Vrindavan/Govardhan, 2016.07.19 (VT): While the whole of Vraja is celebrating Guru Purnima as Muriya Puno, it is important for devotees to know how the festival of Guru Purnima got the name “Muriya Puno.” The tradition of celebrating Muriya Puno and performing Giriraj Parikrama began with the disappearance of Shrila Sanatan Goswami Pada in 1558, when his followers became muriya by shaving their heads.
Old Madan Mohan Mandir
According to Acharya Shri Sanatan Kishore Goswami, the sevait of the Madan Mohan Mandir, Shrila Sanatan Goswami entered the Lord’s eternal pastimes in the year 1615 Samvat on the Ashadh Purnima.
All the Vaishnavas were plunged into an ocean of despair at his disappearance. The Vraja-vasis and Vaishnavas in Vrindavan and Govardhan took his body on Govardhan Parikrama and all the devotees shaved their heads and faces. This tradition is continued to this day and is known as Muriya Puno, which means the full moon when everyone shaves.
After establishing the temple of Old Madan Mohan, Shrila Sanatan Goswami Pada handed over the service of Madan Mohan to his beloved disciple Shri Krishna Das Brahmachari and left for Govardhan permanently in order to become absorbed in his bhajan. He stayed near Chakleshwar Mahadev on the shore of Manasa Ganga. He used to perform the Parikrama of Govardhan hill as part of his daily routine, even during his old age.
One day, after completing his parikrama he returned to his bhajan kutir. There, Shri Krishna suddenly appeared to Sanatan Goswami and said, “Now you are very old and unable to perform your parikrama properly. There is no need for you to do this every day.”
Sanatan Goswami Samadhi
Sanatan replied that he had taken a vow that he would never stop his daily parikrama. Impressed by Shri Sanatana’s determination, Lord Krishna then stood on a large Govardhan Shila and started to play his flute. Due to the sweet transcendental melody, the shila (stone) began to melt and Krishna’s footprint became imprinted there.
A calf that was roaming nearby heard the enchanting music from Krishna’s flute and came inside and began to dance. Thus Krishna’s footprint, the calf’s foot print, his flute and his cowherd stick all left impressions in the Govardhan Shila. Krishna gave this Govardhan Shila to Shri Sanatan Goswami and told him that if he performed parikrama to this Govardhana Shila four times, it would be equal to performing Parikrama to the entire Govardhan Hill.
Shrila Sanatan Goswami accepted the Shila from the Lord and from that time on Sanatan Goswami worshipped it and performed Parikrama around it.
Keeping in view of his intense devotion towards Giriraj, his followers performed Giriraj Parikrama carrying his body and then finally brought it to Vrindavan, where he was put in Samadhi. On Tuesday, special puja was performed at the Madan Mohan Temple and at the Samadhi of Shri Sanatan Goswami to commemorate the devotion of the great Acharya who was one among the ‘Six Goswamis’.
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