17 - Description of Vrundavana 

Narayana said - During the night when the people of vraja together with Nanda went to sleep. Krishna also went to sleep in the lap of his mother. When all the young people slept with the cowherds some of whom carried the infants intheir laps, some of them slept with the female friends, some of them slept in the carts, some of them in the chariots. From the moon light Vrundavana was looking better than heaven and the cool fragrant breeze started blowing. All the people went to sleep. After the passage of five muhurtas, Vishvakarma the teacher of all the architects reached there. 

He was clad in fine and divine garment, he was wearing a garland of gems and the gem studded ornament having unprecedented glory, wearing makara-kundalas in the ears, all knowledgeable and appeared quite young, possessing the lustre of the god of love. 

He was accompanied by three crores of architects who carried in their hands many gems and weapons made of iron. The Yakshas of the forest of Kubera who happen to be his servants also arrived there. They were adorned with crystal gems and the ornaments studded with gem. The shoulders of some of them were very broad. Some of them carried heaps of rubies, emeralds, and syamantaka gems. Some of them carried axes in their hands while others carried iron implements. Some of them carried the best of the gems while others carried fly-whisks, mirrors, vases of gold, gold pitchers in heaps. With the best of material available with Vishvakarma, he looked at the same and thought of lord Krishna. He then started the work of constructing the city. It happened to be the best of the city of Bharata and was spread over an area of five yojanas. It was the best of the holy places and was considered to be the most sacred place, liked best by Hari. It could lead the people desirous of salvation to achieve their goal by residing there. Four crores of four-roomed houses were built there as a result of which the entire city looked quite beautiful. 

It was built in stones with a large number of doors, pillars and steps decorated with puppets, flowers and kalasas at the top of each one of the house, which illumined the area. 

There were pedestals made with blocks of stones and the courtyards added to the beauty of the houses there. The city was surrounded by boundary walls made in block of stones. Vishvakarma built the entire city playfully. 

In each and every house there were big or small doors which wrere appropriately fixed. Vishvakarma had delightfully constructed the houses of the city with crystal gems. The steps were made of sandal-wood and the pillars were without nails; the doors were fixed with chains of steel vases of silver were fixed on the boundary walls which were strong like vajra as a result of which the entire city was looking quite glorious. After constructing the appropriate types of the houses for the Gopas, Vishvakarma constructed a beautiful house for Vrushabhanu. It was covered with boundary walls and moats all round, which had four gates on all the four sides. 

He constructed twenty, four-roomed houses, in the entire complex in which the gems were studded, the paintings were made with gems, the steps were made with various types of pearls which looked quite beautiful, the doors were made of steel and with artificial paintings, the houses of Vrushabhanu looked quite beautiful. Every temple in that complex had the kalasa of gold which kept on shining. A lonely place of that ashrama having a beautiful champaka trees, was made for enjoying the love-sports by Kalavati with her husband, was also made by Vishvakarma. It was built with the special types of gems, having nine steps of emerald, the pillars were made of sandal-wood and the doors were quite high. It was indeed an astonishing type of mansion. 

Narada said - О lord, who was the attractive Kalavati and who was her husband for whom Vishvakarma constructed the mansion with such great efforts. 

Narayana said - О Narada, Kalavati had been bom of the amsha of Kamala and was the mind bom daughter of the manes, who was quite chaste and the beloved of Vrushabhanu. She was the mother of Radha, who was dearer to Krishna than his life, emerging out of the half of the body of Krishna, she possessed the lustre equal to that of the lord. The earth was purified with the dust of her feet and the noble people are always desirous of her devotion. 

Narada said - О sage, how could the people of Vraja achieve the mind-bom daughter of the manes, so easily; who was Vrushabhanu, the lord of Vraja in earlier times and by what merit could he achieve Radha as his daughter? 

Suta said - On hearing the words of Narada, the sage Narayana who happens to be the best of the learned people smiled and lovingly narrated the ancient story. 

Narayana said - In earlier times Kalavati, Ratnamala and Menaka were known as the mind bom daughters of the manes who were quite inaccessible. Out of them the passionate Ratnamala married Janaka and Menaka accepted Himalaya the lord of the mountain as her husband, the truthful Slta happened to be daughter of Ratnamala who was bom without human contact and happened to be the wife of lord Rama. Parvati happened to be the daughter of Menaka who was also bom without human contact. She was also the illusion of Hari and quite eternal. She, after performing great tapas for Narayana achieved Shiva as her husoand. Kalavati on the other hand accepted Sunanda who belonged to the race of Manu as her husband. The king considered himself to be quite fortunate since she was bom out of the amsha of the Kamala by getting the virtuous Kalavati as his wife. Praising Kalavati he used to think in his mind, "She has an astonishing type of beauty and costumes. How beautiful is she in her tender age! Her limbs are quite tender and beautiful and her face resembles the glory of the full moon of the winter season; her walking pushed to shame the moving of the elephant and the wagtail bird. With her side-glances she can attract the minds of even the great sages, her pelvic region and thighs are well developed and look like the trunk of banana trees. О sage, both her breasts, were quite stiff and well developed and her buttocks resembled the wheels of the chariot. The hands and the feet were quite red and the lips resembled the ripe wood-apples, the lines of teeth resembled the seed of pomegranate and were quite charming; her eyes resembled the fully blossomed lotus flowers of the winter season. She was adorned with all the gem studded ornaments." Thus thinking, the king felt infatuated with passion.

