06 November 1996
Now we have come to Rama-ghata, which is also called ‘Dauji’s-ghata’. When Krsna and Baladeva took all the Yadavas to Dvarakas, all the Vrajavasis were feeling so much separation. Nanda and Yasoda became like blind, not even taking water. They even stopped cooking because for whom would they cook? Krsna was no longer in Vraja. I think Krsna was not happy in Dvaraka despite being in the presence of so many Queens. Therefore, He sent Uddhava and Baladeva to Vraja to pacify the Vrajavasis.
Baladeva said, “Brother, let’s go. The Vrajavasis are very sad. The cows are not grazing and the calves are not drinking milk. They will be pacified if they see You just once. They will become very happy on seeing the both of Us.”
But Krsna was silent. Baladeva went to Rohini-devi and said, “Mother, Krsna is not listening to Me. What should I do? Should I go alone?”
Mother Rohini then called Krsna and said, “Why are You not going to Vraja? Just go once even if You don’t wish to stay there. All the cows and calves are dying. The Vrajavasis are not cooking. They are not drinking milk or anything. They are only weeping in a mood of separation.”
Krsna called Uddhava and said, “Write a letter to console the Vrajavasis.”
Rukmini said, “Your letter will not do anything.”
Baladeva said, “Krsna is a very naughty boy; He cheats everyone and speaks lies. He has no love and affection for Nanda Baba, Yasoda Maiya, the gopis, gopas, cows and calves. He is so cruel; His love is artificial.”
Krsna fainted when He heard these words. But He was still not ready to go to Vraja. Baladeva then said, “Even if You go or not—I will certainly go to Vraja and console Nanda Baba, Yasoda, the gopas and gopis. You are so cruel because everyone is dying for You and You are still unrelenting. Your love for the Vrajavasis is only external. I still cannot understand why You are not going to Vraja.”
Krsna is continuously weeping; but why is He not coming to Vraja? It is very hard to understand. Even if He is not going to stay forever—He should at least visit Vraja for two or three days. Our Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura and Jiva Gosvami have explained why He didn’t go to Vraja—but only a few, rare people can understand these sacred, and hidden moods. One’s tattva-jnana (understanding of scriptures) will not help.
Baladeva Prabhu also came to Khelanvana. Srimati Radhika also used to play with Her sakhis here on the banks of the Yamuna. Once, Jatila and Kutila said, “Srimati Radhika is not chaste—we are chaste.” Krsna desired that everyone have faith in Srimati Radhika and respect Her. Therefore, He feigned an illness. Everyone came running to Him and asked, “What happened?”
Yogamaya came and said, “There is only one way we can save Him. If a chaste lady of Vraja brings water from the Yamuna in an earthen pot, I will use that water to bathe Him after I chant certain mantras into His ears.”
Everyone asked, “Who is the most chaste lady in Vraja?”
Someone replied, “Jatila and Kutila (the mother and sister-in-law of Srimati Radhika) are the most chaste ladies in Vraja.”
Jatila said, “Give me the pot and I will bring water because I am the most chaste lady.”
Yogamaya then handed over a pot which had a thousand holes. Jatila took the pot and while standing on the bank of the Yamuna, she said, “If I am a chaste lady, the water should not fall out from this pot.”
But water seeped out of the pot as and when she spoke these words. Being thoroughly embarrassed, Jatila dropped the pot and ran away. Kutila also ran away. Now how could Krsna be cured? When no one stepped forward, Yogamaya called for Srimati Radhika.
But Srimati Radhika, “I will not bring the water even if someone’s life can be saved.”
Mother Yasoda then appeared and said, “My dear daughter! Please save the life of my son.”
Yogamaya then blessed Srimati Radhika. Srimati Radhiika then stood on the bank of the Yamuna and said, “If I am truly a chaste lady—then even a drop of water should not spill out of this pot.”
And as soon as Srimati Radhika lifted the pot, a single drop of water didn’t seep through the thousand holes. The water was then used to bathe Sri Krsna while Yogamaya recited the mantras into His ears. Krsna then stood on His feet.
Everyone unanimously and joyously said, “There is only one chaste lady in Vraja and She is Srimati Radhika.”
By the mercy of Yogamaya, all the aspersions cast on Srimati Radhika were dismissed. Yogamaya always serves to manifest such pastimes of the Divine Couple. This is the pastime of Khelavana. Krsna performed so many pastimes here. He lived for some years here. As stated in Sri Bhakti-ratnakara, Srimati Radhika also stayed here with Her sakhis. She would play with all Her sakhis on the bank of the Yamuna. Previously, this place was a very dense forest. Therefore, the residences of the gopas and gopis were a little far from here. When Baladeva came from Dvaraka, He came here and tried to console the Vrajavasis. But their separation was only increasing at every moment.
