Vrindavana – Part 2
Sri Sri Radha Damodara Mandira
Please note, this is one of my old videos. For complete information watch the video at the bottom of the page.
Jiva Gosvami (born 1511) who was the younger nephew of Rupa and Sanatana arrived in Vrindavana in 1536 after completing his studies at Varanasi.
To properly understand Vrindavana and the importance of the Radha-Damodara Mandira one should clearly understand the ontological position of Sri Rupa, Sri Sanatana and Sri Jiva. In the nitya-lila of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna the madhurya-rasa is considered the topmost. In the madhurya-rasa, Sri Radha is the supreme reservoir of prema for Sri Krishna. The whole plane of the madhurya-rasa is the majesty of her sentimentsof devotion and love for Sri Krishna. This highest expression of prema for Sri Krishna is called maha-bhava and it is exclusively the domain of Sri Radha.
Sri Radha has a multitude of confidential associate servitors imbuded with aspects of her loving sentiments for Sri Krishna, chief of which are the asta-sakhis; Lalita-devi, Vishakha-devi, Citra-devi, Indulekha-devi, Ranga-devi, Tungavidya-devi, Campakalata-devi and Sudevi. Of these eight gopis, Lalita-devi and Visakha-devi are the principle two and of these Lalita-devi is the constant advisor to Sri Radha.
Under the shelter and care of Lalita-devi are younger gopis known as manjaris. These manjaris are of a very tender age and are the choicest servants of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna during Their various intimate loving pastimes in the forest of Vrindavana. Like Sri Sri Radha and Krishna the gopis and the manjaris all have especially pleasing spiritual bodies made of the supremely transcendental substance known as cinmaya-rasa. As such there is no material desire that can contaminate the prema-lila of Sri Sri Radha Krishna and Their intimate associates. One should never think that the love of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna is on the same platform as the so-called love that exists in the material world. Sri Radha Krishna prema is transcendental and above the contamination of the modes of material nature characterized by lust, anger and greed.
Chief among the manjaris who perform the most intimates service to Sri Sri Radha-Krishna are Rupa-manjari, Lavanga-manjari and Vilasa-manjari. These three manjaris have incarnated on earth as Rupa Gosvami, Sanatana Gosvami and Jiva Gosvami respectively to reveal the lila-sthanas of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna for the benefit of all human beings.
Rupa Gosvami is known as the abhidheya-acarya, Sanatana Gosvami is the sambandha-acarya and Jiva Gosvami is the tattva-acarya. Abhidheya is the principle status in which one is able to serve Radha and Krishna. Sambandha is the knowledge of Radha-Krishna, the jivas and their intrinsic relationship of service. Tattva means the ultimate truth about Radha-Krishna and Their energies, associates, supreme abode and pastimes.
Of all the places of lila in Vrindavana the area where the rasa-lila of Radha and Krishna was performed is most glorious. During those divine pastimes of rasa-lila Sri Krishna suddenly took Sri Radha to a secret place in Vrindavana and there in that magnificent grove Sri Krishna became bound by the ropes of Sri Radha’s affection. Thus Krishna became known as Damodara, bound by the love of Sri Radha. This place of magnificent beauty and charm in the rasa-lila of Sri Sri Radha and Krishna is none other than the site where the mandira of Sri Sri Radha-Damodara is located.
Similarly, Sri Krishna was bound by the ropes of mother Yasoda’s love (vatsalya-bhava) and for this he is also universally glorified as Damodara. One who desires the supreme perfection of life should know that one who achieves prema for Sri Krishna achieves all perfection. Krishna is easily bound by the ropes of His devotee’s love. This is the supreme secret of all secrets.
In 1542, seven years after his arrival in Vrindavana, Jiva Gosvami received the murti of Damodara directly manifest from the hands of Rupa Gosvami. The Sri Murti was installed in the presence of Rupa and Sanatana on Sukla-dasami, in the month of Magha. This incident is mentioned in the book Sadhana-dipika, by Radha Krishna Gosvami as follows:
“Out of compassion, Sri Rupa Gosvami carved with his own hands the Deity of Damodara and gave Him to Jiva Gosvami”
During this time Jiva Gosvami stayed under the shelter of his gurus and worshipped Damodara under the trees of Vrindavana. In 1558 Jiva purchased the site that was to become the Radha-Damodara Mandira for a sum of 30 rupees. The area purchased included Seva-sthali. The boundary of the land was marked by four trees; a kadamba, a pippal, a tamarind and a banyan. The plot ran from the Yamuna to Kunja-gali. This was in a time long before the streets and market places in Vrindavana were constructed. During that period the devotees in Vrindavana lived under trees or sometimes in thatched huts.
It was not until some time later that the Deity of Sri Radha and the Deity of Sri Lalita-devi came to be with Damodara in Vrindavana. No exact date for this event is known although the Sthala-purana of the Radha-Damodara Mandira says that this happened during the lifetime of Jiva. The short of the story surrounding the event is as follows.
In Bengal a certain fisherman is said to have caught something very heavy in his net and when he managed to draw it out he found two Deities. He bought Them to the king who put Them in his palace overnight. That night the king had a dream and was told to send the two Deities to Jiva Gosvami in Vrindavana.
The next day the king left for Vrindavana and personally delivered the Deities to Jiva Gosvami. Jiva was overjoyed to see the Deities but was confused as to who was who. That night Sri Radha came to Jiva in a dream and told him which Deity was Herself (Radha) and which was Lalita. The next day Jiva installed the Deities in Their appropriate places on either side of Damodara.
In 1670, when the Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb invaded Sri Vrindavana with his armies, he planned to destroy many temples and deface the Deities. At this instant Sri Sri Radha-Damodara manifest Their pastime of traveling to the city of Jaipur in Rajasthan at the auspicious invitation of the Rajput kings. Other Deities of Vrindavana such as Radha Govinda, Radha Gopinatha and Radha Madana-mohana also manifest Their pastimes of traveling to Rajasthan where they took up permanent residence. However, in 1739 Sri Radha Damodara manifested Their lila of returning to Vrindavan and again taking up residence in Their original temple, the Radha Damodara Mandira.