All these scriptures tell us that the steps Of the ghatas surrounding the kunds of Vrndavan, in the spiritual world are decorated with the most precious jewels. Srila Prabhupada said that my devotees are my jewels. Today we can actually see even with our ordinary vision how this beautiful ghat at Radha Sarovar is decorated with thousands of effulgent precious jewels. Thank you. At this time we are going to divide the assembly of vaisnavas in to three groups. So that we can nicely visit three important holy places here.
On this side is Dohani kund. Where we are sitting now is a village of Chiksoli, the birth place of Chitra sakhi. One of the eight principle maid servants of sri Radha Govind. The kund we are sitting is sometimes called Krishna kund. In the scriptures it is called Radha sarovar. The place of unlimited divine pastimes of the lord. The forest is known as Ghevarvan. I hope you all appreciate and absorbed yourself the charming atmosphere as we walked through the forest of ghevarvan to reach this place. It is one of the well protected forest in Vrindavan. It took devotees to risk their lives to protect this forest. Did you all appreciate walking through those kalpa vrkshsa trees laying in the Barsana, forest of ghevarvan. Ghevarvan means very deep secret place, where in Krishna’s lila many caves and deep kunjas, where Radharani and her friends would play and Radha and Krishna would perform pastimes. At one time great powerful capitalist decided to cut down all the trees in this forest to sell for the wood. But the devotees living in MAan mandir headed by Ramesh babaji maharaj they forbid those people from cutting any trees. And then local mafia got involved. Because there was lot of money involved. Relative to what people can earn here. And there was death threats but they were willing to stand even in front of weapons to protect each tree. And ultimately because of their courage and devotion to preserve the sanctity of holy dham it brought in to attention of government of Mathura and they made special law against cutting any trees in this place. Dohni kund is a place where Vrshbhanu’s hundreds and thousands of cows , where he milked every morning and evening. And that milk would be distributed throughout the area in Vraja. Once srimati Radharani she wanted to learn how to milk cow so Krishna appeared then and said I will teach you how to milk cow. So they milked cow together. One on one side and one on the other. While they were milking Krishna would aim and bathed Srimati Radhrani’s lotus like face with the milk from the kamdhenu surabhi cows. Vrindavan, Goloka , Gokula is a place of cows. Prabhupada explains the wealth of Brijwasis was in milk that the cows would provide. So in this sense Dohani kund had very, very special significance, where Sri Radharani, the daughter of Vrshbbhanu would come each day to observe the milking of Vrshbhanu maharaj’s cow.
In this direction between village of chiksoli and Barsana is sakhri khor. At this place taxing pastimes of Radha and Krishna would take place. On this hill behind us we find the place called Mayur kutir. So many beautiful lila took place here. It is the place where Radha and Krishna would dance as peacocks. This act was done many occasions. Once during rainy season Srimati Radharnai saw peacocks and pea hens looking at the beautiful monsoon clouds they danced together. And She became very very much attracted and she expressed her desire to Krishna. so Krishna became peacock and RAdharani became pea hen and they danced together on top of this hill. Another occasion Sri Krishna asked Radharani to teach music because she was such a beautiful singer. Where there is brijbasi song ‘kokilvani Sri Radhe’. Her voice was sweeter than cuckoo bird. Actually cuckoo birds try to sing like Her. So Krishna wanted to learn to sing also. But He didn’t want lesson to end so every time She would sing particular melody He would sing slightly wrong. And She would teach again and little wrong and again little wrong because he never wanted this lesson to end. So when She understood that He is purposely singing wrong she became transcendentally angry, Maan mandir. And She went up to maan mandir and she performed Her maan lila and she would not talk Krishna, she would not look at Krishna. and Krishna desperately wanted Radharani’s affectionate glance. So He went to the top of this hill and began dancing in the form of a peacock. When Radharani looked over and saw that it was so enchanting that she forgot all about Her anger and She came across and She became like pea hen and together they dance. Mayur kutir. When I lived here about 33 years ago the local devotees were telling me that some hundred or so years