Blissful Darshan of Jagannatha Kannan
Sri Hari:
Puri has an important place among the seven Mokshapuris. Sri Adi Shankara Bhagavadpada has composed the Jagannathashtakam that goes “jagannAthaswAmi nayanapatagAmi bhavatu me”; he has also established a Shankara Mutt in Puri. Sri Bhagavannama Bodhendra Swami who established Bhagavan Nama Siddhantam, using the work ‘Bhagavan Nama Kaumudhi’ as its basis, after obtaining it from Pandit Lakshmidhara Kavi who lived here in Puri.
The Azhwars and Vaishnava Acharyas from southern India (Tamil Nadu) took refuge in Sri Ranganatha Swami. The Vaishnava Acharyas from Karnataka took refuge in Udupi Sri Krishna. Similarly, bhaktas from Kerala remained steadfast in their devotion to Sri Guruvayurappan. The saints of Maharashtra remained beholden to Pandharinatha. Bhaktas from Uttar Pradesh and Jaipur took refuge in Sri Brindavan. Likewise, devotees and Acharya purushas from Bengal, Odisha and some parts of present-day Andhra Pradesh take refuge in Puri Jagannatha. We have heard the learned say that the holy kshetras of Tiruvenkatam and Puri find mention in the Vedas themselves.
Just like in Tamil Nadu, in Bengal too there lived many scholars who had studied the shastras, and more specifically the Tarka shastra. It is this land of Bengal that gave birth to numerous mahapurushas like Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Nityananda, Vishnupriya, Srivasa Pandit, Sri Advaitacharya, Sri Vasudeva Sarvabhouma, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, Swami Vivekananda, Holy Mother Sarada Mani, and other mahatmas who came down with them. Rabindranath Tagore, who wrote our national anthem, was also born in Bengal. Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, who fought for our freedom, also belonged to this land.
When we think of Puri, the first thing that comes to our mind is the Puri Rathotsav and Puri prasadam. Our shastras say that we should not eat food that has been sniffed by a cat. But it is said that one can eat Puri prasad even snatched from a cat’s mouth! Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa would say repeatedly that Puri prasad, the soil of Brindavan, and Ganga water are all indeed the Supreme Brahmam Itself! Puri is also known as ‘Nilachala’. Not just that, this is also a ‘secret Brindavan’!
In the temple here, Bhagavan Sri Krishna resides with His brother Balarama and His sister Subhadra. This is Anna kshetra. Prasadam is constantly served to bhaktas here. Just like Pandharinatha, Jagannatha has also performed many leelas with His bhaktas. Like Sri Ramanujacharya lived a large part of his life in Srirangam, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu lived a large part of his life here in Puri. This kshetra is closely connected with the devotees of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.
Somehow, I had never visited Puri kshetra before. I even started for Puri a couple of times but returned midway. For some reason Jagannatha did not call me then! But then, before I could visit Him, Jagannatha Himself came in search of me. In the year 2007, on September 26th, Sri Sri Anna consecrated Sri Jagannatha, Subhadra, Balarama, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda at Chaitanya Kuteeram in Govindapuram. Since that day until today, Mahamantra kirtan takes place there continuously from 6 am to 6 pm daily, without fail. And from that day until today, Sri Vishnuratha Bhagavatar soulfully performs puja there every day.
We perform Divyanama sankirtan often, right? This is actually called ‘Jagannatha pradakshinam’. It is from Puri that this sampradaya was started. That is why even today at the conclusion of the Divyanama sankirtan we sing the kirtan “dAro jagannAtha dAro hare”. It is on Sri Jagannatha that Sri Jayadeva sang the Ashtapadis. That’s why in the 12th Ashtapadi he sings, “nAtha hare! jagannAtha hare!” Here in Puri, Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s devotees pleased Sri Jagannatha with their continuous (akhanda) Mahamantra kirtan. Srimad Bhagavatam has also been written in Odiya language by some devotees. The foundation of our satsang which is Srimad Bhagavatam, Mahamantra, Divyanama sankirtan and Ashtapadis – all of these are indeed Sri Jagannatha’s prasadam.
I would chant Sri Sri Anna’s Jagannathashtakam in Chaitanya Kuteeram. The last line of each verse would end with “kadA vIkshe krishNam haladhara-subhadrA-sahacharam”, i.e. “When will I have darshan of Jagannatha along with Balarama and Subhadra?” I would yearn, reminiscing those lines again and again. Likewise, as Rathotsavam was conducted year after year in Chaitanya Kuteeram, the deep longing in my heart continued to grow. Yes! It is true that Sri Jagannatha finally called me…
Starting my journey on August 1, I reached Puri Jagannatha kshetra on August 2. After taking my bath in the place where I was staying, I immediately left for the temple. My mind was restless and excited. The street was huge and very clean. Since the Rathotsav had only recently been completed, the three chariots had not yet been dismantled and were lined up in the street. Mentally seating Sri Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra in the chariots, I felt supreme joy that very moment! The majestic gopuram of the temple was seen. The flag atop the temple gopuram flapped in the wind. When Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu first came to Puri, he saw this flag from the outskirts of the city, and forgetting himself, ran ecstatically to Sri Jagannatha’s sannidhi and swooned there – these scenes ran through my mind like a movie.
The day I went there was the auspicious Friday in the month of Adi. There was a large crowd at the temple. Somehow I managed to go inside and have darshan of Sri Jagannatha, Subhadra and Balarama! My first thought on having darshan was, “How long did it take You to bring me here and bless me with Your darshan?” As soon as I saw Jagannatha, my eyes filled with tears. I repeatedly had His divine darshan again and again. It is a huge temple, a huge sanctum; we can have a good darshan even when we see Him from a distance. At 8 o’ clock puja was performed. After this, they allowed us to go inside; I then went inside and had His darshan. Until then, I sat outside in the prakaram and continued to chant Vishnu Sahasranamam, Atmanivedanam, Mahamantra with the devotees who had accompanied me. I had darshan of all the sannidhis in the prakaram. Sri Lokanath Panda (priest) and those in his group enabled us to have a good darshan. After darshan, they gave us kichdi and kheer (payasam) prasad that had been offered to Sri Jagannatha. I partook of the prasad with the bhAva that “Jagannatha’s prasadam is Jagannatha Himself”. I experienced immeasurable fulfillment and peace in my heart.
The vimanam of this temple is 217 feet tall. The shadow of this temple’s vimanam does not fall on the ground. Not a single bird alights on this gopuram. The temple flag flies in a direction opposite to the wind. There are many wooden sculptures even inside the sanctum sanctorum. Like kumbhabhishekam is performed for a temple once in 12 years, in this temple the deity is itself changed approximately every 12 years. Those who visited this temple before 2014 are very fortunate. At that time devotees were allowed to have darshan of Sri Jagannatha from very close quarters. Even though the temple is very close to the seashore, we cannot hear the sound of the waves inside the temple. After having darshan that night, I went to bed. Thoughts about Mahaprabhu, his devotees, Jagannatha and such, continued to remain in my mind.
(To be continued…)
