Shri Radha Kunda & Shri Syama Kunda Parikrama – Part II
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Manasa-pavana Ghata
This is the celebrated ghata where Radharani and Her girlfriend came every day at noontime to bathe in the transcendental waters of the lake. After bathing here at Manasa-pavana ghata, Radharani would then meet Krishna on the banks of Radha-kunda and enjoy various loving pastimes until it was time to return to Yavata in the late afternoon. It is said that of all the bathing places in the whole of Vraja, this is Radha’s favorite. According to Krishnadasa Kaviraja Goswami, in the aprakata-lila or unmanifested pastimes, Radharani bathes here at Manasa-pavana ghata every day at noon. Just after the transcendental appearance of Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda, Krishna immediately bathed in Radha’s newly made kunda and named it as Radha-kunda. Radharani then came to this ghata and bathed in Krishna’s newly made kunda while giving it the name Shyama-kunda. At that time, Radharani said that anyone who took bath in Shyama-kunda with firm faith and devotion would achieve the same level of divine love for Krishna, that would be equal to Her own love.
At the top of the ghata steps is a pilu bush where Radharani and the gopis would hang their clothing while they bathed in Shyama-kunda. It is said that the jiva who was born as this pilu bush was formerly a pious brahmana who had lived at Kashi. His only desire was to render humble service to Radharani, and by the mercy of Krishna, he was able to take birth as this pilu bush at Manasa-pavana ghata. During the time that Vashvanatha Chakravarti lived here, this jiva began conversing with Vishvanath and revealed to him all these facts of his previous life, and they also discussed the divine pastimes of Radha and Krishna with each other. It is mentioned that in Krishna’s Vrindavana pastimes, when Krishna planted pearls in His pearl garden, it was pilu bushes that grew there and bore all the valuable pearls.
Shrila Jiva Goswami Bhajana Kutira
This is where Shrila Jiva Goswami performed his bhajana whenever he came to visit Radha-kunda. Jiva Goswami was given the responsibility for the well-being of Raghunatha Dasa on behalf of his uncles Rupa and Sanatana. Although it was Raghunatha Dasa who was the inspiration and who first proposed the idea of excavating the two sacred kundas, it was Jiva Goswami who managed all the affairs for developing Radha-kunda, because Raghunatha Dasa was so deeply absorbed in bhajana, it was felt he could not be burdened with all the day-to-day details, although he was instrumental in the basic planning and development.
When Raghunatha Dasa Goswami first thought about removing the thick mud and building stone bathing ghatas around the two kundas, he began thinking from where all the money needed for such a project would come from. As he began to ponder the funding of the excavation work, he suddenly checked himself, feeling disgusted that he was now thinking about getting money, and immediately gave up the idea. At that moment, far away in the Himalayan Mountains, a very wealthy merchant named Samarpana had gone to Badrinatha Dhama for darshana and was also planning to donate a large sum of money to the temple of Lord Badri Narayana. During the night, the merchant had a dream in which Lord Badri-Narayana appeared before him and told him to go instead to Radha-kunda, and donate the money to a very exalted saint named Raghunatha Dasa, and concluded by saying this would be make the Lord very happy. The next day the merchant started on his journey to Vrindavana and after finding Raghunatha Dasa, donated a very large sum of money to him. After receiving the donation, Raghunatha Dasa called Jiva Goswami to Radha-kunda to take charge of managing the excavation work. Jiva Goswami also purchased the two paddy fields where the sacred kundas were situated and also made arrangements for the laborers and building materials for constructing the ghatas. Jiva Goswami purchased the land at Radha-kunda in 1542, and in deeds to the land which still exist, it mentions that Raghunatha Dasa Goswami was appointed as the first Mahant of the two sacred lakes.