Nava-vraja-mahimā — Volume Four, Part One

This abode of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is called Govinda-bhūmi in the Purāṇas, Yoga-pīṭha in the Tantras, and Cakravartī Ṭhākura calls it Kuñja-rāja.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Yoga-pīṭha and Rādhā-kuṇḍa

Circling Nimavana, I came to its western edge. From there I offered my respectful obeisances to the heart and fountainhead of New Vraja-dhāma — the divine Yoga-pīṭha.

I have called the general area of Rādhā-Śyāmasundara’s temple the Yoga-pīṭha, wherein Śyāmasundara is also known by names like Madana-mohana, Govindajī, and Gopīnātha.

The nucleus of the Yoga-pīṭha is Rādhā-Śyāmasundara, who have joined (yoga) the material world to the spiritual world at the place (pīṭha) where They appeared and stand even now. [1]

Rādhā-Śyāmasundara are the root of the divine lotus of New Vraja-dhāma. As long as we serve Them with loving devotion, that lotus will thrive; if we ever neglect Them, the lotus will wither away.

Should we overlook the care of Rādhā-Śyāma, the link with Goloka will be severed, the Yoga-pīṭha will disappear, New Vraja-dhāma will lose its spiritual essence, and only a mundane farm will remain.

But as long as we maintain strong personal sādhana, serve Śrīla Prabhupāda’s mission, and dedicate everything to Their Lordships, the spiritual world will continue to reveal itself in New Vraja-dhāma.

The twelve forests of Vṛndāvana, the Yamunā, the cities of the Vraja-vāsīs, and the unlimited pastimes Kṛṣṇa enjoys in those places will remain situated on the petals of the lotus of New Vraja-dhāma.

While śāstra reveals that the Yoga-pīṭha resides in a forest setting, we may see merely a temple, but if we hear of and meditate on it with faith, we will first feel and in time perceive its spiritual form.

So that we may better understand the transcendental nature of the dhāma and more fully appreciate its wonders, I will now describe this wholly sublime and mysterious Yoga-pīṭha.

The confidential portions of the Vedas and some of our ācāryas’ books describe the transcendental form of the Yoga-pīṭha as it exists in Goloka and in an unmanifest form in Vṛndāvana here on earth. [2]

As Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s foremost abode and place of pastimes, the Yoga-pīṭha is the residence of His most confidential companions. It is perceived directly by perfected souls and meditated upon by practising devotees.

Let us now hear about the aprakaṭa Yoga-pīṭha, also called Govinda-sthalī, the place of Lord Govinda, because it is His favourite abode and it is not different from His transcendental body. [3]

The sacred Vedas call the area comprising the temple and desire tree the Yoga-pīṭha, or Antaḥpurī (the inner residence). We refer to it as simply Kṛṣṇa’s playground (keli-nikuñja). [4]

The Yoga-pīṭha’s form is reminiscent of Kṛṣṇa’s face, its fragrance of His bodily aroma, its resonance His voice, and its ambience His heart; in short, it reminds one of Govinda’s transcendental personality.

The Yoga-pīṭha stands as a mountainous island upon the summit of Vṛndāvana, rising out of the waters of the Yamunā like the back of a turtle whose shell is marked with the petals of a lotus.

These petals expand beyond the Yamunā and throughout Vraja. In total they number one thousand, each housing a prominent grove that plays host to its own variety of Kṛṣṇa’s youthful pastimes.

At the very centre of that lotus is the king of desire trees. At times it appears to be wood, leaves, and flowers, at other times it appears to be valuable gems, and at still others it appears in both ways at once.

From the branches of this tree hang equally incomprehensible desire vines — golden, black, or green in colour — upon which blossom by their own will every conceivable type of flower, even those made of jewels.

The grove thus formed — like Govinda — is unfathomable even to the most purified sages. It is the emperor of all the groves and gardens of Vṛndāvana, and so it is also called Śrī Kuñja-rāja.

Indeed, Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura writes, govinda-bhūmīti purāṇa- gītaṁ yad-yoga-pīṭhākhyam apīha tantre / śrī rādhayā śrī-vidhu-yoga-dhāma śrī-kuñja-rājaṁ nigadāma nāma:

"This abode of Śrī Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa is called Govinda-bhūmi in the Purāṇas, and Yoga-pīṭha in the Tantras. In this book [Vraja-rīti-cintāmaṇi] we call it Śrī Kuñja-rāja." [5]

A golden temple rests in the shelter of this grove, its ornately carved pillars, arches, and domes set with gems that glow with numinous splendour by day and soothing radiance at night.

