Kamyavan

Kamyavana is one of the sacred forests of Vraja. Presently the town of Kaman now
stands on the spot where the ancient forest of Kamyavana once stood, although many of the
beautiful kundas still survive, very little of the great forest now remains. Kamyavana, which is
also called Kamavana, was the largest forests ofVrindavana with a parikrama of twenty kilometers.
The word ‘kamya’ means ‘charming’ and ‘attractive’ and the word ‘vana’ means ‘forest’, therefore
the name ‘Kamyavana’ means a very ‘charming and attractive forest. In the Adi-varaha Purana,
it says that the forest of Kamyavana can fulfill all the desires of the devotees as well as the
demigods, and any pilgrim who visits this forest becomes glorified even in Vishnuloka. The
Skanda Purana says that anyone who bathes in the kundas of the sacred Kamyavana forest will
certainly achieve all his desires. In the Vraja-riti-cintamani it says. “Because of the many channing
(kamya) forests, groves, and lakes, where Lord Krishna relishes the sweetness of His pastimes,
this place is known as Kamyavana.”
According to the Puranas, Lord Gopinatha, who is also known as Lord Kamadeva or
Cupid, is the presiding deity of Kamavana (Kamyavana) and therefore the word ‘kama’ in the
name ‘Kamavana’ refers to Lord Gopinatha the transcendental Cupid. The ‘kama’ in Kamavana
also refers to the transcendental ‘kama’, or desire of the gopis to fully satisfy the desires of Lord
Gopinatha. This spiritual kama of the gopis is completely different fFom mundane kama (lust)
of this material world. Some Puranas also mention that there were over three hundred s_acred
kundas as well as over one hundred simhasanas in the forest of Kamyavana. The word ‘simhasana’
can mean a throne as well as the altar in a temple. The Vishnu Purana says that there are a total
of eighty four sacred kundas and eighty four sacred simhasanas in Kamyavana forest.
Nanda Maharaja stayed at Kamyavana for sometime while on his journey from Shakatikara
to Nandagrama and it is said that Krishna enjoyed a number of His boyhood pastimes in this
forest. It is also said that the Pandavas spent some time living at Kamyavan during the period
of their exile and some of the pastimes mentioned in the Mahabharata actually took place at
Kamyavana. It is said by some that the Pandavas also spent some of their childhood living in the
area of Kamya.rana. The Puranas mention that the Pandavas spent over five years of their exile
in this region moving between two great forests known as Kamyaka and Dwaita that encompassed
an area covering modem-day Haryana and Northern Rajasthan. The forest of Kamyavana would
have been on the southern periphery of these great forests. During the final year of their exile,
the Pandavas lived incognito in the nearby kingdom of Matsya, situated around the present day
Jaipura-Alwara-Bharatapur region of Western Rajasthan that was being ruled by King Virat who
was a member of the Yadava confederacy.
Kamyavana also became celebrated as the place where the three important deities of the
Gaudiya Goswarnis namely; Govindaji, Gopinatha, and Madana-mohana, and Vrinda Devi, were
kept when they were secretly smuggled out of Vrindavana in bullock carts, just prior to an attack
on the holy city by soldiers of the tyrant Emperor Aurangzeb in 1670. After some time when it
became safe the deities were then taken from Kamyavana to the Hindu kingdom of Rajasthan that
was still ruled by Hindu Raj put kings. Only the deity of Vrinda Devi was not taken to Rajas thana
and remained at Kamyavana. Due to the great transcendental pleasure that the local people had
experienced by having the deities of the Gaudiya Goswarnis worshiped in their town, it was
decided to establish temples containing the ‘pratibhu-murtis’ of these three deities, which are theempowered replicas of the original deities. Therefore, the temples of Govindaji, Gopinatha, and
Madana-mohana were duly established here at Kamyavana and the original deity of Vrinda Devi,
who stayed behind, was subsequently installed in the temple of Govindaji.

Kämyavana is the fourth among the twelve forests of Vraja-maëòala and it is one of the topmost forests. The fortunate person who circumambulates this forest is revered within Vraja-dhäma.” 1 “O Mahäräja, thereafter lies Kämyavana, where Vrajendra-nandana Çré Kåñëa performed many childhood pastimes. Bathing in Käma and other ponds in this forest fulfils all kinds of desires, even the desire for service to Kåñëa that is imbued with prema.”2 The word käma can only really be used to denote the gopés’ prema for Çré Kåñëa. Premaiva gopa-rämänäà käma ity ägamata prathäm (Bhakti-rasämåta-sindhu 1.2.285). In other words, the pure prema of the gopés exists solely to give Kåñëa happiness, and does not carry even the slightest scent of worldly lust. In the scriptures it is only this prema that is referred to as käma. The pure prema of the gopés is wholly opposite to the lusty desires in this world. The only aim of the gopés’ käma, which is devoid of all varieties of such lust, is to give happiness to Kåñëa, the abode of prema. Therefore, Çrémad-Bhägavatam and other scriptures refer to the pure and unadulterated prema of the gopés as käma. Kämyavana is the pastime place where the Divine Couple Çré Rädhä-Kåñëa express such transcendental prema. In this forest, one can even attain, quite easily, the gopés’ genuine prema in the form of pure käma, what to speak of being able to fulfil all kinds of worldly desires. The word kämya means “extremely beautiful”, “well adorned” or “highly attractive”. This forest within Vraja-maëòala is a most charming pastime place of Çré Kåñëa. Many pleasant lakes, wells, ponds, trees, creepers, flowers, fruits and species of birds contribute to its extraordinary beauty. Hence, it is called Kämyavana.

