Believe it or Not!

On Saturday, the 11 July we had the third Rathayatra in Atlantic city. This time we were given the seva of Bringing Srila Prabhupada to the venue. While the other devotees called up to say that the roads were clogged with beach traffic, we sailed into Atlantic city with Prabhupada sitting in the passenger seat of our Nissan Quest. Head held High he rode on majestically. The Rathayatra was on the Boardwalk. All parking slots were taken and the cops were ready for the parade as well. As we sat around wondering one lady who apparently had changed her mind pulled out of the parking lot. As we parked and jumped out enthusiastically waiting for the cart to arrive, we noticed that the parking had been paid for 7 hours. Unknowingly, this lady had just earned pious credits for serving a pure devotee of the Lord. The cart arrived in a Penske truck. As they went about setting up the cart, The Lords arrived in a van. Seated in the back seat in a reclining position, They looked gorgeous in a pink outfit with a blue border. With lot of seva on hand i did not have the time to make Bhoga for the Lord. All through the way my mind was chastising me for not planning and bringing an offering for the Lord. After a few minutes one of the devotees approached me and asked if I could offer the afternoon lunch to the Lord. I had just read that just offering water to the Lord, the Lord would be pleased. Here was my chance to offer. Along with the paratha, sabzi and fruits was a bottle of water. Pulling out a ziploc bag from my bag, I placed a Tulasi leaf in the water bottle and offered it to the Lord. After His Bhoga, The Lord was eager to proceed to Vrindavan and knocked of the foil lid that I had placed as a screen signalling He was ready to mount the chariot. The Rathayatra was ecstatic from start to finish. Remembering Janananda Maharaja's words from 2 years ago, I tried to dance and call out the names of the Lord as loudly as I could. When we reached the venue where prasdam would be served, one man in a black body stood around observing Srila Prabhupada and the arotik that was taking place. On seeing my husband he apparently mentioned " This man is very strong, He does not even blink." Not wanting to spoil his mood my husband just smiled in agreement. A little while later I approached the cart for something and as I stood around listening to the devotees singing the Jagannath Astakam Prayers, he said " Miss is this an Indian festival?" I explained to him that it is a festival of the heart where we were sharing our happiness at the Lord's return back to our hearts after long years of separation. He was clearly intrigued by Prabhupada and asked a few more questions. When I said that our only true relationship is with the Lord he exclaimed concurred and shook my hand. As I reluctantly shook hands with this inquisitive stranger Jagannath Baladev and Subhadra looked on. I ran to the devotees and asked them for a cookie. All the 4000 cookies that we had made had been distributed! One devotee put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a cookie he had saved for himself, thanking him I went back and handed the cookie to the man. He thanked me and went on to examine the cookie label. I mentally thanked my Guru Maharaja for whatever little service I could render.

Srila Prabhupada ki Jaya. Jagannath Ratha Yatra ki Jaya.

Sarvatma Snapanam

cheto-darpana-marjanam bhava-maha--davagni-nirvapanam

shreyah-kairava-chandrika-vitaranam vidya-vadhu-jivanam

anandambudhi-vardhanam prati-padam purnamritaswadanam

sarvatma-snapanam param vijayate sri-krishna-sankirtanam

Glory to the Sri-Krsna-Sankirtana, which cleanses the heart of all the dust accumulated for years and extinguishes the fire of conditional life, of repeated birth and death. This sankirtana movement is the prime benediction for humanity at large because it spreads the rays of the benediction moon. It is the life of all transcendental knowledge. It increases the ocean of transcendental bliss, and it enables us to fully taste the nectar for which we are always anxious.

I was just reflecting on this beautiful verse of the Siksastakam prayers and how I practically felt this cleansing last Saturday. It was an intense day for all of us devotees starting with wonderful mangala Arotik, followed by cleaning up a huge shed, a marathon pizza making session that took 4 hours. I felt drained by the lack of sleep, but I was determined to attend the Bhakti Vriksha that very evening and wanted to drown in the nectar of the holy names. The Kirtaniyas took their place. As if connected by an invisible bond all those with a penchant for music filled in the slots forming a natural circle. The kirtan began with the chanting of the Mahamantra and I felt layer after layer of tiredness peeling from my body. As I sat absorbed in the kirtan, I felt my eyes turning moist listening to Kalpavriksha Prabhu's chanting. Srila Prabhupada's words "Chanting should be like the cry of a child for his mother" rang in my ears and pictures of the drowning soul saved by Lord Visnu seated on Garuda flashed across my closed eyes. As they started singing Jaya Sri Krishna Bolo jaya Radhe, I felt all the weariness melting away, as if i had been bathed in the cooling waters of Mother Ganga. With all my insecurities rising into thin air, I felt safe in the company of the holy names that had enveloped all the people seated there..No one went back the same person that day. They had tasted the sweetness of bathing themselves in the nectar of the holy names. One mataji had slipped away from home almost 40 minutes away from the venue to drink in this nectar and sat mesmerized by the sound of the kartals, mridanga and the sweet names of Krishna. Sarvatma Snapanam Param Vijayate Sri Krishna Sankirtanam. Clearly, everyone there experienced this first hand that Summer Saturday night! An overwhelming gratitude for Srila Prabhupada surged in my heart and I felt thankful for being a part of this wonderful sankirtana movement.

