Nectar from Sri Jagannath Puri by Jayadeva Goswami

[Guest guest]

In these days we are preparing for the great Ratha

> Yatra (1st July, this year), and it is a very special time. The feelings

of

> separation of the devotees are growing day by day, as Jagannath has not

been

> visible for many days now -- and the town is going through the necessary

> changes and austerities.

>

>

>

> pralaya-payodhi-jale dhrtavan asi vedam vihita vahitra caritram akhedam

> kesava-dhrta mina-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

 

>

> In seas that rage as the aeon of destruction arrives, You keep the holy

> Vedas like a ship straight on course.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Fish, Matsya Avatara. Triumph, Hari,

Lord

> of the Universe!

 

>

> ksitir ati vipulatare tava tistati tava prste dharani dharana kina cakra

> gariste

> kesava-dhrta kacchapa-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

 

>

> Where the world rests on Your vast back, thick scars show the weight of

> bearing Earth.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Tortoise, Kurma Avatara. Triumph, Hari,

> Lord of the Universe!

>

> vasati dasana sikhare dharani tava lagna sasini kalanka kaleva nimagna

> kesava-dhrta sukara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

 

>

> The Earth clings to the tip of Your tusk like a speck of dust caught on

the

> crescent moon.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Boar, Varaha Avatara. Triumph, Hari,

Lord

> of the Universe!

>

> tava kara-kamala vare nakham adbhuta srngam dalita hiranyakasipu

> tanu-bhrngam

> kesava-dhrta nara-hari-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

> The nails on Your soft lotus hands are wondrous claws tearing the

gold-robed

> of black bee Hiranyakasipu

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Man-Lion, Narasimha Avatara. Triumph,

> Hari, Lord of the Universe!

>

> chalayasi vikramane balim adbhuta vamana .-nakha nira janita jana

pavana

> kesava-dhrta vamana-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

>

> Wondrous dwarf, when You cheat demon Bali with wide steps, water falls

from

> Your lotus toenails to purify creatures

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Dwarf, Vamana Avatara. Triumph, Hari,

Lord

> of the Universe!

>

> ksatriya-rudhiramaye jagad apagata papam snapayasi payasi samita

bhava-tapam

> kesava-dhrta bhrgupati-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

>

> You wash evil from the world in a flood of warrior's blood, and the pain

of

> existence is eased.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Axman priest, Parasurama Avatara.

Triumph,

> Hari, Lord of the Universe!

>

> vitarasi diksu-rane dik-pati kamaniyam dasa-mukha mauli balim ramaniyam

> kesava-dhrta rama-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

>

> Incited by the gods who guard the directions in battle, You hurl Ravana's

> ten heads to the skies.

> O Krsna, You take the form as Prince Rama. Triumph, Hari, Lord of the

> Universe!

>

> vahasi vapusi visade vasamam jaladabham halahati bhiti milita yamunabham

> kesava-dhrta haladhara-rupa jaya jagadisa hare

>

> The robe on Your bright body has the colour of rain clouds, and Yamuna's

> waters roil in fear of Your plough's attack.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Holder of the Plough, Sri Balarama.

> Triumph, Hari, Lord of the Universe!

>

> nindasi yajna-vidher ahaha sruti-jatam sa-daya hrdaya darsita pasu-ghatam

> kesava-dhrta buddha-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

>

> Moved by deep compassion, You condemn the criminals who misused the Vedas

to

> slaughter animals in sacrifices.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Enlightened, Buddha Avatara. Triumph,

> Hari, Lord of the Universe!

>

> mleccham-vaha nidhane kalayasi karavalam ghumaketum iva kim api karalam

> kesava-dhrta kalki-sarira jaya jagadisa hare

>

> You raise Your sword like a fiery meteor, slashing degraded hordes of meat

> eaters to death.

> O Krsna, You take the form as the Avenger, Kalki Avatara. Triumph, Hari,

> Lord of the Universe!

>

> --------------

>

> "For those who relish the remembrance of the pastimes of Lord Hari and are

> always anxious to hear those transcendental divine narrations, these

verses,

> sweet as honey, have been composed by Jayadeva with the blessings of

Mother

> Sarasvati."

>

> The Author

>

> Sri Jayadeva Gosvami made his appearance at Kendubilvagram within the

> district of Birbhum, during the 11th century. His father's name was

> Bhojadeva and his mother's name was Bama Devi. Little is known about his

> early life, but it is said he was a Sanskrit scholar at an early age and

was

> inclined towards spiritual life. Some of his contemporaries have described

> him as "the incarnation of melody". Jayadeva is also famous as the great

> poet of Gita Govinda. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to especially relish

> hearing the Gita Govinda as well as the works of Candidas, Vidyapati,

> Ramananda Raya and the Krsna karnamrta by Bilvamangala Thakura. Sri Gita

> Govinda is full of intimate pastimes of Sri Sri Radha Govinda and is

> therefore meant for those who have acquired sufficient spiritual piety.

