Gundica Marjanam
Cleansing of the
Gundica Temple, Lecture
(the day before Ratha-yatra)
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
San Francisco, July 4, 1970

Devotees: All glories to Prabhupada! Jayate Prabhupada! Jaya!

Prabhupada: Hare Krsna. (Hindi with Indian woman, chuckles) All right. Hare Krsna. There is no space for the… So we require bigger space. Hare Krsna. Oh, Govinda dasi has come? (chuckles) When you have arrived?

Govinda dasi: About one o’clock.

Prabhupada: Oh. That’s nice. Hare Krsna.

Devotees: Hare Krsna.

Prabhupada: That’s all right. You can keep it… That’s all right. So Lord Caitanya’s sampradaya. (laughter) That is my joy, that we have now a sampradaya, a party of Lord Caitanya in the Western country. That is my success. That’s all. I have no value—insignificant—but somehow or other you cooperated, and you are still cooperating, and you are still cooperating as Lord Caitanya’s sampradaya. That is my life. Thank you very much. (begins playing kartals, ecstatic kirtana follows)

It is working? (taps microphone) Huh? No. So just one day before Ratha-yatra there is a festival in Jagannatha Puri which is called Gundica-marjana. Gundica-marjana. From the Jagannatha temple, about two miles away there is another temple house, not exactly temple, where the Deity Jagannatha goes during this Rathayatra festival, from the temple to that Gundica house. And then the deities remain there for one week and then comes back. And during that one week there are many festivals. As I told you in this morning, this Jagannatha, He’s proceeding toward Vrndavana. Radharani is inviting Krsna. Krsna, after His childhood, pauganda-lila, He was called by His father, His real father. Practically, He was called for killing Kamsa, His maternal uncle, who was giving trouble to the whole Yadu dynasty, and everyone was waiting for Krsna. So Krsna appeared, and immediately He was transferred to a friend’s house by His father. Vasudeva is ksatriya, and Nanda Maharaja is a vaisya. Ksatriya business is royal family, and vaisya, they are agriculturalists, traders, krsi-go-raksya, and protection of cows. These three business, livelihood of the vaisya. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam [Bg. 18.44]. Krsi means agriculture, and go-raksya, cow protection. This is Vedic civilization. A section of people, they are engaged in different activities. Not that a man is working as a carpenter and he’s called, “Come on. You have to go to Vietnam to fight.” This is not very scientific. He has been trained up as a carpenter, and now he’s called to fight. That is not perfect division of… The fighting is required, but there must be a class fully trained up for fighting. That is ksatriya. There must be a class of men simply for cultivation of spiritual knowledge. There must be a class fully for business, cow protection, agriculture. That is also required. Nothing is neglected. Just like in our body there are four parts; the mouth, the arms, the belly, and the legs. So everything is required for proper upkeep of the body. Not that you ask the mouth to walk or ask the leg to eat. How it is that? The modern civilization is defective. They do not know how to maintain society. There is therefore no peace. Especially there is want of brain. Crazy. Just like throughout the whole body, the head is the most important part of the body. If you cut your hands, you can live, but if you cut your head, you cannot live. Then whole thing is gone. Similarly, at the present moment the society is headless, a dead body, or head cracked, crazy. There is head, nonsense head. Nonsense head. What is the use of nonsense head? Therefore there is a great necessity of creating a class who will act as brain and head. That is Krsna conscious movement.

Devotees: Jaya. All glories to Prabhupada.

Prabhupada: The whole human society is suffering for want of good brain. [break] …created a nonsense democracy. A carpenter is called to fight? A cow slaughterer is called to preside over the meeting? What is this? One must be fit for the business. If you want to make one king, he must be just like royal, ideas, always thinking of the welfare of the citizens. Just like Yudhisthira Maharaja. The whole business was how the people will be happy. When Pariksit Maharaja was born, the child, it is the Vedic system as soon as a child is born, immediately expert brahmanas, astrologers, are called. Automatically, they… That is called jata-kriya. There is a function. There are ten kinds of functions. From the point of begetting a child up to the point of death, there are samskaras, or reformatory process. By that process a human being is made perfect. That is called dasa-vidha-samskara, ten kinds of processes. This upanayana, this initiation, offering the sacred thread, that is also out of those ten processes. The beginning of the process is called garbhadhana, begetting a child. It is not sex enjoyment; it is a process by which you produce nice child. If you produce nice children, then the world is peaceful. But if you produce cats and dogs, how can you expect peace and prosperity? Therefore that is a process, garbhadhana-samskara. In this way the Vedic system is the perfect process for creating civilized human being. So that is another chapter. Our present meeting is concerned with the Ratha- yatra.

