Ramdev Baba at Sankarshan Kund. After the opening of the meditation center at Nikunj Van Ashram, with CM Yogi Adidyanath, Ramdev Baba went to Sankarshan Kund, Goverdhan, to participate in the abhishek program of Sankarshan Bhagwan, Braj’s tallest diety, which was brought to braj from Tirupati earlier this year by Braj Foundation. Ramdev Baba expressed his appreciation for Braj Foundation’s work of in Braj and asked people to give generously to the cause.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

40^th Braj Environment Conference. Local environmental activist including Ramesh Baba, gathered for a day of discussions, games and bhajans, with the aim of raising awareness and solidarity for the environmental movement in Braj. Bansheedhar Agrawal convened the conference yesterday. Agrawal and Ramesh Baba are longstanding players in the environmental movement. Their ‘Gahvarwan Bachao Andolan’ (Save Gahvarwan Movement) managed to have the Gahvarwan area declared a protected forest after a 28 year battle in the courts.  Yesterday’s conference included tree planting, as well as games and bhajans in the evening. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Amar Ujala

Protest ringleaders charged. Panighat, Vrindavan, Police have recorded the names of 10 ringleaders in yesterday’s protests. CM Yogi Adidyanath was delayed by hundreds of protesters who blocked the road, cutting off access to Nikunj Van Ashram. The CM promised that those affected by the demolitions will be provided with replacement accommodation, but, today, newspapers report that action is being taken against the protesters.  In recent years, the Government has built thousands of apartments around Vrindavan for widows and people below poverty line, however, alternative accommodation has not yet been arranged for the people whose houses have been demolished as a result of the High Court decision to clear the Yamuna floodplain. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Scientific investigation of Abhishek Offerings.

Yesterday, a team of Government officials and scientists from Lucknow came to Goverdhan to report on environmental issues. The team investigated a wide spectrum of environmental issues and even took samples of the milk being offered to Girriraj. The team is seeking solutions to the environmental problems at Goverdhan including the pollution caused by the large quantities of milk offered to Girriraj every day. The scientists said that they will look for a solution that will allow the milk to be recycled. The team also tested the water quality and sewage plant at Goverdhan. Read more (Hindi)

The post Today’s Digest: Ramdev Baba’s abhishek offering; Protesters charged; Environment conference, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

I praise all the wonderful lakes and ponds around Govardhan hill, such as Baladeva Kund, Kadamba Khand, Kusum Sarovar, Rudra Kund, Apsara Kund, Gauri Tirtha, Chandra Sarovara, Rina-papa-mochana Kund, Malyahara Kund, Vibudhari Kund and Indradhvaja Vedi, as well as Chakra Tirtha, Daiva Giri and the different jeweled pavilions.

Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā: In this verse Das Goswami praises all the different lakes and other holy places around Sri Giriraj. Sri Govardhana is the place of Govinda’s most wonderful pastimes. Here the līlāmaya playful Krishna relishes the flavors of different pastimes with his friends and with Sri Radha and the Vrajasundarīs, and each one of his playgrounds is to be found in the form of a tirtha, a holy watering place.

On the edge of Govardhana hill on the south-western corner of the village Parāsoli is the greatly luminous Baladeva Kund (= Sankarshan Kund). All the desires of a human being who bathes here are fulfilled.

In the Purāṇas the following description can be found of Brahma Kund –

Brahma Kuṇḍa was created where Sri Hari played and was being satisfied by Lord Brahmā. Next to that are also lakes of Indra and other universal protectors. (Mathurā-khaṇḍa)

And then,

O greatly fortunate one! At Govardhan there is a pool named Brahma Kund, beautified by trees, vines and bushes. Around this pool four highly auspicious and beneficent holy places are situated. East of it is situated Indra Tirtha, to the south is Yama Tirtha, west Varuna Tirtha and north Kuvera  Tirtha. According to my liking I will reside and play in this pond. (Ādi-varāha Purāṇa)

The following brief descriptions are taken from Bhakti-ratnākara. At Kadamba Khandi Sri Krishna is eagerly looking out for Sri Radha to come.

ei ye kadamba khaṇḍi – kṛṣṇa eikhāne;
cāhi rahe rādhikā gamana patha pāne

P.C. Vishakha Dasi

At Kusuma Sarovara Sri Radha and Krishna have fun picking flowers.

dekhoho kusuma sarovara ei vane;
doṅhāra adbhuta raṅga kusuma cayane.

Before Sri Sri Radha and Krishna meet at Sri Radha Kund at noontime Sri Krishna consults Vrinda Devi and Dhanishtha here about how to bring Sri Radharani to Radha Kund, and here Tulasī, being sent by Sri Radharani, consoles Sri Krishna by bringing him news about her.

Rudra Kund near Jatipura as recently fixed up by the Braj Foundation.

In the lonely woods around Rudra Kund, Mahādeva is immersed in meditation on Sri Krishna.

dekho rudra-kuṇḍa śobhā nirjana kānane; ethā mahādeva magna hoilā kṛṣṇa-dhyāne .

Apsara Kund. PC. Braj Discovery

Apsara Kund is situated at the tail end of Giriraj, near the village of Puchari. The most fortunate people are blessed by bathing in this kuṇḍa.

dekhoho apsarākuṇḍa govardhana ante;
ethā snāna koroye parama bhāgyavanta

At Gauri Tirtha a wonderful pastime of Sri Sri Radha Madhava takes place. Here Sri Krishna deceived Jatila and Abhimanyu by dressing like Gauri (Durga Devi) so that he could enjoy with Sri Radha.

Near Gauri Tirtha is a large and enchanting kadamba tree which is the playground for the Divine Pair. Here is a place called Neep Kund.

paṇḍita ullāse kohe – dekho śrīnivāsa;
ei gaurī-tīrthe hoy adbhuta vilāsa.
gaurī tīrthe nīpa-vṛkṣa-rāja manohara;
nīpa kuṇḍa dekho ei parama sundara

Jubilantly Raghava Pandit said: “Look, O Shrinivas! At this Gauri Tirtha wonderful pastimes take place. There is a graceful and regal nīpa (kadamba) tree at Gauri Tirtha. Behold this most beautiful Neep Kund!”

Chandra Sarovar is situated close to the village of Parasoli. Here Sri Krishna Chandra takes rest after dancing the vernal Rāsa dance.

The Mokshana Kund mentioned in the śloka is named in Bhakti-ratnākara as Rina Papa Mochan Kund. One who bathes in this pond will be freed from all sins that are committed due to owing debts.

Malyahara Kund is situated at Sri Radha Kund. One day on the occasion of Dīpānvitā (Diwali) Sri Radha and her girlfriends, headed by Lalitā and others, were stringing garlands of pearls here when Sri Krishna appeared on the scene and asked them to give him some to decorate his favorite cows. But the gopīs didn’t give Krishna any pearls, so Krishna he borrowed some pearls from his mother and planted them himself, watered them with milk products and soon had a beautiful pearl vine garden. Seeing this, Sri Radha and the gopīs also planted pearls, but these just grew into thorny bushes. Then, when they came to Sri Krishna to try to buy some pearls from him, a wonderfully sweet pastime of the Divine Couple manifested itself. Raghunath Das Goswamipada has elaborately described this confidential pastime in his book Muktā-carita.

PC: Iskcon Desire Tree

Vibudhari Kund has been identified in Bhakti-ratnākara as Arishta Kund, which is the same as Shyama Kund.

At Indradhvaja Vedī Sri Nanda Maharaj used to perform Indra pūjā. When Sri Krishna was seven years old he came here, and seeing his father engaged in Indra-pūjā here, convinced him to commence Govardhana Pūjā instead.

Chakra Tirtha (Chakleshwar) is a very famous place. Here Sri Radha and Krishna’s see-saw pastimes take place. Chakra Tirtha ordered Sanatan Goswami to reside here. While living here Sanatan Goswami daily circumambulated Govardhana hill as a rule. When he became old, Sri Krishna, seeing that this became too much of an effort for him, mercifully appeared to him dressed as a cowherd boy and told him that if he just walked around a stone that had his footprint on it it would be the same as if he had completed his circuit around Govardhan. After saying this the Lord disappeared. This has been described in Bhakti-ratnākara:

Behold this Cakra Tirtha, O Shrinivas! By its grace all desires are fulfilled! Cakra Tirtha is most famous in Govardhan. Here Sri Radha and Krishna’s see-saw pastimes take place. Ohe Shrinivas! Cakra Tirtha ordered Sanatana Goswami to reside here, so he lived here in great bliss. Look! There in the woods is his hut! From here Sanatan Goswami daily performed Govardhan parikrama. Who has the power to walk these 24 miles every day? Seeing how much effort it took Sanatan Goswami to accomplish this in his old age, Gopinath appeared before him dressed as a cowherd boy. Carefully he removed the drops of perspiration from Sanatan’s body and said with a sweet voice and tear-filled eyes: “Don’t make so much effort anymore in your old age. You must heed my words, O Swamiji!”

Sanātana replied: “Speak and I will heed your words!” Hearing this, the cowherd boy mounted Govardhana hill and brought down a Govardhana shila with his footprints on it. Then he told Sanatan Goswami in a very sweet voice: “Ohe Svamiji! Take these footprints of Krishna and walk around them from now on! This will complete your entire circuit of Govardhana hill!” Saying this, Krishna brought the shila into Sanatan’s kutir and disappeared. Not seeing the boy anymore, Sanatan became very upset.

Observing Sanatan in secret and seeing that he was so upset, Krishna revealed his real identity to him with great loving ecstasy. Sanatan was drenched with his own tears and only with great difficulty could he manage to remain calm.

This Govardhana shila with Sri Krishna’s footprints on it remains in the Radha Damodar temple in Vrindavan, proclaiming the glories of Chakra Tirtha.

Daivata Giri is said by Bhakti-ratnākara to mean Govardhana hill itself and Ratnapīṭha is the jeweled throne that Sri Radharani sat on before and while she was being kidnapped by Śaṅkhacūḍa along with the throne, after which Sri Krishna killed Śaṅkhacūḍa.

ei ratna siṁhāsana ithe bahu kathā,
ratna siṁhāsane śrī rādhikā chilo ethā.
śaṅkhacūḍa vadhera kāraṇa ethā hoite,
yaiche kṛṣṇa vadhe tā’ vidita bhāgavate

There are many narrations about this Ratna Siṁhāsana. Sri Radhika sat on it, and it was also the cause of the killing of Shankhachura. From Śrīmad Bhāgavata you can learn how Krishna killed Shankhachura.

Srila Raghunath Das Goswami says: “I praise all these holy places around Govardhana hill!”

govardhana cāri dhāre,sei saba sarovare,
sīri-kuṇḍa kadamba-khaṇḍa ādi
apsarā rudra gaurī,mālyahāra vibudhāri,
jyotsnā-mokṣaṇa indra-dhvaja vedī.
yei cakra-tīrtha,śrī daivata parbata,
ratna-pīṭhādi yoto śobhe
nitya mui stava kori,sei līlā manohārī
darśana koribo ei lobhe

Eager to see the enchanting pastimes that take place there, I eternally praise all the beautiful lakes and other holy places that exist all around Govardhana hill, such as Siri Kund, Kadamba Khand, Apsara Kund, Rudra Kund, Gauri Tirtha, Malyahara Kund, Vibudhari Kund, Mokshan Kund, Indra-dhvaja Vedī, Chakra Tirtha, Sri Daivata Giri and Ratna Pith.”

Commentary of Sri Radha Kund Mahant, Pandit Sri Ananta Das Babaji Maharaj is named Stavāmṛta Kaṇā Vyākhyā (a drop of the nectar of Stavāvalī), and was published in Gaurābda 503 (1989 A.D.) from Sri Krishna chaitanya Shastra Mandir, Vrajananda Ghera, PO Radhakunda (district Mathura), U.P., India.

Devotional songs in Bengali that follow each commentary were composed by Dr. Haripada Sheel.

© Translated by Advaita dāsa in 1994

More of Ananta Das Pandit’s writings in English translation can be found at Tarun Govinda’s blog, Amrita Tarangini.

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The most prominent doctrinal presentations of Vaishnavism build on scholarship into the aesthetics of rasa (bliss, delight) and the role of leela (play) in Krishna worship. The Vaishnava poets who present this devotional vision of a human god playing in his paradisial abode of Vrindavan is filled with descriptions of its charms, its beauty, its lakes and the river Yamuna, its abundant forests with all manner of fruit and fodder for the cows, all an essential part of any Hindu vision of paradise. Svāyambhuva Āgama is a pertinent example of this imagery in the following meditation:

An intelligent person should remember the Kālindī River, which is dear (vallabhā) to Krishna, with creepers of nectar overhanging her, where many creatures reside, giving pleasure in all seasons, with crystal clear waters, granting happiness to all living beings; her waters appear dark blue like the blue lotus leaf, rippling in the gentle breezes and made fragrant by the Vṛndāvana pollen; with golden lotuses on its banks and bowers on the shores in which there are places for young damsels to enjoy.

O Devi, the sādhaka should then meditate on Vrindavan, filled with joy and made colorful by ever new flowers blooming. That land is described by words that reveal that it is the superior happiness of Krishna’s own bliss. It is embraced by the sounds of many colorful birds and intoxicated bees who buzz about among the jeweled creepers.

The ground is sprinkled with thought gems, and a net of moonlight. All fruits and flowers from all the seasons brighten the forest, and all the vegetation trembles in the light breezes that come across the Yamunā. Vrindavan is filled with flowers, varieties of trees and birds. It is the one pleasure garden of the Lord, the manifestation of the happiness of the three worlds, the place of amorous people, set and organized beautifully.

In that Vrindavan is a beautiful throne made of various gems, pleasing, more soft than flowers, covered with a soft cloth, having the four legs of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa, and adorned by the crest ornaments of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh.

One should then meditate on a young boy sitting on that throne. The boy is overwhelmed with love, dressed in yellow, blue like the sweet pea flower, the very embodiment of luster, submerged in the bliss of the ocean of līlā-rasa, the ocean of happiness, having the hue of a new cloud, decorated with a peacock feather in the locks of his hair.

