May the Rāsa-sthalī protect me: the place where the Rāsa-dance took place, which is filled with all the wonderful sweetness of the three worlds, where Krishna Murārī dances with the gopīs, who are clever in the arts of Eros, and then abandons them to take Sri Radhika to a lonely place to decorate her with flowers and enjoy with her in great jubilation. 

VERSE 63:

vaidagdhyojjvala valgu ballava vadhū vargeṇa nṛtyannasau
hitvā taṁ murajid rasena rahasi śrī rādhikāṁ maṇḍayan
puṣpālaṅkṛti sañcayena ramate yatra pramodotkarais
trailokyādbhuta mādhurī parivṛtā sā pātu rāsa-sthalī

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā: In this verse, Das Goswami praises the most delightful place where the Rāsa-dance takes place.

The Rāsa-līlā is the crownjewel of all of Sri Krishna’s pastimes. Śrīpād Śrīdhar Swāmī explains the word ‘rāsa‘ as follows: rāso nāma bahu nartakī yukta nṛtya viśeṣaḥ “The Rāsa is a kind of dance wherein many girls are dancing.” In the Alaṅkāra-shastras we can find the following statement: naṭair gṛhīta kaṇṭhīnām anyonyātra kara śriyām nartakīnāṁ bhaved rāso maṇḍalībhūya nartanam “When the male dancers and the female dancers stand in a circle, the male dancers embrace the female dancers around the neck and the female dancers hold each other in the arm, then this dance is called a Rāsa.”

Although this is the popular explanation of the word ‘Rāsa’, Śrīmat Jiva Goswamipāda has written: rāsaḥ parama rasa-kadamba-maya iti yaugikārthaḥ “The pastime that contains the greatest amount of rasa is called Rāsa.

Rasa is the main ingredient of the Rāsa, because when the word rasa is inflected in the optimal way, it becomes Rāsa.

Rasa means relish and when it is inflected to Rāsa it means the pastime which contains the most relish. The purport of this is that the Rāsa-līlā is the pastime in which the gopīs can fully and blissfully relish the unrivalled sweetness and beauty of Sri Krishna’s perfect form, flavour, fragrance, sound and touch through their famous mahābhāva-love, and Rasika Śekhara (the king of relishers) Sri Krishna can fully and blissfully relish the perfect forms, flavour, fragrance, sound and touch of the Vrajadevīs, who are anointed with the famous mahābhāva.

The hero of the Rāsa-līlā is Vrajendranandan Rasikendra Mauli Sri Krishna, the heroines are the Queen of the Rāsa-dance Sri Radha herself, who is endowed with mādanākhya mahābhāva, and the Vrajasundarīs, who are endowed with mahābhāva, and the place is the Śrī-Sri Rāsa-sthalī, the most rasika place on the bank of the Yamuna which is endowed with extraordinary natural beauty. This verse praises this Rāsa-sthalī.

Rāseśvarī Sri Radha is the main pillar of the Rāsa-dance. tāhā vinā rāsa-līlā nāhi bhāya cite (Caitanya-caritāmṛta) “Without her, Krishna does not like the Rāsa-līlā.” Hence, Raghunath Das Goswami praises the Rāsa-sthalī by describing the great glories of Rāseśvarī, saying: “This is the place where Krishna Murārī dances with the gopīs, who are clever in the arts of Eros, and then abandons them to take Sri Radhika to a lonely place to decorate her with flowers and jubilantly enjoy with her in different ways.”

In the description of the Mahā Rāsa, it can be seen that on the Rāsa-night, Sri Krishna first attracted the Vrajasundarīs with his enchanting flute playing and then joked with them by speaking words of rejection to them (upekṣā-vāṇī). Their humble prayers then removed his neglectful manner and he met with them, laughing and joking.

During their first pastimes of meeting, the Vrajasundarīs became very proud of their good fortune of getting the greatest attention from Sri Krishna‚ and Sri Radha became jealous that Krishna was enjoying equally with all the gopīs. tāsāṁ tat saubhagamadaṁ vīkṣya mānaṁ ca keśavaḥ praśamāya prasādāya tatraivāntaradhīyata (Bhāg. 10.29.48) “Seeing the gopīs‘ pride of their good fortune and Radha’s jealous pique, Keśava abandoned the Vrajasundarīs and went off alone with Sri Radha. In this way he subdued the pride of the Vrajasundarīs and pacified Sri Radha’s jealousy.”

Actually the Rāsa-līlā had not commenced yet at that time, but it was about to begin and thus, Śrīpād speaks about Krishna leaving the gopīs who were dancing. All the Gopa-sundarīs are endowed with mahābhāva and are expert in the arts of Eros, so the fact that Krishna took Radha away in front of them all and brought her to a lonely place to enjoy pastimes with her there shows her greatness far beyond the glories of all the other gopīs.

Das Goswami is Sri Radha’s beloved maidservant, so his favorite part of the various events that took place during the Rāsa-līlā is that Sri Krishna took away Sri Radha alone from millions of other assembled gopīs, decorated her with floral ornaments and enjoyed amorous pastimes with her in solitude. That is why he mentioned this pastime in his description of the Rāsa-sthalī.

When Sri Krishna took Radha away and disappeared with her during the Mahā-Rāsa even Sri Radha’s girlfriends weren’t aware of it. When they did not see Sri Radharani in their midst anymore they understood that Sri Krishna must have taken her off somewhere, and they became simultaneously happy (because of Sri Radha’s greatness) and sad (because they could not see the pastimes of the Divine Pair anymore). But when Sri Krishna took Sri Radha along and disappeared with her, her maidservants, who are nondifferent from her in the heart, were with her and could personally witness the sweet and intimate pastimes of the Divine Pair, and feel very happy and proud about the special glories of their Īśvarī. This can be learned from the descriptions by Sri Rūpa Gosvāmipāda:

rāsārambha vilasati parityajya goṣṭhāmbujākṣī-
vṛndaṁ vṛndāvana bhuvi rahaḥ keśaveṇopanīya
tvāṁ svādhīna priyatama pada prāpaṇenārcitāṅgīṁ
dūre dṛṣṭvā hṛdi kim acirād arpayiṣyāmi darpam

(Utkalikā Vallari – 42)

“When will my heart be filled with pride as I see from afar how Keśava leaves all the lotus-eyed girls of Vraja at the beginning of the Rāsa-dance in Vrindavan and takes you to a lonely place where he, under your command, decorates you with flowers?”

In his description of the Rāsa-līlā, the Rāsa-vaktā (speaker) Śrīpāda Śuka Muni has clearly mentioned that Sri Krishna privately and blissfully enjoyed with Sri Radha in different ways in the Rāsa-night, arranged her hair and adorned her with decorations like flowers:

atra prasūna-vacayaḥ priyārthe preyasā kṛtaḥ
prapadākramane ete paśyatā sakale pade
keśa prasādhanaṁ hyatra kāminyāḥ kāminā kṛtam
tāni cūḍayatā kāntām upaviṣṭam iha dhruvam
reme tayā svātma-rata ātmārāmo’pyakhaṇḍitaḥ

(Śrīmad Bhāgavata 10.30.32-34)

“Sri Radha’s rival gopīs told each other: “Here Krishna has picked flowers to decorate his beloved with. Look! Here he stood on his toes to pick flowers from a high branch; that’s why we can see half footprints in the earth here! Look, look! Here Krishna arranged her hair and sat down to make floral ornaments for her head. Although he is Self-satisfied and Self-delighted, he enjoyed romance with this girl in various ways here!”