Thereafter, the passionate king mounted on the divine chariot together with Kalavati moved on to a charming spot. He enjoyed sex with her, in the charming forest of Malayachala valley, where the trees of sandal, aguru were found in large number and their fragrance was spread everywhere carried by the wind, on the beautiful bed of champaka flowers which made the sexual pleasure quite comfortable, in the groves of jasmine flowers and on the bank of river Puspabhadra, the secluded forest of Ketaki trees, on the western ocean in Bengal, devoid of any creatures, in the valley of Nandanavana in the Mandrachala mountain, in the forest of the bank of the Kaveri river. Thus he roamed about in all the charming places, the mountains, the rivers, the rivulets, the islands and all the charming places where he enjoyed himself in her company. 

Thus in this first sexual encounter they lost awareness of day and night and thus a thousand years elapsed like a moment. 

Having been thus indulged in the sexual behaviour for a long time, the king became fed up with the same and thereafter he went for tapas together with his wife in the hermitage of sage Pulaha located in Vindhyachala in the land of Bharata. Reaching there the king performed severe tapas leaving all the desires, remaining without food for a divine thousand years and his body became lean and thin. О best of the sages, devoting his mind at the lotus-like feet of lord Krishna he fainted. 

The hole created in the body because of the tapas was removed by his chaste wife. But the chaste wife Kalavati finding her husband lifeless, devoid of the five elements, flesh blood and the remnants of the bones and skin, became grief stricken and started crying aloud in that secluded forest. 

Placing the fainted king in her lap she uttered, "O lord". Thereafter the grief-stricken and chaste wife started lamenting. The body of the king had dried up because he took no food and all the veins of his body were quite visible. Finding this, listening to the lamenting of Kalavati, the compassionate Brahma who was bom out of the lotus and happened to be the creator of the universe, compassionately reached there. Carrying the king in his lap he also started crying. Thereafter Brahma, who was well aware of the Brahman took out water from his kamandalu and sprinkled it on the body of the king and with his divine knowledge be brought him back to life; getting his senses back the king found Brahma before him and he bowed in reverence to him. Thereafter, Brahma was pleased and he spoke to the king, who was as beautiful as the god of love, "You ask for a boon desired by you." On hearing the words of Brahma, the king said, "O compassionate one, in case you intend to bestow a boon on me with a mind filled with compassion, with your face blossoming like the lotus, then you give me the boon of achieving salvation. Realising the gravity of the situation in her mind, the throat, lips and palate of the queen were dried up. Feeling panicky the chaste lady spoke to Brahma who was about to pronounce his boon for the king. 

Kalavati said - О Brahman, bom of the lotus, in case you redeem the king then you tell me what shall be the fate of the helpless woman like me? О four-faced one, without the husband, the wife has no glory. It is said in the Vedas that for the chaste ladies the husband happens to be their vratas. He is the only dharma for their tapas besides being the teacher and the supreme god. For all the ladies there is no better relative than the husband. He happens to be dearer to her compared to all other people. О Brahman, the serving of the husband with devotion is considered to be the best of all the dharmas. Such of the women who are deprived of serving their husbands, all their performances become infructuous. 

The performing of vrata, charities, tapas, puja, recitation, Om and other religious practices, besides bathing in the holy places, going round the earth, performing all the yajnas, the great charities, reciting all the Vedas, performing tapas, serving food to the Brahmanas, being well-versed in the Vedas and serving the gods, do not compare even one-sixteenth part of the merit of serving the husband. 

Such a woman who, instead of serving her own husband, showers harsh words on him, falls in the kalasutra hell and remains there till the time of the sun and the moon. There the insects as big as snakes bite them day and night and also create frightening sounds. There they have to consume urine and refuse. The messengers of Yama insert the burning rods into the mouth of such women. 

After facing the torture in the hell these women are born as insects and for hundreds of births they live on blood, flesh and refuse. 

I have heard this from the mouths of the people of wisdom and those possessing the Vedic knowledge. I, being the helpless woman, am aware of only a little of them. But you are the creator of the Vedas, the people with knowledge and you happen to be the teacher of all the teachers. Therefore, О Achyuta, what better shall I speak to you since you possess all the knowledge already. 