Despite this vision of an archetypal natural paradise, most of the Vaishnava poets even going back to the original foundational works of Krishna mythology like the Bhāgavatam make no explicit link between their theological concepts of Vrindavan as a dhāma, or “penumbra” of the Lord, or the kinds of discourse that exist in modern ecological thinking. However, since Vrindavan is understood as a specifically divine locus integral to their theological idea that the wholeness of Deity the includes the natural surroundings of an earthly paradise, i.e., nature, it seems to naturally serve as the ontological basis for a particular environmental perspective growing out of the worldly Vrindavan of today.

This pilgrimage town is now undergoing environmental shocks and stresses of rapid 21st century development, urbanization and the consequent destruction of almost all natural habitats, what to speak of the human sanctuaries that surrounded the ashrams and temples of the old town in the classical model of the tapo-vana, the forest hermitage. Indeed, it is rather more surprising that this wholesale destruction has not met with more protest, and that the potential for a robust ecological theology has not been more powerfully realized to this date.

Though I have not done a study to document all these Vrindavan-theology-based environmental perspectives, some of the more prominent ideas can be summarized as follows:

1. Vrindavan is conceptualized both as the transcendental realm of Krishna and as the physical environment. Both of these locations are very important ecologically, with the latter serving as a terrestrial representation of the former.
2. Religious and spiritual methods of understanding Krishna theology and its relationship to Vrindavan must involve ecological considerations.
3. The mismatch between scriptural depictions and the actual physical state of Vrindavan reflects human mismanagement and a lack of balance in human priorities.
4. Idealized stances including the idea that only the transcendental Vrindavan matters as opposed to managing and addressing the current ecological state of the terrestrial Vrindavan are not taken seriously.
5. Self-introspection (sādhanā) and spiritual practice through service (sevā) are integral to achieving a balanced personal state for the individual and hence a balanced ecological state with the natural and cultural world. Krishna’s personal example of self-balance and its resultant nature-world balance serve as a model of personal ecological awareness-creation and environmentalism.
6. In Vrindavan, nature is inherently divine. Trees, plants and animals are our teachers, and we should become aware of their divinity and worship them.
7. Ontologically, the actual location of Vrindavan provides the understanding that any place or environment, when perceived with awareness of its inherent divinity, is Vrindavan. The raison d’être of Krishna’s incarnation as an environmentalist in Vrindavan is to teach and live this.

The description of the devotional characteristics and symbolization in scriptural and devotional injunctions has not been directly related to explaining the existence and outcome of ecological activities in Vrindavan. In contrast, instances of this detailed aesthetic and ecological imagery abound in the rasika (devotional) poetry of many medieval saints of Vrindavan such as Hari Ram Vyas, Swami Hari Das or Hit Harivansh.

However, as is clear from the current state of the Vrindavan environment: ‘there is trouble in paradise today, on earth if not in heaven’. This discord between the ideal and the real requires a review of how development has negatively contributed to this state and how environmental groups have worked with the local community based on present, historical and scriptural ideals.

Seven Levels of Human Ecology

One area that has not been considered in the above intersection of theology, mythology and ecology is the more practical real-life dimension of pilgrimage. The present economic development model for the current Vrindavan-Mathura municipality is to make it a tourism-cum-pilgrimage center, for both in-country and foreign visitors. In the interest of the general environmental future of India — which, make no mistake, is in for serious problems in the current fever-pitch development, it is imperative that they be accompanied by an understanding of modern ecological concerns that will be able to communicate to both a secular and a religious audience.

Here I present a model based on pilgrimage and human ecology, developed over the past 20 years in the course of conducting fieldwork with Vrindavan environmental NGOs. I use the model of human ecology as a tool to observe pilgrimage in terms of a cycle.

The cycle begins with the Divine or divinity and ends with ecology. The model treats humans as custodians in this balance. It illustrates how ecological and spiritual awareness can evolve from pilgrimage and how pilgrimage nurtures a holistic understanding and connection with nature.

These levels occur simultaneously and incorporate each other to form a representation of a holistic totality or vision that sees beyond religion, geographical location, class or caste, or borders of any kind. Here the seven levels or dimensions of human ecology are presented as an interpretation of pilgrimage. They are:

1. Divinity/spirituality – The world within and without is divine by its very nature.
2. Nature – This is the outer manifestation, the curtain, of this inner (divine) truth.
3. Culture – All creatures learn from nature, and as human beings, we give and take from it, and this becomes our culture.
4. Heritage – Specific cultural expressions are maintained over time; they become deeply embedded in our personal dealings and our environment, e.g., art, music, architecture, food and lifestyle.
5. Pilgrimage – A method where we can see differences and similarities across time and environments through physical, intellectual and emotional travel.
6. Human welfare – Pilgrimage helps us to realize that ultimately human beings share similar strivings, problems, needs, desires and will to find peace in life. This is related to human welfare in social and environmental domains.
7. Ecology – When human beings are in consonance with themselves, their close social group, greater society and nature, then the possibility of ecology and a balanced relationship between the human and nature is arrived at.

Vrindavan is a prototypical example of this relationship. This ideal of human-nature-spirit interaction is termed Vrindavan – The human sanctuary.

I have worked with Shri Sewak Sharan Ji on refining this model to form a theoretical description posing scientific, religious and pilgrimage-based questions as to why Vrindavan ecological perspectives and practical incentives have not lived up to their own expectations and how environmentally aware pilgrimage is an essential aspect of Krishna pilgrimage.

Environmental awareness does not appear to be a major priority for pilgrims to Vrindavan; this seems especially so for ‘weekend pilgrims’ from Delhi.

Writers such as Kiran Shinde have attempted to account for the reasons why this beliefs or knowledge beyond borders has not been synthesized or accepted by the masses of pilgrims that converge on the town every year. Shinde claims that a large majority of pilgrims fall into the category of ‘sacred sightseers’.
The dramatic increase in (pilgrimage) tour operators and food venues in the vicinity of Vrindavan’s most popular temples suggests that there has been a great shift from traditional pilgrimage to consumer pilgrimage, where visitors demand good accommodation and contemporary food.

Traditional Vrindavan pilgrimage, which is intimately connected to the land and myth of Braj and Krishna, has, like other pilgrimage locations in India, become dwarfed by the increased emphasis on the economic benefits of tourism. Such a shift has also been seen in pilgrimages in other Third World locations and through the process of religious commodification.

My own suggestions for this shift away from ecologically aware pilgrimage are based on observing almost two decades of vast ecological changes in Vrindavan, which are commonly associated with tourism-based changes.

Pilgrims and the ‘pilgrimage industry’ have begun to commodify the pilgrimage process and experience. Pilgrims tend not to undertake the long tirtha-yatras (journeying to holy places) common in the past. Vrindavan pilgrimage has been made easily accessible to the uninitiated through the increase in the speed of travel to Vrindavan from Delhi, the increase in creature comforts available in Vrindavan guest houses and the more fluid facilitation of popular and easily approachable pilgrimage ends such as darshan (sacred vision of the deity) and access to the company of modern spiritual leaders and scriptural orators.

Through this modernization, the traditional process of what is more ‘ecologically aware’ pilgrimage, connected to the land and appreciating and meditating on the legends associated with it, has been lost.

While not necessarily detrimental, the ecological effects of this pilgrimage shift have been great. Pilgrimage in Vrindavan has brought about such large changes in the town’s landscape that it is now difficult to perceive the town in terms of its past; the forest groves described as Krishna’s playground now appear as a romantic reminder of what exists only in scriptures and perhaps in the minds of some older and earnest pilgrims and spiritual practitioners.

The seven levels of human ecology model help to explain how the attraction of traditional processes of pilgrimage may have declined due to their disconnection from nature and limited awareness of the sensitive cultural and religious heritage of Vrindavan.

Akrur Van near Vrindavan

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Praheli-vinoda Khanda :: Riddle games

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Although Sri Rupa Goswami’s sutra mentions prahelis (riddles), Govinda-līlāmṛta hasn’t included them. But since they form a part of the original Bhagavata version of the Rasa-lila (10.32), Vishwanath Chakravarti says it should be considered an integral part of that pastime.

So while everyone rests at Vamshivata, this is a good time to present some of Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta’s prahelis (Chapter 19). Krishna offers the first riddle. Because Gopinath Bosak’s Bengali padyānuvadas have been nicely done, they have been included here rather than the original Sanskrit of Vishwanath:

“Who, although naturally unconscious, on attaining consciousness enchant the entire universe? And who, despite having a body with nine gates, is neither god nor human? Let’s see if you can tell me who has these characteristics?”

Radhika answers,

“This one, on whom you always bestow your lip nectar, is most certainly your procuress (kuṭṭinī). She is the one who has these characteristics, and is known to the world as your priya vaṁśikā.”

Then Radha composes her own praheli:

“Oh Prananath! Who is that passionate beloved who faints while singing your glories in which she is so immersed, who is graced by many qualities, who resides in our village but is famous for her skill in ananga-rasa?”

Radha’s riddle is amazing for its multi-meanings. The word mūrcchana means to faint, but it also refers to the fading of a melody, and atanu is a name of Cupid, who has no body, but here it refers to a song’s imperceptible feature. So the poem’s outward appearance of eroticism draws Krishna’s attention; yet the real answer isn’t erotic as it first appears. However, Krishna gets it and replies,

“O Radhe! That jealous, talented and fortunate one who can remove even my vamshi’s pride, whose sweetness brings me joy, and who, like you, has plump, gourd-like breasts, certainly must be your vina!”

The sakhis smile and applaud Krishna’s wit, but then Lalita Sundari recites her praheli:

“Who is known for being youthful and yet is very old? Who is bound, yet always attains the liberated state? And who, even when clean, is as black as night? Oh Krishna, tell us who are these crooked ones.”

Krishna answers with a grin :

“Although they are supposed to be kept bound in every activity, I give them liberation at the beginning of rati-keli. Thus Radha’s elegant hairs are very dear to me—even though they are divided by a part.”

A woman’s hair is to be bound at all times, except in privacy.

Krishna prowess thrills the sakhis, but then Vishakha presents her riddle:

Krishna replies;

A yogini is a match-maker, bringing two people together, as well as a practitioner of the mystic arts and spiritual knowledge.

Chitra Devi offers her vicitra praheli next:

“Who is always the best means to liberation,
whose entire body is sense-controlled, who loves that which is holy,
and whose virtues are tinged red with passion:
Tell us who this is and make your tongue blessed.”

Krishna answers,

Hearing Krishna’s words Radha feigns resentment and starts to leave. But with a smile, Krishna exclaims, “Hey Priya! Fearing defeat, don’t retreat—just hold on, I’m going to outwit you this time, listen:

“This object’s first syllable means the best
the second is known as the devatas,
the third is your dearest activity,
the fourth is a type of heavenly tree,
and the fifth syllable gives pleasure to the ears.
So just tell me the answer which will delight your sakhis.”

Srimati understands that Krishna is boldly speaking of her su-ra-ta-ru-ta (the sounds she makes during rati keli). Thus frowning her evebrows, she retorts: “You’ll find the answer with Padma’s sakhi (Chandravali). But why don’t you answer my praheli first?

What do the grihasthas pray for? (Answer: suta or a son)
What do the young men desire? (Answer: rata)
What is the first letter of a synonym of vina? (Answer: tata)
Which word denotes a loud cry? (Answer: ruta)
What is that thing that the wicked sakhis are always hiding
and want to relish it always?

Hence, the answer to Radha’s praheli is the same as Krishna’s a ramani’s heart—piercing cry during rati-keli. Krishna guesses the answer, thinking he is very smart: surata-ruta! But then the sakhis cheer and exclaim: “Aha! Radha has won!”

Thus with beaming smiles they tell Krishna “Oh Ajita! You’ve lost because the answer to your own praheli slipped from your own mouth! Thus our Rajanandini Radha is the worshipable Jaya Sri, the Goddess of Victory!”

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Energy minister lights lamp. Saturday 9pm: Energy minister Srikant Sharma lit the aarati lamp at the Anand Festival held at Gayaal Smruti Bhawan, Thana Road. Kosikalan. Crowds gathered to see the chappan bhog and sing in a nightlong kirtan. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Agrotech

Grants for Composting. Mathura: In an attempt to reduce the use of urea fertilizer, which is known to reduce soil quality and is possibly dangerous to health, the Agriculture Department has announced that grants will be available to farmers willing to install vermicompost (worm-compost) plants. The Agriculture Department says that the cost of installing a vermicompost plant is around Rs 8000 and the department will provide Rs 6000 towards the cost. The Gram Panchayat (village council) will provide training to farmers in vermicomposting. The training program is due to start from the end of October. Read more (Hindi)

P.C Jagran

Rubbish removed from nali after 5 years. The streets and park around the densely populated area near Banke Bihar temple are now clean, thanks to an all-day cleaning campaign organized by Jagran’s ‘Mission 1000’ cleaning program. Jagran news reports state that residents were complaining that the nali (gutter) had not been cleaned for 5 years and that the blocked drain caused water to flow onto the street. Residents said that the teams of monkeys who eat the garbage create havoc in the neighbourhood and that despite multiple complaints lodged with the Municipality, nothing had been done. Jagran reports that as soon as the all-day cleaning mission was completed, kids came out to play on the streets. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Patrika

Akhilesh Yadav lays foundation stone for Dharamashala. Sunday, 1.30pm: MP Akilesh Yadav, former U.P. chief minister, laid the foundation stone at Yadav Dharamashala, Rukmini Vihar, Vrindavan. After the foundation stone ceremony, Akhilesh Yadav addressed a public meeting, consisting mostly of members of the Yadav community. Yadav criticised the current CM, Yogi Adityanath, and said that Yogi’s government will be unable to clean the Yamuna and Ganga. Read more (Hindi)

UPCOMING EVENTS

Karttik is the season of programs, here is few we have noticed:

*Oct. 8-12 Sri Hit Satsang Bhoomi, Gandhi Marg: Program Mahants: Srihit Kamaldasji Maharaj, Sri Hit Ambarishji, Swami SriRam Sharma. Programs running in both morning and evening. Read more

*Oct. 8-15 Ramesh Bhai Ojha,  Govardhan, Parasauli village, at Surdas’s samadhi: Ramesh Ojha, from Gujarat, is one of the most popular Bhagavata speakers in India. Read more

*Oct. 11-17, 22-28 Kelimal Rasotsava, Nidhivan: Jsr Madhukar is well known in Vrindavan for his numerous recordings and performances. This program is a really attractive one. Haridas Swami wrote Kelimal, which contains 100 songs. So it is not often that the entire 100 songs are performed all the way through.  Jsr Madhukar will do twice, Oct 11-17 and Oct. 22-28 daily from 9-1pm . Read more

If you have an upcoming event, email us at: vrindavantoday@gmail.com

The post Today’s Digest: Karttik events; Grants for Composting; Akhilesh Yadav visits, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

47 As Krishna and the gopis sit beneath Vamshivata, they look towards the beautiful Yamuna, who sees them and her thirst to experience the joy of gazing at them becomes exceedingly great. So she laughs with her bubbling foam and sings with the songs of her waterbirds.

