Some glories of Nandagrama

[Paramananda das]

PAMHO

AGTSP

There is a beautiful series about Nandagrama  on Yourtube 

 is so beautiful,   there is 25 or so videos about Nandagrama alone about the various holy places in Nandagrama and area 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_sn8DsUkkQ&feature=player_embedded

I like to make a few comments slowly to each part of this presentation as it is a very important one .Srila Prabhupada has explained about Krsnas 3 ages is Vrindavana

Kaumara,Pauganda and Kaisora:

 

 

 

So Srila Prabhupada has explained in chapter 26 of Nectar of devotion:

 

Kṛṣṇa is the reservoir of all transcendental pleasure. Therefore, the impetuses to love of Kṛṣṇa, although seemingly different, are not actually distinct fromKṛṣṇa Himself. In the technical Sanskrit terms, such qualities as Kṛṣṇa's name and fame are accepted both as reservoirs of and as stimulation for love of Kṛṣṇa.

Kṛṣṇa's age is considered in three periods: from His appearance day to the end of His fifth year is called kaumāra, from the beginning of the sixth year up to the end of the tenth year is called paugaṇḍa, and from the eleventh to the end of the fifteenth year is called kaiśora. After the beginning of the sixteenth year,Kṛṣṇa is called a yauvana, or a youth, and this continues with no change.

As far as Kṛṣṇa's transcendental pastimes are concerned, they are mostly executed during the kaumāra, paugaṇḍa and kaiśora periods. His affectionate pastimes with His parents are executed during His kaumāra age. His friendship with the cowherd boys is exhibited during the paugaṇḍa period. And His friendship with the gopīs is exhibited during the age of kaiśora. Kṛṣṇa's pastimes at Vṛndāvana are finished by the end of His fifteenth year, and then He is transferred to Mathurā and Dvārakā, where all other pastimes are performed.

Śrīla Rūpa Gosvāmī gives us a vivid description of Kṛṣṇa as the reservoir of all pleasure in his Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu. Here are some parts of that description.

Kṛṣṇa's kaiśora age may be divided into three parts. In the beginning of His kaiśora age — that is, at the beginning of His eleventh year — the luster of His body becomes so bright that it becomes an impetus for ecstatic love. Similarly, there are reddish borders around His eyes, and a growth of soft hairs on His body. In describing this early stage of His kaiśora age, Kundalatā, one of the residents of Vṛndāvana, said to her friend, "My dear friend, I have just seen an extraordinary beauty appearing in the person of Kṛṣṇa. His blackish bodily hue appears just like the indranīla jewel. There are reddish signs on His eyes, and small soft hairs are coming out on His body. The appearance of these symptoms has made Him extraordinarily beautiful."

 

 

  So basically up to end of 5year is Kaumara age

and from 6 to 10 is Pauganda age

and from 10 to 15 is Kaisora age

 

But here Bhakti Caitanya Maharaja has explained that Krsnas Kaumara lasts up till his 3 year where Krsna stayed in Gokula His ,Pauganda to his 6th year He stayed in Vridavana (actually Sankaricora that is on the Mathura Delhi road now)

and Kaisora age untill 10th, and he is citing

the authority of Srila Visvanatha Chakravati Thakura so what is it?

And   it is understood Krsna killed Putana ,Sakatasura,Trinivarta in His Kaumara age while in Gokula

 

 

Pauganda Period in Vrindavan

Aghasura

Bakasura

Dhenukasura 

Kaliya

Vatsasura

Vidyadhara

 

and Kaisora age:

 

 

Aristasura

Kesi

Sankhacuda

Vrsasura

 

Vyomasura

 

 

 

 

Srila Prabhupada   states Krsna leaves for Mathura at age 15 to kill Kamsa ,but actually Krsna left at age 10 6 month and 5 days. This is explained by all our acaryas.

 

 

 

 

In the CC we read about Lord Caitanyas Pauganda age:

 

CC Adi 15.3: Let me now enumerate the activities of the Lord between the ages of five and ten. His chief occupation during this period was to engage Himself in study.

 

and it is understood Krsna started His pauganda age at the end of age 5 and became a Gopa on Goplastami in Kartika, taking care of cows instead of calves.

