The Appearance Of
Radha-Kunda And Shyama-Kunda
Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti Thakur
From the Puräëas, Srila Vishvanatha Chakravarti
Thakur has quoted twenty verses describing a joking
conversation between Radha and Krishna that took
place after Krishna had killed the demon Arishta. This
conversation, so kindly quoted by the äcärya, describes
the origin of Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda, Radha's
and Krishna's bathing ponds. The verses are as follows:
mäsmän spåçädya våñabhärdana hanta mugdhä
ghoro 'suro 'yam ayi kåñëa tad apy ayaà gauù
våtro yathä dvija ihästy ayi niñkåtiù kià
çudhyed bhaväàs tri-bhuvana-sthita-tértha-kåcchrät
The innocent young gopis said, "Ah, Krishna, don't
touch us now, O killer of a bull! Alas, even though Arista
was a terrible demon, still he was a male cow, so You
will have to undergo atonement, just as Lord Indra did
after killing Vritrasura. But how can You purify Yourself
without going to the trouble of visiting every single holy
place in the three worlds?"
kià paryaöämi bhuvanäny adhunaiva sarvä
änéya tértha-vitatéù karaväëi täsu
snänaà vilokayata tävad idaà mukundaù
procyaiva tatra kåtavän bata pärñëi-ghätam
[Krishna replied] "Why should I have to wander
throughout the entire universe? I will at once bring all
the countless pilgrimage places here and take My bath
in them. Just watch!" With this, Lord Mukunda struck
His heel on the ground.
pätälato jalam idaà kila bhogavatyä
äyätam atra nikhilä api tértha-saìghäù
ägacchateti bhagavad-vacasä ta etya
tatraiva rejur atha kåñëa uväca gopéù
[Then He said,] "This is the water of the Bhogavati River,
coming from the Patala region. And now, O holy places,
all of you please come here!" When the Supreme Lord
had spoken these words, all the holy places
went there
and appeared before Him.
Krishna then addressed the
gopis as follows.
térthäni paçyata harer vacasä tavaivaà
naiva pratéma iti tä atha tértha-varyäù
procuù kåtäïjali-puöä lavaëäbdhir asmi
kñéräbdhir asmi çåëutämara-dérghikäsmi
"
See all the holy places!"
But the gopis replied,
"We don't see them as You
describe."
Then those best of holy places,
joining their palms in
supplication, spoke up:
" I am the salt ocean."
" I am the ocean of milk."
" I am the Amara-dirghika."
çoëo 'pi sindhur aham asmi bhavämi tämraparëé
ca puñkaram ahaà ca sarasvaté ca
godävaré ravi-sutä sarayuù prayägo
reväsmi paçyata jalaà kuruta pratétim
" I am the river Sona."
" I am the Sindhu."
" I am the Tamraparni."
" I am the holy place Pushkara."
" I am the river Sarasvati."
" And we are the Godavari, Yamuna and Reva rivers
and the confluence of rivers at Prayaga. Just see our
waters! "
snätvä tato harir ati-prajagalbha eva
çuddhaù saro 'py akaravaà sthita-sarva-tértham
yuñmäbhir ätma-januñéha kåto na dharmaù
ko 'pi kñitäv atha sakhér nijagäda rädhä
After purifying Himself by bathing, Lord Hari became
quite arrogant and said, "I have produced a pond
containing all the various holy places, whereas you
gopis must never have executed any religious duties
on this earth for the pleasure of Lord Brahma." Then
Srimati Radharani addressed Her girlfriends as follows.
käryaà mayäpy ati-manohara-kuëòam ekaà
tasmäd yatadhvam iti tad-vacanena täbhiù
çré-kåñëa-kuëòa-taöa-paçcima-diçya-mando
gartaù kåto våñabha-daitya-khurair vyaloki
"I must create an even more beautiful pond. So go to
work!" Having heard these words, the gopis saw that
Aristasur's hooves had dug a shallow ditch just west of
Sri Krishna's pond.
taträrdra-mån-mådula-gola-tatéù prati-svahastoddhåtä
anati-düra-gatä vidhäya
divyaà saraù prakaöitaà ghaöikä-dvayena
täbhir vilokya sarasaà smarate sma kåñëaù
At that nearby spot, all the gopis began digging up
lumps of soft mud with their hands, and in this way a
divine pond manifested in the short span of an hour.
Krishna was astonished to see the lake they produced.
proce ca tértha-salilaiù paripürayaitan
mat-kuëòataù sarasijäkñi sahälibhis tvam
rädhä tadä na na na neti jagäda yasmät
tvat-kuëòa-néram uru-go-vadha-pätakäktam
He said, "Go ahead, lotus-eyed one. You and Your
companions should fill this pond with water from
Mine."
But Radha replied, "No, no, no, no! This is impossible,
since the water of Your pond is contaminated by Your
terrible sin of killing a cow. "
ähåtya puëya-salilaà çata-koöi-kumbhaiù
sakhy-arbudena saha mänasa-jähnavétaù
etat saraù sva-madhunä paripürayämi
tenaiva kértim atuläà tanaväni loke
" I will have My countless gopi companions bring the
pure water of the Manasa-ganga here in billions of pots.
