Visiting Varsana
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
During the time of Krishna, Varsana was the capital of King Vrishabhanu, the father of Radharani. This is where Srimati Radharani lived and had many pastimes with Krishna. She grew up here. King Vrishabhanu and his family, including Srimati Radharani, lived at Varsana. Varsana is 42km (25 miles) from Mathura and has a 7km parikrama path around it.
There are four peaks here, on which there are Maan Garh, Mor Kuti, Vilas Garh and Dan Garh. Each one of these peaks is said to correspond to a head of Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma wanted to do some personal service for Radha and Krishna, so he incarnated himself as these hills. This is stated in the Varaha and Padma Puranas. It is said that the light colored hill of Varsana corresponds to Brahma, the dark colored Govardhana Hill to Krishna, and the reddish hill at Nandagram to Siva.
The Holi festival here at Varsana is a very popular, interesting and wild event. Other big festivals are Radhastami and the Burhi-lila performances.
Directions:
Varsana is about 42km (25 miles) northwest of Vrindavana, off the main road that goes between Mathura and Delhi. The easiest way to get here is by taking a taxi, which takes about an hour.
Both Varsana and Nandagram are close to each other (about 8km apart) and can easily be visited in the same day. The Braja Darsana bus goes directly to Varsana at 8 am in the morning. This bus begins at the Vrindavana bus stand. You can also get this bus outside the ISKCON temple. You can also take a bus to Kosi (40 km or 25 miles) and from there get a tempo to here.
Varsana Parikrama
On top of the hill here is the Larily Lal temple, which is the main temple in Varsana. From there you can do parikrama of the Varsana area. First you can follow the road around through the village to Sankari Kor. When you go through Sankari Kor the hill on your right is the main hill and the hill on your left is Vilas Garh. After going past Sankari Kor you come to the village of Chiksoli (Citra). At the end of this village are Bihar Kunda and Dohani Kunda. When you go through the village of Chiksoli, you are at the other end of the main hill, on which the Larily Lal temple is located. Mayur Kutir is up some steps on top the hill at this place.
Up another set of steps is Maan Kutir. At the bottom of the hill here is Krishna Kunda. From here you can follow the path on top of the hill to Dan Mal and the Kushal Bihari (Jaipur) Temple. If you continue on the path, past the Jaipur temple, you come to the Larily Lal temple after a five minutes walk.
Verses About Radharani
“Among the gopis, Srimati Radhika is the foremost. She surpasses all in beauty, in good qualities, in good fortune, and, above all, in love” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.214).
“Once Lord Krishna considered within His heart: ‘Everyone says that I am complete bliss, full of all rasas. All the world derives pleasure from Me. Is there anyone who can give Me pleasure? One who has a hundred times more qualities than Me could give pleasure to My mind. One more qualified than Me is impossible to find in the world. But in Radha alone I feel the presence of one who can give Me pleasure.
“Although My beauty defeats the beauty of ten million Cupids, although it is unequaled and unsurpassed, and although it gives pleasure to the three worlds, seeing Radharani gives pleasure to My eyes. The vibration of My transcendental flute attracts the three worlds, but My ears are enchanted by the sweet words of Srimati Radharani. Although the entire creation is full of different tastes because of Me, I am charmed by the nectarean taste of the lips of Srimati Radharani, and although My touch is cooler than ten million moons, I am refreshed by the touch of Srimati Radhika. Thus although I am the source for the happiness of the entire world, the beauty and attributes of Sri Radhika are My life and soul.
“In this way my affectionate feelings for Srimati Radharani may be understood, but on analysis I find them contradictory. My eyes are fully satisfied when I look upon Srimati Radharani, but by looking upon Me, She becomes even more advanced in satisfaction. The flute-like murmur of the bamboo rubbing against one another steals Radharani’s consciousness, for She thinks it to be the sound of My flute and She embraces a tamala tree, mistaking it for Me. ‘I have gotten the embrace of Sri Krishna,’ She thinks, ‘so now My life is fulfilled.’
“Thus She remains immersed in pleasing Krishna taking the tree in Her arms. When a favorable breeze carries to Her the fragrance of My body, She is blinded by love and tries to fly into the breeze. When She tastes the betel chewed by Me, She merges in an ocean of joy and forgets everything else. Even with hundreds of mouths I could not express the transcendental pleasure She derives from My association.
“Seeing the luster of Her complexion after Our pastimes together, I forget My own identity in happiness. The sage Bharata has said that the mellows of lover and beloved are equal. But He does not know the mellows of My Vrindavana. The happiness I feel when meeting Radharani is a hundred times greater than the happiness I get from meeting others.” (Caitanya Caritamrita Adi 4.235-258).
Radha and Krishna’s Pastimes
“Whenever Srimati Radharani leaves Her house, She is always well dressed and attractive. It is Her womanly nature to attract Sri Krishna’s attention, and upon seeing Her so attractively dressed, Sri Krishna desires to touch Her body. The Lord then finds some fault in Her and prohibits Her from going to a river crossing and stops Her from picking flowers. Such are the pastimes between Srimati Radharani and Sri Krishna. Being a cowherd girl, Srimati Radharani regularly carries a container of milk and often goes to sell it on the other side of the Yamuna. To cross the river, She has to pay the boatman, and the spot where the boatman collects his fares is called the dana-ghati. Lord Sri Krishna stops Her from going, telling Her, ‘First You have to pay the fee; then You will be allowed to go.’
This pastime is called dana-keli-lila. Similarly, if Srimati Radharani wants to pick a flower, Sri Krishna claims to be the garden’s proprietor and prohibits Her. This pastime is called kila-kincita. Radharani’s shyness arises due to Sri Krishna’s prohibitions, and ecstatic loving symptoms called kila-kincita-bhava are manifest at this time. These ecstatic symptoms are explained in the following verse, which is from Srila Rupa Gosvami’s Ujjvala-nilamani. ‘Pride, ambition, weeping, smiling, envy, fear and anger are the seven ecstatic loving symptoms manifest by a jubilant shrinking away, and these symptoms are called kila-kincita-bhava.’” (Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 14)
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