires. In Garga
Samhita Krishna states (1.27.4): “I am full—all the epics in one. Yet I surrender to the wish of My devotee and

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come in whatever form he wants.” Thus, just as Krishna appeared as Nila Madhava to satisfy Vishvavasu, He
appeared in the deity form as Jagannatha and resides in Jagannatha Puri to satisfy the desire of Narada Muni.
This special form of Krishna is also known as Patita Pavana, the savior of the fallen, and anyone who takes His
audience with proper consciousness is awarded spiritual liberation.

Jagannatha as Krishna of Vrindavana

Although Jagannatha is often identified with Krishna of Dwaraka, in the mood of opulence, His actual but
confidential identity is as Krishna of Vrindavana, the lover of Radharani. The Jagannatha Chaitanyam says, “Radha
stays in the heart of Jagannatha, and so does Sri Krishna.”
Krishna is known by His relationships, especially with the residents of Vrindavana, and devotees sometimes refer to
Jagannatha in this way. Jagannatha is considered the consort of Radharani, who associates with Krishna only in His
mood of Vrindavana. The ecstasy that resulted from Krishna’s love for Radharani caused Krishna’s transformation
into the form of Jagannatha.

The Oriyan poet Banamali sings, “O Jagannatha, Yashoda’s dear foster son, Your Radha is like the chataka bird,
drinking only the pure raindrops You shower as Your grace.”
In Vrindavana, Krishna assumes the graceful three-fold bending form (tribanga-lalita), and He wears a peacock
feather and plays His flute. The Jagannathashtakam (verse 2) identifies Jagannatha with this mood: “In His left
hand Lord Jagannatha holds a flute, on His head He wears peacock feathers, and on His hips He wears fine yellow
silken cloth. From the corners of His eyes He bestows sidelong glances upon His loving devotees, and He always
reveals Himself through His pastimes in His divine abode of Vrindavana. May that Jagannatha Svami be the object
of my vision.”
The poetess Madhavi-devi, the sister of Ramananda Raya, writes in one of her songs: “The tender, sweet verses
of Sri Gita-govinda bearing the name of Radha are woven into the khandua [pieces of cloth worn by Jagannatha
each evening], which Lord Jagannatha holds close to His limbs.”
The Chaitanya-Chaitanya explains that Krishna came as Chaitanya to understand Radharani’s mood. During
Rathayatra He danced in ecstasy in front of Lord Jagannatha (Krishna) to get His attention. In reply, Jagannatha
consoled Him: “I never forgot any gopis or gopas, and especially You, Srimati Radhika. How can I forget You?

Here is a little poem I wrote 9 years ago when I got to take darshan (!!!) of the Lord in Puri:

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A fiction story about devotee children
Part 2:

The deities came in a carved wooden box, with little cloths around them like blankets. Jagannath’s eyes
were wide and beautiful and it seemed like He was smiling just for Akshay. Subhadra’s smile seemed
sweet and cute, and Baladev’s smile seemed like He was so happy to be with Akshay now, and ready to
get used to His new place. Sudarshan Chakra was there too of course, right next to Jagannath.

The Deities were wearing a blue and yellow outfit and They had blue and golden crowns on so Akshay
asked his Grandpa if he could put them on the altar with Grandpa’s deities. Grandpa said there wasn’t
so much room and had a better idea. He cleared the table that he usually uses for the aroti tray and
covered it with a silk cloth and it was just big enough for Jagannath Baladev and Subhadra.

Akshay decided to make the cute little box into a bed for his deities so he could put them to sleep every
night and wake them up in the morning. He also asked if he could join Grandpa for his aroti in the
morning to make an offering for his own Jagannath. Grandpa said it was best to start with just offering
incense every day and then add more later. “With deity worship, it is best to start small and then add
more, rather than starting something big that you can’t keep up.” Akshay was a little disappointed but
Grandpa said he can offer flowers and fruit when he likes, but incense can be his daily standard.

