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Sri Swamigal's Discourses: Inaugural Address | Lilaa Stalas | Valedictory Address

Sri Raghunath Ashram, Vrindavan, U.P., India
19th March, 2001 - Monday
3.00 p.m.

Lilã stalas of Vrindãvan

Sri Swamigal,

"HARE RÃMA HARE RÃMA RÃMA RÃMA HARE HARE
HARE KRISHNA HARE KRISHNA KRISHNA KRISHNA HARE HARE"

" Blessed indeed are we who have come to Vrindavan, the lila stala of Bhagavan Sri Krishna. By the grace of Bhagavan Sri Krishna, we have all assembled here in Vrindavan that has been the ‘Jivan Ãdhãra’ of Mahatmas such as Ãndal, Adi Sankara, Madhusudhana Saraswathi, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Sri Vallabha, Nimbarka, Harivamsa, Meera, Oothukãdu Venkatakavi, so on and so forth. Can one speak of the glory of Vrindavan if Mahatmas have yearned and longed to be born on this soil even if only as a blade of grass or a mere stone?

None can enter Vrindavan, the ‘Anthapura’ of Sri RadhaRani, through his/her own effort. Mahatmas have opined unanimously that to step onto Vrindavan one has to first obtain the grace of VrindaDevi, Sri Radha Rani and then of Bhagavan Sri Krishna.

The following are some of the important lila stalas.

Vrindavan Parikrama (circumambulation of Vrindavan) with the help of a reliable guide can be performed in about 4 hours. Kaliya dak, where Bhagavan performed ‘Kaliya nardhana’ and the place where little Krishna built mud houses fall in the parikrama route.

The pathway opposite Rangaji Mandir, which is very near Sri Raghunath Ashram, leads to the Yamuna. Yamuna is at a walkable distance from here. Keshi Ghat, where the asura Keshi was killed, the tree where Bhagavan played ‘Vastra abhaharana lila’, Gir ghat and the place where Uddava prayed to the Gopis, all lie along the banks of the Yamuna. Madhuvana where Dhruva performed tapas lies on the opposite banks of Yamuna.

To the left of the place where our saptaha shathakrathu is being held lies Kãthyãyani Mandir. It is this Kãthyãyani Devi whom the Gopis worshipped in Mãrgazhi, the first month of Hemantha Ruthu to attain Krishna as their ‘pati’. Even today we can have darshan of the very same Kãthyãyani Devi.

The South Indian style Rajagopuram seen here, to the front right side of Sri Raghunath Ashram, is that of Rangaji Mandir. This is not an ancient temple but was built only as back as about 200 years ago. Vrindavan was added to the list of Divya desams for the very reason that Sri Ãndal sang on this kshetra. Using Ãndal’s pãsurams as a guide we can go about worshipping the lila stalas of Vrindavan. But what a wonder! Ãndal has never once visited Vrindavan!

There once lived a Vaishnava sannyasi in Kanchi who was a Sudharsana upasak. He cherished the desire to build a temple for Ãndal along with Rangamannãr, in this Vrindavan sung by Ãndal. A wealthy Marwari suffering from cancer was on his deathbed. He prayed of this Swami to save him from the clutches of the disease. The deeply compassionate Swami cured him of his disease and blessed him with a long life. The Swami instructed the Seth who begged to know of how he could return the former’s grace, to build a temple for Ãndal along with Rangamannãr in Vrindavan. Rangaji Mandir thus came to be built at the instance of this Swami. Even today South Indian Sampradaya vaishnava puja is performed by South Indian vaishnavites. Utsavs are being performed here in a grand manner.

Darshan can also be had of Govindji Mandir that is situated opposite Rangaji Mandir. This was built by Sri Vallabha.

Lord Shiva on learning the ‘Rupa lavanya’ (the beauty of the form of) of Bhagavan Sri Krishna decided to have his darshan. However, Lord Shiva did not have Krishna darshan in Vrindavan as he did not take Radharani’s grace. He remained in Vrindavan as a linga -- ‘Gopeshwara’. Once Krishna followed Radha Devi who came to perform puja to Gopeshwara. Gopeshwara appeared from the linga and had darshan of “Radha- Krishna Ãlingana”. This Gopeshwara Mandir is at a walking distance from Rangaji Mandir.

If one proceeds further from Gopeshwar Mandir, one finds ‘Vamshi Vat’, where Bhagavan plays his flute everyday as described in the Venu Gitam in Srimad Bhagavatam. (‘Barhã peetam…’)

Nidhivana is the place where Bhagavan performs rãsa-utsava daily. The innumerable plants, trees and monkeys found here are in reality Mahãtmas. They take part in rãsa-utsava at night. People have, in the morning, found flowers and ‘thãmboolam’ (betel leaves) strewn all over Nidhivana as a sign of rãsa-utsava. Many have gone blind when they tried to test the truth of rãsa-utsava at night. Swami Haridas, Guru of Tansen who was Akbar’s court musician lived in this Nidhivana. He was born as an ‘amsa’ of Lalitha Sakhi, foremost amongst Radha’s ‘Ashtasakhis’. His samadhi is still found in Nidhivana. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and Bhairavi brahmani who taught him Tantric sadhana have spent some time in Nidhivana.

