Mahavan

Mahavana is one of the twelve sacred forests of Vraja and although it was once a large
and verdant forest with a parikrama of around twelve kilometers, there are hardly any trees
remaining there today. Mahavana was the second largest forest after Kamyavana and the name
Mahavana means ‘great forest’. Nevertheless, one can still see all the places where Krishna
enjoyed His transcendental pastimes during His early childhood (kaumara-lila) at Gokula. The
ancient village of Gokula, which is presently known as Mahavana, is the original village named
Gokula where Nanda Maharaja and Yashoda Mayi had their residence and where Krishna spent
the first three and a half years of His childhood. The name ‘Gokula’ actually means the residential
place of cows. The word ‘go’ means ‘cow’ and ‘kula’ means ‘residence’ or ‘living place’, or in other
words Gokula was a village inhabited by cowherd men and their cows.
Krishna’s childhood pastimes at Gokula are in particular very sweet, and more easily
understood by the ordinary people in general. Krishna’s pastimes of stealing butter and yogurt
from the houses of the married gopis, and then feeding that same stolen butter and yogurt to His
friends and also the monkeys, or His letting loose the gopis calves so they would drank all the
cow’s milk, or His slaying of so many demons, are just some of Krishna’s many childhood
pastimes that can be appreciated by people of all ages. On the other hand, Krishna’s amorous
pastimes with the young gopis of Vraja are not so easily understood, even by greatly learned
scholars, philosophers, and pious religionists.
Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu also visited Mahavana while on His parikrama around the
sacred forests of Vraja. It is said that He experienced great transcendental ecstasy seeing all the
wonderful places in Gokula connected to Krishna’s pastimes. Lord Chaitanya visited the ChaurasiKhambha, also called Nanda Bhavan, where Krishna’s birth celebrations took place. It is said that
lord Chaitanya’s ecstasy increased even more when He saw the twin arjuna trees broken by
Krishna, which was the site of the Damodara-lila, where mother Yashoda tied her naughty son
Krishna to a grinding mortar. During His tour of Go kula, lord Chaitanya chanted the holy names
and danced in ecstasy wherever He went, people gathered from far and wide to get a glimpse of
lord Chaitanya, and all those who saw Him also experienced ecstatic and many also fainted on
the ground. The local Vrajavasis were saying that Krishna has again appeared in Vrindavana in
the form of a sannyasi.