Raghunath Das Goswami says: “May the Rāsa-sthalī, where Śrī-Sri Radha-Mādhava freely enjoyed such amorous pastimes and that fills the three worlds with the very wonderful sweet flavours of the Rāsa-dance, protect me!”

vidagdhā ujjvalā gopī, yārā kṛṣṇa anurāgī,
sarva śreṣṭha kṛṣṇa kāntā-gaṇa
kori nānā nṛtya raṅge, govinda yādera saṅge,
yāre loiyā koilā antardhāna

sei śrīmatī rādhāre, nānā puṣpa alaṅkāre,
sājāiyā rasika govinda
dampati yugala mili, śṛṅgāra mādhurya keli,
kore yethā pāiyā ānanda 

trailokye adbhuta śreṣṭha, mādhurya maṇḍita preṣṭha,
‘rāsa-sthalī’ kori ārādhanā
sethā vāsa virodha yāte, rakṣā koro tāhā hoite,
nirantara ei se kāmanā

“May the Rāsa-sthali, where Rasika Govinda danced various dances with his greatest lovers, the gopīs, who are expert in the arts of Eros and who are passionately attached to him, and then left them to decorate Srimati Radha with different floral ornaments, where the Divine Couple finds great joy in playing Their sweet romantic pastimes and which is ornamented by the most wonderful kinds of sweetness of all the three worlds, protect me from anything or anyone who is stopping me from residing there. Thus I yearn to worship the place where the Rāsa-dance took place!”

© Translated by Advaita dāsa in 1994
Source: Tarun Govinda Das, Flowing Nectar Stream blog.
(Slightly altered by the editor for Vrindavan Today)

The commentary of Sri Radha Kund Mahant, Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj, is named Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā (a drop of the nectar of Stavāvalī).

It was published in Gaurābda 503 (1989 A.D.) by Sri Krishna Chaitanya Shastra Mandir, Vrajananda Ghera, PO Radhakunda (district Mathura), U.P., India.

The devotional songs in Bengali that follow each commentary were composed by Dr. Haripada Sheel.

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Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will sign a ‘Power for all 2019’ pact with the Narendra Modi government at the Centre on Friday in a bid to improve the electricity situation in the state.

Lucknow, 2017.04.14 (Pragati Ratti Sharma, IC): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will sign a ‘Power for all 2019’ pact with the Narendra Modi government at the Centre on Friday in a bid to improve the electricity situation in the state. This comes as the Yogi Adityanath government in UP works towards fulfilling its promise of 24-hour power supply in the state. The pact will be inked in the presence of Union Minister of State Piyush Goyal in Lucknow.

In its last Cabinet meeting on April 11, the Yogi Adityanath government included major decisions on power supply in Uttar Pradesh as one of its key decisions. The Yogi Cabinet decided to give 18 hour power supply to rural areas in the state. The UP Cabinet also decided to provide 24 hours of uninterrupted power supply to district headquarters and 20 hours of power supply to Tehsil headquarters in the state.

The Cabinet meet also approved the electricity-sharing proposal with the Centre. The UP government announced that Within 48 hours, the UP electricity department has been asked to replace non-working transformers. It has also promised 24×7 supply of electricity to every household by September 2018.

Replacement of transformers in 24 hours and 24 hours power supply in all the cities were also among decisions taken by the Yogi Adityanath Cabinet on Tuesday.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, during its campaign for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections earlier this year, had attacked the previous Akhilesh Yadav government over alleged stealing of electricity. The BJP had also lashed out at former UP chief minister AKhilesh Yadav for poor supply of electricity in the state, promising to provide 24 hours power supply in the state by 2019.

The original article appeared on India.com under the title: Yogi Adityanath to sign ‘Power for All 2019’ pact with Centre today.

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“To empower women through animal husbandry and make them a part of the initiatives to increase the income of farmers, he said the university has decided to offer training to women at no cost.”

Mathura, 2017.04.13 (OI): The Deen Dayal Veterinary University in Mathura will organise an interactive session between scientists and farmers on dairy farming starting on April 15.

Uttar Pradesh Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary will inaugurate the session, University officials said.

It is a novel step for “enhancing the income” of farmers to the extent that it becomes double in the next five years, a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the University’s Vice Chancellor Prof. K M L Pathak said.

“The interactive session will strees the upkeep of good breeds of milk-giving animals and their health care, and the making of milk products like paneer, ghee and khowa,” he said.

Farmers will also be encouraged to produce sustainable hygienic milk and grow their own green fodder, Pathak said.

To empower women through animal husbandry and make them a part of the initiatives to increase the income of farmers, he said the university has decided to offer training to women at no cost.

It would be a regular feature in which they would be encouraged to create groups, as teamwork would facilitate their getting loans from the bank, Pathak said.

He said the University has made a nucleus herd of 100 Sahiwal cows since it decided to prepare high yielding heifers. Some of these special cows may be given to farmers as well.

It has also been decided to set up a semen bank in the university to empower indigenous cows through conservation and propagation, Pathak stated.

In the meantime, the university will use selective breeding to strenghthen the herd.

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This is the continuing serialization of 252 Vaishnavan ki varta, the lives of the saints following Vitthalnath, son of Vallabhacharya. It has been translated from the original Braj Bhasha by Krishnaa Kinkari Devi. This is the fifteenth varta. See previous.

Varta 15

The story of Haridas Khavas, a Sanadya Brahmin from Mathura, who used to faint when he heard the Srimad Bhagavatam.

*bhav-prakash*

He is a devotee wih a rajasi disposition. In the Eternal Lila his name is Sarala (a gopi), who has a very innocent personality. She manifests from Ratikala and is thus a form of her divine loving sentiment.

Haridas was born in Mathura to a family of Sanadya Brahmins. From birth he was an innocent being. He had no involvement in any worldly wranglings.

His parents were very upset about this, wondering how they would ever be able to get him married off. They were always worrying. When he was eight they sent him to a learned man to study. He did study a bit. Then smallpox hit Mathura. Both his parents died. He wondered what he should now do. He was perplexed.

He went to Visram Ghat and sat on the banks of the Sri Yamunaji River. He cried bitterly. At that very time, Sri Gusainji was performing his daily prayers. He caught sight of Haridas and then sent his personal servant to go up to Haridas and call him to come over to where he was.

Haridas came there and Sri Gusainji addressed him, “O, Haridas! why are you crying?”

Haridas replied, “O, Maharaj. I have no-one in this world. I am also ignorant. So, I come to take shelter in you. Please keep me close to youself. I am poor and I am an orphan.”

Sri Gusainji instructed him not to worry, that he should go and have a bath in the Sri Yamunaji River, after which he would make him his disciple and keep him close. Haridas was pleased to take a bath and then Sri Gusainji initiated him with the Lord’s Name and Brahma Sambandha. He then instructed him to work as his personal servant. Haridas did exactly that.

*Part 1*

Haridas began to serve as Sri Gusainji’s personal servant. One day Haridas asked him, “O, Maharaj! I would love to hear you read the Srimad Bhagavatam. Sri Gusainji instructed him to go instead to Ujjain where Krishna Bhatt would read the Srimad Bhagavatam to him. He explained that he would only be able to find a few free hours to read the Srimad Bhagavatam, but not enough to do a complete reading. He also said that if someone was only able to find three hours to read the Srimad Bhagavatam then it would take a whole five years to complete it. Therefore he again told Haridas to go to Krishna Bhatt in Ujjain.

“He will explain everything to you very nicely,” Sri Gusainji said.

Sri Gusainji gave Haridas a letter for Krishna Bhatt from himself. Haridas took his leave and set off for Ujjain. He reached there after a few days. Haridas went to meet Krishna Bhatt and gave him the letter from Sri Gusainji. He was very happy to receive it and put it on his head out of respect. Then he read it and felt great joy.

