20210929 Nikuṇja, Yamunā, Nandīśvara, Kāmyavana and Khadiravana, Kumudavana, Ambikāvana etc…Part 3

The following is a Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya Book Compilation given by His Holiness Jayapatākā Swami Mahārāja on September 29th, 2021 in Śrī Dhāma 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 Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya book Today's chapter entitled:

Nikuñja, Yamunā, Nandīśvara, Kāmyavana and Khadiravana, Kumudavana, Ambikāvana Part 3

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Murāri Gupta Kaḍaca, 4.10.23

Translation: Upon hearing of these splendorous rasa-laden pastimes between Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī and Lord Kṛṣṇa-candra, which are imbued with the quintessential super excellence of sweetness, Lord Sri Mahāprabhu wept and became fully absorbed in manifesting the beautiful forms of Srimati Rādhārāṇī and Lord Kṛṣṇa. Then again, He, the embodiment of intensely condensed bliss, becoming filled with the moods of Vraja, is glorious as Lord Śrī Śacī-nandana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Śacīnandana, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu being overwhelmed with the transcendental pastimes with Śrīmatī Rādhārānī and Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa began weeping in ecstasy and inside Him the form of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa manifested.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.64

śeṣaśāyī kṛṣṇa o lakṣmī-darśana

līlā-sthala dekhi’ tāhāṅ gelā ‘śeṣaśāyī’
‘lakṣmī’ dekhi’ ei śloka paḍena gosāñi

Translation: After seeing the places of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes, Śrī Caitanya went to Śeṣaśāyī, where He saw Lakṣmī and recited the following verse.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.65

Śrīmad-Bhāgavate (10.31.19)—

yat te sujāta-caraṇāmburuhaṁ staneṣu bhītāḥ śanaiḥ priya dadhīmahi karkaśeṣu
tenāṭavīm aṭasi tad vyathate na kiṁ svit kūrpādibhir bhramati dhīr bhavad-āyuṣāṁ naḥ

Translation: “‘O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path.’”

Purport: This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.31.19) spoken by the gopīs when Kṛṣṇa left them in the midst of the rāsa-līlā.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the gopīs of Vṛndāvana expressed these prayers to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa and this was repeated by Śacīnandana, Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu in great ecstasy.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.66

khelā-tīrtha, bhāṇḍīravana o bhadravane āgamana:—

tabe ‘khelā-tīrtha’ dekhi’ ‘bhāṇḍīravana’ āilā
yamunā pāra hañā ‘bhadra-vana’ gelā

Translation: Afterwards, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu saw Khelā-tīrtha and then went to Bhāṇḍīravana. After crossing the Yamunā River, He went to Bhadravana.

Purport: In the Bhakti-ratnākara it is said that Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to play at Khelā-tīrtha with the cowherd boys during the entire day. Mother Yaśodā had to call Them to take Their baths and eat Their lunch.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya in His Vṛndāvana parikramā saw all of these pastime places, He was very appreciative when Kṛṣṇa dāsa explained all the pastimes of Lord Kṛṣṇa.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.323

dekhaha kumudavane kṛṣṇera carita
eikhāne khelā khele bālaka sahita

Translation: Behold the pastimes of Kṛṣṇa in Kumudavana. Herein, Kṛṣṇa played with the cowherd boys.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.324

śrīdāma subala-goṭhe mukhya duijana
bālake bālake khelā kondala takhana

Translation:: Śridāma and Subala are the two main persons in the group. While one cowherd boy played with another boy there was altercation.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, amongst the children, sometimes they will friends and sometimes there will be quarrel so this was naturally occurring.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.325

‘kondaliyā’ nāma-sthāna teñi ta’ ihāra
kahila kumuda-nāma-vanera vihāra

Translation:: Therefore, this place is called “Kondaliyā” (kondala—quarrel, Conflict, altercation). Kṛṣṇadāsa told the pastimes in the forest named Kumudavana.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, here in Kumdavana, the cowherd boys, the friends of Lord Kṛṣṇa began some quarrel. Therefore the place is called “Kondaliya”.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.326

ambikāra vana dekha sarasvatī-tīre
ethā haragaurī gopa-gopī pūjā kare

Translation:: See the Ambikā vana on the banks of Sarasvatī. Here gopa-gopī worshiped Hara-Gaurī (Śiva Pārvatī).

Jayapatākā Swami:The cowherd girls worshipped Lord Śiva, in order to get Kṛṣṇa as their Husband.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.327

aṅgirāputrera upahāsera kāraṇa
sarpadeha chila vidyādhara sudarśana

Translation:: Because of ridiculing the sons of Aṅgirā, Vidyādhara named Sudarśana received the body of a snake, Sarpadeha.

Caitanya Maṅgala, Śeṣa-khaṇḍa 2.328

śāpānta kāraṇe sei nandake gilila
ugārila nande—kṛṣṇacaraṇe chuila

Translation:: Because of being cursed, he began to swallow Nanda Mahārāja. Upon being touched by the lotus feet of Kṛṣṇa, the serpent vomited Nanda Mahārāja.

Jayapatākā Swami:This was the pastime where Kṛṣṇa touched the serpent with His lotus feet and the serpent spitted out Nanda Mahārāja.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.67

śrīvana, lohavana o kṛṣṇa-janma-bhūmi gokula darśana:—

‘śrīvana’ dekhi’ punaḥ gelā ‘loha-vana’
‘mahāvana’ giyā kailā janma-sthāna-daraśana

Translation: Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu then visited Śrīvana and Lohavana. He then went to Mahāvana and saw Gokula, the place of Lord Kṛṣṇa’s early childhood pastimes.

