Kumudvan

Kamudavana is the smallest of the twelve sacred forests of Vraja with a parikrama of just
one and a half kilometers. The sacred forest has now completely disappeared and a small village now stands here where the forest once stood. The village is known locally as Kudarban which is a corruption of the name Kamudavana. The word ‘kamuda’ or ‘kamudini’ refers to a special variety of lotus flower, similar to a water lily, which formerly grew in great abundance in Kamuda-kunda, and because of these kamuda flowers, this sacred forest achieved its name. The celebrated lake of Kamuda-kunda is still present here although somewhat reduced in size. It is said that Radha and Krishna used to enjoy many wonderful water sports 0al-vihara) in this sacred lake. The word ‘jal’ means ‘water’ and ‘vihara’ means ‘pastimes’, and because of these jalvihara pastimes took place here in this lake, it is also known as Vihara-kunda.

The great sage and incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Kapila Muni, also spent considerable
time at Kamudavana performing austerities on the banks of Kamuda-kunda, and there is a small temple here on the bank of the kunda containing the deity of Kapila. Because Kapila Muni spent time here engaged in meditation and austerities, this kunda is also known as Gangasagara-kunda, after the famous ashrama of Lord Kapila situated at the mouth of the Ganges in Bengal, known as Shri Gangasagara. In the Adi-varaha Purana it is said. “One who bathes in this kunda will achieve ten times the benefit of a pilgrimage to Shri Gangasagara.” This famous hunda is also referred to as Padma-kunda and it is said that anyone who bathes here will acquire all the knowledge of the Vedas. The word ‘padma’ generally means a ‘lotus flower’ but can also refer to enlightenment through ranscendental knowledge.

Krishna and Balarama used to regularly bring their cows to Kamudavana and while the
cows were grazing in the forest, the two brothers would enjoy water sports in this hunda along with their cowherd boyfriends. Sometimes the cowherd boys would make beautiful garlands from the kamuda flowers that grew in the lake and then present them with great love and affection to Krishna and Balarama. There is also a small shrine here known as charana-chinha near the banks of the kunda, where impressions of the lotus feet of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu are being worshiped. The shrine commemorates Lord Chaitanya’s historic visit to Kamudavana during His parikrama of Vraja Mandala in the year 1515.

Two miles west of Tälavana is Kumudavana,
which presently goes by the name Kudaravana.
The kuëòa here is called both Kumudiné-kuëòa
and Vihära-kuëòa. While herding the cows,
Çré Kåñëa, Çré Balaräma and the cowherd boys
wandered throughout this delightful place. Çré
Kåñëa Himself sported in this kuëòa with the
cowherd boys and with sweet words He would
summon the cows to the bank of the pond by exclaiming, “Térétéré!”
And then with “Cüì-cüì!” He would tell them to drink
water. The boys decorated each other with garlands made of
kumudiné flowers. Sometimes Kåñëa hid from His sakhäs and,
unseen by them, He sported in the water here with Çrématé
Rädhikä, Lalitä, Viçäkhä and other priya-narma-sakhés. There
is currently a deity of Çré Kapiladeva on the bank of this kuëòa.
Lord Kapila worshipped Svayam Bhagavän Çré Kåñëa at this
place
From here, the pilgrimage of Vraja proceeds to Bahulävana via
Çäntanu-kuëòa. In the neighbourhood are picturesque pastime
places, such as Ompär, Mänako-nagara, Lagäyo, Ambikävana,
Gaëeçarä (Gandheçvarévana), Datihä (Datéya), Chaööékarä and
Garuòa-Govinda.

Text 336
kumudavanasyadi-varahe

vanaà kumudvanakhyaà ca
tåtéyam uttamaà param
tatra gatva naro devi
kåta-kåtyo ‘bhijayate

kumudavanasya – of Kumudavana; adi-varahe – in the Ädi-varäha Puräna; vanaà kumudvanakhyam – Kumudavana; ca – and; tåtéyam – third; uttamam – supreme; param – next; tatra – there; gatva – having gone; naraù – a person; devi – O goddess; kåta-kåtyaù – successful; abhijayate – becomes.

