Lord Caitanya Visits Vrindavan

This year, beginning on the full-moon day of the fall month of Karttika, Sri Vrindavan-dhama commemorates the five-hundredth anniversary of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s two-month long visit to Krsna’s sacred land.

by Lokanath Swami

Caitanya Mahaprabhu was always absorbed in thoughts of Sri Vrindavan, often enquiring in a deep devotional mood, "Where is Vrindavan?” On several occasions, His devotees, fearing separation from Him, diverted, discouraged, or dissuaded Him from visiting Vrindavan.

The Lord's first attempt to go to Vrindavan occurred shortly after He accepted sannyasa, the renounced order, at age twenty-four. Nityananda Prabhu, His chief associate, tricked Him into thinking that the Ganga, which flows through Navadvip, West Bengal, where the Lord lived, was Vrindavan’s river Yamuna. Mahaprabhu was so intensely absorbed in thoughts of Vrindavan that He jumped into the Ganga. But Advaita Acarya, another leading associate, was waiting close by with a boat, and upon seeing Advaita, Mahaprabhu realized that this could not be Vrindavan. Advaita Acarya took Mahaprabhu to nearby Shantipur, where the Lord's mother, Sacimata, was awaiting His arrival. On her request the Lord proceeded to Jagannatha Puri, to live His renounced life there.

From Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu soon traveled to South India, and when He returned, His desire to visit Vrindavan was revived. He decided to first go to Bengal to visit His two mothers–mother Ganga and mother Saci–and the other devotees there. From Bengal He would make His way to Vrindavan.

In Navadvip, Mahaprabhu informed the devotees that He would be walking to Vrindavan. A devotee named Nrsimha Brahmacari wanted to ease the Lord's journey by creating a picturesque path for Him. He meditated on constructing a beautiful jeweled road, flanked by bakuls, rare flowering trees. In his mind he put up beautiful trees on the banks of the lakes on the roadside. But he could not meditatively construct the road beyond Kanai Natashala, near the border of Bihar. He concluded, therefore, that Caitanya Mahaprabhu would not be going to Vrindavan after all. As it turned out, because thousands of devotees wanted to accompany Him to Vrindavan–an inappropriate way for Him to visit that holy place–Mahaprabhu returned to Jagannatha Puri.

After some time in Puri, Caitanya Mahaprabhu yet again strongly expressed His desire to go to Vrindavan, and gently requested His followers not to use any tricks to keep Him back. King Prataparudra (the king of Puri) and other devotees dissuaded Mahaprabhu from leaving, citing as reasons the rainy season and the upcoming Rathayatra festival. Therefore, after the rainy season and the Rathayatra, Mahaprabhu began His journey to Vrindavan with a servant, Balabhadra Bhattacarya.

Lord Caitanya Travels to Vrindavan

Lord Caitanya's journey was filled with transcendental events. Leaving Orissa, He passed through the forest of Jharikhanda, inhabited by wild animals. Tigers, elephants, and deer were all attracted to Him, and He made them chant the holy names and dance in ecstasy. Even the elephants reared up on their hind legs and danced. Deer and tigers, natural enemies, embraced and kissed one another. When all the tigers and deer and elephants danced and jumped, Balabhadra Bhattacarya was struck with wonder.

Seeing the animals around Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu remembered Vrindavan. The atmosphere He had created in the forest and the consciousness of the forest residents made Him feel that He had already reached Vrindavan. He then recited a verse about Vrindavan: “Vrindavan is the transcendental abode of the Lord. There is no hunger, anger, or thirst there. Although naturally inimical, human beings and fierce animals live together there in transcendental friendship." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.13.60)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu smiled on seeing the behavior of the animals, and He continued on His way. His mind had been absorbed in ecstatic love at Jagannatha Puri, but when He passed along the road to Vrindavan, that love increased a hundred times. He reached Varanasi and then several other towns, continuously dancing and chanting as He journeyed through Prayag and headed towards Mathura and Vrindavan.

Lord Caitanya Reaches Vrindavan

In 1515, Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived in Vrindavan and revealed the pastime places of Lord Krsna. His visit must be understood in terms of His identity and mood. The descriptions of His visit are captured in scriptures like Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, by Srila Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami, who puts forward an esoteric reason for it–Lord Caitanya's desire to experience Srimati Radharani's love for Lord Krsna. Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna Himself, but in the golden complexion and deep devotional mood of Srimati Radharani. Therefore He is known as the Golden Avatar, or Gauranga ("golden body"). Vrindavan evoked in Him deep transcendental mellows as He reenacted the pastimes He, as Krsna, had performed there five thousand years ago.

Upon reaching Mathura, Caitanya Mahaprabhu first bathed in the Yamuna River at Vishram Ghat and went for darsana of the Krsna deity (Kesava) at Janmasthan, the holy birthplace of Krsna, after which He performed the parikrama (reverential walk) around Mathura. The Lord’s ecstatic love increased a thousand times when He visited Mathura, but it increased a hundred thousand times when He wandered in the forests of Vrindavan, beginning with Madhuvan, Talavan, Kumudavan, and Bahulavan. It was on Karttika Purnima, the full-moon day of that holy month, that Lord Caitanya reached Vrindavan and began to visit its twelve sacred forests.

While Mahaprabhu was passing though the forests, the cows, being greatly attracted to Him, surrounded Him and licked Him. When He caressed them, they were unable to leave His association. All the birds began to sing the glories of Radha and Krsna, and the peacocks danced. As if offering a gift to a friend, the trees shook, bathing the Lord in flowers and presenting their fruits to Him. Throughout His parikrama, Lord Caitanya displayed a flood of happiness that drenched all who came in contact with Him.

While walking, the Lord saw two parrots in dialogue and was eager to hear their conversation. On cue, the parrots flew down near Him. Krsna dasa Kaviraja describes their conversation in detail. First the male parrot glorified Krsna’s beauty and the effect He had on the gopis. The parrot then said that Krsna’s company was so alluring that even Laksmi Devi underwent penance to take part in Krsna’s pastimes with the gopis–because Krsna is Jagat Mohana, the one who attracts everyone in the universe. The female parrot in turn spoke of Sri Radhika's glorious beauty, Her delightful singing, and Her admirable intelligence, calling her Susilata ("of excellent morals") and Cittamohini ("attractor of the mind"). The male parrot continued Krsna’s glorification, calling Him Vamsidhari ("holder of the flute"), Chittahari ("stealer of the mind"), and Madana Mohana ("attractor of Cupid"). The female parrot's response was a more intense veneration of Radharani. In this way Caitanya Mahaprabhu relished the sweet glorifications of Radha and Krsna.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu then arrived at Arishta Gram, where Krsna killed the demon Aristasura five thousand years ago. This episode led to the manifestation of Syama-kunda and Radha-kunda. With the passage of time, however, these holy lakes had almost disappeared, and none of the local residents could help Lord Caitanya find them. Being the abode of knowledge, He found two paddy fields called Kali Badi (black field) and Gauri Badi (white field) whose waters had reduced to the size of two small ponds. He entered them and bathed while offering them prayers.

Lord Caitanya had rediscovered Syama Kunda and Radha Kunda. As Srimati Radharani is dear to Krsna, so is Her kunda, or lake. There Lord Krsna had performed water sports and the rasa dance with Srimati Radharani and the other gopis. Nearby are the kundas of the asta-sakhis, Radha-Krsna’s eight closest gopi friends. Overwhelmed by ecstatic love, Lord Caitanya danced on the bank of Radha Kunda and drew tilaka marks on His body with the lake's clay.

At Govardhan Hill

Then Caitanya Mahaprabhu proceeded to the Govardhan parikrama path. When He saw Govardhan Hill, He was overwhelmed with joy and offered obeisances by falling to the ground like a rod. He embraced a Govardhan rock and became mad with ecstatic love. When He arrived at the village of Govardhan, He offered obeisances to the Krsna deity named Harideva. Frenzied with ecstatic love, Caitanya Mahaprabhu danced before Harideva. People were astonished to see the Lord's beauty and ecstasy. He bathed in Brahma Kunda and that night stayed at the Harideva temple.

In another temple, on top of Govardhan Hill, resided Gopala Raya, the beautiful deity of cowherd-boy Krsna discovered by Srila Madhavendra Puri. During the night, Lord Caitanya wondered how He would be able to see Gopala Raya without climbing Govardhan Hill, which He considered too sacred to climb. Gopala Raya understood His desire and reciprocated. A rumor spread among the villagers that Turkish soldiers were coming to destroy their temples. So the villagers rushed to protect the deities and moved Gopala Raya to a village named Ganthuli Gram. The next day, Lord Caitanya bathed in Govinda Kunda and then saw Gopala at Ganthuli Gram. He was so overwhelmed by ecstatic love that He chanted and danced continuously for three days and three nights. On the fourth day, Gopala Raya returned to His own temple.

Caitanya Mahaprabhu then continued with the Govardhan parikrama. At the sight of Govardhan He became rapturous with love of Krsna. While dancing, He recited a verse from the section of the Tenth Canto of the Bhagavatam known as the Venu Gita ("The Song of the Flute"): “Of all the devotees, this Govardhana Hill is the best! O my friends, this hill supplies Krsna and Balarama, along with Their calves, cows, and cowherd friends, with all kinds of necessities–water for drinking, very soft grass, caves, fruits, flowers, and vegetables. In this way the hill offers respects to the Lord. Being touched by the lotus feet of Krsna and Balarama, Govardhana Hill appears very jubilant." (10.21.18)

Caitanya Mahaprabhu displayed deep transcendental emotions, and His profuse tears fell on Govardhan as if in an abhiseka (bathing of the Lord).

The Lord then visited Kamyavan and other forests one after the other. He bathed in Pavana Sarovara and climbed the hill called Nandisvara, the site of the house of Maharaja Nanda, Krsna’s father. After inquiring from local people, He found three deities in a cave on the hill: Nanda, his wife (Yasoda), and between them the beautiful child Krsna, His body charmingly curved in three places. After offering respects, Lord Caitanya touched Lord Krsna with great love. He chanted and danced the entire day and then went to Khadiravan, where Krsna killed Bakasura, a gigantic crane demon.

The Caitanya-caritamrta states that when Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited the temple of Sesa-sayi (Visnu reclining on His serpent bed) and His consort Laksmi Devi, He recited a verse from the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.31.19), spoken by the gopis when Krsna left them during the rasa dance: “O dearly beloved! Your lotus feet are so soft that we place them gently on our breasts, fearing that Your feet will be hurt. Our life rests only in You. Our minds, therefore, are filled with anxiety that Your tender feet might be wounded by pebbles as You roam about on the forest path."

Thereafter, the Lord arrived at Khela Tirtha and then Bhandiravan. After crossing the Yamuna River, He went to Bhadravan. Then he visited Srivan, Lohavan, Mahavan, and Gokula, the place of Krsna’s early childhood pastimes. Upon seeing the spot where Krsna freed two demigods who had been cursed to live as trees, Lord Caitanya felt tremendous ecstatic love. Finally He returned to Mathura.

In search of solitude, Lord Caitanya soon moved to Akrura Ghat. He then visited Seva Kunj, the location of the rasa dance in the present town of Vrindavan. He was so overwhelmed by love of Krsna that He fainted. Regaining consciousness, He rolled on the ground in ecstasy. Thereafter He visited Keshi Tirtha and then returned to Akrura Ghat in the evening.

The next morning, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu returned to Vrindavan and bathed at Chira Ghat, where Krsna had teased the gopis by stealing their clothes while they bathed in the Yamuna. Lord Caitanya rested under a tamarind tree that had been there since the time of Lord Krsna’s pastimes. Because the river Yamuna flowed nearby, a cool breeze was blowing. Lord Caitanya beheld the beauty of Vrindavan and the river. He performed kirtana there, His absorption in thoughts of Krsna causing His golden complexion to turn bluish.

Quoting the Brhan-naradiya Purana, Lord Caitanya told everyone of the importance of chanting the holy name: “In this age of Kali, the only means of deliverance is the chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There is no other way, no other way, no other way.”

Has Krsna Returned to Vrindavan?

At this time, everywhere Lord Caitanya went the talk of the town was that Krsna had again appeared in Vrindavan. Some people who had come from Vrindavan to Akrura Ghat reported that they had seen Krsna dancing on the hoods of the serpent Kaliya in the Yamuna, just has He had done fifty centuries earlier. Caitanya Mahaprabhu's traveling companion, Balabhadra Bhattacarya, wanted to go see the reported Krsna. But Mahaprabhu rebuked him, saying that those who were supposedly seeing Krsna were mad.

Why would Krsna appear in Kali-yuga? asked Lord Caitanya. The scriptures, He explained, say that He appears in only three of the four ages.

In fact, since Caitanya Mahaprabhu is Krsna, there was no need for Balabhadra Bhattacarya to go elsewhere. The supposed appearance of Krsna at Kaliya Ghat was an illusion, and Caitanya Mahaprabhu's appearance was the reality. The so-called Krsna turned out to be a fisherman standing in his boat.

As the Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 18.118–19) shows, the people then understood the real identity of Caitanya Mahaprabhu: “By Your bodily features we can see that You are none other than the son of Nanda Maharaja, although the golden luster of Your body has covered Your original complexion. As the aroma of deer musk cannot be concealed by wrapping it in a cloth, Your characteristics as the Supreme Personality of Godhead cannot be concealed by any means.”

Caitanya Mahaprabhu stayed for many days at Akrura Ghat and revived the Krsna consciousness of many people. One day, He recalled the celebrated pastime that had occurred there when Akrura was taking Krsna and Balarama away from Vrindavan. While in the river chanting the Gayatri mantra, Akrura saw Vaikuntha, as well as Lord Visnu reclining on Ananta-sesa. As Caitanya Mahaprabhu recalled Akrura's vision, He fell into the Yamuna and almost drowned. Balabhadra Bhattacarya jumped into the river and rescued the Lord.

After this incident, both the Lord's host and Balabhadra Bhattacarya thought that it would be unsafe for the Lord to go alone to the Yamuna and that it would be better to take Him away from Vrindavan. The Lord and Balabhadra Bhattacarya then returned to Jagannatha Puri.

In Sri Caitanya-caritamrta (Madhya 17.228–229), Krsna dasa Kaviraja Gosvami writes, “When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu was elsewhere, the very name of Vrindavan was sufficient to increase His ecstatic love. Now, when He was actually traveling in the Vrindavan forest, His mind was absorbed in great ecstatic love day and night. He ate and bathed simply out of habit." The Vrindavan pastimes of Caitanya Mahaprabhu demonstrate His absorption in the mood of separation from Krsna, the esoteric reason for His appearance in this world around five hundred years ago.

The Tradition of Vraja-mandala-parikrama

By visiting and touring Vrindavan, Caitanya Mahaprabhu was reviving Vraja-mandala-parikrama, or pilgrimage throughout the greater Vrindavan area. Muslim invasions of Vrindavan had brought to a standstill the local devotees' visits to the sacred sites. For safety, some deities had even been hidden. People gradually lost awareness of places like Radha Kunda. Lord Caitanya's parikrama of Vrindavan began the reestablishment of the sacred places. When He visited Vrindavan, the famous Six Gosvamis were not yet there, but they arrived later with a mission to locate the forgotten pastime places.

One other person is especially credited with reestablishing Vraja-mandala-parikrama: Narayana Bhatta Gosvami. He was a disciple of Krsna dasa Brahmacari, whose spiritual master was Gadadhara Pandita, one of Lord Caitanya’s closest followers. Narayana Bhatta Gosvami was born in South India and traveled to Vrindavan at the age of twelve. He is famous as the Vrajacarya, or the authority on Vrindavan, for he not only rediscovered many forgotten places but also established the standard route of the Vraja-mandala-parikrama–the path walked by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

As Narayana Bhatta Gosvami wandered throughout sacred Vraja, various pastime places were revealed to him. In trying to establish the path, he would sometimes get bewildered when he could not gather the required information from the scriptures or local saints. Then the deity of Krsna he carried around his neck would climb down and walk ahead of him, showing him the way.

Narayana Bhatta Gosvami organized festivals throughout Vraja during which the pastimes of Krsna were enacted to revive people’s awareness of them. He established several temples and was the author of fifty-two books, including Vraja-bhakti-vilasa, an elaborate guide to performing Vraja-mandala-parikrama. The book describes the glories of parikrama, the mood in which it is to be performed, the mantras to be chanted, and rituals to be observed at various places in Vraja.

Lokanath Swami inaugurated ISKCON’s annual Vraja-mandala-parikrama in 1987. This year's parikrama is especially significant because it coincides with the five-hundredth anniversary of Lord Caitanya's visit. Lokanath Swami's recent book, Vraja-mandala Darsana, takes readers on an illustrated day-by-day journey along Vrindavan's traditional parikrama path, created by Lord Caitanya. The book's thirty chapters, one for each day of the parikrama, give readers a feel for the walk–its pace, and the sights, sounds, and smells of Vraja.