Haridas explained, “I requested Sri Gusainji to read the Srimad Bhagavatam for me, but he told me to come to Ujjain where you would read it to me. So, here I am! Therefore please read the Srimad Bhagavatam for me.” Krishna Bhatt said that the following day was auspicious and that they would start then.

The next day Krishna Bhatt began to read the ‘Bhramara Gita’ [Ode to a black bee]. He started to tell the story, but Haridas fainted. He stayed unconscious for three hours. He came round after being given some herbs. Krishna Bhatt closed the book.

Then Haridas exclaimed, “O, Bhattji! Please continue with the story.”

Krishna Bhatt said, “But what will I tell Sri Gusainji? Because if I start the next reading, you will not regain consciousness.”

*bhav-prakash*

Why? Because Haridas was still not developed spiritually. Therefore he was not able to grasp nor tolerate the subject matter.

*Part 1 continued*

Then Haridas took leave of Krishna Bhattaji and returned to Sri Gusainji in Gokul. He bowed to him and told him what had happened. Sri Gusainji kept quiet. Haridas began to serve Sri Gusainji as he had before.

*Part 2*

Once, one Vaishnava placed a donation of one rupee before Sri Gusainji. The coin was in front of Sri Guainji’s couch.

Sri Gusainji had gone inside to partake of Prasad. When he re-emerged he asked Haridas, “Where is the coin that was here before?” Haridas replied that he had placed it in the shelf in the wall.

Sri Gusainji instructed him, “From today onwards leave any money you see alone. Do not pick it up.” Haridas took this teaching to heart.

*Part 3*

Another time when Sri Gusainji was taking his meal he asked Haridas to hang his shawl up to dry. Whilst Haridas was adjusting the couch a Brahmani came there and began to speak with Haridas. He got involved in the conversation and forgot to hang up the shawl.

The two of them were still talking when Sri Gusainji returned. He saw that they were chatting away and stood still. When the Brahmani finally got up and left, Sri Gusainji entered the Baithak. He asked Haridas, “Are you not going to dry the shawl today?”

Haridas replied that he had been talking and forgotten his task. Sri Gusainji then forbade him to talk to anyone’s wife like that, and from that day on Haridas followed this teaching.

Thus concludes Varta 15, the story of Haridas Khavas who was graced to receive such teachings. He was the recipient of great grace and, in truth, there is no end to his story.

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May Mānasa Gaṅgā, who enjoys the great sweetness of Śrī-Sri Radha and Krishna’s boating pastimes and whose waves of ecstasy splash against Govardhana hill’s brilliant boulders, protect me.

VERSE 64:

gāndharvikā mura-vimardana nau vihāra
līlā vinoda; rasa-nirbhara bhoginīyam
govardhanojjvala śilā-kulam unnayantī
vīcī-bharair avatu mānasa jāhnavī mām

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā:  In this verse Raghunath Das Goswami praises Mānasa Gaṅgā, one of Govardhana hill’s holy waters. yatra vai mānasī gaṅgā mahā-pāpaugha-nāśinī (Garga Saṁhitā) “On Govardhana hill is Mānasī Gaṅga, which destroys all great sins.” This Mānasa Gaṅgā is Sri Sri Girirāja’s eye. netre vai mānasī gaṅgā (ibid.) Mānasa Gaṅgā is the abode where Krishna plays watersports with his boyfriends and where Śrī-Sri Radha-Mādhava play different watersports with Their girlfriends. Raghunath Das Goswami is Sri Radha’s maidservant, hence he mentions the most rasik boating-pastimes of Śrī-Sri Radha-Mādhava when he praises Mānasa Gaṅgā.

In this verse, Mānasa Gaṅgā is praised in connection with the revelation of a sweet pastime. Das Goswami was absorbed in bhajan on the bank of Sri Radhakuṇḍ when he suddenly got a divine vision in which he saw Sri Radharani, Lalitā, Viśākhā and other sakhīs taking jugs with ghee and yoghurt to Govinda Kuṇḍ, a lake at the base of Govardhana hill. Under the guidance of Paurṇamāsī they set out from Radhakuṇḍ to Govardhan on the pretext of donating ghee to a fire sacrifice there, but with the actual desire to meet Shyam nearby. In his kiṅkarī-rūpa Das Goswami follows his/her Īśvarī.

The woods are illuminated by the golden bodily splendour of Srimati and her girlfriends. With restless eyes, Īśvarī looks all around: “Where is the Lord of my life?!” Waves of mahābhāva-desires to see her loving Sri Krishna rise on the ocean of her heart. When Shyam gets a message that Srimati Radharani and her girlfriends are approaching Govardhan Hill with ghee and yoghurt, Shyam dresses himself like an amazing boatman and sits in a boat on the Mānasa Jāhnavī.

Mānasa Gaṅgā’s bosom is illuminated by the bluish lustre of this boatman who enchants the three worlds. Seeing this young boatman, Srimati and her girlfriends put down their pots of yoghurt and stand on the shore. Then Srimati Radharani tells Paurṇamāsī:

boḍāi! ai ki ghāṭera neye
kothā hoite āsi, dilo daraśana, vinoda taraṇī beye
rajata kāñcane, nā-khāni jaḍita, bājiche kiṅkiṇī jāla
aparūpa tā’te, śobhā rāṅgā hāte, maṇi-bāṅdhā kerowāla
hāsite hāsite, gīta ālāpiche, ḍhulāiche rāṅgā āṅkhi
cāpāiyā nāya, ke jāne ki cāya, cañcala nayana dekhi
ratanera phāli, śire jhalamali, kadamba kusuma kāne
jaṭhara añcale, vāṁśiṭi guṅjeche, śobhe nānā ābharaṇe
āmarā kohibo, kaṁsera yogāni, buke nā heliho kehu
jagannātha kohe, śaśī ṣola kalā, pele ki chāḍibe rāhu?

(Pada Kalpataru)

“O holy mother! Who is that there near the Ghat? Where has he come from, showing himself to us, steering his blissful boat that is studded with gold and silver? His waistbells jingle and on his reddish hands are beautiful bangles! He smiles and laughs and sings a song while his reddish eyes are flitting this way and that. He wants me to board the boat. Who knows what he wants when you look at his naughty, restless eyes? A jeweled turban shimmers on his head and he wears Kadamba-flowers on his ears. He keeps his flute tucked in the scarf around his waist and is beautified by different other ornaments. We will say: King Kaṁsa will punish you!” But, Jagannātha dāsa says: “Will Rāhu (the eclipse) give up the full moon when he has caught it?”

The sakhīs call out: “Boatman! Boatman!” Hearing their call the enchanting boatman slowly brings his boat to the shore. With slow gait Srimati and her friends board the boat, casting ecstatic glances here and there. Suddenly the boatman Krishna stops Srimati from boarding the boat and says:

kohiche cikaṇa kālā
vāsa parihari, boisoho kiśorī, kori ei belā
nīla vasana, kaṭite paraho, dekhiye kāmpiche gā
navīna nīrada, bharame pavana, tvarāya ḍubābe lā
kānura vacana, śuniye tokhona, kapaṭe kohice dhani
tomāra aṅgera, cikaṇa varaṇa, kemone lukābe tumi
śuniyā e kothā, kohoye lalitā, keho nā koriho gola
kāliyā varaṇa, chāpābo ekhona, ḍhāli diyā ghana ghola
śuniyā nāgara, hoiyā phāṁphara, madhura madhura hāse
kohe guru dāsa, hṛdaye ullāsa, sukhera sāyare bhāse

Chikana Kālā (glossy-complexioned Krishna) said: “Give up Your veil and sit down, o Kiśori (adolescent girl). Now I will help You to cross the river. If You wear this blue sārī on Your waist, though, the wind will tremble quickly sink our ship, thinking it to be a monsoon cloud.” Hearing Kānu’s words Dhani (fortunate Radhika) falsely said: “Your body has this glossy black-bluish complexion; how will You hide that?” Hearing this, Lalitā said: “Let nobody cause any confusion! I will cover his black complexion now by pouring yoghurt over him!” Hearing this, Nāgara (amorous hero Krishna) became puzzled and began to smile sweetly.” Guru dāsa says: “My heart floats in an ocean of bliss!”

