From the Puranas, Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has quoted twenty verses describing a joking conversation between Radha and Krishna that took place after Krishna had killed the demon Arista. This conversation, so kindly quoted by the acarya, describes the origin of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda, Radha’s and Krishna’s bathing ponds. The verses are as follows:
masman sprsadya vrsabhardana hanta mugdha"The innocent young gopis said, `Ah, Krishna, don’t touch us now, O killer of a bull! Alas, even though Arista was a terrible demon, still he was a male cow, so You will have to undergo atonement, just as Lord Indra did after killing Vrtrasura. But how can You purify Yourself without going to the trouble of visiting every single holy place in the three worlds?'"
ghoro ’suro ‘yam ayi krsna tad apy ayam gauh
vrtro yatha dvija ihasty ayi niskrtih kim
sudhyed bhavams tri-bhuvana-sthita-tirtha-krcchrat
kim paryatami bhuvanany adhunaiva sarva"[Krishna replied,] 'Why should I have to wander throughout the entire universe? I will at once bring all the countless pilgrimage places here and take My bath in them. Just watch!' With this, Lord Mukunda struck His heel on the ground."
aniya tirtha-vitatih karavani tasu
snanam vilokayata tavad idam mukundah
procyaiva tatra krtavan bata parsni-ghatam
patalato jalam idam kila bhogavatya"[Then He said,] `This is the water of the Bhogavati River, coming from the Patala region. And now, O holy places, all of you please come here!'
ayatam atra nikhila api tirtha-sanghah
agacchateti bhagavad-vacasa ta etya
tatraiva rejur atha krsna uvaca gopih
When the Supreme Lord had spoken these words, all the holy places went there and appeared before Him. Krishna then addressed the gopis as follows."
tirthani pasyata harer vacasa tavaivam"'See all the holy places!'
naiva pratima iti ta atha tirtha-varyah
procuh krtanjali-puta lavanabdhir asmi
ksirabdhir asmi srnutamara-dirghikasmi
"But the gopis replied, `We don’t see them as You describe.'
"Then those best of holy places, joining their palms in supplication, spoke up:
"'I am the salt ocean.'
"'I am the ocean of milk.'
"'I am the Amara-dirghika.'"
sono ‘pi sindhur aham asmi bhavami tamra-"'I am the river Sona.'
parni ca puskaram aham ca sarasvati ca
godavari ravi-suta sarayuh prayago
revasmi pasyata jalam kuruta pratitim
"'I am the Sindhu.'
"'I am the Tamraparni.'
"'I am the holy place Puskara.'
"'I am the river Sarasvati.'
"'And we are the Godavari, Yamuna and Reva rivers and the confluence of rivers at Prayaga. Just see our waters!'"
snatva tato harir ati-prajagalbha eva"After purifying Himself by bathing, Lord Hari became quite arrogant and said, `I have produced a pond containing all the various holy places, whereas you gopis must never have executed any religious duties on this earth for the pleasure of Lord Brahma.' Then Srimati Radharani addressed Her girlfriends as follows."
suddhah saro ‘py akaravam sthita-sarva-tirtham
yusmabhir atma-janusiha krto na dharmah
ko ‘pi ksitav atha sakhir nijagada radha
karyam mayapy ati-manohara-kundam ekam"'I must create an even more beautiful pond. So go to work!’ Having heard these words, the gopis saw that Aristasura’s hooves had dug a shallow ditch just west of Sri Krishna’s pond."
tasmad yatadhvam iti tad-vacanena tabhih
sri-krsna-kunda-tata-pascima-disya-mando
gartah krto vrsabha-daitya-khurair vyaloki
tatrardra-mrn-mrdula-gola-tatih prati-sva-"At that nearby spot, all the gopis began digging up lumps of soft mud with their hands, and in this way a divine pond manifested in the short span of an hour. Krishna was astonished to see the lake they produced."
hastoddhrta anati-dura-gata vidhaya
divyam sarah prakatitam ghatika-dvayena
tabhir vilokya sarasam smarate sma krsnah
proce ca tirtha-salilaih paripurayaitan"He said, 'Go ahead, lotus-eyed one. You and Your companions should fill this pond with water from Mine.'
mat-kundatah sarasijaksi sahalibhis tvam
radha tada na na na neti jagada yasmat
tvat-kunda-niram uru-go-vadha-patakaktam
"But Radha replied, `No, no, no, no! This is impossible, since the water of Your pond is contaminated by Your terrible sin of killing a cow.'"
ahrtya punya-salilam sata-koti-kumbhaih"'I will have My countless gopi companions bring the pure water of the Manasa-ganga here in billions of pots. In this way I will fill this lake with My own water and thus make its renown unequaled in the entire world.'"
