Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama Çré Vrajamandala Parikrama FIRST DRAFT by His Divine Grace Çréla Bhakti Ballabh Tértha Gosvämé Mahäräj Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math Sector 20-B, Chandigarh 1 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama Other books by Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaj in english: Sri Chaitanya: His Life and Associates A Taste of Transcendence Sages of Ancient India Suddha Bhakti Daçavatära Hari Katha and Vaishnava Aparadha Nectar of Hari Katha The Holy life of Srila B.D. Madhava Goswami Maharaj Sri Archana Paddhati Affectionately Yours Sri Guru-Tattva The Philosophy of Love © Sree Chaitanya Gauòiya Maöh,2005 Small portions of this work may be reproduced and quoted with proper acknowledgement of the author and the publisher. Significant portions may be reproduced and quoted; however, the author and publisher request that a copy of the work in which they are reproduced be provided to them for their information. The copyright remains with the publisher in all cases. Printed in India by Sree Chaitanya Gauòiya Maöh, Sector 20B, Chandigarh – 160020 Ph.: +91.172.2708788 Website: www.sreecgmath.org & www.gokul.org.uk Email. [email protected] 2 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama Contents • Ιntroduction • First Camp - Mathura • Second Camp - Goverdhan • Third Camp - Barasana • Fourth Camp - Nandagrama • Fifth Camp - Gokul • Sixth Camp - Vrindavan 3 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama 4 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama Introduction In 1932, starting from the holy appearance day of Sriman Madhvacarya, Çréla Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Prabhupäda performed a one month long circumambulation of Çré Vraja-mandala along with many devotees from various parts of India. Çréla Prabhupäda and his associates visited the places of the pastimes of Supreme Lord Çré Kåñëa and performed kirtana. His associates also performed kirtana in various languages to give pleasure to the multilingual pilgrims. Following in the footsteps of Çréla Prabhupäda, our gurudeva, Srila Bhakti Dayita Madhava Gosvami Maharaja, held the Vraja-mandala parikrama every year. Later, it was changed to every third year. In 1978, after performing that year’s Vraja-mandala parikrama, Srila Gurudeva performed the pastimes of illness and disappearance. After this, his most affectionate disciple and present president of Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math, Çréla Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Gosvami Maharaja, along with the Governing Body Committee of the Math, organized the great event of the Eighty- Four Krosa Vraja-mandala Parikrama. This book is Srila Tirtha Maharaja’s recollection of one such parikrama performed by Sree Chaitanya Gaudiya Math in 1984. To avoid this work becoming too voluminous, the various descriptions are given in brief. The parikrama started at Mathura and the six main camps along the route were: Mathura, Govardhana, Barsana, Nandagrama, Gokul Mahavana and Vrindavana. During the parikrama the locations of the various pastimes of Çré Kåñëa and the twelve forests constituting Vraja-mandala were visited while performing sankirtana (devotional singing and chanting). Participating in this parikrama were: Çré Srimad Bhakti Pramod Puri Goswami Maharaja, Srimat Krishna Keshava Brahmacari, Sri Srimad Bhakti Sarana Trivikrama Maharaja, President of the Math Sri Srimad Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja, Secretary Çré Srimad Bhakti Vigyan Bharati Maharaja and others. 5 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama Parampujyapada Çré Srimad Bhakti Promod Puri Maharaja, although 87 years old at the time, walked on foot and visited various places daily while giving discourses on Srimad Bhagavatam. Everyone was amazed to see him walking so at such an advanced stage of life. Due to the presence of many north Indian devotees and, upon the order of Srila Puri Maharajaa, Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Maharaja would explain the importance of each place in Hindi and continue to speak Harikatha at the evening assembly. Srila Bhakti Ballabh Tirtha Goswami Maharaja was the main kirtana singer during the daily sankirtana processions. Only by great fortune does one get the opportunity to serve the devotees performing the circumambulation of Vraja. 6 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama First Camp: Mathurä-dhama (Friday, Oct 5, 1984-Tuesday, Oct 9, 1984) Although Mathurä is mentioned in all the Puranas, only the Ramayana and Harivamsa Purana describe the origin of this sacred place. The Ramayana relates that there once lived a devotee of Lord Siva named Madhudaitya. Through hard penances, Madhudaitaya pleased Mahadeva Siva and achieved a unique and powerful trident from him. In reciprocation of the prayer of Madhudaitya, Mahadeva gave him the blessing that, as long as the trident remained with Madhudaitya’s son, no one would be able to kill him. After receiving this boon, Madhudaitya impatiently waited for the birth of a son. As it is well known that the words of Mahadeva cannot prove to be false, in due course of time Madhudaitya begot a son. This son was named Lavana. However, it was a