Arrival at Mathura
Duhkhi Krishna Dasa arrived in his long cherished Sri Vraja Mandala in 1566 AD. His heart became full of bliss and love on touching and seeing the land where Sri Sri Radha Krishna had performed Their pastimes. Wetting his clothes with tears of love, he offered obeisances to Sri Vraja Mandala again and again.
After taking a bath at Visrama Ghata[1], he took darsana of Adikesava[2] and rolled on the ground in the dust of the birthplace of Sri Krishna. From there he proceeded towards Vrindavana[3].
Thrilled with joy and full of love, Duhkhi Krishna Dasa started having darsana of the twelve forests and gardens of Vraja Mandala.
After that, he had darsana of the house of Sri Nanda Maharaja in Nandagrama[4], the house of Sri Vrisabhanu Maharaja in Varsana[5], and Giriraja Govardhana and its many caves where Sri Sri Radha Krishna had performed Their pastimes.
From there he visited Yavata[6] village. After he went to Radha Kunda, he asked “How is it possible to properly glorify this most sacred lake?”
“The holy place known as Mathura is spiritually superior to Vaikuntha, the transcendental world, because the Lord appeared there. Superior to Mathura-puri is the transcendental forest of Vrndavana because of Krsna’s rasa-lila pastimes. And superior to the forest of Vrndavana is Govardhana Hill, for it was raised by the divine hand of Sri Krsna and was the site of His various loving pastimes. And, above all, the super excellent Sri Radha-kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krsna. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?”
“In the sastra it is said that of all types of fruitive workers, he who is advanced in knowledge of the higher values of life is favored by the Supreme Lord Hari. Out of many such people who are advanced in knowledge [jñanis], one who is practically liberated by virtue of his knowledge may take to devotional service. He is superior to the others. However, one who has actually attained prema, pure love of Krsna, is superior to him. The gopis are exalted above all the advanced devotees because they are always totally dependent upon Sri Krsna, the transcendental cowherd boy. Among the gopis, Srimati Radharani is the most dear to Krsna. Her kunda [lake] is as profoundly dear to Lord Krsna as this most beloved of the gopis. Who, then, will not reside at Radha-kunda and, in a spiritual body surcharged with ecstatic devotional feelings [aprakrta-bhava], render loving service to the Divine Couple Sri Sri Radha-Govinda, who perform Their asta-kaliya-lila, Their eternal eightfold daily pastimes. Indeed, those who execute devotional service on the banks of Radha-kunda are the most fortunate people in the universe.”
“Of the many objects of favored delight and of all the lovable damsels of Vraja-bhumi, Srimati Radharani is certainly the most treasured object of Krsna’s love. And, in every respect, Her divine kunda is described by great sages as similarly dear to Him. Undoubtedly Radha-kunda is very rarely attained even by the great devotees; therefore it is even more difficult for ordinary devotees to attain. If one simply bathes once within those holy waters, one’s pure love of Krsna is fully aroused.”
(Sri Upadesamrita, by Rupa Gosvami, from 9 to 11)
In Radhakunda Duhkhi Krishna Dasa met Raghunatha Dasa Gosvami, the best of renunciants, and Krishna Dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, humility personified.
[1] It’s a place in downtown Mathura, where Krishna rested after slaying the despotic ruler of Mathura, the evil King Kamsa.
[2] A famous Deity in Mathura.
[3] Vrindavana’s distance from Mathura is only 9.5 km, or 5.9 miles.
[4] Nanda Maharaja is Krishna’s father in Bhauma-lila. After moving from Gokula, he established his town in a hill in the northern part of Vrajamandala.
[5] Vrishabhanu Maharaja used to live in Raval, not far from Gokula, the town of his friend Nanda. He decided to change residence and ended up building his town in Varsana, where Srimati Radharani grew up.
[6] Yavata is the place of wonderful pastimes between Radha and Krishna. Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura tells four of these lilas in his book Sri Camatkara Candrika.
This is a section of the book “Syamananda, the Joy of Radharani (English)”.
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