Chapter One Vṛndāvanāgamanodyoga-varṇaṇa Description of the Entrance in Vṛndāvana

May Śrī Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa who, Their arms raised and their necks like conchshells, wander on the Yamunā's shore, where are many playful cuckoos and parrots, guṣā bushes, and groves of splendid flowers, grant auspiciousness to me.

I was born in thr darkness of ignorance, and my spiritual master opened my eyes with the torch of knowledge. I offer my respectful obeisances unto him.*

samāhūya parān vṛddhān sabhāyāṁ tān uvāca ha śrī-nanda uvāca kiṁ kartavyaṁ tu vadatot- pātāḥ santi mahā-vane śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca —Śrī Nārada said; ekadā —one day; upadravam —calamity; vīkṣya —seeing; nandaḥ —Nanda; nandān —the Nandas; sahāyakān —helpful; vṛṣabhānūpanandāṁś —the Vṛṣabhānus and the Upanandas; ca —and; vṛṣabhānu-varāṁḥ —Vṛṣabhānu; tathā —so; samāhūya —calling; parān —others; vṛddhān —elder; sabhāyām —in the assembly; tān —to them; uvāca —said; ha —indeed; śrī-nanda —Nanda; uvāca —said; kim —what?;; kartavyam —should be done; tu —indeed; vadata —please tell; utpātāḥ —calamities; santi —are; mahā-vane —in Mahāvana. Śrī Nārada said: One day, seeing that many great calamities had come, Nanda called his friends: the Vṛṣabhānus, the Upanandas, and other elders, and in the assembly he said to them, "Please tell what should be done. Many calamities have come to Mahāvana."

samāhūya parān vṛddhān sabhāyāṁ tān uvāca ha śrī-nanda uvāca kiṁ kartavyaṁ tu vadatot- pātāḥ santi mahā-vane śrī-nāradaḥ uvāca —Śrī Nārada said; ekadā —one day; upadravam —calamity; vīkṣya —seeing; nandaḥ —Nanda; nandān —the Nandas; sahāyakān —helpful; vṛṣabhānūpanandāṁś —the Vṛṣabhānus and the Upanandas; ca —and; vṛṣabhānu-varāṁḥ —Vṛṣabhānu; tathā —so; samāhūya —calling; parān —others; vṛddhān —elder; sabhāyām —in the assembly; tān —to them; uvāca —said; ha —indeed; śrī-nanda —Nanda; uvāca —said; kim —what?;; kartavyam —should be done; tu —indeed; vadata —please tell; utpātāḥ —calamities; santi —are; mahā-vane —in Mahāvana. Śrī Nārada said: One day, seeing that many great calamities had come, Nanda called his friends: the Vṛṣabhānus, the Upanandas, and other elders, and in the assembly he said to them, "Please tell what should be done. Many calamities have come to Mahāvana."

Śrī Nārada said: Hearing this, the elderly gopa Sannanda, who was expert at giving advice, placed Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma on his lap and spoke to King Nanda.

Śrī Sannanda said: All of us and all our friends should leave this place and go to another place where there are no calamities.

This boy Kṛṣṇa is your very life. He is the life of the residents of Vraja. He is the wealth of Vraja. He is the shining lamp of your family. He is charming with His child's playing.

This boy escaped Pūtanā, an (overturned) cart, Tṛnāvarta, and falling trees. What calamity will happen next?

Therefore we and our children should go to Vṛndāvana. When the calamities have passed we will return.

Nanda said: How many krośas is Vṛndāvana forest from Vraja? O best of the wise, tell me what it is like and how it is a happy place.

Śrī Sannanda said: The wise know that Mathurā-maṇḍala is northeast of the country of Bārhiṣat, south of the Yadus' capitol city, and west of the city of Śoṇa.

The wise say the splendid transcendental land of Vraja Mathurā-maṇḍala is 21 yojanas in circumference.

In Vasudeva's palace I heard from Garga Muni's mouth that even Prayāga, the king of holy places, worships splendid and transcendental Mathurā-maṇḍala.

In that place is Vṛndāvana forest, which is the best of all forests and beautiful with the pastimes of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

No place is better than Vaikuṇṭha. There never was such a place, nor will there ever be. Still, better than Vaikuṇṭha is the place named Vṛndāvana. . .

. . . where a mountain named Govardhana is splendidly manifest, where the shores of the Yamunā are the abode of auspiciousness, . . .

. . . where is the mountain Bṛhatsānu, where is the mountain Nandīśvara, and where there are great forests for 24 krośas.

Beautiful Vṛndāvana forest is known to be an ideal place for the cows, gopas, and gopīs, a place filled with vines and groves.

