Neeraj Raina
To a world afflicted by strife and war, “Srila Prabhupada” applied the soothing balm of the universal non- sectarian message of love for God and love for all living beings, thus bringing peace, love and joy in the lives of millions worldwide. Srila Prabhupada translated and commented on the most important vedic scriptures including his magnum opus multi-volume translation and commentary on “Srimad Bhagvatam”. His books have become recommended text books in major universities all over the world. Srila Prabhupada wrote over seventy books, which present spiritual principles lucidly for modern times. His “Bhagavad Gita As It Is” is the world’s most-read English commentary on the “Bhagavad Gita” , translated in over fifty languages.
Srila Prabhupada fearlessly and single-handedly ventured from India to America at the advanced age of 69 to enrich a spiritually impoverished world and continued day and night his selfless service to God and humanity. Srila Prabhupada fulfilled a five-hundred year old prophecy by spreading the yuga-dharma of congregational chanting of the holy names (HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE, HARE RAM HARE RAM RAM RAM HARE HARE) all over the world. Srila Prabhupada inspired and oversaw the establishment of more than 108 Radha Krishna temples within a short span of 10 years, which observe high and pure standards of deity worship and which serve as spiritual sanctuaries and cultural education centres for the stressed and distressed modern minds.
CULTURAL AMBASSADOR
OF INDIA TO THE WORLD
Srila Prabhupada introduced and spread globally time-honored Vedic festivals and celebrations. By the divine grace of Srila Prabhupada , almost all the countries of the world celebrate “Ratha-yatra” festival. Originally Rath yatra was celebrated in Puri (Orissa), but Srila Prabhupada broadcasted this festival globally. Srila Prabhupada had a great ambition to celebrate this festival gorgeously in every city of the world and he inspired and guided his disciples to make this annual festival well-known in every part of the world. The first-ever Ratha-yatra in the western world was organized in San Francisco on July 9, 1967. Thereafter, this festival became popular and spread to many other countries. By 1975 the festival had become so popular that the Mayor of San Francisco issued a formal proclamation of celebrating Ratha-yatra Day in San Francisco.
Rath yatra is the day when “Jagannath” who is none other than Lord Shri Krishna, the Lord of the Universe bestows His causeless mercy on every living entity by personally coming out of His abode. A glimpse of Lord Jagannath on the chariot is considered most auspicious. Even a touch of the chariot or the ropes with which they are being pulled is enough to confer the results of several pious deeds and penance for ages.
For Srila Prabhupada, the idea of conducting Ratha-yatra was not new. Srila Prabhupada would worship Lord Jagannatha in his young age. When he was six years old, his father arranged for a small ratha and young Abhay ( who later came to be known as (” A.C Bhakti Vedanta Swami Prabhupada” ) would perform Ratha-yatra in his neighbourhood and distribute prasadam to all the children taking part in the festival. Thus from the very beginning of his life, Srila Prabhupada used to conduct Ratha-yatra. What once had been a childhood activity later became a world-wide celebration as Srila Prabhupada vigorously preached all around the world.
Srila Prabhupada introduced Ratha-yatra in the Krishna Consciousness Movement and now it is a part of this movement. It plays an important role in bringing together all the devotees of Lord Krishna. Ratha-yatra gives an opportunity to all to serve the Lord at least for one day, by remembering Him, chanting His holy names, dancing and honouring Krishna prasadam while the Lord takes a pleasure ride and blesses all on the way. The service attitude and devotional service by which one serves the Lord, purifies one’s materially contaminated heart and thus helps one make progress in developing attachment for Krishna which is dormant in the heart.
Srila Prabhupada showed that no other material endeavours to achieve unity among the people of the world would be effective as the festival of carts. Spiritual activities like Ratha-yatra would do a lot in creating unity by bringing all under the shelter of Lord Jagannatha. Here is unity, when we accept Jagannatha.
The Ratha-yatra festival is a mass movement for enlightening people about the Krishna consciousness movement. To take part in these festivals is a step forward towards self-realization. To support this, Srila Prabhupada quotes a verse, “rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate – simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.” Once, a devotee asked Srila Prabhupada whether anyone who took part in Ratha-yatra would be liberated. Srila Prabhupada answered affirmatively but indicated that only if one took it seriously and did not come to maya again. He said that it should not become a hasti-snana; an elephant takes a thorough bath in a river but as soon as he comes on the bank of the river, he takes dust and throws it over his body again.
Srila Prabhupada, in a lecture on a Ratha-yatra day in San Francisco, minutely described the significance of the names – Jagannatha, Balarama and Subhadra. He explains that jagat means the moving world; gacchati iti jagat – gacchati means that which is moving. And jagat-natha; natha means the proprietor or the master. So Jagannatha means the proprietor or the master of all these movements. And Balabhadra or Balarama – bala means strength and rama means enjoyment. So Balarama is the one who gives you spiritual strength for enjoying eternal blissful life. And Subhadra – su means auspicious and bhadra means well-being. Having explained the meaning, Srila Prabhupada said that Subhadra, Jagannatha and Balarama combined together were present there to reclaim all the devotees from their miserable condition of life.
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