That temple appears always medium in size, but it has many adjoining wings of varied dimension, each made up of a lotus-shaped courtyard with a whorl and eight petals containing a central fountain. [6]

The temple stands upon an ornate quadrangular platform with staircases on all four sides made of the finest translucent marble, which, incredible as it may sound, feels as soft as butter to the touch.

Within the central chamber of the temple is a jewel-studded golden throne (siṁhāsana), the most ornate, beautiful, and beguiling object in the Yoga-pīṭha, or anywhere else in Vṛndāvana.

The throne is shaped like an eight-petalled lotus in flight, with wings made from its own lustre. Its front lion-legs are raised off the ground while its hind legs carry the throne’s weight, although it is weightless.

Seated at the centre like the stamen of that lotus are Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa; above Them is a soft cloth with the look and feel of a lion skin. This is the heart of the Yoga-pīṭha and the centre of all existence.

On this seat, behind the divine couple, is a cotton-filled bolster held in place by a lapis lazuli backrest. In front of and just below the seat are footrests, graced by the two most attractive pairs of lotus feet.

Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa sit upon this throne, Their original, eternally youthful, and alluringly unassuming forms mesmerising Their friends and each other with elegance, splendour, humour, and love.

This divine couple, the Absolute Truth, source of the predominating (puruṣa) and predominated (prakṛti) natures, immersed in the bliss of countless exchanges of spiritual love, are denoted by the syllable klīṁ.

Around the base of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s seat is a hexagonal plinth inscribed with the six words of the Gopāla-gāyatrī, signifying that only the followers of the gopīs can enter this inner sanctum. [7]

Two seats rest upon each of the eight petals of the throne, with one of the aṣṭa-sakhīs sitting on the raised tip of each petal and her corresponding maidservant (mañjarī) sitting on the inner part below. [8]

To Kṛṣṇa’s immediate right sits Lalitā, and beyond her Citrā, Campakalatā, and Tuṅgavidyā; to Rādhā’s left are Viśākhā, Raṅga-devī, Sudevī, and Indulekhā — these are the aṣṭa-sakhīs.

And following the same order as these most confidential friends sit their most intimate maidservants (mañjarīs): Rūpa, Rasa, Guṇa, Lavaṅga, Vilāsa, Kastūrī, Mañjulālī, and Rati respectively.

Devotees who chant the Gopāla- and Kāma-gāyatrī mantras to gain entrance into this transcendental realm must take shelter of one of these sakhīs by becoming the servant of her maidservant (mañjarī).

Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas generally yearn to be counted amongst Lalitā-sakhī’s group of gopīs and trained by Rūpa-mañjarī in the fine arts related to serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa within the groves of Vṛndāvana.

Above the throne, suspended from the ceiling by a silken rope, is an exquisite umbrella with golden filigree, its sparkling diamond rim decorated with a hanging fringe of rubies and moonstone.

Even the smallest speck of dust on this throne is more valuable than all the wealth in Vaikuṇṭha. Nevertheless, that dust has no value without its relation to Śrī Rādhā and Her beloved Śyāmasundara.

Dressed in yellow clothing befitting a cowherd prince, with His unique cloud-blue complexion, Kṛṣṇa rouses the hearts of Rādhā and Her girlfriends, who sit surrounding the divine couple.

Around Kṛṣṇa’s neck hangs a long garland of sylvan flowers woven with buds of the tulasī plant; on His head rests a colourful turban bedecked with jewels, blooms, buds, and a peacock feather.

His face — more radiant than millions of moons — is made even more enchanting by rolling, restless lotus eyes, and by ears adorned with yellow flower ornaments and shark-shaped earrings.

Elegant tilaka — a round spot of sandalwood paste with a dot of kuṅkuma — graces Kṛṣṇa’s forehead. Small curly locks of hair and diamond-like beads of perspiration decorate His brow.

Kṛṣṇa raises His eyebrows playfully, glancing at His beloved as His moonlight smile flashes sparkling white teeth through bimba-red lips. Suspended by a ring, a single pearl dances beneath His nose.

