iskcon desire tree - bhakti ratnakara

8/14/2019 ISKCON desire tree - Bhakti Ratnakara

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All glories to r Gaura Govinda, the Lord of all! All glories to LordNitynanda, Haladhara! All glories to r Advaita Prabhu, the foremost

distributor of devotion! All glories to r Gaddhara Paita, thereservoir of love! All glories to rvsa Paita, the friend of the poor!All glories to Santana and Rpa Gosvms, who are oceans of mercy!All glories to the merciful devotees of Lord Caitanya Mahprabhu! Havemercy on us, as we are completely dependent on your grace. All gloriesto the listeners ofBhakti-ratnkara, who possess all devotional qualities!Kindly hear my story.I have been discussing the affectionate behavior of r Jva Gosvmtoward rnivsa crya and Narottama Mahaya. One day r Jva

Gosvm decided to send rnivsa and Narottama to tour all of the holyplaces of Vraja. As he wondered who should guide them, RghavaGosvm arrived from Govardhana. r Jva was very glad to see himand, after seating him, inquired about his well being. Rghava told r

Jva, I have decided to tour Vraja, and for that purpose I will very soonleave. r Jva was quite happy to hear that and asked Rghava to takernivsa and Narottama along with him. Rghava was pleased with theidea.

Meanwhile, rnivsa and Narottama arrived there and bowed at thefeet of r Jva and Rghava. Rghava embraced rnivsa andNarottama very affectionately, making them ecstatic. r Jva Gosvminformed them about the tour of the holy places in Vraja. Overwhelmedwith joy, they asked permission to leave immediately. In greatsatisfaction r Jva Gosvm then bid farewell to rnivsa andNarottama.


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rnivsa and Narottama Tour Vndvana With RghavaPaita

r Rghava happily led rnivsa and Narottama to Mathur. They firstwent to the temple of r Keavadeva where Subuddhi Rya had oncestayed. They glorified the qualities of r Subuddhi Rya and in theevening they began nma-sakrtana. Rghava Gosvm was alwaysintoxicated in ecstatic love. There is no end to the descriptions of hischaracter.

The Glories of r Rghava Gosvm

Who can describe the activities of such an exalted Vaiava as rRghava Paita? He belonged to a Kulina brhmaa family of SouthIndia, and he always showed extreme favor to the poor. He has writtenvarious books like Bhakti-ratna-praka. Rghava Gosvm was an

authority in all stras. He always lived at Govardhana, the place whichwas all and all for him.It is stated in Gaura-gaoddea-dipika: That person who was SakhCampakalat, the life of rmat Rdhr in Vraja, has appeared as rRghava Gosvm, the resident of Govardhana, in gaura-ll. He haswritten a book called Bhakti-ratna-praka.From time to time Rghava Paita would visit the various places inVndvana, and at other times he stayed with r Dsa Gosvm

[Raghuntha dsa]. Sometimes both of them would come to Vndvanato meet the other devotees. Rghava always chanted the glories ofRdh-Ka and Caitanya Mahprabhu and floated in his own tears.He used to roll in the dust of Vndvana, and he never felt the urge ofhunger. Who can understand the depths of his detachment from worldlypleasures? r Rghava knew that rnivsa and Narottama were of the


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same mentalityfull of love and devotionand therefore he lovedthem intensely.At dawn, in a solitary place, r Rghava began to describe theinnumerable pastimes of r Ka in Mathur-maala. King

Vajranbha of Mathur-maala established many villages which henamed after Ka's various pastimes. By installing many Deities ofKa and revealing many kuas, King Vajranbha satisfied his ownlong-cherished desires. [Vajranbha was the great grandson of Ka. Hewas the son of Aniruddha, the son of Pradyumna.] After some time,however, the locations of those holy places were almost lost. No onecared to discuss or remember those holy places or the Lord's pastimesthere.Much later, r Ka Caitanya, Vrajendra-kumra Himself, came toMathur and indicated the locations of those lost holy places. Hedescribed everything about those places to Santana and Rpa.Although Rpa and Santana were familiar with the places and theirimportance, nevertheless they sought evidence from the scriptures.After collecting scriptural references, they traveled to each of the holyplaces in Vraja. With utmost care they reestablished many of the lostholy places. They also revealed the glories of r r Rdh-Ka andthe essence of Their divine love. Rpa and Santana were very dear to

Caitanya Mahprabhu. Because of their sincere endeavor to reveal theholy places, people can now know the glories of Mathur.

Rghava Paita Describes the Glories of Mathur

Mathur-maala covers twenty yojanas [160 miles] of land. One who

bathes anywhere in Mathur is freed from his sins. di-varha Puraconfirms this in the following statement: As darkness is vanquished bythe sunrise, as mountains tremble in fear of thunder, as snakes fearGarua, as clouds are removed by the blowing wind, as miseries aredestroyed through the cultivation of knowledge, and as deer tremble infear of lions, so are sins destroyed by the sight of Mathur.


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In the conversation of Hara-Gaur in the Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa,the same information has been given: As heaps of grass are burnt byfire, so all the greatest sins of men can be destroyed by seeing all theplaces of Mathur.

In the di-varha Pura it is stated: Every step taken within thetwenty yojanas of Mathur gives the same virtuous results as anavamedha-yaja. If anyone commits a sineither intentionally orunintentionallyhe can be freed from that sin by visiting any placewithin Mathur.According to the Vyu Pura: Any sin committed in Mathur isdestroyed in Mathur itself. By living in Mathur one can attain thefour goals of human life namely; dharma, artha, kma, and moka[religiosity, wealth, sense gratification, and salvation].The Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, also states: O Mahdev, the resultof whatever sin forces a man to suffer for ten years outside of Mathurcan be destroyed within ten days by living in Mathur.In the di-varha Pura, Lord Varha narrates the glories of Mathurto the deity of the earth: Hey Vasundhare! In the three worlds there isno place more dear to Me than Mathur.Nrada Muni speaks the following words in the Skanda Pura,Mathur-khaa: The results one gets by living in Bhrata-vara [India]

for thirty-three thousand years are easily attained simply byremembering the glories of Mathur.In Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, it is stated: If someone cherishes thehope of visiting Mathur, but never gets the opportunity; or if someonedies outside Mathur cherishing that hope of visiting Mathur, he willattain a birth in Mathur.Mathur is the best of all trthas and shelter of many holy sites, thenumber of which can not be counted.In di-varha Pura it is stated: Hey Vasundhare! I have indicated660 billion holy places in Mathur-maala. From the Skanda Pura,Mathur-khaa, it is stated: O King, in the course of time it may bepossible to count the particles of dust on the earth, but the number ofholy places in Mathur cannot be counted.Then in the Ptla-khaa ofSkanda Pura: Dear man, just live inMathur Pur where Govinda, the creator of the three worlds, and His


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gops reside eternally. O lovers of worldly affairs, do take a lesson. If youwant to get eternal happiness, simply live in Mathur!Another quote from di-varha Pura says: The person who rejectsMathur and lives in any other holy place or even expresses his love for

living outside of Mathur is a foolish person. By My illusory potency thatman will pass life after life within this material world. A similar verse isfound in the Skanda Pura.The di-varha Pura also says: Madhu-pur is the refuge of those whohave been rejected by friends and family and have no other shelter.Mathur is the essence and most secret of all holy trthas and theultimate goal of all those who are searching for the Absolute Truth.Again in the di-varha Pura it is stated: O Dev, within the threeworlds there is certainly no place superior to Mathur. I live therethroughout the ages.In the rmad Bhgavatam (4.8.42), Nrada says to Dhruva: My dearboy, I therefore wish all good fortune for you. You should go to the bankof the Yamun, where there is a virtuous forest named Madhuvana, andthere be purified. Just by going there, one draws nearer the SupremePersonality of Godhead, who always lives there.A verse in the Viu Pura says: atrughna founded Mathur afterkilling the powerful demon Lavana, the son of Madhu. Mathur is the

abode of Mahdeva, the deity of all deities and great devotee of Hari.Mahdeva executed his austerities in Mathur, the place which candestroy all sins.In Vyu Pura there is a verse: Mathur may be extended up to fortyyojanas [320 miles]. Lord Hari Himself remains there eternally.It is stated by Lord Varha in the di Pura: The opportunity to livein Mathur cannot be gained by different types of pious activities,different types of charities, austerities, chanting ofmantras or varioussacrifices, but can only be attained by My mercy. Living in Mathur ismade possible by the grace of Lord Ka, and without that grace onecannot remain in Mathur for even a second.In the Padma Pura, Uttara-khaa, there is the statement:Attachment for Mathur is aroused only in those fortunate personswho have firm devotion to r Hari and have achieved His grace.Again in the Padma Pura, Nirva-khaa: O best of the brhmaas,


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when a person becomes purified through meditation, pious activities,and austerities, only then can he attain the darana of My auspiciousMathur Pur. Others cannot see Mathur in thousands ofkalpas.It is well known and confirmed in the Puras, Mathur is the bestower

of liberation in every respect.The di-varha Pura further states: The ultimate goal of one whopractices yoga, one who knows Brahma, or one who is a thoughtfulphilosopher is easily attained by one who dies in Mathur. O Dev, anyperson who dies in any place within Mathura holy place, a home, oreven a courtyardcertainly attains salvation. In this world Mathur isthe best of all holy places beginning with K. Whoever sincerelymaintains brahmcrya, dies, and is cremated there will attain the fourtypes of salvation. That same salvation is awarded to worms, insects,birds, and other creatures who die there or even trees which fall on thebank of Yamun.Another verse in the Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, states: If theceremony of Piadna [offering homage to dead souls] is performed forlow-caste people like calas, udras, women, and animal killers inMathur, those people will be relieved of repeated birth. O Dev, if anybeing dies in a drain, on bricks, in the crematorium, in the sky, or on anyplatform of any house in Mathur, he can surely attain salvation.

