Brahmanda Ghat
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Vraj Mandal Parikarma – by Rajshekhar Das Brahmacari
This is a very famous ghata that has been glorified throughout the Vedic literatures as
well as innumerable songs and poems of the Vaishnava saints. This pastime at Brahmanda Ghata
reveals Krishna to be a small helpless child in the care of his mother, while simultaneously being
the Supreme Creator of the entire universe. In regard to this pastime, the word ‘brahmanda’ refers
to the ‘material universe’, as well as to Krishna’s ‘universal form’.
One day, when Krishna and Balarama were playing with their friends by the sacred
banks of the Yamuna, some of the boys accused Krishna of eating clay. Even Balarama supported
the boys and said He that had eaten clay. Krishna however denied this, but nevertheless some
of the boys ran off to tell mother Yashoda that Krishna had eaten clay. Mother Yashoda came
immediately to chastise Krishna for His naughty behavior, if indeed He had eaten clay as the boys
had claimed. Krishna denied before His mother that He had eaten clay and complained against
the other boys, saying that for some reason they were not happy with Him, perhaps having lost
in some game, and had therefore lodged a false complaint. Krishna informed mother Yashoda
that if she cared to look inside His mouth, she could see for herself whether He had eaten clay
or not.
Mother Yashoda agreed to this proposal and when Krishna opened His mouth, she
looked inside. To her utter astonishment she saw the gigantic universal form including the whole
cosmic manifestation with all its divisions of planets and shining stars, the sun and moon, the
total material elements, eternal time, outer space, all the great mountains and rivers, the demigods,
the living entities, and she could also see herself, with Krishna sitting on her lap drinking her
breast milk. Yashoda was totally bewildered by what she saw in Krishna’s mouth, and began to
wonder whether she was dreaming or seeing some play of the illusionary energy, or was it some
kind of mystic power being displayed by her unusual child. She then began philosophizing in
various ways about how she was under the illusion of the bodily concept, thinking King Nanda
of the cowherd men to be her husband and Krishna to be her son, and all the wealth and riches
within Nanda’s kingdom to be her property. At that moment Krishna expanded His internal
yogamaya potency and mother Yashoda immediately forgot about all the weighty philosophical
thoughts she was having, and seeing her darling little Krishna sitting before her, took Him on
to her lap and once again became overcome in the ecstasy of motherly affection.
well as innumerable songs and poems of the Vaishnava saints. This pastime at Brahmanda Ghata
reveals Krishna to be a small helpless child in the care of his mother, while simultaneously being
the Supreme Creator of the entire universe. In regard to this pastime, the word ‘brahmanda’ refers
to the ‘material universe’, as well as to Krishna’s ‘universal form’.
One day, when Krishna and Balarama were playing with their friends by the sacred
banks of the Yamuna, some of the boys accused Krishna of eating clay. Even Balarama supported
the boys and said He that had eaten clay. Krishna however denied this, but nevertheless some
of the boys ran off to tell mother Yashoda that Krishna had eaten clay. Mother Yashoda came
immediately to chastise Krishna for His naughty behavior, if indeed He had eaten clay as the boys
had claimed. Krishna denied before His mother that He had eaten clay and complained against
the other boys, saying that for some reason they were not happy with Him, perhaps having lost
in some game, and had therefore lodged a false complaint. Krishna informed mother Yashoda
that if she cared to look inside His mouth, she could see for herself whether He had eaten clay
or not.
Mother Yashoda agreed to this proposal and when Krishna opened His mouth, she
looked inside. To her utter astonishment she saw the gigantic universal form including the whole
cosmic manifestation with all its divisions of planets and shining stars, the sun and moon, the
total material elements, eternal time, outer space, all the great mountains and rivers, the demigods,
the living entities, and she could also see herself, with Krishna sitting on her lap drinking her
breast milk. Yashoda was totally bewildered by what she saw in Krishna’s mouth, and began to
wonder whether she was dreaming or seeing some play of the illusionary energy, or was it some
kind of mystic power being displayed by her unusual child. She then began philosophizing in
various ways about how she was under the illusion of the bodily concept, thinking King Nanda
of the cowherd men to be her husband and Krishna to be her son, and all the wealth and riches
within Nanda’s kingdom to be her property. At that moment Krishna expanded His internal
yogamaya potency and mother Yashoda immediately forgot about all the weighty philosophical
thoughts she was having, and seeing her darling little Krishna sitting before her, took Him on
to her lap and once again became overcome in the ecstasy of motherly affection.
