31 October 1996
Vraja-mandala Parikrama
Audio: 19961031MATHURA.mp3 (starts at 7:40 minutes)
Tomorrow we will go to Bhadravana, Bhandiravana, Matavana, Mana-sarovara, Mahavana-Gokula, Brahmanda-ghata, Ravala, and Lohavana. We will explain the pastimes of Krsna there. We will then rest for two days, and then we will go to another place. Today, we went to Talavana. We spoke hari-katha there.
After that we came to Madhuvana. We spoke of the pastimes of Ramacandra there. Shatrughan killed Lavansura there and established the city of Mathura. We also spoke the history of Ambarisa Maharaja and Durvasa Rsi. The pastimes of Krsna were also spoken. We also spoke on how Baladeva Prabhu became black despite being of a golden color. We then spoke of how Dhruva performed austerities (bhagavat-aradhana, worship of Bhagavan) and had darsana of Narayana. Narayana then blessed him to be the king of the whole world. Dhruva then began to weep because he was blessed with worldly benedictions. He could not pray for Bhagavad-bhakti. So, he was cheated.
We are engaged in bhagavat-aradhana but we also desire worldly benefit like wife, wealth, and reputation. Krsna can easily give us what we desire and thus cheat us. We are chanting harinama, doing parikrama, and engaged in bhakti. But everything will be spoiled if we have worldly desires. We should pray to Krsna and the pastimes places of Vraja-mandala with the prayer that “We want to serve You; we want to serve Your beloved Srimati Radhika.” We shouldn’t even desire Vaikuntha, Dvaraka, or Mathura.
We then went to Kumudavana. I spoke of the pastimes that took place there. There are many kumuda flowers (night-lilies) there. The water was so pure that all the friends and cows used to drink water there. They used to take bath and engage in many pastimes there.
After that we went to Bahulavan. I think all of you have heard of the pastime that was narrated there. You should know that there are two pastimes that took place there. One of the sakhis was called ‘Bahula.’ She was the sakhi of Krsna. She used to live there. She was very beautiful, sweet and qualified. She wanted to take the darsana of Krsna. She was feeling so much separation that Krsna left all the gopis and met Bahula sakhi alone. She was so glad to see Krsna. She then prayed and said, “I want to serve Your most beloved gopis. So please bless me that I can serve the gopis forever.” This took place in Bahulavan.
Krsna also had a beloved cow that used to live there. Once, this cow was grazing here and went to drink water for Krsna-kunda. A ferocious lion at once attacked her. She began to weep and pleaded to the tiger, “I have a very little child. You should let me go and feed my child. I will then return.”
The lion replied, “I can never give you up.”
The cow promised, “I must return.”
She then left and went to feed her calf. She was a brahmana’s cow. She wept while she fed her calf. She told him, “You should drink as much milk as you want because this is the last time I will be feeding you. I have promised to a lion that I will return and be his food.”
The calf said, “I will not take the milk. I will go instead of you.”
The brahmana who owed the cow heard what happened. He said, “Both of you shouldn’t go; I will go. I am your master. I will go and offer myself to the lion. You should be here with your calf.”
The cow replied, “I must go.”
The cow and the brahmana then went to the lion. The lion was so happy that both of them came. It thought, “The cow is accompanied by its calf and its master, the brahmana. I will feed on them and fill my stomach.”
As the lion was set to attack, the cow called out to Krsna. Krsna at once appeared in His four-handed form and killed the lion by His Sudarsana cakra. There is a temple by the side of Krsna-kunda that reminds one of this pastime. There are figurines of a lion, cow, calf, and a brahmana there. So, if anyone takes shelter of Krsna and sincerely calls out to Him, then Krsna will appear at once and solve all His problems.
The forest was very beautiful when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu went there. There were many creepers entwining themselves around trees. There were many fragrant flowers, and delightful birds. Bees were humming as deer jumped around. The cuckoos sang, “Radhe Radhe!” The peacocks danced while the suka and sari parrots (male and female parrots) sat perched on the sacred branches of every tree.
The suka and sari quarreled with each other. Sari said, “My Radha is superior than Krsna.”