A verse in the Saura Pura states: Here is the place named Mathur,famous in the three worlds. Its pathways are purified by the dust fromthe lotus feet of Lord Ka. Simply by its touch people can attainsalvation from the miseries and bondage of the material world.In Mathur-khaa it is stated: Thoughts such as I shall live inMathur' or I shall go to Mathur' are also sufficient to guaranteeliberation from the material world.A verse in the Brahma Pura states: Those who get the darana ofAcyuta, the son of Devak, can attain Viuloka and never fall back tothe material world. A person who celebrates the festivals of Lord Kawith full faith becomes free of all sins and goes to Viuloka.Another verse in the Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, says: Women,untouchables, udras, animals, birds, deer, etc. can attain salvation ifthey die in Mathur. Those who die in Mathur by snake bite, by theattack of wild animals, from fire, water, or any other sort of unnatural


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death are transferred to Vaikuhaloka, the abode of Hari.A verse in the Brahma Pura says: O great sage, I promise you thatthere is no other place in this world like Mathur. It can fulfill all thedesires of all living beings.

In the Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa, it is said: Is there any type ofresult which cannot be attained in Mathur, where KetraplaMahdeva exists eternally and where there are holy places like Virma-gha? Mathur gives the three goals of human life [religion, wealth, andsense gratification] to those who wish to enjoy sensual and earthlypleasures. It grants salvation to those who seek it and bestows devotionalqualities on the devotees. Wise men should take shelter of Mathur.The di-varha Pura states: As even the Lord Himself cannotdescribe all the spiritual qualities of Mathur, Mathur must be a specialcreation of Providence.The Mathur-khaa states: O King, this eternal place, Mathur, isshaped like a lotus situated on the cakra of Viu, and it shall neverperish.The Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, again states: The name Mathur isequal to the sound ofaum [okra]. As Mathur contains the letters Ma,u, and a, so does the word aum. These three syllables make up the nameof Mathur. Ma represents Mahrudra iva; thu represents Viu; and ra

represents Brahm. In this way Mathur is the topmost abode. Brahm,Viu, and iva always reside in Mathur in the form of deities.The fact that devotion to Viu can be obtained in Mathur is explainedin different ways in various Puras. In the Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, it is stated: Liberation is the wonderful result obtainable bythose who visit other holy places. However, devotion to Hari, whicheven liberated souls desire, can be obtained in Mathur. O great sage, ifanyone spends even three days in Mathur, Hari grants that which eventhe liberated souls cannot attain.From the Brahma Pura there is the following verse: The preciousattainment of ecstatic love, which is rarely obtained by serving all theholy places of the three worlds, can easily be attained simply by touchingthe dust of Mathur.The Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa, states: O King, those whoconstantly remember Mathur and the King of Mathur [Ka] attain


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devotional service at the feet of Lord Hari, which is the result of visitingall the holy places.In the Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, it states: Mathur is more gloriousthan the Vaikuha-dhma of Nryaa. Anyone who spends even one

day in Mathur will become devoted to the lotus feet of r Hari.A verse in the di-varha Pura says: If anyone desires freedom frommaterial bondage and attainment of love of God, he should glorifyMathur with his body, mind, and words.The enchanting abode of Ka, Mathur-maala, the topmost abode,covers twenty yojanas [160 miles].According to the scriptures, the boundary of Mathur-maala extendsfrom Yyvara to aukar Vaevara. The name Yyvara comes fromthe name of a brhmaa, and aukar comes from di kara [Varha].Vaevara iva is worshiped by everyone, and the kingdom of rrasena is known to all. People call this place Varhadasana-hrada.Yyvara and Saukar are famous in the Puras.The Padma Pura, Yamun Mahtmya, states: Long ago in thisbeautiful place of the Apsars, there lived an ascetic brhmaa namedYyvara. Becoming overwhelmed by sensual pleasures that brhmaaoffended Lord Indra and was thus cursed. After suffering a long timefrom the fire of Indra's curse, in spite of performing severe austerities to

get relief, he eventually got freed from his sin simply by touching a dropof water here. That brhmaa then traveled east till he reached aukara-pur where Lord Varhadeva had previously manifest Himself to rescuethe earth when it had sunk in the ocean of universal devastation.

Just as the boundary of Mathur-maala extends from Yyvara toaukar, in this way all the directions are extended upto twenty yojanas.There are many holy places within Mathur-maalas twenty yojanas.The Puras classified these holy places within Mathur-maala whereKa and Balarma used to play, stating that these holy places coveredtwelve yojanas. This is also confirmed in the Mathur-khaa.A verse in the di-varha Pura states: Mathur-maala extendsthroughout twenty-four kroas and is decorated with dvdaavanas[twelve forests] where Mathurdev, the bestower of allaccomplishments, resides. Hey Vasundhare! The lotuslike Mathur is thegiver of salvation to all. Within the seed-pod of Mathur exists di


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Keavadeva, man's deliverer from the miseries and agonies of life. Thosewho die within this seed-pod as well as those who die on its petals canattain salvation.Again from the di-varha Pura comes: O mind, why do you lament

after seeing Harideva, the worshipable Lord of Mahdeva, the Deity ofDeities who is seated on the western petal of this lotus? If anyone getsthe darana of Govindadeva, seated on the northern petal, he will notfall again into the material world upto the time of the universaldevastation. Lord Virnti is situated on the eastern petal. By seeingHim, one is liberated from this miserable world, of this there is no doubt.On the southern petal, r Varhadeva is situated. By His mercy, manachieves all perfection. By seeing Him, one becomes worshipable onBrahmaloka.Also: After controlling his senses and taking bath at Mathur, one whohas darana of Keavadeva on the twelfth day of the waxing moon in themonth of Jaiha will obtain the supreme destination. Hey Vasundhare!When I lie down, all the holy places, oceans, and kuas of the worldcome to Mathur. In the same way the Puras state that Janmamiin the month of Bhadra is also most glorious.The Skanda Pura states: Originally Mathur Pur was the forest ofthe demon Madhu who was slain by the almighty r Hari. O King,

nothing is impossible within this Madhuvana of r Hari. I am notcapable of naming all the holy places situated here.Explaining the glories of Mathur through these references from thePuras, Rghava Paita was overwhelmed by jubilation and could notremain patient. After finishing the required morning duties, RghavaPaita with rnivsa crya and Narottama began their tour ofMathur. They went first to the house of the Sanoiy brhmaa wherer Ka Caitanya used to beg alms. The brhmaa was a disciple ofMdhavendra Pur Gosvm and had witnessed Lord Caitanya'stranscendental pastimes.r Rghava Paita said to rnivsa, Gauracandra used to dance herein ecstasy. Many people came to see His dancing, and they all becameintoxicated by r-nma-sakrtana. They cried as they realizedMahprabhu was Vrajendra-nandana Himself. They would not leave Hisassociation for even a moment and swam in an ocean of love. Those


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were the wonderful pastimes of Mahprabhu here.Rghava Paita sighed deeply while remembering the pastimes ofGauracandra, while Narottama and rnivsa cried in ecstasy. Theyrolled on the ground as they cried, and their bodies became covered with

dust. After a long time, they regained control of themselves.Rghava Paita continued, A wise person once told me that AdvaitaGosvm stayed in Mathur during His pilgrimage because of the beautyhere. At that time there was a worthless brhmaa in Mathur whoinvariably spoke ill of the Vaiavas. That was his worst habit. He was aproud scholar and a wicked man, so the inhabitants of Mathur fearedhim.Once he spoke harshly about the Vaiavas in front of r AdvaitaPrabhu. Advaita became so furious that His lips began to tremble andHis eyes grew red. He shouted at the brhmaa, O wicked man, todayyou will not escape from Me. I shall sever your head from your body withthis cakra.' Advaita assumed a four-armed figure, and the brhmaabegan to tremble in fear. He folded his hands and tried to pacify Advaitaby saying, O Lord, punish me as You like. Unfortunately, I have lost mygood intelligence, and not understanding vaiava-tattva, I havecommitted unlimited sins. Please be kind to me and save me from thesesins.'

The brhmaa began to cry helplessly, and Advaita concealed his four-armed form. Seeing the wretched condition of the brhmaa, Advaitafelt pity for him and decided to bless him. Advaita spoke in sweet words,The sins which you have committed will send you to hell, but I will tellyou what you must do now. Admit your guilty mentality, give up allpleasures, and engage yourself in nma-sakrtana. Serve the Vaiavaswith your heart and soul and be very cautious in your dealings withthem. Engage yourself in worship according to the standards of puredevotion and do not tell anyone what you have seen today.'After advising the brhmaa, Advaita Prabhu left on pilgrimage. Thebrhmaa absorbed himself in nma-sakrtana and proved himselfhumble by visiting every house in Mathur with tears in his eyes. Seeinghis sincere efforts, the Vaiavas became satisfied and wished him well.The Vaiavas wondered what had caused the change in his behavior.One man knew the reason. A brhmaa once came to Mathur whose


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effulgence was as bright as the sun. Most likely He was the Lord in ahuman form. He has changed the brhmaa.'O rnivsa, see how beautifully situated this place is! The glories of abath at this half moon-shaped section of the Yamun are well known.

In the di-varha Pura this area is glorified in these words: Thosewho live in this half moon-shaped place undoubtedly attain liberation.One who controls his eating and baths here achieves the imperishableabode. Of this there is no doubt. Hey Devi! Those who leave their bodyat this crescent moon-shaped region reach My abode, Vaikuha. Thosewho take bath or perform other pious activity here, even if they die atanother place without proper funeral ceremony, still they are eligible forliberation. One who dies here, although sinful, is worshipable inBrahmaloka for as long as his bones remain at this place.After narrating these descriptions Rghava held rnivsa's hand and,with a blissful heart, slowly began speaking again. Within Madhuvana,Mathur is gloriously situated. By performingparikram at special timesone achieves extraordinary fruits.Again in the di-varha Pura it is stated: If the killer of a brhmaa,a drunkard, a killer of cows, or any person who violates brahmcryacircumambulates Mathur, he will be freed from the results of his sins. Apilgrim who comes from a far away country and circumambulates

Mathur purifies whoever sees him and relieves them of their sins.This is the room of Devak and Vasudeva where Ka, the SupremeLord, took His birth. According to the Skanda Pura, a person whofasts, chantsjapa, and then takes darana of this birthplace of Ka isfreed from all sins and is liberated. Also in the Padma Pura it is statedthat anyone who once enters thejanma-gha [birthplace] of Keavaduring the month of Krtika achieves the eternal Absolute Truth, rKa.O rnivsa, look at Keavadeva. In this place r Caitanya oncedanced in ecstasy. Those who saw Him dance thought that He was rKeava Rya Himself. Who can describe Keavadeva's glories? Whoevercircumambulates Keava in Mathur attains the virtue ofcircumambulating the earth with its seven islands. Singing KeavaRya's glories will destroy sins committed in this age and in ages tocome.


