Yatra 2019: Puri Day 1

Arrival Address in Sri Ksetra Jagannatha Puri Dhaam 

HG Vaisesika prabhu Gurudeva welcomed all devotees to Yatra 2019, the 7th annual Yatra. Gurudeva explained the importance of association of devotees and how Mahaprabhu avoided non-devotee association. Mahaprabhu when he heard that king Prataparudra wanted to meet him, he covered his ears and said - Association with a material person is like drinking poison. But the devotees knew the king was a very nice devotee and wanted him to meet Mahaprabhu, so the king dressed as an ordinary man and met him at the Jagannatha Vallabha Gardens when Mahaprabhu was resting. As soon as he saw Mahaprabhu he recited the Gopi geet which made Mahaprabhu so happy and gave His mercy to the king.

So, what is the key for us to receive Mahaprabhu's mercy:
Have a song in your heart, when you have a transcendental song in your heart, it carriers you all the way back home, back to Godhead.
From the CC - Madhya 14.16 and SB 10.31.9
tava kathāmṛtaṁ tapta-jīvanaṁ
kavibhir īḍitaṁ kalmaṣāpaham
śravaṇa-maṅgalaṁ śrīmad ātataṁ
bhuvi gṛṇanti ye bhūri-dā janāḥ

The nectar of Your words and the descriptions of Your activities are the life and soul of those suffering in this material world. These narrations, transmitted by learned sages, eradicate one’s sinful reactions and bestow good fortune upon whoever hears them. These narrations are broadcast all over the world and are filled with spiritual power. Certainly those who spread the message of Godhead are most munificent.


As soon as Mahaprabhu heard this, Krishnadas Kaviraj Gosvami says:
How powerful is the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu! Without even inquiring about the King, the Lord made everything successful.

Purport from Srila Prabhupada:

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy is so powerful that it acts automatically. If a person renders loving service to Kṛṣṇa, it never goes in vain. It is recorded in a spiritual account, and in due time it will fructify. This is confirmed by the Bhagavad-gītā (2.40):

nehābhikrama-nāśo ’sti pratyavāyo na vidyate

sv-alpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt

“In this endeavor there is no loss or diminution, and a little advancement on this path can protect one from the most dangerous type of fear.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu has particularly bestowed upon all fallen souls in this age the most potent method of devotional service — saṅkīrtana, the congregational chanting of the Lord’s holy name — and whoever takes to it through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu is immediately elevated to the transcendental position. As Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32) recommends, yajñaiḥ saṅkīrtana-prāyair yajanti hi su-medhasaḥ.

A student of Kṛṣṇa consciousness must receive Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy; then his devotional service will quickly succeed. This was the case with King Pratāparudra. One has to be noticed by Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, and a little service with sincere efforts will convince the Lord that one is a proper candidate for returning home, back to Godhead. At first Mahārāja Pratāparudra did not have a chance to meet Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, but when the Lord saw that the King was serving Lord Jagannātha as a menial sweeper, the Lord’s mercy upon the King became a solid fact. When Mahārāja Pratāparudra, in the dress of a Vaiṣṇava, was serving the Lord, the Lord did not even inquire who he was. Rather, He had compassion upon him and embraced him.

Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja Gosvāmī wants to point out that nothing could compare to the Lord’s mercy toward Mahārāja Pratāparudra; therefore he uses the word dekha (“just see”) and caitanyera kṛpā-mahābala (“how powerful is the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu”). This is also confirmed by Prabodhānanda Sarasvatī: yat-kāruṇya-kaṭākṣa-vaibhava-vatām (Caitanya-candrāmṛta 5). Even a little of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s mercy serves as a great asset for spiritual advancement. Therefore the Kṛṣṇa consciousness movement must be spread through the mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu. When Rūpa Gosvāmī experienced the mercy and magnanimity of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, he said:

namo mahā-vadānyāya kṛṣṇa-prema-pradāya te

kṛṣṇāya kṛṣṇa-caitanya- nāmne gaura-tviṣe namaḥ

“I offer my respectful obeisances unto the Supreme Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who is more magnanimous than any other avatāra, even Kṛṣṇa Himself, because He is bestowing freely what no one else has ever given — pure love of Kṛṣṇa.” Śrīla Locana dāsa Ṭhākura has also sung, parama karuṇa, pahuṅ dui jana, nitāi-gauracandra: “The two brothers Nitāi and Gaura are so kind that no one can compare to Them.” Similarly, Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura has sung:

vrajendra-nandana yei, śacī-suta haila sei,

balarāma ha-ila nitāi,

dīna-hīna yata chila, hari-nāme uddhārila,

tā’ra sākṣī jagāi-mādhāi

“Just to deliver all the sinful persons of this age by propagating the chanting of the holy name, Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma have advented as Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and Nityānanda Prabhu. Jagāi and Mādhāi are evidence of Their success.”

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s special mission is the deliverance of all fallen souls in Kali-yuga. Devotees of Kṛṣṇa must persistently seek the favor and mercy of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu to become fit to return home, back to Godhead.

Vishwanath Chakravarti thakur says just by hearing the topics of Krsna we get attracted to the goal of life which is Krsna prema. In this material world we are attracted to so many things, but by hearing to Krsna Katha we are attracted to the goal of life. 

There is no effort required to understand Krsna Katha, just by hearing Krsna Katha everything gets manifest. Just by hearing the song, Mahaprabhu said He had nothing to give and only could give a hug.

4 things happen:
1. Acts automatically
2. Never goes in vain
3. Recorded in spiritual account
4. Fructify in due time

A student should receive the mercy from Mahaprabhu to get noticed from and persitently seek the mercy of Mahaprabhu and become the servant of the servant of Krsna and a little service with sincere mood will convince Krsna that we are perfect candidates to go back to Him.

So that is the mood of this Yatra, to sincerely hear.

===============
Class from HG Madhavananda Prabhu

We want to see the Dhaam through our ears. Mood in entering the Dhaam is with your Gurudeva, don't see the Dhaam with your eyes, but through your Gurudeva. What are we going to do when we get Krsna's darshan? We want to service from Krsna. Coming to Dhaam doesn't mean we are coming to please our senses but we come to serve the Dhaam. Hence this is called Jagannatha Puri University of Braj Prem. Our purpose at each place is not for darshan, but we should have a higher aspiration, prema nandna but higher is seva nanda.  We are here to collect the mood of the Dhaam. In this place, Mahaprabhu walked and many acharyas did their bhajans and we are here to collect that and put these in our bags so we can use this for our seva.

Video class from today:

1. Arrival Address Yatra 2019