Restoring the Heritage of Vraja
by
Çrépäd Kåñëa-kåpä däsa
·
[NOTE: This page uses Balarama font (available here)
for better transliteration of Sanskrit into English]
Çré Brahma-kuëòa
·
Uddhava-kyäré (Çré Viçäkhä-kuïja)
Under the guidance and leadership of Çré Çrémad Bhaktivedänta
Näräyaëa Gosvämé Mahäräja, both Çré Brahma-kuëòa and Uddhava-kyäré are currently
being excavated and restored. Unfortunately, many of the holy places in Çré
Vraja-maëòala are falling into disrepair and gradually becoming lost to us due
to neglect, and this project aims to help preserve the
heritage of Vraja for future generations. What follows is a brief account of
the history and astonishing glories of Çré Brahma-kuëòa and Uddhava-kyäré.
Çré Brahma-kuëòa (at the base of
Çré Govardhana)
Below the Çré Harideva temple, beside Manasä-devé on the
southern side of Çré Mänasé-gaìgä, is a very ancient and holy tértha, Çré Brahma-kuëòa. Çré Kåñëadvaipäyana Veda-vyäsa has described
the glories of this ancient kuëòa in the Çré Kürma Puräëa and Çré Varäha Puräëa. In the Çré Kürma Puräëa it is said:
yätra brahmädayo deväù samäjagmurbhuva-sthale
brahma-stutyäbhiñekaà ca hareçcakre vidhänataù
sämävedodbhavair-mantraiù sarva-kämärtha-sidhaye
brahma-kuëòaà yato jätaà brahmädibhir vinirmitaà
Out of a desire to take darçana of the sweet léläs of Kåñëa, Brahmä stole all the calves and cowherd boys and hid them in a cave.
Then, being very merciful, Kåñëa Himself assumed the forms of all the stolen calves and cowherd boys, thus
showing His astonishing opulence
(majestic power) to Brahmäjé. This verse explains that upon his illusion being dispelled, Brahmäjé, surrounded by Mähadeva
Çaìkara and many other demigods,
came near to this presently situated Çré Harideva temple and fell at the lotus feet of Çré Kåñëa, begging forgiveness
for his faults. To fulfill his cherished desire, he performed abhiñeka of Çré Kåñëa by reciting all the
appropriate mantras from the Säma Veda. From the water of this abhiñeka, Brahmakuëòa was formed. Brahmä and the others demigods bathed in that kuëòa, and from that day onwards this pond became known as Brahma kuëòa.
In the same Kürma Puräëa the following mantras have been prescribed for taking bath and performing äcamana in Brahma-kuëòa:
brahmädi nirmitastértha çuddha-kåñëabhiñecana
namaù kaivalyanäthäya devänäà muktikäraka
iti mantraà daçävåtyä majjanäcamanairnaman
dvayormadhye kåtaà dänaà sahastraà guëitaà bhavet
“O tértha created by Brahmä and other devas! O supremely pure kuëòa! O bathing place of Kåñëa, O kaivalya-näyaka! I
am offering obeisances to you, who release the demigods from their material bondage.”
Recite this mantra ten times, perform äcamana, offer pranämas and then bathe in the waters of
this kuëòa.
puëyaà mänasikaà yatra phalamakñayam äpnuyät
manasi saàsthitän kämän cintanät sarvamäpnuyät
guptadänaà prakurvéta svarëagaurajatädikaà
annavasträdikaà caiva pätra påthvégåhädikaà
daçäyutaguëaà puëyaà phalaà tad dvidaguëaà labhet
närékelaphalädénäà hastaçvädividhäyinäà
puëyaà lakñaguëaà jätaà phalaà syättaccaturguëäà
manasä kriyate dänamakñyaà phalamäpnuyät
The result of performing
charitable acts here is increased one-thousand times. If anyone performs these
pious acts here, even within his mind, he will gain imperishable results. All
types of desires are fulfilled here. The results of giving away gold, silver, clothing
or ornaments is increased 100,000 times here, and then by four times again.
On a nearby shore lies the
According to the Väyu Puräëa, on the eastern side of
this kuëòa lies Indra-tértha; on the
southern bank lies Yama-tértha; on the western bank is Varuëa-tértha; and on the northern bank is Kuvera-tértha. These four demigods are performing worship
here to receive Kåñëa’s
mercy.
Manasi-ganga
and Manasa-ganga Mandira
Nearby is Mänasé-gaìgä, who manifested from Çré Kåñëa’s mind.
She dispels all types of sin, as well as the sufferings of birth and death, for
all those who merely bathe in her waters. In the centre is Mukhäravinda of Çré
Giriräjajé. On the pretext of taking the gopés across this Mänasé-gaëgä, Kåñëa performed boat-sporting pastimes
here.