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In the di-varha Pura it is stated, Look at beautiful Mathur, wherethe Deities of Drgha Viu, Padmanbha, and Svyambhuva aresituated. The darana of these Deities fulfills the desires of all mankind.O rnivsa, taking darana of the relatives of Ka such as

Eknadev [Yogamy], Yaoddev, Devakdev, and Mahvidyevarcan save a person from the sin of killing a brhmaa. This is described inthe di-varha Pura.In Mathur lives the supremely merciful deity of Bhtevara. Takingdarana of Ketrapala Mahdeva will help one reach the abode of Ka.In the di-varha Pura Lord Varha says: Lord Bhtevara, whogrants liberation even to the sinful, resides in Mathur. He is very dearto Me. If anyone does not care for the worship of iva, My topmostdevotee, how can that sinner attain devotion to Me? Only those who arethe lowest of men and whose intelligence is bewildered will not offerobeisances and remember Bhtevara.'

The Holy Places of Mathur

See this great holy place named r Virnti. It was here that Katook rest after killing Kasa. O rnivsa, the jewel amongst sannyss,r Caitanya, also performed many transcendental activities here. Alltypes of peoplewomen, men, aged, youths, and even childrengathered to see the Lord. Hundreds of thousands came and everyoneacknowledged that the best of all sannyss had come to Mathur.Raising their arms in the air and crying, they shouted the name of Hari.Gauracandra's beauty charmed the entire world, and people were unableto take their eyes off Him. The Lord fulfilled everyones' desires, and in

this way He performed amazing pastimes at Virnti. The glories ofVirnti-trtha are famous in the world. One can achieve the most rareperfection by the grace of Virnti.In the Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa, it is stated: The world-famousholy place, r Virnti, is situated in Mathur. By visiting this place atraveller attains eternal rest. By bathing here and worshiping Acyuta,


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one attains immortality and is automatically freed from the miseries andagonies of the material world.In the Saura Pura it is said: The holy Virnti-trtha destroys sins andgives relief to one who is suffering from wandering in the desertlike

material existence of birth and death. A person who bathes here andworships Acyuta becomes free from the suffering of repeated birth anddeath and qualified for liberation.The Padma Pura, Yamun Mahtmya, states: The Klind flows fromthe mountain Kalinda and flows through Mathur. The Ganges atkaratala flows westwards. The confluence of the Yamun andBhagirathi is known as the saga. By bathing at any of these places oneachieves highly pious results. But by taking bath in the Yamun one canachieve a hundred times these results and, according to scholars, rVirnti-trtha can bestow millions of times these results on people.Also in the di-varha Pura it is stated: Hey Dev! Virnti-trtha isrenowned throughout the three worlds. A person becomes worshipablein Vaikuha-dhma if he takes bath here. Lord Gatarama is situatedhere at this beautiful place. By His darana one achieves the resultsattained from visiting and taking bath at all other holy places.

The Twenty-four Trthas along Yamun at Mathur

O rnivsa, in this crescent moon-shaped place there are twenty-fourtrthas along r Yamun. This first one is called Avimukta-trtha. In thedi-varha Pura it is stated that one who bathes here is liberated, andone who dies here without a doubt goes to Viuloka.This next place is called Guhya-trtha. Again in the di-varha Pura

it is said: One who bathes at this place attains liberation from thismaterial world and goes to Viuloka.' According to the Saura Pura,this next place, known as Prayga-trtha, is rarely attained even by thedemigods. By bathing here one gets the same result as by theperformance of an agnistoma-yaja. This holy place is called Kanakhala-trtha. The di-varha Pura says that by bathing here one attains


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supreme opulence and heavenly happiness. By bathing at this next place,called Tinduka-trtha, one is promoted to Viuloka.This place called Srya-trtha destroys all sins. It was here that Bali, theson of Virochana, performed his austerities. Bathing here during the

lunar or solar eclipse, on Sakrnti, or on Sunday will give one the samebenefit as by performing the rjasya-yaja. These statements areconfirmed in the di-varha Pura.In the Saura Pura it is stated: This supreme place is calledVaasvm-trtha. Vaasvm Srya has become famous here. Whoeverserves this place with devotion on a Sunday will recover from disease,gain wealth in his life, and attain the ultimate goal after death.'This place is called Dhruva-trtha. It was here that Dhruva did tapasya.The di-varha Pura says that by bathing here one is certainlypromoted to Dhruvaloka. Whoever performs the rddha ceremony here,especially during thepitpaka, will guarantee liberation for theancestors on his father's side. [Pitpaka is the dark fortnight of themonth of vina, mid-September to mid-October.] Then the SkandaPura states, Offering oblations to the forefathers at Dhruva-trthagives one a hundred times the results obtained by performing the sameceremony at Gay. Whoever performsjapa, homa, tapasya, dna, orpjhere also attains one hundred times greater results as by performing the

same activities in any other holy place.'This place south of Dhruva-trtha called i-trtha is very dear toKa. By bathing here one attains Viuloka and also Ka-bhakti,devotional service to the Lord. This is confirmed in the di-varhaPura and in the Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa.The di-varha Pura gives the following descriptions:South of i-trtha is Moka-trtha. A bath here guarantees liberation.Next comes Koi-trtha, a place which is rarely attained even the bydemigods. By bathing here and giving in charity here one becomesworshipable in Viuloka.By offering oblations at Bodhi-trtha, which is rarely attained by thedemigods, one attains Pitloka. This Dvdaa-trtha, south of Virnti-trtha, is seldom attained even by the demigods. Simply by rememberingthis place, people are freed from all types of sins. This supreme placecalled Nava-trtha is north of Asi-kua. Neither now nor in the future


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will there ever be a trtha in the world like Nava-trtha.By bathing at the next place, called Samyamana-trtha, one attainsViuloka. This place is called Dhrpatana-trtha. By bathing here oneattains happiness unavailable even in heaven, and by dying here one

attains Viuloka.This exalted place is called Nga-trtha, and it is the best of all holytrthas. By bathing here one attains Svargaloka, and by dying here one isfreed from rebirth.This place is called Ghabharana-trtha. By bathing here one's sinsare destroyed and he is worshiped on Sryaloka.This place, called Brahma-trtha, is very famous. Whoever takes bathehere, drinks the water, and sits here undisturbed with restrained senses,by the permission of Brahm, he will attain the abode of Viu.This holy place is called Soma-trtha. If one who is properly situated inhis varna and arama bathes here in the pure water of the Yamun, heattains the happiness of Somaloka without doubt.This place is known as Sarasvati-patana-trtha. By bathing here aperson attains the qualities of a sannys, although he may have no rightto be a sannys by the rules ofvarnrama. After fasting for three days,one who bathes here, at Cakra-trtha, becomes free from the sin ofkilling a brhmaa and what to speak of other fruits.

The place called Davamedha-trtha was formerly worshiped by thesages. If one bathes here in a contented mood, he easily obtains heaven.This place is known as Vighnarja-trtha. One who takes bath hereattains all auspiciousness as well as freedom from sins and miseries.This place is called Koi-trtha and it is always supremely pure andauspicious. One bath in this holy place delivers the same result as tenmillion baths in the Ganges.Then from the Mathur-khaa it is stated: Hey Yudhihira! On thenorthern and southern side of r Virnti there are twenty-four trthas.The twelve on the north extend up to Davamedha and the twelve onthe south extend to Moka-trtha.


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Other Trthas of Mathur

O rnivsa, Caitanya Mahprabhu happily bathed in all twenty-fourghas of the Yamun. To describe the pastimes which He performed ateven one gha is possible only for Ananta ea. Hundreds of thousandsof people took their baths with the Lord and floated in the waves oflove. All the demigods used to mingle with the common people to seethe pastimes of Mahprabhu. They all sang the glories of r KaCaitanya. In this way He performed the most wonderful pastimes here inMathur. Now, rnivsa, we will see some of these other holy places.

In the Saura Pura it is stated: This place of Vivantha [Mahdeva] isknown as Gokara-trtha. It is famous throughout the worlds and is verydear to Viu.This place is known as Ka-gag. The di-varha Pura states thatwhatever result one obtains by taking his bath in the five trthasVirnti, Saukara, Naimia, Prayga, and Pukaraone achieves tentimes greater results every day by bathing at this Ka-gag.This holy place is called Vaikuha-trtha. By taking bath here onereceives wonderful results, being freed from all sinful reactions. A bath

here promotes one to Viuloka.O rnivsa, this holy place is called Asi-kua. One who takes bathhere gets many benefits as confirmed in the di-varha Pura.If anyone after taking a bath at this place takes darana of the fourdeities, namely, Varha, Nrya, Vmana, and the auspicious Lgal[Balarma], then he gets the same result as obtained bycircumambulating the earth with its four oceans. He attains theauspicious results of visiting all the holy places of Mathur.

This is a well named Catu-smudrika. By bathing here one enjoyspleasures with the demigods.O rnivsa, who can describe the numerous glories of r Yamun?Bathing in the Yamun at Mathur gives one a hundred times superiorresults to those obtained from bathing in the Gaga.This is confirmed in the di-varha Pura as follows: Within My


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Mathur-maala the famous Yamun is one hundred times superior tothe Gaga. One should not argue about this. O sinless goddess, I havemany confidential sacred places along the Yamun. Whoever takes baththere becomes worshipable in My abode.

