Pure Consciousness is Bliss

Just as clean, pure water is a pleasure to drink as opposed to dirty, contaminated water, in a similar way when one has pure consciousness existence itself is ecstatic. It does not require any artificial props of material sense pleasure to hold it up, to give it substance. This is why developing pure consciousness is the most important thing that everyone can do. There is truly nothing more important or more essential than this. For one who has achieved this there is no greater gain to be had anywhere within the three worlds.

Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra

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Answers by Citing the Vedic Version

Question: Who is Lord Jaganntha?

Dear Srila Gurudeva,

Please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to you.

Could you please tell me who is Lord Jagannatha? Is He Vrindavan Krishna or Mathura Krishna or Dvarka Krishna? Who exactly is he?

Your insignificant servant,
Visvanatha Das

Answer: Krishna Relishing His Vrindavana Lila

Lord Jagannatha is Krishna Himself. Krishna in Mathura and Dvaraka is the same Krishna as the Krishna in Vrindavana. But that same Krishna is in different moods in Vrindavana, Mathura, and Dvaraka. Therefore we sometimes distinguish between Krishna in His different pastimes.

Lord Jagannatha is Dvaraka Krishna going deep into the mood within Himself of Vrindavana Krishna. How He manifested this particular form is described in the Utkala-khanda of the Skanda Purana. (Utkala is the traditional name for Orissa.)

Once, during a solar eclipse, Krishna, Balarama, Subhadra, and other residents of Dvaraka went
to bathe in a holy pond at Kurukshetra. Knowing that Krishna would be there, Srimati Radharani, Krishna’s parents Nanda and Yasoda, and other residents of Vrindavana, who were burning in the fire of separation from the Lord, went to meet Him. Inside one of the many tents the pilgrims had set up at Kurukshetra, Rohini, Lord Balarama’s mother, narrated Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes to the queens of Dvaraka and others.

The residents of Dvaraka are in the mood of opulence (aishvarya), and they worship Krishna as the Supreme Lord. But the residents of Vrindavana are in the mood of sweetness (madhurya), and they have a confidential relationship with Krishna that surpasses awe and reverence because it is based on friendship and love. Rohini’s narration was thus extremely confidential, so she posted Subhadra at the door to prevent anyone from entering.

Krishna and Balarama came to the door and stood on Subhadra’s left and right sides. While listening to Rohini’s narration of Krishna’s intimate Vrindavana pastimes, Krishna and Balarama became ecstatic, and Their internal feelings were exhibited externally. Their eyes became dilated, Their heads compressed into Their bodies, and Their limbs retracted. Seeing these transformations in Krishna and Balarama, Subhadra also became ecstatic and assumed a similar form. Thus, by hearing about Krishna’s pastimes in Vrindavana, Krishna and Balarama, with Subhadra in between, displayed their ecstatic forms of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari