ISKCON’s 15th Annual Vraja Mandala Parikrama, Part 3

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 the Vedic literature.

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 Krsna killed 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 whether 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.

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His Divine Grace
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness

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