When Kṛṣṇa says dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1), where is the difficulty? The Kurukṣetra is still there. Everyone knows. There is a railway station of the name Kurukṣetra and there is a place Kurukṣetra. Now it is being developed by the government. So how you can explain Kurukṣetra otherwise? Kurukṣetra is a fact, and it is a dharma-kṣetra. Still many millions of Indians go there to visit, especially during the solar eclipse occasion they go there. And when Kṛṣṇa was staying on this planet He, His brother Balarāma, and His sister Subhadrā also visited Kurukṣetra. That ceremony is observed as Ratha-yātrā. Three persons, two brothers and one sister. We are celebrating, introduced this Ratha-yātrā system in the Western countries and recently we had this festival in New York. Very successfully. Perhaps you have read in the paper.
Eclipse (Lect. Conv. & Letters)
Lectures
Bhagavad-gita As It Is Lectures
Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures
Kṛṣṇa made condition. Kṛṣṇa is personal Supreme Personality of Godhead Himself. He came to show His mercy, and therefore He left Bhagavad-gītā to be read by common... Any common man can understand. But the rascals are so rigid that they will misinterpret. Kṛṣṇa left it for reading it by everyone. Any common man can understand. Dharma-kṣetre kuru-kṣetre samavetā yuyutsavaḥ (BG 1.1). This is the beginning. Any common man can understand. The Kurukṣetra is still there, and it is dharma-kṣetra. Still people go there to take bath in the Brahma-kunda during lunar and solar eclipse. It is a great dharma-kṣetra. But they will interpret, "Dharma-kṣetra kuru-kṣetra means this body." Where they get this meaning? Where is the dictionary? No, because he is scholar, he has invented some meaning. This is going on, and people are misled.
Nectar of Devotion Lectures
Just like in the water, the bodies of the aquatics are different, but you can see them. Why not? If, if, if it is not visible, how you are seeing the Moon planet? You are seeing the Moon planet. So it is visible. Not invisible. Our point is that these people... First of all, whether they are going to the Moon planet, that is doubtful. At least, I am doubtful. Because we get information from the śāstra , that there is a planet which is called Rāhu. That is very near to Moon. And that Rāhu sometimes comes in front of the Moon planet, and that is called candragrahāṇa. Moon, lunar eclipse. So that, that Rāhu planet is dark. So they might be going to this Rāhu planet, not to the Moon planet. Maybe. Because that is very near. Moon planet is heavenly planet. Heavenly planet. There, there demigods, they live. So we get this information.
Sri Caitanya-caritamrta Lectures
I don't exactly remember. But one of the Vedas it is written that kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. In the Kurukṣetra, that place, if anyone wants to perform religious rites, he should go to Kurukṣetra and perform there. It will have better effect. This is the indication in the Vedic literatures. Therefore Kurukṣetra is still accepted. Those who travel, wander in pilgrimages, they go to Kurukṣetra still. The system is going on. If there is a lunar eclipse, they go to Kurukṣetra to make some charities. So Kurukṣetra is accepted from the very, very long period in the Vedic age as the place of pilgrimage. So it is stated there, dharmakṣetra. How can I interpret that this Kurukṣetra means this body? In which dictionary he finds this meaning? But people are so foolish, because Mahatma Gandhi has interpreted, "Oh, it is right." So this is going on.
Festival Lectures
So when Kṛṣṇa was present, once upon a time there was a lunar..., solar eclipse. At that time Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother and sister... His elder brother's name was Balarāma and His younger sister's name was Subhadra. This Subhadra was also wife of Arjuna. So these three brothers and sisters in a chariot came from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. At that time the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana... Vṛndāvana... Kṛṣṇa's childhood was spent at Vṛndāvana under the care of His foster father Nanda Mahārāja. So when Kṛṣṇa went to His real father, Vasudeva, at Dvārakā, and came back to Kurukṣetra on this occasion of solar eclipse, the inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, who were suffering too much out of separation from Kṛṣṇa, they came to see Him. And at that time His beloved Rādhārāṇī was too much afflicted. She said, "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī. But the place is different, Kurukṣetra. It is not Vṛndāvana. Therefore I wish that You come with Me to Vṛndāvana and let Us enjoy Our previous life." This is the ecstasy of the residents of Vṛndāvana.