Pastime Places in Kämyavana
According to the Viñëu Puräëa, there are eighty-four sacred ponds, eighty-four temples and eighty-four pillars in Kämyavana. It is said that a famous king named Çré Kämasena established them all. It is also accepted that the demigods and demons jointly constructed one hundred sixty-eight pillars here. Kämyavana has countless small and large kuëòas, as well as a parikramä of fourteen miles. Vimala-kuëòa is the famous sacred place of this forest. After bathing here, one performs parikramä of Kämyavana or proceeds to take darçana of the other holy places in Kämyavana. Those places include Gopikä-kuëòa, Suvarëapura, Gayä-kuëòa and Dharma-kuëòa. The throne of Dharmaräja is situated at Dharma-kuëòa and is a place of darçana. Next come Yajïa-kuëòa, the Païca Tértha-sarovara of the Päëòavas, Paramamokña-kuëòa and Maëikarëikä-kuëòa. Just nearby are Niväsakuëòa and Yaçodä-kuëòa. Somewhat further on are Manokämanäkuëòa, Gopikäramaëa-kuëòa, Setubandha Rämeçvara-kuëòa, Dhyäna-kuëòa, Tapta-kuëòa, Jal-vihära-kuëòa, Jal-kréòä-kuëòa, Raìgélä-kuëòa, Chabélä-kuëòa, Jakélä-kuëòa, Matélä-kuëòa, Datélä-kuëòa, Païca-kuëòa, Ghoñaräné-kuëòa, Vihvala-kuëòa, Çyäma-kuëòa, Gomaté-kuëòa, Dvärakä-kuëòa, Mäna-kuëòa, Lalitä-kuëòa, Viçäkhä-kuëòa, Dohané-kuëòa, Mohiné-kuëòa, Balabhadra-kuëòa, Caturbhuja-kuëòa, Surabhi-kuëòa, Vatsakuëòa, Luk-luké-kuëòa, Govinda-kuëòa, Netramécana-kuëòa, Phisalané-çilä, Vyomäsura’s cave, Bhojana-thälé, the marriage-place of Sumanä Sakhé, and Lalitä Granthi-datta-sthäna. Thereafter come Viñëu-cinha-päda-parvata, Garuòa-tértha, Kapila-tértha, the place of Lohajaìgha Åñi and Hoòa-sthäna. North of these holy places is the place of Indulekhä-devé, and nearby on top of the hill is the place of Balaräma and the mark of Balaräma’s plough. Further north is Kåñëa-küpa, and nearby is Saìkarñaëakuëòa. Beyond are the hidden Lokeçvara-tértha, Varäha-kuëòa, Saté-kuëòa and Candrasakhé-puñkariëé; and next to these places are the deity of Candraçekhara Çiva and Çåìgära-tértha. South of the hill situated in that place is a bävaòé, or a deep tank with steps, named Prabhälallé. West of this tank is Bhäradväja Åñi-küpa. To its north is another Saìkarñaëa-kuëòa and to its east is Kåñëa-küpa. These three wells (küpas) all lie near the hill mentioned earlier. At the top of the hill is the deity of Bhadreçvara Çiva. After this, one comes to the deity of Alakña Garuòa and the äçrama of Pippaläda Åñi. After having darçana of these places, one proceeds to Dihuhalé and Rädhä-puñkariëé. In the eastern, northern, western and southern parts of this puñkariëé (large lake or pond) lie Lalitä-puñkariëé, Viçäkhä-puñkariëé, Candrävalé-puñkariëé and Candrabhäga-puñkariëé respectively. In the south-eastern part is Lélävaté-puñkariëé and in the north-western part is Prabhävatépuñkariëé. The puñkariëés of sixty-four sakhés lie here. Further on is Kuça-sthalé. One can have darçana here of Kameçvara Mahädeva and the place where Çaìkhacüòa was killed. To the north are the deity of Candraçekhara, of Vimaleçvara and a deity of Varäha. Here, one can also visit the five Päëòavas with Draupadé, and further on are Våndä-devé with Govindajé, Çré Rädhä-Vallabha, Navanéta-räya, Gokuleçvara and Çré Rämacandra. Other places of darçana include Caraëa-pahäòé, Çré Rädhä-Gopénätha, Çré RädhäMohana (Gopälajé) and Cauräsé-khambä. The most well-known of these pastime places are described below.

The Gates of Kämyavana

Kämyavana has seven gates: (1) Òég Gate – This gate is situated in the south-eastern part of Kämyavana. The road here leads to Òég (Dérghapura) and Bharatpura. (2) Laìkä Gate – This gate is the road to Setubandha-kuëòa, which runs south from the village of Käma. (3) Ämera Gate – This gate is the road to Caraëa-pahäòé, which runs south-west from the village of Käma. (4) Devé Gate – This gate is the road to Vaiñëavé-devé in the Punjäb, which runs west from the village of Käma. (5) Delhi Gate – This gate lies in the north of Kämyavana, and the road to Delhi runs from here. (6) Rämajé Gate – This gate is situated in the north-eastern side of the village, and the road to Nandagaon runs from here. (7) Mathurä Gate – This gate is situated in the east of the village, and the road to Mathurä via Varsänä runs from here