My Yugal Kisora Govardhana Sila

[Paramananda das]

 

Here is something about Yugala Kisora Govardhana Sila.I got my first Govardhana Sila in 1986.I had been worshipping Govardhana Sila and Salagrama Sila for some months in Vrindavana, and obtained an Ugra Narasimha Salagrama Sila in

Haridwara during the Kumba Mela that year. But I was getting very attached to Govardhana Sila worshipping Him every day in Vrindavana (on the alter) .I learned to worship from my very expert godbrother Kaliya Krsna Prabhu who is from a Brahmin family that worshipped Salagrama Sila ,even before he came in ISKCON.Anyhow I did not dare think I could one day worhip Giriraja on my own, those days no one worshipped and some devotees had taken Giriraja during Prabhupadas time, and as they had no knowlege how to worship he told them to put back Giriraja.So I was praying to Giriraja daily, one day I will have to leave Vrindavana but without you, it will be very hard for me to be anywhere, because you are Krsna Himself and you are Giriraja,Haridasa Varya.I was very happy every time ,I read how Raghunath das Goswami obtained Giriraja from Lord Caitanya (in the CC) .It seemed to good to be true, Kaliya Krsna Prabhu advised me to ask Visvambara Goswami at Radha Ramana temple, since no one had Giriraja Sila at that time in ISKCON .(at least that I knew of).So I asked Visvambara Goswami so many questions , he liked me and he told me many things including his association with Srila Prabhupada. Anyhow I asked him after some days if he tought I would ever be qualified to worship Giriraja ,he said why not, I see you are a good devotee, you need few things first is the blessings of a Vrijabasi to worship (this is widely accepted in Vrindavana) .I said well which Vrijabasi will give me such a blessing.he laughed :"I was born in Vrindavana and have served my whole life here at the lotusfeet of Radharamana".Will you accept this blessing.

I said please.But he said you should also confirm with your Guru(which I did) and then he said:You should go to Govardhana one day chanting and praying sincerely to Giriraja and He will manifest Himself.I thought well I do no feel qualified to do that.I aksed him about that some sastras say you should put gold for each ounch of the weight of Giriraja, he told me this was for materialistic persons to discourage such worship .He said you are a vaisnava this is not for you.I thanked him and left perplexed how was I to go to Giriraja and just take Krsna out of Vrindavana(Giriraja Sila).Next day I asked this question.He was very pleased and said:Where ever you take Giriraja that becomes Vrindavana.He said every day think of Vraja when you worship so many places at Govardhana, and Radha kunda and Shyama kunda, how Giriraja is a transcendental peacock with eyes as Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda .Remember the verses from Nectar of instruction about Giriraja and try to reciete soem prayers to Giriraja.At this time ,I was very happy,and all doubts has cleared.Only one question yet was to obtain Giriraja without committing offences.I asked him another day about this once more.No do not worry Giriraja will come to you.I was puzzled .Some weeks went by and daily I was worshipping Giriraja,praying for His great mercy on me.One day I went with Navayogendra Swami to Govardhana ,and near Kusuma Sarovara one babaji showed us many holy places of Giriraja including,a Govardhana Sila With Krsnas foot print that I could never find again,(obviously my mind never even for a second thought of that Sila as it really just belonged there(I surely would have offended many Vrijabasis by taking that one,they would never have permitted it ,this Sila is really huge. I pray to one day see it again .He took us to Gopal Kunda ,back then there was lots of bushes and flowers in that area , that is no longer so ,and Gopala kunda has steps around it now, I liked it better the way I saw it then.This place is also known as Gwala Pokar ,the place of the Cowherd boys as Krsna Balarama comes here every day(in Their aprakat Nitya lilas) to take lunch becfore Krsna goes with Subala ,Ujjvala and other priya narma sakhas to meet Radharani at Radhakunda and Surya Kunda.

(all mentiond in Govinda Lilamrta, Krsna Bhavanamrta and such books).there was on Govardhan Sila that was flat I could see it close to Gopala Kunda ,He had a naural Tilaka mark and was sitting there like He owned the place (as if He was Krsna Himself looking out on Gopala Kunda).I was amazed a Govardhana Sila with a Tilaka mark, back then I did not know the significance.So I paid my obaisences. and I respectfully picked Him up.I have worshipped Him ever since as Krsna that comes there eternally with His sweet Sakhas enjoying their company ,with the flute stuck in His Yellow Dhoti, and with His sweet lotusfeet and the locks of His beautiful curly hair,some of which falling in His lotusface in His Pauganda age.I pray to always remember Krsna and Balarama at Gwala pokhar and Gopala kunda joking and having lunch, may this vision appear in my mind every day , and may I one day please be transferred to these sweet Lilas of MadanGopal.



Shri Madana-Gopaladevastaka by Srila Visvanatha Chakravati

Eight Prayers Glorifying Shri Madana-Gopaladeva



1

mrdu-talaranya-jita-rucira-darada-prabham

kulisa-kanjari-dara-kalasa-jhasa-cihnitam

hrdi mamadhaya nija-carana-sarasiruham

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



O Madana Gopala, please place Your lotus feet, which are marked with a thunderbolt, lotus, conchshell, waterpot, and fish, which eclipse all splendours, and which with soft soles have conquered Vrndavana forest, in my heart. Please protect me, for I am now Your home.



2

mukhara-manjira-nakha-sisira-kiranavali

vimala-malabir anupadam udita-kantibhih

sravana-netra-svasana-patha-sukhada natha he

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



With every step splendid garlands of the cooling moonlight of Your toenail-moons and the words of Your talkative anklets bring happiness to the path of my ears, eyes, and breath. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



3

manimayosnisa-dara-kutilimani locanoc-

calana-caturya-cita-lavanimani gandayoh

kanaka-tatanka-ruci-madhurimani majjayan

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



O Madana Gopala, as You plunge me in the sweetness of the glittering golden earrings at Your cheeks, in the tilt of Your jewelled crown, and in the handsomeness of Your expertly moving restless eyes, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



4

adhara-sonimni dara-hasita-sitimarcite

vijita-manikya-rada-kirana-gana-mandite

nihita-vamsika jana-duravagama-lila he

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



You place a flute on the red of Your lips, which are worshipped by the splendour of Your smile and decorated with the effulgence of teeth that defeat the splendour of rubies. O Madana Gopala, whose pastimes cannot be understood by the people, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



5

padaka-harali-pada-kataka-nata-kinkini-

valaya tatanka-mukha-nikhila-mani-bhusanaih

kalita-navyabha nija-tanu-ruci-bhusitair

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



You are splendid with golden earrings, many necklaces and garlands, dancing anklets and bracelets, and many other jewel ornaments, which are themselves decorated by the splendour of Your form. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



6

udupa-koti-kadana-vadana-ruci-pallavair

madana-koti-mathana-nakhara-kara-kandalaih

dyutaru-koti-sadana-sadaya-nayaneksanair

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



O Madana Gopala, with Your merciful glances, which are arbours of millions of celestial desire-trees, with the new blossoms of the splendour of Your face, which eclipses millions of moons, and with the kandala flowers of Your hands, which have nails to attack millions of Kamadevas, please protect me, for I am now Your home



7

krta-narakara-bhava-mukha-vibudha-sevita

dyuti-sudha-sara puru-karuna kam api ksitau

prakatayan prema-bharam adhikrta-sanatanam

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



O Madana Gopala, who appeared in a humanlike form and was served by Siva and all the demigods, O merciful one, who showed the Earth eternal spiritual love, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



8

tarani ja-tira-bhuvi tarani-kara-varaka-

priyaka-sandastha-mani-sadana-mahita-sthite

lalitaya sardham anupada-ramita radhaya

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



On the Yamuna’s shore is a shady kadamba grove and a glorious jewel palace where You eternally play with Radha and Lalita. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.



9

madana-gopala tava sarasam idam astakam

pathati yah sayam ati-sarala-matir asu tam

sva-caranambhoja-rati-rasa-sarasi majjayan

madana-gopala nija-sadanam anuraksa mam



Into the nectar lake of love for Your lotus feet You quickly plunge a sincere devotee who reads these eight nectar verses glorifying You. O Madana Gopala, please protect me, for I am now Your home.
This is a sweet prayer to Madan Gopala (Madan Mohan)

So this Giriraja I am worshipping in this way. praying to Him for eternal residence in Vraja following the footsteps of the priyanarma sakhas.(like Ujjvala and Subala)

Later I brought a Giriraja Sila for a brahmacari in Boston on his request, but then he changed his mind (though his Guru had oked the worship) .Madhavananda Prabhu in Bhuvanesavara got blessings to worship that Giriraja Sila from Gaura Govinda Maharaja.When he saw this Sila he immidiatly saw Krsna, and said :"What a beautifull cowhered boy...." His reaction was so ecstatic and sweet, it showed his real vaisnava heart,he saw Krsna directly, I felt it strongly .

Later another devotee wanted a bigger Giriraja Sila, the one you like, He was given to this devotee, but after few days,I had dreams of Giriraja telling me He was not happy being worshipped by this devotee.This is confidential but it is the truth.So I called him and asked and he said he did not feel qualified.I told him about my dream.I found out he did not really know as much as he had told me about worshipping Giriraja so this is how I got the big Giriraja ,that I worship as Haridasa varya, Govardhana as the servant of Radha Krsna,as the Giriraja that ate the offerings made by Krsna and asuming a giant transcendental form that looks like Krsnas.At the same time I obtained this Sila at Govinda Kunda.It is my favorite as the annkuta festival took place there and Madhavendra Puri obtained Sri Gopala there also later known as Sri Natahaji (gives pain to the ears as He belong in Vrindavana) .One sannysi went with me ,and as he offered obaisences to Giriraja and Lord Caitanya and Radha Krsna, he "found" a Sila with the clear image of Radharani.It was so clear as if it was drawn on the Sila.You see the face of Sri Radha from the side and a beautifull blue Sari.I was ecstatic ,how amazing I offered full Dandavats, this was on Gopastami ,the day Radharani dressed up like Subala,and Subala as Radharani , so Radharani could go and see Krsna,I touched the Sila as if to touch Sri Radhas lotusfeet.I prayed out loud,dear Srimati Radharani please help me also find a Sila like this with Krsna's image.Maharaja laughed.(his name,slips my mind he took sannyasa independently from ISKCON and Narayana Maharaja(Bhakti Visvambara Madhava Maharajav knows him well).I started to look every where for Krsna like crazy person turning Sila after Sila seemingly disobeying what I had learned from Visvambhara Goswami that Krsna is present as every Govardhana Sila.Within 5 minutes,here was Krsna with yellow dhoti and flute.Soon after that some ladies came withwaterpots I never saw so many "Gopis" there,they all chanted Jaya Shyam ,Jaya Radhe and the peacocks starting to sing on Govardhana hill and one seemed to be dancing.It was truely amazing.
If you see this Govardhana Sila you become really happy(only those who are envious look sad when they see this Sila ) excited I showed this Sila to Bhakti Visrambha Madhava Maharaja when I returned to the temple.He looked at Him this is Yugala Kisora Sila he said showing me next to Krsna is something golden,so I worship as Radha Krsna.So this Sila is the highest among all my Govardhaan silas ,why?Because Those Govardhana Silas with special markings are described in Garga Samhita are more holy and a Tritha within Govardhaan Himself ,I will look for the sastric quote later from 3 canto of Garga Samhita,Vraja Rita Cintamani also has some amzing details about Giriraja as well as in Gopal campu.

PADMALOCANA das has written a book about Govardhana and all the holy places around Giriraja and also a book about Yamunadevi

this last book can be found a http://nitaaiveda.com/.
your servant





The Origin of Govardhan Puja


In the western coast of India, in the island of Salmali, lived Dronachala, the king of the mountains. Once a sage by the name of Pulastya Muni, came to him to take his son Giriraja with him to Kashi (Varanasi). After offering some initial resistance, Giriraja, somehow agreed to go with him only on condition that he should not put him down on the earth along the way. If he did so, he would stay there forever.

When they were flying over Vraja bhumi, Giriraja increased his weight to the extent that Pulastya had no option but to put him down. Pulastya understood the mischief of Giriraja. He became furious and cursed him that he would decrease by one grain everyday. But then repenting on the curse that he gave to Giriraja, he assured him that he would be blessed in the Dvapara Yuga and everybody would start worshipping him at that time.

This happened in the Satya yuga. Brahmaji wished to create the Dvapara Yuga but because of the portentous phenomenon of Ravana, he had to create the Treta Yuga. In this yuga, Hanumanaji on the instructions of Lord Rama, came to take Giriraja for the cause of constructing a bridge on the ocean.

Giriraja at once agreed to go for the service of Lord Rama. But before they reached the bridge it was already complete so there was no need of additional stones. Giriraja was very disappointed not getting the opportunity to have the darshana of Lord Rama.

On knowing the sorrow of Giriraja, Lord Rama sent a message saying that, "...by the end of the Dvapara Yuga, the Original personality of godhead, Sri Krishna will appear and have his transcendental leelas on you and will also worship you with great affection. In the kaliyuga, the devotees shall attain numerous divine supernatural powers by simply worshipping you.''

