Dedicated to and inspired by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedānta Swami Śrīla Prabhupāda
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yamuna River
A Comprehensive Guide to Śrī Vṛndāvana Dhāma
Yamuna DeviTable of contents [showhide]
1 Overview
2 Following Acaryas
3 Taking Bath
4 Srila Rupa Gosvami Instructs
5 Srila Prabhupada Instructs
6 Prayers Glorifying
Overview
Bhagavan Sri Krsna Himself expands into different forms to enjoy transcendental pastimes with His eternal associates, who also expand to serve Him. In Vraja Gokula in the spiritual world, Srimati Visakha-devi expands in a liquid form as the River Yamuna to nourish the sweet water pastimes of the Divine Couple.
Sri Rupa Gosvami explains that Yamuna is non-different from Visakha-sakhi. Whenever Srimati Radhika sees the rich blue hue of the Yamuna, She immediately remembers Her beloved Syamasundara. The Yamuna River eternally flows in the spiritual world serving Sri Krsna’s blissful pastimes.
When Krsna appears in Bhauma Vrindavana, He enacts many exciting pastimes in the Yamuna including dancing on the hoods of the demon Kaliya, splashing water on His cowherd boyfriends, and swimming and boat riding with His beloved gopis. For thousands of years devotees of Lord Krsna have bathed in the sacred waters of the Yamuna River while remembering Radha-Krsna’s eternal pastimes and praying for mercy. It is a tradition amongst Krsna bhaktas to first take a Yamunä bath at Visrama Ghat in Mathura before entering Sri Krsna’s sacred land of Vrindavana.
Madhavendra Puri, Sri Advaita Acarya, Lord Nityananda, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Six Gosvämis, Srinivas Acarya, Narottama dasa Thakura, Syamananda Prabhu, Sri Jahnava Mata, and many Gaudiya acaryas have observed this most purifying practice. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu offered a beautiful prayer when He saw the Yamuna,
Yamuna River“O River Yamuna, you are the blissful spiritual water that gives love to the son of Nanda Maharaja. You are the same as the water of the spiritual world, for you can vanquish all our offenses and the sinful reactions incurred in life. You are the creator of all auspicious things for the world. O daughter of the sun-god, kindly purify us by your pious activities.” (Cc. Madhya 3.28)
Following Acaryas
Sri Rupa Gosvami and Sri Jiva Gosvami bathed everyday in the Yamuna while staying in Vrindavana at Seva-kunja. Following in their footsteps four hundred years later, Srila Prabhupada also bathed regularly in the Yamuna during his days of solitary bhajana at the Radha Damodara Temple. Srila Rupa Gosvami’s quotes many Vedic literatures to establish the exalted identity of and the benefits of bathing in the beautiful River Yamunä in the Mathura Mahatyam: “The Adi-Varaha Purana says,
The Yamuna in Vrindavana is a hundred times more sacred than the Ganges. A person who bathes in the Yamuna’s waters becomes pure and sense-controlled. The Padma Purana says,
The flood of eternal, blissful spiritual nectar, which is called Brahman in the Upanisads, is the Yamuna, which has become a flowing river to purify the worlds.
By the Yamuna’s touch a sinful person becomes free from sin, saintly and liberated. A person who dies in the Yamuna as it flows through Vrindavana attains a spiritual form like that of Lord Hari and goes to Vaikuntha. Simply by bathing in the Yamuna, the devotees attain the association of Lord Krsna. A person who bathes there attains the result of visiting all holy places. In the Matsya Purana, Narada says, O Yudhisthira! A person who enters the Yamuna and drinks its waters purifies seven generations of ancestors.’ ” (Mathura Mahatyam)
Yamuna Boat Pastime
In Yamunastaka, Sri Rupa Gosvami says that bathing in the Yamuna will directly manifest spontaneous devotion (raganuga-bhakti) for Radha and Krsna within the heart, increase one’s attachment (asakti) to Krsna, and manifest Their transcendental pastimes.
Srila Prabhupada explains how in Vrindavana Krsna is the center of attachment (asakti):
“There is Nanda Maharaja, Yasoda—they have asakti to Krsna. The young girls and the cowherd boys have got asakti to Krsna. The trees, fruits, flowers, and the Yamunä River have asakti to Krsna.” (Lecture to Sanand, 27/Dec/75)
Since one’s qualities develop by association, by bathing in the Yamunä one will associate with her and thereby increase his attachment to Krsna.
Taking Bath
Bathing in the Yamuna is an important activity of devotional service. In the purport to Srimad Bhagavatam 7.5.23, Srila PrabhupAda describes the fourth process of devotional service named pada sevanam, serving the Lord’s lotus feet, which includes thakurji darsana, mandir and dhama parikrama, tulasi and vaisnava seva, and Yamunä snana. Srila Prabhupäda concludes by saying, “All these processes of pada-sevanam help one advance in spiritual life very quickly.”