HH Tripurari Maharaja has written a very beautiful description :http://harmonist.us/2009/10/gopastami/ about the 3 ages

Srila Prabhupada has described the Pauganda age in Nectar of devotion chapter 42:

 

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Nectar of Devotion

Krishna's pauganda age can be further divided into three periods -- namely the beginning, middle and end. In the beginning of the pauganda age there is a very nice reddish luster on His lips, His abdomen is very thin, and on His neck are circles like those on a conchshell. Sometimes, some outside visitors would return to Vrindavana to see Krishna and, upon seeing Him again, would exclaim, "My dear Mukunda, Your beauty is gradually increasing, just like the leaf on a banyan tree! My dear lotus-eyed one, Your neck is gradually manifesting circles like those of the conchshell. And in the shining moonlight Your teeth and cheeks are competing with the padmaraga jewels in their beautiful arrangement. I am sure that Your beautiful bodily development is now giving much pleasure to Your friends."

At this age Krishna was garlanded with various kinds of flowers. He used to put on a silk dress, colored with various kinds of dye. Such beautiful decorations are considered cosmetics for Krishna. Krishna would wear this dress when He used to go into the forest to tend the cows. Sometimes He would wrestle there with His different friends, and sometimes they would dance all together in the forest. These are some of the specific activities of the pauganda age.

The cowherd friends of Krishna were so happy in His company that they expressed their transcendental feelings within themselves thus: "Dear Krishna, You are always busy tending the cows which are scattered all over beautiful Vrindavana. You have a beautiful garland, a smallconchshell, a peacock feather on Your turban, yellow-colored silk cloth, decorations of karnikara flowers on Your ears and a mallika flower garland on Your chest. Appearing so beautiful, when You pretend, just like an actor, to be fighting with us, You give us unlimited transcendental bliss."

When Krishna is more grown up, in the middle age of pauganda, His nails become finely sharp, and His chubby cheeks become lustrous and round. On the two sides of His waist above His belt there are three distinct lines of folded skin, called trivali.

The cowherd boyfriends of Krishna felt very proud of their association with Him. At that time the tip of His nose defeated the beauty of sesame flowers, the luster of His cheeks defeated the glow of pearls, and the two sides of His body were exquisitely beautiful. In this age Krishna wore a silk dress that glittered like lightning, His head was decorated with a silk turban covered with gold lace, and in His hand He carried a stick about fifty-six inches long.* Seeing this exquisitely beautiful dress of Krishna, one devotee addressed his friend in this manner: "My dear friend, just look at Krishna! See how He is carrying in His hand a stick which is bound up and down with golden rings, how His turban with golden lace is showing such a beautiful luster, and how His dress is giving His friends the highest transcendental pleasure!"

At the end of Krishna's pauganda age, Krishna's hair sometimes hangs down to His hips, and sometimes it becomes scattered. In this age His two shoulders become higher and broader, and His face is always decorated with marks of tilaka. When His beautiful hair scatters over His shoulders, it appears to be a goddess of fortune embracing Him, and this embracing is highly relished by His friends. Subala once addressed Him in this way: "My dear Kesava, Your round turban, the lotus flower in Your hand, the vertical marks of tilaka on Your forehead, Your kumkum-flavored musk and all of Your beautiful bodily features are defeating me today, although I am usually stronger than You or any of our friends. Since this is so, I do not know how these features of Your body can fail to defeat the pride of all the young girls of Vrindavana. When I am so defeated by this beauty, what chance is there for those who are naturally very simple and flexible?"

At this age Krishna took pleasure in whispering into the ears of His friends, and the subject of His talks was the beauty of the gopis, who were just tarrying before them. Subala once addressed Krishna thus: "My dear Krishna, You are very cunning. You can understand the thoughts of others; therefore I am whispering within Your ear that all of these five gopis, who are most beautiful, have been attracted by Your dress. And I believe that Cupid has entrusted them with the responsibility of conquering You." In other words, the beauty of the gopis was capable of conquering Krishna, although Krishna is the conqueror of all universes.

