KALYAN , Gorakhpur

English version of (on Glory of Braj-Soil (raj) & Gau Seva

posted by Hari:Vrinda - Dham

This is  article no. 6  for  monthly  KALYAN-kalptaru  ( English  ) as under  :--

on  Glory of Braj-Soil (raj) & Gau Seva

Shukdevji Narrating the Shrimad Bhagavat to Raja Parikshit

I would like to take you to the year 1990, about nineteen years back . A devotee  of Bhai Poddarji, Sri Balkrishnadas Maharajji  of Vrindavan  and parikar of Thakur Ghanshyam Bhaiyaji, Sri Manohar   Baba had come to Barsana on Shri Radhashtami.This time round he had a programme of going to Nandgaon, Gokul and so on, along with our revered Ushaji , Sushila Bahinji and other saints of holy dham Vrindavan. .One fine day while climbing stairs of the Nandgaon Temple, Sri Manohar Baba became emotional and exulted

Lord Krishna & Balramji

“These are the very same lanes where five thousand years back Lord Krishna, Divine Incarnate and Balramji, his brother, used to roam around and they do the same even as of today.The soil of Braj is worthy of honour because of the dust of their feet while deities, nagas and gandharvas adulate this celestial land.Learned Udhava also prays that he may become some leaf or creeper in Vrindavan, the divine dham (place where Lord Krishna forever dwells.)

Nidhi Van

Gopis Relishing the Romantic Dalliance of Radha-Krishna

Seva Kunj

It is in Braj that we shall find the dark-hued Krishna fluting in its blossoming pastures. The trees growing here are actually saints steeped in religious meditation.The foliage of Nidhi Van and Seva Kunj are in fact gopis who have manifested to witness the divine play of Shri Bihariji and Shri Kishoriji. Brought up and blossoming in the soil of Braj, these trees motivate several sadhakas (religious aspirants).Sitting beneath their shade, many ascetics dedicatedly chant the mahamantra of Hare Ram even today and reach the heights of elation and ecstasy.

Lord Krishna-Balram with the Cows, their Wealth

Several devotees are a witness to the fact that Lord Krishna roams around in Braj Himself; frolicking in the temple of Shri Bihariji, the courtyard of Shri Radha Vallabhaji, at Shri Radha Ramanji and the Radha-Damodar Temple situated nearby.And all of us bow respectfully to this soil of Braj and are constantly blessed in the process.Who can possibly give an account of the glory of Braj Raj (soil of Braj.) This land has become absolutely divine with the dust of the feet of Lord Krishna, Kishoriji, Lalita-Vishaka, other ashta sakhis, the gopis, Shri Yamunaji and the sacred cows who roamed here about five thousand years back.

Goddess Katyayini

Lord Shiva assumes the form of Gopeshwar Mahadev Himself to take part in the maharaas (the round dance of Lord Krishna with the herdgirls of Braj) at Vanshi Vat. His divine consort Parvati resides in this land as Goddess Katyayini and

Vrinda Devi

Vrinda Devi is a sakhi of dark-hued Krishna's nitya lila or eternal divine play.

Shri Yamunaji is actually an intimate sakhi of Krishna. In the words of saint Ushaji, Shri Yamuna is Lord Krishna's prem pravihini (beloved) who bestows the dark-hued God's love on us.Shri Ushaji sings in joyous abandon,

Shri Yamuna, Lord Krishna's Beloved

“Hei bhanuja, hei svamini

hei Krishna, man abhi ramini

karke kripa karuna mayi

hei rasmayi mamta mayi

Shri Krishan rati-ras ka daan do

priya roop ras ka paan do

unka chirantan sang do

ras rang keli abhang do||

As far as the glory of the cows is concerned the letters of devotees which are published in 'Kalyan,' the religious monthly magazine, has articles explaining how chanting the name of God blesses us, how Shri Hanuman is merciful and how Gau Mata is compassionate.In other words cows are always merciful; they are in fact deities incarnate and above all Lord Krishna has declared his loka where he forever dwells, as Golok in honour of cows.

Govind & Gopal are Epithets of Lord Krishna

After grazing the cows when Lord Krishna returns in the evening at the time of cowdust, his face is charming like a lotus. The dark-hued Krishna's popular titles Govind and Gopal (cowherd) reveal the grand majesty of cows.

Nandbaba Donated Lakhs of Cows

“Nande ke anand bhayo jai kanhaiya lal ki.” When Lala (baby Krishna) is born Nandbaba donates lakhs of cows. Lord Shiva, the supreme Vaishnava, ventures to the same soil of Braj for a glimpse of infant Krishna. It was the soil of Braj which vanquished the ego of Lord Brahma and the arrogance of Indra Dev.Nand Baba has been honoured with the rank of nand (head of the gopas) and Vrishbhanuji, the father of Kishoriji, with the title of upnand (sub-head of the gopas) depending on the number of cows they owned, which were the wealth of their village. Govardhan means one who assists in the rearing of cows.

Lord Krishna Lifts Mount Giriraj

At merely seven years of age, Lord Krishna picks up Mount Giriraj(to shelter the people of Braj and their herds from the lashing rains sent by Indra) for their protection and is acclaimed as Goverdhan Dhari (supporter of Goverdhan.) Let us sing in unison, 'Giriraj Dharan ki jai!'(An epithet of Krishna who lifted mount Giriraj.)