Vrajavasi Vaisnavas say that every Ekadasi devotees should circumambulate Vrindavana and bathe in the Yamuna in order to nullify the offenses incurred during the previous fortnight. For years this was the tradition among the Vrindavana Iskcon devotees. But lately a different mood prevails as revealed in the following statement of a senior devotee:
“The Yamuna is not so clean anymore. I remember twenty years ago it was so clear you could see the bottom. But now its difficult with so many plastic bags and all that stool running in. It’s not much fun anymore to bathe. Nowadays, I just try to bathe in the remembrance.”
Rupa Gosvami
Srila Rupa Gosvami Instructs
In Upadesamrta, Sri Rupa Gosvami gives eleven instructions to bring one’s sraddha and saranagati, faith and surrender, to the point of perfection wherein one realizes his spiritual identity and enters the eternal loving service of Radha-Syamasundara. Devotees should see reality through the eyes of such scriptures, and act accordingly by faithfully following in the footsteps of the predecessor acaryas. One can never perceive transcendental reality with the eyes of prejudice and a mind full of material knowledge.
Being situated in his original Krsna conscious position, a pure devotee does not identify with the body. Such a devotee should not be seen from a materialistic point of view. Indeed, one should overlook a devotee’s having a body born in a low family, a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body. According to ordinary vision, such imperfections may seem prominent in the body of a pure devotee, but despite such seeming defects, the body of a pure devotee cannot be polluted. It is exactly like the waters of the Ganges, which sometimes during the rainy season are full of bubbles, foam and mud. The Ganges waters do not become polluted. Those who are advanced in spiritual understanding will bathe in the Ganges without considering the condition of the water. (Upadesamrta v.6)
In this verse, Sri Rupa Gosvami describes that the River Ganga is eternally pure, transcendental and pollution free. He says that the Ganga is always transcendental (brahma-dravatvam), and its purity never gets spoiled (apagacchati), even by the presence of bubbles, foam and mud (budbuda-phena- pankaih). These important instructions also apply to the River Yamuna, which Sri Jiva Gosvämi established is one hundred times purer than the Ganga. “And as far as sanctity is concerned, the River Yamunä is more directly connected with Lord Krsna than the Ganges. The Lord sanctified the River Yamuna from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. According to the Varaha Purana, as quoted by Srila Jiva Gosvami, there is no difference between the water of the Ganges and the Yamunä, but when the water of the Ganges is sanctified one hundred times, it is called the Yamunä.” (SB 1.19.6 pur.)
Srila Prabhupada Instructs
Revolts do not last. Revolutions sometimes succeed, on the other hand. Free yoursel internally first, then the world. Become spiritually strong in love and service, and you will surely succeed.
Srila PrabhupadaIn the beginning of his purport to verse six of Upadesamrta, Srila Prabhupäda talks about suddha bhakti, pure devotion, and how a surrendered devotee must serve Krsna without material considerations. Later while discussing the fault of observing the bodily defects of a pure devotee, Srila Prabhupäda states,
“One should, therefore, avoid observing a pure devotee externally, but should try to see the internal features and understand how he is engaged in the transcendental loving service of the Lord.” Applying this to the Yamuna, a sincere devotee should serve the Yamuna by understanding her internal spiritual qualities, and by bathing in her sanctified waters without material considerations.
Twenty-five years ago, Srila Prabhupäda established the ISKCON Krsna-Balarama Mandir in Vrindavana to help devotees purify their existence, attain Krsna-prema, and go back home, back to Godhead. In one purport describing the activities of the Krsna-Balarama Mandir, Srila Prabhupada states two ways to attain perfection: nama sankirtana and Yamuna snana.
“Our Krsna consciousness movement has therefore established two very large centers, one in Vrindavana and another in Mayapur, Navadvipa. There one may bathe in the Ganges or Yamuna, chant the Hare Krsna mantra and thus become perfect and return home, back to Godhead.” (SB 6.5.28p.)
The following instructions of Srila Prabhupäda are perfect “silver jubilee meditations” to inspire the Vrindävana devotees to improve their devotional practices.
“Why people come to Vrindävana? Here the atmosphere is surcharged with devotional service. We should take advantage of it. This is called sadhana-bhakti. (NOD lec. Vrindavana 13/nov/72)
“Vrindavana specifically is the most exalted and preferred holy place for Vaishnava devotees of Lord Krsna who are aspiring to return back to Godhead. There are many devotees in Vrindävana who regularly bathe in the Yamuna, and this cleanses all the contamination of the material world.” (SB 5.8.31)
Let all the ISKCON Vrindävana devotees come together and chant Krsna’s holy names. May we serve Krsna-Balarama without duplicity or ambition, circumambulate Vrindävana and bathe in Yamunaji on Ekadasi, and thereby receive the great golden treasure of pure love for Radha-Syamasundara that Srila Prabhupada is offering to the residents of Raman Reti and the world. In closing, let us always remember the words of Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura,
“The Yamuna River is like a blue lotus flower garland, a sapphire necklace, or a blue sash worn by the goddess of Vrindavana. They who bathe in her waters transform into pure devotees carrying Lord Krsna in their hearts.” (Vraja-riti-cintamani)
Revolts do not last. Revolutions sometimes succeed, on the other hand. Free yoursel internally first, then the world. Become spiritually strong in love and service, and you will surely succeed.
“O Srinivasa, who can describe the numerous glories of Sri Yamunä? Bathing in the Yamunä at Mathurä gives one a hundred times superior results to those obtained from bathing in the Ganga.
This is confirmed in the Adi Varaha Puräna as follows:
“Within My Mathura mandala the famous Yamuna is one hundred times superior to the Ganga. One should not argue about this. O sinless goddess, I have many confidential sacred places along the Yamunä. Whoever takes bath there becomes worshipable in My abode.”
In the Matsya Purana, in a conversation between Yudhisthira and Närada, it is stated:
“O Yudhisthira, a man becomes virtuous if he takes a bath in the Yamuna, drinks the pure water and sings her glories. Even the darshana of Yamuna gives auspicious results. One who takes bath in the Yamunä or drinks her water guarantees auspiciousness for seven generations of his family. Whoever dies on the bank of the Yamunä attains the eternal abode.”
In the Vishnu Dharmottara it is stated:
“O King, whoever performs the sraddha ceremony on the bank of the Yamunä attains immortal results and becomes happy in heaven.”
The Padma Purana states, while describing the creation of Prajäpati Marici
“He who is the support of all existence, the cause of all causes, the eternal, omniscient blissful Lord, glorified as Brahma by the Upanisads, that Supreme Lord, the embodiment of transcendental mellows, Krsna, exists in the form of Yamuna.”
“According to the Puranas, one achieves superior fruits by taking bath in Yamuna at special times. O Srinivasa, it is commonly known that by the mercy of Yamuna one can easily fulfill his desires. As iron becomes gold by the touch of the touchstone, so a sinful person become virtuous by the touch of the waters of the Yamuna.”
“O river Yamuna, you are the blissful spiritual water that gives love to the son of Nanda Maharaja. You are the same as the water of the spiritual world, for you can vanquish all our offenses and the sinful reactions incurred in life. You are the creator of all auspicious things for the world. O daughter of the sun-god, kindly purify us by your pious activities.”
Yamuna DeviPrayers GlorifyingYamunaloka By Kusakratha Dasa
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who saves one from having to enter the city of her brother Yamaraja, the sight of whom enables the most sinful persons to cross the ocean of sin, and the sweetness of whose water charms the hearts of everyone, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who decorates the great Khandava forest with a stream of pleasant waters, who is filled with lotus flowers and dancing birds, and who blinds the terrible sins of those who desire to bath in her, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, a drop of whose water destroys the sinful reactions of the people, who creates a great flood of confidential pure devotional service to Sri Nandanandana, and who brings auspiciousness to they who desire to live on her shore, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who divides the seven oceans and seven continents, who witnessed many of Lord Mukunda's transcendental pastimes, and whose splendor rebukes a host of sapphires, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is decorated by the beautiful district of Mathura, who expertly protects those who follow the path of loving devotional service, and who with the playful motions of the waves that are her arms offers respectful obeisances to Padmanabha's feet, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, whose charming shores are decorated with many lowing cows, who is filled with many splendid and fragrant kadamba flowers, and who is delighted to have the company of Lord Krsna's devotees, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is filled with the warblings of thousands of joyful mallikaksa swans, who is worshiped by the Vaisnavas, devas, siddhas, and kinnaras, and the slightest scent of the fragrant breeze moving on whose shores stops the cycle of repeated birth and death, always purify me.
May Sri Yamuna, the daughter of Suryadeva, who is the famous, splendid, spiritual river flowing through the Bhur, Bhuvah and Svar planetary systems, who burns away the greatest sins, and who is fragrant with scented ointments from Lord Krsna's transcendental body, always purify me.
O lotus eyed one, O daughter of Suryadeva, O rescuer from all sins, please flood with pure devotional service that person who, reciting these eight prayers with a cheerful heart, glorifies you, whose waves are pure and splendid, and who is accompanied by the demigods.
Comments