In this way I will fill this lake with My own water and
thus make its renown unequaled in the entire world. "
kåñëeìgitena sahasaitya samasta-térthasakhyas
tadéya-saraso dhåta-divya-mürtiù
tuñöäva tatra våñabhänu-sutäà praëamya
bhaktyä kåtäïjali-puöaù sravad-asra-dhäraù
Lord Krishna then gestured to a heavenly personality
who was an intimate associate of all the holy places.
Suddenly that person rose up out of Krishna's pond
and bowed down to the daughter of Sri Vrishabhanu
[Radharani]. Then, with palms joined and tears pouring
from his eyes, he began praying to Her in devotion.
devi tvadéya-mahimänam avaiti sarva
çästrärtha-vin na ca vidhir na haro na lakñméù
kintv eka eva puruñärtha-çiromaëis tvatprasveda-
märjana-paraù svayam eva kåñëaù
" O goddess, even Lord Brahma himself, the knower of
all scriptures, cannot understand Your glories, nor can
Lord Shiva or Lakshmi. Only Krishna, the supreme goal
of all human endeavor, can understand them, and thus
He feels obliged to personally make sure that You can
wash away Your perspiration when You are fatigued."
yaç cäru-yävaka-rasena bhavat-padäbjam
ärajya nüpuram aho nidadhäti nityam
präpya tvadéya-nayanäbja-taöa-prasädaà
svaà manyate parama-dhanyatamaà prahåñyan
tasyäjïayaiva sahasä vayam äjagäma
tat-pärñëi-ghäöa-kåta-kuëòa-vare vasämaù
tvaà cet prasédasi karoñi kåpä-kaöäkñaà
tarhy eva tarña-viöapé phalito bhaven naù
" He is always anointing Your lotus feet with nectarean
cäru and yävaka and decorating them with ankle bells,
and He rejoices and feels most fortunate simply by
satisfying the tips of the toes of Your lotus feet. On His
order we have immediately come here to live in this
most excellent pond, which He created by one stroke
of His heel. But only if You now feel satisfied with us
and bestow upon us Your merciful glance will the tree
of our desire bear fruit."
çrutvä stutià nikhila-tértha-gaëasya tuñöä
präha sma tarñam ayi vedayateti rädhä
yäma tvadéya-saraséà sa-phalä bhaväma
ity eva no vara iti prakaöaà tadocuù
Hearing this prayer spoken by the representative of the
full assembly of holy places, Sri Radha was pleased and
said, "So, kindly tell Me your desire." They then told
Her plainly, "Our lives would be successful if we could
come to Your pond. That is the benediction we desire. "
ägacchateti våñabhänu-sutä smitäsyä
proväca känta-vadanäbja-dhåtäkñi-koëä
sakhyo 'pi tatra kåta-sammatayaù sukhäbdhau
magnä virejur akhilä sthira-jaìgamäç ca
Glancing at Her beloved from the corners of Her eyes,
the daughter of Vrishabhanu replied with a smile,
"Please come." Her gopi companions all agreed with
Her decision and became immersed in the ocean of
happiness. Indeed, the beauty of all creatures, both
mobile and stationary, was enhanced.
präpya prasädam atha te våñabhänujäyäù
çré-kåñëa-kuëòa-gata-tértha-varäù prasahya
bhittveva bhittim ati-vegata eva rädhäkuëòaà
vyadhuù sva-salilaiù paripürëam eva
Thus gaining the grace of Srimati Radharani, the holy
rivers and lakes in Sri Krishna-kunda forcibly broke
through its boundary walls and swiftly filled Radhakunda
with their waters.
proce hariù priyatame tava kuëòam etan
mat-kuëòato 'pi mahimädhikam astu loke
atraiva me salila-kelir ihaiva nityaà
snänaà yathä tvam asi tadvad idaà saro me
Lord Hari then said, "My dear Radha, may this pond of
Yours become even more world-renowned than Mine.
I will always come here to bathe and to enjoy My water
pastimes. Indeed, this lake is as dear to Me as You are."
rädhäbravéd aham api sva-sakhébhir etya
snäsyämy ariñöa-çata-mardanam astu tasya
yo 'riñöa-mardana-sarasy uru-bhaktir atra
snäyäd vasen mama sa eva mahä-priyo 'stu
Radha replied, "I will come to bathe in Your pond as
well, even though You may kill hundreds of Arista
demons here. In the future, anyone who has intense
devotion for this lake, which is on the spot where You
chastised Aristasur, and who bathes or resides here is
sure to become very dear to Me."
räsotsavaà prakurute sma ca tatra rätrau
kåñëämbudaù kåta-mahä-rasa-harña-varñaù
çré-rädhikä-pravara-vidyud alaìkåta-çrés
trailokya-madhya-vitaté-kåta-divya-kértiù
That night Lord Krishna initiated a räsa dance at Radha
kunda, generating a torrent of the greatest mood of
splendorous pleasure. Sri Krishna resembled a cloud,
and Srimati Radharani a brilliant flash of lightning filling
the sky with abundant beauty. In this way Their divine
glories permeated the expanses of the three worlds.
— From Särärtha-darçiné commentary on Çrémad-Bhägavatam by Srila
Vishvanätha Cakravarté Thakura » Canto 10: The Summum Bonum »
Chapter 36. The Slaying of Ariñöä, the Bull Demon, Translation by His
Holiness Bhanu Swami
No comments:
Post a Comment