So today is a very nice, auspicious day. On this day Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this earth, He attended a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His brother Balarāma, and Subhadra, sister, came to visit the Kurukṣetra field. That Kurukṣetra land is still present in India. If someday you'll go to India you'll find that Kurukṣetra land is there. So this Ratha-yatra ceremony is performed in commemoration of Kṛṣṇa's visiting Kurukṣetra with His brother and sister. So Lord Jagannātha, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was in ecstasy. He was in the mood of loving spirit like Rādhārāṇī, so He was thinking, "Kṛṣṇa, please come back again to Vṛndāvana." So He was dancing before the Ratha-yatra, and you will understand, if you read some of the books published by you..., published by our society. One of the book is known as Teachings of Lord Caitanya.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this great Ratha-yatra festival. I have already explained what is this Ratha-yatra festival. It is in commemoration of a grand visit by Lord Kṛṣṇa along with His elder brother, Balarāma, and His younger sister, Subhadrā, in a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra. This occasion is the subject matter of this Ratha-yatra festival. Apart from these historical references in the matter of Ratha-yatra festival, there is another spiritual meaning, that the Lord is situated in everyone's heart, and this body is just like ratha, or car. He is sitting in everyone's heart. It is stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, sarvasya cāhaṁ hṛdi sanniviṣṭaḥ: "I am sitting in everyone's heart." Mattaḥ smṛtir jñānam apohanaṁ ca: (BG 15.15)
Ladies and gentlemen, I thank you very much for your kindly participating in this festival, Ratha-yātrā festival. This festival is coming down since five thousand years when Lord Kṛṣṇa, along with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, all together in a chariot came from Dvārakā to Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is still existing, and the Dvārakā, the city, is also still existing. So according to Vedic culture, when there is eclipse, lunar eclipse, people take bath in sacred rivers. So especially they go to Kurukṣetra, a pilgrimage. So Kṛṣṇa along with His family members, brother and sister, came to Kurukṣetra, and receiving this news, the gopīs and inhabitants of Vṛndāvana, where Lord Kṛṣṇa lived in His childhood, they came to see Him. So amongst the gopīs, Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was the chief. And when she saw Kṛṣṇa in Kurukṣetra in all opulence, She said, "My dear Kṛṣṇa, You are also here; I am also here. But We are missing Vṛndāvana. So I wish that You come along with Me again in Vṛndāvana and We enjoy in the forest of Vṛndāvana."
There is a place in India about ninety miles north of Delhi. You have heard the name of New Delhi. The place is named Kurukṣetra. It is accepted as the holy place, pilgrimage. People still gather there, especially during the eclipse, solar and lunar eclipse. So there was once, five thousand years ago, there was a solar eclipse, and all people, from all parts of India, they came to Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa at that time was prince at Dvārakā, He also came with His elder brother and sister. Kṛṣṇa in His childhood, He was raised as the foster son of Mahārāja Nanda and mother Yaśodā in Vṛndāvana. Then, when He was grown up... You will find this history in the Kṛṣṇa book. So the incidence is that Kṛṣṇa was the beloved personality in Vṛndāvana.
In India there is still that place, Kurukṣetra, and religious men go there especially on the occasion of solar eclipse. So recently there was solar eclipse. Still, many millions of Indian population gathered there. Those who have gone to India might have seen this holy place, Kurukṣetra. There is a railway station also of the name Kurukṣetra, and it is a vast field. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place also during Lord Kṛṣṇa's time, and the Bhagavad-gītā is the product in the Battlefield of Kurukṣetra. So this ceremony..., Kṛṣṇa, with His elder brother Balarāma and His younger sister Subhadrā, visited in this chariot at Kurukṣetra, and we are observing this festival.
