Shri Krishna Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya
BY: SUN STAFF
Feb 04, CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of Shri Krishna Chaitanya-carita Mahakavya, written by Shrila Murari Gupta (1513 A.D.). Translation into English by Bhaktivedanta Bhagavata Swami.
Fourth Prakrama - Third Sarga
dvadasha-vana-prasangah
Visiting the Twelve Forests
eva ta rajani nitva / kana-praya shaci-sutah
utkanthitah prabhate ca / vipram ahuya sa-tvaram 1
evam - thus; tam - that; rajanim - night; nitva - having passed; kana-prayam - just as a moment; shaci-sutah - the son of Shaci; utkanthitah - very eager; prabhate - in the evening; ca - and; vipram - the learned brahmana; ahuya - calling; sa-tvaram - quickly.
That night passed just like a moment, and at dawn the son of Shaci anxiously hailed the vipra to come quickly.
provaca me darshaya tva / mathura-mandala sakhe
yena hi parama pritir / bhaved eva tatha vacah 2
provaca - He said; me - to Me; darshaya - please show; tvam - you; mathura-mandalam - the circle of Mathura; sakhe - O friend; yena - whereby; hi - surely; parama - supreme; priti - love; bhavet - may be; evam - thus; tatha - so; vacah - words.
He said, "He sakhe! Please show Me the Mathura Manala, which causes supreme love for the youthful couple to awaken."
so 'py aha mathure brahman / yamuna sarvvato 'dhika
yasya priti samasadya / knah sarvveshvareshvarah 3
gopa-gopi-rasamodi / paramatma naraktih
khelati sma sukha rasa-jala-keli-kutuhali 4
sa api - that very person; aha - replied; mathure - in Mathura; brahman - O Spirit; yamuna - the personality of Yamuna; sarvata - in all respects; adhika - superior; yasyam - in whom; pritim - love; samasadya - attaining; knah; sarva-ishvara-ishvarah - the controller of all controllers; gopa-gopi - with the cowherds and milkmaids; rasa-amodi - the enjoyer of rasa; parama-atma - Supersoul; nara-aktih - the appearance of a man; khelati - sports; sma - indeed; sukham - happily; rasa - the Rasa dance; jala-keli - water-sports; kutuhali - exuberant play.
Krishna Dasa replied, "O Supreme Spirit! Throughout the land of Mathura, the Shri Yamuna Maharani is in every respect the highest authority. Because of affection for her, Shri Vrajendranandana Krishna, although the controller of all controllers and the all-pervading Supersoul, He accepts a manlike form, and exulting in the rasas of the gopas and gopis, sports joyously in the rasa dance and exuberantly plays in her waters.
kalindyah pashcime bhage / madhu-vndavana param
kumuda khadira caiva / tala-kamya-bahulakam 5
kalindyah - of Yamuna; pashcime bhage - on the western side; madhu - charming; vndavanam - the vana (forest) of Vrinda; param - transcendental; kumudam khadiram - the forests; ca - and; eva - certainly; tala-kamya-bahulakam - the forests.
"On the western side of the Yamuna, child of the Kalinda mountain, lies the charming and transcendental vana of Vrinda as well as Madhu, Kumuda, Khadira, Tala, Kamya and Bahula vanas.
asyah purvve bhadra-bilva-loha-bhandira-namakam
mahad-vana ca rasikair / dhyayante priti-hetave 6
asyah - of her; purve - on the east; bhadra-bilva-loha-bhandira - the forests; namakam - named; mahat-vanam - the great forest; ca - and; rasikai - by those expert in relishing rasa; dhyayante - they contemplate; priti-hetave - for the purpose of love.