The gopas and gopis would experience intense pangs of separation, but the separation of Nanda Baba and Yasoda Maiya was greater. And between the two, Mother Yasoda’s separation was even greater. But the separation of Krsna’s beloved gopis was even greater. Among them, the separation experienced by the sakhis of Srimati Radhika was inconceivably greater. And Srimati Radhika experienced the highest degree of separation among all the Vrajavasis and Vraja-devis. Baladeva Prabhu could console Nanda Baba, Mother Yasoda, and the rest of the Vrajavasis to some extent. But He could not console the sakhis of Sri Krsna.
He then anyhow bought the gopis to this place and tried consoling them. There are two divisions of gopis—Krsna’s beloved gopis and Baladeva’s gopis. Baladeva bought His own gopis and sang and danced with them. He did so only to please the gopis. He wanted them to forget their separation from Krsna. When they were dancing, they became thirsty. Previously, Yamuna was not here. She was two miles away from here. She was coming from Hastinapura and going towards Mathura. When the gopis desired to drink water, Baladeva Prabhu loudly said, “Yamune! You should come here. All the gopis are very thirsty. They want to take a bath and drink water.”
But Yamuna didn’t listen to Baladeva Prabhu’s words. He then became so angry and started to pull the Yamuna by His plough. Therefore, Yamuna is so curved here. The gopis then bathed and drank water here. Thus, this place is a place of rasa (rasa-sthali). This place was previously a dense forest; but many trees have been cut down since. We will do acamana here now. There is also a temple of Dauji (Baladeva). First, we will go to the Yamuna and do acamana. And then, we will bathe at Cira-ghata. But all of you should go for darsana of Sri Dauji.
Previously, we went to a place called ‘Caumuha’. Four-headed Brahma disturbed Krsna’s pastimes and offered many prayers to Krsna when he realized He was Parabrahma Himself. But Krsna neglected Him and continued playing with the cowherd boys. When the sakhas saw Brahma, they remarked, “From where has this four-headed personality come from?”
So, there is a nice deity of Brahmaji here. We then went to Chatravana. Here, Radharani was declared as the Queen of Vraja, and Krsna held the umbrella over Her head. He proclaimed, “From today, Srimati Radhika is Vrajesvari.” The sakhis then made Krsna promise that He will never address Himself as the King of Vraja.
We then proceeded to Kisorivana and Kosi. Here, Srimati Radhika would say, “Ko’si? Who are You?”
While knocking at the door, Krsna replied, “I am Krsna!”
Krsna can also mean a black poisonous snake. So, Srimati Radhika said, “Why have You come here? You should go to the forest.”
Krsna then said, “I am Ghanasyama!”
‘Ghanasyama’ can also mean a newly formed raincloud. Srimati Radhika replied, “There is no need for any rainfall here. Don’t come here or else You will make the place muddy! You should go to the forest and provide rain there.”
Krsna then said, “I am Cakri!”
Cakri generally implies He who carries the Sudarsana Cakra. But Srimati Radhika took it to mean a potter. Therefore, She said, “We don’t need any potter here because there is no marriage ceremony taking place here. You should go any village where a marriage ceremony is taking place and they will gladly accept Your claypots.”
Krsna then exclaimed, “I am not that Cakri! I am Madhusudana!”
Madhusudana can also mean a bumblebee. Thinking in this light, Srimati Radhika said, “I don’t require any bumblebee here. Now go away before You sting Me. You should go to the forest.”
In this way, the place where these pastimes took place is called ‘Kosi’. All the villages of Vraja have certain pastimes of Krsna associated with them. ‘Payagaon’ is nearby as well. ‘Paya’ means milk. The cows would stand and Krsna would directly drink from their udders. The cows would feed Him just as a mother would. So, all these villages are associated with Krsna’s pastimes, which are more than five thousand years old. We should offer our obeisance and go for darsana. We will do acamana from the Yamuna and return to the bus.
Gaura Premanande!
Baladeva Prabhu ki jaya! Nityananda Prabhu ki jaya! Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu and all His associate came to this place. This place is very, very famous. You should not think that this place is ordinary. This place is also called ‘Kheca-gaon’.