Purport: Of Śrīvana (also called Bilvavana), the Bhakti-ratnākara states, devatā-pūjita bilvavana śobhāmaya:” The beautiful forest of Bilvavana is worshiped by all the demigods.”

About Lohavana, the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave) states:

“At Lohavana, Lord Kṛṣṇa used to tend cows. The demon named Lohajaṅgha was killed at this place.”

Mahāvana is described as follows in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Behold the house of Nanda and Yaśodā in Mahāvana. See the birthplace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Mahāvana and the birthplace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Gokula, are one and the same.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Vasudeva took the baby Kṛṣṇa from the prison house of King Kaṁsā and placed Him in Gokula in the house of Yaśodā and brought the baby girl to Mathurā. So, this was the place where Lord Kṛṣṇa became the son of Yaśodā and then Lord Caitanya was experiencing great bliss to see all these pastime places.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.68

yamalārjuna-bhañjanasthala-darśane premāveśa:—

yamalārjuna-bhaṅgādi dekhila sei sthala
premāveśe prabhura mana haila ṭalamala

Translation: Upon seeing the place where the twin arjuna trees had been broken by Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was moved to great ecstatic love.

Jayapatākā Swami: This is here Kṛṣṇa had pulled the mortar between the twin Arjuna trees, the two trees fell down, freeing the sons of Kuvera from their curse, Nalakuvera and Maṇigrīva, and this pastime, where Kṛṣṇa’s abdomen was tied with a rope is celebrated as the Dāmodara līlā. In the month of Dāmodara of Kārtika we offer lamps and pūjā to Lord Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Lord Caitanya was very ecstatic to remember all these pastimes and see those places.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.69

ataḥpara mathurāya yogapīṭha-darśana o mādhavapurī-śiṣya-gṛhe avasthāna:—

‘gokula’ dekhiyā āilā ‘mathurā’-nagare
janma-sthāna’ dekhi’ rahe sei vipra-ghare

Translation: After seeing Gokula, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu returned to Mathurā, where He saw the birthplace of the Lord. While there, He stayed at the house of the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the actual appearance of Lord Kṛṣṇa was in Mathurā and Lord Caitanya saw that Janmasthāna, just as Kṛṣṇa appeared in the prison house of King Kaṁsā. Similarly the whole material world is like a prison house and Kṛṣṇa comes down from the spiritual world and appears here. All these things were enjoyed by Lord Caitanya and He stayed for the night in the house of the Sanoḍiyā brāhmaṇa, Kṛṣṇa dāsa.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.70

janasaṅghahetu tathā haite akrura-tīrthe avasthāna:—

lokera saṅghaṭṭa dekhi mathurā chāḍiyā
ekānte ‘akrūra-tīrthe’ rahilā āsiyā

Translation:: Seeing a great crowd assemble at Mathurā, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu left and went to Akrūra-tīrtha. He remained there in a solitary place.

Purport: Akrūra-tīrtha is also mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Śrīnivāsa, look at this village of Akrūra. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there in a solitary place.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, when Akrūra was taking Kṛṣṇa from Vṛndāvana to Mathurā, there Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma took bath in the lake and this place is revered as Akrūra tīrtha so Lord Caitanya went there and stayed in a solitary place.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.71

vṛndāvana-darśane āgamana evaṁ kālīyahrada o praskandana-kṣetre snāna:—

āra dina āilā prabhu dekhite ‘vṛndāvana’
‘kālīya-hrade’ snāna kailā āra praskandana

Translation: The next day, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Vṛndāvana and took His bath at Kālīya Lake and Praskandana.

Purport: Kālīya-hrada is mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“When one takes a bath in Kālīya-hrada, he is freed from all sinful reactions. One can also be successful in business by bathing in Kālīya-hrada.”

Jayapatākā Swami: So, the place where Lord Kṛṣṇa defeated the multi-headed Kālīya serpent is a holy place where Lord Caitanya took His bath, and the glories of this place is mentioned by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.72

dvādaśāditya haite keśī-tīrthe rāsasthalī-darśane mūrcchā:—

‘dvādaśa-āditya’ haite ‘keśī-tīrthe’ āilā
rāsa-sthalī dekhi’ preme mūrcchita ha-ilā

Translation: After seeing the holy place called Praskandana, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Dvādaśāditya. From there He went to Keśī-tīrtha, and when He saw the place where the rāsa dance had taken place, He immediately lost consciousness due to ecstatic love.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was ecstatic when He saw the different pastime places, but when He saw the place of rāsa-līlā He became overwhelmed and fainted due to ecstatic love. So it seemed that the rāsa-līlā was performed in various places and this is one of the places.

Caitanya Caritāmṛta, Madhya-līlā 18.73

samastadina premāviṣṭa prabhura bātula-ceṣṭā:—

cetana pāñā punaḥ gaḍāgaḍi yāya
hāse, kānde, nāce, paḍe, uccaiḥ-svare gāya

Translation: When the Lord regained His senses, He began to roll on the ground. He would sometimes laugh, cry, dance and fall down. He would also chant very loudly.

Jayapatākā Swami: So, Lord Caitanya was expressing the prema-bhakti, pure love of Kṛṣṇa. He was crying, rolling sometime dancing, sometimes falling unconscious. He was totally spontaneous and filled with loving emotions.

Thus ends the chapter entitled, Nikuṇja, Yamunā, Nandīśvara, Kāmyavana and Khadiravana, Kumudavana, Ambikāvana etc. [Part 3]

Under the Section: Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma kī ! Jaya !