In the Matsya Pura, in a conversation between Yudhihira andNrada, it is stated: O Yudhihira, a man becomes virtuous if he takes abath in the Yamun, drinks the pure water and sings her glories. Eventhe darana of Yamun gives auspicious results. One who takes bath inthe Yamun or drinks her water guarantees auspiciousness for sevengenerations of his family. Whoever dies on the bank of the Yamunattains the eternal abode.In the Viu Dharmottara it is stated: O King, whoever performs therddha ceremony on the bank of the Yamun attains immortal resultsand becomes happy in heaven.The Padma Pura, Ptla-khaa, while describing the creation ofPrajpati Marci states: He who is the support of all existence, the causeof all causes, the eternal, omniscient blissful Lord, glorified as Brahma bythe Upaniads, that Supreme Lord, the embodiment of transcendentalmellows, Ka, exists in the form of Yamun.According to the Puras, one achieves superior fruits by taking bathin Yamun at special times. O rnivsa, it is commonly known that by

the mercy of Yamun one can easily fulfill his desires. As iron becomesgold by the touch of the touchstone, so a sinful person become virtuousby the touch of the waters of the Yamun.The di-varha Pura states: If there are two brhmaasone livingin Mathur with no knowledge of the Vedas and the other a scholar inall four Vedas who lives outside Mathuryou should abandon thescholar to feed the ignorant Mathur brhmaa. Although a farmer ofMathur may be wicked and irreligious, nevertheless he is respectable toMe because a Mathur-vs is always the extension of My form. HeyVasundhare! All the residents of Mathur are personifications of Me. Ifyou feed one brhmaa of Mathur, you earn the same virtue of feedingmillions of other brhmaas. The Mathur-vss are certainly worshipedby Me as they are very dear to Me. When a resident of Mathur feelssatisfied, then I also feel satisfied. There is no doubt of this. The placeswhere they reside are certainly holy places, and their houses are full of


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auspiciousness.O rnivsa, the glories of the residents of Mathur are described inmany places in the Vedas and Puras. In the di-varha Pura it isstated: The residents of Mathur attain the supreme destination by My

mercy. Of this there is no doubt. In Mathur, the insects, worms, birds,animals, and other living beings are all eligible for liberation. Men whoare unable to control their senses and who lust after other women are alldemigods in the form of human beings.'In the Padma Pura, Nirva-khaa it is said: Those sinful personswho find faults in the inhabitants of Mathur, are unable to detect theirown faults which cause them to take thousands and thousands of birthsand deaths.O rnivsa, just see the city of Mathur where Ka enacted manypastimes. This is the house of the gardener, Sudm, who is very dear toKa. His activities are well known to all. Ka killed Kasa'swasherman at this place, then Ka and the cowherd boys dressedthemselves attractively in his clothes. This is the road by which Kawent to meet Kasa while the residents of Mathur watched,overwhelmed by His beauty. Then Ka broke the sacrificial bow ingreat sport. He and His friends moved about Mathur in a magnificentway. The elephant Kuvalaypa blocked Ka's path here. Ka killed

him easily and then took his tusk.See this arena where the wrestling match took place. This is the raisedplatform where Kasa sat. And here is where the cowherd men headedby Nanda sat watching Ka's wrestling. In great fun Ka tookKasa's life here, therefore this place is known as Kasa-khli, the placewhere Kasa was delivered.The house of Kubj used to be at this place. See this Kubj-kpa, whichis known to all. The wonderful pastimes of Ka with Kubj are knownthroughout the three worlds. These next two places, Baladeva-kuaand Ka-kpa, are the places where Ka and Balarma sported withTheir friends. O rnivsa and Narottama, the bliss they experiencedhere is beyond description!It was here that r Ka Caitanyacandra sat surrounded by peopleafter His tour of Mathur. People were struck with wonder seeing theecstatic condition of Mahprabhu. The brhmaa residents of Mathur


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spoke to one another, This so-called sannys must certainly be LordKa Himself. This is extraordinary! Who can understand Histranscendental activities? He has concealed His real identity byaccepting this golden form.' Someone said, We are all very fortunate to

see the Lord's visit to Mathur.'After speaking in this way, they all floated in waves of ecstasy gazing onthe beautiful form of the Lord. While describing these pastimes RghavaPaita became so overwhelmed remembering the glories of rCaitanya that he could not control himself. rnivsa and Narottama,also greatly agitated, fell on the ground calling the name of CaitanyaMahprabhu. After sometime they pacified themselves, and Rghava ledthem on to other holy places of Mathur.Rghava Paita spoke in sweet words to rnivsa, This is the placewhere Gopla stayed for one month. Taking advantage of theopportunity, r Rpa Gosvm and his associates came here and wereoverwhelmed in ecstasy having darana of r Gopla. Seeing theGosvms in their midst, the inhabitants of Mathur were so absorbedthat they were unable to know night from day.Look rnivsa, this is the old tree under which the son of Rohin,Balarma, used to play. During His pilgrimage, Nitynanda Prabhu, thesame Lord, also came to Mathur and stayed here for sometime. He

became filled with ecstasy seeing the land where He had previouslyappeared, and He roamed here and there in that state. The residents ofMathur forgot all their miseries and lamentation by seeingAvadhtacandra. By taking darana of this place, one's distress willvanish and his devotion to the feet of Nitynanda will increase. Thosewho hear this description will easily fulfill their desires.

The Twelve Forests of Mathur-maala

Rghava Paita, feeling excessive joy, spoke softly to rnivsa, ThisMathur Pur is surrounded by twelve sacred forests which deliver onefrom sins. Keava's beautiful dvdaavanas are auspicious and bestow


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virtues.On the western side of the Yamun are: Madhu, Tla, Kumuda, Bahul,Kmya, Khadir, and Vndvana. On the eastern side of the Yamunare: Bhadra, Bhra, Bilva, or r, Lauha, and Mahvana (Padma

Pura and Skanda Pura)Madhuvana

O rnivsa, this is Madhuvana. Its darana will satisfy all desires. Inthis forest there is a kua full of transparent water and blue lotuses. Ifanyone bathes in that water and gives in charity he will achieve thefulfillment of his desires.

Tlavana

It is stated in the Skanda Pura: For the benefit of the Yadavas and forHis own pleasure Ka killed the demon who was the protector of thetla fruit.

Kumudavana

In the di-varha Pura it is stated: Hey Dev, this third forest,Kumudavana, is supreme. One who visits this place becomes worshipablein My abode.

O rnivsa, see this place on the west of Mathur where Ka killedDantavakra. Vajranbha named this place Datih. In the Padma Purait is known as Dati-upavana. I will tell you now one story related withDantavakra. Hearing this narration frees one from all miseries.Once, the residents of Vndvana headed by Nanda Mahrja went tosee Ka at Kuruketra. Ka met them and satisfied each person inevery way. Ka assured them that He would meet them in Vndvanain a very short time. Fully satisfied hearing Ka's nectarean words,they left there and came to the bank of the Yamun waiting for Hisarrival. Everyone thought they would take Ka home when Hearrived.After seeing off the Vraja-vss from Kuruketra, Ka felt greateagerness to return to Vndvana. He went to Dvrak to kill iuplaand then went to Mathur on the pretext of killing Dantavakra. Afterthat work was completed, He crossed the Yamun River and quickly


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went to meet Nanda Mahrja and the others. On seeing Ka, thecowherds ran forward shouting, Welcome! Welcome!' Ka returned toHis own house in Vraja and enjoyed Himself with the gops and gopas asHe always had before. Because the villagers shouted, yore! yore!'

[Welcome!, Welcome!], the village is now known as Ayore.There is another village called Gauravi and r Rghava also told thestory of that village. There was a large village called hn whereinlived a distinguished Zamindara [landowner] who had a good friendshipwith r Nanda Mahrja. When Nanda returned from Kuruketra, theZamindara welcomed him in great joy. There was no limit to the honor,or gaurav, given by that landowner to Nanda as he arranged his stay.Therefore this village was named Gauravi, but presently it is known asGauri. It is nearby the villages of hn and Ayore.In Gopla-campu the story is told in this way: Coming from Syamanta-pacaka in Kuruketra, Vrajevara r Nanda and the cowherd menwere returning to their houses in Gokula. When they arrived inMathur, they felt no desire to return to their homes. They crossed theYamun and came to this famous place named Gauri some distancefrom Gokula. That place, called Gokulapati' in Sanskrit, is traditionallyknown as Gaurava, however the local people called it Gaurai. Just as theabode of Puruottama has become famous by the name Puruottama, so

also the place of Gokulapati was named Gokulapati.All these villages where Ka performed His transcendental pastimesare seen in ecstasy by those people who are fortunate. After narratingthese topics, Rghava happily continued along theparikram path asthey wandered through Vraja. Rghava explained that the path theywould follow was not exactly as prescribed in the di-varha Pura.For some time they followed theparikram route, then Rghava decidedto see the place named ahkarav. They left theparikram path foranother path and Rghava told rnivsa, We have entered the placecalled ahkar. Although previously this was known as ahkarav,presently people call it by the name ahghar.See here rnivsa, the place called akata Rohaa. It is a beautifulpleasant place and very dear to Ka. Bumblebees are always hummingin the forest of flowers. By bathing in this kua one will get supremebliss.


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akata Rohaa is described in the di-varha Pura thus: One halfyojana [four miles] on the west side of Mathur is My supreme abodenamed akata Rohaa. Many thousands of bumblebees live there.Whoever fasts for one night and then takes bath there is certain to

attain the happiness of Vidydharaloka.Rghava also pointed out a place known as Garua-Govinda. Once, justin play, rdhama transformed himself into Garua, and r Ka asfour-armed Govinda mounted the shoulders of His bird-carrier. Thisplace was thus named Garua-Govinda after this most beautiful pastime.The same story is also given in r Laghu Bhgavatmta.As Rghava continued to describe the holy places, they returned to the

parikram path and walked until they reached a place calledGandhevara-sthna. At this place Ka applied scented oil, thereforethis name was given. [gandha means scent or aroma]Sto-grma is where ntanu Muni performed austerity. The kuahere is full of clear water. As they left Sto, Rghava led rnivsaand Narottama on to various other beautiful places.

