Chapter Seven

Sri Ksetra-dhama
Jagannatha Puri Dhama is known as Sri Ksetra. Sri-devi is the svarupa-sakti, n’s internal
potency. Therefore, that dhama which is glorified by the presence of the Sri-sakti is known as Sri
Ksetra. ‘Sri’ means sarva-laksmimayi amsini radhika, Srimati Radhika, who is the source of all
saktis. All goddesses of fortune in Vaikunthapura are expansions of Radhika. And the 16,108 wives
of Krsna—Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, etc.—are all expansions of Radharani. They are
aisvaryamayi, full of opulence. The gopis of Vrajabhumi are also expansions of Radharani, so
Radharani is amsini, the source. The laksmis are aisvarya-mayi, whereas Radharani is madhurya-
mayi, full of sweetness. Therefore, those who are followers or devotees of madhurya-rasa can see
that Sri Ksetra is the ksetra in which Radharani’s madhurya-rasa is manifested. Only such
madhurya-rasa bhaktas can see it; others cannot. That is why Jagannatha Puri is known as Sri
Ksetra. And Mahaprabhu stayed there because He had assumed radha-bhava. Upon seeing
Jagannatha He would see syamasundara and think, “O beloved of My heart!” Therefore that ksetra
which is glorified and influenced by Radharani’s madhurya-rasa is known as Sri Ksetra.
In Vaisnava-tantra it is mentioned,
mathura dvaraka-lila
yah karoti ca gokule
nilacala sthitah Krsna
sta eva racati prabhuh
“Whatever lilas of Sri Krsna are manifest in Gokula, Mathura and Dvaraka are all found in
Nilacala, Sri Ksetra.”
If you have the vision, you can see all the lilas there. When Mahaprabhu stayed there He saw
Vrndavana. When He saw Cataka-parvata He said, “Oh! Govardhana!” When He saw the sea, “Oh!
It is the Yamuna.” When He saw the garden called Jagannatha-vallabha, “Oh! It is Vrndavana.”
Mahaprabhu saw all of Krsna’s lilas there in Sri Ksetra.
In the Utkala-khanda of the Skanda Purana, which is the largest purana, Srila Vyasadeva has
described the special characteristics of Sri Ksetra, Jagannatha Puri Dhama. This Ksetra is very
beautiful and wonderful. It is dasa-yojana-vistruta, ten yojanas in diameter—that means eighty
miles. (One yojana is equal to eight miles.) It is situated on the shore of the ocean and is known as
Tirtharaja, the King of all places of pilgrimage. At the middle portion there is a nila-parvata, a blue
mountain. ‘Acala’ also means mountain, therefore it is also called Nilacala. Sri Bhagavan says,
“That Ksetra which is situated on the northern side of the ocean and the southern side of the river
Mahanadi, in Orissa, is very famous throughout the world.” Srila Vyasadeva has mentioned that if
one visits Jagannatha Puri Dhama he will get the result of visiting all tirthas. For one who has been
to Jagannatha Puri Dhama there is no need to go to any more places of pilgrimage.
Puri Dhama begins from Bhubaneswar, also known as Ekamra-kanana. From Bhubaneswar it
goes up to Candrabhaga (Konarka), where the Sun-god is worshiped in the Surya-mandira.
This dhama is very confidential. It is durlabha ksetra, difficult even on the part of Lord Brahma
to attain. Because the form of this ksetra is like a conchshell, with the stomach portion sunk into the
sea, it is also known as sankha Ksetra. The head portion is towards the western side, where the gate
is guarded by NilakaNtha siva. There, siva is known as Bhubaneswar Lingaraja and ksetrapala, the
protector of the dhama. Bhubaneswar is the gateway through which one can enter into this Ksetra.
This Ksetra is parama pavana, supremely purifying. And some also call it Dasavatara Ksetra,
the ksetra of the ten incarnations: Mina, Kacchapa, Nrsimha, Vamana, etc.
Krsna, who is Lila Purusottama—the enjoyer of innumerable pastimes—eternally resides there
as arca-avatara, the deity form. Therefore it is also known as Purusottama Dhama. And He is
Jagannatha, the master of the three worlds. Therefore His dhama is known as Jagannatha Puri
Dhama.

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Snana-yatra
According to Skanda PuraNa, the Jyestha Purnima, or the full moon day of the month of Jyestha
(May-June), is the birthday of Jagannatha. Jagannatha is Krsna, but Krsna’s birthday is Janmastami,
the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra. Therefore, when it is said that the
Jyestha PurNima is Jagannatha’s birthday, it is understood that on that day Krsna appeared in His
form with big dilated eyes, a round face and His hands and legs shrunken. This is known as
mahabhava-prakasa, or the ecstatic manifestation of Krsna, Balarama and Subhadra.
