Lord Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s Visit to Śrī Vṛndāvana

Āriṭ-grāma is also called Ariṣṭa-grāma. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu understood that in that village Ariṣṭāsura had been killed by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. While there, He inquired about Rādhā-kuṇḍa, but no one could tell Him where it was. The brāhmaṇa accompanying Him could also not ascertain its whereabouts. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu could then understand that the holy places known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were at that time lost to everyone’s vision. He therefore discovered Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa, which were two reservoirs of water in two paddy fields. Although there was very little water, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was omniscient and could understand that formerly these two ponds were called Śrī Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa. In this way Rādhā-kuṇḍa and Śyāma-kuṇḍa were discovered.

This is a verse from the Padma Purāṇa.

This verse is found in the Govinda-līlāmṛta (7.102).

The village named Annakūṭa-grāma is referred to in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Here all the gopīs and the gopas enjoyed wonderful pastimes with Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Therefore this place is also called Āniyora. The Annakūṭa ceremony was celebrated here. O Śrīnivāsa, whoever sees this place has all his desires fulfilled.” It is also stated:

“Look at the dense forest near the kuṇḍa. It was there that Gopāla was concealed.” Also, the Stavāvalī (Vraja-vilāsa-stava 75), by Raghunātha dāsa Gosvāmī, states:

“When Nanda Mahārāja offered a large quantity of food to Govardhana Hill, Kṛṣṇa assumed a gigantic form and eagerly invited everyone to ask boons from Him. Then, deceiving even Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, He ate all the offered food. Let me take shelter of the place known as Annakūṭa, where Lord Kṛṣṇa enjoyed these pastimes.”

This is a quotation from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.21.18). It was spoken by the gopīs when Lord Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma entered the forest in the autumn. The gopīs spoke among themselves and glorified Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma for Their pastimes.

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura gives the following information about Govinda-kuṇḍa. There is a village named Āniyora on Govardhana Hill, a little distance from the village of Paiṭha. Govinda-kuṇḍa is situated near here, and there are two temples to Govinda and Baladeva there. According to some, Queen Padmāvatī excavated this lake. In the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave), the following statement is found:

“Govinda-kuṇḍa is exalted for its many spiritual activities. It was here that Indra, defeated by Lord Govinda, offered prayers to Him and bathed Him.” In the book Stavāvalī (Vraja-vilāsa-stava 74) the following verse is found:

“With humility caused by great fear, Indra took hold of the lotus feet of Lord Kṛṣṇa and, in the company of a surabhi cow, performed His coronation festival by bathing Him with the waters of the heavenly Ganges River. Thus Lord Kṛṣṇa’s kingship over the cows became splendidly manifest. I pray that Govinda-kuṇḍa, the lake created by that ceremonial bath, may eternally appear before my eyes.”

Also, in the Mathurā-khaṇḍa it is stated:

“Simply by bathing in Govinda-kuṇḍa, one is awarded liberation. This lake was produced when Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa was bathed by Lord Indra.”

Gāṅṭhuli-grāma is situated near the two villages Bilachu and Gopāla-pura. According to hearsay, Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa first met here. In the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave), it is stated, sakhī duṅha vastre gāṅṭhi dila saṅgopane: “The two concealed Themselves by tying Their outer garments together.” It is also stated, phāguyā laiyā keha gāṅṭhi khuli’ dilā: “With a phāguyā They undid the knot.” For this reason the village is known as Gāṅṭhuli.

This verse is found in the Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu (2.1.62).

When the two brothers Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī went to Vṛndāvana, they decided to live there. Following Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s example, they did not climb the hill because they considered it nondifferent from Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. On some pretext, the Gopāla Deity granted Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu an audience beneath the hill, and Gopāla similarly favored Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī and Sanātana Gosvāmī. During his ripe old age, when Rūpa Gosvāmī could not go to Govardhana Hill because of invalidity, Gopāla kindly went to Mathurā and remained at the house of Viṭhṭhaleśvara for one month. It was then that Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī could see Gopāla’s beauty to his heart’s content.