That night Akshay took the clothes of his deities and put them to sleep on top of their blankets. He
didn’t want to put them under the blankets as it was the middle of summer and still really hot at nights.
He asked his Grandpa to wake him up in the morning so that he wouldn’t miss his chance to worship
Them again. When Grandpa woke him up, he jumped out of bed and got ready as quickly as he could
and then ran upstairs to start the aroti with Grandpa. Grandpa told him he should ring the bell to wake
them up, and Akshay added a little good morning song that his mother usually sings for him when she
wakes him up. He sang in a soft voice to wake them up gently.

“Good morning, good morning, good morning to You.

Good morning, good morning, it’s so nice to see You.”

Akshay carefully put the same blue and yellow clothes on Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra, and
realized he needed more practice tying a bow. It was really tricky trying to tie the bow in the back
without making the Lord tip over! Grandpa helped him this time, but Akshay promised he would try to
learn how to tie a bow better. Then he carefully tried to put Their crowns on but they kept falling off.
Again he asked his Grandpa for help, and his Grandpa said, “Are they being naughty now? It’s Their first
day and They are already playing tricks on you!” Grandpa explained that sometimes we think that we
are dressing the Deities, but actually the Deities are dressing Themselves, and we have to pray to Them
for guidance to serve Them properly. So Akshay asked the Lords to please be merciful and let him put
Their crowns on and then they didn’t fall off again.

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Song related to the Stories
Intro songs:

Good morning, good morning, good morning to you!

Good morning, good morning, it’s so nice to see you.

I have attached the melody in this email.

Jagannath

Jagannatha Swami, Nayana Patha Gami, Bhavatu Me. If you have older kids, you might like to learn one
or two verses from the Jagannathashtakam each week.

Rain songs

(Ame Ame Fure Fure in Japanese- you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=ldtuTqHnZZg

Raining Raining How it’s raining, rain a little more!

Mother’s bringing my umbrella, it can rain and poar.
Pitter patter, pitter patter, drip drip, drop!
Pitter Patter, pitter patter, drip, drip, drop.

I made a Bengali version as well:

Brishti Brishti, porche porche,
Ashche amar maa,
Amar boro chata dhorche,
Bhoy pay na,
Tupur tapur tupur tapur tip tip tip!
Tupur tapur tupur tapur tip tip tip!

This song is attached to the email. That last line is a real tongue twister!

Here is your word for word:

Brishti- rain, porche- falls, asche- is coming, amar- my, maa-mother, amar-my, boro-big, chata-umbrella,
dhorche-is carrying, bhoy-fear, pay-get, na-not, tupur tapur- pitter patter.

Bhajans for Parents to learn and sing and listen to.

I like to print out a bhajan or a song and hang it up in front of the sink so I can sing while I wash the
dishes. (on the next page)

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 Jagannathasthakam

kadācit kālindī-taṭa-vipina-sańgītaka-ravo
mudābhīrī-nārī-vadana-kamalāsvāda-madhupaḥ
ramā-śambhu-brahmāmara-pati-gaṇeśārcita-pado
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(2)
bhuje savye veṇuḿ śirasi śikhi-puccham kaṭi-taṭe
dukūlaḿ netrānte sahacara-kaṭākṣaḿ vidadhate
sadā śrīmad-vṛndāvana-vasati-līlā-paricayo
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(3)
mahāmbhodhes tīre kanaka-rucire nīla-śikhare
vasan prāsādāntaḥ sahaja-balabhadreṇa balinā
subhadrā-madhya-sthaḥ sakala-sura-sevāvasara-do
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(4)
kṛpā-pārāvāraḥ sajala-jalada-śreṇi-ruciro
ramā-vāṇī-rāmaḥ sphurad-amala-pańkeruha-mukhaḥ
surendrair ārādhyaḥ śruti-gaṇa-śikhā-gīta-carito
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(5)
rathārūḍho gacchan pathi milita-bhūdeva-paṭalaiḥ
stuti-prādurbhāvam prati-padam upākarṇya sadayaḥ
dayā-sindhur bandhuḥ sakala jagatāḿ sindhu-sutayā
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(6)
para-brahmāpīḍaḥ kuvalaya-dalotphulla-nayano
nivāsī nīlādrau nihita-caraṇo 'nanta-śirasi
rasānando rādhā-sarasa-vapur-ālińgana-sukho
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(7)
na vai yāce rājyaḿ na ca kanaka-māṇikya-vibhavaḿ
na yāce 'haḿ ramyāḿ sakala jana-kāmyāḿ vara-vadhūm
sadā kāle kāle pramatha-patinā gīta-carito
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