48 Her waves brush forward to festively touch Krishna’s charana kamala, her eyes in the form of the wind-restless blooming lotus flowers are wide open, her nose raised in the form of the surfacing crocodiles’ beaks, and her ears take the form of whirlpools that are eager to hear Krishna’s speech.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Although it is here described that crocodiles swim in the Yamuna, one need not worry; they behave just like tame pets for everyone’s pleasure. They are also Krishna’s bhaktas.

49 Seeing the beauty of the Yamuna and her banks, Krishna yearns to cross the river so he can enjoy playing with the gopis on the sandy banks. Thus they all get up.

50 When Krishna and the gopis step into the water, Yamuna’s hand-like waves repeatedly offer lotus flowers to their lotus feet. In this way she offers puja and praise.

51 Both the male swans and their female partners are intrigued hearing the ruffling clothes and ankle-bells of the gopis, so they glide near, practicing making their own enchanting sounds as it were.

52 At first Yamunaji’s water swelled up from the joy of seeing Krishna, but then knowing his intention to cross, she became very shallow in the rapid movement of her waters.

53-54 Thus her main current was only knee deep and the rivulets running through the sand only ankle deep. 54 After crossing both the main current and the rivulets, Krishna and his priya sanginis promenaded on the sandbars.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The sandbar where the Rasa lila takes place is called Ananga Rangambuja Pulina. It is on the north-eastern side of Govinda Sthali. To go there one has to cross many small rivulets of the Yamuna.

55 Krishna loves to excite the gopis’ desires for vilasa. Thus he eagerly smiles, glances, jokes and exchanges sweet words. Then he embraces them, fondles their breasts and kisses them, too.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The manjaris observe: Krishna curiously looks at the gopis’ pretty lips, and says, “What are these? Are there white kunda flowers blooming among the red bandhuli? And who says that the bandhuli flower has no fragrance? A kunkum and lotus-fragrance is coming from them, making my nose restless! Oh, let me see if they’re really filled with madhu. I’ll test them!” So thinking, he samples the nectar of each gopis’ lips, saying: “Aha! These bandhulis are definitely filled with madhu…and so are these…!”

Chakra-bhramana Rasa

56-57 Then Shyamasundar and his priya sanginis come to the merry-go-round (chakra bhramana) and step onto it. The round platform rests on a pivot eighteen inches above the ground. Radha and Krishna stand in the middle and the gopis form three circles surrounding them.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā:This amazing Rasa mandala rotates in a circle. The gopis stand on three platforms each of which is slightly higher than the former.

58 Aho! As Shyama-natavara embraces Rai Rangini amidst the others—he looks like a tamal tree embraced by a golden lata. 59 Then Radha and Krishna, the best of all dancers, request Lalita and others to begin hallīśaka-nṛtya, putting their hands on each other’s shoulders.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: (Hallīśaka-nṛtya) is circular dancing performed by women when they place their hands on each other’s shoulders. In the center, Shyama Nataraja and Rasamani Rai also begin dancing. The merry-go-round is made to turn by the drumbeat of the gopis and Krishna’s dancing.

60 Thus the rasa chakra or merry-go-round rotates like a potter’s wheel from the beating of everyone’s skillful dancing steps. 61 Krishna places Radha between Lalita and Vishakha sometimes placing hands on one or the other of their shoulders, he sings and the other gopis sing with him, or he dances and they dance with him.

62 When Krishna and the gopis dance slowly, the merry-go-round moves slowly; and, as they speed up, it keeps pace with the rhythm of the dancing. 63 Then Krishna expands into many murtis and places his arms above each gopi’s shoulders. So now it appears that many golden lata-entwined tamal trees are dancing together! 64 Krishna moves swiftly like a twirling firebrand. Thus each gopi thinks, “Oh! Krishna hasn’t gone elsewhere—he’s right here beside me!”

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: When a burning stick is twirled in the air it appears like an unbroken fire circle called an alāta chakra. As Nataraj Krishna swiftly dances, his dazzling yellow dhoti and chaddar frantically twirl, making him appear stationary even though he is continually shifting.

65 Aho! Rasa Vihari directs the gopis’ three circles into one. Then he dances beside each Vraja kishori along the edge of the speeding Raas chakra!

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Removing their hands from each other’s shoulders. Krishna and the gopis now begin dancing with freely flowing movements while showing different hand poses.

66 Then Krishna performs another wonder: As the merry-go-round swiftly rotates, he steps off it and onto the ground and then steps back up again — all the while dancing in harmony with the Vraja nitambinis! Sometimes he does this in all his forms at once, and sometimes he does it in sequence. 67 Then the gopis follow, sometimes stepping down and back aboard simultaneously, and sometimes individually.  

The post Govinda Lilamrita :: Yamuna pulina and merry-go-round appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Bahulastami Preparations.  Safety preparations are underway for the Bahulastami festival to be held on October 12^th. Bahulastami is the festival where couples take snarn (bath) in Radha Kund and make a pledge to give up a particular item for a year, in the hope that they will soon be blessed with a child. This year, authorities are not leaving the safety of the pilgrims up to chance –  CCTV cameras are being installed around the market; 20 lifesavers will be on patrol in 4 boats; 5 parking lots are being designated and the area will be well lit. Even stray cows will be kept under control by teams of youths who will guide them away from the area. The main snarn is at midnight, but the mela will be underway by midday. This year, the mela is set to have many attractions, even a pet show. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Peacock lila at Goverdhan. The audience at the Sur Shyam Go Aradhana festival, organized by Sur Shyam Seva Sanstha, were thrilled yesterday when Krishna took on His peacock form.  The gopis on stage, Radha Rani herself and the audience were all mesmerized by Krishna’s peacock dance. Radha Rani is extremely fond of peacocks, so, to please her, Krishna takes the form of a peacock and dances. Before the Ras Lila performance, Ramesh Ojha, one of the most popular Bhagavata speakers in India, reminded people about the need for cleanliness and said that temples are the places where purity starts. He also told people that they should not be afraid of death, but should not forget about it either. The program will continue until October 15^th. Read more

P.C. Jagran

Film shooting at Kusum Sarovar. Yesterday, for the shooting of Anil Sharma’s upcoming film ‘Genius’, the ghats at Kusum Sarovar were filled with nearly 1000 actors including Bollywood actors, foreign actors, and local school children. ‘Genius’ is a story about Holi in the villages of Braj. Yesterday saw the filming of the songs for the movie, as well as a tractor-Holi scene which was filmed in the fields near Kusum Sarovar. Film shootings have been underway in Braj for several weeks now, with much of the film shot in Vrindavan’s Jaipur Mandir. The hero in the film is the director’s son, Uttarkash Sharma, and the heroine is Ishita. Read more (Hindi)

Bhagavat Gita Centers, Model Unveiled. At a press conference in Vrindavan, yesterday, former IPS officer, Brahma Bodhi Siddhart, unveiled a model Bhagavad Gita Center. Bharatiya Chetna Kendra is to establish a Bhadavad Gita Center in every village in India. In these centers, elder people will help the youth in areas such as education, finding employment and health. To date, Bharatiya Chetna Kendra has distributed over 120 million copies of Bhagavad Gita in India and around the world. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Amar Ujala

Solidarity for orphaned suicide victim.  Mainstream and social media are being flooded with stories about 19 year old Rakhi who suicided by taking poison after her parents’ murderers were not apprehended by police. Rakhi’s parents, Banwari Lal and Ravi Bala were sleeping in their house in Amar Colony Mathura on March 8, 2017, when thieves broke into their house, killing them and taking 3 lakh cash and jewelry. The house was under construction, so Rakhi and her brother and sister were sleeping at the neighbour’s house. After the murder, Rakhi, the oldest of the three children, did everything she possibly could to push the authorities to take action to find her parents’ murderers. Rakhi wrote to PM Modi and CM Yogi; made videos for social media; met local ministers and went on a hunger strike, but, to no avail.  After Rakhi’s suicide, her body was carried onto the streets in a demand for justice. Rakhi’s brother and sister will now get Rs5 lakh in compensation and we pray that the culprits will soon be apprehended. Read more (Hindi)

The post Today’s Digest: Bahulastami at Radha Kund; Peacock dance; Film shooting, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Shri Radha-Gokulananda Ju

Vrindavan, 2017.10.11 (VT): Yesterday the disappearance day of Shri Narottam Das Thakur was celebrated at the Shri Radha-Gokulananda temple in Vrindavan. An enchanting program of divine kirtan and katha was organized under the auspices of Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami of the Radharaman Temple. (The Shri Radha-Gokulananda temple is also under Maharajji’s care).

In the morning, Shri Sarang Thakur Das  and other devotees from ISKCON sang Narottam Das Thakur’s own compositions in front of his samadhi in the temple garden. Devotees from every branch of the Gaudiya Sampraday danced together to the divine words that poured from Shri Narottam’s heart.  In the evening, devotees gathered again to relish the story of Narottam Das Thakur’s life, told by Shri Achyut Lal Bhatt Goswami, Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami and Shri Prem Das Shastriji.

The Life of Narottam Das Thakur

Shri Narottam Das Thakur was born in a wealthy Kayastha family, in the village of Kheturi, Bengal. He was the incarnation of Shri Radharani’s beloved maidservant named Champak Manjari. Her primary seva is to bring delicious milk for the Divine Couple to drink.

From childhood Narottam showed extreme intelligence and devotion. He had many divine dreams in which the Lord came and spoke to him directly.

Acharya Shrivatsa Goswami and his son Abhinav Goswami presided over the utsav

But even before he was born, Shri Chaitanya Mahaparabhu had prepared a special gift for him. Years before Narottam was born, Mahaprabhu visited the river Padma near Narottam’s hometown. He invoked the river goddess and spoke to her face to face. “O Devi,” said Mahaprabhu, “My companions have cried so many tears of love during our sankirtan. Secretly, I collected all their precious tears like pearls and tied them in the corner of my shawl. Now I am giving them to you for safekeeping. You must protect this treasure of love, and when my servant Narottam comes to bathe in you, give this treasure to him.”

“But who is Narottam? How will I recognize him?”

“The one who makes your waters overflow by his touch is my Narottam.”

When Narottam reached twelve years of age, Mahaprabhu’s brother Nityananda came to him in a dream and told him to bathe in the Padma. The very next morning, he set off to bathe in the river. As soon as his foot touched the water, the river overflowed her banks like the ocean at high tide. The goddess knew that Narottam was the one whom Mahaprabhu had spoken of, and she gave him the treasure she had protected within herself for so long.

The singers from ISKCON were Shastriya Siddhanta Das, Pundarikaksha Das, and Saranga Thakur Das.

Narottam’s complexion had been dull before, but now he began to shine like gold. Filled with sacred love, he became intoxicated with bliss; tears rolled from his eyes and his body trembled as he chanted the name of Shri Krishna. He wanted to run away to Vrindavan at that very moment! But he waited until his elderly father passed away, and his cousin took over responsibility for the family. Once the situation at his home became stable, Narottam left for Vrindavan.

Narottam wept as he ran towards Braj, completely absorbed in thoughts of his beloved Radha and Krishna. He had almost no remembrance of his body, and he often went without food or water. Many divine events occurred on the way. Once when he became very weak, Mahaprabhu himself came in a spiritual form and brought milk for him. When he was too weak to drink the milk, Shri Roop-Sanatan also suddenly appeared and helped him drink.

Narottam takes shelter of Shri Loknath Goswami

After Mahaprabhu left this world, many other pillars of the Gaudiya Sampraday also returned to the eternal abode. Nityananda Prabhu and Advaitacharya left, as did Shri Roop-Sanatan and Shri Raghunath Bhatt Goswami. Shri Raghunath Das Goswami retired to Radhakund, weeping constant tears of separation.

The only leaders of the Sampraday who were still in Vrindavan when Narottam arrived were Loknath Goswami, Bhugarbha Goswami, Gopal Bhatt Goswami and Jeev Goswami.

Narottam wanted Loknath Goswami to be his guru, but Loknath had taken a vow not to initiate anyone. He would not accept seva from anyone either. But Narottam was determined that only Loknath would be his guru, and so he found every opportunity to serve him in secret.

Narottam’s Guru Seva

Shri Loknath Goswami, near Narottam Das Thakur’s Samadhi at Shri Radha-Gokulananda Mandir

Every day at about 3 a.m. Narottam went to the place in the forest where Loknath would ease the call of nature. Narottam cleaned the spot with a broom and placed an earthen pot full of water there for Loknath to use. He then hid behind a tree and waited until Loknath came. And after he left, he removed the feces and again swept the spot with a broom.

He did this every day. Narottam was so happy to do this seva for his chosen guru that he would hug the broom and wash it with his tears.

After a year, Loknath began to wonder who was serving him in this way. He decided to find out.

One day he went early to the forest and watched as Narottam came and began to sweep the spot. It was very dark, and Loknath was not able to see him clearly.

“Who are you?” he asked

“I am Narottam.” replied the man in a humble voice.

“Narottam? You do this work every day?”

Narottam Das Thakur’s Samadhi

Loknath was shocked that Narottam, who was from a rich and powerful family and had been treated like a prince from his childhood, had performed such a menial service for him. Moved by his humility, Loknath finally agreed to give Narottam initiation. By his blessings, Narottam Das became one of the great leaders of the Gaudiya Sampraday.