Mahävana is situated about six miles east of Mathurä. It is also called Båhadvana, because it is the largest (båhad) of all the forests (vanas). In fact this forest has three names: Mahävana, Gokula and Båhadvana. This Gokula is nondifferent from Goloka.1 Parjanya Gopa, the father of Goparäja Nanda Bäbä, initially resided at Nandagaon where he had five sons – namely Upänanda, Abhinanda, Nanda, Sunanda and Nandana – and two daughters named Sanandä and Nandiné. Also, while staying in Nandagaon he gave all his sons and daughters in marriage. His middle son, Nanda, had no offspring, which caused Parjanya Gopa great concern. He worshipped Näräyaëa in the hope that Nanda would father a child. By a voice in the sky, he came to know that a very brave son would soon be born to Çré Nanda. This son would possess all good qualities and annihilate every demon. Some time after this aerial prophecy, Keçé and other demons began to cause a disturbance in Nandagaon. Parjanya Gopa together with his family and all of his relatives moved here to Båhadvana. The Yamunä flows close by Båhadvana, or Mahävana. This forest is beautifully decorated with different kinds of trees, creepers and flowers, and there are lush, green meadows for the cows to graze in. Beholding this beauty, the Vrajaväsé gopas became very pleased and happily began to reside here. Yaçodä-maiyä gave birth to the twins Kåñëa Kanhaiyä and Yogamäyä at midnight, in the delivery room at Nanda-bhavana in Mahävana. The umbilical cord was cut and other Vedic purificatory rituals were performed here. Kåñëa killed the demons Pütanä, Tåëävarta and Çakaöäsura here, thus liberating them. Kåñëa and Baladeva’s name-giving ceremony also took place at Mahävana, in the nearby cowshed (goçälä) of Nanda Mahäräja. It was here that Räma and Kåñëa started to crawl on Their knees, that Mother Yaçodä tied the naughty baby Kåñëa to a mortar, and that Kåñëa delivered the
Yamala-arjuna trees. The childhood pastimes of Kåñëa and Räma up to the age of two-and-a-half to three years took place here in Mahävana. These pastimes are briefly described further on.Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu in Mahävana
Before Çré Rüpa and Çré Sanätana’s arrival in Vraja, Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu came to Vraja and wandered throughout its forests. At the place of Kåñëa’s birth in Mahävana, Mahäprabhu took darçana of Çré Madana-mohana and, overwhelmed with prema, began to dance as streams of tears flowed from His eyes. Çréman Mahäprabhu’s darçana of Kåñëa’s birthplace has been described in Bhakti-ratnäkara: ahe çréniväsa! kåñëa caitanya ethäya janmotsava sthäna dekhi ulläsa hiyäya bhäväveçe prabhu nåtya, géte magna hailä kåpä kari sarvacitta äkarñaëa kailä
“O Çréniväsa, seeing the place of Kåñëa’s birth festival Çré Caitanya became overwhelmed with ecstatic joy. He became absorbed in dancing and singing. By His mercy He attracted the hearts of everyone.” Mahävana and Gokula are in fact one and the same place. Nanda Bäbä along with his family members journeyed from Nandagaon to Båhadvana, or Mahävana, where they settled down. Mahävana is called Gokula because go (cows), gopas, gopés and so forth resided here. At the time of Nanda Bäbä, Gokula was not a separate village or town. In fact, the current village of Gokula is a recent settlement. Nanda Bäbä’s cowshed was in Gokula. About five hundred years ago, after Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu’s arrival in Vraja, Çré Vallabhäcärya sat on this beautiful bank beside the Yamunä and read Çrémad-Bhägavatam from beginning to end. Çré Vallabhäcärya’s son, Çré Viööhaläcärya, and his son, Çré Gokulanätha, also have sitting-places (baiöhakas) here. In fact, Çré Viööhaläcärya tricked Aurangzeb and leased this place in his own name. It was actually he who founded Gokula. After them, the son of Çré Gokulanätha resided here together with his family members. The gosvämés of the dynasty of Çré Vallabha only lived in Gokula, where they established the deities of Mathureça, Viööhalanätha, Dvärikädhéça, Gokula-candramä, Bäla-Kåñëa and Çré Madana-mohana. Later, Çré Mathureça went to Koöä, Çré Viööhalanätha to Näthadvärä, Çré Dvärakädhéça to Käìkraulé, Gokula-candramä to Kämyavana, Çré Bäla-Kåñëa to Sürata and Madana-mohana to Kämyavana. Since the gosvämés in the dynasty of Çré Vallabha reside in Gokula, they are well-known as the Gokula gosvämés.

Yasoda’s Pregnancy
Story of Krishna appearance in Vrindavan
1. For one year Nanda and his wife observed dvädaçé-vrata. Then, on the night of the kåñëa-pratipat, the first day of the dark fortnight of the month of Mägha, Nanda Maharaja had a dream. He saw a baby child with a blue complexion moving in the sky, and then he saw a girl with a golden-hued bodily complexion. The two of them entered into Nanda Maharaja’s heart. Then they came out of the heart of Nanda Maharaja and entered into the womb of Yasoda-mata.
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3. In this way, Yasoda-mata became pregnant. Hearing this news, all of the gopas and gopés became very blissful and happy. Every day they had grand festivals on account of Yasoda’s pregnancy.1. After eight months of pregnancy an astrologer told them, “On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of this month of Bhädra, the child will take birth on a most auspicious tithi. When
2. All of the gopés stayed awake that night. But due to the influence of Krishna’s yoga-mäyä they all fell asleep.. There was no pain in the delivery at all., Yasoda-mata gave birth to Krishna, the Supreme Personality.
Mathura and Vrindavan
Exactly at the same time when Yasoda-mata gave birth to Krishna in Vrindavan, in Mathura, in the prison house of Kamsa, Devaki also gave birth to a child.