twist of destiny that Lavana grew up as a demoniac boy with an impolite and rude nature. When Madhudaitya could no longer tolerate the tortures of his son, he gave the trident he had received from Mahadeva to Lavana and then went to Varunalaya, the palace of Lord Varuna. Having received the trident, Lavana’s tortures and misbehaviors increased. He even tormented sages living in the sacred forests. Seeing no way out of their miserable plight, the sages approached Lord Ramacandra and informed him about the atrocities committed by Lavana. Hearing the unfortunate tales of the sages, Çré Ramacandra sent Shatrughana to defeat Lavana. After challenging the demonic Lavana, a fierce battle between the two ensued for a long time, culminating in the killing of Lavana by Shatrughana. As word of the death of Lavana spread, all the demigods were pleased and came to grant a boon to Shatrughana. When Shatrughna saw that the demigods were eager to grant him a boon, he said: “If you wish to grant me a boon, please grant that the divinely constructed Madhupuri (Mathurä) will soon prosper and be transformed into a capital”. After this, Shatrughana brought an army for the protection of that place, along with many innovations to make the city beautiful and amply fit for habitation. 7 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama In the course of this work, Shatrughana renovated all the buildings constructed by Lavana. hatva ca lavanam rakso madhuputram mahavalam shatrugano Mathurä nama purim yatra cakar vai tatreva deva devasya sanindhyam harimedhasam sarvapaphare tasmin tapstirthe chakara sah Vishnu Purana Madhuvana, where Shatrughana killed the powerful Lavana, the son of the Madhu demon, and built the city named Mathurä, is also the residing place of Lord Hari’s devotee, Mahadeva. He performed penances in this all-sin destroying pilgrimage place. Çré Bhakti-ratnakara grantha describes the authenticity of Skanda Purana’s Mathurä Khanda: madhorvanam prathamato yatra vai mathurä puri madhu daityo hato yatra harinavishvamurtina In the Ramayana, Mathurä is described as Madhupuri or Madhura, but in other Puranas and Mahabharata, the name Mathurä is found. So, it can be deduced that the Madhupuri or Madhura described in the Ramayana only become known as Mathurä at a later date. (Some archeologists say that a small village named Maho situated in the southwestern part of Mathurä city is the Madhupura of the ancient king, Madhudaitya: ‘eyam madhupuri ramya mathurä devanirmita’) After the disappearance of Shatrughana’s dynasty, Mathurä was ruled by Shoorsena. According to the proofs of Çrémad Bhagavatam, Çré Kåñëa, the best among the Yadus, appeared in the dynasty of Shoorsena. This Mathurä became more famous when Kamsa made it his capital and extended his reign from there. Later, King Yudhisthira bestowed the kingdom of Mathurä to Vajranabha, the great grandson of Çré Kåñëa, when he himself embarked upon mahaprasthana (the ultimate journey). This is described in the scriptures. Çré Vajranabha installed several deities of Kåñëa at various places in Vraja-mandala. 8 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama During his Vraja-mandala-parikrama, Çréla Bhakti Siddhänta Sarasvaté Prabhupäda explained to his disciples: vaikunthajjanito vara madhupuri tatrapi rasotsvada vrindaranyamudara paniramana sttrapi goverdhana radhakundamihapi gokulpateh premamrataplavanat kuryadasya virajato giritate seva viveki na kaha “This place (Mathurä) where you are sitting is better than Vaikuntha. The Supreme Lord Himself appeared here. Here, all the atheistic sects were destroyed— Kamsa being the ideal for the atheistic smarta sect. The followers of Kamsa were also destroyed here. Rajak (a washerman) is the symbol of this sect of atheistic ritualistic and fruitive workers (Karma-jada-smarta Sampradaya).” The concept of ‘satvam vishuddham vasudev shabdam’ came into being here only. Followers of hathayoga or rajayoga, with their false renunciation and artificial practices, have at the root of their thoughts the idea that they are the Lord, and are averse to becoming a servant of the true Supreme Lord. These people never understand the reality of devotional practice to the Supreme. Sometimes they say that they have heard Kåñëa-katha in dramas or have heard or read the descriptions of Çrémad Bhagavatam. However, in reality they have never heard any description of Çré Kåñëa—they have never taken the shelter of the lotus feet of Çré Guru and have never read Çrémad Bhagavatam. Only those who perform one hundred percent bhajana, and perform bhajana for twenty-four hours out of twenty-four, are qualified to speak Kåñëa-katha. If Çrémad Bhagavatam is heard from any other source, it cannot be understood. No person except one who is completely devoted to the Supreme Lord can be called ‘guru’. One will have to take shelter at the lotus feet of a guru who devotes twenty-four hours of his day to Hari- bhajana. One cannot devote one’s self to Hari-bhajana if one does not remain in the shelter of a pure devotee. Kamsa thought that he would kill Kåñëa but Kåñëa is not such a destructable thing. Çré Kåñëa killed eighteen demons. Some sects who are opposed to devotees, still exist in the world following 9 Çré Vraja-mandala Parikrama the lineage of those demons destroyed by Kåñëa.