(8)
hara tvaḿ saḿsāraḿ druta-taram asāraḿ sura-pate
hara tvaḿ pāpānāḿ vitatiḿ aparāḿ yādava-pate
aho dīne 'nāthe nihita-caraṇo niścitam idaḿ
jagannāthaḥ svāmī nayana-patha-gāmī bhavatu me

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This one is real long! Notice that this very personal song is composed by the preacher of impersonalism
Shankaracharya.

TRANSLATION
1) Sometimes in great happiness Lord Jagannatha makes a loud concert with His flute in the groves on
the banks of the Yamuna. He is like a bumblebee tasting the beautiful lotus like faces of the cowherd
damsels of Vraja, and great personalities such as Laksmi, Siva, Brahma, Indra, and Ganesa worship His
lotus feet. May that Jagannatha Svami be the object of my vision.

2) In His left hand Lord Jagannatha holds a flute, on His head He wears peacock feathers, and on His
hips He wears fine yellow silken cloth. From the corners of His eyes He bestows sidelong glances upon
His loving devotees, and He always reveals Himself through His pastimes in His divine abode of
Vrndavana. May that Jagannatha Svami be the object of my vision.

3) On the shore of the great ocean, within a large palace atop the brilliant, golden Nilacala Hill, Lord
Jagannatha resides with His powerful brother Balabhadra and His sister Subhadra, who sits between
Them. May that Jagannatha Svami, who bestows the opportunity for devotional service upon all godly
souls, be the object of my vision.

4) Lord Jagannatha is an ocean of mercy and as beautiful as a row of blackish rain clouds. He is the
storehouse of bliss for Laksmi and Sarasvati, and His face resembles a spotless full-blown lotus. The
best of demigods and sages worship Him, and the Upanisads sing His glories. May that Jagannatha Svami
be the object of my vision.

5) When Lord Jagannatha moves along the road on His Rathayatra car, at every step large assemblies of
brahmanas loudly chant prayers and sing songs for His pleasure. Hearing their hymns, Lord Jagannatha
becomes very favorably disposed toward them. He is the ocean of mercy and the true friend of all the
worlds. May that Jagannatha Svami, along with His consort Laksmi, who was born from the ocean of
nectar, be the object of my vision.

6) Lord Jagannatha, whose eyes resemble full-blown lotus petals, is the ornament on Lord Brahma's
head. He resides on Nilacala Hill with His lotus feet placed on the heads of Anantadeva. Overwhelmed
by the mellows of love, He joyfully embraces Srimati Radharani's body, which is like a cool pond. May
that Jagannatha Svami be the object of my vision.

7) I do not pray for a kingdom nor do I pray for gold, rubies, or wealth. I do not ask for a beautiful wife
as desired by all men. I simply pray that Jagannatha Svami, whose glories Lord Siva always sings, may
be the constant object of my vision.

8) O Lord of the demigods, please quickly remove this useless material existence I am undergoing. O
Lord of the Yadus, please destroy this vast, shoreless ocean of sins. Alas, this is certain Lord
Jagannatha bestows His lotus feet upon those who feel themselves fallen and have no shelter in this
world but Him. May that Jagannatha Svami be the object of my vision.