The Final Years

Narottam studied the scriptures under Shri Jeev Goswami for some years, along with Shri Gopal Bhatt Goswami’s disciple Srinivas Acharya and Shri Hriday Chaitanya’s disciple Shyamananda. When their studies were complete, the three journeyed to Bengal, bringing with them the precious books written by the six Goswamis. After visiting Mahaprabhu’s companions in Bengal and Orissa, Narottam returned to Kheturi and spent the rest of his life preaching bhakti yoga. 

Narottam’s primary method of preaching was through kirtan, and the Garanhati kirtan style was created by him. He wrote Prarthana and Prem Bhakti Chandrika – two famous books of Bengali kirtan that capture the very essence of Gaudiya philosopy. His songs became extremely popular throughout the Bengali-speaking word, reaching as far as Manipur in the Northeast. Today, even devotees in the Western countries are familiar with many of his songs.

A Few of Narottam Das Thakur’s Songs

hari hari kobe hobo vṛndāvana vāsi
nirakhibo nayane yugala rūpa rāśi
tyajiyā śayana sukha vicitra pālańg;
kobe vrajera dhūlāy dhūsora hobe ańg
ṣaḍ rasa bhojana dūre parihari
kobe vraje māgiyā khāibo mādhukarī
parikramā koriyā beṛābo vane vane
viśrāma koribo jāi yamunā puline
tāpa dūra koribo śītala vaḿśī vaṭe
kobe kuñje praveśibo vaiṣṇava nikaṭe
narottama dāsa kohe kori parihāra
kobe vā emona daśa hoibe āmāra

O Lord, when will I become a Brajwasi? When shall I drink the beauty of Shri Radha and Krishna to my heart’s content? When will I abandon my comfortable bed and take shelter in the dust of Vrindavan, adorning my whole body with it? When will I renounce all rich food, and find delight in begging simple alms in Vrindavan? When will I wander thorough the enchanting forests of that holy land, and take rest on the sweet shores of the Yamuna River? When will I find shelter from the heat under the holy Vamshi Vat tree? When will I gain entrance to the enchanted bower, in the association of Vaishnavs? Narottam prays, “Leaving aside all temporary things, when will these blessings become my reality?”

rādhā-kṛṣṇa prāṇa mora jugala-kiśor
jīvane maraṇe gati āro nāhi mor
kālindīra kūle keli-kadambera van
ratana-bedīra upara bosābo du’jan
śyāma-gaurī-ańge dibo candanera gandha
cāmara ḍhulābo kabe heri mukha-candra
gāthiyā mālatīr mālā dibo dohāra gale
adhare tuliyā dibo karpūra-tāmbūle
lalitā viśākhā-ādi jata sakhī-bṛnda
ājñāya koribo sebā caraṇāravinda
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caitanya-prabhur dāser anudās
sevā abhilāṣa kore narottama-dās

Radha and Krishna are my breath of life. In life or in death, I have nothing but them. One day, I shall go to that sacred kadamb grove on the Yamuna beach, and offer my Loves a jewel-inlaid seat. I will anoint Radha’s golden body and Krishna’s dark form with fragrant sandal paste, and delight in the beauty of their lotus faces as I fan them with a whisk. I will decorate them with handmade jasmine garlands, and gently feed them paan laced with camphor. I will serve their lotus feet in every way, under the merciful instructions of Shri Lalita, Vishakha and the other sakhis. The servant of the servants of Shri Chaitanya, Narottam Das, craves only for Their eternal seva.

gauranga karuna koro, dina hina jane
mo-samo patita prabhu, nahi tri-bhuvane
dante trina dhori’ gaura, daki he tomar
kripa kori’ eso amar, hridoya mandire
jadi doya na koribe, patita dekhiya
patita pavana nama, kisera lagiya
podeci bhava tuphane, nahika nistar
sri carana tarani dane, dase koro par
sri krishna caitanya prabhur daser anudas
prarthana koraye sada, narottam das

O Shri Gauranga, please have mercy such a wretched person as me. O Lord, in all the universe you will not find anyone as lowly as I am. Keeping a piece of grass in my teeth (a symbol of humility) I cry out to you and beg you – please come and live in the temple of my heart! If you can look upon such a fallen soul and still not bestow your mercy, then why should anyone call you ‘the Friend of the fallen’? I am trapped in the hurricaine of maya; there is no escape. Come now with the lifeboat of your lotus feet, and take your servant to the other shore. This is the eternal prayer of Narottam Das, the servant of Your servants.

The post Narottam Das Thakur’s Disappearance Day appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

68 Thus Rasika Murari enjoyed the merry-go-round dancing with his priya sanginis. But as the desire awakens to enjoys a more special Rasa lila, he gets down from the chakra 69 and goes to the Yamuna bank known as Anaṅgollāsa-raṅga. This sand bar site has been cleaned the Yamuna’s soft wave hands, is perfumed by the lilies and sprinkled by the fine white moon-rays; thus it is ideal for Maha Rasa.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Anaṅgollāsa-raṅga or Madanollāsa-raṅga is Cupid’s sporting ground, in which he derives great pleasure. This sandbar is in Govinda Sthali’s northeastern sector.

70 The smiling moon-faced Vraja lalanās hold hands and form a circle surrounding Radha Shyam—just as the galaxy surrounds the full moon and the Vishakha star.

71 Aho! As Krishna and the gopis begin dancing, the Rasa mandal turns into a golden whirling potter’s wheel of gaurangi gopa kishoris. In this way, the potter Kandarpa molds his jar named the Rasa Lila, being spun on the axle named Krishna.

72 Has the Kandarpa fisherman spread in the ocean of pastime a golden net in the form of the Vraja sundaris’ Rasa circle in order to catch the fish of Krishna’s mind with the attractive bait of their pumpkin-like breasts?

73 Seeing his preyasis holding hands, Krishna expands into as many forms to accompany each one, then placing his arms on their shoulders, he dances with them, displaying fascinating poses.

74 If many streaks of lightning could steadily rest within a myriad of whirling clouds, still they could not match the beauty of Krishna’s many murtis dancing with the Vraja sundaris.

75 Sometimes owing to his swiftness, Krishna appears like a firebrand—then each gopi considers: “Oh! Krishna is remaining by my side to show special favor to me!”

76 The sweet sound of Krishna’s flute, the gopis’ singing, jingling bangles, waistbells, anklebells and foot rhythms all pervade the universe!

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Sri Vrindavan’s Rasa-maṇḍala is the origin of all saṅgīta-rasa, the musical arts, and in the upcoming shlokas we can begin to fathom how vast and intricate are the Vraja sundaris’ talents.

77 The gopis sing both baddha and anibaddha songs. Among the baddha there are seven notes: sa ri ga ma pa dha ni which they each sing individually.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Sometimes a gopi sings a solo, and sometimes they sing in harmony. They sing nibaddha songs (free style). The next eleven slokas give some examples of the nibaddha singing. In his commentary, Sri Vrindavan Chakravarti quotes the text Saṅgīta-darpaṇa to explain the following:

From the fire and air below the stomach the asphuṭa-nāda (imperceptible sounds) originate. When they join with the chest-airs to become perceptible, they are called mandra-nāda, the lower or base tones; when they rise to the throat they are called madhyama-nāda, the middle tones, and if they reach to the head they are called tāra-nāda. Yet when these three types of nādas (sounds) join one’s vocal capacity in singing, they are called svaras (melodies). These svaras are governed by twenty-two devis who are called śrutis. According to the śrutis the different svaras have originated.

There are seven svaras or notes belong to seven classifications: sā (ṣaḍja), re (ṛṣabha), ga (gāndhāra), ma (madhyama), pa (pañcama), dha (dhaivata), and ni (niṣāda).

1. When the svara touches the chest, throat, nose, tongue, teeth and the palate it is called ṣaḍja.
2. The ṛṣabha-svara begins from the base of the navel and extends up through the chest.
3. The gāndhāra-svara starts from the navel, travels through the throat, and extends up through the ears.
4. The madhyama-svara centers in the chest; it is grave and deep.
5. The pañcama-svara mixes with the five life airs.
6. The dhaivata-svara begins from the stomach, reaches lower and returns to resound from the throat.
7. The niṣāda-svara is a mixture of the others.

The seven svaras are exemplified by the sounds of the peacock (ṣaḍja), the chataka (ṛṣabha), the goat (gāndhāra), the krauncha or koncha crane (pañcama), the frog (dhaivata), and the elephant (niṣāda). The abbreviated names for these seven svaras are—sā, re, ga, ma, pa, dha and ni.

78 The gopis blissfully sing two types of songs—śuddha (unchanged) and vikṛta (changed). Amongst the śuddha there are seven types and amongst the vikṛta there are eleven.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The seven śuddha svaras were mentioned above, i.e. ṣaḍjī, ṛṣabhī, gāndhārī, madhyamī, pañcamī, dhaivatī and nishādī. So when sung unchanged, they are called śuddha, but if they are mixed with each other they become vikṛta-svaras. The eleven major vikṛta svaras are: ṣaḍja-kaiśikī, ṣaḍja-madhyamī, ṣaḍja-gandharī, ṣaḍja-pañcamī, ṣaḍja-cabati, gāndhārodicara, karmavarī, nandayantī, madhyamodicara, rakta-gāndhārī and madhyama-kaiśikī. Besides these original ones there are countless other vikṛta-svaras.

79There are three types of grāma (scale)—the ṣaḍja, the madhyama and gāndhāra. The gopis sing mostly in the gāndhāra scale, which is impossible for humans.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The ṣaḍja grāma is sung from the heart, the madhyama from the throat and the gāndhāra from the head. The gāndhāra scale can omly be sung by the devatas, but the gopis’ singing even astonishes the heavenly devis.

80 Then the gopis sing the twenty-two śrutis (quarter tones that are derived form the seven svaras), the forty-nine tanas (key notes) and twenty-one types of mūrchanā (fading notes).

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Due to having numerous defects, humans can not purely divide the śrutis which are the imperceptible quarter tones in a song. However, to some extent they can be brought out using a vina.

1. The ṣaḍja-svara śrutis are Tivra, Kumudavati, Manda and Chandavati. (According to others, Nandi, Vishala, Sumukhi and Vicitra).
2. The ṛṣabha śrutis are Dayavati, Ranjani and Ratika (or, Chitra, Ghana and Kandalika).
3. The gāndhāra-svara śrutis are Rautri and Krodha (or, Saragha and Mala).
4. The madhyama-svara śrutis are Vrajjika, Prasarini, Priti and Marjani (others say, Magadhi, Shira, Matangika and Maitreyi).
5. The pañcama-svara śrutis are Kshiti, Rakta, Sandipini and Avahina (some say: Bala, Kala, Kalarava and Sangaravi.)
6. The dhaivata-svara śrutis are Mahanti, Rohini and Rama (yet some say: Yatu, Rama and Amrita.)
7. The niṣāda-svara śrutis are Ugra and Kshobhini (or Vijaya and Madhukari).

It is noteworthy that the śrutis are not only the quarter tones on the musical scale, but also the angelic devis who personify these notes. Hence when a virtuous singer is able to sing them perfectly, these devis can even appear in person.

When a svara fades into a rāga (such as mallāra, vasanta, etc.) it is called a mūrchanā. In all three grāmas (scales) there are seven each. The names of the twenty-one types of mūrchanā are: Lalita, Madhyama, Chitra, Rohini, Matangaja, Sauvira, Varna-madhya, ṣaḍja-madhya, Panchami, Matsari, Mridu-madhya, śuddhanta, Kalavati, Tivra, Raudri, Brahmi, Khechari, Nadavati, Vishala Ketumbari and Madhullasa.

The post Govinda Lilamrita :: Maha Rasa appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Damodar Temple in Damodar month. The usually crowded Radha Damodar temple is now bursting with thousands of people doing parikrama of Sanatan Goswami’s Goverdhan Shila. Kanika Goswami and Krishna Goswami told reporters that, when devotees come to the temple with hearts full of love and devotion, Thakurji arranges that they enjoy favorable circumstances. Acharya Shyam Chaturvedi said that during Kartik, all of the the 33 million demigods stay close by to help with all kinds of work, and, Krishna’s Damodar lila reminds devotees that even God allows Himself to be controlled by pure love.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Patrika

Streets Cleaned for Sri Ram’s arrival. In a cleaning program organized by Member for Mathura, Mr Srikant Sharma, residents of Braj are extending their traditional Diwali cleaning activities to the streets. Mr Srikant Sharma is riding a cycle around town to promote the cleaning program. Fullstory reports that the “cleanliness drive is turning into a people’s movement”, because, even in areas that the minister is yet to visit, people are cleaning the streets in their neighborhoods. In the lead up to Diwali, the feeling that a clean environment will attract Sri Ram and Laxmi Devi into our homes works like ‘a spoon full of sugar’ to get the cleaning done.

P.C. Millennium Post

Yamuna Expressway Alert. The number of accidents on the Yamuna Expressway has been increasing steadily; with a total of 4505 accidents recorded in the 4.5 years since its inception. To date, the highest number of incidents was reported in 2016. So far this year, 432 accidents and 78 casualties have been recorded. Most of the accidents involve high speeds and tyre bursts. Authorities are making efforts to reduce speeding – speed cameras are being installed at toll booths and more police will be deployed to patrol the highway. Read more (English)

P.C. You Tube

Shooting will start after Diwali. Shooting for Siddharth Nagar’s film, Dhabba, is scheduled to start in Mathura after Diwali. Srityam Kumar Bhattacharya and Varsha Manikand will star in the film that promises to contain a positive message about the importance of education. The trend of shooting films in Braj has increased recently, after the success of Akshay Kumar’s film Toilet, which promoted the message, ‘no toilet no bride’. Locals and temple authorities were upset by the filming of Toilet because the title is irreverent and marriage between residents of Nandagaon and Barsana is discouraged, out of reverence for Radha and Krishna’s pure love. Read more (Hindi)

UPCOMING EVENTS

25^th October, 12.30pm: ISKCON’s Jagannath, Baladev, Subadra will enjoy a Rath Yatra in Vrindavan. The procession will leave from Krishna Sharanam (Near Prem Mandir), reach Attala Chungi, then return to ISKCON temple. All are invited to participate. Read more (English)

If you have an upcoming event, contact us at vrindavantoday@gmail.com

The post Today’s Digest: Environmentalist MP rides cycle; Yamuna Expressway Alert, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Narottam Das’s disappearance day was celebrated at his samadhi at the Gokulananda temple in the old town. Vishakha Devi has nicely described the outlines of Narottam Das’s life, which on reading we will see that after spending several years as a student in Vrindavan, studying under Jiva Goswami himself, he returned to Bengal never to return again.