 

 

Srila Visvanatha Chakravati Thakura has made an important comment about Krsnas 3 ages:

" The bālya body of Krishna attains a little more sweetness and attains the pauganda state, but without giving up the bālya state. The pauganda body then attains more excellence and becomes the kaishora body, without giving up the previous condition...... This is because all the pastimes of Krishna during all His ages with all His bodies are eternal. When Krishna enters His pauganda body, the bālya body disappears, and then appears in the universe in which His bālya pastimes are about to begin. The bālya body appears wherever the bālya pastimes begin, in the Vrindavana within a particular universe......among those who have bhāva prema and sthāyi bhāvas, when a particular sthāyi bhāva appearsin a devotee under particular conditions or causes, one should understand that the older bhāvas are present in the devotee, but in forms (they are not destroyed). "

 

One devotee has quoted Bhagavatamrta Kana:

 

 

sA lIlA dvividhA prakaTAprakaTA ca | yA yugapad bAlya-paugaNDa-kaizora-vilAsa-mayyaH saparikarasya kRSNasyAnanta-prakAzaiH nityamevAprakaTa-lIlA vartante tA eva ekenaiva prakAzena saparivAreNa zrI-kRSNena yadA prapaJce kramataH prakAzyante, tadA prakaTeti |gamanAgamane tu tat-tad-dhAmataH prakaTa-lIlAyAm eveti vizeSaH | prakaTA lIlA ca janmAdi-mauSalAntA pratyekaM brahmANDa-samUha-krameNa tatra tatrasthair dRzyate | ekam eva vRndAvanam ekaiva mathurA ekaiva dvAravatI ca brahmANDa-koTi-samUha-madhya-gata-bhArata-bhUmau tad-vAsi-janair dRzyate | yathA jyotizcakrastha-sUrya-kiraNAvalIti | yathA jyotiz-cakra-stha eva sUrya ekasmin varSe pUrvAhnAdikaM samApyAnyasmin varSe prakAzayati kutracin na prakAzayati ca evam eva kRSNo nija-dhAmastha eva prakaTa-prakAze ekasmin brahmANDa-samUhe bAlyAdi-lIlAM samApyAnyasmin brahmANDa-samUhe prakaTayati anyasmin brahmANDa-samUhe kAm api na prakaTayatIti |

His lila (pastimes) are of two kinds, namely prakata (manifest) and aprakata (unmanifest). When Krishna's simultaneous balya (childhood),pauganda (boyhood) and kaisora (youth) pastimes with His associates are manifest endlessly and forever, the aprakata-lila is enacted, and when all the pastimes Sri Krishna and His associates are all sequentially manifest in the universe only, that is the prakata. Prakata-lila, the pastimes beginning from janma-lila (birth) to the final mausala-lila (club-fighting pastime), are seen to sequentially appear in each and every universe, one after the other. Only in prakata-lila, Vrindavana, Mathura and Dvaraka, amidst the millions of universes in the land of Bharata (India), are seen by their residents. It is like the presence of waves of sunrays in the zodiac. Just as the sun in the zodiac is visible in one place from the forenoon onwards, and somewhere it sheds light at times, and at times it doesn't shed light, so Krishna's prakata-prakasa (manifest appearance) present in His own abode appears somewhere in the aggregate of universes as balya-lila (childhood pastimes) and so forth, and in some universes He is manifest, while in others He is not manifest.

Dhyanachandra Goswami has in his Dhyanachandra Arcana Paddhati quoted Bhaktirasamrta sindhu about Krsnas ages:

BRS  2.1.308 and 9

Age is divided into three periods---kaumåra, pauganada and kaisora. The period up to the

fifth year is called kaumåra. Age five to ten is pauganda, ten to sixteen is kaisora, and after that,

yauvana.

The ages of kaumåra, etc., are also divided into ådya (beginning), madhya (middle) and anta

(end). Each part of kaumåra and pauganda is made up of about one year and eight months.

