Rashmi Rekha Das
The Bard of Avon had famously said: ‘What’s in a name?’ Jagannath Sahoo of Bhadrak, who was born sans hands, was determined to prove that he had more in common with Lord Jagannath than appeared at first sight. Humble and devout, he is one of those devotees in whom the Lord resides
Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, does not distinguish on the basis of caste, creed and colour. He binds all devotees in the universal web of love. The Lord is worshipped as Bhakta Batsal and Bhabagrahi – the supreme protector of devotees. He can’t be at peace on His ‘ratna simhasan’ when devotees are in trouble. Divine will and playfulness is often manifested in the Lord deliberately putting devotees in deep difficulty only to rescue them later. Who is the real devotee, the one who is dearest to the Lord? The Bhagavad Gita says:
Samah satrau cha mitra cha tatha manapamanayah
Sitosna sukha dukhesu samah sangvivarjitah.
Tulya ninda stutir mauni samhtusto yena kencit
Aniketah sthiramatir bhaktiman me priya narah
Meaning he who is alike to foe and friend… who is alike to cold and heat, in pleasure and pain who is free from attachment, who holds blame and praise equally, who is silent and content with everything, he who has no fixed abode and is firm in mind, that man with full of devotion is dear to Me.
Ardent devotees of the supreme Lord share a unique bond with Him, much like Jagannath Sahoo, a resident of Bhadrak, whose principal aim is to dedicate his life in the Lord’s service. Jagannath, who was born limbless, makes it a point to catch a glimpse of the Lord on the holy occasion of Rath Yatra every year. The pious soul who floats on the ocean of devotion believes the Lord came to his rescue during periods of extreme crises.
To pay obeisance to the Trinity in Srikhetra, Jagannath, along with four others, starts his journey from Bhadrak, his hometown, to the holy city a couple of days before the annual festival. He does not depend on vehicles, walking all the way to Puri from Bhadrak. He first visited Puri during Rath Yatra in 2014. Each year he is accompanied by three to four fellow villagers to Puri, because Jagannath has to depend on others to handle the heavy rush at Saradhabali.
The villagers at Ghanteswar in Bhadrak celebrated the limbless Jagannath’s birth with fanfare and named him after the Lord. As a child, Jagannath learned to perform the daily chores – washing his face, brushing his teeth and wearing clothes – by using his feet. Thanks to his sheer determination and hard work, Jagannath passed matriculation.
His devotion is as deep as the sea. “My love for the Lord began in early childhood,” said Jagannath. “When I was a child, I used to burst out laughing when my parents and villagers called me by my name, Jagannath. I have no regrets for being limbless as I feel that Lord Jagannath is my protector and saviour. If the limbless God can be the Lord of the Universe, why can’t I live a life of devotion and bliss?”
Asked why he visited Puri during Rath Yatra, a time of frenzied activity, the devout soul replied: “It is believed that the God hears the heart-rending cry of His devotees during times of crises. I, too, have experienced a few incidents that have left an indelible mark on my life and made me realise the divinity of the Almighty. I was once suffering from high fever and cough and cold when I was in Class VIII. Even after spending 18 days at SCB Medical College and Hospital in Cuttack, doctors could not diagnose my disease. Soon, I became paralytic. My body stopped working. I had to undergo treatment at SCB for three months, but in vain. I was confined to bed for a whole year. It was really painful for me to depend on others and I pitied myself. I spent all my time worshipping the God and reading the holy scriptures. One day, I yelled at Lord Jagannath like anything and prayed for the fulfillment of my wish. My wish was ‘make me walk and I will go to your shrine on foot.’ To my surprise, I started walking on Rath Yatra day that year. It was a miraculous happening that convinced me that God dwells in the hearts of devotees.”
Recounting memorable moments during his journey to Srimandir, Jagannath said: “Once I was lost in the crowd and got separated from my fellow villagers while trying to get a glimpse of Lord Jagannath atop His chariot. I felt helpless at that moment. A few police personnel came to my rescue. They took me to the Nandighosh chariot and asked me to pull it. In another incident, some fellow villagers including the headmaster of Madhabpur ME school who always accompanies me on my journey, climbed Goddess Subhadra’s chariot that was halting on its way to Gundicha temple. I could not make it and started crying. To my surprise, two policemen escorted me to the chariots of Jagannath and Balabhadra. I climbed the chariots and touched the deities. For me, the two policemen were incarnations of Jagannath and Balabhadra.”
“Existence without the Lord’s blessings is meaningless. I realised this soon after I became a father. I was blessed with an underweight son who was referred to Cuttack-based Sishu Bhawan immediately after birth. The doctors, however, told me that the situation seemed helpless as my kid had been admitted quite late. He was undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit and inside the room I happened to spot a photograph of Lord Jagannath near my son’s bed. At that moment, I became sure that son would get well soon and within a few days he was out of danger,” said Jagannath.