In Sarasvata Kalpa, i.e. the end of the Dvapara Yuga, Bhagavan Sri Krishna stopped the worship of Indra and started the Govardhana Puja by doing it Himself. It was a wonderful sight. Being worshipped by Sri Krishna, Giriraja himself became like Sri Krishna. It was like He (Sri Krishna) was worshipping Himself. Since then all the six seasons resided permanently on Giriraja.

Besides this, the eight gates of the Asta Sakha's from where they entered nitya lila, are also on Govardhan hill. The Asta Sakha's, who reside on Govardhan hill are in different places, each of which were passionately attached to their respective Deities at those places.

http://dharmakshetrasblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/giriraja-increased-h...

ANNAKUTA (GOVARDHANA PUJA)

From Siddha Sri Krishna Das Baba's Gutika

The day after Dipavali Nanda baba arranges for the Govardhana-brahmanas to perform the ceremonial bathing (abhiseka) of Giriraja Govardhana with five kinds of nectar - ghi (clarified butter), sugar-water, yoghurt, milk and honey - and makes them cook many kinds of sweets, rice, rotis, and vegetables. They place these preparations on big leaves in front of Govardhana Hill. In one form Krishna sits next to Nanda baba and in another, huge, form He sits on Giriraja and grabs all the offered foodstuffs at once with one very long arm, eating everything! On the other side small Krishna says: "Just see how Giriraja is eating everything!" Nanda and the cowherders look on in joyful amazement how Giriraja finishes his meal with a pan (betel-leaves) and accepts all the flower garlands and sandalwood paste which was offered by the Vrajavasis in huge amounts. Then the local brahmanas offer Giriraja a lamp in arati on a long spear.

Krishna and all the other cowherders offer their prostrated obeisances to Giriraja, who disappears after blessing everyone. When asked what will please him the most, Giriraja says: "I am most pleased when you circumambulate me!", so that's what they do. First the cows go, then the brahmanas (they are also worshiped on that day), then the older gopis, the older cowherds, the young gopis, Krishna and His chums and finally Nanda and Yasoda. After this parikrama of Govardhana Hill Nanda feeds all the brahmanas and gives them cows, gold, silver and garments in charity. Then he eats himself with his family and everyone takes rest in their tents. Radha and Krishna meet as usual in the Giri Nikunja, the mountain grove, returning to Their camps afterwards, and at midday They have Their usual fun at Radhakunda. Then Nanda baba has all the tents broken up and moved to Kaliyadaha in Vrindavana. There They have Their supper and Radha and Krishna have Their usual nocturnal fun at Vamsivata, Vrindavana on the bank of the Yamuna-river.

SRI SRI GOVARDHANASRAYA DASAKAM, VERSE 1

saptAhaM murajit karAmbuja pari-bhrAjat kaniSThAGguli
prodyad valgu varATakopari milan mughda dvirepho’pi yaH
pAthaH kSepaka zakra nakra mukhataH kroDe vrajaM drAg apAt
kas taM gokula bandhavam giri-varaM govardhanaM nAzrayet

Who will not take shelter of Govardhana hill. the best of mountains and the friend of Gokula, who protected the people of Vraja from the rains, that came from the mouth of the crocodile-like king Indra, like an innocent blackbee sitting on the seedhusk-like little finger of Sri Krishna’s lotus-like hand for seven days?
Excerpts from Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: In sadhakavesa Sripada Raghunatha reveals the glories of Sri Giriraja Govardhana in this Govardhanasraya Dasakam. In his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Srila Rupa Gosvami has mentioned that five of the sixty-four items of bhajana are extraordinarily powerful, and one of them is living in Vraja or taking shelter of Vraja-dhama.

The only abode where Krishna can stay enjoying purely sweet, intimate pastimes, that are devoid of even a whiff of reverence is this Vraja-dhama. But even within this Vraja there is again distinction between the different confidential pastime-places. Giriraja Govardhana is said to be at the summit by Srila Rupa Gosvami:


vaikuNThAj janito varA madhu-purI tatrApi rAsotsavAd
vRndAraNyam udAra pANi ramaNAt tatrApi govardhanaH
rAdhAkuNDam ihApi gokula pateH premAmRta plAvanAt
kuryAd asya virAjato giri-taTe sevAM vivekI na kaH

“Greater than Vaikuntha is Mathura, better than Mathura is Vrindavana, because the Rasa-dance took place there, better even than Vrindavana is Govardhana because it was touched by Krishna’s beautiful hand, and best of all is Radhakunda (the abode of Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s most passionate pastimes), which is inundated by the stream of nectarean love of the Lord of Gokula (Sri Krishna). Who will not serve this sacred pond at the base of Govardhana Hill?”

By calling Sri Giriraja Gokula Bandhava Sri Raghunatha reminds us of how Giriraja protected Gokula. The king of the demigods Indra had committed a great offense by accepting offerings from Sri Nanda, Upananda and other cowherds, that are worshippable even for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To protect him from the grip of this offense and to establish the service and the glories of Sri Giriraja the merciful Lord stopped the sacrifice to Indra and had the sacrifice to Sri Govardhana commenced. The king of the demigods Indra, intoxicated as he was with pride of his opulences, was unable to understand this merciful pastime of the Lord and began to engage clouds like the Samvartaka, that are used to destroy the universe, to vanquish Gokula with showers of rain and thunderbolts. When these destructive storms and showers of rain, hail and thunderbolts began, the distressed Vrajavasis took shelter of their only resort, Sri Krishna.


kRSNa kRSNa mahAbhAga tvan nAthaM gokulaM prabho
trAtum arhasi devAn naH kupitAd bhakta vatsala

(Bhagavata 10.25.43)

“O Krishna! Krishna! O highly fortunate One! O protector of the devotees! O most powerful One! Please protect Gokula from the hand of Indra, who has become angry with us!”

Seeing that the Vrajavasis were suffering from Indra’s atrocious behaviour and hearing their distress-calls, Sri Krishna said: “With My own power I will protect the Vrajavasis, who are surrendered to Me, who are My proteges and who are My beloved relatives. My only vow is to protect the souls that surrender unto Me.” Saying this, Sri Krishna suddenly lifted the Govardhana Hill and playfully held it on His left hand, just as a child is holding a mushroom.


tasmAn mac charaNaM goSThaM man nAthaM mat parigraham
gopAya svAtma-yogena so’yaM me vrata AhitaH
ityuktvaikena hastena kRtvA govardhanAcalam
dadhAra lIlayA kRSNaz chatrAkam iva bAlakaH

(Bhagavata 10.25.18-19)

Sri Krishna easily held Giriraja with the little finger of His left hand, gave shelter to all the people and cows of Vraja beneath it and remained standing motionlessly like this for seven days.

Sripada Raghunatha says: “Sri Giriaja remained on the lotusseed-like little finger of Sri Krishna’s lotuslike hand like an innocent bumblebee”. This means that just as a kingbee, who is engaged in drinking the honey from a lotusflower, remains on the lotusseed in an intoxicated state, similarly Govardhana, who is the greatest of Lord Hari’s servants, got a place on Sri Krishna’s lotuslike hand for seven consecutive days and nights and remained absorbed there in relishing the mellows of the beauty of the lotuslike hand of his most dearly beloved. In this way he easily saved the Vrajamandala from the grip of the crocodile-like Indra, who was

SRI SRI GOVARDHANASRAYA DASAKAM, VERSE 2

indratve nibhRtaM gavAM sura-nadI toyena dInAtmanA
zakreNAnugatA cakAra surabhir yenAbhiSekaM hareH
yat kacche’jani tena nandita janaM govindakuNDaM kRtI
kas taM go nikarendra paTTa zikharaM govardhanaM nAzrayet

What pious soul will not take shelter of the king of mountains, Govardhana Hill, who delights everyone and close to whom is Govinda Kunda, where Lord Hari was secretly bathed to crown Him as the king of cows with celestial Ganga-water by the Surabhi-cow of the humbled king Indra?

Exerpts from the Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: For seven days and nights Sri Krishna stood and held up Sri Giriraja with steady hand. Like thirsty Cataka-birds the people of Vraja relished the sweet nectar of this black monsooncloud (Krishna) for seven days and nights.

Even the cows and buffaloes of Vraja were constantly engaged for seven days and nights in relishing the streams of nectar emanating from Giridhari Sri Krishna’s lustrous moon-like face, and so they did not feel any hunger or thirst. Who can then describe the ecstasy felt by Sri Krishna’s dearmost Vrajavasi gopis and gopas when they saw Sri Krishna’s face for seven days? Seeing that the gopas and gopis, who were standing in a circle under the mountain, were constantly drinking the nectar of the vision of Sri Krishna’s lotus-like face, mother Yasoda was filling Sri Krishna’s lotuslike mouth with butter and sweet rice every half hour.

Seeing Krishna’s glorious power, the heaven-king Indra became afraid like an elephant that is attacked by a lion, so he called his clouds back and fled back to his celestial abode. But alas! Could he find any peace there after offending the source of all peace, Sri Krishna? At every moment he expected Krishna’s faithful Sudarsana-disc to come and burn the heavenly planets and their inhabitants. “Or who knows what kind of harsh punishment may be my fate?” In the scripture Sri Gopala Campu it is described: ito gatva dainyam matva skhalad oja vidaujah ksayam gacchan apyasau ksayam rcchann iva sthitavannatu sacim acikamata. na ca nirjara sadasi nirjagama.

Humiliated, Devaraja Indra miserably returned to his heavenly abode, but when he came there he could find no peace. It was as if he whithered away each day in great fear. He found no more joy in the loving conversations with his wife Sacidevi or in the meetings of the assembly of demigods. He constantly spent his time in a solitary section of his abode Amaravati. When the guru of the demigods, Brhaspati, heard this he went to see him and chastised him, saying:

“O King of the demigods! Although you are victorious over all the demons, you can not make any spiritual advancement unless you worship the lotusfeet of Sri Krishna! Can any tree or herb stay alive without the aid of the moon? Although you have a thousand eyes, you are still blind! That is because you are suresa, (king of demigods, or one who is drunk of wine) and this intoxication, the intoxicating opulence of heaven, has blinded you!”

Hearing these chastising words of Brhaspati, Devaraja Indra replied: “O master! I’ve done a great mischief by trying to destroy Vrajabhumi! It was a great injustice! Now please tell me how to become free from the reactions to such an offense!”

Brhaspati said: “O Indra! Only Lord Brahma can advise you in these days of woe, so quickly go to him!”, so Indra went to see Lord Brahma and elaborately told him of the offense he had committed. Hearing the words of Devaraja, Brahma told him:

“Alas! Alas! Although you are the king of the demigods, you committed such a foolish offense! The wise men carefully block their ears when they hear about your misbehaviour even once! Nevertheless I shall advise you what to do, in order to protect my creation! Some time ago I became so impudent as to try to know the greatness of Sri Krishna, and even now I can not find the means by which I can be forgiven for that offense! But Gautama and other sages advised me to daily carress the cows, feed them grass and circumambulate them. By serving the cows, the Lord of cows, Govinda, will swiftly be pleased. Therefore if you want to satisfy the Lord, who is naturally a great lover of the cows, then go to the mother of cows Surabhi, otherwise the demons will surely cause fear and havoc in heaven!”

Hearing Brahma’s advice Indra swiftly went to mother Surabhi, told her about the offense he had committed and brought her along to Vraja-bhumi. The all-merciful Sri Krishna had already engaged His cowherdboys elsewhere and waited for Indra to come. Smilingly He sat on a jewelled boulder of Govardhana Hill when Indra slowly and shyly approached Him, offered prostrated obeisances unto Him and began to praise Him, sitting on his knees before Him and revealing all the great glories of Sri Krishna with a faltering fear-filled voice. After Indra had completed his praises of the Lord mother Surabhi also praised Sri Krishna and showered Him with her own milk. Devaraja Indra also had Krishna bathed, with a shower of celestial Ganga-water, pumped up by the trunk of his Airavata-elephant, and had Him named Govinda, or king of cows, in everyone’s presence. The water that had showered Govinda created Govinda Kunda, a lake that lies at the base of Govardhana Hill even today, delighting the eyes of everyone. Sripada said: “Which fortunate soul will not take shelter of Giriraja Govardhana, the restingplace of Govinda?”

SRI SRI GOVARDHANASRAYA DASAKAM, VERSE 10


kAlindIM tapanodbhavAM giri-gaNAn aty unnamac chekharAn
zrI vRndA-vipinaM janepsita dharma nandIzvaraM cAzrayam
hitvA yam prati-pUjayan vraja-kRte mAnaM mukundo dadau
kas taM zRGgI kirITinaM giri-nRpaM govardhanaM nAzrayet


Who will not take shelter of the king of mountains, Govardhana who was honoured and formally worshiped by Mukunda as the crownjewel of mountains for the sake of protecting the inhabitants of wishyielding Sri Vrindavana, making Him leave aside the (worship of) Yamuna (river, the daughter of the sun), all other high mountains and even Hiss own abode Nandisvara?