Narottam’s two main books are Prārthanā and Prema-bhakti-candrikā, which are filled with the mood of separation from Vrindavan and the association of the great devotees who lived there. Altogether, Prārthanā has 55 songs (though some of these are doubtfully his), of which seven can be said to express the longing for a return to Vrindavan. The five songs (22-26) that most exemplify this feeling have the headline: sa-bilāpa śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa-lālasā, “the desire to live in Vrindavan, sung with feelings of lamentation.”

Since in the post-Chaitanya period, Narottam had a great influence on Bengali Vaishnavism, it would not be wrong to say that these songs created in all Bengali Vaishnavas a deep feeling of attachment and attraction to the Holy Dham of Vrindavan.

(8)

dainya-bodhikā

govinda gopīnātha ! kṛpā kari rākha nija-pade |
kāma krodha chaya jane laye phire nānā sthāne
viṣaya bhuñjāya nānā mate ||1||

ha-iyā māyāra dāsa kari nānā abhilāṣa
tomāra śaraṇa gela dūre |
artha lābha ei āśe kapaṭa vaiṣṇava veśe
bhramiyā beḍāi ghare ghare ||2||

aneka duḥkhera pare layechile vraja-pure
kṛpa-ḍora galāya bāɱdhiyā |
daiva-māyā balātkāre khasāiyā sei ḍore
bhava-kūpe dileka ḍāriyā ||3||

punaḥ yadi kṛpā kari e janāre keśe dhari
ṭāniyā tulaha vraja-dhāme |
tabe se dekhiye bhāla natubā parāṇa gela
kahe dīna dāsa narottame ||4||

(1) O Govinda, Gopinath! Please keep me at your feet. The six enemies headed by lust and anger drag me from place to place, so far away from your shelter. and make me experience sense pleasures in various ways.

(2) Being a slave of Maya and having so many desires, and my memory of you fled far away. Pretending to be a Vaishnava, I wander from door to door in the hope of collecting money.

(3) After so much suffering, you dragged me to Vrindavan, tying the rope of mercy around my neck. Then cruel fortune loosened that rope and threw me back into the well of material life.

(4) If you would only show your mercy once again and grab me by the hair, pull me out of this hole and toss me down in Braja Dham, then things will look better for me. Otherwise I may as well just die. So says the unfortunate Narottam Das.

(22)

sādhaka-dehocita śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa lālasā

hari hari !

āra ki emana daśā haba |
e bhaba saṁsāra tyaji parama ānande maji
āra kabe braja-bhūme yāba ||1||

sukha-maẏa bṛndābana kabe habe daraśana
se dhūli mākhiba kabe gāẏa |
preme gada gada haiñā rādhā-kṛṣṇa nāma laiñā
kāndiẏā beḏāba ubharāẏa ||2||

nibhṛta nikuñje yāñā aṣṭāɱga praṇāma haiñā
ḍākiba hā rādhā-nātha bali |
kabe yamunāra tīre paraśa kariba nīre
kabe piba kara-puṭe tuli ||3||

āra kabe emana haba śrī-rāsa-maṇḍale yāba
kabe gaḏāgaḏi diba tāẏa |
baṁśībaṭa chāyā pāñā parama ānanda hañā
paḏiẏā rahiba tāra pāẏa ||4||

kabe gobardhana giri dekhiba naẏana bhari
kabe habe rādhā-kuṇḍe bāsa |
bhramite bhramite kabe e deha patana habe
kahe dīna narottama dāsa ||5||

(1) O Hari Hari ! When will this ever happen? When will I renounce the cycle of material life go to Vrajabhumi, absorbed in the supreme bliss?

((2) When will I see the blissful land of Vrindavan? When will I smear its dust over my body? When will I walk about Vrindavan, loudly singing the names of Radha and Krishna, and crying, my voice choked with ecstatic love.

(3) When, in a solitary grove in Vrindavan, will I offer my full obeisances to the Divine Couple? When will I call out: “O Krishna, O lover of Radharani?” When will I touch the Yamuna water while standing on its shore drink some of its water in my cupped hands?

(4) And when will it happen that I go to the rasa-dance circle and roll about in the dust, overwhelmed with ecstasy? When will I joyfully lie down under the shade of the banyan tree where Krishna played his flute and remain at its feet?

(5) And when will I see Govardhan Hill, my eyes brimming with tears? When will I reside at Radha Kund? When will my body collapse after wandering constantly in the Dham? The lowly Narottam Das speaks in this way.

(23)

sādhaka-dehocita śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa lālasā

hari hari !

āra kabe pālaṭibe daśā |
e saba kariẏā bāme yāba bṛndābana dhāme
ei mane kariyāchi āśā ||1||

dhana jana putra dāre e saba kariẏā dūre
ekānta ha-iẏā kabe yāba |
saba duḥkha parihari bṛndābane bāsa kari
madhukarī māgiẏā khāiba ||2||

yamunāra jala yena amṛta-samāna hena
kabe piba udara pūriẏā |
kabe rādhā-kuṇḍa jale snāna kari kutūhale
śyāma-kuṇḍe rahiba paḏiẏā ||3||

bhramiba dbādaśa bane kṛṣṇa-līlā ye ye sthāne
preme gaḏāgaḏi diba tāɱhā |
sudhāiba jane jane braja-bāsī-gaṇa sthāne
kaha āra līlā-sthāna kaɱhā ||4||

bhojanera sthāna kabe naẏana-gocara habe
āra yata āche upabana |
tāra madhye bṛndābana narottama dāsera mana
āśā kare yugala-caraṇa ||5||

(1) Hari Hari! When will my situation change? When will I put all these things aside and go to Vrindavan Dham? For so long I have cherished this hope.

(2) Abandoning possessions, kinsfolk, children and wife, I will go there, completely alone. Abandoning all my suffering, I will reside in Vrindavan, begging door-to-door for food.

(3) When will I fill my belly drinking the water of the Yamuna, which is like the nectar of the gods? And when will I bathe joyfully in the water of Radha Kund, and lie down to rest on the banks of Shyama Kund?

(4) When will I wander through the twelve forests, rolling in the dust wherever Krishna performed his pastimes, asking the local people, every one of them, where the other holy places are?

(5) When will the place where Krishna had his picnic with the cowherds appear before my eyes, and all the other forests of Braj? Of all these forests, Vrindavan is where Narottam Das’s mind yearns to serve the Divine Couple.

(24)

sādhaka-dehocita śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa lālasā

karaɱga kaupīna lañā cheɱḏā kānthā gāẏe diẏā
teyāgiẏā sakala biṣaẏa |
kṛṣṇe anurāga habe brajera nikuñje kabe
yāiẏā kariba nijālaẏa ||1||

hari hari ! kabe mora ha-ibe sudina |
phala-mūla bṛndābane khāñā dibā-abasāne
bhramiba ha-iyā udāsīna ||2||

śītala yamunāra jale snāna kari kutūhale
premābeśe ānandita hañā |
bāhura upara bāhu tuli bṛndābane kuli kuli
kṛṣṇa bali beḏāba kāndiẏā ||3||

dekhiba saɱketa sthāna juḏābe tāpita prāṇa
premābeśe gaḏāgaḏi diba |
kāɱhā rādhā prāṇeśbari kāɱhā giri-bara-dhāri
kāɱhā nātha baliẏā ḍākiba ||4||

mādhabī kuñjopari sukhe basi śuka śārī
gāibeka rādhā-kṛṣṇa rasa |
taru mūle basi tāhā śuni juḏāibe hiyā
kabe sukhe goɱāba dibasa ||5||

śrī-gobinda gopīnātha śrīmatī rādhikā sātha
dekhiba ratana-siṁhāsane |
dīna narottama dāsa karaẏe durlabha āśa
emati ha-ibe kata dine ||6||

(1) When will I take up the water-pot and the garment [dress of a renouncer] and abandon all sense-gratification? When will I have passionate attraction for Krishna and go to the groves of Vraja to make my permanent residence there?

(2) Oh Hari Hari! When will that beautiful dawn break? When will I wander in Vrindavan, completely indifferent to the world, and only eating some roots and fruit at the end of the day?

(3) When will I bathe in the cool waters of the Yamuna River, overwhelmed by divine prema? When will I wander to every corner of the Dham with my arms upraised, calling out the names of Krishna and crying?

(4) When will I see the place where Radha and Krishna secretly met (Sanket) and feel relief from all my suffering ? When, overwhelmed with prema, will I roll about in the dust there? When will I call out: “O Radha, O goddess of my life, where are you? O Krishna, O lifter of Govardhan Hill, where are you, my Lord?”

(5) When will I pass my days at the roots of a tree in the grove of madhavi creepers, my heart filled with life on hearing the shuka and sari sing of the of Radha and Krishna’s loves?

(6) When will I see Lord Govinda, the master of the gopis, accompanied by Srimati Radharani, sitting on a jeweled throne? The humble Narottam cherishes this hope, that is so difficult to obtain.

(25)

sādhaka-dehocita śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa lālasā

hari hari kabe haba bṛndābana-bāsī |
nirakhiba naẏane yugala-rūpa-rāśī ||1||
tyājiẏā śaẏana-sukha bicitra pālaɱka |
kabe brajera dhūlāẏa dhūsara habe aɱka ||2||
ṣaḏa-rasa bhojane dūrete parihari |
kabe braje māgiẏā khāiba mādhukarī ||3||
parikramā kariẏā beḏāba bane bane |
biśrāma kariba yāi yamunā-puline ||4||
tāpa dūra kariba śītala baṁśī-baṭe |
kabe kuñje baiṭhaba hāma baiṣṇaba-nikaṭe ||5||
narottama dāsa kahe kari parihāra |
kabe bā emana daśā ha-ibe āmāra ||6||

(1) O Lord, when will I become a Brajwasi? When shall I drink the beauty of Shri Radha and Krishna to my heart’s content?

(2) When will I give up sleeping comforatably on a beautiful bed and take shelter in the dust of Vrindavan, covering my whole body in it?

(3) When will I renounce all rich food, and find delight in begging simple alms in Vrindavan?

(4) When will I wander thorough the enchanting forests of that holy land, and take rest on the sweet banks of the Yamuna River?

(5) When will I find shelter from the heat under the holy Vamshi Vat tree? When will I gain entrance to the enchanted bower, in the association of the Vaishnavas?

(6) Narottam prays, “Leaving aside all temporary things, when will these blessings become my reality?”

(26)

sa-bilāpa śrī-bṛndābana-bāsa-lālasā

āra ki emana daśā haba | saba chāḏi bṛndābane yāba ||1||
āra kabe śrī-rāsa-maṇḍale | gaḏāgaḏi diba kutūhale ||2||
āra kabe gobardhana giri | dekhiba naẏana-yuga bhari ||3||
śyāma-kuṇḍa rādhā-kuṇḍe snāna | kari kabe juḏāba parāṇa ||4||
āra kabe yamunāra jale | majjane ha-iba niramale ||5||
sādhu-saɱge bṛndābane bāsa | narottama dāsa kare āśa ||6||

(1) When will that situation ever arise, when I leave everything and got to Vrindavan?

(2) And when will I joyfully roll on the ground at the Rasa Mandal?

(3) And when will I fill my eyes with the sight of Govardhan hill?

(4) When will I bath in Radha Kund and Shyam Kund and thus revive my life airs?

(5) And when will I immerse myself in the Yamuna’s waters and become purified of all sin?

(6) All I pray for, says Narottam Das, is to live in Vrindavan in the association of saintly devotees.

(55)

This song is usually given as the last in Prārthanā, probably added later. Still, it has become so intertwined with Narottam Das’s mood of anxiety for life in Vrindavan that it is always attributed to him.

hari bolbo āra madana mohana herabo go
ei rūpe vrajera pathe calabo go ||1||

jāba go vrajendra pure haba go gopikāra nūpura
tāṁdera caraṇe madhura madhura bājabo go
vipine vinoda khelā sańgete rākhālera melā
tāṁdera caraṇera dhūlā mākhabo go ||2||

rādhā-kṛṣṇera rūpa-mādhurī heraba du’ nayana bhari
nikuñjera dvāre dvārī ra-ibo go
vrajavāsī tomarā sabe ei abhilāṣa purāo ebe
āra kabe śrī-kṛṣṇera bāṁśī śunabo go ||3||

e dehera antima kāle rākhabo śrī-yamunāra jale
jaya rādhe govinda bale bhāsabo go
kahe narottama dāsa nā pūrilo abhilāṣa
āra kabe vraje vāsa koribo go ||4||

(1) I will walk on the path to Braj, calling out Hari’s name and anxious to see Madana Mohana.

(2) I will go to the land of Nanda Maharaj where I will become an ankle-bells on the gopis’ feet. There on their feet, I will jingle sweetly. All over my body, I will spread the dust from the cowherd boys’ feet in the place where they played with Krishna.

(3) I will fill my eyes with the vision as I behold the sweet form of Radha and Krishna in my two eyes. I will remain at the entrance to their bower of delight. O residents of Vrajabhumi! Please fulfill my desire! When will I hear the sweet sound of Krishna’s flute?

(4) When I arrive at the last moment of my life, I will place my body in the Yamuna and float off singing “Jaya Radha Govinda.” Narottam Das says, “These desires are yet unfulfilled. When will I live in Vraja Dham?”

This wonderful picture by Robyn Beeche.