Rings and bracelets ornamenting His hands — His beloved flute in the left, a delicate lotus in the right — Kṛṣṇa captivates everyone around Him with the tinkling of His tiny waist bells and priceless anklets.

Kṛṣṇa is completely addicted to sporting with Śrī Rādhā; indeed, He is subjugated by Her love. On occasion He will glance at a sakhī, His entire body trembling in ecstasy as He laughs and jokes with Rādhā.

Seated at His left and dressed in a deep blue garment that mirrors Kṛṣṇa’s complexion, golden-hued Śrī Rādhā partly covers Her winsome face and restless eyes with the border of Her veil.

Rādhā accepts tāmbūla from Lalitā, demurely offering it to Kṛṣṇa. Delicate bangles jingle on Her hands, and pearl necklaces move slightly on Her chest as She leans towards Her beloved.

Every part of Her enchanting transcendental body is so perfectly formed that they enrich and beautify the ornaments — rings, bangles, earrings, and necklaces — meant to decorate Her limbs.

As the youthful embodiment of bliss, She is wholly content, pleased to be at Her lover’s side. And Her devoted gopī friends — similar to Her in age, beauty, and other qualities — share in that ecstasy.

One ācārya describes the divine couple at the Yoga-pīṭha, dīvyad-vṛndāraṇya-kalpa-drumādhaḥ-śrīmad-ratnāgāra-siṁhāsana-sthau / śrīmad-rādhā-śrīla-govinda-devau preṣṭhālībhiḥ sevyamānau smarāmi:

In a temple of jewels in Vṛndāvana, beneath a desire tree, Rādhā and Govinda, served by Their most confidential companions, sit upon an effulgent throne. Let us offer our humble obeisances unto Them. [9]

* * * *

Just beyond the central temple of the Yoga-pīṭha is a lotus-shaped courtyard. On its eight petals lie the temples and groves of the eight sakhīs, and beyond them, the abodes of the eight mañjarīs.

The temple groves of the gopīs are separated from the inner domain of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa by an octagonal structure upon which the words of the Kāma-gāyatrī mantra are written in sparkling gems.

Although the gopīs’ residences vary in design, dimension, and colour, they simultaneously and inconceivably retain the overall symmetry of the expanding lotus petals of the Yoga-pīṭha.

Replete with all the things required for the gopīs’ unique services to the divine couple, these groves expand and contract along with the petals upon which they rest, according to the will of Yogamāyā.

Each petal of this divine lotus, regardless of which gopī resides upon it, is a pastime garden for Rādhā. As such, they are known as the petals (patrāṇi) of the goddess of fortune (śrī) — patrāṇi śriyām.

Where the petals intersect or join the whorl of the Yoga-pīṭha, those places delineate the pathways of Vraja. And where these petals spread out into the distance, they delimit the pastures of the surabhi cows.

Successive petals expand beyond the first eight petals of the aṣṭa-sakhīs and the next eight petals of the aṣṭa-mañjarīs, each corolla doubling in petals until there are one thousand petals in all.

From the inner courtyard, four paths of finely ground gem-dust proceed from the gates facing the four directions. Those paths lead to the southbound Yamunā, which encircles Govinda-sthalī like a moat.

The petals of Govinda-sthalī expand outward in concentric woodland rings, one after another as far as the Yamunā, beyond which each of Vraja’s forests appears like a single petal unto itself.

Descending from the Yoga-pīṭha at the peak of Govinda-sthalī, these woodland rings are each comprised of one kind of tree: golden banana followed by campaka, kiṁśuka, nāga-kesara, tamāla, and bakula.

Forests abound in all varieties. There are the six forests in which the six seasons individually remain ever-present, forests of fruit trees, of blossoming flowers, and forests where the trees are tangled with vines.

The trees in these forests may appear to be of different species, but actually they are all of the wish-fulfilling sort, and even though they may seem to be firmly rooted in place, they move about at will.

Moreover, though the trees are apparently made of organic matter — wood, leaves, and flowers — they have another nature they reveal for the pleasure of Kṛṣṇa: they are made of a multiplicity of gems.