Suka retorted, “Sri Krsna is superior to Srimati Radhika. Radhika is subordinate to Krsna.”
Sari replied, “Krsna is subordinate to my aradhya-devi Srimati Radhika."
Suka said, "Krsna is so beautiful.”
Sari replied, “He is beautiful only when He is with Radha; otherwise, He is not beautiful, He is only black. Krsna is so beautiful when the reflection of Srimati Radhika falls on Him. Krsna is then the enchanter of Cupid (Madana-mohana). Or else, He is Madana-mohita (bewildered by Cupid).”
Suka said, “Krsna is decorated by a peacock feather.”
Sari replied, “Do you know why? Because the name of my Isvari (Supreme Goddess) Sri Radha is written on it.”
If you look closely you can see the name of Sri Radha on it. Therefore, Krsna has adorned His head.
Suka then said, “Krsna is so beautiful with His crown and tilted peacock feather.”
Sari replied, “The peacock is tilted to the side because it wants to touch the lotus feet of Srimati Radhika.”
Suka said, “The sound of Krsna’s flute is so melodious.”
Sari replied, “If Srimati Radhika sings on the seventh note, then the sound of Krsna’s flute and His voice becomes so low’”.
So, they quarreled this way. Caitanya Mahaprabhu wept while He listened. He then saw the Suka and Sari perched together speaking the following words:
“We should not quarrel between ourselves. We should try to compromise.”
Sari asked, “How should we compromise?”
It was then agreed that Srimati Radhika and Krsna are equal.
“But anyhow, Srimati Radhika is superior,” Sari said.
“I agree,” replied Suka.
A deer then came and saw Caitanya Mahaprabhu weeping and trembling. Mahaprabhu was calling out, “Oh Krsna! Where are You?”
The deer thought, “My Krsna has now appeared in front of me.”
The deer, along with her husband, then started to lick Mahaprabhu’s feet. The parrots then sat on the shoulder of Mahaprabhu and started to sing melodiously. The peacocks surrounded Mahaprabhu and said to each other, “He has changed His color, yet this is the same Krsna.”
They then started to say, ‘ke! ka!’ and began to dance. In this way, Mahaprabhu fell flat on the ground and called out, “Oh Krsna! Where are You!”
So, this place we went to is called Bahulavana. Were these pastimes spoken there?
Devotees: No.
Devotee: Not like you Maharaja. But they were summarized.
Devotee: Is there also a rasa-sthali (arena of the rasa dance) there?
Srila Gurudeva: It maybe that it is present in a very secret place covered by many trees and creepers. Krsna has played His flute and called the gopis. This is rasa. This has been written by Srila Krsnadas Kaviraja Gosvami in Caitanya-caritamrta. We could not go to many other places because of travelling in a bus. But all the villages in Vraja bear the same name as the pastime that took place there.
We left one place called Chattikara. It is on the way to Mathura. Chattikara means to stay in a place surrounded by carts. When Krsna and Baladeva were three and a half years, all the gopas and gopis left Mahavana and came to Vrndavana where they stayed for four-five years. When Krsna was cowherding here, Kaliya the serpent was punished by Him. Krsna also used to do rasa in Vrndavana. Vrndavana was not a place to stay because it was a very big forest. Vamsi-vata, Seva-kunja, Nidhuvana, and other places are here. Krsna used to play with His sakhas and sakhis here. The settlement was in Chattikara and not in Vrndavana.
There is a place called Raal near Bahulavana where Vrsabhanu Maharaja(the father of Srimati Radhika) used to live with his family. We have not gone there but we are doing pranama from here. Krsna, Srimati Radhika, and the gopis would go to Radha-kunda, Surya-kunda, and the other places from here.
We also went past the village ‘Datiha’. When Dantavakra attacked Mathura, he was killed by Krsna here. Krsna then went to Gokula and took all the gopas, and gopis to aprakrta Vrndavana (unmanifest Vrndavana). His expansion Dvarakadisa returned to Dvaraka and He soon after left Dvaraka to return to Goloka with all His associates.