ago there was a blind sadhu who lived on that hill. And he worship this lila of Radha and Krishna from the core of his hearts, dancing together as peacocks. It was his total absorption and he longed to see this lila. Although he was blind he longed to see this lila of Radha and Krishna dancing in Barsana as peacocks. So he performed his sadhna with deep prayer and Srimati Radharani appeared to him. She said, I will show you this lila but whatever you see you must paint so that others could come to see it. He said, I am blind how will I paint? At that Barsana was very, very dense forest. It was quiet long ago. How will I get paint brush? how will I get paints? How will I get canvas? How will I see what to paint? Radharani express to him that you just make the endeavour sincerely I will give all help. He dug in the grounds and got the minerals and made the paints some how or other got what ever is required to make the brushes and the canvas and it was all there. Although he had no material vision to even see the ray of the light of the sun he was given the vision for the full panoramic view of the pastime of Krishna and Radharani dancing as peacock. Mayur Kutir in Barsana. When we here the story we realize although we see we areblind and although he was blind he could see. Brahma samhita tells premanjana curita bhakti vilocanena. We cannot see that which is divine when eyes are made up of water and flesh. Only hwen the eyes are ointed with the love can actually see the reality as it is. The all beautiful reality of Krishna. so he had the darshan thinking in ecstacy and when he came to consciousness he painted. I believe that painting is still there in the altar in mayor kutir.
Also a brijbasi told me that just two generation back there was a sadhu who lived there. He was always immersed in chanting the holy names. But some where in that hill there was a cave, that a lion resided. 75 years ago there were lions roaming in this area. Quiet dense forest. But this was not an ordinary lion. He was constantly in the satsang of this vaisnava. Constantly chanting the holy names, prayers, bhajans and kirtan to Sri Radha Govind. That lion in satsang became pure. The power of sadhu sanga. Nothing more powerful in whole creation than associating with pure hearted sadhus because all the power of Krishna manifest through the mercy of sadhu. So that lion actually became humble like a blade of grass. Tolerant like a tree and ready to offer all respects to others and expect none in return. In this state of mind he always in his own ways chanted the holy names. I hope none of you are feeling inconvenient by such large crowd of devotee. No answer means confirmation. Are you feeling any inconvenient? Just to make you feel better Ramesh baba from maan mandir, he is doing parikrama now with 6500 devotees for 40 days all brijbasis. So in comparision this is a very small yatra. For us it is kind a bit. But really what is the use of you being 2000 if you cannot feel the entire universe with the loud chanting of the holy name. you have attracted the echo of brijbasis. So some inconvenience is there but one benediction is more devotees more we could feel each others hearts with very very loud chanting of the holy name. 2000 devotees coughing is also very sweet. Whatever disease you may have is caused by brajbasi bacteria. So it is not ordinary. Please be grateful. Mercy comes in any ways. So this lion he became a brahmacari. Very strict brahmacari and traditionally brahmacari’s are suppose to beg so he went and did madhukari for his gurudev. He couldn’t speak brijbaci language. He spoke lion language but his gurudev had put a strap around his neck with a simple bag and written on the bag it said madhukari. And lion would actually come house to house to each door. Now can you imagine the first time knock at the door and come to the door there would be a lion. It’s a true story. There would a lion looking right in the eyes. But he just spoke with such humility and compassion. He was trained by his gurudev he would offer his prostrated obeisance at the feet of the brajbasis. And he would show his bag, madhukaric and they would put some vraja roti in bag and he would collect so many roti and he wouldn’t eat a single one. Now obviously he was a pure vegetarian. He only eat his guru’s Prasad. So he would come up to the hill and deliver the bag of roti to his guru maharaj and after his guru maharaj would eat the roti whatever remannats were left lion subsisted on that. That is the magical influence of association of great sadhu, especially in the holy dhama of vraja.
Jai jai sri radhe shyam !
So let us pray at the lotus paws of that lion that we can follow in his footsteps also .