So Krsna, He is born of a ksatriya father. He is not born, but He appeared as the son. God is never born. Unborn. Therefore the Mayavadi philosophers, they mistake to know Krsna. They think that Krsna is born, then how He can be God? But actually, Krsna was not born from the womb of His mother. He appeared in four hands before His mother, and the mother was afraid that “My brother Kamsa, was awaiting to kill God, and now God is here in four hands. Immediately he’ll kill.” The mother forgets that “My son, if He’s God, how He can be killed?” But the mother’s affection is always like that. Just like Krsna, when He was going to attack a demon as a boy, Yasoda-ma, mother Yasoda, would ask her husband Nanda Maharaja, “Why do you allow this boy to go out? Why don’t you lock Him?” So that is mother’s affection. The mother, Yasoda mother, she does not know that Krsna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Then her motherly affection will be checked. Therefore she was, by yoga-maya, she was always covered. Although Krsna playing child just like a common child, at the same time showing that He is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He was eating clay. Some friends complained to mother Yasoda that, “You gave Him nice foodstuff, and He is eating clay.” So mother called Him: “Oh, Krsna, You are eating clay?” Krsna said, “No, mother. They’re all liars.” (laughter) “Oh, Your elder brother Balarama is also saying.” “Oh, He is angry upon Me. He is angry upon Me; therefore He is also speaking lie.” Then the boys still stressed, “No, mother. He has eaten clay. We have seen.” So mother said, “All right. Open Your mouth. I’ll see.” So Krsna opened His mouth, and she saw the whole material cosmic manifestation. Not only Yasoda, thousands of Yasoda and thousands of planets, sun, moons, and everything saw. Mother’s thought, “Must be something jugglery. All right. Forget. Don’t do it again.” (laughter)

This is Krsna, that He is playing the part of a perfect child. Mother Yasoda ordering, “Open Your mouth. I want to see.” “Yes, mother. Just see.” And when she saw His mouth, oh, the mother couldn’t adjust(?). That is God, that He is, by being obliged by the devotee, He is playing the part of a child, at the same time maintaining His supremacy as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. That is Krsna. Not that by mystic power one becomes God. No. God is God always. When on the lap of His mother He is God. And when His mother… On the lap of His mother, Putana came to kill Him. So Krsna sucked her breast and life also, but gave him (her) the position of mother because Krsna is so good that He did not take the bad side. Krsna, how can He be envious? He’s the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Everyone is His part and parcel; therefore He cannot be envious to anyone. He is always kind of everyone. So this incident, that Krsna… Putana came to kill Him by smearing poison on her breast. She thought that “The child will suck my breast and immediately die.” The child sucked the breast as well as her life. But Krsna thought that “This demon, although came to Me with a purpose to kill Me, but I have been used as her child, and she has become My mother, so she must get the position of My mother.” This is Krsna’s kindness.

So try to understand Krsna philosophy very nicely, what is God. There are so many fictitious rogues, rascals, they are presenting themselves God. Try to understand what is God. Don’t be misled. Krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. There is no other God except Krsna. Therefore Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, mam ekam, “Only unto Me surrender.” And He has proved Himself that He is God. There are many so-called Gods, but they have not proved that they are God. No. God is one, and that is Krsna. So this Krsna, Lord Krsna, when He was called by His father… People generally did not know that Krsna is Vasudeva’s son, but later on it was disclosed by talkings one after another. Then, when the fact was disclosed, then Kamsa arranged for a wrestling match, and Krsna was called to fight. That you will read in our Krsna book. It’s a long story. Similarly, Krsna went to His father’s house, and He came to Kuruksetra in the chariot. This is Ratha-yatra. And Radharani and the inhabitants of Vrndavana, their only business was… After Krsna departed from Vrndavana to Mathura and He never returned… Once He returned. So mother Yasoda, the cowherd boys and the gopis, they lost their life and vital force. So they were simply crying and weeping. That was their business. So Krsna sent sometimes Uddhava to pacify them, that “I am coming very soon after finishing My business.” So when they got this opportunity that “Krsna has come to Kuruksetra with His brother, sister, father. So let us go and see…” So they went to Kuruksetra to see Krsna. Whenever they got some opportunity, they wanted to see. Just like these cowherds boys, when there was Battle of Kuruksetra near Delhi… Vrndavana is not far away from Delhi. It is about ninety miles. So they went to see Krsna in the charioteer fighting dress. They were astonished. They thought that “Krsna is our friend, cowherd boy. How is that, He is in the chariot fighting?” So they became astonished. So this is the pastimes of Vrndavana. So similarly, when the inhabitants of Vrndavana went to see Lord Krsna, Jagannatha… Krsna means Jagannatha. Jagat. Jagat means this world, and natha means master, or proprietor. So Krsna says in the Bhagavad-gita, bhoktaram yajna- tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram: [Bg. 5.29] “I am the proprietor of all the planets.” Therefore He is Jagannatha. Jagannatha means the proprietor of all the world, all the planets. So the Vrndavana inhabitants went to see Krsna because their life was Krsna. They did not know anything except Krsna. So that was the opportunity. So it was the request of Radharani to Krsna, “My dear Krsna, You are the same Krsna; I am the same Radharani. We are meeting, but We are not meeting in the same place. Here You are, just like a royal king with chariots, with soldiers, with Your ministers, secretaries. And there in Vrndavana You were a cowherd boy, and We used to meet in the jungles, in the bushes. So I want to take You there. Then I will be happy.”