Arrival Addresses and Talks
Now our next attempt will be Kurukṣetra, where Kṛṣṇa personally spoke Bhagavad-gītā. Recently I have been in Kurukṣetra. You were... Yes. So I have decided to do something there. Yes. Because Kṛṣṇa personally spoke there. Our two movements—we are preaching Kṛṣṇa consciousness on the basis of Bhagavad-gītā and we are holding Ratha-yātrā—all these two incidences took place at Kurukṣetra. Kurukṣetra is so important. Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma, and His sister, on some occasion of lunar eclipse, they came from Dvārakā in a chariot, ratha, two brothers and sister, and that is the occasion of Ratha-yātrā. And the Vṛndāvana inhabitants, especially Rādhārāṇī, they came from Vṛndāvana to see Kṛṣṇa after long time. And she pleaded that "Kṛṣṇa, You are the same Kṛṣṇa, I am the same Rādhārāṇī..." (Prabhupāda is coughing) Is there any water? No. "But this place is not the proper place. Let Us go to Vṛndāvana." That is Mahāprabhu's feeling.
General Lectures
Jagannātha festival significance is that when Kṛṣṇa left Vṛndāvana... Kṛṣṇa was raised by His foster father, Nanda Mahārāja. But when He was grown up, 16 years old, He was taken away by His real father, Vasudeva, and They left Vṛndāvana, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, two brothers, and They were resident..., Their kingdom was in Dvārakā. So in Kurukṣetra—Kurukṣetra is always dharma-kṣetra, pilgrimage—there was some lunar, solar eclipse, and many persons from many parts of India, they came to take bath. Similarly, Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma and Their sister Subhadra, They also came in royal fashion, with so many soldiers, and so many..., just like king. So these residents of Vṛndāvana, they met Kṛṣṇa, and especially the gopīs, they saw Kṛṣṇa, and they lamented that "Kṛṣṇa, You are here, we are also here, but the place is different. We are not in Vṛndāvana." So there is a long story how they lamented and how Kṛṣṇa pacified them.
Philosophy Discussions
Prabhupāda: Natural selection is there, but how the natural selection is working, he does not know that.
Karandhara: In a sense we know from Vedic information that the species from one end from the smallest germ up to the highest demigod, they are progressively more advanced. So anyone can come along and take out a small eclipsed portion of that sequence and propose the theory that the species is advancing, but that gamut, that range, perspective of higher and lower is existing, but not that it's evolving...
Prabhupāda: It is already there. I am simply changing place, transmigration. That is our theory-transmigration.
Śyāmasundara: Well, he says it like this, that there are alternative courses of action. For every possibility there are several other possibilities. So that for instance a man can make a decision, a choice, to take different, alternative way. So he says that nature works in that way also.
Prabhupāda: No. Nature is not working that way. Nature is working very perfectly. We can see. Just after... So perfect that the astronomers, they are calculating that on such and such date there will be an eclipse, and it will be seen in India; it will not be seen in Europe; and exactly at this time the eclipse will begin. So how they are calculating unless there is a rigid law? How it is possible? They are calculating mathematically. The general matter that two plus two is always four, not that by accident it becomes five. That is not possible. So the nature's law is working in that way. Otherwise how one year before you can calculate this solar eclipse and lunar eclipse so rightly? And they can say that from this country it will be seen, and from this country it will be not seen. That means the position of the sun, moon and everything, of the latitude and longitude, everything is so nicely done that you can make calculations very perfectly. How you can say accident? There is no accident.
Conversations and Morning Walks
1967 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: In order to appreciate Kṛṣṇa in the form of gopī. Just like I have got dealings with you. So you have got your individuality, I have got my individuality, but if I want to study how you are so much obedient and loving to me, then I have to go to your position. It is very natural psychology. Yes. You have to paint in that way.
Hayagrīva: I think that's clear.
Prabhupāda: Huh? That's clear. Accha. Then fourth scene is lunar eclipse. You'll have to arrange a scene that just in the evening there is appearance of the full moon on the side of the Ganges and people are taking bath half in the water and half above the water, and they're all chanting, this same scene, Hare Kṛṣṇa, Hare Kṛṣṇa, with mṛdaṅga and... Yes. So somebody comes, Advaita. Advaita comes in the scene to take bath in the Ganges and begins to dance. "Oh, my mission is now fulfilled! My mission is now fulfilled!" He'll talk. He was very sorry to see the condition of the people that everyone is engaged simply for material sense gratification. Nobody is engaged in love of Godhead. So he wanted to rectify their behavior, but he thought that "I am ordinary man, what can I do? If Kṛṣṇa Himself comes, then He can do it." Therefore he worshiped Kṛṣṇa, and he simply offered Ganges water and tulasī leaf. In this way Kṛṣṇa has taken His incarnation as Lord Caitanya. So he has understood now at this moment Lord Caitanya is now taken His appearance. So he was dancing, "Now my mission is fulfilled. Now my mission is fulfilled."