Tasseography

Fresh herbs from Jagannath Vallabha Gardens!

Tasseography or Tasseomancy is the art of reading tea leaves. After a cup of tea has been poured, without using a tea strainer, the tea is drunk or poured away. The cup should then be shaken well and any remaining liquid drained off in the saucer. The diviner now looks at the pattern of tea leaves in the cup and allows the imagination to play around the shapes suggested by them. They might look like a letter, a heart shape, or a ring. These shapes are then interpreted intuitively or by means of a fairly standard system of symbolism, such as: snake (enmity or falsehood), spade (good fortune through industry), mountain (journey of hindrance), or house (change, success). Now Don't read this and wonder why I'm talking about Tasseography and about tea when we vow to not take any intoxicants,tea or coffee included. Nope, I'm not breaking my 4 regs here. The drinker of the tea in question here is transcendental and the message I received is transcendental too..Read on.. So, The Lord was sick all these days and my good friend Geeta Mataji wanted me to have something as a gift for our wedding anniversary, something that will stay as a reminder to serve our worshipable Lord Jagannath through thick and thin. So, she gifted me this cute teapot and tea cup to serve Jagannath some tea during His Anavasara and also handed me some fresh herbs right out of her Jagannath Vallabha Garden at her home. I promptly used it to serve the Lord some fresh mint leaves, rosemary and ginger tea with honey and squeezed some fresh lime, set out the table with some poda pitha, and cashewnut cookies. After the Lord was done drinking I drained the contents into another cup and tried reading the pattern, using my imagination, and I once again received the message so often repeated in the Bhagavad Gita. I felt privileged to serve the Lord and receive such confidential knowledge. I vowed to take this reading to heart and intensify my faith in rendering service to the best of my abilities. Here is the message for my future and my present, as read from the tea cup of the transcendental Lord:

ksipram bhavati dharmatma sasvac-chantim nigacchati kaunteya pratijanihi na me bhaktah pranasyati

TRANSLATION He quickly becomes righteous and attains lasting peace. O son of Kunti, declare it boldly that My devotee never perishes.

Bhagavad Gita 9:31.

Off Mark

A week ago I was busy in the kitchen. It had been raining heavily outside and the the rain was just tapering off when I heard a soft thud. On walking to the window I saw a mass of gray plastered onto the outside of the window glass, a little above the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda. The feet that I had made of sculpey clay and painted had fallen off from the wall and so I had temporarily rested it against the window. The gray mass looked like fur and I felt my stomach doing a somersault, wondering what it was. The gleeful screams of some school children attracted my attention and in an instant I knew what the grey thing was. The children, two boys aged around 10, with unkempt unruly hair, were carefully wetting newspapers in the water, making a ball from it and were looking for the next window, the next target on which to fling their creation on. Jagai and Madhai I said and sighed to myself. That they had become attracted to Nitai's feet even if they were hurling paper at it signified some ajnata sukriti. They were off mark though, as you can see in the pictures. It set me thinking that Nitai's lotus feet are not so easy to attain. Cooling like millions of moons, Nitai's lotus feet provide the key to attaining love of Gauranga or Radha Krishna. My mind and senses are like this little Jagai and Madhai hurling self concoted nonsense at the lotus feet of Nitai continuously especially while chanting the holy names. Nitai, however is so patient and merciful that he gives me so many chances to get to the mark. As Sri Locana Dasa Thakura says.

akrodha paramananda nityananda raya
abhimana shunya nitai nagare bedaya

Lord Nityananda Raya never gets angry. He is always in ecstasy, supreme bliss. He has no false ego. He wanders to every town and village in Nadia chanting Hare Krishna, dancing, and offering krsna-prema (love of Krishna) to everyone indiscriminately.

Seeing through another's eyes.