A tree may display, for example, a gold trunk, opal branches, sapphire twigs, emerald leaves, ruby buds, crystal flowers, and fruit made of all manner of gems, including jewelled combinations and mixtures.

The soil of Govinda-sthalī is generally gold, but it also changes its nature to match the colours of the surrounding forests; at given times and places the soil is sapphire, crystal, ruby, or emerald.

Platforms surround many of the trees in the forests of Govinda-sthalī, offering the divine couple places to rest and simultaneously embellishing this peerless transcendental paradise.

These platforms may be square, hexagonal, octagonal, or circular; ornately carved from sapphire, ruby, or moonstone; set with diamonds or pearls; and stand as low as one’s knee or as high as one’s shoulder.

Rādhā’s and Kṛṣṇa’s companions appeal to the trees when they require something to serve the divine couple, and, just as they do fruit from the trees, they receive clothes, jewellery, cosmetics, and scents.

If there aren’t enough garlands to decorate Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa or Their gopī attendants or the groves, the divine couple’s maidservants can petition the trees for ready-made garlands of fresh, gorgeous flowers.

These marvels may be incomprehensible to conditioned souls, but in this land of love and wonder, where one can attain the topmost perfection simply by touching the soil, miracles are the rule.

For example, in at least one place on each of the Yoga-pīṭha’s one thousand petals, Vraja’s desire trees and vines entwine to form groves whose splendour and opulence put to shame Lord Nārāyaṇa’s palace.

These magnificent trees select the most fitting place for their service and then join their branches together to form roofs, and with sub-branches they form many intricately shaped domes and spires.

Desire vines grow from the ground up to the beam-like branches above, then back down again from the domes to form walls, which have blossoming flowers and delicate tendrils braided into them.

These edifices are so tightly constructed that neither wind nor rain of the fiercest monsoon can enter, but at the same time they breathe to permit the slightest and most welcome breeze on hot summer nights.

So delicate and detailed are these groves that from afar they resemble intricately fashioned and ornately decorated jewellery boxes; only up close can one tell that they are actually intermingling trees and vines.

Vṛndā-devī and her sylvan goddesses hang embroidered canopies from the ceilings of these groves, and furnish them with beds made soft by cotton mattresses and pillows stuffed with stemless flowers.

They also hang jewel-studded pictures that incite amorous feelings, and set up tables upon which rest boxes with pān, pitchers of nectar, goblets for drinking, scents, fans, mirrors, sindūra, and collyrium.

And although the groves are no less beautiful inside than out, Vṛndā-devī’s maidservants further enhance their natural ambiance by hanging sheer silk curtains, flower garlands, and festoons.

The birds and bees join the trees and vines in serving Kṛṣṇa. Perched discreetly throughout the forest, they lend the sound of their coos and hums to create an atmosphere delightful to the ears and heart.

Many orchard groves lie at the base of Govinda-sthalī Hill, and just beyond those fruit trees are cottages equipped with every item of service essential to the divine couple’s pastimes.

It may be a gopī-disguise for Kṛṣṇa to wear and pacify Rādhā in Her anger, bathing clothes for His water sports, or utensils and ingredients for cooking a feast. Whatever it is, Vṛndā-devī has it all on hand.

Desire trees could easily provide anything Yogamāyā scripts into Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, but the gopīs take special pride in personally stocking these cottages with the most exotic amenities.

Beyond Vṛndā-devī’s storehouses are two more rings of trees, the first of aśoka, the second vetasa. On the other side of these forests are the sublime gardens that skirt the Yamunā’s diamond-powder beaches.

Lined by bakula trees, the four paths leading downhill from the temple meet the blackish waters of the Yamunā at four elegant, ornate ghāṭas, each guarded by a gopī — Vṛndā in the east.

Without permission from these guards, no one — be he demigod, demon, human, or otherwise — can enter this secret domain, which is invisible to those not in love with Kṛṣṇa in the mood of the gopīs.

By Yogamāyā’s influence, even Vraja-vāsīs overflowing with parental love for Kṛṣṇa cannot see Govinda-sthalī. And if they do see it by chance, they simply pass by, thinking it too bothersome to explore.

The banks of the Yamunā are the stage upon which Kṛṣṇa and the gopīs perform their renowned rāsa dance. Some beaches are open and expansive, others secluded and concealed by gardens and groves.