Bahulvana

When they arrived in Bahulvana, Rghava Paita told them that rCaitanya had come here absorbed in transcendental love while on

pilgrimage of the Vndvana forests. Seeing Him, millions of cowssurrounded Him and looked at Him lovingly. Then Gaura touched eachone of them as He had touched them when He was in Vndvana asKa. Various animals such as dear, peacocks, and cuckoos expressedtheir joy by flying over His head and running around Him. People wereoverwhelmed to see that even the trees showered flowers on rMahprabhu's head. All of them said, He must be r Ka assumingthis form of a sannys. He has covered His beautiful dark complexionwith a golden one in order to deceive people. People spoke withagitated hearts while Gaura Rya fulfilled everyone's desires.The Paita then showed rnivsa and Narottama a beautiful lotus-filled pond named Sakaraa-kua and one lake known as Mna-saras. According to the Puras, seeing and bathing in these placesgives many fruits such as the darana of Lakm with Ka.According to the di-varha Pura, Bahul is the best of all forests.


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Whoever enters this forest attains Agniloka after death. In the SkandaPura, Mathur-khaa, it is also stated, Bahul, the wife of r Harialways lives in this holy forest. O king, this place is auspicious becauser Viu and Lakm reside here always. In Bahulvana there is

Sakaraa-kua and Mna-sarovara. By seeing the forest of lotuseshere one obtains pious results. Whoever takes a bath here in the monthof Caitra [March-April] is able to have darana of r Hari with Lakm.The next place they visited was Mayura-grma where Ka watched thedancing of the peacocks with His beloveds. It was an amazing sight to seethousands and thousands of dancing peacocks expand their plumage forRdh and Ka. What wonderful happiness arose when Rdh andKa also began dancing with the peacocks. The sakhs stood all aroundand clapped as they watched the wonderful scene which enchanted theworld.Rghava Paita pointed out to Narottama and rnivsa the placecalled Dakia-grma. Throughout this whole area Ka enjoyed Hisamorous sports. In Dakia-grma the mood of a daki nyik is veryprominently manifest. [daki nyik is described in the Ujjvala-nlamai as follows: A gop who cannot tolerate womanly anger, whospeaks suitable words to the hero and who is satisfied by His sweet wordsis called a daki, or right-wing gop.

There is another village called Vasati where King Vabhnu had oncelived. Mahrja Nanda stayed up to the limits of ahghara and Rola.Presently Rola is called Rl. Thus, in great satisfaction near the town ofVasati, Ka and Balarma passed Their lives in joyful play with Theirfriends.

Rdh-kua and yma-kua

See ahead the village named ria. The pastime Ka performed here isan enchanting story. Once Ka killed a demon in the form of a bull[Arisura]. Afterwards when He wanted to touch Rdhr Shesmilingly told Him, Even though he was a demon, he had assumed theform of a bull, by killing him You have become very contaminated. IfYou take bath at all the holy places, then You will be relieved of theoffense of killing him.Ka very sweetly replied, I shall bathe in the water of all the holy


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places by calling them all here.Speaking these words, He then stomped on the earth and created adepression which immediately filled up with the water of all the holyplaces. The personification of each holy place also appeared before

Ka, introduced himself, and offered prayers. In front of Rdh andthe gops, Ka then took a bath in the water, uttering the name of eachholy place as He did. He finished His bath sometime before midnight.Even now people follow the same system of bathing in the holy kua.Hearing Ka speak some boastful words, Rdh with the help of Hersakhs quickly dug Her own kua. The kua dug by Rdhr wasmost beautiful and the sight of it made Ka feel very pleased.Rdhr thought that She would fill Her kua with the waters of theMnasa-gag, which is the essence of all holy places. UnderstandingRdh's desire, Ka gave His order and the holy trthas enteredRdh's kua from yma-kua. The personified holy places thenglorified Rdhr with many prayers and, considering themselvesfortunate, they became very pleased. From that time on these twokuas, which are surrounded by beautiful trees and plants, became thesite of Rdh and Ka's wonderful amorous sports.In Stavval, Vraja-vilsa, there is the following description: I takeshelter of the meeting place of Rdh Mdhava's beloved Rdh-kua

and yma-kua, the site of Their amorous sports. It is most charming,being surrounded by kadamba, campaka, beautiful young aoka, mango,

punnga [white lotus], and bakula trees, as well as lavaga and vsanticreepers.Rdh-kua is most beautifully surrounded by the kujs of the eightsakhs beginning with Lalit's. yma-kua is surrounded by the kuasof the eight sakhs beginning with Subala's. They are most beautiful andpleasant to see.The following song describes the beauty of Rdh-kua: Ka isenjoying the beauty of Rdh-kua. The kua is full of pure water andlotuses. The bumblebees hum amongst the lotuses, and the gentle windcauses small ripples in the water. Aquatics move pleasurably through thewater. The banks of the kua are decorated with different kinds ofgems. The covered terrace on the bank is decorated with paintedpictures. The abode of Cupid bows its head feeling inferior. The birds


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and peacocks sing and dance as Rdh and Ka swing on a goldengem-studded swing hanging from the tree.

The Glories of Rdh-kua and yma-kua

yma-kua is also known as Aria-kua. Whoever bathes in Rdh-kua and yma-kua gets the same results one achieves by theperformance of a rjasya and avamedha-yaja. This is confirmed indi-varha Pura.Rghava Paita said that according to the Puras there is no limit to

the glories of Rdh-kua. In the di-varha Pura, Mathur-khaa,it is stated that if a devotee of Viu offers a lamp to Rdh-kuaduring the month of Krtika, he will be able to see the entire universe.In Padma Pura, Krtika Mhtmya, it is stated: Rdh-kua is verydear to r Hari and is situated near Govardhana Hill. By taking bath inRdh-kua on the eighth day of the waning moon in the month ofKrtika [Bahulam], one can greatly please Lord Hari, who enjoys Hispastimes there. This kua is as dear to Ka as Rdh Herself.

Amongst all the gops, She is the most dear to Ka. It is the duty of thedevotees to bathe in the Rdh-kua during the month of Krtika andthereafter worship Lord Janardana. This simple worship pleases Ka asmuch as one does by worshiping Janardana on the day of Uthana-ekda.

r Caitanya Mahprabhu Discovers r Rdh-kua

and yma-kua

See these two kuas, Rdh-kua and yma-kua, which aresurrounded by beautiful forests and which enchant the sages anddemigods. After visiting the other forests of Vndvana, Caitanya


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Mahprabhu came here and sat under this tamla tree. He asked theresidents of Aria-grma where the two kuas were, but no one couldanswer. The brhmaa accompanying Him from Mathur also did notknow.

Being the omniscient Personality of Godhead, Lord Caitanya, carefullysearched and discovered the two kuas in two paddy fields. He joyfullytook a bath in whatever little water was there and glorified the kuasin various ways. Then He marked His forehead with mud from thekuas.The villagers were greatly startled by His behavior. One of theminquired, From where has this sannys suddenly come?' Someone said,O brother, by seeing Him I cannot understand what is happening in mybody.' Another person said, He cannot be a mortal sannys. Seeing HimI cannot explain what is happening in my mind.'Someone else said, Who says He is a sannys? He is Ka Himselfappearing in this dress and form. Just see the proof. Different birds areall coming for His darana. The cuckoos and parrots are happilyaddressing Him as Ka, and the peacocks are dancing in jubilation.The different sounds of the birds is very pleasing to the ears. And seethe wonderful blooming of the trees! O brother, just see the creepersshowering flowers on this person, who is disguised as a sannys. The

deer are coming near Him and staring undivertedly towards His face. Allthe cows are coming running from all sides with raised tails, and theyalso look at His face. By the tears of ecstasy falling from the eyes of thesecreatures we can understand that they are meeting Him after a longperiod of time.'O brother, I repeatedly glorify the good fortune of these creatures, whoare seeing Ka in this form and dress. Dear brothers, let us offerobeisances unto the feet of the Lord, who has incarnated to distributeknowledge to the people. By His mercy we can now understand thatthese two paddy fields known as Kl and Gaur are actually holykuas.' Speaking like this amongst themselves, they all becamemaddened by the nectarean sight of Mahprabhu at this most holy site.Even Lord Brahm cannot describe a fragment of Mahprabhu's ecstaticexpression when He discovered these kuas.


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The Fulfillment of rla Dsa Gosvm's Desire

O rnivsa, presently these paddy fields are seen as two kuas full ofwater. Please listen while I briefly describe the transformation of the twopaddy fields into beautiful kuas.One day Raghuntha dsa Gosvm suddenly considered to himself thatif these kuas were filled with water it would be very good. Consideringthat for this purpose money would be needed, Raghuntha dsaremained silent. He scolded himself again and again, thinking why hehad desired such a thing. Solacing himself, he decided to stay alone and

behave cautiously for sometime. However, when a devotee desiressomething, that cannot be denied, for Ka always fulfills His devotees'desires.Meanwhile, one rich person had gone to Badarikrama to get theLord's darana. He offered Lord Nryaa a large sum of money. Thatnight in a dream the Lord ordered the man, Take this money to ria-grma in Vraja. There you will find the best of the Vaiavas,Raghuntha dsa. Give the money to him in My name. If Raghunthadoes not agree to take the money, you should remind him about his

desire to clean the two kuas for bathing and drinking water.'Speaking these words, the Lord disappeared, and that sincere devoteehappily came here to ria-grma. Going before Raghuntha dsa he fellto the ground, offered his obeisances, and then gave the money toRaghuntha. He explained the instruction given to him by the Lord inhis dream. Raghuntha became stunned for some time. After some timehe repeatedly praised his fortune and requested the rich man to excavatethe two kuas without delay. Hearing this, that fortunate man was

filled with ecstasy and proceeded to engage many people for the work.Very soon the kuas were dug out. Now hear why yma-kua wasdug in an irregular shape.Everyone decided that the following day a few old trees on the bank ofyma-kua should be cut. That night Raghuntha had a dream inwhich King Yudhihira told him, My brothers and I are living within