Lord Hari appeared in Mathura in a four-handed form. He had a crown on His head and with His four hands He was holding a çaìkha, cakra, gadä, and padma — a conchshell, disk, club and lotus. Kanaka-kuëòala-karëa, on His two ears there were golden earrings, and a bright effulgence was coming out of His body.

meditation within his mind, manasä-snäna. Also in his mind he observed a grand festival for the birthday of Lord Hari and gave away innumerable cows in charity to the brähmaëas and vaiñëavas. Like Devaki, he also offered prayers to Lord Narayan.

Exactly at the same time when Vasudev was leaving the prison of Kamsa, Yasoda-mata gave birth to a second child, a daughter.
Just then Vasudev saw Mahamaya in the form of a she-jackal crossing the Yamuna. So Vasudev followed her.
Born in Two Places
Hearing this, Snigdha Kantha said, “What is this? Yasoda-mata gave birth to one son and one daughter, and Vasudev took the daughter. What happened to the son?”
Madhu Kantha said, “This is a very confidential matter. Yasoda-mata’s daughter was säkñät-yogamäyä. By her potency, Yogamaya kept the son of Nanda hidden, and Vasudev could not see Him. He only saw the daughter.”
The son of Nanda and Yasoda is svayaà bhagavän, the original Supreme Personality of Godhead — ete cäàça-kaläù puàsaù kåñëas tu bhagavän svayam.2 Nanda-nandana kåñëa, yaçodä-nandana kåñëa is svayaà bhagavän, and all avatäras are His plenary portions or portions of His plenary portions — aàsa and kalä.
From the womb of Devaki came the four-handed form Väsudev, who is a präbhava-prakäça of Krishna. Krishna has two types of expansions, präbhava-prakäça and vaibhava-prakäça. In the temporary category of präbhava come the incarnations Mohini, Hamsa and Sukla. In the eternal category comes Dhanvantari, Rishabha, Vyasa, Dattatreya, Kapila, etc.
The vaibhava-prakäça are partially powerful. In this category comes Kurma, Matsya, Nara Narayan Rishi, Varaha, Hayagriva, Prishnigarbha, Baladev, Yajna, Vibhu, Satyasena, Hari, Vaikuntha, Ajita, Vaman, Sarvabhauma, Rishabha, Vishwaksena, Dharmasetu, Sudama, Yogeswar, Brihadbhanu, etc.
When svayam bhagavän Krishna comes, all of His portions and portions of portions, aàsa and kalä, all come within Him. The son of Vasudev is Väsudev, a four-handed form of the Lord. Väsudev is a plenary portion of Krishna. So when Vasudev put his son on the lap of Yasoda, that Väsudev entered into the child Krishna who was already lying there. Just as all rivers flow down to enter into the ocean, similarly all the plenary portions and portions of the plenary portions of the Lord all come and enter into the original Lord. By the activity of yoga-mäyä, Vasudev could not understand any of these things.
In the eighth month of pregnancy, which is considered asaàpürëa, incomplete, Yasoda and Devaki both gave birth at the same time.3