Devarshi Narad

Regarding the cowherdesses ,Devarshi Narad construes the love of gopis as transcendental love of the highest order in the 'Narada Bhakti Sutra'(a well known sutra venerated within the traditions of Hinduism, purportedly spoken by the famous sage Narada.The text details the process of devotion (bhakti) or bhakti yoga.)Lord Krishna declares with his own divine voice in the tenth canto that the love of the gopis is the zenith of spiritual awareness and so unearthly that He is forever indebted to them.

Shri Hanuman Prasad Poddar

Shri Hanuman Prasad Poddar, the founder of Kalyan, a religious magazine, writes in his commentary that they are not ordinary gopis (cowherdesses) but supremely accomplished rishis-munis, ardently longing for Braj Raj (soil of Braj), who incarnate in the Dwapar Yuga after ages of austere penance.Several of them are sakhis of Lord Rama's time in Mithila, Janakpuri and other regions who manifest as the ali parikar (female friends) of Lord Krishna's incarnation for the sake of Lord Rama who is Maryada Incarnate.

Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu

Several of the sites in Braj had vanished due to the ill effects of Kaliyuga.About 500 years back Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, who was actually devotion incarnate, sent his intimate bhaktas and got the sites of Braj manifested. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu came to Braj and had the Radha Kund appear again, by Himself.

Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhacharya

In the same manner Mahaprabhu Shri Vallabhacharyaji, the founder of Pusthimarg, also visited Braj and journeying all over the place revealed the significance of the enchanting Braj Bhoomi (ground.) He started the popular tradition of the eighty-four kos (approx 2 miles) parikrama (circumambulation) of Braj, which is continuing till date.

Shri Banke Bihariji Thakur

Svami Shri Haridas

Svami Shri Haridasji's manifesting Shri Bihariji Thakur and

Shri Radha Vallabh Thakur

Shri Hit Harivanshji

Hit Harivanshji's manifesting Shri Radha Vallabh Thakur seemed to declare that the saints and mahatmas of Braj Raj (soil of Braj) were worthy of being worshipped. Mira Bai, the bhakti poet-saint who was an icon of love, lived in Braj for several years and Braj Bhoomi has been the base for Surdas and the ashtachhaap kavis.Shri Nathji manifested here in the lowlands of Giriraj.We get an account of Goswami Tulsidasji, the author of Shri Ram Charit Manas, visiting Braj once.

Therefore not only the dust of the feet of Lord Krishna, Kishoriji, the pristine sand of Yamunaji, gopis, denizens of Braj and the sacred cows is gathered in the Braj Raj (soil of Braj) but rather it has become more reverential due to the pure dust of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Vallabhacharyaji, and their likes incarnating in various yugas.

Shri Roop Goswami

Not just Roop & Sanatan Goswami, several mahatmas of the Gaudiya Sect,Pushtimarg and Radha Vallabh Sect, roll about in this soil but several other holy men of the highest order consider Braj Raj (soil) as their prime spiritual preceptor,while residing permanently in Braj.

Shri Radha Baba

The spiritually evolved Bhai Poddarji, who actually had darshan of Lord Vishnu and Priya-Priyatam also ventured here.Highly honoured Shri Radha Baba had come here once and conscientiously served the granules of Braj Raj in Gorakhpur which was his permanent abode.

Ma Anandamayi

The dedicated devotion of highly revered Shri Devariya Baba, Ma Anandamayi, Shri Hari Baba, Udiya Baba, Svami Shri Sharan Anandji Maharaj, Thakur Sitaram Onkar Nathji Maharaj, Shri Ramdasji Maharaj, revered Pandi Gaya Prasadji Maharaj, Bhaktmaliji, Goswami Lalila Shachinandan Baba, Priya Sharanji Maharaj, Kripasindhu Dasji Maharaj, Madan Mohan Dasji, Goswami Binduji, Prabudatt Brahmachariji, Svami Akhanda Nand Saraswati, Mukund Hariji, Shri Shri Paad Baba, Shri Anand Das Baba, Shri Jatiji Maharaj, Shri Durga Ma, our own Shri Shri Maharajji,Ghansyam Thakurji, honourable Shri Manohar Baba, Saint Usha Bahenji, Dharam Bahenji and Lalitji is renowned the world over.

Revered Bobo & Shiela Bahenji

We are able to have darshan of Rama Deviji,Kusumji, Manoramaji and our revered Shiela Bahenji who are living icons having implicit faith in Braj, even as of now.

Braj Bhoomi Mohini

There are several other great saints who have considered Braj-Raj (soil of Braj) as the sole foundation of their lives but whose biographies are yet to be unveiled. However we can somewhat understand the glory of Braj-Raj through sacred texts like 'Bhaktmal', '256 Vaishnavan Ki Varta', 'Braj Ke Bhakt' and 'Braj Bhoomi Mohini', monthly Kalyan , Kalyan-Kalptaru  and divine literature published by Gitapress , Gorakhpur .I repeatedly bow a million times before such a celestial soil of Braj which is actually a manifestation of Lord Krishna's grace.We can gather some knowledge of the majestic grandeur of Braj-Raj solely by His mercy.

Shri Radha-Krishna

Let us all acclaim in unison, “Hail to Braj-Raj and Priya-Priyatam who divinely dally here everday. VRINDAVAN VIHARI LAL KI JAI! (Vihari Lal or sportive Lord Krishna of Vrindavan!

 POSTED BY :VIPUL KOUL                    EDITED BY :ASHOK KOUL