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those trees. Tomorrow morning go to Mnasa-pvana-gha, identifythose five trees, and protect them from being cut.' After the dream,Raghuntha went early the next morning to identify the trees and orderthe people not to cut them. For that reason they could not make yma-

kua square. The two kuas were then filled with clear water and rRaghuntha became very satisfied.

r Raghuntha dsa Accepts a Bhajana Kuira

Day and night Raghuntha dsa Gosvm would live under a tree. He

had no desire for a kuira. One day Santana Gosvm came here fromVndvana to visit Gopla Bhaa's residence. Going to take bath in theMnasa-pvana-gha, he saw a tiger coming to the gha for drinkingwater. As the tiger was returning to the forest, it passed very close to rRaghuntha, who was sitting in meditation. After some time, whenRaghuntha finished his meditation, he looked around and saw thatSantana had come for bath.Raghuntha fell to the ground and paid his obeisances to Santana,

who affectionately embraced him. In loving words Santana askedRaghuntha to give up living under the tree and live in a kuira. Afterspecifically instructing Raghuntha on this point, Santana went for hisbath. From that very day work on Raghuntha's kuira was begun. Fromthen on, for the benefit of others, Raghuntha lived in a kuira inobedience to the order of Santana Gosvm. O rnivsa, with onemouth how can I describe the activities of Raghuntha dsa Gosvm?Raghuntha dsa Gosvm had special affection for one Vraja-vsnamed Dsa. One day this Dsa went to Sakhsthal village and got a

large leaf of apala tree. He was thinking how Dsa Gosvm would noteat grains due to intense feelings of separation. Because Raghuntha'spractice was to take only one leaf cup of buttermilk in a day, Dsathought that with a bigger cup he would then have a little more.Considering this, Dsa went to his home, made a cup from this leaf, andbrought the buttermilk to Raghuntha.


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On seeing the new leaf cup, the Gosvm inquired where the large leafcup had come from. Dsa replied that he had gone herding cows atSakhsthal, where he found the nice leaves which he brought back.Hearing the name Sakhsthal' Raghuntha became full of anger and

threw the cup along with the buttermilk far away. After some time whenhe became calm, Raghuntha ordered Dsa never to go again toSakhsthal as it was the residence of Candrval. Hearing this, Dsacould then understand the spiritual activities of the pure devotees. Theyalways remain fixed in their eternal spiritual form. Whoever doubts thisis the most sinful man in the world.One day in his mind Raghuntha ate riceprasda with milk andafterwards felt very heavy with indigestion. No one was able todetermine the reason for this. Hearing of his condition, rVihalantha brought two doctors from r Vallabhapura. After takinghis pulse, the doctor said again and again that the heaviness was causedby taking milk with rice. Astonished, r Vihalantha said thatcouldn't be possible as Raghuntha never takes milk and rice.Raghuntha replied saying, That is certainly true, but in my mind I hadeaten the milk and rice.' Hearing this everyone was struck with wonder.Such are the activities of Raghuntha dsa Gosvm. What more can besaid?

Living in Rdh-kua Only by the Grace of rla DsaGosvm

O rnivsa, know for certain that only by the grace of Raghunthadsa Gosvm can one live at Rdh-kua. Raghuntha's service toRdh-kua, the govardhana-il, and the guj-ml is very famous.[One may refer to Caitanya-caritmta, Antya-ll 6.287-307. Guj is asmall bright red and black seed of the guj creeper found in Vraja.]See the trees and creepers surrounding the most enchanting Rdh-kua and yma-kua which are connected together. O rnivsa, atMlyahri-kua wonderful pastimes took place connected with a pearl


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necklace. Raghuntha dsa Gosvm has very mercifully described thisincident in his book r Mukt Caritra. See here the two kuas, iva-khora and Bhnu-khora. Saying this, Rghava Paita became ecstatic.After showing rnivsa and Narottama various other kuas and

pastime places, he then took them to meet r Dsa Gosvm. rRghava Paita offered an account of all their activities to DsaGosvm, who felt delighted in his heart. With great respect rnivsaand Narottama both fell down on the ground and offered obeisances toDsa Gosvm's feet. Dsa Gosvm was delighted to meet rnivsa andNarottama. Although he was weak with old age, he stood up to embracethem. He also spoke something very softly to rnivsa.Kadsa Kavirja also came there. rnivsa and Narottama offeredtheir obeisances to him, and he reciprocated accordingly. Because ofrnivsa's wonderful activities, Kadsa Kavirja loved him as hisvery life. Dsa, the Vraja-vs who was very dear to Dsa Gosvm,quickly came there to meet them. All the other Vaiavas who lived onthe banks of the kuas also came forward to meet rnivsa andNarottama. They all happily gave them permission to take bath and thenquickly arranged various foodstuffs to be brought for them. rnivsaand Narottama went directly for their bath and their eyes were filledwith the beauty of the kua.

The kuja of Subala is on the north side of yma-kua where Mnasa-pvana-gha is situated. This place, where the five Pandavas live in theform of trees, is very dear to Rdhik. rnivsa and Narottama bathedthere in ecstatic love and then returned to r Gopla Bhaa's kuiraand took mah-prasda. They spent that day in great ecstasy and thencontinued their tour the next morning.Rghava Paita then took them to see Mukhari, a village to the southof Rdh-kua. Everyone knows this as the place where Rdh'sgrandmother Mukhar lived. It was very amusing when Mukhar herselftook pleasure arranging the meetings of Rdh and Ka.

The Places of Ka's Ll Surrounding Govardhana


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r Rghava took rnivsa and Narottama to see the places nearGovardhana where Ka had performed His pastimes, and he describedthem all one by one. The place known as Kusuma-sarovara is a famouspastime place of Rdh-Ka. In another place called Nrada-kua,

Nrada Muni fulfilled his desires by performing tapasya. In the Purasit is written that Nrada performed tapasya here on Vnd's order.At a place called Ratna-sihsana, Rdh would sit on a throne. Also,the reason behind Ka's killing akhacua took place here. That storyhas been described in the rmad Bhgavatam.Pli is a beautiful garden where Plit-ythevar used to stay. r Kaalso enjoyed Himself with His friends in the holy place called Ata-grma. In the place Indra-dhvaja-bedi, Nandarja used to worship Indra.It was there that r Ka used to tend His cows and call each one nearby the sound of His flute.mochana, also known as Ppamochana, is famous for its sanctity. If aperson bathes here he will be freed from all vices. This is Sakaraa-kua. Whoever wants to fulfill his desires should take a bath here.In Parsauli-grma Rdh and Ka enacted Their rsa-yatra duringthe season of Vasanta. At Candra-sarovara, r Ka took rest in Hisrsa dress. Now, just see the beautiful Gandharva-kua, where theGandharvas became overwhelmed by Ka's beautiful songs. No one

can describe all of Rdh and Ka's pastimes during the Vasanta rsaat Govardhana.In the Stavval, Govardhana-rayadaaka, this description is given:This is Rsa-sthal, where during the month of Vasanta, rmatRdhr, who is known as Mdhava-priy, danced with Ka. Shewas surrounded by beautiful sakhs, each worshiped by hundreds ofLakms, and Her neck was decorated by the sweetly fragrant hands ofKa. Which fortunate person will not take shelter of this exaltedGovardhana Rsa-sthal?There is another village called Paitha where Ka once hid Himselffrom the gops, who began searching here and there for Him. Kaappeared before the gops in His four-handed Viu form, but upon thearrival of Rdhr, two of His hands disappeared. Rdhr's love wasso strong, that Ka could not retain His four-armed form. This hasbeen described in the Ujjvala-nlamai, Nyik Prakra.


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After showing all these enchanting places beginning with Paitha, rRghava returned to Gaur-trtha with rnivsa and Narottama. Thisplace is called Npa-kua because it is surrounded by beautiful npa, orkadamba, trees. Another holy place is called Aniyora. It was here that

on Ka's order, Nanda and the other gopas stopped their worship ofIndra and started the worship of Govardhana by offering various kindsof foods. The voice of Govardhana resounded in the sky, ni aur! niaur!' [Bring Me more! Bring Me more!]. For that reason this place iscalled niyora. By visiting Annaka-sthna all desires will be fulfilled.In Vraja-vilsa-stava it is written: When the best of the cowherds,Nanda Mahrja, offered a large quantity of food to Govardhana, rKa, the killer of Agha, transformed Himself into a huge form,proclaiming that He Himself was Govardhana. Deceiving evenRdhr, He ate all the offered food. Let me take shelter of this placeknown as Annaka-sthna.The place named Govinda-kua has many glories because it was herethat Indra performed the abhieka of Ka. Again in the Vraja-vilsa-stava it is said: Out of fear of Lord Ka, Indra, along with Surabhi,performed the abhieka ceremony of Ka by bringing the holy water ofMandkin. May Govinda-kua, which was created from the water ofthis abhieka be always manifest before my eyes.