Yasoda’s Joy
Passive Love Discarded
. There is a difference between the vätsalya-rasa, parental affection, of Devaki-Vasudev and the vätsalya-rasa of Nanda-Yasoda. Prabhupada says here that on the Mathura and Dwarka platform, love for the Lord is mixed with appreciation of His opulence, aiçvarya-jïäna. But in Vrindavan or Vrajabhumi there is only kevala-bhakti, pure bhakti. There is no mixture of jïäna or aiçvarya.
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separation from Krishna. And in Mathura Krishna was also thinking of them. This is pure love. These loving transactions or reciprocations are there. Day and night, Krishna was always thinking of the intense pure love of the residents of Vrajabhumi, His father and mother, the cowherd boys, and especially the gopés headed by Radharani. Krishna was always thinking what to do. Then He sent Uddhava, “Go to Vrajabhumi and deliver this message of love.”
Opulence Makes Love Shrink
Uddhava was a disciple of Brihaspati. Brihaspati is a jïäné. So Uddhava was a jïäné-bhakta, although he was very dear to Krishna.
. My wife Lakshmi-devi is not so dear to Me. My ätmä, My soul, I, Myself, am not so dear to Me, O Uddhava, as you are dear.”
Still, Uddhava is a jïäné-bhakta. There is jïäna, no prema. It is mixed bhakti. When jïäna and aiçvarya are present then rati-saìkucita — love is shrunken. Çré Caitanya-caritämåta (madhya 19.194) states:
aiçvarya-jïäna-prädhänye saìkucita préti
dekhiye nä mäne aiçvarya — kevalära réti
When opulence is prominent, love of Godhead is shrunken. According to kevalä devotion, however, even though the devotee sees the unlimited potency of Krishna, he considers himself equal with Him.
GLORIIES OF VRAJA
1. …” There is no mixture of jïäna and aiçvarya. That is vraja-prema, it is available in Vrajabhumi Vrindavan only, nowhere else. In Vrindavan the préti is not shrunken. In Vrajabhumi Vrindavan, the aiçvarya is covered up with mädhurya, sweetness. But in Mathura and Dwarka, mädhurya is covered up with aiçvarya. In Vrajabhumi if they see aiçvarya they don’t want it. This is the difference between the vätsalya-rasa of Vasudev and Devaki and the vätsalya-rasa of Yasoda and Nanda Maharaja. When Uddhava came to Vrajabhumi he first met Nanda and Yasoda-mata, they were lamenting, feeling pangs of separation from Krishna. Uddhava had come to give them consolation. So Uddhava spoke to them about jïäna: “Oh, Krishna is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is all pervading, He is everywhere. Why are you lamenting?”
2. Nanda Maharaja said, “Stop it! Stop it! He is my son! He is my son! He is my son!” tomära éçvara-kåñëe hauka mora mati — “If your Krishna is éçvara, the Lord, that is all right. But He is my son.” This is pure vätsalya. They didn’t accept Uddhava’s words. Yasoda-mata said the same thing, “Stop! What are you saying, Uddhava? Stop this! He is my son who sucked my breast.” Krishna did not suck the breast of Devaki, He sucked the breast of Yasoda-mata. He appeared before Devaki in a four-armed form and she offered prayers, “Please, don’t show this form. I will be ridiculed. Show Your two-handed form.”
Krishna’s Appearance
1. Yasoda-mata had given birth at the same time as Devaki, but Yasoda-mata fainted when she gave birth to Krishna. She didn’t know if she had given birth to a son or a daughter. Actually, she had given birth to twins, one son and one daughter, but she didn’t know it. By the activity of yoga-mäyä, all of the vrajaväsés were sleeping. When Vasudev brought his son Väsudev to the maternity room of Yasoda, as a plenary portion of Krishna, Väsudev entered into Krishna. Then Vasudev took Nanda’s daughter. By the activity of yoga-mäyä, Vasudev could see only the daughter. He could not see the son. Seeing only Yasoda’s daughter, Vasudev took her and Krishna remained there.
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. His bodily hue was like ujjvala-nélakaëöha-maëi, a dazzling blue jewel. It was also like nava-jala-dharäù, a newly appeared cloud, and tamäla-taru, the color of a tamal tree. There was kañöüré-tilaka on His forehead, the kaustubha-maëi on His chest, and kajjala, black ointment, around His eyes. All auspicious symptoms were present on His body. He had curly hair, suvarëa-kuntala, and His fingers were very beautiful, like fish. All cihna, auspicious signs, were present on His hands, but in order to hide them, Krishna did not open His palms.