Thursday, June 19, 2008
Navadvipa created by Radha
Nityananda! Gauranga! Hare Krishna!
From Navadvipa Dhaama Mahatmya:
Gautama said, “O best of the munis, please be merciful and tell me what Parvati then asked Lord Shiva.”
Shri Narada said, “After hearing the glories of Navadvipa and wanting to know the cause of its appearance, Parvatidevi inquired from Lord Shiva.”
Parvati said, “O Lord, please describe exactly how and when Shrimati Radhika created Navadvipa.”
Lord Shiva replied, “O Parvati, please hear the reason for Navadvipa's appearance, as described in the Ananta-sanhita and as I have heard from the mouth of Lord Narayana.
“As a bee plays in a lotus, Krishna was enjoying with Viraja in the pleasant forest groves of Vrindavana. Moon-faced, doe-eyed Radhika heard this news from one sakhi and hastily ran to find Krishna. Seeing that Radha was coming, Krishna suddenly disappeared, and Viraja became a river. Radha again heard that Krishna was enjoying with Viraja, but when She arrived there She could not find them. Absorbed in thoughts of Krishna, Radha began to think.
“She gathered Her sakhis together between the Ganges and Yamuna Rivers. She created there a beautiful place, decorated with creepers and trees and filled with male and female bumble bees. Deer and buck were happily enjoying as they wandered about, and the whole area was filled with the fragrance of jasmine, mallika, and malati flowers. That transcendental abode was adorned with tulasi forests and decorated with various groves. On Radha's order, the Ganges and Yamuna, with their pleasant water and banks, acted as a moat to protect the garden. Cupid himself, along with springtime, eternally reside there, and the birds constantly sing the auspicious name of Krishna.
“Radha, dressed in a colorful cloth, then began to play a beautiful melody on a flute in order to attract Krishna. Attracted by that melody, Krishna appeared in that enchanting place. Radha, the attractor of Krishna's mind, seeing that Krishna had come, held His hand and experienced ecstatic delight. Then Krishna, understanding Radha's mood, spoke in a voice choked with love.
“`O lovely-faced Radha, You are My very life. There is no one more dear to Me than You. Therefore I will never leave You. Just for Me You have created this wonderful place. Staying with You, I will transform this place, filling it with new sakhis and groves. The devotees will glorify this place as New Vrindavana (Nava Vrindavana). As this place is like an island, or dvipa, the wise will call it Navadvipa. By My order, all the holy places will reside here. Because You have created this place for My pleasure, I will live here eternally.
“`Those people who come here and worship Us will certainly obtain Our eternal service in the mood of the sakhis. O dear Radha, like Vrindavana, this place is extremely pure. If anyone comes here just once, he will obtain the results of going to all sacred places. He will quickly attain devotional service, which satisfies Us.'”
Lord Shiva continued, “O most fortunate Parvati, saying this, Krishna, the Lord of Radha, merged with Radha's body and began to reside there eternally. Seeing that sat-cit-ananda form—outwardly of a fair complexion but inwardly Krishna Himself—Lalita gave up her beautiful form for the service of Gauranga. She took on a male form to suitably receive the affection of Gauranga. Seeing that Lalita had taken such a form, Vishakha and all the other sakhis also suddenly took on male forms.
“At that time the tumultuous vibration of `Jaya Gaurahari!' filled the four directions. From that time the devotees call this form of Krishna, Gaurahari. As Radha is Gauri (fair) and Krishna is Hari, when They combine in one form, They are called Gaurahari. Since then, the lotus-eyed, flute-playing, threefold bending form of Krishna and the lotus-eyed form of Radhikadevi remained there combined in one form.
“O Parvati, in blissful Vrindavana, Radha stays by the left side of Krishna and always pleases Him. Similarly, in Navadvipa Krishna takes Radharani in His heart and bestows bliss upon Her. Just as in Vrindavana the sakhis headed by Lalita serve Radha and Krishna in their own forms, in Navadvipa also the sakhis always joyfully serve Gaurahari as His devotees. Radha and Krishna are Gaura, and Vrindavana is Navadvipa. That low person who differentiates between Vrindavana and Navadvipa or between Radha-Krishna and Gauranga will be pierced by my arrows and experience pain in the worst hells until the time of the universal devastation.
“O Parvati, I have described to you the reason for the appearance of Navadvipa. When heard by mankind, this narration removes all sins and bestows devotional service. Whoever rises early in the morning and with devotion to Gaura recites or hears this story of Navadvipa's creation will certainly attain Gauranga.
“Even now the devotees, but not the faithless, can see the sat-cid-ananda form of Lord Gauranga in Navadvipa. Previously, in the rasa dance at Vrindavana, I saw Krishna, the Lord of the rasa dance and attractor of Cupid, appear as Gauranga. That same Lord, Krishna Chaitanya, appears in Navadvipa in every kalpa and gives pure devotional service to the living entities.
Aspiring for the dust from the lotus feet of all Navadvipa vasis,
Matus
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