Hayagrīva: That's Advaita.
Prabhupāda: Advaita. Lunar eclipse, everyone taking bath in the Ganges and chanting.
Hayagrīva: And Advaita is introduced there and he's very joyful on this occasion because he had requested that this incarnation...
Prabhupāda: Yes. He prayed. He prayed to Kṛṣṇa that "You come."
Hayagrīva: He's aware at this time that this is the occurrence of Lord Caitanya's incarnation.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Yes. So this scene should be entered like that.
1969 Conversations and Morning Walks
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Well, we will have a scene showing the people chanting by the..."
Prabhupāda: One scene you have to show that in the Ganges water people are taking bath, and there is on the sky beginning of the moon eclipse, lunar eclipse. And they are all chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa and taking bath. And exactly at that time Caitanya Mahāprabhu appeared. This is one scene. And the appearance of Caitanya Mahāprabhu should be underneath a tree. Under this scene, this scene, one... Advaita Prabhu's wife, Śrīvāsa's wife, they were elderly, and all other women of the village, they immediately came with presentation. And some of the demigods, they also came, I mean to say, disguising themselves as ordinary men, with presentation. And His father got so many valuable presentations. And then again, some of the professional dancers, they came. So he distributed charity to them.
1973 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That is their argument. Then what is the standard of that aspect? Just like in the material world we see, somebody richer than others. This is also aspect of material situation. So if one is millionaire, he is better than a person who has got a few coins. So similarly, your realization of God and my realization of God, different. So I may be greater realized than you. What do you say, theologian?
Prajāpati: Well, today, Prabhupāda most of the literature is written on subjects of death of God, an eclipse of God, the fact that the people in general, it's a secular society and no one is even discussing God.
Prabhupāda: That means they have failed. After discussing when they could not find out actually what is God, they have given up the idea. Failure.
Prabhupāda: Time stops... Anyway, nobody has gone. They have gone to the nearest planet, they say. I do not know whether they have gone at all.
Yaśomatīnandana: You don't think, Prabhupāda, they have reached the moon?
Prabhupāda: No. There are so many invisible planets. Not that all the stars and planets, you can see, just like Rāhu planet. That is not seen. And when the Rāhu planet passes through, that is eclipse, but they describe in a different way. Actually, it is the Rāhu planet which passes before the sun and moon and there is eclipse. There are so many questionable things of the theory that, the eclipse theory of the modern view. That is not correct according to Vedic theory.
Svarūpa Dāmodara: The eclipse?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
1974 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: That... They are not going to the moon planet. They are going to some other planet, Rahu planet.
Guru dāsa: Rahu?
Prabhupāda: Yes. There are many planets invisible. So there is a Rahu planet which comes in front of the moon planet, and that is called eclipse. So there is a planet rotating. I think they are going to that Rahu planet, not to the moon planet.
Haṁsadūta: How can they make such a mistake?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Haṁsadūta: How is it that they made such a big mistake?
Prabhupāda: Their whole life is mistake. (laughter) They cannot do anything but mistake. Why you are so much confident about that? Their whole life is simply mistake.
1975 Conversations and Morning Walks
Balavanta: In the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam you say that the Rāhu planet is visible on the full moon night? The Rāhu planet?
Prabhupāda: No, when there is eclipse.
Balavanta: Oh, eclipse.
Prabhupāda: Eclipse means Rāhu planet comes in front. (Apparently reads sign:) "No smoking?"
Śrutakīrti: "No swimming."
Prabhupāda: Oh. Who is going to swim now? (laughter)
Prabhupāda: That I am doubtful. Always. (break) ...doubt always. They have... They might have gone... Mostly, most probably they have not gone. Simply propaganda. But even they have gone, not to moon. Maybe the Rahu planet. Or there are so many other planets.