The post Narottam Das Thakur’s prayers for Braja-vasa appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Swami Haridas’ music creates spiritual ecstasy. Among the many wonderful devotional programs this Kartik, JSR Madhukar is performing all of the verses of Swami Haridas’ ‘Kelimal’. Swami Haridas is most famous as the person to whom the deity form of Banke Bihariji appeared, however, classical music lovers also appreciate the technical perfection of his musical compositions. Swami Haridas is said to have reached the heights of spiritual ecstasy through nad brahma sadhna (praying continuously in music). Read more (English)

P.C. Amar Ujala

Registered outlets for fireworks. To promote safety and reduce sale of illegal fireworks this Diwali, Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) is setting up registered outlets for the sale of fireworks. There will be a total of 6 outlets, including one nearby Katyayani Temple, Vrindavan. Fireworks will only be sold for three days, from 18^th-20^th. The use of fireworks on Diwali is controversial due to the danger, noise and air pollution they cause. This year, the Supreme Court has banned the sale of fireworks in Dehli due to the “haze” that crippled the city after Diwali last year. Read more (Hindi)

Crackdown on illegal sewage outlets. Now that the local council is under pressure to take action to solve the problem of Vrindavan’s sewage flowing into the Yamuna, it has come to light that many colonies are not connected to the main sewer network. Thousands of Illegal colonies have sprung up around Vrindavan, as people buy cheap land and build without council permission. Many of these colonies have pipes that empty sewer and grey water into the Yamuna. The Pollution Control Board is now demanding a list of illegal colonies from the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) and plans to investigate each colony.  Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Jagran

Voters Q’s about Yamuna and roads. Callers to Jagran’s Question Bank hotline wanted to know about when the government will fix roads and the embankments along the Yamuna. On Tuesday, MLA member for the Mant area of Mathura, Shyama Sundar Sharma, was on the line to answer questions.  Sharma told caller Yogesh Nishad that 32 crore has been spent on the Yamuna in Mant district, more than anywhere else in the State. Eager to benefit from government sanitation schemes, villagers also requested the minister to provide toilets in their homes. Read more (Hindi)

The post Today’s Digest: Haridas’ musical ecstacy; Restrictions on fireworks; Illegal pipes found, and more… appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

This section of Govinda-līlāmṛta contains a great deal of information taken from the Sanskrit texts on music, namely it would seem Saṅgīta-darpaṇa. Not much additional information is given, so the main purpose seems to be to show that the Rāsa-līlā is the stage for Krishna and the gopis to display the complete gamut of Indian musical knowledge. The elaborations from Saṅgīta-darpaṇa are found in Vrindavan Chakravarti’s commentary to Govinda-līlāmṛta. Saṅgīta-darpaṇa was written by Damodara at the end of 16th century.

81 Krishna and the gopis sing fifteen types of gamaka (trills) accompanied with wonderful beats that enchant the mind.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The sensational art of making a melody pulsate (svarasya kampaḥ) is called gamaka. “A gamaka is any graceful turn, curve or cornering touch given to a single note or a group of notes, which adds emphasis to each rāga’s individuality” (Wikipedia). According to Saṅgīta-darpaṇa, there are fifteen different gamaka styles which are called: tiripa, sphurita, kampita, nīla, āndolita, bali, tribhinna, kuvala, āhata, unnamita, plavita, hankrita, mudrita, namita and miśrita. Other Indian music texts give other numbers of gamakas.

82 They sing two kinds of nibaddha songs, namely śuddha and sālaga. The śuddha-nibaddha songs are of three types: prabandha, vastu and rūpaka.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: “A song (gāna) or an instrumental piece which is bound (nibaddha) or composed, with a well-defined tāla, mātra, laya, etc. The opposite of nibaddha is anibaddha (not bound, unstructured, improvised).” Nibaddha songs follow a prescribed pattern having two basic parts, dhātu and aṅga. Dhātu comprises songs with rhyme. There are four parts: The first line is udgrāhaka, the second line is called melāpaka, the line that is repeatedly sung, i.e., the refrain, is called dhruva pada (usually the first line), and the last line that includes the padakartā’s (song writer’s) name is called ābhoga. The verses that are not repeated are called antara-pada.

Aṅga are the six limbs of a song such as svara (the notes or melody), viruda (a passage extolling the song and usually including the author’s signature), pada (a passage of meaningful text), tenaka (the meaningless words), pāṭha (a passage of onomatopoetic sounds such as dang-dang-di-dang, etc.), and tāla (section governed by rhythm or beat). Songs that are comprised of these parts are called nibaddha-saṅgīta. The three types of nibaddha songs are:

prabandha—songs that have all of the above mentioned dhātus and aṅgas.
1. vastu—songs that have the first three parts of the aṅga.
2. rūpaka—songs having the first two dhātus and the first two aṅgas.

There are five classifications of prabandha:

1. Those having all six aṅgas are called medinī,
2. Those having five are called nandinī.
3. Those having four are called dīpanī,
4. Those with three are called pāvanī,
5. Those with two are called tārāvalī.

Sālaga nibaddha songs are also called rasa-laga and chaya-laga because they are the shadow of śuddha-nibaddha-saṅgīta. When sālaga songs are accompanied by many types of instruments it becomes śuddha-sālaga music. This includes nine types of tāla, which are adi, yati, nasaru, ajna, triputa, rūpaka, jhampaka, matha and ekatali.

83 Thus Vrajasundar and the Vraja sundaris sing prabandhas (complete compositions), having many different types of svaras (melodies), pāṭha (variegated sounds), rāgas, grahas (beginning melodies) and nyāsa (concluding melodies).

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The special notes that are sung at a song’s beginning are called graha-svaras, and the concluding notes are called nyāsa. As Krishna become pleased with the gopis’ singing, he praises them, smiles at them and offers various types of rewards to increase their paramānanda.

84 Krishna and the gopis sing the three types of rāgas: sampūrṇa (having all seven notes), ṣāḍava (having six notes) and auḍava (having five svaras).

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Some of the sampūrṇa rāgas are: shri nata, karnata, megha mallara, dravida, gaudi varati, gujjari, todi, malavashri, saindhavi, sincuda devaki, ramakiri, manjari and belavali.

Some of the ṣāḍava rāgas are gauda, karnata, dhanasi, desi kolahala, ballali, ashavari, khambavati, harshapuri, mallari and humcika.

Some auḍava rāgas are: shrikantha, bhauli, gauri, kiri, madhukari, chaya and nilotpala.

85-87 They sing rāgas such as: mallāra, naṭṭa, sama, kedāra, kāmoda, bhairava, gāndhāra, deśāga, vasanta, karnāṭaka, mālavā, gurjjarī, rāmakirī, gaurī, āsāvarī, goṇḍakirī, toḍī, belāvalī, maṅgalā, varāṭikā, deśa-varāṭikā, māgadhi, kaushikī, pālī, lalitā, paṭa-mañjarī, subhagā and sindhuḍā.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The svaras (melodies) which can enchant the three worlds are called rāgas and rāgiṇīs. In the Rasa lila there are more than sixteen thousand varieties that Krishna and the gopis sing. In these verses only a few are mentioned. Moreover, these rāgas and rāgiṇīs may be known by different names in various provinces. But there are basically six major rāgas and thirty-six major rāgiṇīs. The rāgas are male and the rāgiṇīs are female. The six major rāgas each have six wives that are listed below :

1. Vasanta rāga: a) Gurjari, b) Vibhasha, c) Todi, d) Panchami, e) Lalita, and f) Paṭa Manjari.
2. Malaya rāga: a) Dhanasi, b) Manasi, c) Ramakeri, d) Sindhura, e) Ashavari, and f) Bhairavi.
3. Sri rāga: a) Belapari, b) Gauri, c) Gandhari, d) Subhaga, e) Komari, and f) Vairati.
4. Mallara rāga: a) Belavali, b) Pravara, c) Kanadi, d) Madhavi, e) Kodi, and f) Kedarika.
5. Hindola rāga: a) Mayuri, b) Dipika, c) Deshakari, d) Pahadi, e) Varadi, and f) Marahatta.
6. Karnata rāga: a) Natika, b) Bhupali, c) Ramakiri, d) Gada, e) Kamodi, and e) Kalyani.

When these rāgas and rāgiṇīs mix with the other uncountable rāgas and rāgiṇīs an infinite variety arises. The sweet-voiced Vraja sundaris sing these with smiling faces and roaming eyes while showing many different hand mudras. Then Krishna embraces them, kisses them, and transfers his pan into their mouths to increase their pleasure.

88-90 The gopis play four classifications of instruments which are distributed to them by Vrinda: ghana (ringing), tata (stringed), ānaddha (skinned, i.e., leather covered percussion instruments), and śuṣira (winds). Such instruments include the muraja, damaru, dampha, mandu, mamaka, murali, pavika, vamshi, mandir, karatala, vipanchi, vina, kacchapi, kari-nasika, svara-mandalika and rudra vina.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The tata (stringed) instruments are as follows: vina, sitara, violin, alavani, brahma vina, kinnari, laghu kinnari, kacchapi, vipanchi, ballaki, jyeshtha, chitra, ghashavati, jaya, hastika, kubjika, kurma, sarangi, parivadini, trisari, shatatantri, nakulaushtha, kamsari, audambari, pinaki, nibaddha, pushkala, gada, rudra vina and the svara maṇḍala.

The ānaddha (skinned percussion) instruments include various kinds of drums: the mridanga, tabla, dolaka, madala, muraja, dhakka, pataha, chaṅgava, panava, kundali, bheri, ghatavadya, barjhara, damaru, sthamaki, sandu, hadukka, maddu, dingima, upaṅga and dardura.

The śuṣira (wind) instruments include : The vamshi, pavika, madhuri, tittira, shankha, kohala, bhodai, murali, bukka, shringika, svaranabhi, shriṅgalapika and krama-vamsha.

The ghana instruments (ringing percussion instruments) include the various kinds of bells, gongs and cymbals: kartals, kamsa, jaya ghanta, suktika, kampaka, ghata-vadya, ghantatodya, gharaghara, jhanjatala, manjira, karttu and jangura.

Thus Vrinda brings all of these instruments and gives them to the sakhis. Then Krishna plays his various flutes, Radha plays her alavani vina and Lalita, Vishakha and others take up the kacchapi, vipanchi and rudra vina, etc. And as they play together an indescribably wonderful concert fills the entire universe.

The post Govinda-lilamrita: Rasa-lila musicology appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

Vrindavan, 2017.10.12 (VT): The annual celebrations surround Hit Das Swami‘s birthday celebrations are taking on a special flavor this year as it is the 100th anniversary of his appearance.

This year a special presentation of the Ashtayama lila was made from Oct. 4-8, with explanations by Hit Ambarishji Maharaj. A large crowd of perhaps a thousand people flocked to the ashram each day, many of them coming from Delhi and other places outside Braj, listening with rapt attention.

It is hard to imagine the same kind of discourse or this kind of audience anywhere else but in Vrindavan.

Ambarishji Maharaj speaks straight from Rādhā-rasa-sudhā-nidhi and the vāṇī texts that are most dear to the Radha-vallabhis. The day I managed to sit in, I enjoyed his refined style, his recitation of verses, his subdued presentation of songs, and the strength of his commitment to the siddhantas of the Sudhā-nidhi.

He quoted Dhruvadas, one of the most important early vāṇī-kāras of the sect, who said that the one gets the seed of bhajan from the guru and waters it with hearing and chanting about rasa, but one protects the small plant by building a protective fence, which is siddhānta or philosophy.

Though the theme of his talks had been the ashta-kala pastimes, which on that day was shringar, or dressing the Divine Couple, because this was the last day of the program, he mainly concentrated on themes represented in the following verses of Sudhā-nidhi, which for him constitute the distinctive feature of the Radha Vallabhi sect.

It would be impossible for me to give a proper resume of his entire two-hour talk, but I think that if I just quote some of the verses he recited and explained, you can get an idea of the general direction of his talk.

If I obtain even just a little of the intimate service to the complete embodiment of the experience of love, the daughter of the best of the Brijbasis, Vrishabhanu, then of what use to me are dharmas? Of what use are the hosts of divinities, and what use the rules and regulations of shastra? What is the use of God Himself? Or efforts to attain the pleasing association of Shyamasundar Himself?

The point is not to minimize the commitments of other devotees or their practices, but just to state that for a devotee in this prema-rasa, it all seems dry and hollow. Even though for some there is rasa, for the rasika it is still virasa. This is the extent of the absolute commitment to the eternal union of the Divine Couple as the highest truth.

The playful movement of a single ray of the light coming from Sri Radha’s glistening toenail-jewels is equivalent to many millions of great oceans filled with the nectar of the most intense pure love. If that Radha should ever cast a glance of mercy on someone, then liberation becomes completely insignificant to them, what to speak of all spiritual and material opulences. (136)

Enough of worldly subjects! I find them more horrific than a million hells! Making such great efforts to understand the Vedas and Upanishads is a waste of time. Moreover, I fear the liberation of “isolation” (kaivalya), If Shukadeva and other great devotees are intoxicated with the worship of the Supreme Lord, what is that to me? For my part, I only pray that my mind be absorbed in the nectar of Radha’s lotus feet. (83)

One who does not know the ways of the world, nor the scriptures, nor the family traditions, nor even the behavior of the saintly, if [in his heart] he reveres (ābhajati) the rasa [as being] in Radha, and the bhāva in Krishna (Vraja-maṇi), then his unique and secret status is not one that is accessible to common folk. (147)

Some people complain that the path of Hit Harivansh is not Vedic. But in fact, the rasikas of Vrindavan are the only ones who really follow the Upanishad statement raso vai sah. Rasa here means prema-rasa. Our object of worship is not Krishna, not even Radha. Our worshipable object is their mutual love, it is the prema manifest between them.

In speaking of four elements necessary for bhajan, namely Guru, mantra, ishta and association with rasika devotees, in other words, devotees with the same kind of absolute commitment to relishing the beauty of the Divine Couple and service to Radha in sakhi bhava. In relation to this last point, he told a story related to Hit Das Swami himself.

Hit Dasji was living in the Paramahamsa Ashram on Gandhi Road with Akhandananda Saraswatiji and studying Vedanta with him, even after many years of living in Vrindavan, having been initiated in the Radha Vallabhi tradition, doing bhajan and taking the renounced order.

Then one night, Hit Dasji had a dream in which he saw a woman in white with a three-month baby in her arms. She said to him, “Only you can save this child.” Hit Dasji said, “Why are you lamenting over the physical body. Everyone must die. This is all Maya.” The woman answered, “I am not ignorant. I did not come here to listen to lessons on philosophy. Try to understand how I am suffering and save this child. Only you can do it.”

When he woke up, he was mystified by the dream and tried to find out its meaning. He told it to a friend who interpreted it as follows: “The woman is Bhakti Devi herself. The baby is Bhava, because Bhakti is the mother of Bhava. You are an exclusive devotee of Radha Vallabha, but here you are spending your time studying Vedanta, so your love is being weakened by the culture of knowledge. So Bhakti Devi is pleading with you to not let your spirit of love come under threat.”