Śrī Nanda said: O Sannanda, when did the king of holy places worship Vraja? That I wish to know. I am very curious.

jitvā devān brahmalokād dhṛtvā vedān gato 'rṇave gateṣu teṣu vedeṣu devānāṁ ca gataṁ balam śrī-sannandaḥ uvāca —Śrī Sannanda said; śaṅkhāsuraḥ —Śaṅkhāsura; mahā-daityaḥ —the great demon; purā —before; naimittike —at the regular; laye —time of cosmic devastation; svapataḥ —sleeping; brahmaṇaḥ —from Brahmā; saḥ —he; api —even; veda —of the Vedas; druk — —the enemy; daitya —of demons; puṅgavaḥ —the greatest; jitvā —defeating; devān —the demigods; brahmalokāt —from Brahmaloka; dhṛtvā —taking; vedān —the Vedas; gataḥ —went; arṇave —in the ocean; gateṣu —gone; teṣu —them; vedeṣu —the Vedas; devānām —of the demigods; ca —also; gatam —gone; balam —the strength. Śrī Sannanda said: As Brahmā slept during a regularly scheduled period of cosmic devastation, the great conch demon Śaṅkāsura, a sworn enemy of the Vedas, defeated the demigods, stole the Vedas, and hid in the ocean. When the Vedas were gone the demigods' strength was also gone.

Then, assuming the form of a fish, perfect Lord Hari, the master of all yajṣas, fought with him in the ocean of cosmic devastation.

The very powerful demon Śaṅkhāsura threw a trident at Lord Hari. With His cakra Lord Hari broke the trident in a hundred pieces.

With his head Śaṅkhāsura struck Lord Viṣṇu on the chest. Although struck by his head, Lord Hari, who is greater than the greatest, did not waver.

Taking a club, Lord Hari in the form of a fish struck the powerful conch demon on the back.

Wounded by the club, and now unhappy at heart, the demon rose again and with his fist struck the Lord.

With His cakra angry lotus-eyed Lord Viṣṇu then severed the demon's hard horned head.

O king of Vraja, after defeating the conch demon, Lord Viṣṇu, accompanied by the great demigods, went to Prayāga and returned the Vedas to Brahmā.

Accompanied by all the Vedas, Brahmā performed a Vedic yajṣa. Then, calling Prayāga, he crowned it king of the holy places.

As if it were a toy parasol, an eternal banyan tree shaded Prayāga. The Ganges and Yamunā fanned it with cāmaras.

Then all the holy places in Jambudvīpa came, bringing offerings to Prayāg, the wise king of holy places.

Bowing down, the holy places worshiped Prayāga, the king of holy places. O Nanda, when Lord Hari and the demigods departed, the holy places returned to their own abodes.

Then Nārada, the king of sages, who is fond of a quarrel, approached and spoke to Prayāga, the king of holy places, as it gloriously sat on its throne.

Śrī Nārada said: O very austere king of holy places, all the important holy places worshiped you and gave offerings to you.

The holy places headed by Vṛndāvana did not come to you from Vraja. You who are the king of the kings of holy places were insulted by these madly proud places.

Śrī Sannanda said: After speaking these words, the great sage of the demigods left. Angry, the king of holy places went to the realm of Lord Hari.

Bowing down before Lord Hari, the master of the goddess of fortune, circumambulating Him, and with folded hands standing before Him, in the company of all the holy places, Prayāga, the king of holy places, spoke.

The king of holy places said: O Lord of lords, You made me king of holy places. Except for Mathurā-maṇḍala, all holy places have brought offerings to me.

The holy places of Vraja have insulted me. I have come to Your palace to tell You.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: I made you king of all holy places on earth, but I did not make you king of My own home.

Why, as if you wish to become the place where I live, do you speak in this mad way? O king of holy places, hear My auspicious words, and then return to your home.

Mathurā-maṇḍala is My home. It is My transcendental abode above the three worlds. At the time of cosmic devastation it is not destroyed.

Śrī Sannanda said: Hearing this, the king of holy places was very surprised. His pride gone, he approached the Vraja-maṇḍala of Mathurā, bowed before it, and worshiped it.

He circumambulated it, and then returned to his own abode. I have now told you about Mathurā Vraja-maṇḍala, which I personally saw break the earth's pride. What more do you wish to hear?

Śrī Nanda said: Why did Mathurā Vraja-maṇḍala break the earth's pride. O king of the gopas, please tell me.

Śrī Sannanda said: In the beginning of this Vārāha-kalpa, Lord Hari assumed the form of a boar. With His tusk lifting the earth from the realm of Rasātala, He shone with great splendor.

Glorious on the tip of His tusk, the earth spoke to the Supreme Person, the goddess of fortune's husband and the deliverer from sufferings, as He traveled through the waters.

The earth-goddess said: Where will You put me down? Please tell me, O Lord. I see the entire universe is flooded with water.

Śrī Varāha said: When you see trees standing up from the water I will put you down. Look for trees.

The earth-goddess said: All immovable things rest on me. What other thing is their steady resting-place? It is I on which all things rest.

Śrī Sannanda said: As she spoke in this way she saw some beautiful trees just ahead. Her pride now gone, the earth-goddes glanced at Lord Hari and spoke.

The earth-goddess said: Lord, in what place do these trees with twigs and leaves grow? They fill my heart with wonder. O Lord of yajṣas, O master, please tell me.

Śrī Varāha said: O beautiful one, you see transcendental Mathurā-maṇḍala, which is part of the realm of Goloka, and is not destroyed at the time of cosmic devastation.

Śrī Sannanda said: Hearing this the earth-goddess became both astonished and prideless. O great-armed Nanda, for this reason Vraja is the best of all places.

A person who hears this description of Vraja's glories becomes liberated even as he continues to live in this world. Please know that Mathurā Vraja-maṇḍala is more exalted than Prayāga, the king of holy places. .pa