Exerpts from the Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: At the end of this stava Sripada Raghunatha mentions yet another one of Sri Giriraja’s glories to show the absolute necessity of taking shelter of Govardhana Hill. Although there are many pastime-places in the 168 miles circumference of Vraja-mandala that are endowed with great glory Sri Giriraja is the greatest because it is so dear to Sri Krishna. That can easily be understood, because of all the hills Sri Krishna chose the crownjewel of hills Sri Govardhana to protect the Vrajamandala with, stopping the sacrifice to Indra and initiating the worship of Giriraja instead. Just to establish the worship of Girraja the Lord expounded karma-vada (the path of action) to Nanda and the cowherds, that were accustomed to perform their traditional sacrifice to Indra. In this way He cleverly explained them the necessity of worshipping Giriraja. Hearing the nectarine words emanating from Sri Krishna’s divine mouth Nanda and the cowherds immediately developed faith in the worship of Giriraja, without argument. Being their livelihood, Giriraja was naturally the object of the Vrajavasis’ worship and devotion. This subject is described as follows in Sri Harivamsa:


dAmodara vacaH zrutvA hRSTAs te goSu jIvinaH; tad vAg amRtamAsAdya pratyUcur avizaGkayA
tavaiSA bAla mahatI gopAnAM citta-vardhinI; prINayatyeva naH sarvAn buddhir vRddhi-karI gavAm
tvaM gatis tvaM ratizcaiva tvaM vettA tvaM parAyaNam;
bhayeSvabhayadas tvaM nas tam eva suhRdAm suhRt


“Hearing Damodara’s words, the Vrajavasis became very happy. It is as if their fear vanished simply by drinking the nectar of His words. They told Sri Krishna: “O child of ours! Your excellent intelligence is benefiting the cowherd-clan and causes an increase in our wealth of cows, and thus it greatly increases the love of all of us! You are our only goal, the Vrajavasis are lovingly attached to only You, You alone know what is good for us and what is not. You grant us fearlessness when we are afraid, and You are our greatest friend.”

With great enthusiasm Nanda and the cowherds began to worship Giriraja with different paraphernalia. Govardhana, the crownjewel of mountains, accepted that worship and the great mountains on earth - Sumeru, Himalaya and so - also came there to worship Giriraja, taking different offerings with them.


govardhano ratna-zilA-mayo’bhUt suvarNa zRGgaiH paritaH sphuradbhiH
mattAlibhir nirjhara sundarIbhiH darIbhir uccAnGga karIva rAjan
tadaiva zailAH kila mUrtimanta sopAnayA meru himAcalAdyAh
nemur giriM maGgala pANayas taM govardhanaM rUpa-dharaM girIndrAH

(Garga Samhita)


“When sages like Bhaguri and Garga, who were brahmanas learned in the Vedas, began to worship Govardhana Hill, Govardhana manifested himself with many jewelled boulders and golden peaks. Intoxicated bees buzzed around the thick, flowering vines and there were beautiful cascades and caves there. Then mount Meru, the Himalaya and other great mountains came to offer their devoted obeisances unto him, bringing him auspicious presents. In this way Govardhana bore the form of the king of mountains!”

Then the Lord played another clever trick to reveal the superiority of Giriraja’s power and worship to everyone’s minds and eyes. When Nanda and the cowherds devotedly offered handfuls of flowers and a huge food-offering to Govardhana, Sri Krishna assumed a huge and most astonishingly beautiful form on top of the mountain and said: “O cowherds, headed by Nanda! I am Govardhana, and I have appeared because I am pleased with your worship and your devotional feelings!” Saying this, He began to eat the large amount of food, that was offered to Him by the Vrajavasis, with an amazing expertise.

From this we can easily understand that Sri Krishna did not display the power and the glory of any other place of Vraja-mandala in such a way. After this the Indra-puja was stopped and Indra, who had become very upset, began to shower Vraja-bhumi with devastating rains, planning to destroy it, causing the Lord to protect Vraja by lifting Giriraja.

SRI VRAJA VILASA STAVA, VERSE 51

saptAhaM muramardanaH praNayato goSThaika rakSotsuko
vibhran mAnam udAra pANi ramaNair yasmai salIlaM dadau
gAndharvA murabhid vilAsa vigalat kAzmIra rajyad guhas
tat khaTTAyita ratna sundara zilo govardhanaH pAtu vaH

May Govardhana Hill, who was lovingly held upon the graceful hand of Sri Krishna, who was eager to protect Gokula for seven days, who was thus given the honour of a worshipable personality by the Lord, whose caves are coloured by the saffron that has fallen from Sri Gandharva and Giridhari’s bodies during Their loving pastimes and whose boulders are like beautiful jeweled couches for the Divine Couple to sit on, protect you.

Exerpts from the Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: Sri Giriraja is Vraja’s saubhagya tilaka (the mark of glory and fortune), and because of him Sri Vrindavana is so lovely. aho vrndavanam ramyam yatra govardhano girih (Skanda Purana) By aborting the cowherders’ traditional sacrifice to Indra and by establishing the worship of Giriraja instead, the Lord has personally announced the glories of Giriraja to the world. He extended the net of logical arguments before His worshipable father Sri Nanda Maharaja to make him lose confidence in the worship of Indra and then preached the worship of Govardhana Hill. Finally Indra became angry and began to cause mischief to Vraja by pouring down rain and thunderbolts upon the area, and the Lord callously held up Giriraja with His left hand, thus protecting the people of Vraja.

One of Sri Krishna’s names is Muramardana, which means that He easily killed a demon named Mura, who was adverse to the demigods, headed by Indra. He could have protected Vraja through so many other means also, but just to establish the glories of Giriraja, Sri Krishna lifted His beloved mount and thus protected Vraja by providing its inhabitants, that were attacked by Indra, a place of shelter under it. Not only that, He Himself worshipped the Govardhana Hill with His lotushands for seven days and nights without interruption. Just as the means of worshipping the deity is laid down in the scriptures, that show how to make pure mudras with the hands, that indicate one’s expertise in ritual worship, similarly Sri Giridhari held Sri Giriraja on the little finger of His left hand and worshipped Giriraja as if He were a worshipper Himself, by holding it continuously for seven days and nights, showing pure mudras with His left hand. By thus personally worshipping Giriraja, who is also known as Haridasa Varya, the best of Hari’s servants, the Lord taught the people of the world how to worship a devotee.

Then Sri Raghunatha shows how Sri Giriraja Govardhana is the greatest of all of Lord Hari’s servants by saying: gandharva-murabhid vilasa vigalat kasmira rajyad guhas tat khattayita ratna sundara silo govardhanah patu vali “May Govardhana Hill, whose caves are coloured by the saffron that has fallen from Sri Gandharva and Giridhari’s bodies during Their loving pastimes, and whose boulders are like beautiful jeweled couches for the Divine Couple to sit on, protect you.”

There are many devotees known as Haridasa in this world, but no one like Giriraja Govardhana can offer a lovely playground to the Lord with his own body. The most lovely solitary caves of Sri-Sri Giriraja are decorated by the saffron that has fallen off Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s bodies during Their amorous pastimes, and this shows that the most intimate pastimes of the Divine Pair take place there. In this way Sri Giriraja has become blessed by carrying hundreds of charming caves and groves on his body, that are decorated with Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s necklaces, bangles and garlands, that were broken during Their amorous battles. Srimat Rupa Gosvami has written:


gAndharvAyAH keli kalA bAndhava! kuJje kSuNNais tasyAH kaGkaNa hAraiH prayatAGga
rAsa krIDA-maNDitayopatyakayADhya! pratyAzAM me tvaM kuru govardhana pUrNAm

(Stavamala)

“O Govardhana! You are the assistant in Gandharva Sri Radha’s artistic pastimes, your body has been decorated with Sri Radha’s broken bangles and garlands and Your valleys have been enriched by having been adorned with Sri Radha-Krishna’s Rasa-pastimes. Please fulfill all my desires!”

SRI VRAJA VILASA STAVA, VERSE 65

yeSAM kvApi ca mAdhavo viharate snigdhair vayasyotkarais
tad dhAtu dvara puJja citritatarais tais taiH svayaM citritaH
khelAbhiH kila pAlanair gavAM kutrApi narmotsavaiH
zrI rAdhA sahito guhAsu ramate tAn zaila varyAn bhaje

I worship the best of mountains in Vraja Sri Govardhana, with whose colorful mineral pigments Madhava and His affectionate friends are decorated as they herd the cows, where they play hide-and-seek, and in whose caves Krishna makes love with Sri Radha.
Exerpts from the Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: Before Sri Krishna comes to the base of the mount to herd His cows with His friends they first decorate their bodies with Giriraja’s colorful mineral pigments. Srimad Rupa Gosvami has written: sasvad visvalankaranalankrtimedhyaih premna dhautair dhatubhir uddipita-sano (Stavamala) “Sri Krishna, Who is Himself the ornamentation of the world, is easily decorated by the mineral pigments that beautify the slopes of Govardhana Hill and that are sprinkled by love for Him.”

When the time for cowherding comes Sri Krishna and His friends love these colorful pigments, and clothes and ornaments made of leaves and flowers more than ornaments of jewels and pearls. phala prabala stavaka sumanah piccha dhatubhih. kaca mukta mani svarna-bhusita apyabhusayan (Bhag. 10.12.4) “Although the cowherdboys were already decorated by their mothers with ornaments of glass, jewels, pearls and gold they still decorated their bodies with different kinds of fruits, leaves, bunches of flowers, flowers, peacockfeathers and colorful mineral pigments when they came into the forest.”

In this way the cowherdboys also decorated Sri Krishna as they liked with sylvan clothing and colorful mineral pigments, let the cows graze in the large meadows on the slopes of Giriraja and freely played games like hide-and-seek with Sri Krishna.

Although Sri Krishna enjoys playing different free games with His friends in this way, His mind remains fixed on Sri Radha. In Sri Caitanya Caritamrta it is seen: ratri-dina kunja krida kore radha sange; kaisora boyos saphala koilo krida-range “Day and night He sports in the groves with Radha; in this way He made His adolescence a success.”

One may ask here: “If He plays with Sri Radha day and night, then when will He find the time to play in the meadows with His friends and to perform loving pastimes with His parents?” Actually Sri Krishna always thinks of Sri Radha as He performs these other pastimes. Sri Radha, who is endowed with the mahabhava known as madana, pervades Sri Krishna’s entire awareness. From the first time He ever saw loving Srimati Radharani in the preliminary stage of purva-raga, Sri Krishna has always been thinking of Her.

Even though He may be intoxicated by playing with His friends around Govardhana Hill, Syama is afflicted by the heartache of separation from Sri Radha. Meanwhile one of Srimati’s girlfriends or maidservants keeps eager abhisarika Sri Radhika in some cave of Govardhana Hill and comes to search for Syama. Seeing Syama engaged in playing with His friends they give Him a hint in an unnoticed way that Sri Radha has come to meet Him. Syamasundara then leaves His friends on the pretext of admiring the natural beauty of the mount and goes along with the sakhis to meet Sri Radha and perform different amorous pastimes with Her in a hidden, solitary cave of Giriraja.

GOVARDHANA PUJA AND BHARTRI-DVITIYA

From the 15th chapter of Kavi Karnapura’s Ananda Vrindavana Campu

Nothing else could be heard in Vrindavana except the auspicious vibration of instrumental music. Vedic hymns resounded through the sky. The Vrajavasis felt blissful, and all the living entities entered a jolly mood from the worship of Govardhana. Hearing the melodious voices of the ladies, the cuckoos anxiously tried to learn singing from them. Ears attained their purpose by perceiving those auspicious sounds. The cows were adorned with gold-plated horns, colorful silk cloths on their backs, pearl necklaces, and tinkling bells hanging from their necks. Seeing their mothers so richly ornamented, the calves jumped excitedly.

Nanda Maharaja brought the necessary articles from his house to worship Govardhana Hill. He initiated the puja by respectfully offering padya (water) to wash Giriraja’s feet. In an ebullient mood, he made the Annakuta hill complete with powerful peaks that delighted all in attendance. The peak rising out of the middle of the hill looked like a crown made of white camphor. The multi-colored cakes stuck on the sides of the Annakuta hill looked like stones and boulders. At the base of the hill there were clay pots full of milk, yogurt, and sweet rice. There were also colorful sabjis, lakes of dahl, and very fragrant soups.

Due to its covering of ghee, the Annakuta Mountain looked like golden Mt. Kailasa shimmering under a cover of rain. Different kinds of fruits and flowers decorated its edges. When Nanda Maharaja saw the opulence of Annakuta spreading its sweet aroma of cloves, camphor, and cardamom in all directions, he felt that this was fitting honor to Sri Giriraja, the king of all mountains.

Sri Hari smiled happily upon seeing the amazing Annakuta rivaling the peak of Mt. Sumeru. Suddenly, the playful, fun-loving, indomitable Krishna assumed a huge unprecedented form and stood on top of Govardhana Hill. He did this to anger Indra and instill faith in the cowherd men.

Observing this powerful form glowing like a thousand suns, Krishna, who remained among the cowherd men in His original human-like form, cast a gentle glance upon everyone and said, “Hung ho! Look! Look! By using all the paraphernalia to exclusively worship Govardhana Hill with pure love you have received his favor. Govardhana, the best of all mountains, has now manifested before you as a brilliantly effulgent person. Please look closely! The huge mouth of this expanded form of Giriraja resembles a deep cave. Though his mouth is massive, his face looks as beautiful as the full moon. Usually trees serve as his arms, but now he has two beautiful arms adorned with attractive jeweled armlets. Usually hard rocks cover his body, but now he has assumed a tender sweet form. Look how that beautiful body walks over the other non-moving form!