Joking in this way, Srimati and her girlfriends eagerly boarded the boat, while waves of deep love played in her heart. The young boatman brought the boat to the middle of the Jāhnavī, whose bosom became illuminated by the sweet and wonderful forms of the Divine Pair. Jāhnavī could not control the upsurge of ecstasy now that she got her most beloved pair on her bosom, and became agitated by high waves that smashed up against the large and brilliant boulders of Govardhana hill.

The billowing waves of ecstatic Jāhnavī gushed inside the boat, making Srimati afraid. The sakhīs said: “O incompetent boatman! Are You going to kill us by making us drown in the middle of the Gaṅgā today, or what?” The boatman didn’t notice anything; he was simply absorbed in relishing the sweet feelings of restless-eyed Srimati. As the boat sank Srimati became terrified and with eyes startled with fear she tightly clasped Shyam around the neck. In this way the sakhīs and mañjarīs relished the wonderful sweetness of the union of the Divine Pair. Jāhnavī’s desires were fulfilled. Slowly her waves became more peaceful and the boat reached the shore. After feeding Shyamsundar the yoghurt and the butter they were carrying, everyone went back to their own homes.

Holding the memory of this vision in his heart, Raghunath Das Goswami says: “May Mānasa Gaṅgā, who enjoys the great sweetness of Śrī-Sri Radha and Krishna’s boating pastimes and whose ecstatic waves are splashing on Govardhana hill’s brilliant boulders, protect me.” Śrīla Rūpa Goswamicharan also praised Sri Govardhan as such:

kaṁsārātes tari vilasitairātarānaṅga raṅgair
ābhīrīṇāṁ praṇayam abhitaḥ pātram unmīlayantyāḥ
dhauta grāvāvalir amalinair mānasāmartya sindhor
vīci-vrātaiḥ prathayatu sadā śarma govardhano naḥ

(Stavamālā)

“The waves of the Mānasa Gaṅgā-lake, where Sri Krishna becomes a boatman and accepts fees for his boat services from the gopīs, and which increases the love of the gopīs, which subdues Sri Krishna, wash the rocks of Govardhana hill. May that Govardhana hill bestow all auspiciousness on us.”

rādhā-kṛṣṇera nau vihāra, ujjvala rasera sāra,
nitya bhoga koritechen yini
govardhana śilā-kule, abhinava jhalamale,
taraṅgete ūrdhvete cālani
sei to mānasa gaṅgā, bhāgyavatī antaraṅgā,
rakṣā korun pratikūla hoite
yugalera līlā-rasa, hoibe ki saravasa,
e lālasā jāge mora citte

“May that fortunate Mānasa Gaṅgā, who always enjoys the boating pastimes of Radha and Krishna, which is the essence of the romantic mood, whose waves splash upon the newly shimmering boulders of Govardhana hill, and who is very close to the Divine Pair, protect me from all inauspiciousness. May the flavours of the pastimes of the Divine Pair become everything to me. This is the desire that awakens in my heart.”

© Translated by Advaita dāsa in 1994
Source: Tarun Govinda Das, Flowing Nectar Stream blog.
(Slightly altered by the editor for Vrindavan Today)

The commentary of Sri Radha Kund Mahant, Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj, is named Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā (a drop of the nectar of Stavāvalī).

It was published in Gaurābda 503 (1989 A.D.) by Sri Krishna Chaitanya Shastra Mandir, Vrajananda Ghera, PO Radhakunda (district Mathura), U.P., India.

The devotional songs in Bengali that follow each commentary were composed by Dr. Haripada Sheel.

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Radha Kund, 2017.04.16 (VT): Catholic priest and Hinduism scholar Klaus Klostermaier lived in India in the 1960s, and two of those years were spent in Vrindavan. His work during this period led to his appointment to the Vatican as advisor to the Papal office on non-Christian religions.

The following is an excerpt from the chapter “Theology at 120 degrees Fahrenheit” from Klostermaier’s book Hindu and Christian in Vrindavan. You can also read an excerpt from his chapter on Vrindavan Parikrama here.

The weather had been unbearable for weeks now. Although the atmosphere was so dry that book covers turned up at the corners like Japanese gable-ends, we were constantly bathed in perspiration. It was not for nothing that the local people tied a red kerchief round their necks. The walls radiated heat like an oversized central heating system. We spent the nights on open terraces. Concrete floors were hot in the evenings and still warm in the mornings.

Unless a soft breeze was blowing, the mosquitoes would torment us. No sooner had the sun lifted itself above the horizon than it became unbearable again. It wasn’t so much the heat, as the constant necessity of pitting all one’s strength against a hostile atmosphere just to remain alive. The sun was no more a life-giver, but a murderer. And as yet there was no hope of rain. Even if the monsoons should arrive in time, we had another month to go. And each day would make us more apathetic, till finally nothing mattered anymore.

First thing in the morning I celebrate the Mass. I wonder if any person responsible for prescribing the liturgical vestments in use today ever read mass at 113 degrees Fahrenheit, in a closed room without a fan? Clouds of flies swarm around the chalice and host. They settle on the hands, on the perspiring face. They cannot be driven away, but return for the tenth time to the place from which they have been chased away. The whole body burns and itches. The clothes are damp, even the vestments. They soon dry. If a priest does not wear them all, he commits – according to existing canon law – at least a dozen or so mortal sins all at once. And it seems impossible to survive, physically or spiritually, without the Mass.

Some time before noon, a kind of temple gong resounds. The ‘cook’ has prepared breakfast. For a year now, there have been no surprises: chapatis, hard tough unleavened bread made of wheat flour, smoky tea and some thick, greyish-yellow milk of an uninviting appearance. Sometimes there is some sugar. Large ants scurry excitedly inside it. In the meantime, the temperature has risen to 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Whatever you touch is sticky with perspiration. Water is scarce. Most wells have only salty, brackish and definitely unpalatable water. Drinking-water comes from a special well. A few months ago someone fell – or jumped – into it. It took a long time to extricate him. The well is thirty metres deep; the man was dead, of course. It is our only drinking-water well.

Some deadlines are pressing. Some magazine articles have to be finished. The typewriter is hot to the touch. It seems as if even the metal frame is being bent out of shape by the heat. The keys keep getting entangled. The first four litres of water have already been drunk. The stone floor is hot, although untouched by the sun. Heat wafts inside from the open window. The sky is whitish-grey – the field, the trees, the clay walls of the houses; the trees have shed their foliage, the fields are interlaced with broad, deep cracks. Desert. For half an hour, one forgets everything and writes, because a few rupees are needed to make a living. Complaints do not sell easily. So one writes optimistically: about the beauties of India, about the positive chances for the future of the church in India, about the vast perspetives the Vatican Council has opened for the ‘dialogue’ – things that may find a response in Europe and help to make the holiday a little more interesting. It is not that one finds things amusing: but one laughs anyway. If only it wasn’t so hot. A well-meaning colleague suggested I ought to take a holiday – in Kashmir, perhaps. With an income of ten pounds a month, this is impossible, even in India. After all, we don’t work for money. We work for the kingdom of God. Which means a lot of money in some places, none in others.

