20210712 Ratha-yātrā Address

The following is a Ratha-yātrā address given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami in Śrī Māyāpur, India.

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim/
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam/
paramānanda-mādhavam śrī caitanya īśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Jagannātha svāmī nayana patha gami bhavātu me!

Jagannātha svāmī nayana patha gami nayana patha gami bhavātu me!

Nīlācala-candra āmāra prabhu jagannātha
jaya jagannātha jaya jagannātha
jaya jagannātha jaya jagannātha

Sundarācala-candra āmāra prabhu jagannātha!
jaya jagannātha jaya jagannātha!

Tommorow is the special Ratha-yātrā festival. Unfortunately, we are under state lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Otherwise, we would be performing Ratha-yātrās with millions of people. But we have to have the Ratha-yātrā in a very limited manner. At the same time we want to celebrate the special occasion. Lord Caitanya would take Lord Jagannātha to the Guṇḍicā temple which was considered to be Vṛndāvana. He was in the mood of taking Lord Kṛṣṇa, Lord Jagannātha, back to Vṛndāvana. So, this is a great festival time! Devotees can offer different bhogas to Lord Jagannātha.

We would usually have Lord Jagannātha at the Kolkata Maidan, and thousands of people would attend. We would distribute prasāda and have various lectures and cultural programs. We would have special contacts of the Bhakti-vṛkṣa groups, book stalls, question and answer booth, and various information booths, and lots of Jagannātha mahā-prasāda! So we have to do all this in the temple. And worship Lord Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā and Sudarśana cakra in whatever way possible. So we hope that all the devotees would take the inspiration to celebrate Jagannātha, Baladeva, Subhadrā, Sudarśana cakra Ratha-yātrā and by chanting the holy names Hare Kṛṣṇa, we will all be blessed! All glories to Lord Jagannātha! All glories to Baladeva! All glories to Subhadrā! All glories to Sudarśana cakra!

Śrīla Prabhupāda said that we should take Lord Jagannātha to our Rādhā Kṛṣṇa temple. So, usually in the Maidan we would have Rādhā Govinda. But here in our Kolkata temple we have Rādhā Govinda, Gaura Naṭarāja. So somehow we would take Lord Jagannātha to this Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa temple. Hare Kṛṣṇa! Thank you for your cooperation! Thank you for your enthusiasm! Thank you for your bhakti!

Gṛhe thāko vane thāko sadā hari bole ḍāko!