Relishing the Supreme Nectar of Govardhan Parikrama
5 December 2006, 7:26pm--We have just returned to our quarters at Vrindavan's Bhaktivedanta Ashram after having completed Govardhan Parikrama. It was an amazing transcendental experience. It's a 14 mile sacred walk around Govardhan Hill, which we did barefoot out of respect for the sanctity of every square inch of the holy soil. Govardhan is gloried as follows in the sacred writings of Srila Raghunatha Das Goswami:
O Govardhan, O king of mountains,
O hill whose nectarean name-the best of Hari's servants flows from the moonlike mouth of Sri Radha,
O hill that the Vedas declare to be the tilaka marking of Vraja, please grant me a residence near to you.
After Aniyora there was a wonderful cooling, moistening rain and we enjoyed a Krishna prasadam picnic on the side of Govardhan. From there we continued our walk around Govardhan until just after sunset.
O Govardhan, O king of mountains,
O hill whose nectarean name-the best of Hari's servants flows from the moonlike mouth of Sri Radha,
O hill that the Vedas declare to be the tilaka marking of Vraja, please grant me a residence near to you.
Above is Govardhan Hill.
This sacred mountain descended from the spiritual world to a place called Salmali Dvipa in the ancient, ancient times. And then millions of years ago, at the beginning of the Satya Yuga, Govardhan was brought to the Vraja Mandal, the Vrindavan Dham area, by a sage named Pulastya Muni. 5,000 years ago Lord Krishna personally ordered the residents of Vrindavan to worship this hill and then revealed the Govardhan was Himself.
To this very day Govardhan is being regularly worshipped by the residents of Vrindavan. Every rock on the hill is considered to be a deity of Krishna. 500 years ago when Lord Caitanya visited Govardhan out of respect He refused to walk on Govardhan accepting it as non-different from Lord Sri Krishna.
The first thing to do when you begin the sacred parikrama is offer your obeisances laying down flat like a stick on the ground. This helps to put us into the proper humble frame of mind a pilgrim. When we offer obeisances in this way it is called "dandavat". "Danda" means stick and "vat" means "like."
This sacred mountain descended from the spiritual world to a place called Salmali Dvipa in the ancient, ancient times. And then millions of years ago, at the beginning of the Satya Yuga, Govardhan was brought to the Vraja Mandal, the Vrindavan Dham area, by a sage named Pulastya Muni. 5,000 years ago Lord Krishna personally ordered the residents of Vrindavan to worship this hill and then revealed the Govardhan was Himself.
To this very day Govardhan is being regularly worshipped by the residents of Vrindavan. Every rock on the hill is considered to be a deity of Krishna. 500 years ago when Lord Caitanya visited Govardhan out of respect He refused to walk on Govardhan accepting it as non-different from Lord Sri Krishna.
The first thing to do when you begin the sacred parikrama is offer your obeisances laying down flat like a stick on the ground. This helps to put us into the proper humble frame of mind a pilgrim. When we offer obeisances in this way it is called "dandavat". "Danda" means stick and "vat" means "like."
(Editors' note: In the photo above we see the author, offering his respectful dandavats on the side of the road as he begins his Govardhan Parikrama in Radha Kunda village.)
After proceeding for some distance we come to beautiful Kusum Sarovara, the beautiful face of Govardhan. Kusum means flowers and sarovara means lake. According the Brahma-vaivarta Purana the great sage Astavakra Muni did penance on its banks while waiting for the appearance on earth of Radha and Krishna. It is said that while having Their darshan he gave up his mortal coil. Formerly surrounding this lake there was a beautiful forest known as Puspa Van (forest of flowers). Within this forest Srimati Radharani and Her girlfriends used to pick flowers.
After proceeding for some distance we come to beautiful Kusum Sarovara, the beautiful face of Govardhan. Kusum means flowers and sarovara means lake. According the Brahma-vaivarta Purana the great sage Astavakra Muni did penance on its banks while waiting for the appearance on earth of Radha and Krishna. It is said that while having Their darshan he gave up his mortal coil. Formerly surrounding this lake there was a beautiful forest known as Puspa Van (forest of flowers). Within this forest Srimati Radharani and Her girlfriends used to pick flowers.
(above is pictured Kusum Sarovara)
After Kusum Sarovara we proceeded onwards to Manasi-ganga. Manasi-ganga was called to Vraja (the Vrindavan area) by Krishna Himself so He could take bath in the Ganges without having to leave Vraja.