Cakleçvara Mahädeva is situated nearby on a bank of this
Mänasé-gaìgä. He protected Giriräja and the Vrajaväsés from the torrents of
rain, thunderbolts and lightning of Indra. This Brahma-kuëòa is therefore a prominent
tértha among all the holy places of Govardhana.
By serving this kuëòa all
of the jéva’s cherished desires are fulfilled.
Uddhava-kyäré (Çré
Viçäkhä-kuïja)
This place, which is also known as Kadamba-kyäré, is situated a
short distance from Nandéçvara Hill, to the south-east. This is in fact the kuïja of Viçäkhäjé, and nearby lies Viçäkhä-kuëòa. In this secluded
and beautiful place surrounded by kadamba trees, Viçäkhäjé used to arrange
meetings between Rädhä and Kåñëa. Sometimes Kåñëa also used to perform räsa-lélä here with Rädhäjé and Her
friends. There is a räsa-vedé (sitting place in räsa-lélä) here, reminding us of
that räsa-lélä. Rädhä and Kåñëa also enjoyed many kinds of playful water-pastimes
in the clear and fragrant waters of Viçäkhä-kuëòa.
After Çré Kåñëa went to Mathurä, all of Vraja drowned in an ocean
of separation from Him. Even the birds and animals gave up eating and drinking,
feeling distressed in separation from Kåñëa, what to speak of the distress felt
by the gopas and gopés. Kåñëa’s
beloved gopés followed
Akrüra’s chariot to this point and then fell to the ground unconscious. They
never returned home again. Grievously afflicted by separation from Kåñëa,
Rädhäjé stayed in this dense forest in seclusion. In the hope of Kåñëa’s
return, She counted each passing day, remaining on the
verge of death.
At that time Kåñëa’s messenger, Uddhavajé,
came here to console the gopés, but upon seeing Çrématé Rädhikä’s
state of separation, he paid his obeisances to Her from afar, unable to say
anything.
Acutely afflicted by separation from Kåñëa, Çrématé Rädhikä saw
a bumblebee and thought it to be a messenger from Kåñëa. In the state of divyonmäda, She started manifesting citrajalpa, prajalpa and other moods of transcendental madness. At times She chastised the bee, and at times She complained to it. At
times She gave the bee instructions and at times respect,
and still at other times She enquired from it about the well-being of Her
beloved. Uddhava was amazed to see and hear all
this. He had come as guru to deliver instructions, but instead he became a disciple.
Nandisvara Hill
To console the gopés, Uddhava relayed some of Kåñëa’s messages to them, but
this only intensified their
pain of separation from Him. They said, “uddo man na bhayos das bés, ek huto so gayo çyäm saìga, ko ärädhe éça
— Uddhava, we don’t have ten or twenty hearts each. We had only
one, which has now left
us along with Çyäma. With which heart shall we now worship God?” They also said, “udo joga kahäì räkheì yahäì rom rom çyäm hai — Uddhava, how can we perform yoga when Çyäma pervades every particle of our bodies?”
Finally, Uddhavajé desired to take birth in Vraja in the form of
a small shrub, creeper or blade of grass, so that he could be blessed with the
dust of the gopés’ feet. He worshipped their
foot-dust with the following prayers:
aho caraëa-reëu-juñäm ahaà syäà
vrndävane kim api gulma-latauñadhénäm
yä dustyajaà sva-janam ärya-pathaïca hitvä
bhejur mukunda-padavéà çrutibhir vimågyäm
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.61)
If I become a shrub, creeper or
medicinal herb, here in Våndävana, it will be my great fortune. Oh! I shall then be able to serve the dust of
these gopés’ feet, and will be blessed by
bathing in that foot-dust. These gopés are
the most fortunate of all. They have given up those things that are extremely
difficult to renounce – their relatives, religious principles prescribed in the
Vedas, and acceptable social conduct. Having become so completely absorbed in
Kåñëa, they have obtained supreme prema for Him and become as
worshipable as Him.
vande nanda-vraja-strénäà
päda-reëum abhékñëaçaù
yäsäà hari-kathodgétaà
punäti bhuvana-trayam
Çrémad-Bhägavatam (10.47.63)
I bow down to the dust of the
feet of the gopés residing
in Nanda Bäbä’s Vraja. Oh! Whatever these gopés have sung
about Kåñëa’s pastimes is purifying the whole world and will continue to do so.
This pastime-place is filled with the rasa of
the highest level of meeting (mahä- sambhoga) with Kåñëa;
and, simultaneously, it is filled with the
rasa of the highest
degree of separation (mahä-vipralamba) from Him.
The life of a sädhaka becomes successful by taking darçana of and touching this place.
RAYS OF THE HARMONIST
No 12 Gaura Purnima 2003·
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