VMP Vrndavan to Mathura

[Guest guest]

With our luggage packed and bead bags ready, we circumabulated the

Krsna Balaram Mandir 3 times and then began the parikrama to the city of

Mathura, led by the presiding Deities of the Parikrama, Sri Sri Nitai

Gaurasundar and Tulasi Maharani. Radha Govinda Maharaj and Lokanath Swami

also accompanied the party.

Through the winding sandy paths of Vrndavan, we saw the temple of

Radha Bhatrol-bihari on the hill at Yajna Sthali, the place where the wives

of the brahmanas fed Krsna and Balaram. One may ask why Krsna and His

friends didn't eat the fruits from the Tala trees that day, and instead

chose to beg for food? The answer is that Krsna was feeling regretful for

His 'sinful activities' of stealing the gopis clothes and He felt He should

do some atonement, so He decided not to eat any fruits.

The wives of the brahmanas set a good example for us, in that they

had never actually met Krsna, but still they were fully Krsna conscious just

by hearing about His activities. "Although their husbands, brothers, sons

and other relatives tried to forbid them from going, their hope of seeing

Krsna, cultivated by extensive hearing of His transcendental qualities, won

out." (SB 10.23.20)

 

We proceeded a short distance to Akrura ghat, where Akrura took bath

on his way back to Mathura with Krsna and Balaram. As he chanted Gayatri in

the water, he saw Krsna and Balarama's forms as Maha-visnu and Ananta-Sesha.

>From this we should understand that Vasudev Krsna then proceeded on the

chariot to Mathura. Vrndavan Krsna never leaves Vrndavan.

We heard how Lord Caitanya spent time here. "One day Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu sat at the bathing ghat of Akrura-tirtha and thought the

following thoughts. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thought, At this bathing place,

Akrura saw Vaikuntha, the spiritual world, and all the inhabitants of Vraja

saw Goloka Vrndavana. While considering how Akrura remained within the

water, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu immediately jumped in and stayed under water

for some time. When Krsna dasa saw that Caitanya Mahaprabhu was drowning, he

cried and shouted very loudly. Balabhadra Bhattacarya immediately came and

pulled the Lord out. After this, Balabhadra Bhattacarya took the Sanodiya

brahmana to a secluded place and consulted with him. Balabhadra Bhattacarya

said, "Since I was present today, it was possible for me to pull the Lord

up. But if He starts to drown at Vrndavana, who will help Him? Now there is

a crowd of people here, and these invitations are causing much disturbance.

In addition, the Lord is always ecstatic and emotional. I do not find the

situation here very good. It would be good if we could get Sri Caitanya

Mahaprabhu out of Vrndavana. That is my final conclusion." (Madhya 18.135 -

142)

 

Vrndavan Dhama ki jaya!

 

Your servant,

Bhakta Damon.