The following description concerning Viṭhṭhaleśvara is given in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

Śrī Vallabha Bhaṭṭa had two sons. The elder, Gopīnātha, was born in 1432 Śakābda Era (A.D. 1510), and the younger, Viṭhṭhaleśvara, was born in 1437 (A.D. 1515) and died in 1507 (A.D. 1585). Viṭhṭhaleśvara had seven sons: Giridhara, Govinda, Bālakṛṣṇa, Gokuleśa, Raghunātha, Yadunātha and Ghanaśyāma. Viṭhṭhaleśvara completed many of his father’s unfinished books, including his commentary on the Vedānta-sūtra, the Subodhinī commentary on Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, Vidvan-maṇḍana, Śṛṅgāra-rasa-maṇḍana and Nyāsādeśa-vivaraṇa. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu went to Vṛndāvana before the birth of Viṭhṭhaleśvara. As previously mentioned, Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī was very old at the time Gopāla stayed at the house of Viṭhṭhaleśvara.

Śrī Lokanātha Gosvāmī was a personal associate of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu and a great devotee of the Lord. He was a resident of a village named Tālakhaḍi in the district of Yaśohara (Jessore), in Bengal. Previously he lived in Kācanāpāḍā. His father’s name was Padmanābha, and his only sibling was a younger brother named Pragalbha. Following the orders of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, Śrī Lokanātha went to Vṛndāvana to live. He established a temple named Gokulānanda. Śrīla Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura selected Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī to be his spiritual master, and Narottama dāsa Ṭhākura was his only disciple. Because Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī did not want his name mentioned in the Caitanya-caritāmṛta, we do not often see it in this celebrated book. On the E.B.R. Railroad, the Yaśohara station is located in Bangladesh. From the railway station one has to go by bus to the village of Sonākhāli and from there to Khejurā. From there one has to walk or, during the rainy season, go by boat to the village of Tālakhaḍi. In this village there are still descendants of Lokanātha Gosvāmī’s younger brother.

Laghu Haridāsa should not be confused with Junior Haridāsa, who committed suicide at Prayāga. Generally a devotee is called Haridāsa, and consequently there are many Haridāsas. The chief was Ṭhākura Haridāsa. There was also a Madhyama Haridāsa.

In the Bhakti-ratnākara (Sixth Wave), there is a list of many of the chief devotees who accompanied Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī.

“The following Vaiṣṇavas were present with Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī: the merciful Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī; Bhūgarbha Gosvāmī; Śrī Lokanātha dāsa Gosvāmī, a reservoir of good qualities; Śrī Mādhava; Śrī Paramānanda Bhaṭṭācārya; Śrī Madhu Paṇḍita, whose characteristics are all wonderful; Premī Kṛṣṇadāsa; Kṛṣṇadāsa Brahmacārī; Yādava Ācārya; the merciful Nārāyaṇa; Śrī Puṇḍarīkākṣa Gosvāmī; Govinda; Īśāna; Śrī Govinda; the magnanimous Vāṇī Kṛṣṇadāsa; Śrī Uddhava, who occasionally visited Bengal; Dvija Haridāsa; Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja; Śrī Gopāla dāsa, whose body is completely spiritual; Śrī Gopāla; Mādhava; and many others.”

Kāmyavana is mentioned in the Ādi-varāha Purāṇa:

Lord Śiva said, “The best of all forests is the fourth of these, named Kāmyaka. O goddess Devī, any person who goes there is eligible to enjoy the glories of my abode.”

In the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave) it is also said:

“In this Kāmyavana, Kṛṣṇa performed enchanting pastimes. Here you will be able to take darśana of many ponds and other transcendental spots. I cannot even describe in writing all the sacred tīrthas found at Kāmyavana.”

Nandīśvara is the house of Mahārāja Nanda.

The Pāvana-sarovara is described in the Mathurā-māhātmya:

“One who bathes in Pāvana Lake by Nandīśvara Hill will see Kṛṣṇa there along with Nanda and Yaśodā and will fufill all his desires.”

