Vrinda Devi in Rādhā-Govinda Temple of Kaman, Vrindavan area

 

In the temple of Rādhā-Govinda is an ancient deity of Vṛndā-devī who was originally installed by Vajra at Brahma-kuṇḍa in Vṛndāvana some 4,900 years ago, and was lost to the ravages of time, as were many other deities. Vṛndā-devī was rediscovered by Rūpa Gosvāmī in Brahma-kuṇḍa, then moved to and installed in a small temple adjacent to the Rādhā-Govinda temple built by Rāja Man Singh upon Śrī Rūpa’s request. Vṛndā-devī is large, with black eyes, a reddish complexion, and ten arms that are generally covered by her clothes. Her presence in Kāmyavana is a sign of her compassion upon Kṛṣṇa’s devotees. Later, due to fear of an attack on the temples in Vrindavan by the Yavans, the king of Jaipur decided to take Vrinda Devi, Radha Gopinatha, Radha Madana-Mohan, and Radha Govinda to Jaipur. When the time came for Vṛndāvana’s Deities to leave Kāman for Jaipur,  Vṛndā-devī instructed the priests of Govindajī, “I cannot leave Vraja. If I were to leave, then what would devotees think? “How could devotees have faith in Vṛndāvana if Vṛndā-devī herself were not present here. Kṛṣṇa may come and go, but I can never leave. Therefore you must leave me here in Kāmyavana.”

Vrinda Devi is an expansion of Srimati Radharani and her partial expansion is Tulasi Devi in Goloka. Vrinda Devi is an intimate associate and girlfriend of Srimati Radharani. She arranges the meetings of Radha and Krishna. She is the queen and proprietor of Vrindavan.

Vrinda Devi Temple is located at the center of the town of Kaman. Currently this is the most famous temple of Kaman.

 

Vrunda Devi Ashtaka

Sri Vrunda Devi Ashtaka

By Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura

Translated by P. R. Ramachander

[This great prayer is addressed to Vrunda devi who later became the Thulasi (ocimum sanctum) plant. There is a story that she was doing penance to marry Lord Vishnu and once when Ravana tried to molest her, she jumped in to the fire and became ash. This was written by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also known as Sri Harivallabha dasa, who reached Brindavan (the forest of Thulasi plants) and stayed there.]

1. Gangeya champeya tadith vinindi-

Rocih pravaha snapitatma vrinde

Bandhuka bandhu dyuthi divya vaso

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Who is surrounded by the glow similar to Bandhuka flowers*,

Whose splendour puts to shame gold, Champaka** flower and lightning,

And by the flow of that same splendour you continuously anoint your devotees.

*Red Ixora flowers. **michelia champaka

2. Bimbadharo udithvara manda hasya-

Nasagra mukta dyuti dipitaysye

Vichitra rathnabharana sriya adhye

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Who has a very pretty rising smile beaking,

Out of her reddish lips resembling Bimba fruits,

Whose pearl nose ring illuminates the tip of her nose,

And who wears several amazing gem studded ornaments.

3. Samasta vaikunta- siromanau sri

Krishnasya vrindavana dhanya dhamni

Datta adhikare vrsuhaabhanu-putrya

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Who is the crown jewel of the entire land of Vaikunta,

And who has been given the power to rule the blessed Vrindavana,

By Radha who was the daughter of Vrusha Banu.

4. Thvad aajnaya pallava pushpa bhrnga,

Mrugadibhir Madhava keli kunja

Madhvadibhir bhanti vibhushyamana

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

By whose order the garden of Lord Krishna,

Is decorated with blossoming flowers, bees,

Deer and other things, for enjoying his playful pastimes.

5. Thvadiya dhothyena nikunja-yunor

Athi yutkayoh keli vilasa siddhih

Thvat saubhagyam kena niruchyatam thad

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Due to the service rendered by you, the divine couple,

Were able to enjoy perfect playful acts in the grove,

And who can ever describe your very great luck?

