Vraja Mandala Parikrama
[Madhya 18]
In the Upadeshamrita (Nectar of Instruction), Rupa Goswami declares: “The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura-Puri is the transcendental forest of Vrindavana because of Krishna’s rasa-lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrindavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Shri Krishna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the super excellent Shri Radha-kund stands supreme, for it is over flooded with the ambrosial nectarine love of the Lord of Gokula, Shri Krishna.”
One major event during Shri Chaitanya’s parikrama was the discovery of Radha-kund. Arriving at Arista gram, the omniscient Shri Chaitanya identified it as the area where Aristasura had been killed, and where Radha and Krishna later formed sacred ponds of liquid love. Seeing two bodies of water in two paddy fields, the Lord ascertained that formerly they were called Shri Radha-kund and Shyama-kund. In these waters, Shri Krishna and Shrimati Radharani enact their pastimes of love, and anyone who bathes there inevitably awakens their own pure love of God.
Shri Chaitanya continued on and visited Kusum Sarovar, Govardhana Village, Brahma Kund and the Harideva temple. Shri Chaitanya had a strong desire to see the Deity of Gopal, but out of respect and reverence He refused to walk on top of Govardhana Hill. Thus, on the pretext of a Muslim invasion, Gopal arranged to come down from the hill for a few days to facilitate Shri Chaitanya’s desires. Such are the intimate and personal interactions of the Lord. Indeed, Gopal granted a similar audience to Rupa Goswami and other great Vaishnavas.
The tour of Vraja took Shri Chaitanya to Kamyavan, Khadiravana, Bhandiravana, Bhadravana, Bilvavana, Lohavana and Mahavana. Shri Chaitanya completed His parikrama by returning to Mathura. Due to the large crowds of people, Shri Chaitanya relocated to Akrura-tirtha and continued to visit various pastime places from there. He daily went to the sacred places along the Yamuna river, including Kesi Ghat, Imli Tala, Dvadasaditya Hill and Kaliya hrada. Here, a Rajput ksatriya named Krishnadasa, who was an advanced Vaishnava, also joined the Lord.
One day, a crowd of people approached Shri Chaitanya claiming they had witnessed Krishna dancing on the Kaliya serpent at night. It had become a sensation in the town, and even Balabhadra, the Lord’s servant, decided to go there and witness the event. Shri Chaitanya rebuked his servant and cautioned the devotees to avoid being misled by speculation and hearsay. The rumour did in fact turn out to be a misunderstanding, and Shri Chaitanya instead taught them that sincere devotional service was the real way to perceive Krishna’s eternal pastimes.
As the Lord’s ecstasy and absorption increased, the crowds also swelled, and Shri Chaitanya’s followers felt it was time to leave Vrindavana. After expressing gratitude and appreciation for their assistance in bringing Him to Vrindavana, Shri Chaitanya led them on the homeward journey. While passing through Gokula, a cowherd boy played his flute, causing Shri Chaitanya to enter a fit of ecstasy and fall to the ground unconscious. When a group of Muslim soldiers suddenly arrived, they surmised that the Lord’s associates were robbers who had attacked the sannyasi. Fortunately, Shri Chaitanya eventually regained full consciousness and clarified the entire situation. After a fruitful dialogue with them, in which Shri Chaitanya used the Koran to establish the culture of devotion, they all converted to Vaishnavism and became known as the Pathan Vaishnavas.
Holy sites are extraordinary places brimming with spiritual energy and blessings for all. Elaborate worship takes place in temples that bustle with pilgrims, and constant devotional chanting fills the atmosphere at all hours. These are cities that never sleep, where the daily sights and sounds are a constant reminder of God. Pilgrimages afford us the opportunity to associate with saintly people, develop a more personal connection with God, and dive deeper into our spiritual practices. Shrila Prabhupada explains that anyone who circumambulates these holy places becomes free from the cycle of repeated birth and death in this material world. In fact, all benefits derived from spiritual activities multiply manifold in such sacred sites.
But to gain these spiritual advantages and blessings, we must approach these places with a sincere attitude and humble heart. Sacred sites must be viewed with the eyes of devotion. External vision detects heart- wrenching poverty, decrepit infrastructure and widespread pollution, but one must go beyond this material veneer. Thus, it is always recommended that one visit holy places in the company of mature devotees of Krishna. They help us to go beyond superficiality, so we can see the heart and spirit of the holy dham.
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