Vraja Mandal Parikrama Part 2

[Guest guest]

Please do not send me these unnecessary correspondence to me. I am studying

a lot about Lord Krishna. Balarama

-

Ekanath (das) LOK (New Delhi - IN) <Ekanath.LOK (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Free Forum (Announcements) <Free.Forum (AT) pamho (DOT) net>; (Krsna) Katha

<Katha (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Cc: Sharing <Sharing (AT) pamho (DOT) net>

Sunday, November 04, 2001 6:38 PM

Vraja Mandal Parikrama Part 2

 

 

> Dear Maharaja's and Prabhus

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

>

> On day 3 of the Vraja Dhama Parikrama we circumnavigated the town of

> Mathura, beginning with a bath at Vishram Ghat. This was the place that

> Lord Caitanya first visited when He came to Vraja Mandal. He took bath

and

> then went to the birth place of Lord Krsna and took darshan of the deity

> there, Sri Keshavji. His chanting and dancing attracted all the residents

> of Mathura.

>

> Our plan today was to follow in the footsteps of Krsna and Balarama as

they

> entered the town of Vrndavan with the intention of killing the demon

Kamsa.

> It was here at Vishram Ghat that Lord Krsna took rest after killing Kamsa.

> Also, Lord Varaha after lifting and rescuing the Earth planet, stopped

here

> to rest.

>

> We visited the house of Kubja, the hunch backed devotee who offered the

Lord

> sandalwood paste. The Lord felt indebted to her for this simple offering

> and immediately He was thinking, "What can I do for her?". As we know,

with

> little effort, He completely straightened her back. In the same way, in

> doing this parikrama, we are praying we will somehow attract the attention

> of the Lord and gain His favor: to be blessed with more and more

attraction

> for Him.

>

> Amongst the other holy site we visited were the wrestling arena and Dhruva

> Ghat, the place where Dhruva maharaja met Narada Muni. Initially, when

> Narada met Dhruva, he advised the small boy to leave the forest and return

> to the palace of his father. He was testing him. Dhruva maharaja would

not

> return. Our parikramis also are choosing to stay here on Parikrama and

> endure the difficulties, rather than return to the comforts of their

asramas

> in Vrndavan town.

>

> On day 4 we left Mathura and headed for another of the 12 forests of

Vraja,

> Madhuvan. In the Treta yuga, the Brahmans of the Madhuvan forest were

being

> disturbed by the demon, Lavan, the son of Madhuasura. The Brahmans prayed

> to Lord Rama for help and the Lord sent His brother Satrughna, who killed

> Lavanasura and established His capital in Madhuvan and ruled over the

area.

>

> On the way to Madhuvan we visited a temple where there is a deity of Lord

> Balarama which is pitch black in color. The deity is this color because

He

> became so absorbed in the chanting of Krsna's name that He Himself turned

> black. Also, we went to Dhruva Tila, the place where Dhruva Maharaja

> performed his austerities and attained darshan of Lord Vishnu. Here, we

had

> our Srimad Bhagavatam class and spent a while chanting "OM Namo Bhagavate

> Vasudevaya", the mantra given by Narada Muni to the young Dhruva.

>

> At night, we stayed on the banks of Krsna Kund. This kund (bathing place)

> was manifested by Krsna striking His flute on the ground. Krsna would

bring

> His cows here to give them water.

>

> Our goal is to constantly remember the form, pastimes, qualities and names

> of Lord Krsna. By visiting these holy places on Parikrama we get to

> understand the context of the pastimes. We can see more clearly the

> sequence of events, and in this way, remembrance becomes easier, or

rather,

> it becomes difficult to forget.

>

> Your Servant

> Lokanath Swami

>