In di-varha Pura it is said: By bathing or performing austerity atGovinda-kua one attains liberation on the virtues of performing onehundred yajas.See this dense forest near Govinda-kua. It was here that Gopla hid.Here is the very confidential place known as Dna-nivartana-kua.Besides the devotees, others cannot know this place.It is stated in Vraja-vilsa-stava: The place known as Dna-nivartana-kua is named after the dna-keli pastime which Ka enjoyed there.This place is unknown to those persons who are averse to the mellows ofdevotional service, only those who are qualified in devotion can know it.I pray that I may reside at this kua and also enjoy giving dna [dna inthis pastime means taxes].Mdhavendra Pur stayed here under a tree, and Gopla gave daranato him on the pretext of bringing him milk. Later, Gopla lived on themountain and sometimes visited Ghuli. On the end of Govardhana is


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Apsar-kua. People who take bath here are very fortunate. See herethe oldpala trees. People call this very secluded place yma-hka.After describing all these places, r Rghava Paita took his twofollowers to his own cave. He told them while he stayed here he felt

great pleasure seeing always the enchanting Govardhana Hill. Rdhand Ka would always enjoy here.As stated in Vraja-vilsa-stava: Ka and His affectionate friends,decorated with the colorful mineral pigments found there, enjoypastimes at Govardhana Hill with a great festival of joking words. In thecaves of this same hill, Ka also enjoys many pastimes with rmatRdhr. Let me worship this best of hills.Rghava continued, Just see here the footprint of Airavata. After beingdefeated, Indra described the glories of Lord Ka's mercy here. This isSurabhi-kua, which has unlimited glories. Who can possibly describethe various sports that took place here? In this beautiful secluded forestis Rudra-kua, where Mahdeva sat in meditation on Ka. InKadamba-khai, r Ka watched the path which Rdh traveled. InDna-ghi, the King ofrasa, Lord Ka, took a share of the milkproducts from Rdh while His friends blocked Her way.When r Caitanya Mahprabhu visited here He inquired about thisplace from the Sanoiy brhmaa. As He heard the description of the

dna pastimes, He slightly smiled in delight. As Lord Caitanya haddarana of Harideva, He danced wonderfully in ecstatic love. Aseveryone watched Gaurahari, they became filled with love and theireyes filled with tears of ecstasy. Some of the people who saw Him dancesaid He must be an incarnation of Harideva. Who can describe thepastimes the Lord performed at Govardhana?This secluded place is Dna-gha, also known by some people as Ka-bedi. In Vraja-vilsa a description is given as follows. One day LordKa, the youthful king of amorous heroes, became eager at heart toenjoy the dna-keli pastime. Blocking the path, He forbade rmatRdhr to pass, proclaiming Himself a toll collector appointed by theking of love and demanding that She pay a toll of the milk products Shewas carrying. I sing the glories of r Ka-bedi, the place where theLord enjoyed these pastimes.'This unique dna-ll is described by rla Rpa Gosvm in his book


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Dna-keli-kaumudi.Brahma-kua is also situated at Govardhana and is described in theMathur-khaa: After bathing here, Brahm satisfied Lord Hari. Indraand the other planetary rulers created other lakes nearby.'

Also in the di-varha Pura: O auspicious one, that lake issurrounded by groves of trees and vines as well as fourteen auspiciousholy places. On the eastern side is Indra-trtha, on the south is Yama-trtha, on the west is Varua-trtha, and on the north is Kuvera-trtha.In these places I will enjoy pastimes as I wish.'Rghava then pointed out Mnasa-gag. At this place r Kaenjoyed ecstatic boat pastimes. There is a description of Mnasa-gagin the Vraja-vilsa-stava: The waves of Mnasa-gag on the side ofGovardhana Hill push the splendid rocks lining its shores. I pray thatthe Mnasa-gag, where r r Gandharvik-Murri enjoy jubilantboating pastimes, may give me shelter.The waters of Mnasa-gag are supremely pure. Who can describe thewonderful results one achieves by bathing there.After glorifying Mnasa-gag, Rghava Paita led them on fordarana of Harideva. In great happiness he then glorified GovardhanaHill as being full of transcendental bliss. Situated eight kroa [sixteenmiles] west of Mathur, just the sight of Govardhana Hill relieves one of

the miseries of material life. Anyone who bathes in Mnasa-gag, takesdarana of Harideva, and then circumambulates Govardhana Hill, nolonger lives in the material world.Govardhana Hill gives unlimited pleasure to Ka, who lifted the hillwith His left hand to curb the pride of Indra and protect the Vraja-vss.In the di-varha Pura it is stated: Two yojanas [sixteen miles], westof Mathur, is the very rare place named Govardhana. A person whocircumambulates this place named Annaka-trtha does not return tothis world. O goddess. I will now tell you everything about it. Afterbathing in the Mnasa-gag, seeing the Deity of Harideva onGovardhana Hill, and circumambulating Annaka-trtha, what heartcan remain unhappy? To protect the cows distressed by Indra's torrentialrains, I lifted Govardhana Hill.In the Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa, it is said: Govardhana Hill isan incarnation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. When the Lord


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lifted the hill, all the people of Vraja were saved from Indra's rains. LordViu stays eternally on Govardhana Hill. Brahm, iva, and Lakmalso reside there. There is no doubt about this.Again from the di-varha Pura: After seeing the Deity of Harideva

and circumambulating Govardhana Hill, one attains the result of havingperformed a rjasya and avamedha-yaja. Of this there is no doubt.

The Good Fortune of the Brhmaa Devotee of BaladevaWho Lived at Govardhana

O rnivsa, there was a rich brhmaa everyone knew who lived nearGovardhana. He was always overwhelmed in love for Balarma, and hismind was always absorbed in thoughts of His character. He was certainthat one day Baladeva would kindly grant him darana, and for thatreason he always wandered around Govardhana. One cannot describethe fortune of that brhmaa who one day received information thatBaladeva would grant him darana. In order to fulfill this devotee'sdesire, Nitynanda Rma at that time went to Govardhana on

pilgrimage. Nitynanda remained in a lonely place, but whoever sawHim was bewildered by His celestial body, which bewilders even Cupid.When that brhmaa saw Nitynanda Prabhu in the distance, hewondered where this avadhta had come from. Seeing the Lord'seffulgence, he could understand that the Lord was not an ordinaryperson. The brhmaa brought various items like yogurt, milk, cheese,and butter. He came before Nitynanda, offered obeisances, and said, OAvadhta, please accept these gifts. I pray that you please show Yourmercy to me so I may have darana of Rohin-nandana.'Hearing these words, Nitynanda smiled and in great fun accepted theofferings made by the brhmaa. The brhmaa then received the Lord'sremnants and returned to his own place, where he honored the mah-

prasda and became agitated in love.The brhmaa was unable to return to meet Nitynanda, and asevening arrived he fell asleep. At night, Lord Nitynanda appeared to


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that fortunate brhmaa in a dream. Seeing Nitynanda, the brhmaawas very pleased. The next moment Nitynanda revealed His form asBaladeva, and the brhmaa fell at His feet.What a wonderful form Baladeva exhibitedenchanting to the entire

world! His limbs were glittering, being decorated with variousornaments. After blessing the brhmaa, the Lord disappeared. On theLord's disappearance, the brhmaa's sleep broke. He became restlessand started to return to where he had met Nitynanda Prabhu. At thatmoment he heard a voice telling him to remain patient and wait till themorning. He considered that his desire was at last fulfilled. Now I haveachieved the Lord, I will not leave Him. I will fall down and surrendereverything at His feet. When the night is over I will have a goldsmithmake ornaments to offer to the Lord.' As he thought in this way sleepagain came.Again in the brhmaa's dream Nitynanda appeared to him. Seeingthe Lord decorated in wonderful ornaments, that best of the brhmaasoffered many prayers. As before, upon the disappearance of the Lord,the brhmaa's sleep broke.Morning soon came and the brhmaa came before Nitynanda Prabhuand explained the previous nights dream. The Lord smiled slightly andholding the brhmaa's hand instructed the brhmaa in all truths. The

brhmaa inquired from the Lord, Who has made those ornaments I sawin my dream?' The Lord, who is controlled by His devotees' desires,replied, One day I will be decorated as you have seen. For now take thisgovardhana-il and cover it in gold. I will then wear it on My neck.'The brhmaa executed the order as given by the Lord. The best of theavadhtas then took the il and wore it on His neck. Even for LordBrahm, such pastimes are very rare. Nitynanda forbid the brhmaa todisclose this incident to anyone. However, out of His affection to Hisdevotee, the Lord remained there for some days. This rare affection canbe had by simply seeing this place.

Santana Gosvm's Residence at Cakra-trtha


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O rnivsa, see Cakra-trtha, which can fulfill one's desires. InGovardhana, Cakra-trtha is very famous. Rdh and Ka performedTheir swing pastimes here.In the Vraja-vilsa-stava it is described: Sakaraa-kua, Brahma-

kua, Kadamba-khai, Kusuma-sarovara, Rudra-kua, Apsar-kua, Gaur-trtha, Candra-sarovara, the two ppa-mocana-kuas,Mlyahra-kua, Aria-kua, and Indra-dhvaja-bedi are splendidlymanifested along with many other famous holy sites such as Cakra-trtha, Govardhana Hill, and Ratna-sihsana. Let me offer myobeisances to these places.During the spring season the gops move r r Gndharv-Giridharion a swing. The faces of the divine couple blossom with happiness bytasting the nectar of these swing pastimes. I worship Govinda-sthala, thefamous place where the divine couple enjoys these pastimes.O rnivsa, by the order of Cakra-trtha, Santana Gosvm resided atthis place. See his cottage in the forest. Everyday with determination hewould perform the twelve kroa [twenty-four mile]parikram ofGovardhana Hill.Seeing the difficulty taken by Santana in his old age, Gopnthaappeared before him in the form of a cowherd boy. Santana, withtearful eyes, tried to conceal his fatigued condition from the boy.

Gopntha sweetly spoke to Santana, In this old age you should nottake so much endeavor. Dear Svmj, please follow My advice.'Santana replied, Whatever You say I will certainly follow.' Then thecowherd boy climbed Govardhana and brought one il marked with Hisown footprint. In sweet words He requested Santana to accept thegovardhana-il marked with the footprint of Lord Ka. From todayjust circumambulate this il and thus your vow of dailyparikram willbe fulfilled.' Saying this He gave the il to Santana in his cottage anddisappeared.Santana became very anxious on not seeing the boy. SeeingSantana's condition Gopntha affectionately revealed His identity.Wet with his own tears, Santana then repented why he did notrecognize his Lord. In this way Santana remained under the influenceof intense love for r Vrajendra-kumra, who sports in the flowergroves of the Vndvana forest.


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Also at this place rmat Rdhik along with Her sakhs came and,taking the boat, She crossed Mnasa-gag from this gha. In this waythe desires of all the gops headed by Lalit were satisfied by rmatRdhr.