The sand on the Yamunā’s shore is naturally cooling, like powdered camphor. Kissed by moonbeams and the touch of Kṛṣṇa’s soft lotus feet, that fine sparkling powder is made doubly soothing.

The blackish river water is pleasing to the touch, and its current gently massages the body. It varies in depth, reaching in some places to the knees and in others to the navel, chest, or neck.

Colourful lotuses like the red kahlāra, white puṇḍarīka, blue indīvara, and golden nalinī dance upon the waves, scenting the water with their pollen and attracting playful honeybees.

White and black swans, cakravāka geese, and wagtail birds frolic in the drift and fill the air with their songs, air already enriched by the heady scent of musk deer cavorting at the edge of the forest.

In the most secluded part of Yamunā’s shore grows a unique flower garden. Large and round like the full moon, half of it juts out into the water while the other half is enclosed by a grove called Atimukta.

This is the rāsa-maṇḍala of the Yoga-pīṭha, very dear to Kṛṣṇa. Atimukta’s ambience perfectly facilitates the rāsa dance and helps to churn the joy of that festive pastime into rich butter-like bliss.

There the sounds of jingling ankle-bells and clapping hands intermingle with the lapping of Yamunā’s waves as they inch up the shoreline in hopes of touching the imprints left by dancing lotus feet.

Naturally blackish, in this area the water of the Yamunā has turned whitish, thus resembling the colour of the Gaṅgā, having washed sandalwood paste from the bodies of the gopīs.

O Yamunā, daughter of the sun! May thoughts of you, like the force of your swift current, wash all impurities from devotees’ hearts and grace them with love for a blackish cowherd and His golden consort.

By your devotional power, kindly transform those who desire it into eternal companions of the divine couple. Endow them with bodies fit for serving Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa in the pastime places of Govinda-sthalī.

* * * *

Having heard a few of the limitless features of the inconceivable Yoga-pīṭha, let us now hear further about some of the pastime places and persons situated in and around that divine realm.

Each of the thousand petals that unfurl from the Yoga-pīṭha is divine, and yet the closer a petal is to the centre of the lotus, the more confidential are the pastimes that take place there.

The twelve main forests grace the eight inner petals, which include Vṛndāvana, Mahāvana, and Kāmyavana, and beyond that corolla rest hundreds of sub-forests with uncountable gardens and groves.

The first petal is hidden from Vedic scripture and difficult even for introspective saints to visualise. It unfurls to the south and is said to be the birthplace of Kṛṣṇa — sacred Gokula, the very soul of Vraja. [10]

To the southeast is the second petal, where the gopīs pray to Gaṇeśa to deliver them from the fear they might somehow lose their lover. Kṛṣṇa appears there as a chubby deity of the elephant-god. [11]

The third petal, which lies to the east, is more sacred than all holy places combined. It is there Kṛṣṇa pleases Rādhā by digging a well with His flute-song (Veṇu-kūpa) and filling it with the waters of love.

At the peak of the rāsa dance, the divine couple sneak off alone to enjoy the happiness of each other’s company. When Rādhā asks Kṛṣṇa for a drink of water, He creates this well by playing His flute.

The northeastern fourth petal intersects the Yamunā where the gopīs worship goddess Kātyāyanī. At that place Kṛṣṇa steals the bathing gopīs’ garments and demands an exorbitant fee to return them.

To the north, the fifth petal is to some savants the best of all, because there the sun god deploys his rays to serve Kṛṣṇa by drying and warming the Lord after He spends many hours in Yamunā’s waves.

Brahma-kuṇḍa is also found there. On its banks a delightful aśoka grove, like a thief, steals away the divine couple’s gravity and repose with the inviting fragrance of bright orange blossoms.

On this fifth petal also resides Gopīśvara, whom the gopīs worship. And the Vaṁśīvaṭa tree dances there on Yamunā’s shore because it is always enchanted by the sound of Kṛṣṇa’s flute-song calling the gopīs.

The sixth petal, to the northwest, is the home of two important kadamba trees: the first at Kāliya-hrada, from which Kṛṣṇa jumps to challenge Kāliya, and the second at Bhadrakālī-tīrtha.

A hair of Satī falls at the base of this second kadamba tree. It is also a meeting place of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa, and some of the cowherd girls worship Kātyāyanī