Krsna and Balarama are the sons of Vasudeva. Krsna’s mother is Devaki, and Balarama, His
elder brother, is the son of RohiNi. Their sister Subhadra is the daughter of Vasudeva and Devaki.
So They are brothers and sister and They appeared in Their forms as Jagannatha, Baladeva and
Subhadra in Purusottama Ksetra.
Because Jyestha PurNima is the birthday of Jagannatha, on that day He takes public bath along
with His brother and sister. This festival is known as Snana-yatra, and hundreds of pots of water are
poured over Them. Because of this, Jagannatha’s color fades away and for fifteen days He will not
give darsana. This is known as anavasara. During this time He will be painted with new colors,
therefore He cannot give darsana. It is generally said that Jagannatha falls sick, but that is not
correct. The people say this, but it is not mentioned in the scriptures such as Skanda PuraNa. sastra
says that during these fifteen days His wooden form, carved out of neem wood, is repainted.
Another name for Lord Jagannatha is Daru-brahma. ‘Daru’ means wood. So a thin piece of cloth is
pasted over that murti. The old cloth is removed during this period and replaced with a new cloth
on which the new colors are painted. Then, one day prior to Ratha-yatra, Jagannatha gives darsana
in His fresh color and young appearance, known as navayauvana vesa. This is how it is described
in the Skanda PuraNa.
Message of Love
Then the question is why does Krsna assume such a form? A Vaisnava poet from Orissa, whose
name was Kanai Khuntia, has written a sastra named Mahabhava Prakasa. There he has mentioned
why Krsna, Balarama and Subhadra assume these forms. Mahabhava-prakasa is the ecstatic
manifestation of the Lord who feels intense separation, viraha-vidhura. Krsna, Balarama and
Subhadra are feeling the pangs of separation from Vraja-dhama, vraja-viraha-vidhura. They reside
there eternally, but They are feeling the pangs of separation from Vraja-dhama. Especially
Jagannatha is feeling the pangs of separation from Radharani and the gopis.
When Akrura went to Vraja-dhama and brought Krsna and Balarama to Mathura on his chariot,
all the inhabitants of Vrajabhumi felt separation from Krsna. That is known as mathura-viraha.
Especially the vraja-gopis and Radharani felt very acute pangs of separation from Krsna. For them,
every moment seemed to be like a long yuga, yugayitam nimesena. This is expressed by
Mahaprabhu in His siksastaka. Those acute pangs of separation were intolerable. All the damsels of
Vrajabhumi turned mad. It is as if, although surviving, they were dead, jivana-mrta-avastha. So, do
you think that these acute pangs of separation are only felt by the gopis and Radharani? No.
Because there is a loving reciprocation, they were also felt by Krsna. It is not one-sided. There are
two sides. Krsna also feels such acute pangs of separation from the gopis, Radharani, Vrajabhumi
and the vrajavasis. So He also felt much pain in His heart. It was intolerable for Krsna, and just as
the gopis had turned mad, similarly Krsna also turned mad. Now what shall they do? Krsna could
not go to Vrajabhumi and they could not come to Him. So the only alternative was to send a
message of love. Krsna thought He should send a message of love to the vrajavasis, especially His
father and mother, the gopis and Radharani. But who could deliver it? Someone was required to
carry the message. Such a person must be a very dear and intimate devotee of Krsna.
In the Eleventh Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam, Krsna has expressed how Uddhava is so very
dear to Him.
na tatha me priyatama
atmayonir na sankarah

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 na ca sankarsano na srir
naivatma ca yatha bhavan
“Brahma is not so dear to Me; sivaji is not so dear to Me; My brother Sankarsana is not so dear
to Me; My wife Laksmi is not so dear to Me; My own self is not so dear to Me as you are, O
Uddhava.” (Bhag. 11.14.15)
Therefore Krsna chose such a dear, intimate devotee. Who else could carry such a message of
love? He called Uddhava and, dragging him very close, made him sit on His lap. Then, with both
hands, Krsna caught hold of Uddhava’s right hand and spoke to him in a very pitiful voice,
gacchoddhava vrajam saumya
pitror nau pritim avaha
gopinam mad-viyogadhim
mat-sandesair vimocaya
“Uddhava, immediately go to Vrajabhumi and deliver this message of love. First go to My father
and mother, Nanda Maharaja and Yasoda-mata, and console them. Then go to the vraja-gopis, the
damsels of Vrajabhumi. They are feeling very acute pangs of separation from Me. Deliver this
message of love to them also and give them consolation. As they are feeling separation from Me,
similarly I also feel separation from them. This message will be a soothing balm for them. So
please deliver it.”