Seva kunj, near Nidhivana is the place where the very hands of Bhagavan that protect the entire universe perform ‘Pãda seva’ and other services to Radha Rani!

Meera taking to ascetic life, having forsaken all royal comforts, lived here in Vrindavan. The house where she lived is also a darshana stala for us. This is very near Seva kunj.

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s foremost disciple, Sanatana Goswami’s house and samadhi are situated very near Meera’s house.

Closeby is Imli Tal, where Chaitanya Mahaprabhu had stayed and spread the Mahamantra -- ‘Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare’ the world over.

Nearby is Radha Madhava mandir, which is also an ancient temple of Vrindavan.

The most ancient ‘Banke Vihariji Mandir’ is a very beautiful temple where Meera offered all her ornaments. Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa went into bhava samadhi while having darshan of Banke Vihariji here.

Prema Madhuri kunj established by Paranur Mahatma Sri Krishna Premi Swami is near our place of stay, Sri Raghunath Ashram. One can have darshan of Vamshidhara and Radharani here. Here Darshan can also be had of Jaganmohana Krishna, once worshipped by Nãrayana Thirtha.

Mathura, the janmastãn (birth place) of Bhagavan and Gokulam where Bhagavan was subsequently shifted to can be visited. The Vrindavan that we see now was once a dense forest filled with various types of trees, birds and animals as described in Srimad Bhagavatam. Nandababa’s palace situated at Nandagaon is about 14 kms from here. It is from here that Krishna came to Vrindavan along with his playmates, grazed the cattle and returned home at dusk.

Radha Kund that Bhagavan built for Radha and
Shyam Kund that Radha built for Krishna,
Barsana- the palace of Vrishabhanu Maharaja and birthplace of Radha Rani, Nandagaon, Govardhanagiri, Manasarovar - all fall in the same route.

While visiting Govardhanagiri, if you expect to see a big mountain you will meet with disappointment! Govardhana shrunk in size after the departure of Bhagavãn from this world. What we do actually find here is a small mound of rocky stones. Govardhana parikrama (circumambulation) covers a distance of about 9 kms.

Radha Kund/Shyam Kund - are the two ponds built by Krishna and Radha for each other. Chaitanya Maha Prabhu did not at first have darshan of Krishna during his Vrindavana yatra. All his bhava lakshanas disappeared. But as he sat in a boat he suddenly had a vision of Radha and Krishna swinging in a ‘jhoola’. He saw Radha’s ear drops (‘jimiki’) fall into the pond. Immediately Mahaprabhu went into Samadhi and in this state of Samadhi jumped into the pond in an attempt to retrieve the fallen ‘jimiki’. Mahaprabhu’s disciple also went into bhava state and realized the state of his Master. The disciple then gave a ‘jimiki’ to the Master explaining that it was the lost ‘jimiki’ of Sri Radharani. Mahaprabhu at once felt consoled and came out of his trance!

When Mahaprabhu voiced his desire about someone staying at this very place and incessantly chanting the Mahamantra - “Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare!” - his disciple Roopa Goswami at once stayed back and fulfilled his Master’s desire! Mahaprabhu drew a circle below a tree, overlooking the Yamuna, within the precincts of which Roopa Goswami remained all his life chanting the Mahamantra! There has been incessant chanting of the Mahamantra here for the past 400 years by the descendants of Roopa Goswami!

Sri Saradadevi, wife of Sri Ramakrishna stayed awhile at Vrindavan. Today Ramakrishna math stands in that very same spot on Mathura road.

Krishna Mandir established by Sri Prabhupãda, founder of International society for Sri Krishna Consciousness is also situated on the Mathura road.

To obtain “poorna phala” of Vrindavan Yatra we should perform Krishna kirtana, be fully involved in satsang, ignore inconveniences and problems encountered in the yatra and avoid discussing worldly matters. Just as ‘punyas’ (good merits) performed in a kshetra become multifold so, too, do ‘pãpas’ (sins). "

"GOPIKÃ JEEVANASMARANAM
GOVINDA! GOVINDA!"

NOTE: Any discrepancy/lapse in the translated version of the Upanyasam is the sole responsibility of the person/s who translated the work from Tamizh into English.

Report | Introduction | Daily Events | Inaugural Function | Day 1 - Day 4 Events | Day 5 - Rukmini Kalyanam | Day 6 - Jaanavaasam | Day 7 - Avabhruta Snana/Radha Kalyanam
Sri Swamigal's Discourses: Inaugural Address | Lilaa Stalas | Valedictory Address

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