ISKCON’s 15th Annual Vraja Mandala Parikrama, Part 7

For the past five years, the devotees on Vraja Mandala Parikrama have been accompanied by HG Parasurama prabhu and his padayatra devotees. They follow the parikrama path with a cart pulled by bullocks, carrying deties of Sri Sri Gaura Nitai. On the way, they distribute small books and prasada to the Vrajabasis. In the evening they show a film on a video projector, attracting the whole village to our campsite. In the past 12 days these devotees have distributed more than 12,000 pieces of literature.

On the way to Kamyavan we stopped at Caran Pahari. This place belonged to Mother Yashoda’s father and Krsna used to have His childhood pastimes here. There is an impression of Krsna’s footprints on top of a hill. Once while Krsna and the cowherd boys were grazing the cows and calves, they became scattered and grazed in all directions. As the evening grew near, Krsna and His friends became concerned. Krsna, closing His eyes and smiling sweetly began to play an extremely beautiful and tender melody on His flute. Upon hearing Krsna’s melodious call, the cows and calves immediately ran towards Him. Overflooded with ecstasy, the mountains and rocks started melting and immediately the lotus feet impressions of Krsna took place on the stones.

We would be spending three nights in Kamyavan. This is the forest where all desires (kama) of the demigods and devotees are fulfilled. It was here that the Pandavas spent their childhood and some of their time in exile.

Day 14. Kamyavana Parikrama (interior). Our walk today took us to: Govinda Mandir. The deity of Vrinda Devi is worshipped here. Due to fear of an attack by Muslims, the king of Jaipur decided to take Vrinda Devi along with other deities to Jaipur. But when they reached Kamyavana, the chariot carrying Vrinda devi stopped and refused to go any further. She is the presiding deity, the queen and proprietor of Vrndavana.

"O Vrinda! We are devoid due to hundreds and thousands of offenses for which we have been hurled into the ocean of material existence, and we are being cast about by the horrible waves of lust anger, etc. Therefore, we are seeking your shelter. Showing compassion, please pick us up from this mundane ocean, which is so difficult to cross over. We offer our respectful obeisances unto your divine lotus feet." (Vrinda devi Astakam)

Chaurasi Khambha. This is one of the 3 palaces of Nanda Maharaja, where Krsna and Balarama stayed as boys. It was built over 5,000 years ago by the architect Visvakarma. There are 84 (Chaurasi) pillars which are the original pillars of the palace.

Pancha Tirtha kund. When Yudhistira’s four brothers reached this kund, they had been told by Dharmaraja that they could only drink the water of this kund, if they could answer his questions correctly. None of them were able to do it, but being extremely thirsty they had tried to drink the water and as a result died. Yudhisthira, looking for his brothers came upon Dharmaraja who was disguised as a Yaksha. Dharmaraja told him that if he answered the questions correctly, he would bring one of his brothers back to life. He was able to do this and he asked that Nakula, the oldest son of Madri, be brought back to life.

Dharmaraja asked Yudhisthira why he had not brought Bhima or Arjuna back to life. He explained that he was the eldest son of Kunti, and Bhima and Arjuna were also from her womb. While Madri, her sister, had 2 sons, Nakula and Sahadeva. Therefore Madri would have been extremely disappointed to have lost both of her sons, so he chose to bring back to life one of her sons. Dharmaraja being very pleased by his explanation brought all four brothers back to life.

Ramesvaram. Once Krsna claimed that in His previous birth He was Lord Rama. The gopis challenged Him to prove it by floating stones on water, just as Lord Rama had done. So Krsna called monkeys and with their help built a stone bridge in the river that flowed in Kamyavana. It is here in Kamyavana that Krsna imitated many pastimes of Lord Rama. It should be noted that even today, this Kamyavana forest has a very large population of monkeys, many more than any of the other 11 forests of Vraja.

Today is Diwali, a big celebration day in India. It is on this day that Lord Ramacandra returned to Ayodhya after many years in exile in the forest. The citizens were so jubilent to see Him that they lit up the whole of Ayodhya with lamps. This is also the day that Mother Yashoda tied baby Krsna to the grinding mortar. The day the Lord liberated the two sons of Kuvera.

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