Chapter Three
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
SRI VRAJA-RITI CINTAMANI
Chapter 3
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 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 Krishna, the Supreme Monarch of all nectar mellows.
3. Govardhana Hill’s beautiful forests and caves are Krishna’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 Krishna by offering Him blossoming branches with sweet fruits and flowers filled with honey, nectar, and fragrant pollen.
5. The red, vermilion, yellow, and other pigments of Govardhana Hill decorate Lord Krishna’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 Lord Krishna's transcendental body.
7. There is a pleasant grove of sandalwood trees on Govardhana Hill. Although snakes generally gather around sandalwood trees, no snakes ever come to this grove, or if a snake does sometimes come, it is not poisonous, or if a poisonous snake does sometimes 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 Krishna. A short time later She saw a snake on the road. Frightened, She took shelter of Lord Krishna, embracing Him and begging Him for protection. As Lord Hari’s best servant, Govardhana Hill made this nectarean arrangement for His pastimes.
Note: This verse may also be translated in the following way:
Rejected by a certain contrary, fawn eyed gopi, Sri Krishna 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 to apologize. As Lord Hari’s best servant, Govardhana Hill made all this arrangement for His pastimes.
9. The rocks of Govardhana Hill are all precious gems. Some are sapphires, some emeralds, some rubies, and others crystals. These rocks provide the perfect backdrop for Lord Krishna’s pastimes.
10. If while walking on Govardhana Hill Krishna’s elder brother Balarama sees a series of golden stones, He thinks, "The daughter of King Vrshabhanu must have just now walked before Me," and He changes course to avoid an awkward situation. In the same way, if Sri Radha sees a series of crystals, She thinks, "Balarama must have just walked before Me," and She changes course.
11. If on Govardhana Hill, which is the best of Lord Hari’s servants, Sri Krishna sees a golden stone, He takes it to be His beloved. Similarly, if 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 Govardhana Hill's beauty?
13. Sri Krishna is the sapphire and the gopis the golden necklaces ornamenting Govardhana Hill. The pastimes of Krishna and the gopis are the sons and daughters of Govardhana Hill. Who is able to describe Govardhana Hill's glories?
14. The peacocks dance enthusiastically, the bees and cuckoos sing melodiously, and other birds chirp rhythmic accompaniments as they gaze on the service offered to Lord Hari by Govardhana Hill, the best of Lord Hari’s servants.
15. The land in all directions around Govardhana Hill is filled with lakes, groves, and other charming places of Lord Krishna’s pastimes. Many lovely streams flow onto these lands from all directions, descending from Govardhana Hill.
16. To the east is Dana-nivartana-kunda. When Sri Radhika’s handsome beloved remembers this place, He trembles and the hairs on His body stand erect.
17. To the east of Dana-nivartana-kunda 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 Sankarsanananda-sarovara, and to the east of that is Gauri-tirtha,.Lord Siva, Gauri's husband, scrupulously avoids that place.
19. The nectar flood of supreme good fortune arising 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 Vraja's young prince.
21. West of that are two splendid places related to Krishna’s pastimes. They are Sri Dhana-ghata and Sri Sumani-ghata, where the Divine Couple playfully talked and joked.
22. At Sri Dhana-ghata the Divine Couple enjoyed the playful quarrel pastimes known as dana-keli. Who would not be astonished by these pastimes? When these pastimes enter the ears, both the body and mind dance.
23. Govardhana Hill resembles a giant peacock. Govinda-kunda is its tail. The Manasa-ganga, where the Divine Couple eternally enjoys sailing pastimes, enters the waters of Govinda-kunda.
24. If one hears about the Divine Couple’s boat pastimes, one will become stunned in ecstasy and will not be able to stop hearing about them.
25. On the shores of Manasa-ganga are many madhavi-vine pavilions. Their nectar beauty shines throughout the three worlds. There, the Divine Couple enjoy splendid pastimes that are eternally remembered in the heart of the world.
26. With its nearby forest groves and the limitless nectar-trickling flowers in its waters, Kusuma-sarovara shines with a great splendor. Is Kusuma-sarovara 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, that grow in its waters. Simply by once bathing in Kusuma-sarovara, Narada Muni attained a gopi form. The Supreme Lord Himself confirmed this fact in enchanting words.
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 can 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 Govardhana nourishes the gopas, gopis, and surabhi cows with Lord Madhava’s sweetness, it shines with the name "go-vardhana."
30. Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda are two great floods of the nectar of beauty. They are two great oceans of splendor. 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 Krishna believe They are present in them. It is as if They directly see each other in each lake. The wise say that by approaching these lakes one directly approaches Radha and Krishna.
33. Longing to meet but forced to remain separate, Radha and Krishna assumed the forms of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. In this way They becomes splashed with the nectar of meeting one another.