“Moreover, this non-moving form is sitting like a seat made of costly emeralds, but it appears like the huge chest of the moving one. Glittering like a row of rubies, his teeth look like the crown of the non-moving form. The saffron hue of the minerals on the non-moving form gives an attractive hue to the lips of the moving one. In comparison, these two forms of Govardhana manifest the same elegance. Govardhana is reciprocating with your overflowing love and devotion. He is acting like a hungry person extending his arms bedecked with jeweled bangles. Look! Just see how this hill has appeared in person to fulfill your desires! Now offer respects to him.”

Both Krishna and the people of Vrindavana bowed down to this personified form of Govardhana Hill. In effect, Krishna actually offered obeisances to Himself. When the cowherd men, their wives, and the leading men of Vrindavana saw that form shining like the sun, they raised their folded hands above their heads and said, “Namo! Namo! Namo!” Being overwhelmed in affection, they danced around ecstatically. By joyfully worshiping Govardhana Hill, the Vrajavasis realized that Govardhana is a person.

Music from the temples wherein different demigods were being worshiped resounded in all directions. From all sides intoxicated dancers performed blissfully. The heavenly Kinnaras joined in with euphoric dancing. Relishing the music and singing, the Vrajavasis forgot themselves in that joyous Govardhana festival.

Govardhana caused the entire atmosphere to abound in happiness. Govardhana Hill affectionately accepted the faithful worship of Nanda Maharaja by manifesting a personal form. Anyone who simply hears and chants about the glories of Giri-Govardhana, which are inconceivable to ordinary people, will be delivered from all calamities.

Vrajaraja Nanda, the father of the subduer of demons, concluded the propitious worship of Giriraja by sumptuously feeding the brahmanas and everyone else down to the dogs. He handsomely rewarded the singers and dancers. Everyone attending the festival received precious gems and divinely opulent garments. Their hearts full of joy, the Vrajavasis talked excitedly among themselves as they did parikrama of Govardhana Hill.

Skilled musicians led the way playing the finest instrumental music. The languid muffled tones of bheris, dhakas and kettledrums softened the atmosphere with their pleasing vibrations. With their bodies decorated with designs drawn in kunkuma, the cowherd boys followed behind the musicians. Wielding sticks, they fearlessly drove the multi-colored cows ornamented with gold and jewels.

A second group of talented musicians came along playing flutes and vinas. Next came singers with sweet gentle voices, and ecstatic dancers moving in rows one behind the other. Then the gopis, their faces glowing with happiness, came riding on bullock carts that rivaled the golden chariots of the gods. They sang loudly about the pastimes of Krishna.

Hari, who removes all obstacles, laughed and joked with His cowherd boyfriends as He circumambulated Govardhana Hill. Eternally bound to Him in faith, Krishna’s friends remained fearless and free from all anxieties. Wearing a sweet-smelling flower garland across his broad chest, Nanda Maharaja walked just behind the boys. He was smiling in great satisfaction and accompanied by the leading men of Vrindavana.

In accordance to scriptural injunctions, they gave charity to brahmanas at different places while going around Giriraja. It is impossible to find a suitable container to hold the unlimited bliss that the Vrajavasis felt during their parikrama of Giriraja. Even though tiny in size, the soul can enjoy immeasurable happiness. As a result, their souls drowned in inconceivable joy. The continuous music of the dhakas and kettledrums, which are famous on heaven and earth, increased the bliss of the parikrama.

Soon they arrived on the banks of the Yamuna (which previously flowed near Govardhana). Being the glorious day of bhratridvitiya tithi, which is very dear to both Yamuna and her brother Yamaraja, they decided to take an auspicious bath. Bhratridvitiya tithi is the day when sisters pray for the prosperity of their brothers. Sunanda, the intelligent, well-behaved daughter of Upananda, invited her cousin-brother Damodara (Krishna), who is always jubilant and victorious, to celebrate the festival.

Damodara, who delights all moving and non-moving creatures, gladly accepted the sincere request of Sunanda. His heart overflowed with loving feelings for that dear sister. She affectionately served many types of delicious drinks and tasty cakes to Krishna and His friends. Haladhara and all the boys enjoyed the excellent food while Batu (Madhumangala), the skillful jester, entertained the enchanter of the world with his funny jokes and antics.

Batu quipped, “Alas! Alas! O dear friend, killer of the Agha demon! Why didn’t the foolish creator make every tithi as bhratridvitiya tithi? O brother, whose chest shines with the mark of Srivatsa, we count the year in terms of days. So how come You do not have many sisters like Sunanda, who acting as the embodiments of kindness, will fill us up like this every day of the year? If this had happened, it would have been a great source of pleasure for us. Yesterday’s exciting Govardhana festival has passed. Though heaps of food and drink were offered, and although I am a voracious eater, still I did not enjoy as much as I have today on bratridvitiya.”

Krishna, who steals everyone’s heart with His charming character, enjoyed the simple joking words of Batu as He joyfully ate. Then in mutual affection, Damodara and Sunanda exchanged so much valuable cloth, jewels, and golden ornaments that it astonished the people on earth. Thus, the bratridvitiya celebration ended.

BHRATRI-DVITIYA

From Siddha Sri Krishna Das Baba's Gutika


Bhai-phonta: On this day, which follows the Annakuta-day and thus occurs annually on the second day (dvitiya) of the light lunar quarter of the month of Kartika, brothers and sisters show their love for their brothers (bhratri) by making a dot of sandalwood pulp on his forehead and offering him sweets. Many people go and bathe in Mathura's Visrama ghata on this day.

In the morning of the Kartiki Sukla Dvitiya Sri Radhika and Her friends and maidservants all get up from bed and go to the Yamuna for their morning bath, after which the maidservants dress and ornament Sri Radhika. Niece Sunanda-gopi places a dot of sandalwood pulp on the foreheads of Balarama and Sri Krishna and makes Them eat her sweetmeats. Sri Krishna and Balarama reciprocate by offering her garments and ornaments, hearing which Sri Radha similarly places a dot of sandalwood pulp on the forehead of Her brother Sridama-candra. She offers him a plate of sweets, garlands and sandal paste and then offers Her obeisances to him. Sridama-candra then offers clothes and ornaments to Sri Radha. After that everyone heads back for Nandisvara, the abode of Maharaja Nanda.

At Nandisvara Nanda Maharaja offers everyone a simple breakfast and then they all mount their individual bullock-carts to head for the village of Sahara (about 10 miles southeast of Nandisvara), where Nanda Maharaja's elder brother Upananda lives. There they enjoy four kinds of delicious cooked foods and take rest. Sri Radha-Krishna enjoy Themselves in a nearby kunja, perform the Yogapitha-lila there for Their devotees and then return to the house. After this Sri Krishna and His priya narma sakhas (dearmost friends) go out to behold the beauty of the nearby forest. Sri Radha goes to Radhakunda on the pretext of offering Surya-puja, performs Her midday-pastimes there with Sri Krishna and then returns to Yavata in the afternoon, where She has a snack and is bathed, dressed and ornamented. Meanwhile Nanda Maharaja and the others all take leave from Upananda and return to their own abodes. When Sri Radha and Her friends return to Yavata They watch Krishna's Godohana (cow-milking) pastimes as usual.


Thus ends the Bhratri-dvitiya-lila

[Paramananda das]

from
The Origin of Govardhan Puja


In the western coast of India, in the island of Salmali, lived Dronachala, the king of the mountains. Once a sage by the name of Pulastya Muni, came to him to take his son Giriraja with him to Kashi (Varanasi). After offering some initial resistance, Giriraja, somehow agreed to go with him only on condition that he should not put him down on the earth along the way. If he did so, he would stay there forever.

When they were flying over Vraja bhumi, Giriraja increased his weight to the extent that Pulastya had no option but to put him down. Pulastya understood the mischief of Giriraja. He became furious and cursed him that he would decrease by one grain everyday. But then repenting on the curse that he gave to Giriraja, he assured him that he would be blessed in the Dvapara Yuga and everybody would start worshipping him at that time.

This happened in the Satya yuga. Brahmaji wished to create the Dvapara Yuga but because of the portentous phenomenon of Ravana, he had to create the Treta Yuga. In this yuga, Hanumanaji on the instructions of Lord Rama, came to take Giriraja for the cause of constructing a bridge on the ocean.

Giriraja at once agreed to go for the service of Lord Rama. But before they reached the bridge it was already complete so there was no need of additional stones. Giriraja was very disappointed not getting the opportunity to have the darshana of Lord Rama.

On knowing the sorrow of Giriraja, Lord Rama sent a message saying that, "...by the end of the Dvapara Yuga, the Original personality of godhead, Sri Krishna will appear and have his transcendental leelas on you and will also worship you with great affection. In the kaliyuga, the devotees shall attain numerous divine supernatural powers by simply worshipping you.''

In Sarasvata Kalpa, i.e. the end of the Dvapara Yuga, Bhagavan Sri Krishna stopped the worship of Indra and started the Govardhana Puja by doing it Himself. It was a wonderful sight. Being worshipped by Sri Krishna, Giriraja himself became like Sri Krishna. It was like He (Sri Krishna) was worshipping Himself. Since then all the six seasons resided permanently on Giriraja.

Besides this, the eight gates of the Asta Sakha's from where they entered nitya lila, are also on Govardhan hill. The Asta Sakha's, who reside on Govardhan hill are in different places, each of which were passionately attached to their respective Deities at those places.

http://dharmakshetrasblog.blogspot.com/2009/10/giriraja-increased-h...

[Paramananda das]

ANNAKUTA (GOVARDHANA PUJA)

From Siddha Sri Krishna Das Baba's Gutika

The day after Dipavali Nanda baba arranges for the Govardhana-brahmanas to perform the ceremonial bathing (abhiseka) of Giriraja Govardhana with five kinds of nectar - ghi (clarified butter), sugar-water, yoghurt, milk and honey - and makes them cook many kinds of sweets, rice, rotis, and vegetables. They place these preparations on big leaves in front of Govardhana Hill. In one form Krishna sits next to Nanda baba and in another, huge, form He sits on Giriraja and grabs all the offered foodstuffs at once with one very long arm, eating everything! On the other side small Krishna says: "Just see how Giriraja is eating everything!" Nanda and the cowherders look on in joyful amazement how Giriraja finishes his meal with a pan (betel-leaves) and accepts all the flower garlands and sandalwood paste which was offered by the Vrajavasis in huge amounts. Then the local brahmanas offer Giriraja a lamp in arati on a long spear.

Krishna and all the other cowherders offer their prostrated obeisances to Giriraja, who disappears after blessing everyone. When asked what will please him the most, Giriraja says: "I am most pleased when you circumambulate me!", so that's what they do. First the cows go, then the brahmanas (they are also worshiped on that day), then the older gopis, the older cowherds, the young gopis, Krishna and His chums and finally Nanda and Yasoda. After this parikrama of Govardhana Hill Nanda feeds all the brahmanas and gives them cows, gold, silver and garments in charity. Then he eats himself with his family and everyone takes rest in their tents. Radha and Krishna meet as usual in the Giri Nikunja, the mountain grove, returning to Their camps afterwards, and at midday They have Their usual fun at Radhakunda. Then Nanda baba has all the tents broken up and moved to Kaliyadaha in Vrindavana. There They have Their supper and Radha and Krishna have Their usual nocturnal fun at Vamsivata, Vrindavana on the bank of the Yamuna-river.

[Paramananda das]

SRI SRI GOVARDHANASRAYA DASAKAM, VERSE 1

saptAhaM murajit karAmbuja pari-bhrAjat kaniSThAGguli
prodyad valgu varATakopari milan mughda dvirepho’pi yaH
pAthaH kSepaka zakra nakra mukhataH kroDe vrajaM drAg apAt
kas taM gokula bandhavam giri-varaM govardhanaM nAzrayet

Who will not take shelter of Govardhana hill. the best of mountains and the friend of Gokula, who protected the people of Vraja from the rains, that came from the mouth of the crocodile-like king Indra, like an innocent blackbee sitting on the seedhusk-like little finger of Sri Krishna’s lotus-like hand for seven days?
Excerpts from Stavamrita Kana Vyakhya: In sadhakavesa Sripada Raghunatha reveals the glories of Sri Giriraja Govardhana in this Govardhanasraya Dasakam. In his Bhakti Rasamrita Sindhu Srila Rupa Gosvami has mentioned that five of the sixty-four items of bhajana are extraordinarily powerful, and one of them is living in Vraja or taking shelter of Vraja-dhama.

The only abode where Krishna can stay enjoying purely sweet, intimate pastimes, that are devoid of even a whiff of reverence is this Vraja-dhama. But even within this Vraja there is again distinction between the different confidential pastime-places. Giriraja Govardhana is said to be at the summit by Srila Rupa Gosvami:


vaikuNThAj janito varA madhu-purI tatrApi rAsotsavAd
vRndAraNyam udAra pANi ramaNAt tatrApi govardhanaH
rAdhAkuNDam ihApi gokula pateH premAmRta plAvanAt
kuryAd asya virAjato giri-taTe sevAM vivekI na kaH

“Greater than Vaikuntha is Mathura, better than Mathura is Vrindavana, because the Rasa-dance took place there, better even than Vrindavana is Govardhana because it was touched by Krishna’s beautiful hand, and best of all is Radhakunda (the abode of Sri-Sri Radha-Madhava’s most passionate pastimes), which is inundated by the stream of nectarean love of the Lord of Gokula (Sri Krishna). Who will not serve this sacred pond at the base of Govardhana Hill?”

