20210901 Twelve Forests of Vṛndāvana, Part 1

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 01st September 2021 in Śrīdhāma Māyāpur, India

mūkaṁ karoti vācālaṁ paṅguṁ laṅghayate girim
yat-kṛpā tam ahaṁ vande śrī-guruṁ dīna-tāraṇam
paramānandaṁ mādhavaṁ śrī caitanya iśvaram

Hariḥ oṁ tat sat!

Hare Kṛṣṇa! Dear Devotees! today We will continuing with the compilation of Caitanya book, today is chapter entitled: Twelve Forests Around Yamunā Part 1 Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Twelve Forests Around Yamunā Part 1 Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.1: That night passed just like a moment, and at dawn the son of Śacī anxiously hailed the vipra to come quickly.

Jayapatākā Swami: He said, "Oh Friend! Please show Me the Mathurā Maṇḍala, by which the I obtain supreme love.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.2: So, Lord Caitanya was eager to see Mathurā Maṇḍala so that He could obtain Kṛṣṇa-prema.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.3-4: Kṛṣṇa Dāsa replied, "O Supreme Spirit! Throughout the land of Mathurā, the Śrī Yamunā Mahārāṇī is in every respect the highest authority. Because of affection for her, Śrī Vrajendranandana Kṛṣṇa, although the controller of all controllers and the all-pervading Supersoul, He accepts a manlike form, and exulting in the rasas of the gopas and gopīs, sports joyously in the rāsa dance and exuberantly plays in her waters.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Kṛṣṇa in Vṛndāvana, He enjoys transcendental pastimes and the gopās and gopīs are acting with Kṛṣṇa and in this way Kṛṣṇa enjoys His transcendental pastimes and Mahāprabhu, Lord Caitanya is eager to taste these rasas.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.65

mathurā-maṇḍala-madhye yamunā bhāgyavatī
yāṅhāra du-kūle kṛṣṇa viharaye pīriti

Translation: Kṛṣṇadāsa said, "In Mathura-mandala, the Yamunā River is most fortunate because Kṛṣṇa performed many pleasing pastimes on both her banks.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa enjoyed many pastimes in Yamunā water, so Yamunā is considered very fortunate.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.5-7: “On the western side of the Yamunā, child of the Kalinda mountain, lies the charming and transcendental vana of Vṛndā as well as Madhu, Kumuda, Khadira, Tāla, Kāmya and Bahūla vanas. "To Śrī Yamunā's east are the vanas named Bhadra, Bilva, Loha, Bhāṇīra as well as Mahāvana, which are meditated upon by persons expert at relishing rasa in order to achieve love for the Lord. "These twelve delightful vanas - Bhadra, Loha, Bhāṇḍīra, Mahā, Tāla, Khadira, Bahūla, Kumuda, Kāmya, Madhu and Vṛndā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the Vṛndāvana Parikramā visits all these twelve forests, In Māyāpur there are nine islands representing the devotional service. In Vṛndāvana there is twelve vanās which has different pastimes in each.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.66

yamunāra pūrvakūle āche pāñca vana
paścimete sāta vana kahiba ekhana

Translation: There are five forests on the eastern side of the Yamunā; seven on the western side. I will tell of these.

Jayapatākā Swami: So Kṛṣṇa dāsa is telling Lord Caitanya all about the vanas.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.8: These twelve beautiful forests perpetually bestow love for Kṛṣṇa. Bhaktas know the glories of these forests, whereas one without bhakti can never know those glories.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when we go on Vṛndāvana Parikramā, bhakti is the secret to reveal Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes and in each vana different pastimes occurred.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.67

kṛṣṇera vihāra ei dvādaśa vane
bhakta bine keho ihā marama nā jāne

Translation: These twelve forests are the pastime places of Kṛṣṇa. Other the devotees nobody can know about these secrets.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa in these twelve forest are revealed to the devotees, others cannot know.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.9: “On the western side of Yāmunā lies the great palace of Kaṁsa. To the north of it lies the very enchanting and rarely-achieved forest of Vṛndā.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vṛndāvana is named after the Vṛnda forest and Kaṁsā who lived in Mathurā was delivered by Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.68

kaṁsera sadana ei yamunā paścime
tāhāra uttare vana vṛndāvana nāme

Translation: “Kaṁsa's palace in Mathurā sits on the western side of Yamunā. North of Mathurā lies the forest of Vṛndāvana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vṛndāvana is the home of Śrīla AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda, we can see how Vṛndāvana is very dear to Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.69

mathurā haite sei yojaneka patha
aneka rahasya kathā kahiba tāhāta

Translation: From Mathurā, Vṛndāvana is at a distance of eight miles and I will tell where Śrī Kṛṣṇa had many confidential pastimes.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Kṛṣṇa dāsa the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa, who was initiated by Śrī Mādhavendra Purī, is going to reveal to Lord Caitanya the many pastimes which happened in the Vṛndāvana forest.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.10: “To Yamunā's southwest lies Kumudavana, who gives pleasure to Śrī Hari. To her south is Khadiravana, who also gives Kṛṣṇa joy.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa dāsa is describing the location of each of the twelve forests, when you do the Vṛndāvana Parikramā you can visit all the twelve forests.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.70

kumuda nāme vana āche tāhāra nairṛte
saoyā yojana patha mathurā haite

Translation: Kumudvana lies to the southwest. It is ten miles from Mathurā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here Kṛṣṇa dāsa is describing the relative position of each of the twelve forests.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.71

khadiravana āche prabhu tāhāra dakṣiṇe
deḍa yojana patha mathurāra sane

Translation: Oh Lord, Khadira-vana is in the South. It is twelve miles from Mathurā. A yojana is 8 miles, and deḍa-yojana is one and half miles, that means 12 miles.

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.11: "To the west of Mathurā lies Tālavana, the beloved forest of Keśava. There flows a river named Mānasi Gaṅgā, who purifies all the worlds.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this sacred forest of Tālavana is described here and Kṛṣṇa had many pastimes in this Tālavana.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.72

tālavana āche prabhu dakṣiṇe mathurāra
arddha yojana bhūmi mathurā tāṅhāra

Translation: The forest Tālavana is situated about four miles south of Mathurā.`

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the position of each vana is described by Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Thus ends the first part of the chapter entitled, Twelve Forests of Vṛndāvana, 
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana