Sri Aksaya Vata (Kajarotha)



   The village of Kajarotha is situated around one kilometre from Sri Tapovana and two and a half miles north of Gangaroli. East of the village is the temple of Sri Rama-Sita and next to that Sri Rama-Sita Mandira is Sri Aksaya Vata. Behind the village is Gadibhima. At this place Sri Balarama killed Pralambasura.

How to get there: You can easily go to this place by Auto from Vrindavana.

Sri Rama-Sita Temple

In my below video you can hear local pujari explaining the pastime of Sri Saligram Sila in Hindi.

Sri Nanda Baba use to do worship of Sri Saligram Sila at this place. Once lord Krishna came here with his cowherd friends and cows and noticed his father Nanda Baba worshiping a stone. Lord Krishna asked Nanda Baba, “what is this and what you are doing?”

Sri Nanda Baba said, “This is Sri Saligram Sila”.

Lord Krishna said, “You are always busy with this stone, I am standing in front of you, ask me if you  want to ask anything, I am the Supreme”.

Nanda Baba said, “okay Krishna you are also my lord and this Saligram Sila is also my lord”, and they all went back home.

Next day Lord Krishna came again, he took the Saligram Sila and put it in his mouth, and then climbed up on Aksaya vata. Then Nanda baba arrived and noticed the Saligram Sila is missing. Sri Nanda baba asked everyone, “where is my Saligram Sila?”.

But no one knew. Then Nanda baba wondered where Krishna was. He went out near the Aksaya vata tree and started calling “Krishna where are you?”.

Lord Krishna sitting on the tree replied “humm…”. Nanda baba requested him to come down, but Lord Krishna just replied “humm….” and did not come down. After many requests, Nanda baba climbed up and brought him down from the tree. He then, with his fingers, pushed lord Krishna’s cheek and then the Saligram Sila came out from His mouth.

Sri Nanda baba then washed the Saligram Sila at Tapovan.

Sri Nanda baba said to Krishna “everyday you say you are Supreme Lord, then I would like to take Darsana of your previous birth”.

Lord Krishna gave darsan of Lord Rama, Devi Sita and Lord Lakshamana at this place.

The local pujari will show the Saligram Sila that Lord Krishna put in his mouth only when you give donation of minimum Rs.500.

Saligram Sila that Lord Krishna put in his mouth

Killing the Demon Pralambasura

His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada explains the beautiful pastime :

     Krishna, surrounded by His relatives, friends, cows, calves and bulls and glorified by their singing, again entered Vrndavana, which is always full of cows. While Krishna and Balarama were enjoying life in Vrndavana, in the midst of the cowherd boys and girls, the season gradually changed to summer. The summer season in India is not very much welcomed because of the excessive heat, but in Vrndavana everyone was pleased because summer there appeared just like spring. This was possible only because Lord Krishna and Balarama, who are the controllers even of Lord Brahma and Lord Siva, were residing there. In Vrndavana there are many falls which are always pouring water, and the sound is so sweet that it covers the sound of the crickets. And because water flows all over, the forest always looks very green and beautiful.

     The inhabitants of Vrndavana were never disturbed by the scorching heat of the sun or the high summer temperatures. The lakes of Vrndavana are surrounded by green grasses, and various kinds of lotus flowers bloom there, such as the kalhara-kanjotpala, and the air blowing in Vrndavana carries the aromatic pollen of those lotus flowers. When the particles of water from the waves of the Yamuna, the lakes and the waterfalls, touched the bodies of the inhabitants of Vrndavana, they automatically felt a cooling effect. Therefore they were practically undisturbed by the summer season.

Aksaya vata  (Lord Krishna took the Saligram Sila and put it in his mouth, and then climbed up on Aksaya vata)

     Vrndavana is such a nice place. Flowers are always blooming, and there are even various kinds of decorated deer. Birds are chirping, peacocks are crowing and dancing, and bees are humming. The cuckoos there sing nicely in five kinds of tunes.

     Krishna, the reservoir of pleasure, blowing His flute, accompanied by His elder brother Balarama and other cowherd boys and cows, entered the  beautiful forest of Vrndavana to enjoy the atmosphere. They walked into the midst of newly grown leaves of trees whose flowers resembled peacock feathers. They were garlanded by those flowers and decorated with saffron chalk. Sometimes they were dancing and singing and sometimes wrestling with one another. While Krishna danced, some of the cowherd boy’s sang, and others played on flutes; some bugled on buffalo horns or clapped their hands, praising Krishna, “Dear brother, You are dancing very nicely.” Actually, all these boys were demigods descended from higher planets to assist Krishna in His pastimes. The demigods garbed in the dress of the cowherd boys were encouraging Krishna in His dancing, just as one artist encourages another with praise. Up to that time, neither Balarama nor Krishna had undergone the haircutting ceremony; therefore Their hair was clustered like crows’ feathers. They were always playing hide-and-seek with Their boy friends or jumping or fighting with one another. Sometimes, while His friends were chanting and dancing, Krishna would praise them, “My dear friends, you are dancing and singing very nicely.” The boys played at catching ball with bell shaped fruits and round amalaki. They played blind man’s buff, challenging and touching one another. Sometimes they imitated the forest deer and various kinds of birds. They joked with one another by imitating croaking frogs, and they enjoyed swinging underneath the trees. Sometimes they would play like a king and his subjects amongst themselves. In this way, Balarama and Krishna, along with all Their friends, played all kinds of sports and enjoyed the soothing atmosphere of Vrndavana, full of rivers, lakes, rivulets, fine trees and excellent fruits and flowers.

Devi Jagadamba

    Once while they were engaged in their transcendental pastimes, a great demon of the name Pralambasura entered their company, desiring to kidnap both Balarama and Krishna. Although Krishna was playing the part of a cowherd boy, as the Supreme Personality of Godhead He could understand everything-past, present and future. So when Pralambasura entered their company, Krishna began to think how to kill the demon, but externally He received him as a friend. “O My dear friend,” He said. ”It is very good that you have come to take part in our pastimes.” Krishna then called all His friends and ordered them: “Now we shall play in pairs. We shall challenge one another in pairs.” With this proposal, all the boys assembled together. Some of them took the side of Krishna, and some of them took the side of Balarama, and they arranged to play in duel. The defeated members in duel fighting had to carry the victorious members on their backs. They began playing, and at the same time tended the cows as they proceeded through the Bhandiravana forest. The party of Balarama, accompanied by Sridama and Vrsabha, came out victorious, and Krishna’s party had to carry them on their backs through the Bhandiravana forest. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, being defeated, had to carry Sridama on His back, and Bhadrasena carried Vrsabha. Imitating their play’ Pralambasura, who appeared there as a cowherd boy, carried Balarama on his back. Pralambasura was the greatest of the demons, and he had calculated that Krishna was the most powerful of the cowherd boys.    

    In order to avoid the company of Krishna, Pralambasura carried Balarama far away. The demon was undoubtedly very strong and powerful, but he was carrying Balarama, who is compared with a mountain; therefore he began to feel the burden, and thus he assumed his real form. When he appeared in his real feature, he was decorated with a golden helmet and earrings and looked just like a cloud with lightning carrying the moon. Balarama observed the demon’s body expanding up to the limits of the clouds, his eyes dazzling like blazing fire and his mouth flashing with sharpened teeth. At first, Balarama was surprised by the demon’s appearance, and He began to wonder, “How is it that all of a sudden this carrier has changed in every way?” But with a clear mind He could quickly understand that He was being carried away from His friends by a demon who intended to kill Him. Immediately He struck the head of the demon with His strong fist, just as the king of the heavenly planets strikes a mountain with his thunderbolt. Being stricken by the fist of Balarama, the demon fell down dead, just like a snake with a smashed head, and blood poured from his mouth. When the demon fell, he made a tremendous sound, and it sounded as if a great hill were falling upon being struck by the thunderbolt of King Indra. All the boys then rushed to the spot. Being astonished by the ghastly scene, they began to praise Balarama with the words, “Well done, well done.” All of them then began to embrace Balarama with great affection, thinking that He had returned from death, and they offered their blessings and congratulations. All the demigods in the heavenly planets became very satisfied and showered flowers on the transcendental body of Balarama, and they also offered their blessings and congratulations for His having killed the great demon Pralambasura. 

Surrounding area of the temple

The Previous life of Pralambasura and how he became demon

     Kuvera, the king of the Yaksas, maintained a flower garden to grow flowers for his Siva-puja, but flowers were always being stolen from it, so he angrily pronounced this curse: “Anyone who steals flowers from my garden – be it demigod, human being or whoever else – will take birth on earth as a demon!” King Huhu had a son named Vijaya who wandered to many holy places, keeping a Gandharva Vina in his hand and singing the glories of Sri Govinda until he arrived at the garden of Citraratha. Without permission he began to pick flowers there, and when he heard about the curse he took shelter of the Yaksa-king Kuvera and begged him for redemption. The king, being pleased with his prayers, said: “You are a peaceful devotee of Lord Visnu, therefore do not be sad. In the Dvapara age Sri Krishna and Balarama will descend and at that time you will be redeemed, by Sri Balarama’s grace!”

This Vijaya took birth on earth as a demon and became a servant of Kamsa under the name of Pralambasura.

(For complete details watch my below video. To follow me on Social Media Click Here –   Twitter   Facebook )
The village of Kajarotha is situated around one kilometre from Sri Tapovana and two and a half miles north of Gangaroli. East of the village is the temple of Sri Rama-Sita and next to that Sri Rama-Sita Mandira is Sri Aksaya Vata. Behind the village is Gadibhima. At this place Sri Balarama killed Pralambasura.