The Canticle of the Creatures written by St Francis in 1225 AD is an ode to theCreation in
praise of the Lord as the Creator of the universe. It is poetry of bhakti where
St Francis expresses his love for the Lord by revealing his perception of Him
in the amazing harmony of the universe. This juxtaposition of the
Lord of the Universe to the theme of creation in the ode, has inspired this
combination between this pastime of Lord Jagannath, His abode and
activities with hints about the esotericism of creation in a wholly Vaisnava
flavor. Since Krishna, in this mood and form as Lord Jagannath - of
supreme overflowing Divine Love - reveals that He is the Personality exchanging
and reciprocating the love of the devotees in whatever form they most
cherish in their hearts, He is addressed as the Lord of the Universe.
SBB Vol.III 5.211 "His transcendental
form, the one source of all incarnations, expands all of His various pastimes.
Whichever of His forms a devotee finds attractive, that form the Lord
shows him."
The Creation is an act of love and therefore is pervaded by
His love and attraction for Radha, and expresses metaphysically Their union.
The heart is not a shore
for the ocean of longing,
the body swayed drunk,
He could not give up
thinking of the dying
swan,
of Her agony
as He once saw while she
sat
on His lap; (1)
dazed He crossed the night
to the doorway at her
bedside,
floating in waves of love,
His eyes opened wide
and full of both joy and
surprise
He fainted, mesmerized ~
His love so intense,
that His limbs lignified.
A waft of scent from His cloud-like skin
awoke the Lover,
touching Her dreams ~
Krishna Krishna!
By seeing the lotus of His
face,
at once, of that burning
agony
there was no trace,
Radhe Radhe!
the scented breeze
roused Him,
Their eyes embraced,
and in rivers of Prem
Their union took place …
and from His mind
reflecting His desire
it pervaded the
universes
in the way all beings
unite,
and just as one serves
another
as trees give fruits and
flowers,
similarly this mood of
service
binds together all
lovers.
Union happened that night,
and when the cooing announced
that the sun would shortly
rise,
the Sakhis, drumming
and plucking strings,
started to sing
the canticle of this Love,
cause and true origin of
everything ~
is the attraction
binding the atoms (2)
and the variety that
attracts all beings.
O languishing souls,
take up this song
chant the names,
of Radha and Shyam
reuniting in Nidhuvan;
it's all about love,
coming in waves,
into the heart,
opening wide
'The Door Ajar' into
Puri Dham. (3)
(1) Ref. Pastimes at Prema Sarovara
(2) Sri Krishna Samhita 5.18 "In
the spiritual world the ever existing attachment extends love up to mahabhava,
and in the material world the reflection extends as an inconceivable material
attraction that creates variegatedness."
(3) Gopala Campu "As many petals as has a
lotus so many are the doors into Vraja Dhama."
SBB Vol III 5.212 "Eternally as dear to Sri Krsnadeva as His beautiful Mathura- dhama is that Purusottama-kshetra.
There the Lord displays His supreme opulence and yet charms His devotees
by acting like an ordinary person of the world."
~~~
The Story of the First Ratha Yatra – excerpted
from the booklet on a lecture of Sri Gour Govinda Maharaja titled “Three logs of wood”.
Krishna in Dwarka feels terrible pains of separation from the
Gopis and Radha. Once He fell unconscious and Narada and Uddhava came to
His aid. Then with Balarama and Subhadra they decided, before Krishna was
to regain consciousness, to prepare His chariot to ride Him to Vraja, but
Subhadra went ahead in Her chariot followed by Balarama’s to inform the
Brijibasis of His arrival. Radha is on the verge of death, laying on a
bed of petals in a secluded place on the banks of the Yamuna. Krishna
came back to His senses by the music of Narada and knowing in His heart the
deep pains of love of Radha, intoxicated by love He could barely walk, so is
put on the chariot by Uddhava and Narada. He suddenly arrived at the doorway
where Radha was lying feebly breathing. He sees her and submerged by love was stunned
and fainted like a piece of wood. But the scent of Krishna reached
Radha’s nostrils and Lalita whispered in Her ears : Krishna has come!
She awoke and seeing Krishna she immediately forgot all her pains,
and then Krishna was brought back to consciousness by whispering in His ears
:”Radhe Radhe. They looked in each other eyes and finally there was
union.
SB 10.46.22 “When we see the places where Mukunda
enjoyed His sporting pastimes –the rivers, hills and forests he decorated with
His feet – our minds become totally absorbed in Him.”