sakhy-arbudena saha manasa-jahnavitah
etat sarah sva-madhuna paripurayami
tenaiva kirtim atulam tanavani loke
krsnengitena sahasaitya samasta-tirtha-“Lord Krishna then gestured to a heavenly personality who was an intimate associate of all the holy places. Suddenly that person rose up out of Krishna’s pond and bowed down to the daughter of Sri Vrsabhanu [Radharani]. Then, with palms joined and tears pouring from his eyes, he began praying to Her in devotion.”
sakhyas tadiya-saraso dhrta-divya-murtih
tustava tatra vrsabhanu-sutam pranamya
bhaktya krtanjali-putah sravad-asra-dharah
devi tvadiya-mahimanam avaiti sarva"'O goddess, even Lord Brahma himself, the knower of all scriptures, cannot understand Your glories, nor can Lord Siva or Laksmi. Only Krishna, the supreme goal of all human endeavor, can understand them, and thus He feels obliged to personally make sure that You can wash away Your perspiration when You are fatigued.'"
sastrartha-vin na ca vidhir na haro na laksmih
kintv eka eva purusartha-siromanis tvat-
prasveda-marjana-parah svayam eva krsnah
yas caru-yavaka-rasena bhavat-padabjam"'He is always anointing Your lotus feet with nectarean caru and yavaka and decorating them with ankle bells, and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. On His order we have immediately come here to live in this most excellent pond, which He created by one stroke of His heel. But only if You now feel satisfied with us and bestow upon us Your merciful glance will the tree of our desire bear fruit.'"
arajya nupuram aho nidadhati nityam
prapya tvadiya-nayanabja-tata-prasadam
svam manyate parama-dhanyatamam prahrsyantasyajnayaiva sahasa vayam ajagama
tat-parsni-ghata-krta-kunda-vare vasamah
tvam cet prasidasi karosi krpa-kataksam
tarhy eva tarsa-vitapi phalito bhaven nah
srutva stutim nikhila-tirtha-ganasya tusta"Hearing this prayer spoken by the representative of the full assembly of holy places, Sri Radha was pleased and said, 'So, kindly tell Me your desire.'
praha sma tarsam ayi vedayateti radha
yama tvadiya-sarasim sa-phala bhavama
ity eva no vara iti prakatam tadocuh
"They then told Her plainly, `Our lives would be successful if we could come to Your pond. That is the benediction we desire.'"
agacchateti vrsabhanu-suta smitasya"Glancing at Her beloved from the corners of Her eyes, the daughter of Vrsabhanu replied with a smile, `Please come.’ Her gopi companions all agreed with Her decision and became immersed in the ocean of happiness. Indeed, the beauty of all creatures, both mobile and stationary, was enhanced."
provaca kanta-vadanabja-dhrtaksi-kona
sakhyo ‘pi tatra krta-sammatayah sukhabdhau
magna virejur akhila sthira-jangamas ca
prapya prasadam atha te vrsabhanujayah"Thus gaining the grace of Srimati Radharani, the holy rivers and lakes in Sri Krishna-kunda forcibly broke through its boundary walls and swiftly filled Radha-kunda with their waters."
sri-krsna-kunda-gata-tirtha-varah prasahya
bhittveva bhittim ati-vegata eva radha-
kundam vyadhuh sva-salilaih paripurnam eva
proce harih priyatame tava kundam etan"Lord Hari then said, 'My dear Radha, may this pond of Yours become even more world-renowned than Mine. I will always come here to bathe and to enjoy My water pastimes. Indeed, this lake is as dear to Me as You are.'"
mat-kundato ‘pi mahimadhikam astu loke
atraiva me salila-kelir ihaiva nityam
snanam yatha tvam asi tadvad idam saro me
radhabravid aham api sva-sakhibhir etya"Radha replied, 'I will come to bathe in Your pond as well, even though You may kill hundreds of Arista demons here. In the future, anyone who has intense devotion for this lake, which is on the spot where You chastised Aristasura, and who bathes or resides here is sure to become very dear to Me.'"
snasyamy arista-sata-mardanam astu tasya
yo ‘rista-mardana-sarasy uru-bhaktir atra
snayad vasen mama sa eva maha-priyo ’stu
rasotsavam prakurute sma ca tatra ratrau"That night Lord Krishna initiated a rasa dance at Radha-kunda, generating a torrent of the greatest mood of splendorous pleasure. Sri Krishna resembled a cloud, and Srimati Radharani a brilliant flash of lightning filling the sky with abundant beauty. In this way Their divine glories permeated the expanses of the three worlds."
krsnambudah krta-maha-rasa-harsa-varsah
sri-radhika-pravara-vidyud alankrta-sris
trailokya-madhya-vitati-krta-divya-kirtih
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