Then Dhyanachandra Goswami states:

Each part of the kaumåra age is 1 year and 8 months. Altogether this equals five years. From

the sixth year to the tenth (pauganda), the divisions are of the same duration. In the kaisora age,

the divisions each last 1 year, 11 months, and 2 1/2 days. Kaisora begins at age 11 and lasts up

to the age of 15 years, 9 months, 7 1/2 days. The vraja-lîlå of ¸Krsna lasts up to the age of 10

years, 6 months, and 5 days. In ¸Srîmad-Bhågavatam it is said: “Along with ¸Srî Baladeva, ¸Srî

Krishnacandra lived in Vraja up to the age of 11, all the while concealing His divine power.”

Now the obvious question is if Krsna leaves Vrindavana at age 10 , 6 months and 5 days

then where is His Kaisora lilas.Bhakti Caitanya Swami is suggesting Krsnas Kaisora starts at age 6 really and lasts until He leaves Vrindavana, Tripurari Maharaja has mentioned that though these stages of Kaumara,Pauganda and Kaisora starts at these paticular times Krsnas starts entering Kaisora at the age of 7.

   I like to note when Krsna lifted Govardhana kill at the age of 7 obviously He very much notices the Gopis and this is a clear indication of His kaisora lilas even in the stage where He is really supposed to be in Pauganda.This is the only explanation that makes any sense

No then Dhyanachandra Goswami states:

Because of having so much fun being the vraja-råja-kumåra, Krsnaextended His lîlå in

Vrndåvana half again the number of years He already lived there (10 years, 6 months, 5 days),

making His age 15 years, 9 months, 7 1/2 days. ¸Srî Nandanandana eternally sports in Vraja (near

the end of kaisora’s 16 years) as a kisora-gopa.

But since Krsna leaves at the age of 10 years 6 months and 5 days these pastimes are obviously aprakat lilas unmanifested to the general eye.

In Srila Rupa's Laghu-bhagavatamrita,  it is stated:

atha prakaTatAM labdhe vrajendra-vihite mahe |
tatra prakaTayaty eSa lIlA bAlyAdikA kramAt |
karoti yAH prakAzeSu koTizo’prakaTeSv api || LBh 1.5.451 ||

In the beginning of the prakata-lila, the king of Vraja arranged a great festival. The pastimes Krishna displays in the prakata-lila, in sequence beginning from childhood pastimes, he manifests tens of millions of times in the aprakata-lila.

Just like  when Uddhava meets the Gopis and inhabitants ofVrindavana ,they are experiecing Krsna in His Bhava expansion. (unmanifested form to ordinary persons) Aprakata lila.

Srila Jiva Goswami has stated:

athAprakaTa-prakaTa-lIlayoH samanvayas tv evaM vivecanIyaH | tatra yadyapi tasya aprakaTa-lIlAyAM bAlyAdikam api vartate tathApi kizorAkArasyaiva mukhyatvAt |

Now, we should consider the sequence in both aprakaTa-lIlA and prakaTa-lIlA. Although in his aprakaTa-lIlA the ages of bAlya and so forth are manifest, nevertheless his form as a kisora is the foremost indeed.

Srila Prabhupada has explained these things in his Krsna book chapter 46:

http://krishna.iskconvrindavan.com/ch46.html

When He was going to Mathura on the chariot driven by Akrura and thegopis were practically blocking the way, Krishna assured them that He was coming back just after finishing His business in Mathura. He told them not to be overwhelmed, and in this way He pacified them. But when He did not come back with Nanda Maharaja, it appeared that He either cheated them or could not keep His promise. Expert devotees, however, have decided that Krishna was neither a cheater nor a breaker of promises. Krishna, in His original identity, returned with Nanda Maharaja and stayed with the gopis and mother Yasoda in His bhava expansion. Krishna and Balarama remained in Mathura, not in Their original forms, but in Their expansions as Vasudeva and Sankarsana. The real Krishna and Balarama were in Vrindavan in Their bhava manifestation, whereas in Mathura They appeared in the prabhava and vaibhava expansions. This is the expert opinion of advanced devotees of Krishna. But when Nanda Maharaja was preparing to return to Vrindavan, there was discussion among him, Krishna and Balarama as to how the boys could live in separation from Nanda. The conclusion to separate was reached by mutual agreement.

 This chapter of the Krsna book is extremely important to read and understand.

