Vrindavanam punah prapya Navineev swarupinee – Although Born in Dravid Desha (or Southern India) but Bhakti (or Krishna devotion ) evolved to youth phase only in Vrindavna. When,invaders destroyed the heritage of bhakti in Mathura and Vrindavana in medieval time,then Bhakti Saints have re-established the cult of Bhakti in these sacred places .Past times of Acharya Vallabh as well as that of the six gosvamis,Hita Harivamsa and other saints made the place more holier ,as in the Bhagavatam –
nirvairaṁ sama-darśanam
anuvrajāmy ahaṁ nityaṁ
pūyeyety aṅghri-reṇubhiḥ
Polymath Mahapurush Srimanta Sankardeva visited Mathura and Vrindavana during His first pilgrimage to all over the Indian subcontinent . He spent a long time in the Jagannath Puri,but in Vrindavana ,the stay period was less !But Vrindavana finds a place in the songs of both Sri Sankara and Madhavdeva , Krishna’s cowherd playtime influenced both . The Katha Gurucharit and Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya’s Padma Puran speaks brief about the Vrindavana past-time of Sri Sankaradeva . notably , at that period Sankara was probably thirty-four years old .
With Twelve associates ,Sankaradeva visited Mathura and Vrindavana . He also Visited the place where Yamuna and Ganga overlaps . At that holy place , He met Poet Gopinatha. Gopinath accepted the philosophy of Eka Sarana (single-minded devotion or surrender only to Shri Krishna) and became a disciple of Srimanta Sankara.The party then,entered Mathura and Vrindavana. They Visted different forest such as – Loh,Muh,Lal,Tala,Kunja,Munja,Nikunja,Khajur,Ashok,Bhandir,Kamakhidra,Ashoka,Kelighat,Vasmi Ghat and the river Yamuna.
A woman namely, Radha glorified Sankaradeva there and take shelter in Eka Sarana Bhakti of Krishna .There’s no information avaliable in any of the Mahapurushiya texts about Her .After Radha , vrindavana Dasa met Sankardeva and found his joy in Eka Sarana. (This Vrindavan Dasa is not the writer of the book Caitanya Bhagavata, Some say He is none other than Haridasa of Nimarka line ).According to Thakur Ramcharana's charita,Sankardeva stayed for six months in Mathura .He then ,visited the Vridavana and offered His prayers and made donation to many devotees and Vipras.He also gave sermon of elaborated stories of Lord Krishna there .
After taking bath in Kali hrada or pond , Sankardeva rested there in the banks of Kalindi River ,under a kadamba tree ( Believed to the same tree where Krsna climbed ) . Rupa Gosvami and His brother Sanatana Gosvami came and offer their respect to Sankardeva , Rupa humbly offered prostration (showing the ideal character of the Vaishnavas).Sankardev also initiated an ascetic namely Trijata in Vraja.
Nowadays, some people questioned how Sankardev and Rupa Gosain met each other ( as beacause ,Rupa was not even born at that time - arround 1485 AD !), So , the basic thing here is the Rupa Manjhari philosphy ; the real identity of Rupa and Sanatana ; During Sri Sankaradev’s visit ,they were in the spiriual form of Nitya Leela : The Nikunja Bhava of all Saints in Krsna’s play .That’s the Rupa Majhari form ,not the historic Rupa Goswami . In Bidaghdha Madhav play, Sri Rupa Goswami wrote – Bhaktavatarena bhagavaten Sri Sankardeven ( He who is a devotee in this incarnation , who is Bhagavata himself Sri Sankardeva, Sri means wealthy and Deva means deity ). Some intrepreted this verse as an indication to Lord Shiva ,But according Rupa goswami himself ,Shiva is Purusha , Gunavesh and Mahesha . Biswanatha Chakravarty wrote – Sri Sankardevneti brahmakunda tirabartina Gopashwaranama .Here , it’s the same Nikunja philosophy : As in the Rudra Yamala Tantra : . Srimad Sankara Namohavarteerna kaloyuge . Both Rupa Goswami and Vishvanatha are correct in their own way .
Another Rasik Sri Harivyash met Sankara in Jagannath and went to Vrindavana ,latter He became an acharya in Nimbarka Line .
Sankardeva glorified the Vraja in His writings , Quoting Bhagavata puran ,he trans-created – Vrajar renu Hoibu mahabhaga paibu Gopir Renuko lago ( Uddhava’s prayers of becoming the dust of vraja in future). There are even influence of Sankara in some of the other vraja philosophies too , The Single Krsna deity in a few temples indicates the influence of Eka-Sarana of Gita .However, many places in vraja mandala associated with Sankaradev’s past times are vanished due to post era destruction . Or we can spiritually say that those places transmitted from material to spiritual abobde with the dust of different Saints.Latter ,in the Sixteenth century ,Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu,Vallabhacharya ,haridas,Vithalnath all other great saints re-established the cult of Bhakti in Vraja .
(In photograph : Goverdhan Hills, source - Shri mathurjai website)
Comments
Post a Comment