34. I think that when Radha saw Krishna She melted with ecstasy and thus assumed the liquid state of Radha-kunda's waters. Similarly, when Krishna saw Radha He 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, and to allow them to directly taste Their sweetness, Radha and Krishna 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. Those who are fortunate bathe there. Because bathing in these lakes is like bathing in the Divine Couple's transcendental love, these two lakes bear the names of the Divine Couple.
37. Spelled backwards, the word sara (lake) becomes rasa (nectar). Those who are aware of this great secret bathe in these two lakes.
38. Wishing to see Their sweet pastimes in the forest, the two lakes have become the Divine Couple’s two pet cakora birds.
39. Limitlessly beautiful Sri Radha-kunda is filled with the Divine Couple’s great love. On every side are the groves of Radha’s friends and the humming of bees.
40. To the north is a jeweled lotus garden named Lalita-pramada. To the north is a flower garden named Visakha-pramada.
41. To the east is Citra-pramada, a wonderful garden filled with colorful flowers. To the southeast is Purnendu-kunja, the delight of Indulekha-gopi.
42. To the south is Prema-kunja, the delight of Campakalata-gopi. Sri Radha slips away from the protection of her mother-in-law, Jatila, to meet Krishna in this grove.
43. In the southwest is the sapphire-studded grove named Nila-nikunja, the delight of Sri Rangadevi-gopi. Once Radha’s mother-in-law, Jatila, happened on the Divine Couple sitting together in this sapphire grove. Jatila could not see Krishna, whose bodily luster camouflaged Him against the background of sapphires, and Jatila thought Radha was sitting alone. She then glorified Her daughter-in-law and quickly left.
44. To the west is Aruna-kunja, the red-flower-filled grove that delights Tungavidya-gopi. To the northwest is the grove of Marakata-kunja (grove of emeralds), the delight of Sudevi-gopi.
45. Placed over the waters in the middle of Radha-kunda is a wonderful jeweled palace where Ananga-manjari, with great love, serves the Divine Couple. Without love and devotion, who is able to know about this palace?
46. All the groves, paths, and places around Radha-kunda are filled with the nectar of Lord Govinda’s pastimes. All these places are elaborately described in Srila Krishnadasa Kaviraja Gosvami’s book, Sri Govinda-lilamrta.
47. To the south and west of Nandisvara Hill are Kamyavana forest and many other beautiful places, such as Pramatta-radha-tirtha, where the Divine Couple enjoy confidential pastimes.
48. When the fragrance of the Divine Couple's pastimes of sweetness enter this place, the powerful goddess of the pastimes of supreme opulence hides.
49. At the place known as Lanka-kunda, Lord Mukunda delighted Sri Radhika by narrating Lord Ramacandra’s pastime of bridging the ocean and traveling to Lanka.
50. As Sri Sri Radha-Madhava converse during the wonderful lukayana pastimes in Kamyavana, They manifest a great transcendental sweetness that astonishes Their gopi friends.
51. Because of its many charming (kamya) forests, groves, and lakes, where Lord Krishna relishes the sweetness of His pastimes, this place is known as Kamyavana.
52. By a lake there, at the place the people call Santanu-vasa, is a deity of the sun god, which Sri Radha worships. On the pretext of seeing him She gives that deity a chance to see Her.
53. On a mountain there named Chadi-sila ("roof of rocks") Krishna enjoyed many wonderful pastimes. There Krishna wept tears of joy, played guessing games, and spoke many playful words.
54. Nanda Maharaja made his new home at this place. Disguised as a small lake, the ocean of jewels stood at his doorstep. Lalita-kunda and other charming lakes where the Lord enjoyed pastimes were nearby.
55. At this place the gopis drank the nectar of the Divine Couple’s playful conversation and saw the Divine Couple maddened by Their mutual touch. The gopis came from all directions (viccheda-ga) to see the Divine Couple, and therefore this place became known as Vicchedata-tirtha.
56. At this tirtha Lakshmidevi performed severe austerities to become a gopi. Although she remained Lakshmi and did not attain her goal, she nevertheless had the opportunity to speak with her beloved Krishna.
57. At this tirtha Lord Krishna manifested the milk ocean, expanded Himself as Ananta Sesa, transformed Himself into Ksirodakasayi Vishnu, and sat down on Ananta's body. Sri Radha the became the beautiful Lakshmidevi, who with humbly bowed head, began to massage Lord Vishnu’s lotus feet. This sight greatly delighted Radha’s gopi friends.
58. The twelve forests of Vraja contain many pastime groves where Lord Krishna, the moon of Vrndavana, enjoys with His beloveds and where the opulence is so great it makes tears flow down onto Goddess Lakshmi’s chest.
59. The Vedas explain that there are twenty-four important gardens in Lord Hari’s Vraja. Among them is Kokila-kanana, which is filled with the singing of cuckoos.
60. The peerless and supremely sweet land of Vrndavana is the blissful abode where the Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys pastimes. It is the incarnation of the Lord’s form and is nondifferent from Him. I have briefly described this land of Vrndavana in this book, Sri Vraja-riti Cintamani, which is completed in this, the last verse of the third chapter.