6. Rasabhilasho vasatis cha vrunda-

Vane thvadeesa anghri Saroja seva

Labhya cha pumsam krupaya thavaiva

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Indeed, due to your great mercy the people of Brindavana,

Were able to do service to the lotus feet of Lord Krishna,

In fulfilling his desire to perform the Rasa leela.

7. Thvam kirthyase satvata tantra vidhibhir

Leela abhidhana kila Krishna sakthih

Thavaiva murthis tulasi nru loke

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

The saints well versed in the science of pure strength,

Have praised you as the power of the sports of Lord Krishna,

And that the Thulasi plant is your form in the human world.

8. Bhakthyaa viheena aparadha lakshaih

Ksiptha scha kamaadhi taranga madhye

Krupamayi thvam saranam prapanna

Vrnde namaste charanaravindam

My salutations to your lotus like feet, Oh Vrinda devi,

Being devoid of devotion and having committed millions of sins,

And having been thrown deep in the middle of the waves of passion,

Oh merciful one, I have completely surrendered to you.

9. Vrundashtakam yah srunuyat padeth va

Vrndavana adhisa padhabja bhrungah

Sa prapya vrundavana nitya vasam

That prema sevam labhate krutarthah

If this octet addressed to Vrunda devi is heard or read,

By one who is like the bee visiting the lotus like feet of the Lords of Brindavan,

He would reach and stay for ever in Brindavan,

And get loving service there and would be blessed.

How will a devotee remember Krsna's pastimes?

 

The touchstone of Krsna’s holy name can manifest any and every pastime of the Lord, independent of any effort. Yet the science of bhakti-yoga follows the imperishable laws that were laid down by Krsna Himself. Those laws dictate that just as a devotee must have heard of Krsna’s name, form, and qualities before accessing them through bhajana, in that very same way a devotee must hear of Krsna’s pastimes in order to meditate on them. 

Without belabouring a point emphasised several times in this i book, the reader cannot underestimate the importance of hearing and reading Srila Prabhupada’s books. How will a devotee remember pastimes if he has not heard them!

Sivarama Swami, Sankalpa Kaumudi, p. 578.

Pure spiritual identity

Teachings of Lord Chaitanya.

Chapter 31. The Supreme Perfection.

...By adopting this emotional mood of following in the footsteps of the gopīs, one attains his siddha-deha. This word indicates the pure spiritual body, which is beyond the senses, mind and intelligence. The siddha-deha is the purified soul who is just suitable to serve the Supreme Lord. No one can serve the Supreme Lord as His associate without being situated in his perfectly pure spiritual identity. That identity is completely free from all material contamination. As stated in the Bhagavad-gītā, a materially contaminated person transmigrates to another material body by material consciousness. At the time of death he thinks materially and is therefore transferred to another material body. Similarly, one who at the time of death is situated in his pure spiritual identity thinks of the spiritual loving service rendered to the Supreme Lord and is transferred to the spiritual kingdom, to enter into the association of Kṛṣṇa. In other words, the qualification for being transferred to the spiritual kingdom at the time of death is to think, in one’s spiritual identity, of Kṛṣṇa and His associates. No one can contemplate the activities of the spiritual kingdom without being situated in his pure, spiritual identity (siddha-deha). Thus Rāmānanda Rāya said that without attaining one’s siddha-deha one can neither become an associate of the damsels of Vraja nor render service directly to the Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, and His eternal consort, Rādhārāṇī. In this regard, Rāmānanda quoted a nice verse from Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam (10.47.60):

nāyaṁ śriyo ’ṅga u nitānta-rateḥ prasādaḥ

  svar-yoṣitāṁ nalina-gandha-rucāṁ kuto ’nyāḥ

rāsotsave ’sya bhuja-daṇḍa-gṛhīta-kaṇṭha-

  labdhāśiṣāṁ ya udagād vraja-vallabhīnām

“Neither the goddess of fortune, Lakṣmī, nor the damsels of the heavenly kingdom can attain the facilities of the damsels of Vrajabhūmi – and what to speak of others?”

Lord Caitanya was very satisfied to hear these statements from Rāmānanda Rāya, and He embraced him. Then both of them began to cry in the ecstasy of transcendental realization.