Radha Krsna's lilas are eternally manifest as Their Nitya lilas and Srila Prabhupada has stated:

 

"Since Krishna had departed from Vrindavan to Mathura, the inhabitants of Vrindavan, especially mother Yasoda, Nanda Maharaja, Srimati Radharani, the gopis and the cowherd boys, were simply thinking of Krishna at every step. They were thinking, "Krishna was playing in this way. Krishna was blowing His flute. Krishna was joking with us, and Krishna was embracing us." This is called lila-smarana, and it is the process of association with Krishna most recommended by great devotees; even Lord Caitanya enjoyed lila-smarana association with Krishna when He was at Puri. Those who are in the most exalted position of devotional service and ecstasy can live with Krishna always by remembering His pastimes. SrilaVisvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has given us a transcendental literature entitled Krishna-bhavanamrta, which is full with Krishna's pastimes. Devotees can remain absorbed in Krishna-thought by reading such books. Any book of Krishna-lila, even this book, Krishna, and our  Teachings of Lord Caitanya, is actually solace for devotees who are feeling the separation of Krishna."

Thus Srila Prabhupada encouraged devotees to read the book:

Read Krsna book regularly. Why these books are written? Only for selling? Taking statistics, “How many books you have sold?” You learn, read. Always read, twenty-four hours. As soon as you get time, read. I do that. I do that. Reading, writing, or chanting. But when there is no other way, you sleep little. Not to enjoy sleep, but because it is not possible to continue, all right, sleep one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours, five hours. Not more than that. Not that I am sleeping, enjoying life, up to eight o’clock, twelve o’clock. (720423SB.TOK Lectures)

Lord Siva got the benediction to appear as Nandisvara hill

and he also appears in Vraja as Gopesvara Mahadeva.

vrndavanavani-pate jaya soma soma-maule
sanaka-sanandana-sanatana-naradedya
gopisvara vraja-vilasi-yuganghri-padme
prema prayaccha nirupadhi nama namaste

O gatekeeper of Vrndavana! O Soma, all glories unto you! O you whose forehead is decorated with the moon, and who is worshipable by Sanaka, Sanandana, Sanatana, Narada and other great sages. O Gopisvara! Desiring that you bestow upon me divine love for the lotus feet of Sri Sri Radha-Govinda who perform joyous pastimes in Vraja-dhama, I offer my respects unto you again and again! (Stavavali)

http://www.vrindavan.org/CentersJPG/Pict1/Gopesvara.html

Narada Muni approached Sadasiva to hear about Krsnas

pastimes in Vrindavana and Sadasiva told him:

 

“The Sakti known as hlådinî is the mahå-Sakti, and is greater than all the others. ¸Srî Rådhikå

is celebrated as the embodiment of that quintessential bhåva. O Muni! At the time of ¸Srî Rådhå-Krsnas sporting, the Krsna-Sakti known as åkarsanî arises. It attracts Ksîråbdhiksåyî  Visnu and

Våsudeva, who are merged in Krsnass body, and then takes Them off into the sky. Only Rådhå-

Krsna’s lîlå remains. At the conclusion of sporting with Rådhå, the Sakti named sthåpanî

brings Ksîråbdhaksåyî and Våsudeva back from the sky and places Them insideKrsna’s body. For

sixteen full years, as ¸Srî Nandanandana alone, Srî Krsna enjoys transcendental happiness

sporting with ¸Srî Rådhå.”

The Narada Muni asks a very confidential question:

 

¸Srî Nårada replies, “O Prabhu! When Srî goes to Madhupurî (Mathurå), how can ¸Srî

Rådhå feel the vipralambha-rasa (separation) toward Him in His Våsudeva form? In other

words, ¸Srî Rådhå has nis†hå in ¸Srî, but not in the Våsudeva form which exists within

Krsna. When Krsna goes to Mathurå, He assumes the form of Våsudeva, so how is it possible

that the vipralambha-rasa can arise in Rådhå at this time? Please explain this mystery to me.”

