Vraj Mandal Parikrama Day 1

[Guest guest]

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

 

HH Lokanath Swami has requested that regular reports from the 14th Annual

Iskcon Vraj Mandal Parikrama be posted to the devotees.

 

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There is no other month equal to Karttika and there is no other yuga equal

to Krta-yuga. There is no other scripture equal to Vedas. There is no other

place of pilgrimage equal to Ganges, therefore, the month of Karttika is

very dear to the Vaisnavas (people dedicated to Visnu).

 

HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/39,40

 

Although Mathura (Vraja area) is easily available on the earth and Karttika

is easily attainable in the year, but oh, what a great misfortune to human

beings who are still suffering in the ocean of material existence. In the

month of Karttika, all of the places of pilgrimage, oceans, rivers and lakes

come to Mathura area, but they do not take advantage of it.

 

HARI BHAKTI VILASA 16/162,164

 

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"The word 'vraj' means 'to go.' Sarva-dharman parityajya,

mam ekam saranam vraja' Just go on Vraj Mandal Parikram. Just go."

"But I have so many things to do, to take care of, to complete. How

can I go?"

"Ma Shucah. Don't worry, just go."

 

Over 500 devotees set out this morning after making their sankalpa

(personal vows for the month of Karttika.) Some vowed not to eat sweet rice

for the month, while others vowed to not wear shoes for the parikrama,

especially after hearing of Sanatana Goswami's statement that no benefit is

gained by doing the parikama with shoes on. Krsna, as the King of Dwaraka,

is never seen without slippers, but Krsna the dearmost of the gopis and the

friend of the cowherds wanders all over the land of Vraj with bare feet.

The first day was the 4 hour parikrama of the Vrndavan area. The

pace was quick and the kirtan was lively. It was the first parikrama for

many devotees, and Deena Bandhu prabhu inspired us all to try to appreciate

how sacred the land of Vrndavan is. When Lord Brahma stole all the cowherd

boys and calves, Krsna expanded Himself to replace them. What does this

mean? It means that Krsna Himself became a cow and ate the grass that grows

in Vrndavan. Krsna Himslef ran all over Vraj playing the role of His

friends. A few of the paricles of sand that Krsna stepped may still even be

around and we could be lucky enough to step on it. (Another good reason for

not wearing shoes.)

Even the Yamuna river likes to wander in Vrndavan. She comes

straight down from New Delhi, but when she reaches the area of Vrndavan she

begins to wander here and there, touching three sides of Vrndavan.

 

First stop, Kaliya ghat. During this pastime of chastising the

Kaliya serpent Balaramji wondered "Krsna never plays with Me in My form as

Sesha Nag, but here He was fighting with an ordinary snake called Kaliya."

Balarama was laughing to Himself about this, but the residents of Vraj were

completely in distress as the Kailya serpent bit Krsna on the chest and

wrapped his coils tight around the body of Krsna. Prabhupada writes: "The

question may arise as to why Krsna and Balarama allowed Their loving

devotees to suffer such great anguish during Krsna’s temporary imprisonment

within the coils of Kaliya. It must be remembered that because the

inhabitants of Vrndavana were completely liberated souls, they did not

experience material emotions...The whole situation has to be seen from the

spiritual point of view, OR IT WILL NOT BE SEEN AT ALL."

(Purport 10.16.16)

 

We continued on and rested briefly on the bank of the Yamuna at

Keshi ghat, hearing how Krsna easily disposed of the big horse demon Keshi

and then took rest at Keshi ghat. We were glad to hear this pastime. The

particular anartha that Keshi represents is the feeling that "I am a great

devotee." By hearing this pastime we can become free from this mentality.

Bhaktivinod Thakur wrote "Sri Krishna has killed a number of demons that may

arise in the kingdom of the heart - so in order to destroy these problems, a

devotee must cry very humbly before the Lord and admit defeat - then the

Lord will nullify all contaminations."

Overlooking Keshi ghat is Maharaja Bharatpura's palace. Deena Bandhu

told us how a group of devotees, including Lokanath Maharaj, stayed in this

palace during Karttika of 1972. Prabhupada also stayed in Vrndavan for the

whole month and gave his Nectar of Devotion lecture series at the Radha

Damodar Temple. Lokanath Maharaj was also initiated during that Karttika.

 

We stopped at the Gore Duaji Temple for morning prasad, and the big

bodied brahmanas watched us take the best kichri prasad I have ever tasted

in my life. The remaining 3 kms of the parikrama passed very quickly and

everyone returned more or less in one group.

Everyone gathered in the temple in the evening to hear the ecstatic

kirtans of Aindra prabhu, and to offer ghee lamps to Lord Damordar. The

temple was filled to capacity with devotees and guests all eager to offer

lamps to a small boy who steals hearts and butter.

 

Srila Prabhupada ki jaya!

Vrndavan dhama ki jaya!

 

 

Your servant,

Bhakta Damon.

(Secretary to Lokanath Swami)