By calling Sri Giriraja Gokula Bandhava Sri Raghunatha reminds us of how Giriraja protected Gokula. The king of the demigods Indra had committed a great offense by accepting offerings from Sri Nanda, Upananda and other cowherds, that are worshippable even for the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To protect him from the grip of this offense and to establish the service and the glories of Sri Giriraja the merciful Lord stopped the sacrifice to Indra and had the sacrifice to Sri Govardhana commenced. The king of the demigods Indra, intoxicated as he was with pride of his opulences, was unable to understand this merciful pastime of the Lord and began to engage clouds like the Samvartaka, that are used to destroy the universe, to vanquish Gokula with showers of rain and thunderbolts. When these destructive storms and showers of rain, hail and thunderbolts began, the distressed Vrajavasis took shelter of their only resort, Sri Krishna.


kRSNa kRSNa mahAbhAga tvan nAthaM gokulaM prabho
trAtum arhasi devAn naH kupitAd bhakta vatsala

(Bhagavata 10.25.43)

“O Krishna! Krishna! O highly fortunate One! O protector of the devotees! O most powerful One! Please protect Gokula from the hand of Indra, who has become angry with us!”

Seeing that the Vrajavasis were suffering from Indra’s atrocious behaviour and hearing their distress-calls, Sri Krishna said: “With My own power I will protect the Vrajavasis, who are surrendered to Me, who are My proteges and who are My beloved relatives. My only vow is to protect the souls that surrender unto Me.” Saying this, Sri Krishna suddenly lifted the Govardhana Hill and playfully held it on His left hand, just as a child is holding a mushroom.


tasmAn mac charaNaM goSThaM man nAthaM mat parigraham
gopAya svAtma-yogena so’yaM me vrata AhitaH
ityuktvaikena hastena kRtvA govardhanAcalam
dadhAra lIlayA kRSNaz chatrAkam iva bAlakaH

(Bhagavata 10.25.18-19)

Sri Krishna easily held Giriraja with the little finger of His left hand, gave shelter to all the people and cows of Vraja beneath it and remained standing motionlessly like this for seven days.

Sripada Raghunatha says: “Sri Giriaja remained on the lotusseed-like little finger of Sri Krishna’s lotuslike hand like an innocent bumblebee”. This means that just as a kingbee, who is engaged in drinking the honey from a lotusflower, remains on the lotusseed in an intoxicated state, similarly Govardhana, who is the greatest of Lord Hari’s servants, got a place on Sri Krishna’s lotuslike hand for seven consecutive days and nights and remained absorbed there in relishing the mellows of the beauty of the lotuslike hand of his most dearly beloved. In this way he easily saved the Vrajamandala from the grip of the crocodile-like Indra, who was

[Paramananda das]

Sri Garga Samhita,
Canto Three, Chapter One

The Worship of Sri Giriraj
(Sri Giriraj-puja-vidhi)


Text 1 Sri Bahulasva asked Narada: Why did Lord Krishna lift Govardhan
Hill as a child playfully lifts a mushroom.


Text 2 O best of sages, please tell that wonderful and glorious transcendental pastime of Lord Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

Text 3 Sri Narada said: As citizens pay an annual tax to their king, so the gopas, farmers all, at the end of each monsoon season offered a tribute to Indra.

Text 4 Noticing the arrangements for the indra-yajna, as the gopas listened, Krishna asked a question of King Nanda.

Text 5 Sri Krishna said: What is the result of this worship of Indra?
Do they say it brings a material result or a spiritual result?

Text 6 Sri Nanda said: Worship of Indra brings both sense gratification
and liberation. Without it a person cannot be happy in this world.

Text 7 Sri Krishna said: Indra and the other demigods enjoy living in
Svargaloka because of their past karma. When their good karma is exhausted they
again enter the world of humans. Please understand that worshiping them does
not bring liberation.

Text 8 Even the demigod Brahma is afraid of that, so what may be said
of fruitive workers on the earth? They are are actually wise say that endless
time is the most powerful, the supreme.

Text 9 With all their heart renouncing all material pious results, the
wise take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and worship Him with
the best of pious deeds. They, and not others, attain final liberation.

Text 10 The cows, saintly persons, fire-gods, demigods, Vedas, and principles
of religion are all potencies of Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
They who, instead of worshiping the demigods, worship Lord Hari, attain happiness
in this life and the next.

Text 11 The hill named Govardhan is the king of the kings of the kings
of mountains. It was born from Lord Hari’s own chest. It has come here
by the power of Pulastya Muni. By seeing it one becomes free from having to
take birth again in this world.

Text 12 First worship the cows, brahmanas, and demigods, and then make
a great offering to Govardhan Hill. That offering is the king of yajnas and
it is very dear to Me. If you do not desire to make that offering, then do whatever
you wish.

Text 13 Sri Narada said: Among them the elderly gopa Sannanda, who throughly
knew the real principles of religion, became very pleased. As bewildered Nanda
listened, Sannanda spoke to Lord Krishna.

Text 14 Sri Sannanda said: Dear son of Nanda, You are wealthy with a
great treasury of transcendental knowledge. How should the hill be worshiped?
Please truthfully tell.

Text 15 Sri Krishna said: A person who controls his senses and engages
in devotional service should collect the ingredients for the worship, anoint
Govardhan Hill with cow-dung, . . .

Text 16 . . . and, as he chants the mantras for the thousand-headed Purusa,
with other brahmanas bathe the hill with Ganga water and Yamuna water.

Text 17 Then he should bathe the hill with streams of white milk, panamrta,
fragrant flowers, and then Yamuna water again.

Text 18 Then he should offer splendid garments, food, a great throne,
many garlands and ornaments, and many lamps.

Text 19 Then he should circumambulate the hill, offer obeisances, and
with folded hands recite this mantra:

Text 20 namo vrndavanakaya tubhyam goloka-mauline purna-brahmatapatraya
namo govardhanaya ca
Obeisances to you, who are Goloka’s crown and the lap where Vrndavana forest
grows! Obeisances to Govardhan Hill, the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s
parasol!

Text 21 Then he should offer a handful of flowers and then, as mrdangas,
karatalas and other musical instruments make sweet sounds, he should offer arati
to Govardhan Hill.

Text 22 Then he should chant the mantra that begins with “vedaham”,
and then he should throw a shower of grains. In this way he should worship the
hill. Then with great faith he should place a hill of food near Govardhan Hill.
Note: The mantra here is Sri Svetasvatara Upanisad 3.8:
vedaham etam purusam mahantam aditya-varnam tamasah purastat
tam eva viditvati-mrtyum eti nanyah pantha vidyate ‘yanaya
“I know that Supreme Personality of Godhead who is transcendental to all
material conceptions of darkness. Only he who knows Him can transcend the bonds
of birth and death. There is no way for liberation other than this knowledge
of the Supreme Person.”

Text 23 Then he should offer four, six, and five cups of Ganga and Yamuna
water mixed with tulasi leaves.

Text 24 Then, with a peaceful heart, he should serve Govardhan Hill by
offering it a feast of fifty-six kinds of food. Then with fragrant flowers he
should worship the fire-gods, brahmanas, cows, and demigods.

Text 25 After feeding the exalted brahmanas with fragrant and delicious
foods, he should also give excellent foods to the others, even down to the dogeaters.

Text 26 Then he should have the gopas and gopis dance among the cows
and call out “Victory!” In this way he should perform a festival to
worship Govardhan Hill.

Text 27 Now please hear how this worship should be performed when one
is not near Govardhan Hill. One should make from cow-dung a model of Govardhan
Hill.

Text 28 Human beings on this earth should decorate thet model with many
flowers, blades of grass, and a network of vines, and regularly offer worship
to it.

Text 29 A person who has a mountain of gold but does not use it to worship
a stone he has taken from Govardhan Hill, goes to a terrible hell.

Text 30 A person who regularly worships the Lord’s form as Salagrama-sila
is not touched by hell as a lotus leaf is not touched by water.

Text 31 An exalted brahmana who reularly serves a stone from Govardhan
Hill attains the result of having bathed in all the holy rivers and lakes in
the seven worlds.

Text 32 A person who year after year elaborately worships Govardhan Hill
attains all happiness in this life and liberation in the next.

Canto Three, Chapter Two
The Great Festival of Sri Giriraj
(Sri Giriraj-mahotsava)

Text 1 Sri Narada said: Hearing Sri Krishna’s words, Nanda, Sannanda, and
the other rulers of Vraja were filled with wonder. Abandoning what they had
done, they performed the worship of Govardhan Hill.

Text 2 O king of Mithila, taking many offerings, King Nanda, Yasoda, their two
sons Krishna and Balarama, and Garga Muni, all eager and joyful, went to worship
Govardhan Hill.

Text 3 Quickly climbing on a wonderfully decorated great elephant chained with
golden shackles, Nanda went, with the many cows and with the wealth of the autumn
harvest, to the edge of Govardhan Hill. He looked like Indra Himself, accompanied
by his beloved.

Text 4 Bringing the ingredients for the performing the yajna, the Nandas, Upanandas,
and Vrsabhanus, along with their wives, children, and grandchildren, went to
Govardhan Hill.

Text 5 Dressed in splendid garments and jewel ornaments, and eager as a cakori
bird or a bumblebee, as She rode in a palanquin with Her friends, Radha looked
like Saci herself.

Text 6 O king, nicely decorated, gracefully moving two beautiful camaras, accompanied
by millions of gopi friends, and their faces splendid as two moons, Radha’s
best friends, Lalita and Visakha, gloriously stood by Her side.

Text 7 Then Rama, Viraja, Madhavi, Maya, Yamuna, and Ganga, accompanied by thirty-two,
eight, and sixteen groups of gopis, arrived.

Text 8 In their previous births these gopis had been the women of Mithila, the
women of Kosala, the personified Vedas, the great sages, the women of Ayodhya,
the Yajna-Sitas, the women of the forest, . . .

Text 9 . . . the women of Vaikuntha, who have Rama as their leader, the women
of the highest Vaikuntha realm, the women of various effulgent realms, the women
of Dhruvaloka and Lokacala, . . .

Text 10 . . . Laksmi’s friends splendid with three transcendental virtues,
the women riding in airplanes, vines and plants, jalandharis, the daughters
of the ocean, the daughters of King Barhismati, the women of Sutalaloka, . .
.

Text 11 . . . the apsaras, and all the serpent king’s daughters. Now, as
girls of Vraja, nicely decorated, and their hands splendid with many offerings,
they approached Govardhan Hill.

Text 12 Then the gopa men, adolescents, and boys, dressed in yellow garments,
wearing turbans crowned with peacock feathers, decorated with beautiful necklaces,
gunja, and forest garlands, and holding new flutes and sticks, came.

Text 13 Hearing of the Govardhan festival from my mouth, carrying the Ganga
in his matted locks, wearing a necklace of skulls, his body anointed with the
powder of bones, decorated with a necklace and bracelets of many snakes, . .
.

Text 14 . . . reeling from having drunk dhattura poison, acompanied by Parvati
and his many associates, and riding on his carrier Nandi, Lord Siva came to
the circle of Govardhan Hill.

Text 15 Many thousands of rajarsis, viprarsis, surarsis, siddhesas, yogesvaras,
paramahamsas, and brahmanas came to see Govardhan Hill.

Text 16 O king, its stones jewels, its many peaks golden, and its form splendid
with intoxicated bees, beautiful caves,and swiftly-flowing streams, Govardhan
Hill was like a great elephant.

Text 17 Then, manifesting humanlike forms and bearing auspicious gifts in their
hands, the mountain kings, headed by Mount Meru and Mount Himalaya, offered
their respectful obeisances, bowing down to the humanlike form of Govardhan
Hill.

Text 18 Following Krishna’s instruction, Nanda, the king of Vraja, had
many brahmanas worship Govardhan Hill. Then Nanda worshiped the brahmanas, fire-gods,
and cows, and then gave a very opulent offering to Govardhan Hill.

Text 19 Pleased by the earnestly singing Nandas, Upanandas, Vrsabhanus, gopas,
and gopis, Lord Krishna circumambulated Govardhan Hill, the king of mountains.

Text 20 As the demigods showered flowers and the Vrajavasis showered grains,
Govardhan Hill, the great king of the kings of the kings of mountains, glistened
with great glory, as if it were a great monarch in the midst of a yajna.

Text 21 Manifesting a gigantic form different from His own, Lord Krishna appeared
from the midst of Govardhan Hill. Declaring, I am this hill,” He ate the
entire hill of food that was offered.

Text 22 Seeing Govardhan Hill’s great power and opulence, and their hearts
full of joy and wonder, the gopas and gopis asked the hill to grant them a benediction.

Text 23 They said, “The gopas know that You are the Deity worshiped by
the kings of mountains. Nanda’s son Krishna has shown Your true nature
to us. Please grant that day after day our relatives, friends, and cows may
prosper.”

Text 24 Manifesting a handsome divine form decorated with crown and armlets,
Govardhan Hill, the king of the kings of mountains, said, “So be it,”
and suddenly disappeared.

