Jagannath's Origin Part 3

Overcoming the restraints of priests and advisors, the King opened the doors to discover an unusual sight: a form of the Deity never before seen. The Lord’s form was apparently unfinished having no hands or feet, and the emperor feared he had made a great mistake in opening the doors too early. The aged sculptor had vanished.

As Indradyumna cursed his foolishness, newfound friends tried to console him. The descendant of the Sabaras said, “Whatever happens is by the Lord’s will. You acted out of love so there can be no mistake.” And the chief priest said that the Deity of Jagannatha, along with His brother, Baladeva, and sister, Subhadra, should be painted and dressed and prepared for the installation ceremony by Lord Brahma.

Indradyumna felt ashamed until Narada Muni finally revealed God’s plan. A passage in the Vedas mentions that the Lord has no hands or feet, which impersonality and atheists interpret to deny the Lord’s personal existence. So Jagannatha’s appearance proves that he is a person,unlike any other and he can still bestow blessings and accept offerings of love, even without hands and feet.

Narada Muni then described how he had seen this form before, while visiting Dwarka. At that time, the Lord’s Vrindavan pastimes were being discussed, and the Lord overheard the conversation and felt loving separation for his devotees. He went into a trance and his eyes opened wide, his feet and hands retracted into his body. Sharing in this transcendental exchange, Krishna’s sister and brother were similarly transformed.

Then, Narada Muni announced that his father, Lord Brahma, would soon arrive to install the Jagannatha Deity. Before the celebration began, Brahma gave Indradyumna divine vision to see that his new friends were, in fact, the embodied souls of his old companions Vidyapati and Vishvavasu. Thus the story of Jagannatha’s appearance ended happily, with the reunion of loving devotees to honor and serve the Lord.

After thousands of years, the Jagannatha Deity remains a source of unlimited joy to his friends and servants. And the Rathayatra procession is a time to celebrate the loving exchange between the personality of Godhead and his devotees. All those who take part in this festival and chant the Maha Mantra with Joy will receive his special blessings and help on their journey back home, back to Godhead.

 

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