"To Shri Yamuna's east are the vanas named Bhadra, Bilva, Loha, Bhanira as well as Mahavana, which are meditated upon by persons expert at relishing rasa in order to achieve love for the Lord.
bhadra-shri-loha-bhandira-maha-tala-khadirakam
bahula kumuda kamya madhu vndavana tatha 7
dvadashaitad vana ramya / shri-kna-priti-da sada
mahattvam ea jananti / bhakta nanye kadacana 8
bhadra-shri-loha-bhandira-maha-tala-khadirakam; bahulam; kumudam; kamyam; madhu; vndavanam; tatha - also; dvadasha - twelve; etat - this; vanam - forests; ramyam - charming; shri-kna-priti-dam - give love to Shri Krishna; sada - always; mahattvam - greatness; eam - of them; jananti - they know; bhakta - devotees; na - not; anye - others; kadacana - in any way.
"These twelve delightful vanas - Bhadra, Loha, Bhanira, Maha, Tala, Khadira, Bahula, Kumuda, Kamya, Madhu and Vrinda - perpetually bestow love for Krishna. Bhaktas know the glories of these forests, whereas one without bhakti can never know those glories.
yamuna-pashcime bhage / kasasya sadana param
asyottare maha-ramya / vndaranya su-durlabham 9
yamuna-pashcime - to the west of Yamuna; bhage - side; kasasya - of Kasa; sadanam - residence; param - great; asya - of that; uttare - to the north; maha-ramyam - very pleasing; vnda-aranyam - the forest of Vrinda; su-durlabham - most difficult to achieve.
"On the western side of Yamuna lies the great palace of Kasa. To the north of it lies the very enchanting and rarely-achieved forest of Vrinda.
kumudakhya-vana tasya / nairjhate sukha-da hareh
tad-dakine khadirakhya / vana kna-sukha-pradam 10
kumuda-akhya-vanam; tasya - of her; nairjhate - to the southwest; sukha-dam - giving joy; hareh - for Hari; tat-dakine - on the south; khadira-akhyam - known as Khadira; vanam - forest; kna-sukha-pradam - giving joy to Krishna.
"To Yamuna's southwest lies Kumudavana, who gives pleasure to Shri Hari. To her south is Khadiravana, who also gives Krishna joy.
mathura-pashcime tala-vana keshava-vallabham
nadi tatra manasakhya / ganga bhuvana-pavani 11
mathura-pashcime - on the west of Mathura; tala-vanam; keshava-vallabham - beloved of Keshava; nadi - river; tatra - there; manasa-akhya - named Manasa; ganga; bhuvana-pavani - purifier of all the worlds.
"To the west of Mathura lies Talavana, the beloved forest of Keshava. There flows a river named Manasi Ganga, who purifies all the worlds.
vndaranya-pashcime ca / govarddhana-gires tate
shri-knah kridati yatra / nauka-khanadi-lilaya 12
vnda-aranya - of the forest of Vrinda; pashcime - on the west; ca - and; govardhana-gire - of Govardhana hill; tate - on the border; shri-knah - all-attractive; kridati - plays; yatra - where; nauka-khanda-adi-lilaya - by pastimes headed by boating.
"It lies to the west of Vrindaranya, bordering on Govardhana hill. In her waters Krishna engages in boating-sports and other pastimes.
mathura-pashcime govarddhano nama maha-girih
tasyapi pashcime kamya-vana kna-rasayanam 13
mathura-pashcime - to the west of Mathura; govardhana; nama - named; maha-girih - great hill; tasya - of him; api - and; pashcime - to the west; kamya-vana; kna-rasayanam - which is a source of all rasa for Krishna.
"To the west of Mathura lies the great hill named Govardhana, and to the west of Govardhana lies Kamyavana, which is a reservoir of all rasa for Shri Krishna.
tat-sannidhye maha-punya / sarasvati nadi subha
madhu-puryya uttare ca / yamunam anudhavati 14
tat-sannidhye - in that vicinity; maha-punya - very holy; sarasvati-nadi - river; subha - splendid; madhu-purya - of Madhu-puri; uttare - to the north; ca - and; yamunam; anudhavati - flowing swiftly after.