As we were studying about Chapter 6: How to Discharge Devotional Service in the Nectar of Devotion, the class reached a discussion on the worshippable rivers like Mother Ganga and Yamuna. The discussion found its way to the topic on being able to see the dham. Seeing the dham requires the mercy of Gopisvara Mahadev who is the gatekeeper of the dham and also that of the Vrajavasis. The question arose "Can we partake the water from River Yamuna or Ganga?" "Can we risk having a dip in the water?" From our viewpoint Yamuna or Ganga is another river that is polluted by tonnes of industrial waste and fecal matter. It is a place where the ashes of the dead find an end, the beginning of a hope that the departed souls move on to an auspicious life in the future!

I remembered a class that I heard by HH Mahanidhi Swami on how every realized soul beginning with Caitanya Mahaprabhu, started parikrama of Mathura Mandal-Vrindavana by having a dip in the Yamuna. Though devotees (aspiring or fanatics), we still tend to forget how Yamnua Mayi is a person, how Ganga Mayi is a person and how they have a spiritual form in the Spiritual world. While we look through our pricey coolers and judge the Yamuna as being filthy, polluted and dirty, Mother Yamuna is looking at us wondering "There he comes with years of filth and he/she is going to dump all of it in my waters."

Description of Yamuna Devi from the KRSNA Book, Chapter 58

While they were resting and drinking water, they saw a beautiful girl of marriageable age walking alone on the bank of the Yamuna. Krsna asked His friend Arjuna to go forward and ask the girl who she was. By the order of Krsna, Arjuna immediately approached the girl, who was very beautiful. She had an attractive body and nice glittering teeth and smiling face. Arjuna inquired, "My dear girl, you are so beautiful with your raised breasts--may I ask you who you are? We are surprised to see you loitering here alone. What is your purpose in coming here? We can guess only that you are searching after a suitable husband. If you don't mind, you can disclose your purpose. I shall try to satisfy you."
The beautiful girl was the river Yamuna personified. She replied, "Sir, I am the daughter of the sun-god, and I am now performing penance and austerity to have Lord Visnu as my husband. I think He is the Supreme Person and just suitable to become my husband. I disclose my desire thus because you wanted to know it."

While we hold our noses for fear of throwing up, Mother Yamuna or Ganga cannot bear the stench of our perspiring bodies, the stench of our inflated ego and the stench of our sometimes diseased and sore bodies.

She who is fragrant with scented ointments from Lord Krishna’s transcendental body has taken on the sins of countless sinners and has become tainted. It is not They who are polluted, it is us, and the reflection of our own lusty impure hearts is the pollution visible today.

As one verse in the Yamunastakam reads:

May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is the famous splendid spiritual river flowing through the Bhuh Bhuvah and Svah planets, who burns away the greatest sins, and who is fragrant with scented ointments from Lord Krishna’s transcendental body, always purify me.

This discussion and my own thoughts made me realize our insignificance and the greatness of the benedictions of Krishna and His many wonderful associates and devotees.

Personal and Sweet!

The past Sunday we celebrated the Snan Yatra- The Appearance Day of sorts;of Lord Jagannath. I love festivals related to Lord Jagannath and Giriraja because there is no austerity of fasting involved. No growling tummies, dizzy heads and cranky tempers to deal with. So, Jaganntha has His annual bath in full public view and then promptly falls sick. Firstly he reciprocates with the sincere desire of a devotee and offers him Darshan as Ganesha and then by falling sick He makes devotees care for Him by offering herbal teas, fruit juices, rasamalai etc. where the devotees and the Lord gain great pleasure through this transcendental loving exchange. Even this sickness Lila of the Lord is sweet as are all his Lilas, His Flute, His form and His Love. It also gives a much needed opportunity for cleaning up the temple or the house preparing for the subsequent Rath yatra.Just cannot imagine serving Lord Narayana like this? The sweetness of Lord Krishna's Lilas clearly shone through the entire Festival and I was thinking about a question asked by our friend Saahithya where she was asking if Mula Mantras would have an effect even without Brahman Diksha...The answer is yes, but when there is a relationship with Krishna we wouldn't want to bring in formality by chanting mulamantra, showing the mudras and then making the offering. It is said that Lord Jagannath loves Khajas so much that He directly accepts the Khaja right out from the frying pan, soaked in sugar syrup...