Glorification of Kumudavana

In the Ädi-varäha Puräëa it is said:

The third forest is transcendental Kumudavana. O goddess, a person who goes there attains all success.

In the Adi-variiha PuriifJa it is stated: “Hey Devi, this third forest,Kumudavana, is supreme. One who visits this place becomes worshipablein My abode.

“0 Srinivasa, see this place on the west of Mathura where Krsna killed Dantavakra. Vajranabha named this place Datiha. In the Padma PuriifJa it is known as Dati-upavana. I willtell you now onestory related with Dantavakra. Hearing this narration frees onefrom all miseries.
5″Once, the residents of Vrndavana headed by Nanda Maharajawent to see Krsna at Kuruksetra. Krsna met them and satisfied each person in every way. Krsna assured them that He would meet them in Vrndavana in a very short time. Fully satisfied hearing krsna’s nectarean word’s, they left there and came to the bank of theYamuna waiting for His arrival. Everyone thought they would take Krsna home when He arrived.

” After seeing off the Vraja-vasis_ from kuruksetra, Krsna felt great eagerness to return to Vrndavana. He went to Dvaraka to kill Sisupala and then went to Mathura on the pretext of killing Dantavakra. After that work was completed, He crossed the YamHnaRiver and quickly went to meet Nand a Maharaja and the others. On seeing Krsna, the cowherds ran fotward shouting, ‘Welcome! Welcome! Krsna returned to His own house in Vraja and enjoyed Himself with the gopis and gopas as He always had before. Because the villagers shouted, ‘Ayore! Ayore!’ [Welcome!, Welcome!], the village is now known as Ayore.

There is another village called Gauravai and Sri Raghava also told the story of that village.There was a large village called Dhana wherein lived a distinguished Zamindara [landowner] who had a good friendship with Sri Maharaja. NandaWhen Nanda returned from kuruksetra, the Zamindara welcomed him in great joy. There was no limit to the honor, or gaurav, given by that land owner to Nanda as he arranged his stay. Therefore this village was named Gauravai, but presently it is known as Gaurai. It is near by thevillages of Ohana and A yore.”

In Gopiila-campu the story is told in this way: “Coming from ,Syamanta-paficaka in . Kuruksetra, Vrajesvara Sri Nanda and thecowherd men were returning to their houses in Gokula. When theyarrived in · Mathur a, they felt no desire to return to their homes.They crossed the Yamuna and came to this famous place named Gaurai some distance from Go kula. That place, called ‘Gokulapati’in Sanskrit, is traditionally known as Gaurava, however the localpeople called it Gaurai. Just as the abode of purusottama has” become famous by the name purusottama, so also the place ofGokulapati was named Gokulapati.”

“All these villages where Krsna performed His transcendentalpastimes are seen in ecstasy by those people who are fortunate.”After narrating these topics, Raghava happily continued along the parikramii path as they wandered through Vraja. Raghava explained that the path they would follow was not exactly asprescribed in. the Adi-variiha purana.

For some time they followed the parikrama route, then Raghava decided to see the place named Sasthikaratavi They left the parikramii path for another path and Raghava told Srinivasa, “We have entered the place called Sasthikara. Although previously this was known as Sasthikaratavi, presently people call it by the nameSasthighara ”

“See here Srinivasa, the place called Sakata Rohana. It is a beautiful pleasant place and very dear to Krsna.Bumblebees are always humming in the forest of flowers. By bathing in this Kunda one will get supreme bliss.”Sakata Rohana is described in theAdi-varaha Purana thus: “One Will get supreme bliss.

Sakata Rohana is described in the Adi-varaha Purana thus: “One half yojana [four miles] on the west side of Mathura is My supreme abode named Sakata Rohal)a. Many thousands of bumblebees live there. Whoever fasts for one night and then takes bath there is certain to attain the happiness of Vidyadharaloka.”