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Durban Ratha Yatra
From Kavicandra Swami
Posted May 20, 2004

April 9 thru 12 was the 16th annual Durban Ratha Yatra. The devotees always work hard to make each one better than the last, and the results are obvious. The area was large and the tents were better than first class.

Friday was the first day. On Saturday, the first Ratha Yatra parade went along the crowded beach and then through the downtown. On Monday night there was the return Ratha Yatra, which went in the opposite direction, past all the tourist hotels, and returned along the beach.

ISKCON Durban is famous for massive Food For Life prasadam distribution, and they carried on the tradition during the four-day festival. Many tents were dedicated to prasadam distribution. In the back was a large tent for free prasadam. Devotees worked all night cooking on open fires. There was a large sit-down Govinda's and a 20-meter take-away Govinda's. There were several smaller restaurants selling items such as pizza (1,000 per day), French fries, and milkshakes.

The busiest tent was the japa tent. Based on the model of Mayapura, it had 108 stepping stones, and many visitors were learning to chant. The devotees distributed many japa malas there.

There was a spectacular tent featuring the life and teachings of our Founder Acarya, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The book tent was the best I have seen at any festival. It was large and set up like a first-class book store. Needless to say, many books were distributed.

They had two large question-and-answer tents, where many visiting swamis and prabhus were kept busy. Present were HH Devamrta Swami, HH Mahavishnu Swami, HH Lokanath Swami, HH Balabha Puri Maharaja, HH Kadamba Kanana Swami, HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami, HH Jayapataka Swami, HH Bhakti Marg Swami, HG Parthasarathi Prabhu, and I.

The main tent seemed like a circus tent, being so large, and the programs were first class, variegated, and constant. The Little Gokula musicians and dancers from Uganda were especially popular. They are AIDS orphans who are now first-class devotees and entertainers. HH Bhakti Marga Swami worked his usual magic by quickly organizing many young people to perform devotional dramas. The Ramayana went until 11 pm and was so popular that they were asked to do it again. There were also various Indian dance and music performances.

Another rock & roll stage was set up near the beach. That was also busy all day. Radha Rae and devotees from Soweto did incredible high-energy shows. I am praying to get them and Little Gokula to America for a tour and an appearance on the Oprah Winfrey show. Winding up that venue was the Gauranga Powered Band, that is, HH Balabha Puri Maharaja with his rolling-and-rocking kirtans.

I was overwhelmed with the preaching spirit and hospitality of the devotees in Durban. Each visiting sannyasi was given a personal cook and driver, and all visiting devotees were cared for nicely. It is easy to see why things are developing so nicely there. HH Bhakti Caitanya Swami plans to make a first-class DVD presentation of the festival. I pray that there will be no delay in the production and that soon the world will be inspired to see this exhibition of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu's bhakti spirit.

"O my Lord, O Supreme Personality of Godhead, original spiritual master of the entire world, what is the difficulty for You, who manage the affairs of the universe, in delivering the fallen souls engaged in Your devotional service? You are the friend of all suffering humanity, and for great personalities it is necessary to show mercy to the foolish. Therefore I think that You will show Your causeless mercy to persons like us, who engage in Your service."

Purport: Here the words priya janan anusevatam nah indicate that the Supreme Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is very favorable to devotees who act according to the instructions of His own pure devotee. In other words, one must become the servant of the servant of the servant of the Lord. If one wants to become the servant of the Lord directly, this is not as fruitful as engaging in the service of the Lord's servant. This is the direction of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who shows us the way to become gopi-bhartuh pada-kamalayor dasa-dasanudasah [Cc. Madhya 13.80]. One should not be proud of becoming directly the servant of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Rather, one must seek a pure devotee, a servant of the Lord, and engage oneself in the service of such a servant. The more one becomes the servant of the servant, the more one becomes perfect in devotional service. This is also the injunction of Bhagavad-gita: evam parampara-praptam imam rajarsayo viduh [Bg. 4.2]. One can understand the science of the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by the parampara system. In this regard, Srila Narottama dasa Thakura says, tandera carana sevi bhakta-sane vasa: "Let me serve the lotus feet of the devotees of the Lord, and let me live with devotees." Janame janame haya, ei abhilasa. Following Narottama dasa Thakura, one should aspire to be a servant of the Lord's servant, life after life. Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura also sings, tumi ta' thakura, tomara kukura, baliya janaha more: "O my Lord, O Vaisnava, please consider me your dog." One must become the dog of a Vaisnava, a pure devotee, for a pure devotee can deliver Krsna without difficulty. Krsna se tomara, krsna dite para. Krsna is the property of His pure devotee, and if we take shelter of a pure devotee, he can deliver Krsna very easily. Prahlada wants to engage in the service of a devotee, and therefore he prays to Krsna, "My dear Lord, kindly give me the shelter of Your very dear devotee so that I may engage in his service and You may then be pleased." Mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika (SB 11.19.21). The Lord says, "Engaging in the service of My devotee is better than trying to engage in My devotional service."

Another significant point in this verse is that by devotional service Prahlada Maharaja does not want to benefit alone. Rather, he prays to the Lord that all of us fallen souls in this material world may, by the grace of the Lord, engage in the service of His servant and thus be delivered. The grace of the Lord is not at all difficult for the Lord to bestow, and thus Prahlada Maharaja wants to save the whole world by spreading Krsna consciousness. [Srimad Bhagavatam 7.9.42]

© dipika.org May 20, 2004

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