"Nearby Kamyavana, to the north of Madhu-puri, is the splendid and very sanctified river Sarasvati, who flows northwards following the direction of Shri Yamuna.
aishanya mathurayash ca / bahulakhya-vana shubha
manoganga samuttiryya / yatra kridati kasa-ha 15
aishanyam - to the northeast; mathuraya - of Mathura; ca - and; bahula-akhya-vanam - forest named Bahula; shubham - beautiful; mana-ganga - the Ganga from Krishna's mind; samuttirya - crossing; yatra - where; kridati - sports; kasa-ha - the killer of Kasa.
"To the northeast of Mathura is the shining forest of the name Bahula. Here the slayer of Kasa crosses the Manasi Ganga and enjoys sports.
mohanakhya-vana caiva / kathitani maha-bhuja
vanani sapta-yamuna-pashcime ha para shnu 16
mohana-akhya-vanam - the forest described as enchanting; ca - and; eva - indeed; kathitani - described; maha-bhuja - O mighty armed; vanani - forests; sapta - seven; yamuna-pashcime - on the west of Yamuna; ha - indeed; param - further; shnu - hear.
"That forest is described as mohana or enchanting. Thus the seven forests to the west of Shri Yamuna Maharani have been described. O mighty-armed one! Hear further.
tasya purvva-kule panca / vanani rasikeshvara
tat-kripapara-vashyena / lakshyate vipula maya 17
tasya - of her; purva-kule - on the eastern bank; panca-vanani - five forests; rasika-ishvara - O Lord of those who relish rasa; tat-kripa - Your mercy; apara - unbounded; vashyena - by the power; lakshyate - it has been seen; vipulam - extensively; maya - by me.
"On Yamuna's eastern bank lie five forests. O rasikeshvara! By the power of Yamuna's unbounded mercy, they have been seen extensively by me.
yamunayah su-nikate / maharanya su-durlabham
bilva tat-pashcime ramya / kna-prema-phala-pradam 18
yamunayah - of Yamuna; su-nikate - very near; maha-aranyam - the great forest, Mahavana; su-durlabham - very hard to achieve; bilvam; tat-pashcime - to the west of that; ramyam - delightful; kna-prema - love for Krishna; phala-pradam - bestowing the fruit.
"Very near to the Yamuna is Maharanya, which is very difficult to attain, and to the west of Maharanya lies delightful Bilvavana, which bestows the fruit of love for Krishna.
tasyottare loha-nama-vana bhadra-vana tatha
bhandiraka-vana ramya / kna-bhakti-prada mahat 19
tasya - of that; uttare - to the north; loha-nama-vanam - named Loha-vana; bhadra-vanam; tatha - also; bhandiraka-vanam; ramyam - pleasure-filled; kna-bhakti-pradam - bestowing devotion to Krishna; mahat - great.
"To the north of Bilvavana lies Lohavana, Bhadravana and also the great pleasure-filled Bhanirakavana, which awards the aspiring bhakta the gift of bhakti unto Shri Krishna.
dvadashaitad vana ramya / mathura-mandala prabho
eteu viharaty eva / kno yogeshvareshvarah 20
dvadasha - twelve; etat - this; vanam - group of forests; ramyam - delightful; mathura-mandalam - the circle of Mathura; prabho - O Master; eteu - within them; viharati - He enjoys; eva - surely; kna - all-attractive; yoga-ishvara-ishvarah - the master of all masters of mystic power.
"O Prabhu! These are the twelve charming forests of Mathura Manala. Within them sported Yogeshvareshvara Krishna.
pratyeka darshayiyami / yasmat te 'nugraho mayi
bhaved eva hshikesha / yena syad bhava-mocanam 21
prati-ekam - each one; darshayiyami - I shall show; yasmat - from which; te - Your; anugraha - mercy; mayi - on Me; bhavet - it may be; eva - indeed; hshika-isha - O Lord of the senses; yena - whereby; syat - there may be; bhava-mocanam - freedom from material existence.
"I shall show each of them to You, aspiring to receive Your mercy. For, O Hrishikesha, anyone who receives that mercy, is thereby freed from bondage to this world of matter."
Thus ends the Third Sarga entitled "Visiting the Twelve Forests," in the Fourth Prakrama of the great poem Shri Chaitanya Carita.