In this way, Krsna sent a message of love through His very dear and intimate devotee, Uddhava.
That message is known as uddhava-sandesa. And the gopis also sent a message through a swan, a
hamsa. Therefore Rupa Gosvami has written two books, Uddhava-sandesa and Hamsaduta.
Uddhava was the messenger from Krsna’s side and the swan was the messenger from the gopis’
side. The Tenth Canto of Srimad-Bhagavatam also speaks about Uddhava-sandesa, the message
Krsna sent for Nanda, Yasoda and the gopis. The intense separation felt by the gopis, especially
Radharani, is described there.
The Bhagavata
Krsna Himself speaks of how the gopis are feeling the acute pangs of separation and how they
have developed such love for Him, Krsnanuraga. In Bhagavad-gita (18.65) Krsna says, man-mana
bhava mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru. Man-mana bhava means, “Think of Me. Give your
mind to Me. Don’t keep your mind with yourself.” And mad-bhaktah, “Become My devotee.”
Mad-yaji mam namaskuru, “Worship Me and offer your obeisances unto Me.” One who has not
given his mind to Krsna is simply sleeping. But those who have completely given their minds to
Krsna, they are man-mana bhaktas. Krsna has said this theoretically, and the gopis are the practical
example:
ta man-manaska mat-prana
mad-arthe tyakta-daihikah
mam eva dayitam prestham
atmanam manasa gatah
ya tyakta-loka-dharmas ca
mad-arthe tan bibharmy aham
“The minds of those gopis are always absorbed in Me, and their very lives are ever devoted to
Me. For My sake they have abandoned everything related to their bodies, renouncing ordinary
happiness in this life, as well as religious duties necessary for such happiness in the next life. I
alone am their dearmost beloved and indeed, their very Self. Therefore, I take it upon Myself to
sustain them in all circumstances.” (Bhag.10.46.4)
Speaking about the gopis, Krsna says, ta man-manaska, “They have given their whole minds to
Me. Their minds do not belong to themselves. They have given them to Me.” That is man-mana.
You cannot find such an example anywhere in this world. Only the gopis are the practical example.
Sudurlabha bhagavatah hi loke, “Such devotees are very rare.” In this Gita-sloka, man-mana bhava

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mad-bhakto mad-yaji mam namaskuru, Krsna speaks theoretically. But the practical example you
will find in Vrajabhumi. In the Tenth Canto Krsna gives the example of who embodies this sloka,
the gopis. That is why Vyasa compiled the Bhagavata. This Gita sloka, man-mana bhava mad-
bhaktah, had previously not taken a form, but it took form in the Bhagavata. Therefore Vyasa
wrote Srimad-Bhagavatam under the instruction of his guru, Narada Muni. This is Vyasadeva’s last
contribution. Whatever bhakta-laksana— qualities of the devotees—have been described in Srimad
Bhagavad-gita, are all depicted in the Bhagavata. Today gitara-vakta, the speaker of Gita, Krsna,
is speaking to Uddhava. Krsna says, “The gopis of Vrajabhumi are man-manaska, they have given
their minds to Me. Their minds do not belong to themselves.”
All their mental activities are engaged in giving pleasure to Krsna only; nothing else. All the
activities of their bodies, minds and speech, are meant for Krsna’s pleasure alone, and for Him they
are ready to give up their bodies. Krsna says, mad-arthe tyakta-daihikah: “They are prepared to
give up their bodies for Me.” Therefore, the vraja-devis, the damsels of Vrajabhumi, are the
embodiment of that Gita verse, man-mana bhava mad-bhakto, and today the speaker of the Gita
discloses this to Uddhava. “They are My life and I am their life, mat-praNa. Their life is in Me, My
life is in them.”
Those whose life is Krsna, they are mat-praNa, and they are also Krsna’s life. This is loving
reciprocation. Mad-anyat te na jananti naham tebhyo manag api: “My pure devotees don’t know
anyone else but Me; I don’t know anyone else but them.” (Bhag. 9.4.68) The purport of what Krsna
says to Uddhava is that, as He is the life of the damsels of Vrajabhumi, they are also His life. Krsna
says, “Giving up their association, now I am here in Mathura, but My life is in Vrajabhumi. Only
My body is here. Just like a machine, I am doing some work. I am simply breathing like the
bellows of a blacksmith, but My everything, My life, My mind, is there in Vrajabhumi.”