There is also a village called, ‘Madehra.” When Krsna and Baladeva Prabhu were taken to Mathura, all the gopis felt so much separation. They wept loudly and said in unison, “We will never return to our homes; we will die if Krsna will not return.” Weeping, they would always look towards Mathura, awaiting Krsna’s return. So, this place is Madehra. When we go to Govardhana, we will visit Santanu-kunda. Santanu was the father of Bhisma Pitamaha. He is worshiping Krsna here for his darsana.
Krsna played with all His gopas in Madhuri-kunda. Everything here is so sweet. So, this pond is called Madhuri-kunda. We will do pranamas to all these places and pray that they should manifest their mercy in our hearts. We will have krsna-prema by the dust of these places. All these pastime places have manifested from Baladeva Prabhu. He has manifested the dhama. We should pray to Baladeva Prabhu that He should causeless mercy on us. He will fulfill our desire to serve Krsna. He will remove all our bad desires like lust, anger, and greed. These anarthas are explained in the verse:
vaco vegam manasah krodha-vegam
jihva-vegam udaropastha-vegam
etan vegan yo visaheta dhirah
sarvam apimam prthivim sa sisyat
["A wise and self-composed person who can tolerate the impetus to speak, the agitation of the mind, the onset of anger, the vehemence of the tongue, the urge of the belly and the agitation of the genitals can instruct the whole world. In other words, everyone becomes a disciple of such a self-controlled person." (Upadesamrta, verse 1)]
The urge to uselessly speak is the root of all evil. It can lead to anger; it can destroy us. Always try to control the urge to speak. The tongue has no backbone—she can go down, up, and sidewards. She can go here and there and create all kinds of evil; she is so crooked. Don’t offend Vaisnavas. The tongue can also offend Sri Gurudeva. So, don’t try to offend anyone. The lady devotees should not walk with men, and the men should not walk with the ladies. Caitanya Mahaprabhu has strictly warned us. The tongue can do anything.
Ramacandra left to the forest to follow the order of his father. Rama, Laksmana, and Sita were in Pancavati of the Dandakaranya forest. Ravana sent Marici in the form of a golden deer. Sita was charmed and prayed to her husband, “I want to have this golden deer. I have never a deer like this. So, I want it. If it is not alive, I desire it’s skin. I will give it to Bharata or Kaikeyi.”
Laksmana said, “I doubt a deer can be so beautiful. There is a conspiracy here. I have no faith in this unusual deer.”
Rama said, “Don’t fear. I will get the deer, and you should protect Sita.”
The deer went very far away, and Rama shot His arrow at the deer. Marici reverted to his original form and called out to Laksmana in the same voice as Rama.
He cried out, “Oh Laksmana! Oh Laksmana!”
Greatly worried, Sita told Laksmana, “Rama has beet attacked by a demon. Go and save Your brother at once. I am so worried for Him.”
Laksmana replied, “Don’t worry. There is no one who can attack Rama. Nothing can be done to Him.”
“You should go and save Rama because He is calling out in great pain.”
“I will not go because Rama has told Me to protect you,” replied Laksmana.
“Oh You want to marry me? This will never happen. I would rather die than marry You. I will consume poison or immolate myself. I know that You are the spy of Bharata and Kaikeyi.”
Laksmana was greatly pained and He thought, “Why is my mother speaking such words?” He then went to look for Rama after hearing Sita repeatedly speak these words.
She told Him, “You are a very cruel person who has come to kill Rama!”
Laksmana said, “I don’t know what will become of this, but I am going. I am going to draw a protective line—you should never cross it.”
Laksmana had no lust, but Sita spoke these words because she was Maya Sita and not the real Sita. So, she abused Laksmana and made offense. Laksmana went to look for Rama, and then Ravana arrived to take Sita away.
If Laksmana would have been present, Ravana would have never taken Sita away and the Ramayana wouldn’t have taken place. It was only because of the words of Sita that a very big war came and Ravana was destroyed. So you should try to control your tongue.
Draupadi told Duryodhana, “You are blind like your father.”
Duryodhana then promised to avenge this insult. The Kauravas and Pandavas were both destroyed in the Kurukshetra war. Try to check your tongue. Don’t speak anything you like and think before you speak. You can do bhajana easily if you can check your tongue. If I will have time, I will speak further.
Gaura Premanande!