A short uncomplicated article on the Christian idea of God had to be done for a Hindu magazine. The subject had been discussed in all the theological textbooks, of course. All that need be done is to argue a few single points a little. However, what was written there and what one had studied with adequate zeal only a few years ago now seemed so inadequate, so irrelevant, so untrue. Theology at 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade seems, after all, different from theology at 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Theology accompanied by tough chapatis and smoky tea seems different from theology with roast chicken and a glass of good wine. Now, who is really different, theόs [God] or the theologian?

[…]

Towards noon the light discolours strangely. It turns yellow, then dark, then black. And then, things happen very quickly. Within minutes, the temperature drops by almost ten degrees. Doors and windows are shut. There’s a whistling and roaring and hissing – all sorts of things fly against the wooden doors and shutters. This is the daily sandstorm. Sand enters everywhere – sand, sand, sand. Sand in the nose, sand in the eyes, sand between the teeth. Sand in the typewriter. Outside, visibility is less than a yard. It doesn’t last long. Half an hour, perhaps. Then, everything is as before. And soon enough, we have 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade again.

The theologian at 70 degrees Fahrenheit with a well-fed god compiles very nicely what other theologians at 70 degrees Fahrenheit have written before him. Everything is well-documented; the footnotes take up almost half the page. French, English, Latin and Greek authors are quoted. They know exactly that God’s grace, like American development aid, is meant for all heathens, for the pro-US ones as well as for the others. The former get a little more. If only everybody follows nicely the road prescribed by their ministers and prelates, there will be enough for everyone. This is very convenient for the seventy-degree-Fahrenheit theologians; in the case that they do not have to go themselves to where it is 120 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Vrindavan, 2017.03.16 (VT): The idea of a merger of Vrindavan and Mathura, which had been on the back burner for over a decade, has again come up. A degree of urgency was injected when the UP government assured that both Ayodhya-Faizabad and Vrindavan-Mathura would be upgraded to full municipal corporations.

Vrindavan residents are opposing the move to merge Mathura and Vrindavan’s civic bodies to create a new municipal corporation. On Sunday, several Brajwasis, saints, activists, local politicians and priests attended a meeting organized by the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance at Shri Rangnath ji’s “Bare Bagicha” to protest against this proposal.

Since the new government took over in Lucknow, BJP leaders from Mathura have been lobbying in favor of the merger. Speakers at the BVHA meeting suspected that this move was motivated by the lobbies of construction companies and colonizers who want to make an urban jungle out of this essentially religious and cultural hub.

“We have been demanding “heritage town” status for Vrindavan, for the sake of its special features, which are in dire need of recognition and conservation. Already the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) has done enough damage to the ecology and the pristine ambience of Vrindavan by letting land sharks gobble up all the green space, which was the distinguishing feature of the playground of the Lord Krishna,” said Sadhvi Rakesh.

“The identity of the two cities is completely separate from each other. The Gopis never left Braj-Vrindavan, which had a dozen dense forests around it, and through which the Yamuna flowed. The Vrindavan vasis (residents) will face a serious identity crisis if the two cities are amalgamated,” said Acharya Naresh Narayan, the National Convener of the Braj-Vrindavan Heritage Alliance.

Sri Rangnath Ji’s Bade Bagicha

Shri Tamal Krishna Das Brahmachari from Imli Tala Mahaprabhu Mandir said, “It is important to preserve the unique identity of Vrindavan to promote Braj culture and the religious beliefs of countless devotees coming from around the world. The small villages and forests of the Braja Chaurasi Kos Yatra are the beauty of Braj-Vrindavan, where some glimpses of wooded land can still be seen.”

Activist Madhumangal Shukla said, “Even the British Government and the Mughals paid respect to the dignity of Vrindavan. The British Government formed the Vrindavan Municipality in 1866, and prior to that the Mughal Emperor Akbar created the city of Vrindavan by merging three villages of Dhaulera, Rajpura and Dusayaj. Had they wanted, they could have avoided giving an official identity to Vrindavan. They could have left Vrindavan as one of the suburbs of Mathura.”

Shri Raghav Bharadwaj, General Secretary of the BJP’s Vrindavan unit said, “There should be a complete ban on high rise buildings in Vrindavan. If Vrindavan becomes a part of Mathura Nagar Nigam, then the laws governing the other places of the proposed Nagar Nigam will also be applied in Vrindavan.” For example, the sale of meat and alcohol is legal in Mathura but not in Vrindavan. That could change instantly, should the two municipalities be merged.

Swami Sushilananda suggested that the municipalities of Vrindavan, Goverdhan, Varsana and Gokul be brought under one Shrine Board with regulatory powers.

“The government should focus on protecting the ancient temples, gardens, heritage buildings, dharamshalas, architecture and culture of Vrindavan, which are in great danger. Vrindavan should be given the status of a ‘Pilgrimage Town’, where the sale and consumption of alcohol and non-vegetarian food must be strictly banned,” said Shri B.V. Madhusudhan Maharaj.

Finally it was decided that a memorandum be sent to the Chief Minister and the Chief Secretary of Uttar Pradesh. Hundreds of letters protesting the merger should be sent to the Chief Minister, Shri Yogi Adityanath. Further options for expressing opposition were also discussed in the meeting.

The meeting was chaired by Swami Devendra Chaitanya. Shri Bihari Lal Vashishth, Dhananjay Gautam, Devendra Dixit, Akash Vashishth, Bihari Lal Shashtri, Hemant Bharti, Radha Vallabh Sharma, Rajendra Agrawal, Ankit Agrawal, Damodar Sharma, Suresh Vedpathi, Vivek Acharya and many other prominent Brajwasis attended the meeting and shared their concern.

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Vrindavan, 2017.04.13 (VT): Mathura MP Hema Malini conducted a surprise inspection of Vrindavan and Mathura recently. She was profoundly disappointed to see the amount of garbage still littering the streets of the holy cities.

It is an embarassment, said the MP, to have pilgrims and tourists come from all over the world, only to find the holy land filled with garbage. The responsibility, she added, lies squarely on the municipal heads of both cities.

When Hema Malini first became MP, she was enthusiastic to reverse the previous so-called development work, which had been substandard at best and outright damaging at worst. She was optimistic about bringing back the Vrindavan of her dreams, which was the reality just a couple decades ago.

But getting it done was another matter, as the officers in charge of overseeing the work failed to be straighforward with the MP. Further, the departments failed to collaborate, sometimes even blocking each other’s work.

“If I make an appeal, I can get thousands of trash bins installed in Vrindavan,” Hemaji said, “but who will maintain them?” Although she has brought up the matter many times with the municipality, there has been no tangible result.

With a convoy of representitives from the District Administration, the Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) and the Public Works Department or Lok Nirman Vibhag (LNV), the MP first visited the 100-bedded hospital in Vrindavan, and the Utility Center, which is currently under construction. Next they began their inspection of the parikrama marg where it crosses Atalla Chungi.

There, the MP questioned officers about the encroachment of shantys and tea stalls on the dirt path, which is supposed to be reserved for pilgrims walking on parikrama. She also interrogated them as to why there was still so much garbage, and why the iron railings alongside the parikrama path were broken down. While none of the officers was ready to take responsibility for the parikrama marg’s state, everyone was ready to lay the blame on other departments.

The MVDA said the development of the parikrama marg was the LNV’s responsibility, while the LNV insisted it was the MVDA’s problem. Ten years ago under BSP rule, the LNV undertook Vrindavan’s beautification and the MVDA was the nodal agency for the project.