It is stated in r Stavval, r Govardhana-rayadaaka: Who will nottake shelter of Govardhana Hill, where the divine couple enjoy Theirboating pastimes in the Mnasa-gag? In the Mnasa-gag, Mdhava,taking the role of a boatman, took the sweetly beautiful Rdh on Hisboat. At that time, Rdh became frightened by a great storm andprayed to Ka to rescue Her, to which Ka agreed, only afterclaiming the fee of the fulfillment of His amorous desires.This is Sokri-grma, a most fascinating village where the sakhs madeKa take a vow. After taking the vow, Ka told again and again thatwithout rmat Rdhik He didn't know anything. And this, Ornivsa, is Sakhsthal-grma where Candrval stays. It is also calledSakhkhar. Uddhava sat at this place and told the gops about Ka'sactivities in Dvrak. At this place near Govardhana Hill, Ka ingreat fun played different pastimes with the cowherd boys. Just see, thetwo brothers Rma and Ka sat here surrounded by Their friends.After speaking these words, Rghava Paita, in a jubilant state ofmind, took rnivsa and Narottama with him to the bank of Rdh-

kua. After taking bath, Rghava declared that Govinda-gha is verydear to Lord Govinda.

The Amazing Vision of Santana Gosvm at Govinda-gha

O rnivsa, now I will narrate the wonderful pastime that took placeunder this tree. One day Santana Gosvm came here fromGovardhana to see Rpa and Raghuntha Gosvms. rla RpaGosvm was composing a verse comparing the braided hair ofRdhr to the hood of a black snake. When Santana Gosvm readhis composition he inquired whether the comparison was proper or not.


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After expressing his doubt like this, he went for bath in the kua. Atthat time Santana saw some girls playing under a tree nearby. Seeingthe hair of one girl, he thought it was a snake climbing her back. Inastonishment he cried out and tried to warn the unsuspecting girl. The

girls, on seeing Santana's anxiety, smiled and then disappeared.Santana was overwhelmed from the incident. When he regained hiscomposure he returned to Rpa Gosvm and exclaimed, Whatever youhave written is perfectly correct!' In this way Rpa Gosvm understoodthe heart of Santana. Feeling great ecstasy in his mind, Santana thenreturned to Govardhana.

The Purpose of Rpa Gosvm's Visit to Rdh-kua

Rghava continued narrating, Rpa Gosvm was staying atVndvana, but he came here for a reason I will now explain.One time Rpa Gosvm had given Lalit-Mdhava to Raghuntha.This book describes the intense feelings of love in separation. Afterreading the book, Raghuntha cried day and night in agitation and

became mad in distress. Sometimes he went far off to stay, leaving thebook, and sometimes he fell to the ground keeping the book to his chest.People who saw the various states of Raghuntha's ecstasy as he lostconsciousness became worried and struck with wonder. Thinking of acure for Raghuntha's condition, Rpa Gosvm quickly finished writingDna-keli-kaumud. r Rpa then gave Raghuntha the new book andrequested him to taste its contents and return Lalit-Mdhava forediting. Although Raghuntha was reluctant to give up Lalit-Mdhava,when he heard that Rpa wanted to edit it, he relented. Taking and

reading Dna-keli-kaumud, he tasted different ecstasies and thusmerged in an ocean of happiness. O rnivsa, what can I say about theactivities of Santana, Rpa, and Raghuntha?After finishing this narration, Rghava Paita, feeling jubilation in hismind, led them on. Within a short time they visited all the places nearRdh-kua. Rghava Paita then showed rnivsa and Narottama


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the place known as Nima-grma. Then, after leaving Govardhana, theyall worshiped Lord Ka, who they considered more dear than theirown life.In the Vraja-vilsa-stava it is stated: Considering Him more dear than

their own lives, out of intense parental love, the elderly gops worshipeven a drop of perspiration from Ka's lotus feet, and for a long timethey kiss His head, decorated with handsome locks of hair. I worship thedust of these gops feet.This is Pal-grma. In sport Rdh and Her sakhs picked pinkish roses[pal means pink] at this place. Here is Dervali-grma. Coming fromahghara, Nanda stayed here on his way to Nandvara. See in front,this kuja called Nav-grma. It is situated on the border of Rdh-kua. People presently call it Kujar, and it is the site of Rdh andKa's unparalleled pastimes. Here is Srya-kua-grma. Just see thedeity of Sryadeva situated in the Srya-mandira within this forest. Ingreat happiness Rdhr with Her sakhs came here to worshipSryadeva. Ka Himself became the priest and enjoyed performing the

pj. This deity of Sryadeva is very merciful and gives love of Ka.Who can describe his glories and who will not worship him?I worship Sryadeva, who is the father of Yamun and the destroyer ofall diseases. He bestows attachment to the lotus feet of Lord Ka,

therefore he is the basis of all auspiciousness.See in front the town called Keni where Ghanayma felt veryimpatient in Rdh's absence. Ka asked Rdh's servant why She hadnot come [ken i], therefore this place was called Keni and later itbecame known as Koni. See here Bhadyara-grma, where Bhadr-ythevar performed her pastimes. This is Magaher-grma. Hereeveryone sees the road Ka travels by. These people were so intenselyeager for His darana it cannot be described. Presently it is known asMagher.In this way, after visiting various other pastime places of the Lord, theyreturned to Rdh-kua in a joyful state. Whoever takes interest inhearing about or visiting these places is easily freed from any distressedcondition. Rghava Paita along with rnivsa and Narottama thusspent the night on the shores of Rdh-kua discussing Ka-kath tillmorning arrived.


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The Source of Ghuli-grma's Name

As they continuedparikram of Govardhana they came to Ghuli-grma in a joyful mood. Rghava in loving words began to explain tornivsa how Ghuli-grma was named. While playing Holi, Rdhand Ka were seated on a sihsana. The sakhs took the opportunityto secretly tie the divine couple's cloth together. When Rdh andKa stood, They found Their cloth was tied together and feltembarrassed as all the sakhs smiled in great fun. After throwing coloreddyes [playing Holi], the sakhs untied Their clothing. For this reason the

town is named Ghuli. This red color is seen by the people in Vasant[springtime] in the water of Gulla-kua. After Rghava narrated thesestories, they went for darana of Gopla. Upon seeing the form ofGopla, the devotees became impatient in ecstatic love.

The Appointment of Vihala as Gopla's Servant

The worshipable Lord served by Vihala is the same Gopla DeityCaitanya Mahprabhu was eager to see [see Cc. 2.18.23-43].Vihalantha was the son of Vallabha Bhaa. His loving sentimentswere beyond description. Sometimes Gopla lived at Ghuli-grmaand in this way Gopla fulfilled the devotees desires.The crest jewel ofsannyss, Caitanya Mahprabhu, glorified this earthby His pilgrimage to the holy places. Fortunate indeed are those whowitnessed His pastimes as He visited all the trthas of Mathur,Vndvana, Govardhana, and Rdh-kua. The Lord had a great desirefor the darana of Gopla, however, in the mood of a devotee He felt Hecould not climb Govardhana. At that time on some pretext Gopla cameto the village of Ghuli. Taking the opportunity to have Gopla'sdarana, the Lord fully immersed Himself in ecstatic chanting anddancing. By seeing the Lord's wonderful manifestation of love, everyone


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lost their composure.At that time Gopla's service was in the care of two brhmaa disciplesof Mdhavendra Pur. Having received the mercy of Mdhavendra Pur,these gaudiya brhmaas were fully renounced and always absorbed in

love of Godhead. What can be said? After not seeing them for some dayspeople wondered which fortunate person could perform their service toGopla.Consulting with r Dsa Gosvm and others, r Vihala was giventhe charge to serve Gopla. After the demise of his father r VallabhaBhaa, Vihala had spent some days in Mathur living in solitude.Overwhelmed by the pastimes of Gauracandra, he always carefullyengaged in serving Gopla. Rghava Paita thus described the qualitiesof Gopla and they cheerfully continued on from Ghuli.Going further, Rghava told rnivsa, Here is the town of Reheja. Atthis place Indra felt great remorse after his offence and along withSurabhi approached Ka. Another very potent pastime place namedDevaira-sthna-kua is beautifully situated here. The devats joyfullyoffered their prayers to Lord Ka here as He herded the cows with Hisfriends. See here the most pleasant Muniira-sthna-kua where themunis achieved Ka by performing austerities. At these sites Kaand Balarma performed various pastimes with Their friends as They

tended their cows.This is Pramodan-grma where Ka sportingly gave pleasure[pramoda] to the ladies of Vraja. For this reason the village was known asPramodan, although people now call it Paramdan. This isSetukandar, a most enchanting place. See here the most merciful diBadri-Nryaa. He is served in a most unique way by fragrant stones onthis enchanting mountain within the forest. Ka removed thelamentation of Nanda Mahrja and the other cowherd men by bringingthem here for darana of Nryaa.See ahead the sacred Kadamba-knana where Rdh-Ka happilyenjoyed Their many different pastimes with the sakhs. During themonth of rvaa They enjoyed Their swing pastimes here.This town is called Indroli. At this place Indra engaged in meditationon Lord Ka. O rnivsa, see Kanoyro-grma where Kanva Muniperformed austerities. See now the best of all forests known as


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Kmyavana. One who goes there is worshiped in Viuloka.

Kmyavana

In the di-varha Pura it is stated: The fourth forest is Kmyavana,the best of all. O goddess, a person who goes there is glorified in Myabode.Kmyavana fulfills all desires. By bathing here one is freed from alldistress.In the Skanda Pura, Mathur-khaa it is said: O king, next is

Kmyavana, where Lord Hari stayed in His childhood. Simply bybathing here, any person will attain all his desires.Ka performed many wonderful pastimes here. Just see all the manykuas. O rnivsa, see Viu-sihsana and r Caraa-kua whereKa washed His feet. How can I describe the glories of these placeswhen even Lord Brahm cannot understand their unlimited glories.See the most powerful iva known as Kamevara and the most beautifulsitting place of Garua. This is Dharma-kua where Nryaa in the

form of Dharma performs indescribable pastimes. Just see here thisplatform known as Viok. And see here is Paca-pava-kua.Everyone calls this place Mai-karika, as Vivantha [Lord iva] hasinvested this place with his many various potencies. Look at Vimala-kua. By taking bath here all one's sins are destroyed. One who leaveshis body here goes to Viuloka.In the di-varha Pura it is stated: Bathing in Vimala-kua, onebecomes free from a

iskcon desire tree - bhakti ratnakara

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