Shri Vraj Mandal Parikarma
This place lies approximately one mile east of Nanda-bhavana, the birthplace of Kåñëa. Here, the small boy Kåñëa ate earth while playing with the cowherd boys. The boys saw this and told Mother Yaçodä, who asked Balaräma about it. Balaräma verified the fact. She went to Kåñëa and asked Him herself, “Have You eaten clay?” He replied, “No, Maiyä, I did not eat clay.” “All right, Kanhaiyä, open Your mouth and show me.” “You can see, Maiyä,” He said as He opened His mouth. Looking into Kanhaiyä’s mouth, Maiyä became dumbstruck. There, she saw innumerable universes, countless Brahmäs, Viñëus and Maheças (Çivas), and all moving and non-moving entities. She closed her eyes in fear and thought, “What is this that I am seeing? Is it an illusion or someone’s magical powers?” Upon opening her eyes, Mother Yaçodä saw that Kanhaiyä was sitting on her lap. She returned to the house and called the brähmaëas, who recited blessings to pacify the wrath of the demigods. She also donated cows and other valuables to the brähmaëas. Although Yaçodä-maiyä had directly witnessed Kåñëa’s quality of being Bhagavän (bhagavattä) in the form of seeing countless universes and all animate and inanimate objects situated within His mouth, she never accepted Kåñëa as the Supreme Lord. Her vätsalya-prema, or motherly love, for Him blossomed rather than weakened. By contrast, when Devaké and Vasudeva beheld Kåñëa’s four-armed form, their vätsalya-prema weakened. Similarly, Arjuna’s sakhya-bhäva (mood of friendship) also weakened when he saw Kåñëa’s universal form. Devaké, Vasudeva and Arjuna folded their hands and began to glorify Kåñëa and pray to Him. In Vraja, however, the prema of the Vrajaväsés does not weaken even when Kåñëa manifests Himself as the Supreme Lord. Their sweet mood towards Çré Kåñëa never diminishes because they never accept Him as Bhagavän. Another time, the small boy Kåñëa was playing here with His companions, the cowherd boys, when the boys unexpectedly began to tease Him and laugh and clap. At first, Kanhaiyä could not understand why, but quite soon He did. Däma, Çrédäma, Madhumaìgala and the other cowherd boys were saying, “Nanda Bäbä is fair-complexioned and Yaçodä-maiyä is fair-complexioned, but You are black. Why? The fact is that You were not born from Yaçodä-maiyä’s womb. Someone else gave birth to You, but being unable to bring You up, they put You in the hollow of a banyan tree. The supremely merciful Nanda Bäbä found You there crying helplessly. He picked You up and placed You in the lap of Mother Yaçodä, but, in reality, You are not the son of Nanda and Yaçodä.” Kanhaiyä stopped playing and went home weeping. He began to roll around the courtyard, crying. Mother Yaçodä affectionately picked Him up in her arms and tried to find out why He was crying. But today Kanhaiyä refused to sit in her lap. She forcibly took Him in her arms, brushed the dust from His limbs, and asked Him what had happened. After Kanhaiyä calmed down a little, He said, “Däma, Çrédäma and the other cowherd boys are saying, ‘You were not born from Maiyä’s womb. Bäbä is fair-complexioned and Maiyä is fair-complexioned, so where did You, who are black, come from?’” Hearing this, Maiyä started laughing and said, “O my lälä, who else is saying this?” “Däü Bhaiyä.” Maiyä, put her hand on Kåñëa’s forehead and said, “I take an oath before Çré Näräyaëa that You are my son born from my womb. I will chastise those children.” She then began to breastfeed Kåñëa. In reality, Nanda Bäbä was of a fair complexion, but Mother Yaçodä, who was a very beautiful gopé, was slightly dark in hue. How else could Kåñëa have been so beautiful if He had not been born from Mother Yaçodä’s womb? But because Kanhaiyä was somewhat darker than His mother, the boys teased Him about it. This place, which treasures this pastime, can still be seen today.
Vrindavan Days
Mahaban (Gokul), scene of the sweet infant pastimes of Krishna. At Brahmand Ghat, Balarama and the other children told Mother Yasoda that Krishna was eating pieces of clay from the river bank. Mother Yasoda ran to the river to tend to Krishna. Looking in His mouth for dirt, she saw the entire creation: the moon, stars, planets, mountains, oceans, the basic elements, the demigods, the three modes of material nature, the ten directions, and infinity. She also saw herself nursing Krishna on her lap. She was awestruck, but she quickly concluded that she must be tired or dreaming and so ignored the vision and wiped the dirt from Krishna’s face.
Mathura Mandala Parikrama
Once Trnavarta carried Krsna high in the sky where Krsna enjoyed the view. Then He killed Trnavarta here within Kamsa’s kingdom. Krsna once ate earth and showed Vrajesvari the whole brahmanda within His mouth. Therefore this place is called Brahmanda ghata It was here that Y asoda and the other gopis enjoyed the beauty of her son as they sat in the compound of the house.
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English lectures
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Hindi Lectures
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Marathi Lectures
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