Unable to give the MP the answers she wanted, they all assured her that the beautifucation of the Govardhan parikrama marg was going on very well. Upon reaching Keshi Ghat, the officers briefed the MP on the Yamuna riverfront development project. At this point, the MP addressed journalists, first pouring her ire on the hoardings (signboards) that obstruct pedestrian space on top of being an eyesore.

She continued to say that despite the incomplete state of development in the two holy cities, apparantly nobody cared enough to do something about it. The sad fact is that once people enter politics, they tend to pay far more attention to how they can advance their position and gain finacially, than to actually doing their job. This is the one and only reason why Vrindavan is in the state it’s in.

Now, with the new BJP state government, the MP has hope that the actual development of Vrindavan will finally start to happen. Soon, she said, there will be a joint meeting with officers from all the departments involved in development. They will have to cooperate and begin their work in earnest.

The MP added that the Muktakashiya Rang Manch in Mathura will soon be developed as a grand theatre where Braj artists will have an opportunity to showcase their work.

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Mathura, 2017.04.20 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Shrikant Sharma today exhorted people against paying bribes and underlined the state government’s commitment to weed out corruption.

The state power minister said Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has adopted the same style of working as Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure UP’s development.

“Make a video clipping in case money is demanded for any work (by government officials),” Sharma told people while speaking at a program in Govind Vihar in Vrindaban.

Speaking about the one-month tenure of the BJP-led government in UP, Sharma said the Prime Minister has chosen a sannyasi as the chief minister to rid corruption from the state and ensure its development.

“Abhi to yeh trailer hai, film to aana baaki hai (This was just the trailer, the film is yet to follow),” he said, exuding confidence.

He assured the people that the state government was working to improve the quality of roads. He also said that the government has virtually halted the smuggling of cows and will ensure their protection. “To ensure rule of law in the state is the dream of the chief minister,” Sharma said.

The minister said the pilgrim city would soon get metro connectivity, adding that “meetha paani (potable water) would be made available for Brij chaurasi kos parikrama, a religious circumambulatory trek around the Braj region.

Speaking at the same function, another state cabinet minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhari said the government was working to turn Uttar Pradesh into “Uttam Pradesh”. Chaudhuri, the minister for milk development, religious work, culture, minority welfare, Hajj and Wakf board, said efforts were also being made to clean the river Yamuna.

“Prime Minister Modi and UP Chief Minister Yogi are working for the uninterrupted, clean flow of Yamuna,” he said.

He said by next year the Braj Chaurasi Kos Parikrama would be in new shape, since development works are being carried out, not only in areas of Braj in the State of UP, but also those falling in the States of Rajasthan and Haryana.

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Lucknow, 2017.04.20 (Hindustan Times): Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath ordered on Wednesday a ban on liquor shops in Hindu and Islamic religious places such as Vrindavan, Ayodhya, Chitrakoot, Deoband, Dewa Sharif, Misrikh-Naimisharanya, and Piran Kaliyar Sharif in the state.

He directed officers of the excise department to prohibit the sale of liquor within a kilometre of Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi, Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and the Sangam area in Allahabad.

The 44-year-old monk-politician said 8,544 liquor outlets operating in residential areas, religious spots or near educational institutions should be removed in compliance with a Supreme Court order.

“Strict action will be initiated against officials in case total prohibition was not imposed around religious places, and officials responsible will be punished,” he warned officials at the meeting.

Also, he asked the officials to study excise policies of other states before drafting a new plan for UP.

According to an excise official, the ban was imposed as these places are visited by pilgrims throughout the year.

Ayodhya and Chitrakoot are associated with the Hindu God Ram, while Vrindavan is revered place for Krishna devotees. Misrikh-Naimisharanya in Sitapur district is another important pilgrimage centre for Hindus.

Deoband is the seat of leading Islamic seminary Darul-Uloom. Dewa Sharif has the mausoleum of Sufi saint Waris Ali Shah, while Piran Kaliyar Sharif on the UP-Uttarakhand border has the dargah of another Sufi saint, Alauddin Ali Ahmed Sabir Kaliyar. The mausoleums are visited by Muslims and Hindus alike.

The chief minister, who is the head priest of Gorakhpur’s Gorakhnath Math, said honest officers would be posted at sensitive positions in the excise department. He asked for a list of such officers.

Also, he ordered a crackdown on bootleggers.

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This is the continuing serialization of 252 Vaishnavan ki varta, the lives of the saints following Vitthalnath, son of Vallabhacharya. It has been translated from the original Braj Bhasha by Krishnaa Kinkari Devi. This is the sixteenth varta. See previous.

Varta 16

The story of Madhusudan Das, a Gaudiya Brahmin who lived in Vrindavan.

*bhav-prakash*

Madhusudan Das is a devotee with a tamasi (divinely feisty) disposition. In the Eternal Lila his name is Bandini (a gopi). Bandini manifests from Indulekha and is thus a form of her divine loving mood.

Madhusudan Das was born to a Brahmin in Gauda Desh. His father was a disciple of  Shri Roop-Sanatan. [Because the brothers shared such a close spiritual connection, the Brajwasis of the time used to refer to Shri Roop Goswami and Shri Sanatan Goswami by the single name “Shri Roop-Sanatan”. It is not clear whether one or the other is referred to here, or whether the author is talking about both Goswamis. -Ed.]

Madhusudan Das’ father would travel to Vrindavan every year to see his Guru. He would serve his Guru for some days and, after receiving instructions from him, he would then return home.

When Madhusudan Das reached the age of 20, his father took him with him on his trip to Vrindavan. He had Madhusudan Das initiated by his Guru. Madhusudandas stayed on in Vrindavan with his father. He became very attached to the beauty of Vrindavan.

When his father wanted to set off for home, Madhusudan Das told him that he did not want to leave Vrindavan to go home with him, that he liked Vrindavan and wished to remain there forever. His father said, “My son, you are still a child. You are not yet married. I am old now, so you should come home with me. You can do whatever you like after I am dead.”

Madhusudan Das was not persuaded. Defeated by his son’s resolve, his father went home.

As he was leaving, Madhusudan Das’ father requested his Guru to look after his son and said that he was giving the boy into his care. Shri Roop-Sanatan told him not to worry, that he should go happily and that he would take care of his son. The father left some money for the expenses for his son and set off. Madhusudan Das began to fearlessly wander around Vrindavan.

*Part 1*

Once Madhusudan Das came to Sri Gusainji (Sri Vitthalnathji) in Gokul. Although Madhusudan Das had been initiated by a different Guru in his youth, after having the sight of Sri Gusainji in Gokul, he felt a great desire to become his disciple.

At that very moment he implored Sri Gusainji to bless him with initiation. Sri Gusainji recognised his intense longing and so told him to go and bathe, and thereafter he initiated him with the Lord’s Name and Brahma Sambandha. He then went inside to take Prasad.

He told Madhusudan Das that he should have his Prasad there that day, and he did so.

The next day, Madhusudan Das was cooking when Sri Gusainji was heading inside to have his meal. Sri Gusainji caught sight of Madhusudan Das and asked him, “Do you have any money to live on?”

Madhusudan Das replied that he had enough for a few expenses tied up in his bundle. Sri Gusainji told him to have his Prasad there that day, but then to go home the next day.

Madhusudan Das supplicated, “O Maharaj! As long as I have these few savings, I can cook and take Prasad. After that I can beg and survive like that. I do not wish to leave your lotus feet.”

For the next two days, Sri Gusainji fed Madhusudan Das. On the third day he did his own cooking, and when his money ran out he began to beg.

When he had been doing this for about four days, Sri Gusainji asked him how he was getting on. Madhusudandas told him everything.