Amogha: Is that Rahu planet closer than the moon to the earth?
Prabhupāda: Rahu planet orbit is in between moon and sun. So when it comes in between moon and sun there is eclipse. At night it is eclipse in the moon, and daytime it is eclipse in the sun.
Amogha: They used to think that because there is overpopulation we will go to another planet and then begin living there.
Prabhupāda: No question of overpopulation. There are so many land. You do not know how to live. There is no question of overpopulation. You want to live like cats and dogs. Therefore you fight; there is scarcity. If you live properly, there is no question of scarcity. (break) Otherwise it is perfect. Everything is perfect. There is no question of inconvenience. You live according to the direction of Bhagavad-gītā; there is no question of scarcity, inconvenience, overpopulation. Everything is made.
Amogha: Rāhu. Seems like all the planets, they have that space interval of sixteen hundred thousand miles. Most of the sun...
Prabhupāda: Yes, yes.
Amogha: ...and then the moon and Venus. That two hundred thousand yojanas.
Prabhupāda: When the Rāhu happens to be between the two planets, sun and moon, there is eclipse.
Amogha: When the orbits intercross.
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Brahmānanda: Sometimes the moon comes in front of the sun.
Prabhupāda: What is the front?
Brahmānanda: Between the sun and the earth the moon comes.
Jagannātha-suta: Lunar eclipse.
Prabhupāda: No, no. Eclipse is different, not according to their theory. That planet is called Rahu.
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: Called palmetto tree. Palmetto tree. Not fruit-bearing. Not fruit-bearing.
Prabhupāda: (Break)...beyond the sun.
Indian man: Beyond the sun. How would you explain about eclipse which we get?
Prabhupāda: That you ask some astronomer. I am not astronomer. But I understand from Vedic scripture that moon is beyond the sun.
Indian man: 'Cause we have seen that the moon comes between...
Prabhupāda: Yes, eclipse, it is Rahu. It is Rahu between the sun and, sun and moon. Yes.
Indian man: Between the earth and the sun.
Prabhupāda: No earth. No, Rahu. Earth is...
Cyavana: What they see is Rahu, not moon. No.
Indian man: At night the planets which give light to this universe...
Prabhupāda: That is moon.
Prabhupāda: Yes. The pivot is the polestar. Fixing, the pole-star, they are moving like this. And there is sun's movement. So we shall go once again?
Cyavana: Yes. We can go back.
Indian man: (break)...friend, and I told him that you said these things. So he asked me the question about the eclipse. So I would like to know to explain to him about it.
Prabhupāda: The eclipse is... When the Rahu comes between sun and moon, there is eclipse.
Indian man: It does not eclipse the moon. But why people say that it's the moon that covers the sun? Because they don't know it's...
Prabhupāda: They are misinformed.
Indian man: They suppose?
Prabhupāda: It is not the fact.
Cyavana: Your Guru Mahārāja, he was an astronomer?
Prabhupāda: Yes.
Cyavana: (break) ...some astronomers who have the correct understanding?
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes. Many.
Cyavana: There are some still. They understand correct.
Prabhupāda: The Indian astronomer, they correctly say, "This time, this moment, there will be eclipse." How do they say?
Puṣṭa Kṛṣṇa: On the basis of Rahu.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Prabhupāda: Oh. (break) ...modern, that the earth comes in front of the moon or the sun and then there is eclipse. Do they not?
Dr. Patel: They, all the scientists also say the same thing, sir. When it comes in the straight line the eclipse...
Prabhupāda: No, no, no. I am saying, repeating their word. But why, then, eclipse takes place irregularly?
Dr. Patel: This is a question of simple harmonic motions according to the scientists here who explain it. The simple harmonic motion principle is that several motions are, I mean, going, gathered at a time. Then all of them come together. Then you see that thing occurs.
Prabhupāda: No...
Dr. Patel: So that motions are different. The different timings come.
Prabhupāda: But that means they do not know actually the motions.
Prabhupāda: One... Suppose you have got enemy. You are not going to attack regularly, but when there is some opportunity you go to attack. Harer nāma (CC Adi 17.21).
