20210903 Twelve Forests of Vṛndāvana, Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation By His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on 3rd 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 continue with the compilation of Sri Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book todays we will be continuing with the part 3 of the chapter entitled:

Twelve Forests of Vṛndāvana
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.84

ei dvādaśa vana mathurā-maṇḍala
kṛṣṇera vihāra sthāna dekhāba sakala

Jayapatākā Swami: “Śrī Kṛṣṇa enjoyed many blissful pastimes in these twelve forests. Now I'll show them to You,”

So Kṛṣṇa dāsa after explaining the twelve forests, said that he would show them to Lord Caitanya. So, in essence Lord Caitanya is going on a Vṛndāvana Parikramā on the guidance of Kṛṣṇa dasa

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca 4.3.21: “I shall show each of them to You oh Lord Caitanya, aspiring to receive Your mercy. For, O Hṛṣikeśa, if I obtain Your mercy then, thereby I will be freed from bondage to this world of matter.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Kṛṣṇa dāsa understood that if we got the mercy of Lord Caitanya, he will be freed from this bondage of this material world.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 17.192

sei vipra-saṅge dvādaśavana darśana:— 
‘vana’ dekhibāre yadi prabhura mana haila
seita brāhmaṇe prabhu saṅgete la-ila

Translation:  When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu wanted to see the various forests of Vṛndāvana, He took the brāhmaṇa with Him.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya wanted to see the forest of Vṛndāvana, so He took Kṛṣṇa dāsa, the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa with Him.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā, 17.193

madhu-vana, tāla, kumuda, bahulā-vana gelā
tāhāṅ tāhāṅ snāna kari’ premāviṣṭa hailā

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited the different forests, including Madhuvana, Tālavana, Kumudavana and Bahulāvana. Wherever He went, He took His bath with great ecstatic love.

Purport: The word vana means” forest.” Vṛndāvana is the name given to the forest where Śrīmatī Vṛndādevī (Tulasīdevī) grows profusely. Actually it is not a forest as we ordinarily consider a forest, because it is very thick with green vegetation. There are twelve such vanas in Vṛndāvana. Some are located on the western side of the Yamunā, and others are on the eastern side. The forests situated on the eastern side are Bhadravana, Bilvavana, Lauhavana, Bhāṇḍīravana and Mahāvana. On the western side are Madhuvana, Tālavana, Kumudavana, Bahulāvana, Kāmyavana, Khadiravana and Vṛndāvana. These are the twelve forests of the Vṛndāvana area.

Translation:  So, Lord Caitanya went and visited all the twelve forest, he was in great ecstasy and in every forest He took a bath, he expressed great ecstatic love for Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 122: (Enter doorkeeper) Doorkeeper says: Lord, some men bringing news of the Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu are waiting at the door.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 123: The king Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Have them enter.

(The doorkeeper does that. The men bringing news enter).

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 124: Men bringing news: Glory, glory to the Lord!

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 125: Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Tell what you know.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 126: the Men replys: We know everything.

Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Please tell

Translation:  The Lord left Mathurā City and saw the beauty of Vṛndāvana. He performed pastimes in bushes after bushes on the bank of Yamunā. He went to Govardhana Hill, and for some days was wandering in forest after forest. We have seen all this.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, this Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka is expressed as a drama. So, the messengers are telling what Lord Caitanya did when He went on tour, to the King Pratāparudra. So, in this way King Pratāparudra is very anxious to hear the pastimes of Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9.127: Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Ah! What, what did the Lord do in Vṛndāvana? Do you know?

Men bringing news: Yes. We heard from the mouths of fortunate people who me Him there.

Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Tell.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 128 [Men bringing news]: Even though, the Lord who is the source of all bliss manifested the transformation of His own bliss from the time of His appearance on this earth, still it is surprising that at the time He entered the forest of Vṛndāvana, the waves of that ecstatic bliss have increased many times. Neither my mind or words have the power to enter into an understanding of that bliss.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu visiting Vṛndāvana, He was filled with ecstatic love and that ecstasy was so great that the messengers cannot explain it in the words they know.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 129: The Lord of everyone, seeing the beauty of the forests on the bank of Yamunā River, embracing each tree and their branches with His arms, lamented loudly due to attachment without restraint. Furthermore:

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 130: When He saw the excellent cows in Vṛndāvana He became wild with happiness and the tears flowed from His eyes looks as a trickling celestial Ganges River and He fell to the ground as the top of golden Mount Meru blown to the earth by a great wind.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, we may see some poetic aspects from Lord Caitanya’s pastimes but in a nutshell Lord Caitanya was experiencing overwhelming spiritual bliss.

Caitanya Candrodaya Nāṭaka 9. 131: Mahārāja Pratāparudra: Then?

Thus ends the Part 3 of the chapter entitled, Twelve Forests of Vṛndāvana,
Under the Section: The Lord Travels to Vṛndāvana