So that sentiment was expressed by Lord Caitanya, because Lord Caitanya’s worship was in the mood of Radharani. Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir hladini-saktir asmad ekatmanav api pura deha-bhedam gatau tau [Cc. Adi 1.5] Try to understand Krsna philosophy. It is the sublime philosophy and, I mean to say, culture. If you are fort… Those who are fortunate, they have come to this Krsna consciousness movement. Their life is successful. No doubt about it. So this philosophy, that Krsna… Radha-krsna-pranaya-vikrtir. The love affairs of Radha and Krsna, what is this? Is this a play like the young girl and young boy? Of course. It is just like that. It appears, and actually it is so. But it is not this play of this material world of a young boy and a young girl. No. It is the pastime of the Supreme Lord with His ahladini potency. Ahladini. Radha- krsna-pranaya-vikrtir ahladini-saktir. Just like in this material world there are three qualities: sattva-guna, rajo- guna, tamo-guna. Similarly, in the spiritual world there are three, I mean to say, potencies. These qualities are also potencies. Samvit, sandini, and what is the other? Samvit, sandini…ahladini. Samvit, sandini, ahladini. So the ahladini potency is Krsna. This has been very much scholarly discussed by Srila Jiva Gosvami. Jiva Gosvami presents these love affairs of Krsna and Radha very philosophically. His first question is that Krsna is Param Brahman. Krsna is Param Brahman. That is accepted by Arjuna in the Bhagavad-gita. Param brahma param dhama, param brahma pavitram paramam bhavan [Bg. 10.12]. Param Brahman, the Supreme Absolute Truth. Now, in this material world there are different features of sense gratification. Sattva-guna, rajo-guna, tamo-guna. So the gopis and Krsna, whether they are a loving affairs or pastimes of this world? That is his question. Just like here young boys and young girls meet together, they try to enjoy life. Whether Krsna’s lila, Krsna’s pastimes with the gopis, is the same thing? No. That is the philosophical presentation. He gives the reason that Krsna is Param Brahman, but here in this material world we see that parama-brahma, to become attached to Param Brahman or to realize Param Brahman, a person, an intelligent person, gives up everything within this world. That is the philosophy of Lord, I mean to…Sankaracarya. He says that this world is false. Param Brahman is… Brahma satyam jagan mithya. So cultivate yourself to realize Param Brahman. And his process is sannyasa. Give up, renounce this world.

So Jiva Gosvami puts forward this philosophy that if for Param Brahman realization one has to give up everything material, how Param Brahman can enjoy something material? This is the question. If for realizing Param Brahman one has to give up everything material… And practically we are seeing that. Just like Sankaracarya. Their renunciation, their austerity is very, very severe. Sankaracarya will not accept anybody as eligible for advancing in spiritual culture without having accepted the renounced order of life, sannyasa. First accept sannyasa, then talk of Absolute Truth. That is Sankara-sampradaya. We Vaisnava sampradaya, Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya, our process is little different. Although we have nothing to do with this material world, but Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s sampradaya gives facility that we can make the best use of this material world. That is the difference between the Sankara philosophy and Vaisnava philosophy. Sankara philosophy says that this world is false. We Vaisnava philosophers, we say no. This world is not false because it is emanation from the real, the absolute real. How it can be false? It has got its proper use. One who does not know its proper use, for them it is false. They are after something false. But those who know the value of this world… Hari-sambhandhi-vastunah. Everything has got some connection with the Supreme Lord. Isavasyam idam sarvam. Everything is in connection or has relationship with the Supreme Lord. That is our philosophy. We don’t say that this speaker, microphone, is false. Why it is false? The microphone is produced out of the energy of Krsna. This matter, this iron, or this wood, that is a production of Krsna’s energy. If Krsna is true, Absolute Truth, then His energy is also true. And anything produced of His energy, that is also truth. But as the energy is utilized for the energetic, similarly anything produced by Krsna’s energy should be utilized for Krsna. That is our philosophy. So we don’t say that false. We say reality. Therefore in Krsna consciousness movement we accept everything, but accept everything for service of Krsna. Nothing for my sense gratification. That is Krsna consciousness. We do not say that “This world is false. Give up.” Why? The, our acaryas, Rupa Gosvami says,

anasaktasya visayan yatharham upayunjatah nirbandhah krsna-sambandhe yuktam vairagyam ucyate