Dr. Patel: Are we not observing this eclipse rituals, that, during the eclipse we stop aratis and all of this...
Prabhupāda: Why?
Dr. Patel: And after the eclipse is over, take bath and then do the arati?
Prabhupāda: Yes, they take bath.
Dr. Patel: Even the other Vaiṣṇava mandirs don't do arati during that period if it comes within that...
Prabhupāda: Hare Kṛṣṇa.
Dr. Patel: Some sort of cosmic disturbances must be occuring in the cosmos during this period of gṛhana(?) or eclipse. We do not know, the modern science. Some movement must be happening.
Prabhupāda: Yes. Our śāstra says it is attack by Rahu. Rahu...
Prabhupāda: No, in the... Rahu, Rahu... Rahu comes in front...
Dr. Patel: That is... The shadow is the Rahu. What else could be? That shadow of earth in the cosmos is the Rahu, most probably to me, because when the moon... Generally moon does not come so very often therein in the purview of that shadow. When it comes, it gets eclipsed.
Prabhupāda: No, no. They give that the earth comes in front of the sun or the moon, therefore the shadow.
Dr. Patel: Earth comes in front of the sun. Then it becomes sun eclipse.
Prabhupāda: Yes. So, but why, if the movement is regular, then the earth come regularly.
Dr. Patel: But there are several movements also. The movement of the earth, sun, and moon.
Prabhupāda: That means again escaping.
Prabhupāda: Oh, yes, they are changing. You see here... You have not seen that, our Svarūpa Dāmodara's book? He has given: simply changing, simply changing, these rascals. Changing means rascal. He does not know. "It is this. It is this." Another man, "No, no, it is not this. It is this." Therefore all of them rascals.
Dr. Patel: About this Kakubh Kapoor Cakra(?), our scientist, Mihila(?), has planned it, and according to the eclipse and sun and the moon eclipse come. That means his science was perfect. Otherwise it would not come at that particular day, time, and...
Prabhupāda: We... Our... Five thousand years ago Śukadeva Gosvāmī said that "As I have heard it, I am explaining." That means time immemorial, the thing is, same thing is coming. There is no change, not that after few days, "No, no. It was wrong. This is now right." Again somebody comes.
Dr. Patel: They are explaining the truth in their own way. That is the change of theory. But the truth is the same.
Prabhupāda: That is the truth of rascaldom, as soon as you change your position.
1976 Conversations and Morning Walks
Prabhupāda: On principle. Whatever they say "Yes," we say "No." (laughter)
Pañca-draviḍa: What is the explanation of an eclipse?
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Pañca-draviḍa: Eclipse.
Prabhupāda: Eclipse are.... So that Rāhu planet comes to attack the sun and the moon. And when it comes, it becomes dark.
Pañca-draviḍa: How does it attack?
Prabhupāda: How do I attack you?
Pañca-draviḍa: When we see part of the moon disappear, what is actually happening?
Prabhupāda: Happening, that attack.... Suppose if I come to attack you and if I am in front, then you cannot see.
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Like now I can't see.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Tamāla Kṛṣṇa: Yeah. Just like Prabhupāda's.... I'm standing behind him, and when he attacks you, I can't see you.
Nanda-kumāra: By the scientist's calculation of what's happening with the revolving, they can predict an eclipse.
Prabhupāda: Hm?
Nanda-kumāra: They can say in advance when an eclipse will come.
Prabhupāda: Well we can also predict.
Prabhupāda: This Ratha-yātrā is in memory of Kṛṣṇa's coming there with His brother and sister during one eclipse, to take bath, coming from Dvārakā.
Devotee (7): And the gopīs also assembled there?
Prabhupāda: The gopīs got the information that Kṛṣṇa is coming from Dvārakā, so from Vṛndāvana they went to see Him. And when Kṛṣṇa and Rādhārāṇī met, that Rādhārāṇī lamented that Kṛṣṇa—He was the same Kṛṣṇa and the same Rādhārāṇī—so "this is not a good meeting place. So, if You come to Vṛndāvana, then I shall be happy." So it is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. That is the feeling of Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Ratha-yātrā. He is inviting Kṛṣṇa to Vṛndāvana. So in Jagannātha Purī still the same feelings are there.