Once Nanda Maharaja, mother Yasoda, and the residents of Vrindavan heard a wonderful story about the glories of the Riiver Ganges. They heard that Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, had once captured a large snake near the banks of the Ganges. While he was flying away with the snake in his claws, the tail of the snake accidentally touched the water of the Ganges. Immediately the snake changed into a four-armed form like the residents of Vaikuntha (the spiritual world). Hearing about the wonderful story and the potency of bathing in the Ganges, all the residents of Vraja decided that they would make a pilgrimage to the River Ganges and take bath.
Seeing the arrangements being made for the journey, Krishna informed Nanda and Yasoda that there was no need to go out of Vraja itself. However, Nanda Maharaja and the other Vrajavasis thought that Krishna was just a small child and did not fully understand the matter. But Krishna kept insisting and finally Nanda Maharaja relented. Accompanied by all the inhabitants of Vrindavan, he followed Krishna to the middle of Govardhan Hill.
When Krishna arrived at the shore of Manasi-ganga, Ganga Mata, the river Ganges personified, suddenly appeared from the water and offered prayers to Lord Krishna. When all the inhabitants of Vrindavan saw Ganga Mata they offered their obeisances unto her. Then, led by Nanda Maharaja, they all took their holy bath in the Manasi-ganga.
After Kusum Sarovara we proceeded onwards to Manasi-ganga. Manasi-ganga was called to Vraja (the Vrindavan area) by Krishna Himself so He could take bath in the Ganges without having to leave Vraja.
Once Nanda Maharaja, mother Yasoda, and the residents of Vrindavan heard a wonderful story about the glories of the Riiver Ganges. They heard that Garuda, the carrier of Lord Vishnu, had once captured a large snake near the banks of the Ganges. While he was flying away with the snake in his claws, the tail of the snake accidentally touched the water of the Ganges. Immediately the snake changed into a four-armed form like the residents of Vaikuntha (the spiritual world). Hearing about the wonderful story and the potency of bathing in the Ganges, all the residents of Vraja decided that they would make a pilgrimage to the River Ganges and take bath.
Seeing the arrangements being made for the journey, Krishna informed Nanda and Yasoda that there was no need to go out of Vraja itself. However, Nanda Maharaja and the other Vrajavasis thought that Krishna was just a small child and did not fully understand the matter. But Krishna kept insisting and finally Nanda Maharaja relented. Accompanied by all the inhabitants of Vrindavan, he followed Krishna to the middle of Govardhan Hill.
When Krishna arrived at the shore of Manasi-ganga, Ganga Mata, the river Ganges personified, suddenly appeared from the water and offered prayers to Lord Krishna. When all the inhabitants of Vrindavan saw Ganga Mata they offered their obeisances unto her. Then, led by Nanda Maharaja, they all took their holy bath in the Manasi-ganga.
Above is Manasi-ganga.
After Manasi-ganga and Govardhan Village we came the village of Aniyora. Here is a video clip of Aniyora
After Aniyora there was a wonderful cooling, moistening rain and we enjoyed a Krishna prasadam picnic on the side of Govardhan. From there we continued our walk around Govardhan until just after sunset.
Above is a bull seated at the foot of Govardhan.
" ... the Total Consciousness is that of the gigantic Virata-rupa, and the same consciousness is exhibited in individual persons.... "
(SB: Canto 3 - Chapter 6 - Text 7 )
Please, I have a question to ask you: Is this Total Consciousness s spiritual? Is it pure consciousness?
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.
Rupa Raghunath Das
For further information regarding the total consciousness you may consult the Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.27.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
Answers According to the Vedic Version
Question: Is the Total Consciousness Pure?..
I read in the Srimad Bhagavatam:" ... the Total Consciousness is that of the gigantic Virata-rupa, and the same consciousness is exhibited in individual persons.... "
(SB: Canto 3 - Chapter 6 - Text 7 )
Please, I have a question to ask you: Is this Total Consciousness s spiritual? Is it pure consciousness?
Yours in the service of Lord Sri Krishna.
Rupa Raghunath Das
Answer: It Is the Shadow of Pure Consciousness...
The total consciousness is not purely spiritual. The total consciousness is the shadow of pure consciousness. It is pure goodness with the slight addition of the material mode of passion. It is from the point of total consciousness that activity is generated.For further information regarding the total consciousness you may consult the Srimad Bhagavatam 3.5.27.
Sankarshan Das Adhikari
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