He said, "Jagannātha's Ratha is Equal to Jagannātha; Our Feet Should Not Touch The Ratha"
I would like to remember a few direct and personal teachings of Gurudeva to me. The first time I was in Jagannātha Purī temple the pāṇḍās told me to embrace Jagannāthadeva and Baladeva Prabhu and I felt great happiness and joy doing so. I had a god-brother from Jalandhar with me also. I came and narrated the incident to Gurudeva excitedly and he told me very mildly and convincingly, that it is alright that pāṇḍās invite us, but we should never touch śri-vigraha. Later on, I got more chances to visit the temple but never did such a thing again. This is Gurudev's teaching to me.
We accompanied Gurudev to many temples during Vraja maṇḍala-parikramā and observed that Gurudeva never entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and touched śri-vigraha. The pūjārīs there would invite Gurudev to go inside, but Gurujī would not go. At Gopeśvara Mahādeva mandira, the pāṇḍās called Gurudeva inside but Gurudev did not enter the sanctum sanctorum (garbha-gṛha) and offered praṇāms from outside. He also told me once that one should not offer praṇāmas to the deities inside the sanctum sanctorum, praṇāmas are always offered from outside the sanctorum. This is another of Guru Mahārāja's teachings.
Once during sunset at Rathayātrā, Jagannātha's ratha (cart) stopped on Grand Road for the night. He stays on the ratha the whole night and moves forward the next day. As the rush of devotees was less then, I went for Jagannātha darśana and the pāṇḍās allowed me to climb on the ratha for darśana. On return, I came and told Guru Mahārāja and he said, no, do not do such a thing in the future. He said, Jagannātha's ratha is equal to Jagannātha, so our feet should not touch the ratha. I did not climb on the ratha after that and offered praṇāmas from far.
Another time Jagannātha's ratha stood just in front of our maṭha's gate. As it was evening, He would move not move further until the next day. Gurudeva wished that he go for darśana of Jagannāthadeva as there was less of a crowd and I accompanied him. When we were near the ratha, I hurried Gurudeva to come to the front of the ratha for Jagannāthadeva's darśana, but Gurudeva was just standing there. I'd been thinking that he did not hear me, so I called him again and again. But I saw Gurudev was not paying any attention to my words and I could not understand why Guru Mahārāja was looking here and there.
Then Guru Mahārāja bent down and lifted the heavy thick ropes lying in the front of the ratha up over his head and he crossed the rope from below it. I could have done it for him if at all I knew what he was thinking. Then he went and offered praṇāmas to Jagannāthadeva. How can one cross over the ropes of Jagannātha's ratha? It amounts to an offense—such is Guru Mahārāja's thinking and conduct.
—Śri Kṛṣṇananda Dās (Kuldeepjī)
We accompanied Gurudev to many temples during Vraja maṇḍala-parikramā and observed that Gurudeva never entered the sanctum sanctorum of the temple and touched śri-vigraha. The pūjārīs there would invite Gurudev to go inside, but Gurujī would not go. At Gopeśvara Mahādeva mandira, the pāṇḍās called Gurudeva inside but Gurudev did not enter the sanctum sanctorum (garbha-gṛha) and offered praṇāms from outside. He also told me once that one should not offer praṇāmas to the deities inside the sanctum sanctorum, praṇāmas are always offered from outside the sanctorum. This is another of Guru Mahārāja's teachings.
Once during sunset at Rathayātrā, Jagannātha's ratha (cart) stopped on Grand Road for the night. He stays on the ratha the whole night and moves forward the next day. As the rush of devotees was less then, I went for Jagannātha darśana and the pāṇḍās allowed me to climb on the ratha for darśana. On return, I came and told Guru Mahārāja and he said, no, do not do such a thing in the future. He said, Jagannātha's ratha is equal to Jagannātha, so our feet should not touch the ratha. I did not climb on the ratha after that and offered praṇāmas from far.
Another time Jagannātha's ratha stood just in front of our maṭha's gate. As it was evening, He would move not move further until the next day. Gurudeva wished that he go for darśana of Jagannāthadeva as there was less of a crowd and I accompanied him. When we were near the ratha, I hurried Gurudeva to come to the front of the ratha for Jagannāthadeva's darśana, but Gurudeva was just standing there. I'd been thinking that he did not hear me, so I called him again and again. But I saw Gurudev was not paying any attention to my words and I could not understand why Guru Mahārāja was looking here and there.
Then Guru Mahārāja bent down and lifted the heavy thick ropes lying in the front of the ratha up over his head and he crossed the rope from below it. I could have done it for him if at all I knew what he was thinking. Then he went and offered praṇāmas to Jagannāthadeva. How can one cross over the ropes of Jagannātha's ratha? It amounts to an offense—such is Guru Mahārāja's thinking and conduct.
—Śri Kṛṣṇananda Dās (Kuldeepjī)
Spoken in Hindi with English translation
The recording may be heard on GOKUL youtube channel, 09-04-2020 Part 1.
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