If the question were to be asked, “Why is Your condition like that?” Krsna would give this
answer: Ya tyakta-loka-dharmas ca mad-arthe tan bibharmy aham. (Bhag.10.46.4) “How can I
forget them? They are so dear, they love Me so much that they have given up everything for My
sake. They have given up their social etiquette, samaja-dharma, kula-dharma. They are completely
forgetful of all etiquettes. Vedic etiquette, social etiquette, family etiquette, they have forgotten
everything for Me. And they have given up all dharma and adharma, good and bad. They don’t
know what they are doing. They are mad after Me.”
That is sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saraNam vraja. They have abandoned all dharmas,
including veda-dharma. They kicked all Vedic etiquette and regulations. At the dead of night, when
Krsna plays His sweet flute in the jungle of Vrndavana, what do they do? The gopis are
housewives. They have husbands, fathers-in-law, mothers-in-law, sons and daughters. They have
family ties. Such family bondage is very tight. That is not an easy thing to break, durjaya-geha-
srnkhalah. But they kicked it all and ran to the jungle of Vrndavana. So where are the rules and
regulations? The Vedas say a housewife cannot cross the threshold of the house. If she does so, she
will be rejected. Her chastity is spoiled and she becomes a prostitute. Such Vedic restrictions are
there. But still the gopis have done it, ya tyakta-loka-dharmas ca mad-arthe tan bibharmy aham.
“For Me they have given up everything; all rules and regulations, even veda-dharma and loka-
dharma. They love Me so much. How can I forget them? Therefore this is My condition.”
So the gopis are the complete embodiment of this verse, sarva-dharman parityajya. And Krsna
says, ye yatha mam prapadyante tams tathaiva bhajamy aham (Bg.4.11): “To the degree that you
surrender unto Me, I will reward you accordingly. In whatever mood one does My bhajan,
similarly I will do his bhajan.”
Krsna told Uddhava, “The damsels of Vrajabhumi are feeling the acute pangs of separation from
Me. Their feelings of separation are so intolerable that very often they faint. Yes, Uddhava, they
spend most of their time in a fainted condition. Factually, this fainted condition has made them
survive; otherwise they would have died.” These are Krsna’s own words. He is gopi-viraha-
vidhura, radha-viraha-vidhura, feeling the pangs of separation from the gopis and Radha.
Condensed Form

4
 With much difficulty, Krsna gathered His patience and said, “When the summer season comes,
the scorching heat of the sun will dry up the waters of all the lakes and ponds. But when the waters
dry up, what do the turtles do? They go down into the mud and somehow keep themselves alive. So
My leaving Vrajabhumi is like the summer season, causing such intense scorching heat of
separation. The gopis’ heart is like a pond. Now it is dried up. And their life is like a turtle, praNa-
kurma. If their life is like turtles, then what is the mud? The mud is this one hope: When I left
Vrajabhumi I told them, ‘I will come back.’ These words are like the mud. And their lives, just like
turtles, are now entering into that mud and somehow surviving.”
Here Krsna is giving a description of the gopis. This is mentioned in Uddhava-sandesa: yasa
masamrdamanu praNakurma vasanti.
Krsna says, “O Uddhava, I have no language to express their condition and how they are
surviving.” Krsna is thinking of the gopis because He feels the acute pangs of separation from
them. As the gopis feel, Krsna also feels. It is reciprocal. When Krsna was speaking like that, some
hot tears rolled down from His eyes. When Uddhava saw this he thought, “Oh, my friend Krsna is
so deeply thinking of them, feeling such acute pangs of separation. How premamaya, full of love,
they must be! Otherwise, why is Krsna thinking so deeply of them? They must be very
premamaya.”
Such is Krsna’s condition. He who is beyond lamentation, sokatiterasoka, is now lamenting. He
who is purNananda, always blissful and self-sufficient, is now crying—purNanandera-vilapa. This
is very beautiful: the devotee’s bhagavan-viraha and Bhagavan’s bhakta-viraha—the devotee feels
the pangs of separation from Bhagavan and Bhagavan feels the pangs of separation from His dear
devotee.
So Sri Jagannatha is madhurya-rasa-ghanayita-murti, the condensed form of conjugal mellow.
Jagannatha is Krsna feeling the pangs of separation from Radha and the vraja-gopis, radha-viraha-
vidhura. And because aisvarya and madhurya are both combined together, Jagannatha is aisvarya-
madhurya yugala-milana Sri jagannatha. That mahabhava-prakasa, or ecstatic manifestation, is
Jagannatha. He Himself says, “Uddhava, My body is just lying here, but My mind, My life—
everything is there in Vrajabhumi.” He is thinking so deeply of them and feeling such acute pangs
of separation. This is Jagannatha.
