In2-MeC

Wroclaw, Poland
13 November 2004

Govardhana Puja Ki Jaya!
 

Giridhari made of cowdung

Chapter 3 of Vraja-riti-cintamani

1 Govardhana Hill is like a flag of intense sweetness placed in the opulent land of Vrndavana. As the king of mountains Govardhana Hill offers very pleasing royal service to the young prince of Vraja.

2 The rocks of Govardhana Hill are many kinds of splendid jewels that provide thrones, couches, and other kinds of furniture for Sri Krsna, the supreme monarch of all nectar mellows.

3 Govardhana Hill's beautiful forests and caves are Krsna's nectar pastime palaces, each one perfect for the supreme good fortune of His beloved and Her friends.

4 Govardhana Hill's trees and vines serve Sri Krsna by offering Him blossoming branches with sweet fruits, and flowers filled with honey, nectar and fragrant pollen.

5 The red, vermilion, yellow and other coloured pigments of Govardhana Hill decorate Lord Krsna's transcendental body for the pleasure of His beloved gopis.

6 The musk left by deer, as well as the kunkuma, camphor, and aguru naturally produced by Govardhana Hill, were all used to give a sweet fragrance to the transcendental body of Lord Krsna.

7 There is a pleasant grove of sandalwood trees on Govardhana Hill. Although snakes generally flock to sandalwood trees, no snakes ever come here, or if sometimes a snake may come it is not poisonous, or if sometimes a poisonous snake may come its poison is automatically counteracted, and it can do no harm. As the best servant of Lord Hari, Govardhana Hill has made this wonderful arrangement for the Lord's pleasure.

8 One time a contrary fawn-eyed gopi left Sri Krsna. A short time afterwards She saw a snake on the road. Frightened, She took shelter of Lord Krsna, embracing Him and begging for protection. As Lord Hari's best servant, Govardhana Hill made all these nectarean arrangements for His pastimes. Note: This verse may also be translated in the following way: Rejected by a certain contrary fawn eyed gopi, Sri Krsna said: "I have just been bitten by one of Govardhana Hill's snakes". When the gopi heard this, she became repentant and came before the Lord with many apologies. As Lord Hari's best servant, Govardhana Hill made all these arrangements for His pastimes.

9 The rocks of Govardhana Hill are all precious gems. Some are sapphires, some emeralds, some rubies or crystals. They provide the perfect backdrop for Lord Krsna's pastimes.

10 If, while walking on Govardhana Hill, Krsna's elder brother Balarama sees a series of golden stones, He thinks: 'the daughter of King Vrsabhanu must have just now walked before Me', and He changes course to avoid an awkward situation. In the same way, if She sees a series of crystal stones, She thinks: 'Balarama must have just now walked before Me', and She changes Her course.

11 If, on Govardhana Hill, which is the best of Lord Hari's servants, Sri Krsna sees a golden stone, He takes it to be His beloved. In the same way, His beloved sees a sapphire, She assumes it is Her lover.

12 The gopis' necklaces, ornaments, red foot cosmetic, betelnuts, and other paraphernalia gaze on the beauty of Govardhana Hill's groves and caves. Who would not become enchanted by the beauty of Govardhana Hill?

13 Sri Krsna is the sapphire and the gopis the golden necklaces ornamenting Govardhana Hill. The pastimes of Krsna and the gopis are the sons and daughters of Govardhana Hill. Who is able to describe the glories of Govardhana Hill?

14 The peacocks dance enthusiastically, the bees and cuckoos sing melodiously and may other birds chirp a rhythmic accompaniment, as they all gaze on the serve to Lord Hari done by Govardhana Hill, the best of Lord Hari's servants.

15 The land around Govardhana Hill in all directions is filled with many lakes, groves, and other charming places of Lord Krsna's pastimes. Many lovely streams flow from Govardhana Hill onto these lands in all directions.

16 To the east is Dana-nivartana-kunda. When Sri Radhika's handsome beloved remembers it, He begins to tremble, and the hairs on His body stand erect.

17 To the east of that is Candra-sarovara, where the divine couple enjoyed many rasa dances. The memory of this place makes Them dance in ecstatic love.

18 Southeast of Govardhana Hill is Sanksarsanananda-sarovara, and to the east of that is Gauri-tirtha, which is scrupulously avoided by Gauri's husband, Lord Siva.

19 The nectar flood of supreme good fortune rising from His eternal pastimes with Her has made Her beloved supremely learned in the philosophy of forest-pastimes.

20 In between Sankarsana-sarovara and Dana-nivartana-kunda is Anandaraja-tirtha, where the Mahanna-kuta festival delighted the young prince of Vraja.

21 West of that are two splendid places in the mouth of Krsna's pastimes. They are Sri Dhana-ghata and Sri Sumani-ghata, where the divine couple playfully talked and joked.

22 At this place the divine couple enjoyed the playful quarrel pastimes known as dana-keli. Who would not be astonished by this pastime? When this pastime enters the ears it makes both the body and mind dance.

23 Govardhana Hill resembles a gigantic peacock that has Govinda-kunda as its tail. The Manasa-ganga, where the divine couple eternally enjoys boat-sailing pastimes, enters into the waters of Govinda-kunda.

24 If one hears about the divine couple's boat-sailing pastimes, he will become stunned in ecstasy and it will not be possible for him to stop hearing about them.

25 On the Manasa-ganga's shores are many madhavi-vine pavilions with nectar beauty that shines in the three worlds. There the divine couple enjoys splendid pastimes that are eternally remembered in the world's hearts.

26 With its nearby forest groves and the limitless nectar-trickling flowers in its waters, Kusuma-sarovara shines with great splendour. Is it the handsome face of Govardhana Hill, the king of mountains?

27 This lake is known as Kusuma-sarovara because of the many blossoming flowers, destined to become gopis in the future, that grow in its waters. Simply by one bathing in this Kusuma-sarovara, Narada Muni attained a gopi-form. This fact is directly confirmed in the words of the enchanting Supreme Personality of Godhead.

28 The Supreme Personality of Godhead eternally enjoys pastimes on Govardhana Hill. He personally lifted Govardhana Hill with His own hand to protect His cowherd associates. Who is able to describe the glories of Govardhana Hill, the best of Lord Hari's servants?

29 Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda are Govardhana's two love-filled eyes. Because it nourishes the gopas, gopis, and surabhi cows with Lord Madhava's sweetness, it shines with the name 'govardhana'.

30 Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda are two great floods of the nectar of beauty. They are two great oceans of splendour. They are two beautiful roots from which sweet devotional service grows.

31 They are two jewel-mines of love. They are two seeds from which grow the jewel-vines of transcendental pastimes. How did they become two splendid and nectar-sweet lakes?

32 By seeing these two lakes, Radha and Krsna believe They are present in them. It is as if They directly see each other there. The wise say that by approaching these lakes one directly approaches Radha and Krsna.

33 Longing to meet, but forced to remain separate, Radha and Krsna assumed the forms of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. In this way They becomes splashed with the nectar of meeting each other.

34 I think that when Radha saw Krsna She melted with ecstasy and thus assumed the liquid state of the waters of Radha-kunda, and in the same way when Krsna saw Radha He also melted in ecstasy and became the waters of Syama-kunda. In this way these two lakes bear the names and qualities of the divine couple.

35 Out of great kindness to the people, so they could directly taste Their sweetness, Radha and Krsna have become these two lakes. Shining with happiness, the devotees bathe in these two lakes.

36 I think these two lakes are the divine couple's love. They who are fortunate bathe there. Because bathing there is like bathing in Their transcendental love, these two lakes bear the names of the divine couple. �

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