[Break of audio]
Srila Trivikrama Maharaja: I am begging permission from all of you to express my idea whether it is wrong or right. This place is called ‘Viharavana’ because it is a place of defeat.
Srila Gurudeva: Narayana defeated Trivikrama.
Srila Trivikrama Maharaja: The gopis were defeated by Krsna and lost in every respect.
Srila Gurudeva: Why are you fearful?
Srila Trivikrama Maharaja: You will beat me here; so many people are with you.
Srila Gurudeva: Trivikrama Maharaja is saying, “All are following you and I am alone.”
Krsna would play with the boys, and the gopis in Viharavana. He would also take the cows out to graze in this place. He would sometimes play on His flute and call the names of all the gopis in a short way. All the gopis would come here and they sing, dance and play here. ‘Vihara’ means to play. Krsna would play with His sakhas, cows and calves. There are many Kadamba trees here. We are sitting underneath their shade. When we would come with our Gurudeva, we would see hundreds and thousands of Kadamba and Tamala trees. There are many neat and clean groves here. So, Krsna used to play with His sakhas here. He would also play with the gopis. And that is why, this place is called ‘Viharavana’.
Pujyapada Trivikrama Maharaja also said, ‘Vihara’ means ‘visesa-rupena-parajaya’ (to be especially defeated). There were lakhs and lakhs of gopis; so how could Krsna possibly defeat all of them. So, they defeated Krsna here. They took His sikha (tuft of hair), and tied it to a branch of a Kadamba tree.
They then said in unison, “Will You do this again?”
So, all the gopis defeated Krsna here. Therefore, this place is called ‘Viharavana’.
Srila Trivikrama Maharaja: Krsna had little hair on His head; but the gopis had bunches of hair. So, they were defeated.
Srila Gurudeva: ’Vi-hara’ also means without being defeated at all. This is opposite to what Trivikrama Maharaja has said. The gopis were never defeated by Krsna. This is a hidden meaning. Maharaja said that Krsna is ‘akhila-rasamrta-murti’.
akhila-rasāmṛta-mūrtiḥ
prasṛmara-ruci-ruddha-tārakā-pāliḥ
kalita-śyāmā-lalito
rādhā-preyān vidhur jayati
['Let Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, be glorified! By virtue of His expanding attractive features, He subjugated the gopīs named Tārakā and Pāli and absorbed the minds of Śyāmā and Lalitā. He is the most attractive lover of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and is the reservoir of pleasure for devotees in all devotional mellows.’]
Krsna is not ‘akhila-rasamrta-murti’; He is ‘nirvisesa-nirguna’. He is ‘akhila-rasamrta-murti’ only when He comes to Vrndavana and plays with the gopis. Otherwise, He is always thirsty. Therefore, He appeared as Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu in Sridhama Navadvipa to quench His thirst. The jnanis (empiricists), and tattva-jnanis cannot understand this—only the rasika and bhavuka bhaktas can understand this. Krsna was so thirsty although He is akhila-rasamrta-sindhu! He begged Srimati Radhika for Her complexion and mood and He went to Navadvipa. He made Visakha His siksa-guru and came to Jagannatha Puri where He received that rasa little by little. Krsna is always thirsty for that rasa. As stated in this verse, He is always thirsty and like zero without Radha. In the first part of this verse, the names of Taraka and Pali have been stated. And then, the names of Lalita, Syama and Bhadra have been stated. The verse culminates with the glories of Srimati Radhika.
If you come early in the morning, you can see so many peacocks here dancing and saying, ‘ke-ka!’ There are hundreds and thousands of peacocks. There are also many cuckoo birds singing, ‘coo-hoo!’ There are so many deer here. Now, they are rarely seen—but they can still be seen in this forest. We should bow down to this place, which is a playground for the gopas, gopis and Krsna. May these pastimes mercifully manifest in our hearts. So, we pray to this place called ‘Viharavana’ that the pastimes of Krsna that took place here should all come in our hearts. You are so lucky that you have come from more than a thousand miles to see this place. This place is so beautiful even now—so, you can imagine how beautiful this place must have been when Krsna was playing here. So, we are bowing down to this place.
Now, we will go to Khelanvana and honor some mahaprasada. We will then go to Ciraghata, Vatsavana, Garuda-govinda, Caumuha and other places.
Offer your obeisances with great respect here and we will speak on the glories of these places more elaborately in Mathura and Vrndavana. We have spoken in brief here.
All of you should bathe in Cira-ghata.
Gaura-premanande!
*Submitted by Govardhana dasa.
