By Devaki Prana das
Dear Respected Vaisnavas, Please accept my humble obeisances All glories to Srila Prabhupada All Glories to Sri Guru and Sri Gauranga All Glories to Sri Kancana Kunda!
After several days of battling with the upsurging waters coming into Radha Kunda from Kancana Kunda with pumps breaking, clogging pipes and goverment disunity amidst general mismanagement (a body without a head), despite such shortcomings, Sri Radha has finally allowed a darshan of Her sacred lila stan. Three pumps were used instead of the one and finally the area around
30 feet square, of where Radha first marked the ground with Her bangle, came into veiw for minutes the other night but consistently from yesterday morning on wards.
Exihibiting transcendental arrogance in having created such a beautiful Syama Kunda, filled with the sacred waters of all the holy places in the universe, Krsna began teasing Radharani and the gopis saying that because they were only simple village girls, they must never have performed any religious duties in this world for the pleasure of the demigods. Krsna informed them that that because they sided with the demon Aristasura, in the form of a bull, they would have to share the sin of cow-killing, and must also take bath to purify themselves.
Feeling the pinch of Krsna’s joking words, Radharani suddenly exhibited Her transcendental anger(mana) and seeing a deep impression of Aristasura’s hoof print nearby, broke off one of Her bangles and using it as digging instruement, started to dig the soft earth. Upon seeing this, the gopis also broke their bangles and started digging, within a short time a large kunda had been created right next to SyamaKunda. Sri Radha Kunda ki jaya!
When Kancana Kunda finally came into view, a roar came up from the crowd and the brajavasis just dropped their buckets to just watch and enjoy the sight. After a while the team leaders were able to regroup the lines and continue the revolving bucket brigade. With 3 pumps still working, more people began to converge on the site, for the restrictions were dropped keeping all away due to fear of stirring up the mud. But unfortunately due to so much collective excitement a few mud sports manifested, resulting in some unwanted displays, but then again we can never judge the actions of the locals in the mundane light.
Then the giant multitude began to circumambulate the small kunda, from the prankish youth to the elders, mothers with children in arm, lumbering clock wise in the ankle, knee deep, mud. A rainbow of bright colors, became moistened and darkened slowly as more and more of the brajavasis became half/fully covered in mud. The pumps were turned off to ensure no one would be harmed. A symphony of speakers glorifed Sri Radha. It was just like a page out of Krsna book. First there were many onlookers deciding whether to ‘change colors’ or not but gradually the onlookers lessened.
The most amazing feature was a sudden shift in the atmosphere(around 5:30 pm) from ‘uncontrollable’ to ‘unified’ as the small kunda began to fill and the pilgrims, with muddied faces and racoon like eyes, wallowed like crocodiles in a circle parikrama. Then the subdued crowd began to bathe in the thick mud water in the center, similar to overly intoxicated ants, or even pacified bumble bees, peacefully floating and bobbing about like human corks. It was almost as though a Divine Grace had descended.
Work will continue for the next 5 days, then the waters will gradually refill the enitire kunda. The plan will be to fully drain Kancana kunda
(another 11 feet) and the major amount of mud from the base area. This would allow some recovery for Guru Purnima.
one can access a large variety of photos on line at
http://www.flickr.com/photos/39522410@N03/
Jaya Sri Radhe! Your servant, Devaki Prana das
Thanks for posting these pictures, for those of us unfortunate not to be there, it gives us all some mercy also:
I was just reading once more Upadesamrta and this really stood out, from the pen of Srila Rupa Goswami:
“And, above all, the superexcellent Sri Radha- kunda stands supreme, for it is overflooded with the ambrosial nectarean prema of the Lord of Gokula, Sri Krsna. Where, then, is that intelligent Person who is unwilling to serve this divine Radha-kunda, which is situated at the foot of Govardhana Hill?”
Srila Raghunath das Goswami writes in one prayer to Govardhana:
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.
(it is recommended one daily springle 10 drops of Radha kuna and Shyma Kunda water on ones head so if one is not abel to be in living at Radha Kunda, one can honor Radha Kunda and Shyama Kunda in this way)
from Vraja Vilasa Stava by Srila Raghunath das Goswami
52
Filled with many champaka trees, beautiful young asoka trees, mango trees, kesanagara trees, bakula trees, lavanga creepers, and madhavi creepers, the area around Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda is very beautiful and pleasing to the heart, and it is the favourite pastime place of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna. Let me take shelter of these two lakes : Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda.
53
The delightful forest of Vrndavana, beautiful Govardhana Hill and the nectarean area of the rasa dance, what to speak of other places are not equal to even a single particle of Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda. Let me take shelter of these two lakes, which are more dear to Lord Krsna than His own life’s breath.
54
By the shore of Radha-kunda is a grand pavilion made of gold, pearls and precious gems. In that pavilion, Sri Sri Radha and Krsna, considering everything else unimportant, enjoy transcendental pastimes as the two prime ministers of the deity of transcendental love, and They happily anoint that kingdom of love with the sandal paste of Their pastimes. I eternally worship the splendid grove by the shore of Radha-kunda.
55
The divine couple is splendidly reflected on the shore of the lake of each other’s heart. They are necklaces lovingly worn by each other. The creator Brahma has blessed Them with all good fortune. They are the resting place of all good opulences in the three worlds. When will I be able to directly worship the fair and dark divine couple.
Srila Jiva Goswami has written a beautiful prayer to Radha and Krsna:
Krishna Prema Mayi Radha Yugalashtakam
Eight Verses Glorifying the Divine Couple
1) Radha is made of pure love for Krishna and Hari is made of pure love for Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
2) Radha is the treasure of Krishna and Hari is the treasure of Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
3) Radha pervades the life-force of Krishna and Hari pervades the life-force of Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
4) Radha is totally melted with Krishna and Hari is totally melted with Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
5) Radha is situated in the body of Krishna and Hari is situated in the body of Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
6) Radha is fixed in the heart of Krishna and Hari is fixed in the heart of Radha—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
7) Radha wears cloth of blue color and Hari wears cloth of yellow—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.
8) Radha is the Mistress of Vrindavana and Krishna is the Master of Vrindavana—In life or in death, Radha and Krishna are my eternal shelter.