The Hidden Meaning of Ratha Yatra

The Hidden Meaning of Ratha Yatra

In a purport of Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada gives a wonderful illumination about the esoteric meaning of Lord Jagannathaā€™s Ratha-yātrā.
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After giving up the company of the Vraja-gopis, Vrajendranandana performed His pastimes in Dvaraka. When Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a visited Kurukshetra during a solar eclipse, He was accompanied by Baladeva, Subhadra, and other Dvarakavasis. At Kurukshetra, Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a again met the Vrajavasis, especially Srimati Rādhikā and His beloved sakhis.
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Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a Himself assuming the part of Sri Rādhā in order to understand Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a. Lord Jagannatha is Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a and Sri Caitanya is Rādhā. Lord Gaurangaā€™s leading Jagannatha Swami toward the Gundica Temple corresponded to Srimati Rādhikāā€™s leading Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a toward Vrndavana from Kuruksetra.
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Sri Ksetra, Jagannatha Puri, was taken as the kingdom of Dvaraka, the place where Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a enjoys supreme opulence. However, Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a was being led by Mahaprabhu to Vrndavana (represented by Gundica Temple), the simple village where all Vrajavasis are filled with ecstatic love for Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a. Sri Ksetra,Ā 
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Jagannatha Puri, is a place of richly opulent pastimes (aisvarya-lila) just as Vrndavana is the place of intimate conjugal pastimes (madhurya-lila).
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Lord Gaurangaā€™s following at the rear of Lord Jagannathaā€™s car indicated that Lord Jagannatha, Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a, was forgetting the Vrajavasis. Although Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a neglected the Vrajavasis, He never forgot them.Ā 
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Thus in His opulent Ratha-yātrā, Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a was returning to Vrndavana. In the role of Srimati Rādhikā, Sri Caitanyadeva was examining whether Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a still remembered the Vrajavasis. When Lord Gauranga fell behind the Ratha car, Jagannatha-deva, Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a Himself, understood the mind of Srimati Rādhikā.Ā 
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Therefore, Jagannatha sometimes fell behind the dancing of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu to indicate to Srimati Rādhikā; He had not forgotten.
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Thus Lord Jagannatha waited on His cart for their forward march. In this way, Lord Jagannatha showed that He could not feel satisfied without the ecstasy of Srimati Rādhikā. While Jagannatha thus waited, Gaurasundara, in His ecstasy of Rādhā, immediately rushed foward to Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a. At such times Lord Jagannatha proceeded very slowly.
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These competitive exchanges were all part of the love affairs between Sri Kį¹›į¹£į¹‡a and Srimati Rādhikā. In that competition between Mahaprabhuā€™s ecstasy for Jagannatha and Jagannathaā€™s ecstasy for Srimati Rādhikā, Mahaprabhu emerged successful. This is the purport of the Ratha-yātrā cars going from the Jagannatha Temple to the Gundica Temple. (Cc. 2.13.119 p.)
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Sri Jagannatha Swamiā€™s Ratha-yātrā festival ki jai!

Watch below video to know never heard before history of Jagannath Rath Yatra by HG GaurangaSundar Prabhu šŸ‘‡

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Thank you for giving me the answer of my question through this beautiful blog. Hari bol šŸ™ŒšŸ˜ Jai Srila Prabhupada šŸ™šŸ™‡šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

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