Texts 25/26 The Nandas, Upanandas, Vrsabhanus, Balarama, Sucandra, King Vrsabhanu,
King Nanda, Krishna, all the gopas, gopis, and cows, the brahmanas, the siddhas
and yogesvaras headed by Lord Siva, as well as everyone else bowed down and
worshiped Govardhan Hill. Then, happy at heart, and all their desires fulfilled,
they returned to their own homes.

Text 27 In this way I have described to you Sri Krishnacandra’s transcendental
pastime of offering a great festival to worship Govardhan Hill, the king of
the kings of mountains. This wonderful and purifying narration frees the people
from the greatest sins.

Canto Three, Chapter Three

The Lifting of Sri Govardhan
(Sri Govardhanoddharana)

Text 1 Sri Narada said: When from my mouth he heard that his sacrifice had been
stopped and a festival for Govardhan Hill performed in its place, Indra became
furious.

Text 2 Unleashing the samvartaka clouds used at the time of cosmic destruction,
Indra sent them to destroy Vraja.

Text 3 The clouds thundered with anger. They were many wonderful colors, some
black, some yellow, some green, . . .

Text 4 . . . some the color of an indragopa insect, some the color of camphor,
and some the color of blue lotuses.

Text 5 Furious, they showered raindrops as big as elephants and thunderbolts
as big as elephants’ trunks.

Text 6 Big as mountain peaks, millions of rocks fell. The wind threw away many
trees and houses.

Text 7 O king of Mithila, the earth was filled with ferocious, terrifying, and
devastating sounds of thunder.

Text 8 The entire universe, with the seven planetary systems and the expanses
of outer space, echoed with the sounds of thunder. The elephants holding the
directions trembled. The stars fell to the circle of the earth.

Text 9 Wishing to save themselves, the gopas and their families, with the children
in front, ran to Nanda’s palace.

Text 10 Terrified, the people of Vraja bowed down before the two Supreme Lords,
Krishna and Balarama, surrendered to Them, and took shelter of Them.

Text 11 The gopas said: Balarama! Balarama! O mighty-armed! Krishna! Krishna!
O master of Vraja! Save, save Your people from these calamities brought by Indra!

Text 12 By Your word we stopped the indra-yajna and offered a festival for Govardhan
Hill. Now Indra is angry. What should we do? Please tell us!

Text 13 Seeing the gopas, gopis, cows, calves, and all of Gokula very upset,
calm and peaceful Krishna spoke to the gopas.

Text 14 Sri Krishna said: Don’t be afraid. With your dependents go to Govardhan
Hill. He accepted our worship. He will protect us.

Text 15 Sri Narada said: After speaking these words, Lord Krishna went, with
His own people, to Govardhan Hill. Lifting the hill, Krishna playfully held
it aloft with one hand.

Text 16 As a child effortlessly holds a mushroom, or as an elephant holds a
lotus in its tongue, so Sri Krishna, the prince of Vraja, the kind Supreme Personality
of Godhead, held Govardhan Hill.

Text 17 Lord Krishna said to the gopas: Father, mother, kings of the gopas,
take your relatives, associates, household paraphernalia, wealth, and cows,
and go beneath the hill. There you need not fear Indra.

Text 18 When they heard Lord Krishna word’s, the gopas took their families,
cows, and household paraphernalia, and went under the hill.

Text 19 O king, when Krishna asked, Balarama and all the boys His age steadied
the the hill with their sticks.

Text 20 Seeing a great flood of water coming, in His mind Lord Krishna ordered
Lord Sesa and the Sudarsana-cakra to come under the hill.

Text 21 Brilliant as ten million suns, the Sudarsana-cakra hovered above the
hill and drank up the falling streams of water as Agastya Muni drank up the
ocean.

Text 22 Coiling Himself around the hill, Sesa stopped the incoming flood as
a shoreline stops the waters of an ocean.

Text 23 For seven days Lord Krishna steadily held Govardhan Hill. As if they
had become cakora birds, the stunned gopas gazed at Lord Krishnacandra.

Text 24 Mounting his maddened elephant Airavata, and accompanied by his armies,
furious Indra went to the circle of Vraja.

Text 25 Wishing to destroy Nanda’s village, Indra threw his thunderbolt
from far away. Krishna suddenly paralyzed both the thunderbolt and the arm that
threw it.

Text 26 Terrified, Indra fled with the demigods and samvartaka clouds as if
he were an elephant wounded by a lion.

Text 27 Suddenly the sun rose. The clouds were gone, the winds stopped, and
the streams carried very little water.

Text 28 The ground dried up, the sky became clear, and the animals and birds
became happy.

Text 29 By Krishna’s order the gopas, taking their wealth and cows with
them, slowly emerged from under the hill.

Text 30 Then Krishna, the lifter of Govardhan Hill, said to His friends, “Go
out.” They said to Him, “You go first. We will hold the hill with
our own strength.”

Text 31 Then Lord Krishna, the lifter of Govardhan Hill, shifted half of the
hill’s weight to the talkative gopa boys.

Text 32 That burden made the gopa boys fall, devastated, to the ground.

Text 33 With one hand Krishna picked them all up. Then, as everyone watched,
with a playful flourish Krishna set the hill down where it was before.

Text 34 O king, the gopas and gopis, now understanding that Nanda’s son
Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiped Him, showered Him with
unbroken grains of rice, offered Him many foods made with milk and yogurt, and
humbly bowed down before Him.

Text 35 O king, then Nanda, Yasoda, Rohini, and the gopa elders headed by Sannanda,
embraced Krishna, gave Him great wealth, and, filled with kindness and love,
spoke many benedictions blessing Him.

Text 36 O king, singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments, the people
of Vraja approached Lord Krishna and worshiped Him. In this way all their desires
were fulfilled.

Text 37 Then the jubilant demigods showered beautiful flowers grown in the beautiful
Nandana gardens, and the Gandharvas and Siddhas in the higher planets sang the
glories of Sri Krishna, the lifter of Govardhan Hill.

Canto Three, Chapter Four
The Coronation-Bathing of Sri Krishna
(Sri Krishnabhiseka)



Text 1 Sri Narada said: Then, accompanied by the demigods, Indra went
to a secluded place on Govardhan Hill and bowed down before Lord Krishna.

Text 2 Sri Indra said: You are the master of the demigods, the supreme controller,
the Lord who is perfect and complete, the oldest, the supreme person greater
than the greatest and above the material energy, the Supreme Personality of
Godhead, Lord Hari. O master of the spiritual sky, O master of the universes,
please save me! Please save me!

Text 3 You are the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, perfect and complete,
who descends as the ten avataras. Desiring to protect the Vedic scriptures and
the cows of piety, and desiring also to kill the demons headed by Kamsa, You
have taken birth in this world.

Text 4 O master of the spiritual sky, as a father forgives his son, please forgive
me, a proud fool bewildered by Your illusory potency, a fool who has become
a great reservoir of offenses to You. O master of the demigods, O home where
the universes dwell, please be kind to me.

Text 5
om namo govardhanoddharanaya govindaya gokula-nivasaya gopalaya gopala-pataye
gopi-jana-bhartre giri-gajoddhartre karuna-nidhaye jagad-vidhaye jagan-mangalaya
jagan-nivasaya jagan-mohanaya koti-manmatha-manmathaya vrsabhanu-suta-varaya
sri-nanda-raja-kula-pradipaya sri-Krishnaya paripurnatamaya te ’sankhya-brahmanda-pataye
goloka-dhama-dhisanadhipataye svayam-bhagavate sa-balaya namas te namas te.
Om. Obeisances! Obeisances to You! Obeisances to You, the lifter of Govardhan
Hill, the pleasure of the cows, land, and senses, the Lord who resides in Gokula
as the protector of the cows, the master of the gopas, the husband of the gopis,
the lifter of the elephant among mountains, an ocean of mercy, the creator of
the universes, the auspiciousness of the universes, the home where the universes
dwell, the enchanter of the universes, the enchanter of many millions of Kamadevas,
the lover of King Vrsabhanu’s daughter, a lamp shining in King Nanda’s
family, all-attractive Sri Krishna, the perfect and complete original Supreme
Personality of Godhead, the master of countless universes, the master of the
transcendental abode of Goloka, the companion of Balarama!

Text 6 Sri Narada said: A person who, rising in the morning, recites these prayers
of Indra attains all perfections. Dangers will not make him fear.

Text 7 After offering these prayers, Indra folded his hands and, accompanied
by all the demigods, bowed down before Lord Krishna.

Text 8 Then, on beautiful Govardhan Hill, the surabhi cow born from the milk-ocean
bathed the gopa-king Krishna with great streams of milk.

Text 9 Its four trunks filled with celestial Ganga water, the intoxicated elephant
Airavata bathed Lord Krishna.

Text 10 Then the joyful devas, kinnaras, gandharvas, rsis, and personified Vedas
offered prayers to Lord Krishna and showered HIm with flowers.

Text 11 When the coronation bathing of Sri Krishna was completed noble Govardhan
Hill became to melt with joy.

Text 12 Pleased, the Lord left the mark of His lotus hand on the melting hill.
O king, even today that handprint can be seen on Govardhan Hill.

Text 13 O king of Mithila, know that the footprints Krishna left there are a
great holy place that destroys the people’s sins.

Text 14 O king of Mithila, next to Lord Krishna footprints were the surabhi
cow’s hoofprints.

Text 15 O king of Mithila, the celestial Ganga water that bathed Lord Krishna
on Govardhan Hill became the Manasa-ganga lake, which destroys all sins.

Text 16 O king, the streams of the surabhi cow’s milk that bathed Lord
Krishna on Govardhan Hill became the Govinda-kunda lake, which destroys the
greatest sins.

Text 17 Sometimes the water in that lake tastes like delicious milk. One who
bathes there attains Lord Krishna’s feet.

Text 18 Circumambulating Lord Krishna, bowing down, making many offerings, calling
out, “All glories!” and showering Him with flowers, the happy demigods
returned to their celestial abode.

Text 19 A person who hears this narration of Sri Krishna’s ceremonial bathing
attains a result much greater than the result of ten asvamedha-yajnas. He attains
the supreme creator’s transcendental abode.


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The glories of Giriraja
from Sri Garga-samhita Canto 3 chapter 10

Sri Narada said: This is the most ancient history of Goloka. When one hears it, all his sins are destroyed.

One day, in order to repay the debt he owed the sages and ancestors, a certain brahmana named Vijaya went to Mathura, the holy place that removes all sins.

O king of Mithila, after performing his religious duties, he went to Govardhana Hill and took one of the stones there.

Going in a leisurely way from forest to forest, he finally left the circle of Vraja. At that moment he saw a horrible raksasa monster approaching.

The monster had three heads, three chests, six arms, six legs, three hands, huge lips, and a huge nose. His hands were raised in the air.

His seven-hands-long tongue moved to and fro, the hairs of his body were like a tangle of thorns, his eyes were red, and he had long, curved, frightening fangs.

O king, wishing to eat him, the snorting monster approached the brahmana.

With his Govardhana-stone the brahmana struck the monster. Hit by the Govardhana-stone, the monster gave up his body.

Suddenly he transformed into a handsome dark person with large lotus-petal eyes, dressed in yellow garments, garlanded with forest flowers, wearing a crown and earrings, holding a flute and stick, glorious as another Kamadeva, and his features like those of Lord Krsna, with folded hands he bowed before the brahmana again and again.

The liberated soul said: O best of brahmanas, you earnestly work for the salvation of others. O noble-hearted one, you have rescued me from a monster’s life.

Good fortune has come to me simply by the touch of this stone. No one but you could have delivered me.

The Brahmana said: I am astonished by your words. I have no power to deliver you. I don’t know how, simply by a stone’s touch, this has happened. O saintly one, please tell me how this happened.

The liberated soul said: Glorious Govardhana Hill, the king of mountains, is the person form of Lord Krsna. Simply by seeing it, a person attains the supreme goal of life.

O Brahmana, the same result one attains by performing austerities for five thousand years on Mound Kedara is attained in a single moment on Govardhana Hill.

By staying for one month on Govardhana Hill one attains a pious result many millions of times greater than the result of giving in charity a bhara of gold in the Malaya Hills.

Even though he has committed hundreds of sins, a person who on Mount Mangala gives gold in charity attains a spiritual form like Lord Visnu’s.

That same result is attained simply by seeing Govardhana Hill. No other holy place is as sacred as Govardhana Hill.

O Brahmana, simply by visiting Govardhana Hill one attains piety a hundred thousand times greater than the piety he would attain if on the sacred mountains Rsabha, Kutaka, and Kolaka he had worshiped many brahmanas and given in charity ten million cows with golden horns.

By going on pilgrimage to Govardhana Hill one attains piety ten million times greater than the piety he would attain by going on pilgrimage to Rsyamuka or Devagiri. There never was, nor will there ever be a holy place equal to Govardhana Hill.

By bathing every day for ten years in Vidyadhara-kunda on Sri Saila, one attains the result of a hundred yajnas. By once bathing in Puccha-kunda on Govardhana Hill one attains the result of ten million yajnas. Of this there is no doubt.

A person who performs an asvamedha-yajna on the mountains Venkata, Varidhara, Mahendra, or Vindhya, attains the post of King Indra. A person who performs an asvamedha-yajna on Govardhana Hill and gives proper daksina goes beyond the realm of Indra and attains the abode of Lord Visnu.

