SRI PURI DHAM MAHATMYA-MUKTA-MALA

(17) Deep Hankering for Darshan

You have taken much trouble to come for this parikrama. Only fortunate souls can do this parikrama of Lord Jagannath’s abode and come to take darshan of Lord Jagannath’s chariot in Sri Puri Dham. Those who have seen Lord Jagannath’s chariot will not have to be born again.

Everybody should take darshan of Lord Jagannath’s chariot, but it is necessary to have fortune to do that – the problem is that we do not have the eyes to see Lord Jagannath.

One time, somebody asked me, ‘Maharaj, when I went to Lord Jagannath’s temple, I saw many obscene pictures in the temple. Why are they there?’

I thought to myself, ‘I have been going there since 1999, but I have never seen it. But this man is saying this, so I must give some answer.’ Then, I told him, ‘If you see all those pictures, your mind becomes disturbed and then you cannot see Lord Jagannath. Only one whose mind is undisturbed can see Lord Jagannath.’

There is no mention of this anywhere in the scriptures, so I told Guru Maharaj that I had been asked about it and I told him also what answer I had given. Guru Maharaj said, ‘You gave the right answer.’

Mahaprabhu also showed what kind of desire and deep hankering one must have.

When Mahaprabhu went to take Lord Jagannath’s darshan, He did not actually see Jagannath – He always saw Radha-Krishna. When Mahaprabhu came to the arati, He would stand far behind, by the Garuda pillar. He never went to the front because He was very tall – if He stood at the front, nobody would be able to see anything standing behind Him.

So, one day a lady suddenly grabbed Mahaprabhu and climbed on top of His shoulder. Can you imagine what kind of strong desire she had to see Lord Jagannath? All of a sudden, she grabbed Mahaprabhu and put her leg on top of Mahaprabhu shoulder!

Mahaprabhu understood what had happened and did not say anything, but Govinda, His servitor, was astonished. He told the lady, ‘Hey, what do you think you are doing? Mahaprabhu is standing here, and you are climbing on top of Him?!’ Mahaprabhu put His finger to His lips and told him, ‘Keep quiet. Do not stop her.’ When the arati finished, Mahaprabhu explained to Govinda, ‘I know what you thought, but even I do not have the kind of strong desire to see Lord Jagannath’s arati that this lady has!’

In this way Mahaprabhu taught that it is necessary to have a very strong desire to see Lord Jagannath. We do not have such desire, such eyes to see Lord Jagannath.

andhibhuta chaksu yara visaya dhulite
ki-rupe se paibe para-tattva dekhite

‘My eyes are blind with the dust of visaya, the material world – how can I see the transcendental world?’

Our eyes are blinded by the dust of material world – how can we see Lord Jagannath? Many people climb atop the chariots to see Lord Jagannath, many people do all kinds of crazy things just to hold onto the ropes pulling the chariots, but we should not do this – it is not something mentioned anywhere in the scriptures. We offer our obeisances to Lord Jagannath from afar.

Another thing is that every year there is Lord Jagannath shows some ‘sickness’ pastimes – at this time, the Lord’s temple is closed and nobody can have His darshan. During this time, not being able to see Lord Jagannath, Mahaprabhu would shed tears, lamenting, ‘When will I get to see the Lord again?’ He felt such a deep pain in His heart that He would run to Alalnath. One time when He came there, He fell flat in a prostrate obeisance and the stone under His body melted…

Even stone melts through devotion. It is necessary to have that kind of deep hankering.

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