9) The self-retrained, virtuous soul who recites these eight verses glorifying Lord Jagannatha becomes
cleansed of all sins and duly proceeds to Lord Visnu's abode.

You can download a beautiful adaptation of this bhajan by Bhakti without Borders here
http://www.kirtanshakti.org/

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I typed up some of the Advent of Jagannath ballad -You can watch the whole film here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueWPTgz1cCA The lyrics below only tell part of the story. The rest
of it is acted out in between.

The lyrics for part one are here:

The story which we want to show,

Tells of a king who lived long ago.
Thousands of servants to command
He is the lord over all the land
Yet he neglects his kingdom gay,
Pines for his Lord who lives far away.

The Brahman wandered through the land,

Just to fulfil the king’s command
Searching the country far and wide,
Seeking for the lord on every side.
O’er mountains high and pastures green,
Then came upon this village scene.

VIdyapati stayed at their home

No longer did he want to roam
Served by Vishvavasu’s daughter fair,
In course of time he married her.
He passed his days so pleasantly
So far away from his own country.

The two did beg on bended knee,

To go and see the deity.
Vishvasu gave his solemn word
No one but he would serve his lord.
At last he agreed to take him there,
Only to please his daughter fair.

(Different Melody)
My dear husband, do not fear.
There is a way we can trick my father.
Take these mustard seeds with you
And drop them along the forest path.
For every seed, a plant will grow,
The way to Nilamadhava they will show.

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Vishvasu bound him hand and knee.
Lalita begged, set my husband free.
Seeing his daughter lamenting so,
Vishvasu let the young man go,
Back to his king and country fair,
Hastened to tell the tidings there.

Suggestions for Nature Altar

 Figurine of Krishna for Nilamadhava- perhaps a mandir with doors
 So to tell the fiction story, I made some “handkerchief dolls” with some dried up forgotten limes
for the heads, scraps of cloth, and rubber bands. Here are my props:

 From left to right, the characters are Pujari Mataji, Grandpa, Mama, Akshay, Sharanam, Baby
Shyam, and the present that Akshay got. The big dolls are the deities that Grandpa worships.

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An Activity related to the story or festival
Here are some ideas to make a Jagannath of your own.

Another idea that is similar but looks easier involves

matchboxes ˅

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A Field Trip or festival
In Mayapur, we will celebrate Ratha Yatra on Sunday, the 26th. Perhaps if you like you could watch the
festival on Mayapur.tv or the Jagannath Puri festival somewhere else on the internet.

Recipes for this week

Granola Balls.

My idea is that you could make these for a snack if you are going to a Ratha Yatra in your area. I usually
double the recipe. It is a great recipe to do with kids 

You can roast:

2 Cups oats
½ Cup dried coconut.

Cook on the stove till dissolved:

½ Cup Peanut Butter

½ Cup Agave or Maple syrup
¼ Cup brown sugar
Stir the wet and the dry together and let it cool off fifteen minutes. You can add ½ Cup trail mix at this
point as well.

Make them into balls and put them in the fridge.

As this Tuesday is Ekadasi in Mayapur, we will be making mash potatoes instead of this.

Mash Potatoes:

2 kg/ 5lb Potatoes.

Peel them and boil them till they are very soft.

Mash them with:

¼ butter

½ Cup milk

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2 tsp salt

Spices. These spices can be good but not all of them at the same time: Pepper, dill, cumin, coriander,
garam masala, basil.

An Outside Activity
Dancing in the rain

Planting Mustard Seeds- watching them grow.

Teacher Handwork ideas

I hope to include a tutorial one day on how to make your own Jagannath doll.

Some other ideas to go here, are to make some Lord Chaitanya peg dolls, or a Gundicha temple.

Other Resources and Links

There is a very old book published by Mandala with a make your own Rath Cart. I think this might be it:
http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Jagannatha/Mandala-Publishing/9780945475293

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