Rādhāvallabha: Śrīla Prabhupāda, by calculating the movements of the moon, scientists can predict years in advance when the solar eclipse will be.
Prabhupāda: That is not their invention. That is already there. (pause) (walking) We shall go further? No? (japa)
Hari-śauri: One thing is, Śrīla Prabhupāda, if they've wrongly calculated the distance of the moon, then how is it that they're able to calculate these eclipses and whatever?
Prabhupāda: That I do not know. First of all, answer this. Yes. Yes. They say the moon planet first. I say, no, sun planet. First of all...
Trivikrama:(?) But they can see the moon comes in front of the sun.
Candanācārya: This is some other planet.
Prabhupāda: Huh?
Candanācārya: That must be some other planet.
Prabhupāda: Which one?
Candanācārya: This one that comes in front of the sun.
Prabhupāda: Whatever it may be, all over the world, they accept Sunday first.
Prabhupāda: Literally, yes. The thing is the interpretation is required when you cannot understand. If, if I say, "This is a stick," everyone knows it is a stick. So I say, "Here is a stick." So if you say, "No, I do not accept it is stick." So what is that interpretation? Everyone knows it is stick. Similarly, Kurukṣetra means that the place, still existing. And in the Vedic śāstra it is ordered, kurukṣetre dharma yajayet. You go... From time immemorial it is a place of pilgrimage. Even Kṛṣṇa, during solar eclipse, Kṛṣṇa with His family, He came there, Jagannātha. The ceremony is there, Ratha-yātrā. Because Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and Subhadra came in the same chariot. That is being performed. So Kurukṣetra, dharmakṣetra, at least five thousand years ago the system was that people used to come to Kurukṣetra as a place of pilgrimage, dharmakṣetra. And Kurukṣetra, the place is there. And the the two family members, the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas, they fought. The Battle of Kurukṣetra took place. These things are evident. Then why there is need of interpreting? That is the first point.
Correspondence
1970 Correspondence
I am so glad to learn that your efforts to raise contributions towards a nicer temple are now meeting with some good response. Now the Washington devotees have appeared on the television several times, so the public will be inquiring more and more what is this Krsna Consciousness movement. And you say that several hundred people joined in chanting and dancing during the eclipse. All these things are very much encouraging to me. The key to your success is firm conviction combined with sincerity of purpose, then push our Krsna Consciousness movement with unflinching determination.
Regarding your question about Lord Jagannatha and Lord Krsna, Jagannatha is Krsna. Krsna's childhood up to His 15th year He lives in Vrndavana. Radharani is His childhood friend. But Krsna, after returning to His father's home at Dvaraka, came to see Kuruksetra during some solar eclipse. At that time His sister Subhadra and brother Balarama also came in a chariot, and this incident is worshiped as Jagannatha Rathayatra. The conclusion is that Jagannatha and Krsna is the same.
1972 Correspondence
So far your Jagannatha deities which have become badly cracked, it is better to replace them, but if that is not possible then you may repair. The story of Lord Jagannatha is like this: Once King Indradyumna wanted to establish the picture in the temple of Krishna, Subhadra, & Balarama coming in a car or chariot during solar eclipse to Kuruksetra so he employed Visvakarma to carve them from wood, and actually the carving was going on behind closed doors, but the King was very impatient to see, so Visvanatha (Visvakarma) stopped, but the King was satisfied with them half-finished.
1976 Correspondence
The whole universe is just like a big tree, that is a fact. I do not think that the modern astronomers have any such idea that the whole universe is like a big tree. The planets which are full of living entities are one after another, one above the other. The relative positions of the planets is fixed up but the whole thing is turning. The sun is going north and south, it has its own orbit below the moon. So now you all Ph.D.'s must carefully study the details of the 5th Canto and make a working model of the universe. If we can explain the passing seasons, eclipses, phases of the moon, passing of day and night, etc. then it will be very powerful propaganda.
| Page Title: | Eclipse (Lect. Conv. & Letters) |
| Compiler: | Visnu Murti, Serene |
| Created: | 15 of Jun, 2011 |
| Totals by Section: | BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=14, Con=21, Let=5 |
| No. of Quotes: | 40 |