Bhandiravana
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That place where all kinds of tattva-Gyan fully manifest and where pastimes that are filled with opulence and sweetness manifest is called Bhandiravan.
Once Nanda Maharaja was going to a forest near Nandagrama to graze the cows. He took with him his little son Krsna, for whom he had great affection and attachment. Nanda Maharaja let all the cows graze in the forest and was taking rest with Krsna under a banyan tree. At that time Krsna wanted to exhibit some special pastime. All of a sudden there was heavy storm with thunder and lightning. Many trees were uprooted, and the branches from other trees were breaking off and flying through the air. Nanda Maharaja became worried about how to return home with his little boy, and how to take care of all the cows
Krsna was very afraid of the storm and was clinging to Nanda Maharaja’s neck in fear. Then, in the distance, Nanda Maharaja saw Radharani approaching. He was surprised to see Her alone in the forest.
With tears in his eyes and with great devotion, he said to Her, “O Radhe! I have heard about You from Garga Muni. You are very dear to Sri Hari, who loves You more than Laksmi Devi. I know Your svarupa very well. O most gentle one! Please take Your husband with You. After fulfilling Your desire kindly return Him to me or His mother Yasoda at our house in Gokula.Then return to Your own home.”
Saying this, Nanda Maharaja delivered baby Krsna into the hands of Radharani, who was smiling very gently. Then Sri Radharani told Nanda Maharaja, “Due to your previous sukriti you have been able to see both of us together. You have understood us due to the mercy of Garga Muni. Do not reveal this to anyone else. I am very pleased with you. You may ask any boon you want from Me.”
Nanda Maharaja replied, “O Radhe! If You are pleased with me then kindly give me this blessing by which my mind will be attached to the lotus feet of both of You. After leaving this body I will not have to take birth again. I can stay with You both eternally.”
Radharani was very pleased to hear this. She said, “Life after life you will remain our devotee. You will have steady devotion to us. Always meditate upon our lotus feet. At the end of your life you will be promoted to Goloka and stay there with us eternally.”
After receiving the blessings from Radharani, Nanda Maharaja said, “Dear Radhe! Just see, more and more clouds are gathering in the sky. The whole forest is becoming dark. My son Krsna has become very scared. He is afraid of going home in the darkness. Please take Krsna with You and give Him to His mother Yasoda in our house.”
Radharani complied with Nanda Maharaja’s request, and carrying the baby Krsna in Her Hands, She started towards Gokula. She reached a kunja on the bank of the river Yamuna. There She remembered the rasa-mandala, which, summoned by Her memory, appeared there immediately with platforms made from gems, hundreds of golden kalasa, and gardens, lakes, and playing grounds. The air was filled with the scent of candana, camphor, kumkuma, and other exotic fragrances. Many beautiful works of art graced the kunja, and golden kalasas – some filled with scented water, some with betel nuts – were placed here and there.
Radharani then realized that Krsna had disappeared. “Where is My Prananatha?” She cried. Then, in front of Her, Krsna appeared in His youthful from. His most beautiful lotus face was filled with a sweet smile. He was effulgent like the full moon. The yellow garments at His waist made Him look very beautiful. His lotus feet were decorated with heavy golden ankle bells. His arms were adorned with bangles made from precious gems. His ears were beautified by makara-kundala, earrings in the shape of sharks. On His chest hung the Kaustubha gem. His whole body defeated the radiant beauty of fresh rain clouds. His face was like a fully-blossomed lotus in the month of autumn. Krsna’s head was decorated with a peacock feather.
The Lord was smiling gently and was looking very attractive. Radharani became attracted to that most beautiful form of Krsna. Krsna said to Her, “O dear Radhe! Now I will fulfill My promise to You, which I made in Goloka. You are very dear to Me, more dear to Me than My life. There is no difference between You and Me. Just as the whiteness of milk cannot be separated from milk, so You and I can never be separated. As soon as someone utters the syllable “Ra,” immediately I give him steady devotion. As soon as the syllable “dha” escapes one’s mouth, I run after him to hear the sound vibration. Whoever utters Your name, I become more attracted to them than he who worships Me with sodosa-up-acara. Brahma, Siva, Sesa, Narayana, Kapila, Ganesa, Dharma, Kartikeya, Savitri, Durga, Laksmi, Sarasvati – all of them are like My life. But You are more than My life to Me. All of them stay at different places, but You stay in My heart always.”
After hearing these words from Lord Sri Krsna, Radharani said, “O My Lord! You are simply trying to bewilder Me by saying that I am greater than Lord Siva and Lord Brahma. You are saying this just to captivate Me. But in fact no one is greater than You. No one can be equal to Your beauty nor match the greatness of Your good qualities. I knew it very well when I was in Goloka. I am simply a maidservant of Your lotus feet. Why are You saying that I am greater than You? You are the supreme controller of all creations and the controller of all controllers. All others are Your plenary portions and portions of Your plenary portions. They are engaged in creation, maintenance, and destruction of this universe simply by following Your divine order. You reciprocate with illusory power. Beause I am Your consort I cannot tolerate separation from You.”
After hearing this from Radharani, Krsna told Her, “O Radhike! Please wait here for a moment. I will fulfill Your desire.”