The Lord of contradictions is several years old when He displays His Mahabhava Prakash Lila, but I cannot help thinking of Them as little children.

advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam adyam purana-purusham nava-yauvanam ca vedeshu durlabham adurlabham atma-bhaktau govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, who is inaccessible to the Vedas, but obtainable by pure unalloyed devotion of the soul, who is without a second, who is not subject to decay, is without a beginning, whose form is endless, who is the beginning, and the eternal purusha; yet He is a person possessing the beauty of blooming youth." (Sri Brahma-samhita, 5.33) This is an e-mail we received last year on how to observe the Anavasara Period.
As per H.G. Pankajanghri Prabhu of Mayapur ISKCON, following is the standard way of taking care of Lord Jagannath (Balaram and Subhadra) during two weeks of His Sickness and Seclusion (Anvasara) period after "SnanYatra": - You may wake Lord Jagnnath after 6 AM. He can take longer rest in afternoon and take rest about 7 PM everyday. - For eating: soups, boiled sabjis, sweet rice, fruits, fruit juice, tea/s and milk at night. - Medicine: Chyavanprash, mixture of chenna, cream, butter, sugar candy, cardamom, milk and pinch of camphor. - There is no need to change the dress, nor jweleries, nor perform any aratis, nor ringing bell.Hope this information is valuable who serve Lord Jagannatha. Jagannath Snan Yatra ki Jai!

http://picasaweb. google.com/ SriJagannath. ISKCONNJ. Mandir/20090607S riJagannathSnanY atra?authkey= Gv1sRgCK- axvyliJPGgAE&feat=email

Going on Their Rickety Rath Ride

Nilacala Nivasaya Nityaya paramatmane, Balabhadra Subhadrabhyam Jagannathaya Te Namah!

Tried Making a Replica of Shankha Kshetra Sri Jagannath Puri Dham and surrounding Dhams of Utkal or Orissa with fondant. More pictures on chappanbhog!

A Get well card made by Vrinda.

Jagannath in Padma Vesh Attire.

Look Ma; Subhadra has hands..Yes this deity of Subhadra has hands..

The fruit of austerity.

"Therefore Rukmini Devi knew very well that obtaining the favor of Krishna was not easy. Since even Lord Siva must purify himself for this purpose, surely it would be difficult for Rukmini who was only the daughter of a Kshatriya King. Thus she desired to dedicate her life to observing severe austerities and going without bodily comforts. if it were not possible in this lifetime to gain Krishna's favor by these activities, she was prepared to die from such austerities and to undergo similar difficulties lifetime after lifetime. In the Bhagavad Gita it is said that pure devotees of the Lord execute devotional service with great determination. Such determination as exhibited by Rukmini Devi, is only the price for purchasing Krishna's favor. One should be strongly determined in Krishna Consciousness and that is the way to ultimate success."

-Krishna Book, Chapter 52

The past Sunday the Oriya devotees at the temple observed the marriage of Goddess Rukmini and Jagannath at the temple. Of course Jagannath did not get down from the altar, but He always fulfills the desires of His devotees and so, Gokulananda came down to marry Rukmini and as HH Janananda Maharaj mentioned, "Jagannath doesn't marry Rukmini, but Krishna does and becomes Rukmini Dwarakadeesh, another of His wonderful pastimes." This pastime extols the virtues of Rukmini who was none other than the Goddess of fortune and brings out the sweet reciprocation of the Lord with his sincere devotee. The story is like a thriller for one who is not accustomed to Krishna or His pastimes. What will happen to princess Rukmini, will she marry the man of her dreams? I remember reading this one from the Amar Chitra Katha series with great excitement. Anything that the Lord does is cool and in this instance on the request of his devotee He kidnaps the princess right in front of the valiant soldiers trying to protect Rukmini. It is so hard for me to understand that Rukmini was only a small girl and yet undergoing so many austerities to gain the favor of the Lord and all by just hearing about Him.

Here we are given the biggest favor by Nityananda Rama who is begging everyone to take up the holy names at the the market place of the holy names, no need for earth moving austerities, yet I disregard His advertisement and think nothing of wanting to gain the Lord's favor, considering the most pleasing activity of chanting the holy names itself as the biggest austerity and pushing it to the fag end of the day.. We too are hearing about the Lord, but am I developing an attachment, a desire to see Him, Nope I am only attached to my material relationships and consider them my biggest asset.

It was hard for me to take the bride's side or the groom side, with Radharani watching from the altar; for Rukmini is none other than Chandravali, the daughter of Chandrabhanu and the cousin of Srimati Radharani in the Vrindavana pastimes. Chandravali adds the extra sweetness to the pastimes of Radha and Krishna by heading the Vipaksha/opposing team of sakhis who are antagonistic to Srimati Radhika.

All is well that ends well since everything is fair in love and war, so with the grace of HH Janananda Maharaj, we enjoyed his humorous katha, there was blockbuster sales of the Krishna Book and a roaring Kirtan to celebrate the pastime of the marriage of Krishna and Rukmini and to just celebrate the joy of being in Krishna Consciousness.

Guru Maharaj was once mentioning in his class that performance of austerities increases the determination and brings about prosperity. I did not understand how it brings about prosperity, but now I do because what is more auspicious than gaining the Lord's favor.