O best of brahmanas, bathing in sacred rivers, giving charity, performing austerities, and performing pious deeds, all these performed during Sri Rama-navami on Mount Citrakua, during the third day of Visakha on Prariyatra, during the full moon on Mount Kukura, during Dvadasi on Mount Nila, or during Saptami at Indrakila bring a great pious result. That pious result is multiplied ten million times by visiting Bharata-varsa. It is multiplied unlimited times by visiting Govardhana Hill.

By giving charity, performing austerities, bathing in sacred rivers, chanting sacred mantras, or worshiping the brahmanas and the Supreme Personality of Godhead at the Godavari, Mount Simha, Mayapuri, Kumbhaga, Puskara, Pusyanaksatra, Kuruksetra, Ravi-graha, Candra-graha, Kasi, Phalguna, Naimisa, Ekadasi, Sukara, Kartiki, Ganamuktada, Janmastami, Madhupuri, Khandava, Dvadasi, Kartiki, Purnima, Vatesvara-maha-vata, Makararka, Prayaga, Barhismati, Vaidhrti, Ayodhya-sarayu-tira, Sri Rama-navami-dina, Siva-caturdasi, Vaijanatha-subha-vana, Darsa, Soma-vara, Ganga-sagara-sangama, Dasami, Setubandha, Sri Ranga, or Saptami-dina, one attains a great pious result. O best of brahmanas, by visiting Govardhana Hill one attains a pious result ten million times greater than all those pious deeds together.

One who, thinking of Lord Krsna, bathes in sacred Govinda-kunda, attains a transcendental form like Lord Krsna’s. O king of Mithila, of this there is no doubt.

Neither a thousand asvamedha-yajnas nor a hundred rajasuya-yajnas are equal to visiting Manasa-ganga on Govardhana Hill.

O brahmana, you have directly seen and touched Govardhana Hill. You have bathed in its sacred waters. In this world no one is more fortunate than you.

If you don’t believe my words, consider the story of the great sinner who, because he was touched by a Govardhana-stone, attained a transcendental form like Lord Krsna’s.


Comment posted by varahanarasimha on October 17th, 2006
2
SRI GIRIRAJA-TIRTHA

THE HOLY PLACES OF SRI GIRIRAJA

from Sri Garga-samhita Canto 3 chapter 7 - texts 1 - 39

Sri Bahulasva said: How many holy places are on noble-hearted Govardhana Hill? O great yogi, you have transcendental vision. Please tell me this.

Sri Narada said: O king, Vrndavana forest and Govardhana Hill, which is the crown of Goloka, are both worshiped as the best of holy places.

Noble Govardhana Hill is dear to Lord Krsna. It is the Supreme Personality of Godhead’s parasol. It protects the cows, gopas and gopis. What holy place is better than Govardhana Hill?

Lord Krsna, the master of all the worlds, mocked the indra-yajna.

Sri Krsna is the original Supreme Personality of Godhead, greater than the greatest, the master of Goloka, the ruler of countless universes.

O king of Mithila, even the demigod Brahma cannot properly glorify Govardhana Hill, where Lord Krsna eternally plays with the gopa boys,…

… where are the Manasa-ganga, which destroys a flood of the greatest sins, pure Govinda-kunda, beautiful Candra-sarovara,…

… Radha-kunda, Syama-kunda, Lalita-kunda, Gopala-kunda and Kusuma-sarovara.

By the touch of Sri Krsna’s crown a certain stone was marked with the sign of a crown. Anyone who sees that stone becomes the crown of the Supreme Lord.

Even today on Govardhana Hill is a sacred stone marked with pictures originally drawn by Lord Krsna and now named Citra-sila (the picture stone).

When Krsna was intently playing with the boys, He played musical rhythms on a certain stone. That stone, named vadani-sila (the musical stone), destroys the greatest sins.

The place where Krsnacandra played ball-games with the boys is called kanduka-ksetra (the ballgame-field).

A person who sees the place Indra-pada on Govardhana Hill, bows down at the place Brahma-pada or rolls about in the dust of these places, attains the abode of Lord Visnu.

The place on Govardhana Hill where Lord Krsna stole the gopas turbans is called Ausnisa-tirtha. It removes the greatest sins.

One day, hearing tinkling anklets as the gopis walked nearby on their way to sell yogurt, Krsna, who is more charming than Kamadeva, stopped them on the path.

Holding a flute and a stick and going ahead of the gopas, Krsna confronted the gopis on the path and demanded, “You must pay a toll to Me.”

The gopis said: You are crooked. You and Your gopa boys now block our path. You are greedy after yogurt. We will see to it that You, Your mother and Your father are all locked up in Kamsa’s prison.

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: I will kill ferocious Kamsa and all his friends. That was My solemn vow.

Every day I will take the cows from Mathura to Govardhana Hill.

Sri Narada said: After speaking these words, Krsna and the boys took the jars of yogurt and joyfully placed them on the ground.

Saying ” Krsna is a bold, fearless, ferocious and talkative hero here in the secluded forest, but in the city, surrounded by many men, He is only a weakling. We will certainly tell Nanda and Yasoda what He has done,” the smiling gopis went to their homes.

Then, making cups of nipa and palasa leaves, Krsna and the boys ate the yogurt and picchala.

O king of kings, that very sacred place, where the trees leaves became cups, is called Drona-tirtha.

A person who at this place gives yogurt in charity, drinks yogurt from a leaf-cup and then bows down to offer his respectful obeisances, never falls from Goloka.

A place where Krsna and the boys played games of closing their eyes and hiding is called laukika-tirtha. It destroys all sins.

Simply by seeing Kadamba-khanda-tirtha, where Krsna enjoyed many pastimes, a person attains a form like that of Lord Narayana Himself.

O king of Mithila, the place on Govardhana Hill where Radha was decorated during the rasa dance is called Srngara-mandala (the decoration place).

O king, the form Lord Krsna showed as He lifted Govardhana Hill is still present at Srngara-mandala.

O king, 4,108 years after the beginning of Kali-yuga, as everyone watches, Lord Krsna will emerge from a cave on Govardhana Hill and reveal His transcendental form at Srngara-mandala.

O king, the saintly devotees will call this form of the Lord Srinatha. He will always enjoy pastimes on Govardhana Hill.

O king of Mithila, the people in Kali-yuga who with their eyes see this form of the Lord will attain all spiritual success.

On the four corners of Govardhana Hill are the forms of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Ranganatha, Lord Dvarakanatha and Lord Badrinatha.

Srinatha is in the middle of Govardhana Hill. O king, these five forms of the lord are manifested in sacred Bharata-varsa.

These four Deities are four pillars in the temple of eternal religion. They are determined to protect Their devotees from all troubles. A person who sees Them attains a transcendental form like that of Lord Narayana Himself.

An intelligent person who visits the places of these Deities but does not see the Lord there does not attain the real result of his visit.

A person who sees Lord Srinatha attains the result of seeing all four Deities on Govardhana Hill.

O king of Mithila, a sinner who bows down before the footprints of Airavata and Surabhi on Govardhana Hill goes to Vaikuntha.

A person who sees the handprint and footprint of Sri Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead and bows down to offer respects to them, goes to Lord Krsna’s transcendental abode.

[Paramananda das]

Yes so much good mercy has been given to me by Srila Prabhupada,Gaura Nitai, Krsna Balarama,Giriraja and Radha Shyamasundara..but where is even one tear of love for Giriraja ...to hell with our socalled good fortune.Only the prema bhaktis are really fit to worship Giriraja..with the tears of love just as shown by Lord Caitanya Himself.So many sweet lilas are going on Govardhana between Radha and Krsna,and Krsna and the covered boys,Dana keli lilas also..but my heart is like steel there is no love...no tears of love and appriciation for such wonderfull lilas, nor will many even care to hear such lilas, at least I have some good fortune to aspire to hear,this is the first step and chanting and serving maybe then after millions of life some real bhakti will manifest ,,shame on my useless life ,I have never once properly worshipped though since so many years I am "pretending to serve Giriraja" , to hell with my useless life...I am serving but it in vaidhi mixed with a sprinkle of love, but untill till becomes bhava bhakti and Giriraja is washed by ones tears, this worship is not perfect...will I ever come to such a stage?

[Paramananda das]

SRI GARGA-SAMHITA

Canto Three

SRI GIRIRAJA

Chapter Eight

Sri Giriraja-Vibhuti
The Opulences of Sri Giriraja

TEXT 1

Sri Bahulasva said: What holy places are situated on what limbs ? O great master, O best of the wise, please tell.

TEXT 2

O king of Mithila, the sages know only the most famous limbs of Govardhana Hill. They do not know them all, one by one.

TEXT 3

As Brahman is present everywhere, so the opulences of the Lord are always present on all the limbs of Govardhana Hill. O noble one, I will now describe them to you.

TEXT 4

Below Srngara-mandala is Govardhana Hill's mouth, where the Lord and the people of Vraja made a hill of food.

TEXT 5

Manasa-ganga is Govardhana Hill's eyes, Candra-sarovara its nose, Govinda-kunda its lips, Syama-kunda its chin,. . .

TEXT 6

. . . Radha-kunda its tongue, Lalita-kunda its cheeks, Gopala-kunda its ears, Kusuma-sarovara its inner ear,. . .

TEXT 7

O king of Mithila, please know that the stone marked with Lord Krnsa's crown (mauli-sila) is Govardhana Hill's forehead, the stone decorated with pictures (citra-sila) is its head and the musical stone (vadani sila) is its throat.

TEXT 8

Kanduka-tirtha is said to be its two sides. Ausisa-tirtha its waist, Drona-tirtha its back and Laukita-tirtha its belly.

TEXT 9

Kadamba-khanda is its chest and Srngara-mandala is its life. Sri Krsna's footprint is the heart of noble-hearted Govardhana Hill.

TEXT 10

Lord Krsna's handprint is its intelligence and Airavata's footprint is its feet. Surabhi's hoofprints are the wings of noble-hearted Govardhana Hill.

TEXT 11

Puccha-kunda is its tail, Vatsa-kunda its strength, Rudra-kunda its anger and Sakra-sarovara its desire.

TEXT 12

The wise say that Kuvera-tirtha is Govardhana Hill's determination, Brahma-tirtha its cheerfulness and Yama-tirtha its ego.

TEXT 13

O king of Mithila, in this way I have described to you Govardhana Hill's limbs, which remove all sins.

TEXT 14

One who hears about the glories and opulences of Govardhana Hill becomes the best of persons and goes to Goloka, the supreme abode, which even the greatest yogis cannot attain.

TEXT 15

By seeing Govardhana Hill, which was born from Lord Hari's chest, which is the king of the kings of the kings of mountains and which was brought to the earth by Pulastya Muni's power, one becomes free from taking birth again in this world.

Chapter Nine

Sri Girirajotpatti
The Birth of Sri Giriraja

TEXT 1

Sri Bahulasva said: Govardhana Hill is dear to Lord Hari. It is the king of mountains. No holy place in the earthly or heavenly planets is equal to it.

TEXT 2

When was Govardhana Hill born from Lord Krsna's chest? O wise and intelligent one, please tell me that. You know what is in Lord krsna's heart.

TEXT 3

Sri Narada said: O noble-hearted king, please hear the story of Goloka's birth, a story that brings to human beings the four goals of life, a story filled with transcendental pastimes.

TEXT 4

Sri Krsna is the Supreme Lord. He is a person. He has no beginning. He is perfect and complete. He is the master of all opulences. He is beyond the modes of nature. He is above the realm of matter.

TEXT 5

Time has no existence in the transcendental abode where the self-effulgent Supreme Personality of Godhead enjoys pastimes eternally.

TEXT 6

O king, illusion has no power in that realm. Neither do the mahat-tattva, nor the material modes of nature have any power there. How can they ? O king, the material heart, mind, intelligence and false-ego cannot enter there.

TEXT 7

In His own abode the Supreme Personality of Godhead, whose form is spiritual, desired to expand and so He manifested the form of Lord Sesa, who has gigantic white coils.

TEXT 8

The Lord's realm, Goloka, is worshiped by all the worlds. A devotee who goes there never returns to the world of birth and death.

TEXT 9

The Ganga, which travels through the three material worlds, was born from the lotus feet of Lord Krsna, who is the master of countless material universes and the ruler of the spiritual realm of Goloka.



This deity of Yamunadevi is at Kesi Ghat. She appeared from Lord Krsna's left shoulder.


TEXT 10

O king, the Yamuna, the best of rivers, who wore a turban and many flower ornaments, was manifested from Lord Krsna's left shoulder.

TEXT 11

The splendid rasa-dance circle, made of gold and jewels and decorated with many ornaments, was manifested from Lord Krsna's ankles.

TEXT 12 AND 13

Filled with assembly-houses, courtyards, pathways, pavilions, peacocks, bees and cooing cuckoos, flooded with the sweetness of spring and decorated with many lakes, a forest grove was manifested from Lord Krsna's legs.

TEXT 14

O king, Vrndavana, the best of all forests, was manifested from Lord Krsna's knees and Lila-sarovara lake was manifested from His thighs.

TEXT 15

A golden place splendid with gold and jewels was manifested from His hips. Many flowering madhavi vines were manifested from the line of hairs on His abdomen.

TEXT 16

These vines were filled with many different birds and decorated with buzzing bees. Burdened with many flowers and fruits, they bowed down as if they were many saintly girls.