Khadiravana is described in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Behold the forest named Khadiravana, renowned throughout the universe. If one comes to Khadiravana, he can immediately be elevated to Viṣṇuloka.”

This is a verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.31.19) spoken by the gopīs when Kṛṣṇa left them in the midst of the rāsa-līlā.

In the Bhakti-ratnākara it is said that Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma used to play at Khelā-tīrtha with the cowherd boys during the entire day. Mother Yaśodā had to call Them to take Their baths and eat Their lunch.

Of Śrīvana (also called Bilvavana), the Bhakti-ratnākara states, devatā-pūjita bilvavana śobhāmaya: “The beautiful forest of Bilvavana is worshiped by all the demigods.”

About Lohavana, the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave) states:

“At Lohavana, Lord Kṛṣṇa used to tend cows. The demon named Lohajaṅgha was killed at this place.”

Mahāvana is described as follows in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Behold the house of Nanda and Yaśodā in Mahāvana. See the birthplace of Lord Kṛṣṇa. Mahāvana and the birthplace of Lord Kṛṣṇa, Gokula, are one and the same.”

Akrūra-tīrtha is also mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“Śrīnivāsa, look at this village of Akrūra. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu stayed there in a solitary place.”

Kālīya-hrada is mentioned in the Bhakti-ratnākara (Fifth Wave):

“When one takes a bath in Kālīya-hrada, he is freed from all sinful reactions. One can also be successful in business by bathing in Kālīya-hrada.”

The puzzled people who visited Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu were actually seeing Lord Kṛṣṇa, but they were mistaken in thinking that Lord Kṛṣṇa had come to Kālīya Lake. They all said that they had seen Kṛṣṇa directly performing His pastimes on the hoods of the serpent Kālīya and that the jewels on Kālīya’s hoods were blazing brilliantly. Because they were speculating with their imperfect knowledge, they saw Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu as an ordinary human being and a boatman’s light in the lake as Kṛṣṇa. One must see things as they are through the mercy of a spiritual master; otherwise, if one tries to see Kṛṣṇa directly, he may mistake an ordinary man for Kṛṣṇa or Kṛṣṇa for an ordinary man. Everyone has to see Kṛṣṇa according to the verdict of Vedic literatures presented by the self-realized spiritual master. A sincere person is able to see Kṛṣṇa through the transparent via medium of Śrī Gurudeva, the spiritual master. Unless one is enlightened by the knowledge given by the spiritual master, he cannot see things as they are, even though he remains constantly with the spiritual master. This incident at Kālīya-daha is very instructive for those eager to advance in Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Māyā is so strong that even a person like Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya, who was constantly staying with Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, was influenced by the words of fools. He wanted to see Kṛṣṇa directly by going to Kālīya-daha, but Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, being the original spiritual master, would not allow His servant to fall into such foolishness. He therefore chastised him, slapping him just to bring him to a real sense of Kṛṣṇa consciousness.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s first statement (kṛṣṇa kene daraśana dibe kali-kāle) refers to the scriptures. According to scripture, Kṛṣṇa appears in Dvāpara-yuga, but He never appears as Himself in Kali-yuga. Rather, He appears in Kali-yuga in a covered form. As stated in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (11.5.32), kṛṣṇa-varṇaṁ tviṣākṛṣṇaṁ sāṅgopāṅgāstra-pārṣadam. Kṛṣṇa appears in the Age of Kali in the garb of a devotee, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu, who always associates with His internal soldiers — Śrī Advaita Prabhu, Śrī Nityānanda Prabhu, Śrīvāsa Prabhu and Gadādhara Prabhu. Although Balabhadra Bhaṭṭācārya was personally serving Lord Kṛṣṇa in His role as a devotee (Caitanya Mahāprabhu), he mistook Lord Kṛṣṇa for an ordinary man and an ordinary man for Lord Kṛṣṇa because he did not follow the rules set down by śāstra and guru.