After this Hit Dasji decided to stop studying Vedanta with Akhandananda Saraswati, even though they remained friends to the end.

The nishtha is in sakhi-bhava.

Countless times more relishable than the flavor of Brahmananda is that connected to Vishnu. Millions of times brighter than that is the sweet rasa related to the Lord of Gokula. Raining down infinite astonishment are the topmost of all rasas, the sweet lotus feet of Srimati Radharani. They alone are my life and soul. (Svāyambhuva Āgama)

Murti of Swami Hit Das at the Hit Ashram Satsanga Bhumi.

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Devotees staked out their places on the Kund’s bank hours in advance.

Radha Kund, 2017.10.13 (VT): Yesterday was a special day of Kartik which is significant for bathing in Radha Kund, and that day is known as Bahulastami. Devotees come from all over India and around the world to attend the festival and bless their souls with a midnight bath in the sacred lake.

“I flew in from the UK to spend a few weeks at Radha Kund during Kartik,” said one devotee, “and I am so thankful to Radharani for the chance to bathe in Radha Kund on this special day. I never even dreamed in my entire life that I would be so fortunate to spend Kartik in Radha Kund.”

“Twenty-seven of us came all the way from Bengal just to bathe in Radha Kund today.”

Another devotee said, “Twenty-seven of us, friends and family members, came all the way from Bengal just to bathe in Radha Kund today. We traveled by train from Hooghly district and we will stay for five days before going back to our village,”

Devotees from Bengal are especially numerous during Bahulashtami, due to the centuries-old connection between Radha Kund and Bengal.

The magnetic draw of Bahulashtami has its roots in the Kartik Mahatmya of the Padma Puran, which states: govardhana girau ramye rādhākuṇḍaṁ priyaṁ hareḥ, kārtike bahulāṣṭamyāṁ tatra snatvā hareḥ priyaḥ. “Whoever bathes in Krishna’s beloved Radhakund at charming Govardhan on Bahulashtami (Kartik Krishna Ashtami), becomes dear to Krishna.”

Ahoi Mata on the wall of Radha Kund

Although from a scriptural point of view the Bahulashtami bath can be performed any time during the ashtami tithi, it is a local tradition to bathe in Radha Kund at midnight. Because of the huge number of bathers, traffic is tightly controlled by police to prevent cars and two-wheelers from entering the Kund’s perimeter.

Nevertheless, by nine or ten o’clock, the Radha Kund parikrama marg becomes completely impassible even by foot. Devotees come up to eight hours in advance to claim a coveted spot on the Kund’s shore, and spend the time singing kirtan and chanting prayers like Rādhā-kṛpā-kaṭākṣa-stotra. The rooftops of and verandahs of nearby buildings are also packed.

Contrary to popular belief, Bahulashtami is not the day when Radha Kund was created by the Divine Couple. According to Shri Jeev Goswami, the Appearance Day of Radha Kund is on Chaitra Purnima (see Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī ṭīkā on Śrīmad-bhāgavatam 10.45.3). However, it is possible that Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu rediscovered Radha Kund on this day, thus justifying the concept of “Radha Kund’s Appearance Day” being on Bahulashtami.

Pethas for Ahoi Ashtami pooja

Bahulashtami also coincides with Ahoi Ashtami, which is a special day for mothers and children. On this day, couples who desire to have children worship Ahoi Mata at Radha Kund. They create makeshift altars by tacking posters of the goddess on the Kund’s wall, or by drawing images of her in cow dung, kumkum or red clay. The Radha Kund pandas lead thousands of couples in Ahoi Mata poojas throughout the day.

Most of these couples then take a vow to give up a certain fruit or vegetable for one year, and then offer that same fruit to Radha Kund. Most people choose to give up petha, as it is not very popular anyway. Thus a huge number of pethas are lobbed into Radha Kund as the bathing ritual takes place.

Radha Kund’s bank around 7pm on Bahulashtami.

When the clock strikes midnight, everyone shouts “Jai Jai Shri Radhe” and the crowd surges into Radha Kund as one.

Many devotees wait till the crowd disperses somewhat, and take their baths at one-thirty or two in the morning. Then comes the cleaning crew.

“Every year I come at three AM to help the local administration clean up,” says Radha Kund resident Amrita Devi. “Village people leave mountains of wet clothes behind, and what to speak of all those pethas floating in Radha Kund! It is not an easy task, but we try to get the whole mess cleaned up by evening of the next day.

“I personally feel that cleaning Radha Kund is just as important as bathing, because by cleaning, I get to serve and touch the dust of the devotees and place that dust upon my head.”

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Ramesh Baba speaks about Braj Culture. Yesterday, as Ramesh Baba’s Radha Rani Parikrama reached Kosikalan, Babaji addressed the 15,000+ pilgrims whose tour of Braj is being facilitated by Maan Mandir. Babaji spoke about the need to preserve Braj culture, not as history, but as a lived culture of bhajans and temple dancing. Babaji said that as youth are increasingly attracted to modern music, Braj culture is suffering. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Friends of Vrindavan

Greening Vrindavan this Kartik. Friends of Vrindavan (FOV) has made a pledge to plant a tree every day in Kartik. So far, trees have been planted at Imli Tala,  Shri Gokulananda Mandir, Gurudwara, etc. Usually during Kartik, individuals take on a niyam seva vrat (promise to do a particular activity daily) during Kartik, but, FOV has taken the pledge as an organization. Their philosophy is: “Environment conservation is very much part of our spirituality. Little steps for re-generating the forests and groves of Vrindavan is our devotional practice”. The Pollution Control Board has also entrusted Friends of Vrindavan with 12 rubbish bins, to be placed around Vrindavan.

Vrindavan promoted in U.P. Tourism Booklet. The latest edition of the U.P. tourist booklet promotes Mathura-Vrindavan as an important place for travelers to visit. State CM, Yogi Adityanath said the booklet is designed to promote Hindu and Buddhist culture.  The Chief Minister has gone on record to say that foreign dignitaries are being gifted copies of the Gita and the Ramayana instead of Taj Mahal replicas, which do not truly “reflect Indian culture”. The Taj Mahal has been left out of the booklet, a move which many criticize as being both politically insensitive and damaging to tourism. The development of Vrindavan as a tourist destination is a controversial move, however, in this economics driven world, perhaps only the tourist dollar can provide the infrastructure that the town needs. Read more (English)

P.C. Mahrajji

GST reduces Diwali sales. Shopkepers in Vrindavan are lamenting that the Diwali rush in the market has not yet begun. Swami Pawan Kumar Goyal, owner of Daodayal Electricals, Anajmandi, said, “since the 28% per cent GST on lighting was imposed, people have stopped buying.” The streets of Vrindavan are usually beautifully lit in the lead up to Diwali, as people compete to decorate their homes with lights. The practice reflects the devotion of the people of Ayodhya, who put lamps outside their homes to welcome Sita-Ram. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Patrika

Kidnapped teacher rescued. Mathura police have arrested 6 kidnappers who kept an aged teacher in their car, demanding Rs 10 lakh in ransom. Police were alerted about the kidnapping and were able to rescue the victim when they heard shouts coming from a car during checking at Gokul. The victim, Barsana resident Mr Vidhichandra Sharma, is a teacher at a school in Rajasthan. He was visiting his sister in the Braj village Baldev when the incident occurred. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Amar Ujala

40kg Sweets destroyed. Mathura, yesterday: The Food Security and Drug Administration destroyed 40kg of sweets after samples were taken from sweet shops in the Holi Gate area of Mathura. In a crackdown on impure foods in the lead up to Diwali, teams of investigators have been deployed to check on local vendors. The chance of substitution of dairy products is particularly high during the Diwali season as the high demand for sweets means that milk runs short. The discovery of a mill, which had recommenced production of impure spices after being closed down last year, has also prompted complaints that checking is only carried out during the Diwali season. Read more (Hindi)

P.C. Indian Express

Fake Rs 100 notes. A youth holding Rs 12,000 in counterfeit Rs 100 notes has been caught at Kosikalan. Police are currently working to break the syndicate. Read more (Hindi)

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Vrindavan, 2017.10.13 (VT): On Thursday, as a part of the 100th anniversary celebrations of Swami Hit Das’s appearance, a meeting of sadhus and sants from around Vrindavan was held to discuss the issue of “The Rasa Lila tradition in the modern context.”

The current Mahanta of the Hit Ashram, Sri Hit Kamal Dasji Maharaj, has been actively promoting a school for Rasa performance at the ashram and wants to institute year-round daily performances. The discussion comes at the end of a four-day program based on the Ashtayama.

Unfortunately, the meeting was poorly attended compared to the previous days in which Ambarishji Maharaj spoke. And, as Jai Kishore Sharanji said in his comments, there was only one representative from the Rasacharya community. Without the input of the Rasacharyas, little progress could be made on understanding or resolving the issue.

That representative was Ram Gopal Shastri, who was a swaroop as a boy and went on to become a leader of a Ras troupe. However, he told me, that he mostly does Bhagavatam these days because it is difficult to make the traditional kind of Ras Lila troupe economically viable.

He listed some of the problems: “First of all, no one wants to give their children over for training as a Rasa swaroop. Nowadays, there are many other kinds of opportunities available and parents are less inclined to think of this as a viable option. Second of all, even if they want to do so, there is no one who can properly train them any more. Fewer and fewer of the Rasacharyas are actually knowledgeable in the Vani literature that formed the basis of the Rasa performances.

“The next problem is the lack of venues. It is expensive to put on a performance, especially one that goes on for several days, and since fewer people are attracted by Rasa nowadays, there are few yajamanas or sponsors who come forward to do it.

“It used to be that in Shravan there were hundreds of Rasa performances going on around Vrindavan and Braj, but now there are only a few surviving.”

Jai Kishore Sharan, editor of Sarveshwar magazine.

Rup Kishore Das, the mukhiya from the Ghamanda Devacharya peeth on the Parikrama Marg in Pani Gaon, like many of the other speakers, insisted that nothing could destroy the Rasa Lila tradition as it was eternal, but nevertheless he lamented the changes that he had seen and asked for a return to a purer way of doing it.

He himself said that despite the intimate relation of Ghamanda Devacharya to the Rasa Lila tradition in the Nimbarka sampradaya, he himself decided to pursue the Samaj tradition because of his disappointment in the developments within the Rasa Lila world.

Swami Hit Das was a promoter of the Rasa Lila performance tradition, but he himself told Rup Kishore Das that the loss of connection with the canonical Vani texts had diminished them. He also said that as the goal of entertainment took precedence, the spiritual potency and attractiveness of the performances diminished. And, apparently, he predicted that Bhagavatam lectures would supplant Rasa as the most prominent method of spreading Bhakti, but he also wished that the role of singing in Bhagavatam was lessened rather than increased.

He and many of the other speakers told stories of great bhajananandi saints living in Braj-Vrindavan who were regular attendees at Rasa performances and actually directly saw the Divine Couple in the swaroops during performances. There are many such legends of miracles surrounding such events. Karshni Swami Jagadananda from Moti Jheel told a story about his param gurudeva, Karshni Kalapacharya, who also had a miraculous event take place that gave him immeasurable faith in the truth of Radha and Krishna’s incarnation in the swaroops.

Rup Kishore Dasji.

Rup Kishore Dasji, however, said that previously older boys who had passed puberty were not given the roles of Radha and Krishna or of the sakhis. They were also brought up in pure Vaishnava practices, and wore tilak and tulasi neckbeads all the time. He also put a lot of importance on the tradition of having only brahmin boys from the Braj areas being eligible to take up these roles, saying that this is essential for maintaining its purity. He again emphasized the need for keeping to the traditional Vani authors, whose spotless descriptions of the lilas enhance the spiritual power of the performances.

He also said that Rasa Lila troupes are departing from the tradition by also doing Ramayana and Mahabharata performances. Having older boys playing the leading roles was also a part of the problem. He said that the madhurya of the Vrindavan mood was being replaced by the aishwarya of Dwarkadhish, and that this was not desirable.

Other speakers emphasized the difficulty of competing with modern entertainments available through electronic media. Although many lamented the substance of films and television soap operas, saying that they are neither uplifting nor true to the spiritual culture of India or Braj; in fact, they promote values that are demeaning to it.

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91-92 When they dance the Vraja nitambinis show different hand mudrās such as a flag, a triple banner, a swan’s head, a betelnut clipper, a parrot’s head, a deer’s head, a pincers, a katari mukha, a needle pin, a half moon, a lotus bud, a snake hood and other forms.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: As the gopis skilfully dance to the music’s beat, sing and show various bodily poses—their hand postures also tell a story. The art of showing different hand mudrās is called hastaka; there are basically three types: asaṁyuta, saṁyuta and nartita. When only one hand is used to act out a drama, it is called asaṁyuta.When both hands are used it is called saṁyuta. Hand mudrās that flow along with the dancing without showing any particular images are called nartita. The following list shows how some of the asaṁyuta and saṁyuta mudrās are formed:

1. patākā (the flag): The thumb is bent against the index finger, and all of the other fingers are held straight together.
2. tripatākā (three banners): The tips of the thumb and the small finger rest together, and the remaining three fingers are held straight together.
3. haṁsa-mastaka (swan’s head): The tips of the index finger, middle finger and thumb are held together.
4. kartarī-mukha (betelnut clipper): The tips of the small finger, ring-finger and thumb are held together, but the middle finger and index finger held straight.
5. śuka-tuṇḍaka (parrot’s beak): When the index finger, ring finger and the thumb all join together.
6. mṛga-śīrṣaka (deer’s head): The thumb, middle finger and ring finger held together, and the small finger and the index finger are held straight.
7. sandaṁśa (pincers): The tips of the index finger and the thumb join together in a curve, and the other fingers are held straight and separate.
8. sūcī-mukha (pinhead): When the tips of all the finger join together .
9. khaṭakā-mukha (suspicious face): Both hands are raised beside the face, the tips of both thumbs and both index fingers join together, the ring finger and small finger are held straight and separate.
10. ardha-candra (half moon): When the thumb is directed the other way.
11. padma-koṣa (lotus bud): When all of the fingers join together at the tips.

