Rathe tu Vaamanam drustva
We have heard a very popular sloka that is as follows – Rathe tu Vaamanam drustva Punarjanmam na vidyate || It means if we see Vaamana or Lord Jagannath on the Chariot during the Rath Yatra or the Car festival, we will never have to take rebirth again. In other words, we will get salvation or moksha or liberation from the cycle of birth and death. But a question comes to our mind that why Lord Jagannath is described here as ‘ Vaamana ’? To know the answer we have to refer to the following sloka – मधुसूदनो वैशाखे ज्येष्ठे त्रविक्रमः पतिः। आषाढे वामानाधीशः श्रावणे श्रीधरः स्मृतः॥ भाद्रवे हृषिकेशश्च पद्मनाभोऽश्विनाधिपः। दामोदरश्च कार्त्तिके मार्गशीर्षे च केशवः॥ पौषे नारायणस्वामी माघाधिपश्च माधवः। फाल्गुने गोविन्दो ज्ञेयो विष्णुश्चैत्रेश्वरोऽपिच॥ It means the combination of Hindu months and their presiding deities are as follows - वेशाख - मधुसूदन , ज्येष्ठ - त्रिविक्रम , आषाढ़ - वामन , श्रावण - श्रीधर , भाद्रव - हृषीकेश , आश्विन - पद्मन