11/23/97 - 1240

Vraja Mandala Parikrama '97 Update

India (VNN) - Date: 16-Nov-97, Camp: Raval

Dear devotees,

Please accept my obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.

This is the last installment of the Vraja Mandala Parikrama '97 update. Thank you for listening. Please forgive the gaps in our reporting. We had a transcendental computer breakdown over the phone lines of Vraja Mandala.

On the outskirts of Gokula we stop at the local Gaudiya Math temple. Here we offer respects to the beautiful and opulently worshiped deities of Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda. Lord Caitanya stands by Their side. On an altar to Their left are lovely deities of Nanda, Yasoda, Krishna and Balarama. Krishna in His form of Bala Gopala has a bright, mischievous smile. We are warmly welcomed and the pujari places Sri Sri Nitai Gaurasundara on the altar, and offers Them arati and milk sweets. The kirtana is touching.

On our way to Raval we meet modern roads, hooters and fumes. Lord Caitanya's and Raghava Pandita's parikrama must have walked through quite a different setting on their way from Gokula to Raval, Radharani's birthplace, is tucked away in a pleasant and lonely place on the banks of the Yamuna, and we cross many thorny patches to get there. There is always a higher price to pay for the sweetest mercy. "In the city of Mukyervali the precious jewel known as Srimati Radharani took birth in the mine of Kirtida- devi's womb, which is glorified by jubilant demigods, sages, ad human beings. I pray that when I enter King Vrsabanu's capital city of Mukhyeravali-pura, populated with many gopas, gopis and surabhi cows, I may become drowned in a great flood of transcendental bliss and love." (Vraja-vilas-stava)

Srimati Radharani's birthplace, where she appeared on a golden lotus, is very special. Brsabanu and Kirtida, after ten thousand years of performing great austerities as Suchandro and Kalavati, were blessed by Lord Brahma and received the Queen of the goddesses of fortune as their daughter. Radharani's appearance in Vrsabhanu's temple was a moment of great rejoicing. "Sri Radha vanquished the sighs and depressions of everyone. Her body was as soft as milk cream and she was beautifully shaped. Seeing Her beauty, Her parents could not control their excitement and repeatedly looked at her moon like face. The world was reverberant with a glorious sound , and the gopis, accompanied by musical instruments, sang the Mangala Gita." (Bhakti Ratnakar 5th wave)

"In fact, Radharani is the internal potency of Sri Krshna, and She eternally intensifes the pleasure of Sri Krisna. Impersonalists cannot understand this without the help of a maha- bhagavata devotee. The very name Radha suggests that She is eternally the topmost mistress for the comforts of Sri Krishna. Devotees in Vrindavan therefore seek the mercy of Srimati Radharani in order to be recognised as loving servitors of Sri Krishna..."(Caitanya Caritamrta, Adi lila 4.56 ppt)

When Lord Caitanya arrived in Raval He became ouerwhelmed with spiritual joy and seeing Him, people came from all directions, chanting the holy names. After spending some time here, Lord Caitanya proceeded to Mathura. When Raghava Pandit's parikrama party come to Raval they felt great love for Srimati Radharani. They spent all night, here, discussing the Lord's pastimes.

There is a temple of Lardlilal (Radha-Krsna) here. Sitting in the small temple room listening to Srimati Radharani's glories we are steeped in thought of Her causeless mercy. "O Queen of Vrindavana, Sri Radha, I worship you, Your fair complexion is more resplendent than molten gold, the colour of Your sari the hue of a blue lotus flower...Even the beautiful lotus in full bloom or the rising full moon offers no comparison to Your breathtaking face, for it is much more exquisite...The arches of your elegant eyebrows put to shame cupid's bow. Your cascading black tresses sway and the dark mascara on Your roving eyes makes them look like restless black partridges. Your fine nose is decorated by a ring studded with the noblest pearl, and Your lips are more charing than bright red tulips. Your sparkling, even teeth are like rows of spotlessly white jasmine buds...O Srimati Radha! Among all the beloved gopis You are the cherished jewel. Therefore, kindly be pleased with me..." (Catupuspanjali by Rupa Gosvami)

Breakfast prasad is sumptuous. We sit in rows beneath the trees that shade the once gorgeously decorated gardens of Raval. A soft breeze is blowing. Local villagers greet us with an enthusiatic "Jaya Radhe". "Jaya Radhe", we echo in chorus.

A three kilometre walk along thorny paths bordering the Yamuna leads us back to Mathura. The Yamuna's sands sparkle like jewels. "Yamuna-devi's charm is further increased by the lowing of the Surabhi cows that graze on her beautiful banks. The Kadamba trees lining her shores intoxicate and exhilarate her with their heady perfume, and she experiences her greatest ecstasy when Krishna's devotees assemble on her banks. May that Yamuna-devi, daughter of the sun-god, always purify me." We sit on her shores to wait for all the devotees to catch up with the main kirtana party.

We see the city of Mathura rise from the plains of Vraja like some ancient medieval kingdom. We've made it! One hundred and sixty eight miles in thirty days. A tremendous feeling of accomplishment and exhilartion rises in our hearts. Our Vraja Mandala Parikrama is almost over and our walk on the path back home, back to Godhead, has just been shortened. A tall bridge leads us across the Yamuna back to Mathura, where we take our final bath at Vishram Ghata. The kirtana reverberates through the crowded backstreets of the city. . Despite separation from Vraja and the devotees we may always be united in our desire to fulfill Srila Prabhupada's mission. Our eagerness to search for Krishna in our service to him is awakened.

Finally the party returned to Visrama Ghat and took a holy dip in the Jamuna there. We thanked Srimati Radharani by whose grace devotees had an easy journey through Vraja.

Submerged in the cool green water the devotees reminisce about their uniquely wonderful experience. "By tasting a single drop of the memory of the transcendental ocean of sweetness of the divine couple my heart has become restless. I bow down before the land and people of Vraja. I yearn to see my two masters." (Vraja- vilas-stava 3)

With a heavy heart, some devotees were feeling transcendental emotions, separation and regret at the finish of the yatra.

Prabhupada’s family that prayed together and stayed together day and night for a month had to split and go their separate ways. At the same time, they all looked rejuvenated and ready to return to their services in different parts of the world.

Thank you for reading these accounts from our Vraja Mandala Parikrama. I was suprised with the overwhelming response of appreciation from just a few grains of nectar dust from Vraja Mandala that I sprinkled in your direction. I wish I could have done more in this regard.

There is always next time. I look forward to speaking to you during next year’s 12th annual Vraja Mandala Parikrama. I would prefer to speak to you face to face in the land of Krishna during that Kartik period. Otherwise, we will continue more of what we did this year.

Please remind me in case I forget.

Offering our obeisances in the dust of the lotus feet of the devotees again and again, we pray to always remember the nectar of Vraja Mandala Parikrama.

Your servant, Lokanath Swami

Please note our new address:

Lokanath Swami Prabhupada House B-40, Sector 56 Noida 201301 U.P. India Phone: 0091-(0)11-8-545-861 (temporary) email: Lokanatha.swami@com.bbt.se