Vraja Mandala Parikrama. Part 3

[Guest guest]

Dear Maharajas and Prabhus

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

 

Day 5. Madhuvan to Santanu kund. After mangal arati and announcements we

packed our bags and headed towards Santanu kund. Our first stop on the way

was Talavana.

 

"Dear Krsna, will you kindly note that just near this place there is a big

forest of the name Talavana. This forest is full of palm trees, and all the

trees are filled with fruits. Some are falling down, and some of them are

very ripe even in the trees. It is a very nice place, but because of a

great demon, Dhenukasaura, it is very difficult to go there". (Krsna Book)

 

It is here that the demon Dhenukasaura met his end. It is one of the 12

forests of Vraja.

 

We also visited Sankarshana Kund where the deity of Lord Balarama presides.

This deity was actually installed by Vrajranab, the great, great grandson of

Krsna. After this, we came to the place where Kapila muni performed

austerities and penances thousands of years ago. We took bath here in Padma

kund. The Varaha purana says that whoever bathes in this kund is blessed

with understanding the purport of all vedic literatures.

 

Finally, we arrived at the place we would be spending the night, Santanu

kund, the place where Maharaja Santanu, the father of Bhismadeva, performed

austerities to get a good son to continue his dynasty.

 

Day 6. Santanu Kund to Radhakund. After killing Arista, a demon who came

disguised as a bull, the gopis told Krsna, that for killing a bull, the

symbol of religion, He had to purify Himself by bathing in all the sacred

rivers. Krsna, cleverly dug His lotus foot into the ground, making a large

kund, and called all the sacred rivers to enter into it. They appeared

before the Lord and filled up this kund with their respective waters. Krsna

took bath in the kund. Thus appeared Shyama Kund.

 

After bathing in Shyama Kund, Krsna told them that He had become purified by

bathing in Shyama Kund, but that they had become impure, having sided with a

demon.

 

Radharani, and Her gopi friends, broke their bangles and dug a kund using

the broken pieces but there was no water in the Kund. Krsna asked Radharani

wether He could order the sacred rivers to fill up Her kund. Radharani

refused His request. At one point they became completely tired and again

Krsna asked Radharani if He could help them. Radharani agreed. Krsna told

the holy rivers to fill up Her Kund. Radharani and her friends took bath in

this most sacred kund. Thus appeared Radhakund.

 

In due course of time, the actual location of Radhakund was not known to the

public in general. When Lord Caitanya came to Vraja, He discovered

Radhakund and later it was renovated by Raghunath Dasa Goswami.

 

We will be spending 3 nights at Radhakund.

 

Your Servant

Lokanth Swami