“O Maharaj! I had enough for two days. On those days I cooked, made the offerings, and accepted the Prasad. Nowadays I go to beg in the day. In the evenings I get all the ingredients ready and in the morning I cook and make the offerings. When the Prasad comes back, I cover it and come to have the Lord’s Holy Sight. After that I partake of the Prasad, and then go out again to beg.”

Sri Gusainji again asked him, “From whose houses do you beg?”

Madhusudan Das revealed, “From the houses of Vashnavas, from Bhatt families, from the homes of the temple’s inner servants, and from Brajwasis. I also get alms from traders in the market.”

Sri Gusainji then instructed him, “You can accept alms from all of these people, but never from the Bhatts or the temple servants. You must never accept even a bean from them.”

*bhav-prakash*

The reason for this is that the Bhatts and temple servants live on wealth donated to Sri Gusainji and his lineage, and so to take from this source is an obstacle for Vaishnavas. This has already been explained in the Varta of Vishnudas Chipa.

*Part 1 Continued*

Madhusudan Das then acted according to these instructions. Some days later, Sri Gusainji gave Madhusudan Das the Seva of preparing Srinathji’s paan leaf offerings. He did this Seva very well.

On summer days when it was very hot, Madhusudan Das would operate Shrinathji’s fan for the whole night by pulling the rope. He did this for many days.

One day, Sri Gusainji came to the room where the Paan was prepared. He saw that Madhusudan Das was falling asleep. His eyes were full of sleep, but he was still holding the rope and swinging the fan. Sri Gusainji felt very happy to see his dedicated service.

Madhusudan Das had no idea that Sri Gusainji had seen him. He continued making this Seva until the very end of his life.

*bhav-prakash*

This story teaches us that Vaishnavas should be totally addicted to their Seva. Then the Lord will be pleased. Being addicted to Seva means that the embodied soul’s life is fulfilled.

In his treatise called Bhaktivardhini (How to increase Devotion) Sri Acharyaji has written, “The purpose of an embodied soul’s existence is fulfilled when they become addicted to Seva.”

Madhusudan Das’ addiction to Seva was perfect.

Thus concludes Varta 16, the story of Madhusudan Das on whom Sri Gusainji showered his grace and with whom he was always pleased. He was a recipient of Sri Gusainji’s grace and an accomplished Vaishnava. There is truly no end to his story.

The post The Meaning of Life appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan/Lucknow, 2017.04.19 (VT): Shri Devakinandan Thakur, the President of the Vishwashanti Charitable Trust, met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath at his Lucknow residence on Wednesday. He also met the Deputy Chief Minister, Shri Dinesh Sharma and the State Power Minister Shri Shrikant Sharma to congratulate them for taking over the Uttar Pradesh Government.

The famous Bhagvatacharya felicitated the ministers with figures of Ram Darbar to in honor of the Ram Bhakts. He expressed hope that an amicable solution will be found to the Ram Janambhumi dispute, and that the Temple will be built in harmony and peace during his tenure.

He also invited the Chief Minister to visit Shri Priyakant Ju Mandir in August during Shri Krishna Janmashtami.

Devakinandan Thakur strongly urged the CM to completely ban all non-vegetarian food and intoxicants in the temple town of Vrindavan. He expressed his concern that the sentiments of millions of people who visit Vrindavan are being hurt by the sight of non-vegetarian food and alcohol there.

Shri Vijay Sharma, the Secretary of the Vishwa Shanti Charitable Trust, was also present during the meeting.

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Vrindavan, 2017.04.25 (VT): Nine kunds (holy lakes) of Braj will soon be featured on the government’s official tourist map.

Until now, pilgrims and tourists from around the world who visit Braj for a short time, only see the most famous places like Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan and the Girirajji Temple at Govardhan. After that, most return home or move on to Agra to see the Taj Mahal.

But soon, some of the lesser-known wonders of Braj Mandal will be on every visitor’s list.

The nine kunds selected by the government will get an elegant renovation, with sandstone gateways and stairs (ghats) on all four sides of each lake. A rest area with fresh drinking water and bathroom facilities will be provided at each site, and gazebos and stone benches will be built beneath the trees.

A detailed survey of each site’s needs is being compiled, while various compaines are being courted for the implementation of this project.

Narad Kund, Govardhan

The nine kunds each have their own unique significance in the religious and cultural history of Braj. The kunds are: Potra Kund, Davanal Kund, Govind Kund, Harji Kund, Narad Kund, Madhusudan Kund, Vihval Kund, Priya Kund and Vrishabhanu Kund

1. Potra Kund (Mathura): Potra Kund is next to the Shri Krishna Janambhoomi temple in Mathura. It was part of King Kans’ prison. Devaki Mata washed her clothes in this kund on the day after Shri Krishna was born.

2. Davanal Kund (Vrindavan): After Shri Krishna defeated Kaliya Naag, it was too late to go home to his family’s home in Chhatikara. So he and his brother Balram spent the night on the banks of this beautiful lake. At that time, King Kans sent his servants to set fire to the forest nearby, hoping to kill Krishna. But Krishna swallowed the forest fire (davanal), and afterwards, he soothed his burning thirst by drinking water from the kund.

3. Govind Kund (Govardhan): After Krishna lifted Govardhan Hill, Indra bathed him with water from heaven and milk from his divine cow Surabhi. With this abhishek ceremony, Krishna was given the name Govind (protector of the cows), and the water from the abhishek gathered to create Govind Kund.

4. Harji Kund (Govardhan): Harji Kund is named after one of Shri Krishna’s sakhas whose name is Harji.

5. Narad Kund (Govardhan): Devarshi Narad performed intense spiritual practice here in order to enter the lila of Radha and Krishna in the form of a gopi. Later, he wrote the scripture Narad Bhakti Sutra at this place.

6. Madhusudan Kund (Nandgaon): This kund is surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers, which attract many bees. Krishna also loves to play here. Sometimes Krishna and his friends imitate the buzzing of the bees. Madhusudan means “Krishna” or “honey-bee”.

7. Vihval Kund (Sanket): Near the temple of Sanket Bihari is Vihval Kund. This is the place where Radha and Krishna first met. Overwhelmed by each other’s beauty, tears of love flowed from their eyes and became this kund.

8. Priya Kund (Barsana): Priya Kund is also known as Piri Pokhar (the yellow lake). It is called this becuase once Krishna’s mother rubbed turmeric on Radharani’s hands, wishing Radha could become her daughter-in-law. (A turmeric pack is applied upon a bride before the wedding) Radha was very happy, but also embarassed that someone might see. And so she washed her hands in Priya Kund near her home. The turmeric from Radha’s hands turned the water yellow, and thus the lake became known as Piri Pokhar.

9. Vrishabhanu Kund (Barsana): Radharani’s father Vrishnabhanu bathed in this kund every morning. In a previous kalpa, Vrishabhanu Maharaj found Radha as a baby, floating on a lotus flower in this kund.

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“Kartik was a brilliant student and the gurukula community is crestfallen due to his sudden demise. We pray to the Lord that he may attain the eternal shelter of His lotus feet. Due to this event, the swimming pool in the school has been completely shut down for the time being until the investigation is completed.” (from the Gurukul’s official statement on the death of Kartik Sharma)

The Deceased, Kartik Sharma

Kartik’s parents took his body to Delhi yesterday for his last rites, after the post-mortem was completed. The Gurukul boys performed a special kirtan in his honor.

Meanwhile, police are investigating the circumstances surrounding Kartik’s death. On the condition of anonymity, we asked multiple sources within the Gurukul to speak about what happened that day.