¸Srî SadåSiva answers, “In Vraja, ¸Srî Rådhå exists in three forms: as Kåmå (samyoginî-Sakti),

Våmå (viyoginî-Sakti) and Kîrtidå-putrî  

(hladini sakti)

I have explained this previously on dandavats.com

 

 

 

 this is from Sanat Kumara Samhita:

text 302

Sri Närada said: If when Lord Krsna goes to Mathurä He manifests His more-perfect form of Väsudeva’s son (which is different from the most-perfect form of Nanda’s son), then how is it possible for Sri Rädhä to feel the pangs of separation from this form (a form different from the Vrndävana-Krsna)? O master, please cut apart this doubt.

text 303

Lord Sadäsiva said: The Samyogini potency arranges the amorous pastimes of the divine couple, and the Viyogini potency arranges that the divine couple be separated. The Hlädini potency is the Lord’spleasure potency. In Vraja Sri Rädhä is the manifestation of these three potencies.

note: this means that Samyogini and Viyogini is within Radha also, they are another aspect or mood of Sri Radha

text 304

Sri Rädhä, the daughter of Kirtidä, thinks, “Sri Krsna, the master of My life, never leaves Vrndävana to go to any other place.”

note: this is the mood of Sri Radha, in Her original mood as Vrsabhanu Nandini, She uses Her 64 artistic skills to pleaseKrsna (please seeSrila Bhaktisiddhanta Prabhupadas purport to Brahma Samhita text 37 that is her Hladini sakti aspect Her Svayam rupa.

text 305

O son of Brahmä, Rädhä does not see any difference in LordKrsnas appearance or dissapearance. This was also so when Lord Krsnadisappeared in the beginning of the räsa-dance.

text 306

O sage, it is the Lord’sfeature as the son of Vasudeva and the king of Mathurä who goes to Mathurä. The son of Nanda does not go. He merely hides in beautiful Vrndävana.

text 307

In this way Sri Rädhä, the daughter of Kirtidä experiences the mellow of thinking Her beloved has gone away on a journey. In this way the sages described that mellow, where Sri Rädhä is bereft of Her beloved’s company.

note: this is the manifestion of the Viyogini mood

text 308

Sri Rädhä thinks, “He who is My hero and My life has left Me and gone to Mathurä!” In this way unhappy Rädhä is agitated in separation from Her beloved.

note; now compare text 304 to this text 308, one (304) is Vrsabhanu Nandini , and this vers(308) describes the mood of Viyogni Radha-

 

  Krsna Himself comes in this Kali yuga as Lord Caitanya to experience the mood of seperation of Radharani and the inhabitants ofVrindavana from, in the mood

of Viyogini Radha,this He fully manifested at the end of His divine pastimes in Jagannatha Puri

your servant

Paramananda das

 

 

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=6383

 

 

[Paramananda das]

this beautiful bhajan in the background is :

 

Song Name: Hari He Doyal Mor

Official Name: Dainya O Prapatti

Author:  Anonymous

Book Name: None

Language: Bengali

 

LYRICS:

(1)
hari he doyāl mor jaya rādhā-nāth
bāro bāro ei-bāro loho nija sāth

 

(2)
bahu yoni bhrami' nātha! loinu śaraṇ
nija-guṇe kṛpā koro' adhama-tāraṇ

 

(3)
jagata-kāraṇa tumi jagata-jīvan
tomā chāḍā kār nāhi he rādhā-ramaṇ

 

(4)
bhuvana-mańgala tumi bhuvaner pati
tumi upekhile nātha, ki hoibe gati

 

(5)
bhāviyā dekhinu ei jagata-mājhāre
tomā binā keho nāhi e dāse uddhāre

 

TRANSLATION

1) O Hari! O my merciful Lord! All glories to You, O Lord of Radha! Again and again I have pleaded with You, and now I beg You yet again to accept me as Your own.

 

2) O Lord! Hopelessly taking birth over and over, I have now come to You for refuge. Please show Your merciful nature and deliver this wretched soul.

 

3) You are the cause of the universe, and its very life. Other than You, O lover of Radha, there is no shelter. 

4) You bring about auspiciousness for the world, and You are the master of all the worlds as well. O Lord, what will become of me if You forsake me? 

5) I have understood, after contemplating my predicament, that within this world there is no one who can deliver this servant but You.