Khadiravan

This is one of the twelve sacred forests of Vraja and it is said in the Adi-varaha Purana
that whoever visits the sacred forest of Khadiravana will at the time of death go immediately to
Vaikuntha. The forest of Kadhiravana has an individual parikrama of around seven kilometers.
There is not much of the forest remaining today and presently a village called Khayara is situated
at the place where the vast forest of khadira and kadamba trees once stood. It was at this place
while herding His calves, that Krishna killed the demon named Bakasura. The word ‘baka’ means
a ‘crane’, or more specifically an ‘egret’. This demon in the form of a giant-sized crane had been
sent by King Kamsa to eliminate Krishna, and when he attacked Krishna and tried to gobble Him
up in his huge beak, the cowherd boys began crying. “Khayo rei Khayo rei” which means, “He
will eat Him! He will eat Him!” Thus the village became known as Khayara from the words ‘khayo
re’. The actual spot where Bakasura was killed is a little to the west of Khayara at a place called
Bakathara.
Situated within the ancient forest of Khadiravana is the beautiful Sangama-kunda where
Krishna enjoyed pastimes with the gopis. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it is said. “0 Shrinivasa, see this place where Krishna and His friends played many games as they tended their cows. See
here the most enchanting place called Sangama-kunda where Krishna and the gopis happily
met together”. The word ‘sangama’ means ‘meeting place’, and when Krishna was living at
Nandagrama, He would sometimes meet Radharani and the gopis here on the banks of this kunda,
which was surrounded by a very beautiful kadamba grove where Krishna and the gopis enjoyed
rasa-lila pastimes. Lokanatha Goswami, and his close friend and companion Bhugarbha Goswami,
also spent some time performing bhajana on the banks of this kunda, which is also known as
Madhuri-kunda

The present name of this village is Khayaro, and lies three miles south of Chata and three miles south-east of Javata. Krsna would come to herd His cows here. Sangama-kunda, where a meeting (sangama) between the gopis and Krsna took place, is situated here. Lokanatha Gosvami performed sadhana-bhajana on the bank of this pond in a solitary place. Occasionally, Bhugarbha Gosvami would also come here and perform bhajana together with Lokanatha Gosvami. Nearby is a very charming kadamba grove. Krsna, Balarama and the sakhas performed many kinds of childhood pastimes here. Every year when the dates (khajura) ripened, Krsna and the sakhas would come here to herd the cows and eat ripe dates.

Once, Bakasura, a demon sent by Kamsa, appeared here as a huge crane to swallow Krsna. He opened wide his massive beak, his lower beak touching the ground, and his upper beak touching the sky, and then ran at Krsna with great speed to swallow Him. When all the sakhas saw this fearful form, they became filled with fright and began to shout, “Khayo re, khayo re! – He will eat Krsna, he will eat Krsna!” But Krsna remained fearless. He put His foot on the demon’s lower beak, and catching the upper beak with His hand, split it just as one might split a straw. The sakhas joyfully cried out, “Khayo re, khayo re! – Krsna ate him, Krsna ate him!” The name of this village became Khayo re because of this pastime.

This place is also called Khadedavana or Khadiravana, because in order to kill Bakasura, Krsna had to chase him. The Hindi word for “to chase” is khadedna. This forest is also called Khadiravana because of the khadira trees growing here, the astringent extract of which is used for making pan.

Khadiraban, “the acacia grove,” situated thirty-two miles northwest of Mathura. Its parikrama covers about five miles. Then one passes through Kumarban and Javakban, where Krishna painted Radha’s feet with red javak, a kind of dye. Next come Kokilaban, “forest of the cuckoo bird,” and Charan Pahar in Little Bathan, where Krishna enjoyed relaxing and playing His flute. Here, Indra descended from the heavenly planets on his elephant Airavata, paid obeisances to Lord Krishna, praised Him, and asked His forgiveness for his offense at Govardhan. The Lord’s lotus footprint (charan) is imprinted on a rock nearby.

Text 346
khadiravanasyadi-varahesaptamam tu vanam bhumau
khadiram loka-visrutam
tatra gatva naro bhadre
mama lokam sa gacchati

khadiravanasya – of Kadiravana; adi-varahe – in the Adi-varaha Purana; saptamam – seventh; tu – indeed; vanam – forest; bhumau – on the earth; khadiram – Kadira; loka-visrutam – famous in the world;tatra – there; gatva – having gone; narah – a person; bhadre – O auspicious one; mama – My; lokam – abode; sah – he; gacchati – goes.

Glorification of Khadiravana

In the Adi-varaha Purana it is said:

The sixth forest is famous on the earth as Khadiravana. O auspicious one, a person who goes there will go to My abode.