> As a young man, Jayadeva went to Jagannatha Puri after visiting many holy

> places. There he married a girl named Padmavati, who was devoted to the

> Deity of Lord Jagannatha. Jayadeva also developed a deep love for the

Lord.

> Inspired by the beauty of Puri and Lord Jagannath, he composed the Gita

> Govinda, and it quickly became the joy of the Vaisnava community. At the

> time, Gajapati Purusottamadeva was the provincial king. He was openly

> envious of Jayadeva and soon posed an ill-fated challenge. The king

> considered himself as a master poet, on a par with Jayadeva, and composed

a

> work called Abhinava Gita Govinda. One day, he summoned his advisors and

> asked them to widely circulate his work, in an attempt to make it more

> popular than Jayadeva's. The king's own men, however, ridiculed the

attempt,

> telling him that it was impossible to compare a lamp to the sun. Still,

the

> king was relentless.

> A controversy soon arose, and the brahmanas (the king's priests) decided

> that the matter would be settled by placing both manuscripts before the

> Deity of Lord Jagannath for the night. By morning, they said, the Lord

> Himself would decide. When the devotees went to greet the Deities the next

> morning, they found Jayadeva's Gita Govinda clasped against the Deity's

> chest, and the king's manuscript scattered about the floor. The decision

was

> clear.

> During the time that he became engaged as the chief pandita of Raja

Laksman

> Sena, Jayadeva resided at Navadvipa on the banks of the Ganga. Also

present

> there were three other panditas whose names he has mentioned in Gita

> Govinda: Sri Umapatidhar, Acarya Sri Govardhan and Kavi Kasmapati, who

were

> his close friends. At that time, Laksmana Sena, aware of Jayadeva's

position

> as a great Vaisnava, went to see Jayadeva to request him to become his

> minister, to become the royal pandita for the whole kingdom. However, when

> the king arrived with his ministers in full regalia, Jayadeva became very

> angry, as he was a brahmana and his residence was intruded by a king.

> Jayadeva began to rebuke the king, "I'm leaving Navadvipa, I refuse to

> reside here any longer. Because kings are always involved in so much

worldly

> activity, my residence has now become polluted. Therefore, I'm leaving.

I'm

> very offended."

> Then Laksmana Sena paid his obeisances to Jayadeva and pleaded, "Please

> don't leave my kingdom. I meant no offense. It's true, this royal order is

> such a despicable occupation. We have to be involved in so many

undesirable

> activities to protect the country, but if you leave our kingdom, then it

> will be a great loss. You have given your word, I know you can't break it,

> so please just take your residence across the Ganga." At that time

Jayadeva

> was living just near the place where the Yogapith is located. "At least

you

> will still be in our kingdom. Otherwise, if we lose the association of

such

> a great Vaisnava, this will be very inauspicious for everyone. We want the

> blessings of the Vaisnavas, and only for this reason I have come to you,

to

> request to use your knowledge for the upliftment of the entire kingdom."

> So Jayadeva, seeing that after being criticised, the king had not become

> puffed up, but instead had taken a humble position, realized that the king

> was a devotee and not just a materialistic person who wanted to exploit

him

> for his own name and fame. So then Jayadeva said, "All right. I will live

> across the river. You can also come and visit me, but don't come as a

king,

> come in ordinary dress like a Vaisnava. You can come and see me in secret

> and we can discuss Krsna katha."

> In the Gita Govinda, while writing about the pastimes of Radharani as She

> lamented after Krsna had gone away, Jayadeva became lost in thought. Not

> being able to decide whether or not he should write a particular verse

> regarding Krsna becoming the servant of His devotee, he decided to first

> take his bath and return to his writing later. While Jayadeva was away,

> Krsna Himself personally appeared in the form of Jayadeva, took his meal

and

> then wrote down that very verse with His own hand. Then, while Padmavati

was

> taking her meal, Jayadeva returned from his bath. Padmavati was completely

> startled, and she explained that Jayadeva had already taken his meal and

> gone to his room. Jayadeva went to his room and saw the verse, now

composed

> in golden letters. With tears in his eyes and a choked up voice he called

> out to his wife, "You are so fortunate! You had darsana of the Supreme

Lord

> and personally served Him!" www,gopaljiu.org