The word sthāṇu means “a dry tree without leaves.” From a distance one may mistake such a tree for a person. This is called sthāṇu-puruṣa. Although Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was living in Vṛndāvana, the inhabitants considered Him an ordinary human being, and they mistook the fisherman to be Kṛṣṇa. Every human being is prone to make such mistakes. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu was mistaken for an ordinary sannyāsī, the fisherman was mistaken for Kṛṣṇa, and the torchlight was mistaken for bright jewels on Kālīya’s hoods.

This is the viewpoint of Māyāvāda philosophy. Māyāvāda philosophy supports the impersonalist view that Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has no form. One can imagine impersonal Brahman in any form — as Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva, Vivasvān, Gaṇeśa or Devī Durgā. According to the Māyāvāda philosophy, when one becomes a sannyāsī he is to be considered a moving Nārāyaṇa. Māyāvāda philosophy holds that the real Nārāyaṇa does not move because, being impersonal, He has no legs. Thus according to Māyāvāda philosophy, whoever becomes a sannyāsī declares himself Nārāyaṇa. Foolish people accept such ordinary human beings as the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is called vivarta-vāda.

In this regard, Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Ṭhākura comments that jaṅgama-nārāyaṇa means that the impersonal Brahman takes a shape and moves here and there in the form of a Māyāvādī sannyāsī. The Māyāvāda philosophy confirms this. Daṇḍa-grahaṇa-mātreṇa naro nārāyaṇo bhavet: “Simply by accepting the daṇḍa of the order of sannyāsa, one is immediately transformed into Nārāyaṇa.” Therefore Māyāvādī sannyāsīs address one another by saying oṁ namo nārāyaṇāya. In this way one Nārāyaṇa worships another Nārāyaṇa.

Actually an ordinary human being cannot become Nārāyaṇa. As the chief Māyāvādī sannyāsī, Śrī Śaṅkarācārya, says, nārāyaṇaḥ paro ’vyaktāt: “Nārāyaṇa is not a creation of this material world. Nārāyaṇa is above the material creation.” Due to their poor fund of knowledge, Māyāvādī sannyāsīs think that Nārāyaṇa, the Absolute Truth, takes birth as a human being and that when He realizes this, He becomes Nārāyaṇa again. They never consider why Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, would accept an inferior position as a human being and then again become Nārāyaṇa when He is perfect. Why should Nārāyaṇa be imperfect? Why should He appear as a human being? Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu very nicely explained these points while at Vṛndāvana.

Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately stated that a living being, however exalted he may be, should never be compared to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. All of Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu’s preaching protests the monistic philosophy of the Māyāvāda school. The central point of Kṛṣṇa consciousness is that the jīva, the living entity, can never be accepted as Kṛṣṇa or Viṣṇu. This viewpoint is elaborated in the following verses.

Māyāvādī sannyāsīs consider themselves Brahman, and they superficially speak of themselves as Nārāyaṇa. The monistic disciples of the Māyāvāda school (known as smārta-brāhmaṇas) are generally householder brāhmaṇas who accept the Māyāvādī sannyāsīs as Nārāyaṇa incarnate; therefore they offer their obeisances to them. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu immediately protested this unauthorized system, specifically mentioning that a sannyāsī is nothing but a fragmental portion of the Supreme (cit-kaṇa jīva). In other words, he is nothing more than an ordinary living being. He is never Nārāyaṇa, just as a molecular portion of sunshine is never the sun itself. The living entity is nothing but a fragmental part of the Absolute Truth; therefore at no stage of perfection can a living entity become the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This Māyāvāda viewpoint is always condemned by the Vaiṣṇava school. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu Himself protested this philosophy. When the Māyāvādīs accept sannyāsa and consider themselves Nārāyaṇa, they become so puffed up that they do not even enter the temple of Nārāyaṇa to offer respects, for they falsely think themselves Nārāyaṇa Himself. Although Māyāvādī sannyāsīs may offer respects to other sannyāsīs and address them as Nārāyaṇa, they do not go to a Nārāyaṇa temple and offer respects. These Māyāvādī sannyāsīs are always condemned and are described as demons. The Vedas clearly state that living entities are subordinate parts and parcels of the supreme. Eko bahūnāṁ yo vidadhāti kāmān: the Supreme Being, Kṛṣṇa, maintains all living entities.