There are countless other hastakas (hand mudrās) mentioned in saṅgīta-śāstra; the following list mentions a few of them: The dāḍimba (pomegranate), muṣṭi (fist), pallava (leaf), catura (courtyard), haṁsa pakṣa (swan wings), bhramara (bee), mukula (bud), kukkuṭa (rooster), siṁha-mukha (lion head), kadamba (globular flower), nikuñja (grove), puṣpāñjali (bouquet), ḍola (swing), makara (dolphins) and gaja-danta (elephant tusk), etc. The gopis show all of these.

93 The Vraja sundaris play many types of tālas (beats), such as dhruva, mantha and vilakṣaṇa.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The dancing and the singing nicely blend together with a rhythmic beat or tāla. There are sixteen types of dhruva tāla which twenty-two are measured with fourteen mātras (counts). The mantha tālas have six kinds of mātra, and are twenty-two in number. There are also many vilakṣaṇa tālas, i.e., beats that are played in a reversed order, or that don’t follow a systematic order.

94The Tālas have three phases: anāgata, atīta and sama. The gopis use three types of yatis or pauses between the beats—samā, gopucchikā and srotāvahā.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The rhythmic beat that precedes the singing in a song is called anāgata. When the beats follow behind the singing they are called atīta, but when the beats match the singing they are called sama tāla. Yati means the same as laya, i.e., the pause between beats. Some are short, some are medium and some are long.

95-96 There are three kinds of laya—short, medium and long—and two kinds of dhāraṇā—with sound and without sound. The gopis use two types of māna (pause) in their music, vardhamāna and hīyamāna.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: The subtle pauses between the change of one tāla (beat) to the next are called māna. Vardhamāna means increased (louder) and hīyamāna means softer.

97 Some of the tālas that the gopis use are: cañcatpuṭa, cācapuṭa, rūpaka, siṁhanandana, gaja-līlā, ekatāla, niḥsārī, 98 aḍḍaka, pratimaṇṭha, jhampa, tripuṭa, yati, nalakūvara, nudghaṭṭa, kuṭṭaka, kokilā-rava, 99 upāṭṭa, darpaṇa, rāja-kolāhala, śacīpriya, raṅga-vidyādhara, vādakānukula, kaṅkaṇa, 100 śrī-raṅga, kandarpa-ṣhaṭ, pitāputraka, pārvatī-locana, rāja-cūḍāmaṇi, jayapriya, 101 rati-līla, tribhaṅgī, caccarat and vara-vikrama. Krishna and his beloved gopis beat out these rhythms as they danced.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: Here Srila Kaviraj Goswami lists only thirty-four different tālas. This is just to give an indication—there are countless tālas that Krishna and the gopis use in the Rasa maṇḍala.

102 As a result of my service to Sri Rupa Goswami, the bumblebee who drinks the madhu at Sri Chaitanya’s lotus feet, at the request of Sri Raghunath Das, through the association of Sri Jiva and with the blessings of Sri Raghunath Bhatta, here ends Govinda-līlāmṛta’s twenty-second chapter.

The post Govinda-Lilamrita :: Govinda-lilamrita: Rasa-lila musicology (Part II) appeared first on Vrindavan Today.

After finishing the chapter with its commentary, we follow with a look at some of the other lilas described for this time period in the two other major Gaudiya works on the ashta-kala lila, namely Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī of Karnapur Goswami, and Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta by Vishwanath. Elsewhere these have been supplemented by songs of the Mahajans or Siddha Krishna Das Baba’s Guṭikā and Bhāvanāmṛta-sāra-saṅgraha.

Rasa-taraṅginī Tīkā: This chapter has listed some of the dancing and music skills that the Vraja sundaris use to delight Krishna. Sri Vrindavan’s Rasa-sthali is the stage for the exhibition of the highest forms of music, song and dance within either material or spiritual worlds, so it is no wonder that the gopis’ talents far exceed those of anyone within Lord Brahma’s kingdom. For when Raseshwari Vinodini Rai dances, hundreds of newer and newer rāgas and rāgiṇīs are created at every second by the śruti-madhura jingling of her anklebells alone! And speaking of her dancing, as Rai Nitambini’s enchanting form exhibits its dancing prowess, even Madana Mohan faints from the high billowing pleasure waves within his ananda sindhu!

Amongst all of Sri Bhagavan’s unlimited forms, his ananta rūpas, Sri Nava Kishor Natavara Shyamasundar is the best. And of all Shyam’s bhaktas, the gopis are the best. And of his numerous lilas with the gopis, the Rasa lila is the mukuta-mani. Perhaps this is why Sri Vishwanath Chakravartipada states that the Rasa Pancadhyaya or five chapters concerning the Rasa lila are the Bhagavata’s pañca-prāṇa (five life airs).

Of the many other versions describing the Rasa lila, that of Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta (KBA) stands apart as unique. So before we continue with Govinda-līlāmṛta’s Rasa episode, let’s have a look into Srila Chakravartipada’s remarkable overviews:

As we left (at the end of the 18th sarga of KBA), Radha had mistaken Krishna for a tamal tree which led into a thrilling Yugala Milan. And after rati keli, Radharani requested Krishna to meet with her sakhis too. But meanwhile, Radha was re-dressed by the manjaris to appear like a vāsa-sajjikā nāyikā. A ‘ vāsa-sajjikā nāyikā is the heroine in the mood of waiting for the arrival of her lover in the kunja. Thus when the sakhis returned, she pretended that Krishna still hadn’t come and teased them upon seeing their marks of pleasure on their bodies (KBA 19.3-6).

At that moment rasamaya Shyamasundar comes into the sakhis’ assembly, and exclaims, “Hey alis! Just hear about Radha’s unusual behavior! Today she boldly approached me saying: ‘Hey Priyatama! Just embrace me and kiss my lips to your full satisfaction! My heart is burning with the fire of kāma, please extinguish it!’

“Oh, I was astonished to hear such forward words spoken by Vāmā Radhika! But then she threw her patience and shyness into thick mud of the Yamuna River and tightly embraced me! She even pulled me on to the bed of flowers, devastated me in Kandarpa’s battle and then threw me out of the kunja! Thus I’ve come to take your shelter.”

Hearing Krishna’s words, Radha is embarrassed and pulls her orana (veil) over her face to cover it. But Lalita refuses to believe it and scoffs, “Hey Krishna! I think you’re lying!”

Krishna: “Hay Lalite! I swear I’m telling the truth! Just ask your priya sakhi yourself!”

Lalita: ‘Radhe! Is this true ?”

Radha: “I can’t remember what I said to the enchanting tamal tree.” (Radha’s answer brings a soft, sweet smile to the sakhis lotus-faces).

But then Krishna goes on: “Hey sakhis! Radha’s solitary request for surata keli isn’t so astonishing, because during the Sharadiya Rasa, where there were thousands of other Vraja ramanis present, she asked me, ‘Hey Krishna! Just satiate me with your adharamrita (nectar-kisses)!’ (BhP 10.29.35)—Oh, l’ll never forget those words of Radha’s!” (KBA 19.11)

Then Radharani answers, “Hey Krishna! I became dazed then—and the cause was your seducing vamshi. So if I had the vamshi I’d make the world go mad, too! Hey Ramani-Mohana! I’ll bet that I could mesmerize Lalita, the other sakhis and even you by playing your vamshi.” (19.12)

Hearing Radha’s assertion, Krishna replies, “So here, take it,” and placed the vamshi in Radha’s hand. Then he leaves with the sakhis to begin an amusing, new pastime. (19.13)

But Radha thinks, “Except for Vraja Raja Kumara, who else can play the vamshi?” Thus she starts rubbing black deer musk over her body to become śyāṁāṅginī. She ties her hair in a topknot and places a peacock feather above it. She even puts on a yellow dhoti, tying it in attractive folds. Then standing in a lalita-tribhaṅga stance, Radha places the vamshi to her lips and begins playing.

And what an amusing thing happens! When Madana Mohan’s mohini becomes Madana Mohan—then even Madana Mohan cannot contain himself! He loses his puruṣābhimāna or male identity and becomes like a sundari ramani! Thus Krishna covers his entire body with kunkum to become Gaurangi. He puts on Radha’s ornaments, dress and tilak, and like a Krishna-mad gopa kishori he joins Lalita and the other sakhis who are now hurrying to see Vamshi Vadana Radha! (KBA 19.14)

But just as in Krishna’s Sharadiya Rasa, upon meeting them, Krishna-clad Radha dissuades the gopis: “Oh chaste gopis! Your fame and beauty is coveted throughout the three worlds—but why have you suddenly come here? And why are you wandering in this dark forest? Are you hoping to received the love of some sundara puruṣa? Oh well, listen, oh slender ones! You should have thought twice before coming here, so why don’t you all return back home now? Isn’t it the duty of a chaste wife to faithfully serve her husband? And haven’t you come here just to gratify your kama? So if that is the case, you can satisfy that urge with your husbands at home.” (19.15-16)

Then just as in the Sharadiya Rasa when the gopis become perplexed, shed tears, and mark the ground with their restless toenails upon hearing Krishna’s neglectful words—Krishna, Lalita and the other gopis behave in the same way and answer: “Oh Vibho (‘Unlimited One’)! Are such cruel words befitting you? Hey prema-sindho! We’re burning in the fire of Madana desire! And thus we’ve come here to seek relief by seeing your cooling moon-like face. Our creeper of desire has been nurtured for many days by the soothing nectar-tune of your madhura vamshi. Oh please, don’t be cruel by sending us away.”

So, as in the Sharadiya Rasa, Krishna-clad Radha smiles to remove Radha-clad Krishna’s distress and becomes the ramaṇa! But during rati-keli Krishna acts exactly like Radha to astonish Vrinda and the others! And seeing Krishna behaving just like vāmā Radha, and Radha behaving like a ramaṇī-lampaṭa-nāgara (a playboy type who is attracted to all women), the sakhis lose themselves in an ocean of wonder! But aho! Krishna-clad Radha comes to embrace and kiss them too! And seeing this, ecstatic tears pour from Vrinda’s eyes as she deems her life a success! (KBA 19.15-20)

But as in the Sharadiya Rasa, Krishna-clad Radha suddenly disappears with Radha-clad Krishna. Seeing themselves destitute and alone in the forest, tortured by the absence of their Lord, the sakhis begin searching for them. They even question the forest trees and latas… but at last, when arriving at a secluded nikunja mandir, they peek through the foliage and discover Radha and Krishna enjoying rati-keli! But still in keeping with the Sharadiya Rasa Lila script, they continued to act as though they were in distress. (19.21)

At the keli’s aftermath, Krishna-clad Radha takes Radha clad Krishna by the hand and comes out to enjoy vana-vihara. And as they wander through the forest, Krishna-clad Radha picks flowers and makes ornaments to decorate Radha clad Krishna After a while, Radha clad Krishna tells Krishna-clad Radha: “Oh Priye! I’m feeling tired now, so please pick me up and carry me wherever you like.” (19.22)

But then Krishna-clad Radha disappears! Thus the Radha-clad Madhava begins to lament and wet the ground with her (his) tears. And later, Lalita and the others arrive to give solace. They also shed tears as they join Radha clad Madhava to sing Krishna’s guṇa kīrtana.  (19.23)

“Hey Priyatama! Please come back and make us happy. When we hold your caraṇa-kamala upon our hard breasts, we gently do so as to spare you pain. But now we are lamenting because surely the forest’s pebbles and sharp grass are piercing you as you wander around!” (19.24)

As Radha clad Madhava sings these songs with the gopis, suddenly Govinda-clad Radha appears in brilliant pītāmbara attire, with the sweet smile of the divine Krishna who is the one who attracts even the most attractive god of desire!

Thus seeing Radha Krishna together one might guess, “Has Krishna transferred his beautiful shyama effulgence to Radha after accepting her golden bodily complexion? And similarly, did Krishna’s pītāmbara become friends with Radha’s nīlāmbarī through the exchange? (19.25)

But meanwhile, one gopi takes hold of Hari-clad Radha’s hand, another holds his feet, and another places her trembling hand on his shoulder. Then as Radha-clad Hari raises her eyebrows to scorn them, her intriguing mood completely stupefies them! And Krishna-clad Radha even sheds tears! (19.26)

Vrinda Devi says to the two of them, “Hey Radha! How you have become victorious in deceiving Krishna and making him lose his identity. And Krishna! Hasn’t the goddess of victorious fortune, Jaya Lakshmi herself, embraced you after you took on Radha’s bhāva, which is beyond understanding? But what’s the need to go on playing like this? Hey Vrishabhanu Kumari! Just place the murali back in Krishna’s hands!”

Radha complies, but when he receives it, Krishna is astonished! “You mean that I’m not Radhika?” he asks. (19.27-28)

When Radha accepts Krishna’s bhāva, and Krishna accepts Radha’s bhāva, this is called their paraspara-svabhāvāḍhya-līlā. Then their natures and behaviors are completely interchanged. Some other examples are seen in Radha Krishna’s first madhyāhna-līlā in Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta and Kṛṣṇāhnika-kaumudī’s madhu-pāna-līlā. Yet moreover, Sri Chaitanya himself performs many pastimes in the paraspara-svabhāvāḍhya fashion in Radha-bhāva.

More on Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta’s Rasa lila is coming in the next chapter.

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Vrindavan, 2017.10.14 (VT): Late Thursday evening the election commission announced that the first mayor of Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam must be from a scheduled caste.

The announcement adds more tension to the already-sensitive issue of the formation of the Nagar Nigam itself. The Mathura-Vrindavan Nagar Nigam was created earlier this year by merging the two separate cities of Mathura and Vrindavan. The merger has left many Vrindvan residents fearful that their independent cultural identity may be demolished.

Mathura has historically had a great deal of Buddhist and Islamic influence, while Vrindavan has been solely a Vaishnava city of temples. Sale of meat, eggs and alcohol is banned in Vrindavan, while these are legally sold in Mathura. This is just one of many concerns regarding the merger of the two cities, which needs to be handled with a great deal of sensitivity by the new mayor.

“It would have been better,” said one local resident, who preferred to remain anonymous, “if we could choose from people of all castes and religious backgrounds, evaluating them only on the basis of their individual merit and their ability to serve the needs of all. Unfortunately, those with money and connections are the ones who get the seats in the end.”

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