“Who is that Radhe?”
In Dvarakabhumi Krsna has more than 16,000 wives, and He is present in the palaces of each
and every queen. Sometimes, when Krsna is sleeping, He cries out in delirium like a madman,
“Radhe, Radhe, Radhe.” Although His wives take so much care of Him, He is not happy. In His
dream, Krsna is crying, “Gopi, Gopi, Gopi, Radhe, Radhe.” When the queens hear this, they
wonder, “Why? We are taking so much care of Him, giving all pleasure to our beloved husband.
Why is He crying, ‘Radhe, Radhe, Gopi, Gopi?’ Who are those gopis? Who is that Radhe?”
They cannot understand because they are aisvarya-mayi, full of opulence. They cannot enter into
madhuryamaya-lila, vraja-lila. Even Laksmidevi underwent tapasya for thousands of years in
Bilvavana with the desire to enter vraja-lila and take part in the rasa dance. But Krsna said, “Why
are you undergoing such severe austerities? What is your desire?” Laksmidevi said, “My desire is
to enter into Vrajabhumi and take part in the rasa-lila.”
Then Krsna, who is the ultimate sanctioning authority, said, “No. It cannot be. Ask for some
alternative.”
Laksmidevi cannot enter madhuryamaya-lila because she is aisvarya-mayi. So Laksmidevi said,
“What shall I do? If I cannot take part in rasa-lila then please let me remain as a golden line on
Your chest.”
“Tathastu. That is granted.”
So Laksmi is there as a golden line on Krsna’s chest, but she cannot enter into vraja-lila.
Being unable to enter into the madhuryamaya-lila, one day the queens asked RohiNi-mata,
“Very often we hear Krsna crying out in His sleep, ‘Radhe, Radhe, Radhe, Gopi, Gopi.’ Mother,
what is that? Would you please shed some light on it?”

5
 RohiNi-mata said, “You cannot understand. This is Krsna’s vraja-lila, very sweet, intoxicating
madhuryamaya-lila. You cannot understand it. All right, just to satisfy your curiosity I will give
some description of it. But this vraja-lila kahani, the narration of Krsna’s Vrndavana pastimes, is
so intoxicating and enchanting that even Krsna and Balarama will be attracted to it. Wherever They
may be, They will be attracted to hear it. So that is my apprehension. I will speak about it to the
best of my ability, but it is so sweet and so attractive that Krsna and Balarama will come running
from wherever They may be. Then I will not be able to speak and everything will be finished.”
So all of Krsna’s wives assembled in a big hall in Dvaraka. Being apprehensive, RohiNi-mata
said, “Someone should be at the door to bar the entrance. As soon as Krsna and Balarama come,
she should warn me and I will stop speaking. Otherwise everything will be different. This vraja-lila
kahani is so nectarean that it will attract Krsna and Balarama from wherever They may be.”
At last they decided that Subhadra should stand at the door. Standing in the middle of the
doorway, Subhadra stretched out her arms and barred the entrance. Then RohiNi-mata began to
speak vraja-lila kahani, and all were hearing with rapt attention. Though Subhadra was standing at
the door, she had given her ears to this nice vraja-lila kahani. Therefore she completely forgot
herself and became ecstatic. Then her ecstatic form came out; eyes dilated and her hands and legs
pushed into the body.
In the meantime, Krsna and Balarama arrived there. Standing at either side of Subhadra, They
also heard what was going on. “Oh, RohiNi-mata is narrating vraja-lila kahani.” Then They
became completely ecstatic and forgot Themselves. Their eyes became dilated; hands and legs
shrunken, pushed into the body like a tortoise. Now these three forms are standing at the door—
Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra.
At that time Narada Muni was approaching. From a distance he saw these very beautiful, ecstatic
forms, mahabhava-prakasa. As he came nearer They wound up that bhava and Their general
features came back. But Narada Muni said, “I have already seen it! I have already seen it! So this is
my prayer. May this form, Your mahabhava-prakasa, be manifest in a certain place. Let all the
people of the world see that beautiful form of Yours and worship You in that form.”
Whatever His dear devotee desires, Krsna grants, “Tathastu”, “So be it!” Therefore Krsna appeared
in that form in Jagannatha Puri; Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra—mahabhava-prakasa. Kanai
Khuntia has given this description in his book Mahabhava Prakasa. This ancient Vaisnava
literature is not available nowadays. It is very rare and only some of the palm leaves are still
remaining.