You should not be attached with Krsna’s property. The karmis are attached to the Krsna’s property. They are trying to steal, unlawfully enjoy, Krsna’s property. That is karmi. And the jnanis, so-called jnanis, out of ignorance trying to renounce Krsna’s property. The jnanis, they are very much proud that they are advanced in knowledge and renouncing, but if somebody asks, “Sir, what you are renouncing?” “This world.” “All right. When this world became your property that you are renouncing? When this world became your property?” You renounce something which you possess, but if you do not possess something, what is the meaning of your renouncement? You came here empty-handed, you live here for some time and go away. So in the beginning you are not proprietor, and when you go away you are not proprietor. Then what is the meaning of your renouncement? That is the defect. So we don’t renounce. We think, we see that everything is given by Krsna to us. Tena tyaktena bhunjitha. Now, I… Nothing belongs to me, everything Krsna’s. Even my body, that is also Krsna’s. My mind, that is also Krsna’s. My thoughts, my speech, whatever I create, everything belongs to Krsna. This is Krsna philosophy, and actually, that is the fact.

So this Jagannatha Ratha-yatra is a part of this Krsna consciousness movement because Lord Caitanya preached this Krsna consciousness movement within five hundred years. Of course, Krsna consciousness movement is not a new thing. From Bhagavad-gita we understand it is five thousand years old, and from Bhagavad-gita we also understand that it is five million years old. But in the modern age this Krsna consciousness movement, Hare Krsna movement, was started by Lord Caitanya, and this Ratha-yatra is part of this movement. Therefore we have introduced this Ratha- yatra festival in our society. And the boys and the girls, they are taking it very nicely, and it will go on. So the Lord Caitanya was taking the part of Radharani, when Radharani requested Krsna to come to Vrndavana. So when Lord Caitanya was before the Ratha- yatra, He was thinking that “I am taking Krsna to Vrndavana.” That is His ecstasy. “I am taking Krsna to Vrndavana.”

So that function is observed yearly, and Krsna, Jagannatha, goes to that Gundica. So today is Gundica-marjana day. So Lord Caitanya personally used to wash the whole temple along with His assistants. Hundreds of… At that time there was no hose pipe, but people used to bring water in big, big waterpots. So when Lord Caitanya wanted to wash the Gundica Mandir, the king of Jagannatha Puri, Maharaja Prataparudra… He was a great devotee of Lord Caitanya. So it was his open order to his officers that whenever Caitanya Mahaprabhu will ask for anything, it must be immediately supplied. So during this time about… In those days there was no railway facilities five hundred years ago. So people used to go on foot from, especially from Bengal. And because He was staying in Orissa, there were many Oriyan-Gaudiya. Practically Lord Caitanya’s followers are the Bengalis and the Oriyas. They are generally. Because Lord Caitanya appeared in Bengal and resided, He made His residence in Orissa. Naturally, the people of these two provinces became His devotees in large number. And still, in Orissa there are many devotees, as there are in Bengal. So Caitanya Mahaprabhu was patronized or… Maharaja Prataparudra was very powerful king. He did not allow the Mohammedans to enter into Orissa. He was so powerful. At that time whole India was occupied by the Pathans, but they could not enter in Orissa and South India. So Maharaja Prataparudra was very powerful king, and at the same time he was a devotee of Lord Caitanya. So his open order was that whenever and whatever Caitanya Mahaprabhu will ask anything, it must be supplied. So on this day Caitanya Mahaprabhu used to wash that Gundica Mandir with hundreds of His followers. And they were ordered to bring water from the nearest tank. There is one tank. If you go sometimes to Jagannatha Puri, you’ll see that place. So from that tank hundreds of waterpots were brought, and first of all it was… What is called? Sweeping. The sweeping process is first of all taken. And He wanted to see all the devotees, “How much dust you have gathered.” He’ll see personally. “Let Me see what is the amount of your dust you have gathered by sweep… [break] Then I will understand that you worked very hard.” So then after it is very finely, twice. First of all, once swept, then second time. Not even a small particle grain should remain. That was His order. [break]

Chant. Chant. (kirtana) (prema-dhvani) Within this room, there is no facility for dancing. So on the Ratha-yatra day we will have good facility for dancing. (devotees shout “Jaya! Hari bol!”) Oh, prasadam? Thank you. (Prabhupada takes some prasadam, then devotees chant as he leaves the temple) (end)