Their accounts were the same: Kartik went to the pool with his class of fourteen other boys and his class teacher. Amidst all the play and activity in the pool, none of the students, nor the class teacher who was present, noticed that Kartik had drowned. It was only after the class left the pool and the teacher did a head-count, that Kartik was found missing.

Initial reports that the boy’s friends noticed him drowning and alerted authorities appear to be innacurate.

The Gurukul’s official statement tells a similar story to what we heard from Gurukul insiders. The statement also says that, according to Kartik’s parents, he was an excellent swimmer and had experience swimming in the Ganga River at Haridwar.

Why did Kartik drown, despite reportedly being a good swimmer? Did he experience a health problem that led to his demise? Did he develop cramps and suddenly lose control? We don’t know the answers to these questions. Hopefully the police investigation will reveal more about what happened to Kartik that day.

Gurukul ceremony in honor of Kartik Sharma

Drowning is not like what we see in the movies: It can occur quickly and quietly, as the victim’s lungs fill with water and the body sinks. CNN reports that an actively drowning person typically starts sinking after only 20 seconds. According to an FBI bulletin, “The human body weighs slightly more than fresh water. Consequently, when individuals become unconscious, they sink […] Generally, a drowning victim will reach the bottom of a body of water in spite of the depth.[…]” (Haupt, Gary. “Drowning Investigations”, FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin; Feb 2006, Vol. 75 Issue 2, p.14)

The condition of the Gurukul’s swimming pool may be partially responsible. Sources from within the Gurukul say that the swimming pool is in dire need of rennovation. Lighting in the facility is poor and the water is not transparent, thus one cannot see into the water with much depth.

Having a professional lifeguard on duty, in addition to good training in pool safety amongst teachers and students, can help prevent tragedies like this one. It is our sincere hope that the Bhaktivedanta Gurukul will hire a lifeguard in addition to rennovating the pool.

The Gurukul’s Pool

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Mathura, 2017.4.25 (PTI): Security has been tightened in this temple town after police received information that terrorists dressed as saints could launch attacks at sensitive places in Uttar Pradesh.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (Security) Siddharth Verma said they received information that the disguised terrorists could enter the state from other places to carry out attacks, following which security has been increased.

He said in the red zone central security forces will be deployed, along with the provincial armed police force and in nearby areas, personnel of the Uttar Pradesh State Police have been posted. About 2000 security personnel will keep vigil there in three shifts.

Metal detectors and X-ray machines have been set up and CCTV cameras have been installed at strategic places. Biometric machines and spotters have been set up which identify those on duty through a database. Assistant Superintendent of Police (City) Ashok Kumar Singh said vigilance has been stepped up at night shelters, guest houses and hotels. Checks are being carried out daily and undercover police personnel are keeping a watch at public areas.

Assistant Superintendent of Police (Rural) said Mathura is a sensitive area as it is situated on the state’s border, neighbouring Rajasthan and Haryana, and surprise checks are being carried out .

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Vrindavan, April 30, 2017 (VT): Vrindavan filled with visitors from far and wide yesterday on the occasion of Akshay Tritya. Throughout India, Akshay Tritiya is celebrated as a day of new beginnings. But in Vrindavan, the festival has a unique significance. It is a festival of relief from the summer’s heat for Vrindavan’s beloved Shri Radha and Krishna.

Preparations begin weeks in advance with the grinding of sandalwood on stone slabs to create huge amounts of sandalwood paste. On Akshay Tritiya morning, the Lord’s servants cover his entire body with sandalwood paste from head to toe. Because this type of shringar or dressing takes time, the chandan darshan generally occurs in the afternoon.

The heat at this time of year is exteme, and sandalwood has cooling properties. Devotees often mix camphor with the sandalwood to make it even more soothing. Sweet-smelling jasmine garlands add to the cooling effect, and Shri Radha and Krishna are offered sheetal bhog or cooling foods like cucumber, watermelon, mung bean sprouts, and sweets made with sattu (a fine powder made of roasted grain). These types of cooling foods will continue to be offered until the jal-yatra or water festival next month.

Shri Radharamanji’s Chandan Shringar – P.C. Brij 84 Kos

At the Shri Radharaman Temple, Radharaman Lal appeared in a dress made entirely from chandan. A huge crowd patiently awaited his first darshan in his chandan dress, which occurred around one thirty in the afternoon. Again, around six p.m., Radharamanji gave a very close-up darshan from his jagmohan (the outer part of the altar) in a phool bangla (flower palace). He was wearing the same chandan dress, but the effect was completely new as his jewelery and accessories were different. In the night time, after the chandan dress was removed, Radharamanji looked dazzling in a beautiful black skirt accented with flowers, and an intricately folded chandan-coloured turban.

Chandan yatra is celebrated in all the main temples in Vrindavan such as Shri Radha-Gokulananda, Radha-Shyamsundar, Radha-Damodar, Radha Vallabh and Krishna-Balaram Temple. Banke Bihari also gives a special darshan of his lotus feet on this day.

Devotees who went for darshan could be seen with Shri Radha and Krishna’s prasadi chandan on their foreheads. Sometimes the chandan was smeared on their cheeks as well, and sometimes it even looked as if the devotees had played Holi, with chandan splattered all over their clothes, faces, and hair.

(All photos courtesy of Brij 84 Kos)

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Agra, 2017.04.28 (Anuja Jaiswall, TNN): Photos of more than 50 school and college going girls from Vrindavan have been uploaded on fake Facebook accounts. The photos were accompanied by derogatory remarks about the girls.

A local social worker Dr Laxmi Gautam, along with the parents of the girls, approached the police on Friday and filed a complaint. Though cases have been registered under relevant sections of the IPC, no arrests have been made so far.

Significantly, this is the third such incident of photos of girls from the area being posted on social media in less than two years.

Talking to TOI, Dr Gautam said that a fake id was created with name of Pooja Agarwal and pictures of Vrindavan-based girls, shot from “awkward” angles, are being uploaded on facebook. She said all these pictures were taken in a clandestine manner while the girls were shopping in market places.

She said when some of girls learned about their pictures circulating on the social media, they informed their parents, who approached her for help.

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Vrindavan, 2017.05.01 (VT): The 1,000-year anniversary of Sri Ramanujacharya’s birth is being celebrated throughout India today. At the Sri Rangji Temple in Vrindavan, the occasion is being marked by a beautiful ten-day festival in the South Indian tradition.

Sri Ramanujacharya was born in 1017 A.D. in the village of Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu. By the grace of Lord Parthasarathy, Ramanujacharya became one of the foremost theologians in history, and one of the great leaders of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya. His philosophy of Vishishtadwaita or “qualified non-dualism” helped shape the bhakti movement and indeed, Hindu religion as we know it.

Every morning throughout the festival, the abhishek of Ramanujacharya’s murti was performed by Sri Vaishnava Acharyas amidst the chanting of Vedic mantras in South Indian style. At four p.m., spiritual discources by Sri Jagannath Swamy and Sri Dharacharya Swamy Maharaj began, on the subject of the Sri Vaishnava Sampradaya’s “Vishisht Adwaita” philosophy. Upon completion of the discources, Sri Ramanujacharya’s image was taken out on procession.

A large entourage of Acharyas and Pundits followed the procession whilst chanting divine stotras and hymns from the Vedas. Shridharacharya Swami explained that in Treta Yug, when Sriman Narayana came in his avatar as Sri Ram, his eternal sevak Anant Shesh came as his younger brother Lakshman. In Dwarpar Yug, when the Lord came as Sri Krishna, Lakshman followed as Balram. And in Kaliyug, the Lord is here with us in the form of Sri Ranganatha Swamy, and he who came as Baalram and Lakshman has taken birth in Sriperumbudur as Ramanujacharya.

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