Then Krsna remembered Brahma in His mind. As soon as He remembered Brahma immediately he arrived there from Satya-loka. He offered his humble obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna and offered many prayers. Then he offered his humble obeisances to Srimati Radharani. He washed the lotus feet of Radharani with the water he was carrying in his kamandalu. Then, standing before Her, Brahma said, “O Bhagavati, Krsna-priya! Please accept my humble obeisances. I have received darsana of Your lotus feet due to the causeless mercy of Lord Krsna. I performed severe austerities for sixty thousand years on the banks of Puskara Lake, meditating upon the lotus feet of Sri Krsna. The Lord, being pleased with me, appeared in front of me and ordered me to ask any boon I want. Immediately I asked the Lord, “O my Lord! If You are pleased with me then kindly allow me to see the lotus feet of Radharani.”
“Then Krsna told me, ‘O My dear one! At some time your desire will be fulfilled. You will see Her next to Me.’ Saying this, my Lord disappeared from there. Now I see my Lord has fulfilled my desire by allowing me to get darsana of Your lotus feet. O my mother! You have appeared from left side of Lord Sri Krsna. You are equal to Him in all respects. I do not know of any Vedic literature that claims any difference between Radha and Krsna.
“The Vedas have been described by me. By reading these Vedas people become very learned. But even the Vedas are not able to glorify Radharani. Thus the glories of Radharani are not known to learned people, what to speak of common people understanding Your greatness. Who is able to describe Your glories? Even myself and Lord Mahadeva, Ananta, and Dharma Deva do not know fully Your unlimited glories. O Devi! Please do not blame me for my incapability. Please excuse us as parents excuse their children if they commit offenses.”
Brahma stood silently before Srimati Radharani and Krsna with folded hands. Radharani was very pleased. She told Brahma that he should ask any boon from Her. Brahma asked Radharani, “If You are pleased with me then kindly bless me so that my mind will be always fixed at Your lotus feet.”
Radharani said, “Let it be so.”
Brahma offered his obeisances unto the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna and Sri Radharani. After this, by the order of Lord Krsna, Brahma collected wood for a fire sacrifice and prepared for a yajna in a solitary place in the forest. Lord Krsna and Radharani went to sit next to the yajna-kunda. The fire was lit, and Brahma offered oblation and chanted Vedic mantras. Radharani and Krsna circumambulated the yajna-kunda seven times. When They sat, Brahma put Their hands together and bound them while chanting proper Vedic mantras. Following the order of Brahma, Radharani placed a garland of parijata flowers on the neck of Lord Sri Krsna. Then Krsna also put one garland on the neck of Radharani. Radharani sat at the left side of Krsna. Then Brahma paid his respects and offered Radharani to the hand of Lord Sri Krsna. He stood in front of them with folded hands, putting his head down just like the father of a girl approaches in very humble way while offering his daughter. Thus Brahma offered Radharani unto Sri Krsna and glorified Them to his heart’s content.
All the demigods were watching while Brahma was arranging the marriage of Radha and Krsna. In ecstasy they all played different kinds of instruments like dundubhi and drums, and sprinkled flowers from the sky. Gandharvas sang beautiful songs while all the heavely denizens danced. After the marriage of Radharani with Krsna, Brahma asked Lord Sri Krsna, “O my Lord, Radhapati! I became the priest for Your marriage. What about my daksina? Please give me devotion unto the lotus feet of both of You as daksina!”
After being blessed by Lord Krsna with steady devotion, Brahma offered his obeisances and left for his planet, Satya-loka.
Radha and Madhava began Their sweet pastime in a solitary kunja on the bank of the Yamuna. During the course of Their pastimes Radharani’s hair became scattered. Lord Krsna very affectionately tied Her hair and decorated it nicely with flowers. Krsna’s hair was also scattered. Radharani desired to decorate Krsna’s hair. As soon as She desired this, immediately Lord Krsna gave up His Youthful form and appeared in his baby form, lying on the bed. Radharani saw the Lord in the same from as She had received Him from the hand of Nanda Maharaja. By seeing this She felt separation from the youthful form of the Lord. Crying, She fainted and fell to the ground.
Then an unseen sound vibration was heard from the sky: “Why are You crying? Just remember the lotus feet of Lord Sri Krsna. All Your misery will be eradicated. You will always meet Him at the rasa-mandala at midnight, keeping Your shadow from in Your house. You will get association of Lord Madhava there and thus the Lord will fulfill Your desires. Now take the baby form of the Lord and go to Gokula.”
After hearing this, Radharani, the daughter of Vrsabhanu, went to Gokula carrying the baby form of the Lord in Her lap. Radharani is non-different from Yogamaya. She reached Gokula with the speed of the mind and stood before Mother Yasoda. She was completely soaked by the rain and shivering with cold. Sri Radha, in the form of Yogamaya, offered the baby unto the lap of mother Yasoda while baby Krsna was crying. Radharani told Yasoda-ma, “O mother! Your husband was in the grazing pasture. This boy was with him. At that time a sudden heavy storm came. Wind started to blow very fast, there was thunderbolts and lightning. Everything became dark. Nanda Maharaja also became very afraid. He gave me this boy to bring to you. I have brought Him to you with great difficulty, covering Him in My lap. His whole body is shaking due to cold. Please wipe His body and take care of Him.”
Saying this Radharani left for Her village, Raval. Mother Yasoda was very happy to get back her beloved son. She wiped His whole body, fed Him cream, butter, sweets, and hot milk Then She put Krsna to sleep.