Re: My Video Reply to the Puri Incident Regarding Shrila Prabhupada

Nityanaanda Gauraanga Hare Krishna!!

All glories to Swamiji!! Al glories to the Vaishnavas!!

Dear lowerthanarat prabhu,

I had just attended the ISKCON's Rath Yatra here in Chennai, South India, yesterday. And now I see this discussion on whether the Rath Yatras should be conducted in other places in India.

Let me first describe yesterday's rath yatra here in Chennai. The rath started in Mylapore, one of the most important Shiva dhams in South India, right opp to the famous Kapaleeswara Temple. The guest of Honor was Vaiyasaki Das and a very prominent Sri Vashnava-Sri Anannthapadbhanabacharya. During the inauguration ceremony, Vaiyasaki prabhu gave an excellent point--Lord Krishna in Puri is Lord Jagannath. Please note the word Jagannath. The Sri Vaishnava too supported this point, heaped praises on the ISKCON for conducting the Rath yatra and also requested them to conduct it in other places in the south. There was great ecstasy and dancing as soon as the rath started moving. As many as 2000 to 3000 people attended the rath yatra. This is apart from the curious onlookers on the road and from balconies, and the smiling priests from the Kapaleeswara temple, who just couldnt resist chanting or atleast clapping their hands. Everyone was all smiles, smiles that defeated the Lord on the rath;gleaming eyes filled with joy; laughter and fervent chants of Krishna, Raama, Baladev, Subhadra, Jagannath, Haribol, NitaiGaur resounding through the air. The Sri Vaishnavas were especially very happy, some of them even dancing. And then we have beautiful kirtan of Vaiyasaki prabhu along with ecstatic dancing. Some senior devotees of the ISKCON along with Bhanu Swami Maharaj and Sri Anannthapadbhanabacharya were throwing prasada from the rath and devotees jumped up to catch it. Ah! It was bliss!!

I hope I was able to atleast give you a picture of how wonderful the Rath yatra was. Now coming to this discussion, let us first go to the word Jagannath. Jagannath means Lord of the World. So he is the Emperor. We have read in the Srimad Bhagavatam that Parakshit Maharaja drove his chariot all over the world when he was the emperor. So cannot Krishna, the eternal emperor of the universe, drive His chariot wherever He wishes to. How can it be justified that He can ride in places all over the world but only in Puri, when it comes to India?? Nila Madhava is Jagannatha and not only Purinatha. If He wishes to deliver everyone in this world, then who can dare stop Him??

"For one who sees the Lord on the rath, there is no rebirth." (can someone pl tell me where this quote is from). So is this not a great service? All those thousands who saw the rath yesterday were delivered.

Also it has now become common to see replicas of famous forms of the Lord in many places. For example, we can now find many Balaji or Vittala temples in India. Many built in the same style as the original one. Almost all Balaji temples conduct sevas like the Kalyanotsavam, Vasanthosavam, etc as they are conducted in the main shrine in Tirumala Tirupati. The Devasthanam board which governs the procedings in the main shrine, sometimes even supports such endeavors by locals to replicate the sevas in other Balaji temples. Does this mean that the originality or the sanctity of Tirumala has been lost or compensated?? Or do the people of Pandharpur, where the main shrine of Vittala is located, go on a rampage because there are Vittala temples all over the country or that Thukaram's abhangs are being sung everywhere??

The media also always likes to point out faults in everything. Yesterday's Rath yatra never came in today's paper despite thousands attending it. But had there been any untoward event, it would have featured on the first page. There are certain fanatics in Puri who, though call the Lord as Jagannath, never regard Him as so. It is a sad issue and must be neglected. Such replicas of famous festivals occuring in different places has become very common. And the masses accept it. Views have now become very broad. For a handful of fanatics, saying that rath yatra festivals should not be conducted in India, is wrong.

The fanatics in Puri indeed never look upon the Lord as Jagannath. Low caste people, people of other religions, and foreigners are not allowed inside the temple of Puri. Those fanatics think they own the Lord. Conducting such festivals is right, for it is our duty to execute the wish of the Lord and our acaryas.

Srila Bhaktisiddhanta Saraswati Thakura introduced the system of brahmana diksha. There was huge opposition at His time. But yet Prabhupada did not remove the system. Smartas, Mayawadis and other apasampradayas will always oppose whatever the Vaishnavas do. We must turn a deaf ear to all their blabber and take the instructions of Mahaprabhu on our head and vow to never leave them even if it endangers our life (how can it when Nitaai is there to protect us ). Swamiji has already cited evidences to show that conducting the rath yatra in other places, India or abroad is not wrong.

So let us spread the Holy name!! The rath yatra was a beautiful occasion for sankirtan. The atmosphere is charged with the Holy names of the Lord and Love of Godhead spreads everywhere. Let everyone chant the glories names of the Lord and let Nitaai bestow His mercy on them. Let Love of the Lord overflow every nation, every town, city and every heart!!

I hope lowerthanarat prabhu, that I have not offended you in any manner by what I have said. If I have I fall at your feet and beg your forgiveness. Please bestow your blessings on me so that I may always serve and please the Vaishnavas.

Srinath prabhu, please do not get so incensed like this anymore. It spoils the decorum of the forum. We are here to spread Love of Godhead. Where is the place for anger or such heated tensions when we are going to spread Love?? It is difficult for people outside India to understand the mentality of people of here. The media is to blame as they portray only the fanatics here and not the general mentality of the masses. It is only a communication gap that arises due to time and distance. I just read today in the BTG that sankirtan was conducted in a chruch on Diwali in the US. We cannot understand this because such things do not happen currently in India. Please do not get incensed like this anymore. I seek forgiveness if I have offended you in any manner.

Gaur Premanande!

Nityananda Gauranga Hare Krishna!!

Dasadaaso'smi,

Venkat

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