Vraja Mandala Parikrama
October 31, 1996
Audio: 19961031MATHURA 266AB p2
(starts at 16:10 minutes)
This place is called Bhandiravana. It is one of the prominent pastime places in all of Vraja. ‘Bhan’ means to illuminate. This place illuminates krsna-bhakti. It illuminates the glories of the gopas, gopis, and especially the glories of Srimati Radhika. Krsna used to come with so many cowherd boys to this place. He came with Nanda Baba to this place when He was two or three years old. Nanda Baba wanted to look after the boys who were cow herding. The place became dark when he came here. The sky was overcast, and it started to rain. The forest had many tamala trees, so it became darker. Nanda Baba thought, “How can I protect Krsna? He is a small child.”
Meanwhile, he saw the darling daughter of Vrsabhanu Maharaja. Although She was a small child as well, She took Krsna in Her arms. They assumed Their kisora-kisori (teenage) forms under this tree. Krsna became a fifteen-year-old kisora, and Srimati Radhika became a thirteen-year-old kisori. All the sakhis headed by Lalita, Visakha, and Citra assembled here. Brahma with his four heads appeared as well.
Lalita said, “There will be a gandharva marriage between Radha-Krsna here.”
A gandharva marriage is an exchange of garlands made conspicuous by the absence of the utterance of Vedic mantras. All the sakhis sang marriage songs while Radha-Krsna exchanged garlands. But Brahma recited some mantras later. This gandharva marriage took place under this tree. All the sakhis vanished after Brahma returned to his abode. Srimati Radhika then placed Krsna on the lap of Nanda Baba. The clouds disappeared and the sun shone.
Krsna used to come with lakhs of cowherd boys to this place. They used to eat butter, fruits, pickles, and other types of food sent by their mothers. While having the cows graze, Krsna used to sit in the middle while the sakhas would surround Him in concentric circles.
Every sakha regardless of being in front, behind, or in the side would think, “I am sitting in front of Krsna. Krsna is laughing and joking with me.”
They used to take their midday prasada here. Krsna and the sakhas used to also snatch food from each other. Once, Madhumangala was very happy while snatching food from others. Krsna took an eggplant pakoda and replaced the eggplant with many chillies. While He ate a sweet pakoda, He remarked, “Oh very sweet!”
Madhumangala then snatched another pakoda that Krsna had in His hands, and immediately put it in his mouth. Realizing that there were chillies inside, he started crying out in pain. Many such pastimes took place here.
Yamuna was not very far away. Yamuna could be seen some years before. As the crows grazed, the sakhas happily ate. But one day, the cows left Krsna and the sakhas behind to graze elsewhere. Green grass allured them to a place full of reeds. The sand was very warm because of the scorching heat. There was no water as well. Meanwhile, some demons of Kamsa lit a fire that engulfed the cows from all sides. Not seeing the cows, the cowherd boys exclaimed, “How will we return without the cows?”
They then left Krsna and Baladeva to look for the cows. Milk was their only means of sustenance. The sakhas then also found themselves within the fire. Horrified, they called out, “Oh Krsna! Oh Baladeva! Save us!”
They saw Krsna standing in front of them in no less than a moment. Krsna told them to close their eyes. They thought that Krsna was going to remember a sacred mantra. But Krsna thought, “If the sakhas will see Me swallowing fire, My mother will chastise Me.” So, He told them to close their eyes. The sakhas would have also given up their lives if they would have seen Krsna swallowing the fire. Krsna then told the sakhas to open their eyers after He had swallowed the fire. The sakhas then saw the cows patiently grazing on grass near the banks of the Yamuna.
The sakhas wondered, “We are in the same place as before. Were we dreaming?”
We are also burning in the fire of repeated birth and death. We will surely have to die. There is no man or woman who has no disease. Now you are happy in our association. But you will become unhappy when you are alone. Devotees gather around me to speak about their problems.
They tell me, “My husband is not treating me well. I am so poor. I am so unfortunate.”
So, we are burning in this fire of problems. Krsna will save us at once when we will call out to Him. We will then find ourselves in Goloka Vrndavana. We will have no problem at all when we will chant in a surrendered way. The cycle of birth and death will be over. We will find ourselves playing with Krsna in Goloka Vrndavana. Such pastimes took place here.
Krsna proudly proclaimed Himself to be very strong. But Lalita and Visakha told Him, “You are a coward; You are not so strong. Our sakhi will certainly defeat You if You will wrestle with Her.”
Krsna remarked, “I have defeated so many demons; I can defeat My sakhas as well. Your sakhi will certainly be defeated by Me.”
But Krsna was defeated by Srimati Radhika to the delight of the sakhis who joyfully clapped.
Haribol! (36:25)
I am speaking of all the pastimes that took place here. Vatsasura was a demon in the guise of a calf who was killed by Krsna. The gopis told Krsna, “Don’t touch us. You killed a calf so be far away from us.”
“It was a demon—not a calf!”
“Still! You will have to purify Yourself. Otherwise we will not accept You and You will have to be far away from us.”
“What should I do?”
“You should bathe in all the tirthas (pilgrimage places) of the world.”
Krsna then summoned all the holy rivers and pilgrimages. Together, they said, “How can we serve You?”
“You should assumed the combined form of water in a well.”
Krsna unearthed a piece of land with His Venu, and all the rivers and pilgrimage places combined to fill it water. Krsna then bathed in the water and the water was stocked in a well, which later came to be known as Venu-kupa.
Krsna then asked the gopis, “Now that I have bathed in all the pilgrimage places, may I touch You?”
The gopis agreed. At present times, barren ladies or those who have lost their children to illnesses, pray to the water in the well for children. By honoring the water of this well, their wishes are fulfilled. So, lakhs and lakhs of people come here to have their wishes fulfilled.
The branches of the trees here used to extend to the Yamuna. The sakhas would use the branches of the tree to swing to the banks of the Yamuna. Once, a demon called Pralambhasura came here. His hands were very long. He assumed the form of a sakha to play with Krsna and Baladeva Prabhu. Krsna and Baladeva Prabhu realized the ‘sakha’ to be a demon.
Krsna embraced him and said, “You are My friend. I have been searching for you for so long although you never gave Me your darsana. Now I will have you as My friend forever.”
Pralambhasura was very happy that Krsna couldn’t recognize him. He wanted to kill Krsna and Baladeva Prabhu. The sakhas were divided into two groups. The losers would have to carry the victorious ones on their shoulders.
Pralambhasura thought, “It is very difficult to kill Krsna. I will kill Baladeva first and then I will kill Krsna.”
The demon carried Baladeva Prabhu when he was defeated. He started to run so swiftly, but Baladeva Prabhu knew the demon’s intentions. The demon assumed his terrifying form when he couldn’t tolerate Baladeva Prabhu’s weight. Baladeva Prabhu then punched his skull and the demon died instantly.
Bhadravana is nearby although there are no signs of it. ‘Bhadra’ is a name of Baladeva Prabhu. Bhadra implies a gentle nature. These forests are under the control of Baladeva Prabhu. But the other forests like Vrndavana, and Kamyavana are under the control of Srimati Radhika. When Krsna and Baladeva Prabhu were in Mahavana, They would come to all these places. They would even come to Matavana. They would go everywhere and play. We will offer our obeisances to Bhadravana from here. We will now go to Vamsi-vata where the rasa-lila took place. Sridhama is also waiting for Krsna there to return from Mathura.
We are very lucky to come to these places. Balabhadra Prabhu is nearby. Now we will go to Vamsi-vata.
Gaura Premanande!
*Submitted by Govardhana dasa.