TEXT 17

From the Lord's lotus navel many thousands of lotus flowers were manifested. They shone very splendidly in the many lakes of Lord Krsna's transcendental abode.

TEXT 18

From the three folds of skin at the Lord's waist was manifested a gentle and cooling breeze. From His collar were manifested the cities of Mathura and Dvaraka.

TEXT 19

From Lord Krsna's arms were manifested His eight friends headed by Sridama. From the Lord's wrists Nanda was manifested and from the Lord's hands Upananda was manifested.

TEXT 20

O king, from Sri Krsna's shoulder-blades all the Vrsabhanus were manifested. From the hairs of Sri Krsna's body all the gopas were manifested.

TEXT 21

O king of Mithila, from Sri Krsna's mind were manifested the cows and bulls, the upholders of religion. From Sri Krsna's intelligence were manifested the grass, plants and shrubs.

TEXT 22

From the Lord's left shoulder was manifested a golden splendor that was His beloveds: Lila, Sri, Bhu and Viraja.

TEXT 23

One of His beloveds is Lilavati. The wise know His dearest beloved is Radha. From Radh's arms are manifested Her friends Lalita and Visakha.

TEXT 24

O king, Her gopi-assistants were manifested from the hairs of Radha's body. In this way Lord Krsna manifested the world of Goloka.

TEXT 25

After thus manifesting His own abode, Lord Krsna, the perfect and complete Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the master of countless universes, shone with great glory in Sri Radha's company there.

TEXT 26 - 28

One day, in the beautiful rasa-dance circle, which was filled with the tinkling of anklets and with courtyards splendid with pearls and parasols, awnings of flowering malati vines fragrant with nectar honey, sounds of flute and mrdanga and beautiful singing from beautiful throats and which was beautiful with many beautiful girls, Radha cast a sidelong glance at Lord Krsna, who is more charming that many millions of Kamadevas and who generously gives the sweetest nectar. She spoke to Him the following words.

TEXT 29

Sri Radha said: O Lord of the worlds, if You are pleased with My love in this rasa-dance, then there is a desire in My heart I would like to place before You.

TEXT 30

The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: O girl with the beautiful thighs, You may ask for whatever Your heart desires. O beloved, if I have not already given it, I will lovingly give whatever You wish.



Sri-Sri Radha-Krsna enjoy private talks together at a secluded place in Vrndavana forest by the Yamuna's shore. Govardhana Hill is in the background.


TEXT 31

Sri Radha said: In splendid Vrndavana forest, in a beautiful and secluded place by the Yamuna's shore, please make an arena for a nectar rasa-dance. O Lord of lords, this is My desire.

TEXT 32

Sri Narada said: Saying, "So be it ", the Lord meditated. With His lotus eyes he looked inside His heart.

TEXT 33

As the gopis watched, Krsna's love, in a form of fire and water, came from His heart as a sprout comes up from the ground.

TEXT 34

Falling onto the ground of the rasa-dance circle, that love grew into a great mountain filled with many caves and swiftly-moving streams,. . .

TEXT 35

. . . beautiful with kadamba, bakula and asoka trees and a great network of flowering vines, opulent with mandara and kunda flowers and filled with graceful birds.

TEXT 36

O king of Videha, in a single moment that mountain became eight hundred thousand miles wide and eight billion miles long. It was like another Ananta Sesa.

TEXT 37

It was four billion miles tall. It is four billion miles tall eternally. It was like a gigantic elephant.

TEXT 38

It had a hundred eighty-million-mile-tall peaks. O king of Mithila, it was like a great palace with many golden domes.

TEXT 39

Some called this mountain Govardhana and others called it Satasrnga (a hundred peaks). The mountain expanded as much as its heart wished.

TEXT 40

As the mountain expanded, Goloka became filled with fear and there was a great uproar. Lord Krsna at once stood up and slapped the mountains with His hand.

TEXT 41

He said, " Why do You expand so much ? You have covered the entire realm! Why do you not stop at once?" In this way Krsna stopped the mountain from growing any further.

TEXT 42

Gazing at this best of mountains, Lord Krsna's beloved Radha was very pleased. O king, She enjoyed pastimes with Krsna in a secluded place on that mountain.

TEXT 43

In this way Govardhana Hill, which is the best of mountains, which is dear to the Lord, which is dark as a monsoon cloud and which contains within itself all holy places, was manifested by Lord Krsna.

TEXT 44

In Salmali-dvipa, to the west of Bharata-varsa, Govardhana Hill was born from the wife of Mount Drona.

TEXT 45

Pulastya Muni brought Govardhana to Bharata-varsa. O king of Videha, I have already described this to you.

TEXT 46

Because Govardhana Hill had been so eager to expand unlimitedly, Lord Krsna arranged that the sage Pulastya curse it to decrease day by day.

[Paramananda das]

Giriraja is so dear to Radha Krsna yugal, that He is considered the topmost bhakta Haridasa,Radha Krsna performs so many lilas at Govardhaan ,not only at Radha Kunda but in the caves,Krsna and the Sakhas also come there http://www.krishna.org/images/Cc/Antya_2_5_KrishnaCowherdBoysEating...
sometimes having lunch like a Gwala pokar (Gopala Kunda near Kusuma Sarovara ) sometimes ,sometimes they are in the caves playing also...thus worship of Giriraja should be performed daily is the instruction of Raghunatha das Goswami in his Manah Siksa

[Paramananda das]

Official Name: Govardhanasraya Dasakam

Author: Raghunatha Dasa Goswami

Book Name: Stavavali

Language: Sanskrit

 

LYRICS:

(1)

saptāhaḿ murajit-karāmbuja-paribhrājat-kaniṣṭhāńguli-

prodyad-valgu-varātakoparimilan-mugdha-dvirepho 'pi yaḥ

pāthaḥ-kṣepaka-śakra-nakra-mukhataḥ kroḍe vrajam- drāg apāt

kas taḿ gokula-bandhavaḿ giri-varaḿ govardhanaḿ nāśrayet

 

(2)

indratve nibhṛtaḿ gavāḿ suranadī-toyena dīnātmanā

śakreṇānugatā cakāra surabhir yenābhiṣekaḿ hareḥ

yat-kacche 'jani tena nandita-janaḿ govinda-kuṇḍaḿ kṛtī

kas tam- go-nikarendra-paṭṭa-śikharam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(3)

svar-dhuny-ādi-vareṇya-tīrtha-gaṇato hṛdyāny ajasram- hareḥ

sīri-brahma-harāpsaraḥ-priyaka-tat-śrī-dāna-kuṇḍāny api

prema-kṣema-ruci-pradāni parito bhrājanti yasya vratī

kas tam- manya-munīndra-varṇita-guṇam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(4)

jyotsnāmokṣaṇa-mālya-hāra-sumano-gaurī-balāri-dhvajā

gāndharvādi-sarāḿsi nirjhara-giriḥ śṛńgāra-siḿhāsanam

gopālo 'pi hari-sthalam- harir api sphūrjanti yat-sarvataḥ

kas tam- go-mṛga-pakṣi-vṛkṣa-lalitam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(5)

gańgā-koṭy-adhikam- bakāri-pada-jāriṣṭāri-kuṇḍam- vahan

bhaktyā yaḥ śirasā natena satatam- preyān śivād apy abhūt

rādhā-kuṇḍa-maṇim- tathaiva murajit-prauḍha-prasādam- dadhāt

preyaḥ-stavyamano 'bhavat ka iha tam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(6)

yasyām- mādhava-nāviko rasavatīm ādhāya rādhām- tarau

madhye cañcala-keli-pāta-valanāt trāsaiḥ stuvatyās tataḥ

svābhiṣṭham- paṇam ādadhe vahati sā yasmin mano-jāhnavī

kas tam- tan nava-dam-pati-pratibhuvam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(7)

rāse śrī-śata-vandya-sundara-sakhī vṛndāñcitā saurabha-

bhrājat-kṛṣṇa-rasāla-bāhu-vilasat-kaṇṭhī madhau mādhavī

rādhā nṛtyati yatra cāru valate rāsa-sthalī sā parā

yasmin sa sukṛtī tam unnatam aye govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(8)

yatra svīya-gaṇasya vikrama-bhṛtā vācā muhuḥ phullatoḥ

smera-krūra-dṛg-anta-vibhrama-śaraiḥ śaśvan mitho viddhayoḥ

tad yūnor nava-dāna-sṛṣṭija-kalir bhańgyā hasan jṛmbhate

kas tam- tat-pṛthu-keli-sūcana-śilam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(9)

śrīdāmādi-vayasya-sañcaya-vṛtaḥ sańkarṣaṇenollasan

yasmin go-caya-cāru-cāraṇa-paro rīrīti gāyaty asau

rańge gūḍha-guhāsu ca prathayati smāra-kriyāḿ rādhayā

kas taḿ saubhaga-bhūṣitāñcita-tanuḿ govardhanaḿ nāśrayet

 

(10)

kālindīm- tapanodbhavam- giri-gaṇān aty-unnamā-cekharān

śrī-vṛndāvipinam- janepsita-dharam- nandīśvaram- cāśrayam

hitvā yam- pratipūjayan vraja-kṛte mānam- mukundo dadau

kas tam- śṛńgi-kirīṭinam- giri-nṛpam- govardhanam- nāśrayet

 

(11)

tasmin vāsadam asya ramya-daśakaḿ govardhanasyeha yat

prādurbhūtam idaḿ yadīya-kṛpayā jīrṇāndha-vaktrād api

tasyodyad-guṇa-vṛnda-bandhura-khaṇer jīvātu-rūpasya tat-

toṣāyāpi alaḿ bhavatṭ iha phalaḿ pakvaḿ mayā mṛgyate

 

TRANSLATION

1) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, the best of mountains, the friend of Gokula, the charming bumblebee that for seven days stood on the graceful whorl of the lotus flower of Lord Krsna's hand and protectedVraja from the mouth of the Indra-crocodile raining a great monsoon?

 

2) What pious person will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, whose peak is the place of pastimes for Lord Krsna, the master of the surabhi cows, and near which is blissful Govinda-kunda, where a surabhi cow, followed by humbled Indra bearing the waters of the celestial Ganges, bathed Lord Krsna and secretly crowned Him king of the surabhi cows?

 

3) What pious person will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, which is glorified by the great sages, and which is encircled by the lakes Siri-kunda, Brahma-kunda, Hara-kunda, Apsarah-kunda, Priyaka-kunda, and Sri-dana-kunda, which are splendid with the happiness of pure love and more dear to Lord Hari than the celestial Ganges and a host of other sacred places?

 

4) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, which is charming with cows, deer, birds, and trees, and which is the place where the lakes Jyotsnamoksana-kunda, Malya-kunda, Hara-kunda, Sumanah-kunda, Gauri-kunda, Balaridhvaja-kunda, Gandharva-kunda, many other lakes, many swiftly-moving mountain streams, many lion-thrones for amorous pastimes, many places for Lord Hari's other pastimes, and the cowherd boy LordHari Himself, are all splendidly manifest?

 

5) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill? He who with always devotedly caries on his bowed head the lake known as Syama-kunda, which is millions of times greater than the Ganges, and which was born from the foot of Lord Krsna, becomes more dear to the Lord than even the demigod Siva. He who in the same way carries the jewel known as Radha'-kunda attains the full mercy of Lord Krsna. He becomes the most dear and glorious of devotees.

 

6) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, where the divine couple enjoy Their rescue-fee pastimes, and where the Manasa-ganga flows? In the Manasa-ganga the pilot Madhava took sweetly beautiful Radha' on His boat, and when She, frightened by a great storm, prayed that He calm it, He claimed from Her as a rescue-fee the fulfillment of His amorous desires.

 

7) Ah, what pious person will not take shelter of lofty Govardhana Hill, the beautiful and transcendental place of the rasa dance, where Sri Radha, accompanied by Her beautiful friends worshiped by hundreds of goddesses of fortune, and the splendid, nectar arm of Lord Krsna playfully resting on Her neck, dances in the springtime rasa-lila?

 

8) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill where, blossoming with happiness at the outrageous joking words of Their friends, perpetually wounded by the swift arrows shot from the corners of Their cruel, smiling eyes, and laughing at the crooked words of the ever-new dana-keli quarrel, the youthful divine couple displayed so many transcendental pastimes?

 

9) Who will not take shelter of graceful and auspicious Govardhana Hill, where, accompanied by Sridama and His other friends, playing with Sankarsana, and carefully herding the cows, Lord Krsna happily sings ri ri, and where Lord Krsna enjoys amorous pastimes with Radha' in the rasa dance arena and deep in the hidden caves?

 

10) Who will not take shelter of Govardhana Hill, the crowned king of all mountains? For the people of Vraja's sake Lord Mukunda neglected the sun-god's daughter Yamuna, a host of other lofty hills, the wish-fulfillingforest of Vrndavana, and the town of Nandisvara, and respectfully worshiped Govardhana Hill.

 

11) By the mercy of Govardhana Hill these ten beautiful verses about Govardhana Hill, which grant residence at Govardhana Hill, have come from the mouth of a blind old man. The pleasure of Govardhana Hill, which is my life and soul, and which is a beautiful jewel-mine of transcendental virtues, is the ripe fruit I seek from my labor in writing these verses.