О Brahman, in case my husband who is dearer to me than my life achieved salvation, then who will protect my youthfulness and dharma?

For the ladies, the father protects them during childhood, in youth when the father gives her away in marriage to a man competent enough, the husband protects her and in the absence of the husband, the sons protect her. 

Thus at the three stages, three types of protector have been prescribed for a woman. Such of the women who are independent and are devoid of all the dharmas, get destroyed. 

Such of the women are rather born in the low races with a polluted mind. О Brahman, they are deprived of the merits earned by them during the past hundred births together with other merits. As the attraction for the child remains during the childhood, similarly the same affection continues in the young age as well as the old age; similarly, the love for the husband remains always constant with the chaste ladies. 

The mothers shower greater affection on the infants while they suck the breast milk but that affection does not compare even one-sixteenth part for the love for their husband. 

The infant who is fed with the breast milk earns affection only up to the time he sucks the breast. One gets attracted towards sweet things, till it is consumed but the love of the chaste lady for her husband remains forever. The separation of a brother is quite painful and the separation of a son is more painful than the earlier one, but the separation of the husband is simply terrible. There is no other situation more painful than that. 

As the foolish women dies after consuming poison or entering the fire flames, similarly the intelligent damsel burns in separation from her husband. 

The chaste ladies consider food and water to be of no consequence without the husband, her mind remains burning like the straw in the fire flames. For the ladies there is no other relatives, god, teacher, dharma, riches or life better than their husband. 

As the Vaishnavas remain devoted at the lotus like feet of lord Krishna, the mind of the mothers having one son, thinks only of her son; the mind of the passionate people remains engrossed in the woman, the misers always think of the money earned by them since long, the people who are afraid always think of the fear, the learned people feel attracted towards the scriptures, the infants in sucking of the breasts, the artisans always remain engaged in the works of art and the wicked woman always think of other men, similarly the mind of the chaste ladies is always engaged in their husband. О Brahman, they cannot remain alive even of a moment without them. Because with the emergence of the grief, with the separation of the husband, the death of the woman is considered to be the life. And her remaining alive is worse than death. 

The grief of others disappears after consuming food and drinking water for sometime but the grief of the separation from the husband goes on increasing. It increases in the consumption of the food and water, the conduct of the chaste ladies follows their husband like a shadow. A chaste lady is considered to be the best of all the wives. The rest of the women remain there for enjoying the pleasures of the body. On the other hand the chaste lady follows the husband during the many future births. Therefore, О Brahma, О virtuous one, if you redeem my husband without me, then I shall pronounce a curse on you earning you the sin of the killing of a woman. 

At these words of Kalavati, Brahma felt surprised. Getting panicky, he spoke nectar-like words to her which were beneficial as well. 

Brahma said - О daughter, I shall not give salvation to your husband without you and presently I am not in a position to redeem your husband along with you. 

О mother, without consuming the reward for the deeds performed, it is impossible to achieve salvation. This is known to all, one achieves salvation only after the destruction of the deeds. 

Therefore, О chaste lady, you enjoy the pleasure of the heaven for sometime together with your husband. Thereafter both of you will be bom in the land of Bharata. 

At that point of time the chaste Radha would incarnate herself as your daughter. Then both of you will be relieved of your birth and would proceed to Goloka together with Radha. О best of the kings, you enjoy the worldly pleasures together with your wife for some more time Your chaste wife should not pronounce a curse on me.

Such of the people who are devoted to the lotus-like feet of lord Krishna are always desirous of the inaccessible slavehood of the lord and not salvation. 

Thus speaking, blessing both the husband and the wife, Brahma stood before them. Thereafter, bowing in reverence to Brahma both the king and the queen went to heaven and Brahma also went back to his abode. 

After enjoying the pleasure of heaven for a long time both the husband and wife were reborn in the land of Bharata which is quite meritorious, divine and desired by the gods like Brahma and others. 

Suchandra was born in Gokula and he was known by the name of Vrushabhanu. He was born there of the semen of Surabhanu from the womb of Padmavati. 

He remembered the happenings of earlier births. He happened to be the amsha of lord Hari and he went on growing daily in Vraja as the moon goes on increasing in the bright fortnight. 

He was all-knowledgeable, a great yogi and always devoted to the lotus-like feet of the lord. He was related to Nanda, was quite large hearted, possessed many qualities and was quite intelligent. 

Kalavati was born in the country of Kanyakubja without human contact and also remembered the happening of the earlier births; she was immensely chaste, beautiful and the amsha of Lakshmi. There was a king named Bhanandana in Kanyakubja who was quite valorous; he achieved her at the end of yajna who emerged out of the yajna-kunda without robes and as an infant. The beautiful girl emerged out of the fire altar smilingly. The glory of the limbs of her body resembled that of molten gold. She was emitting lustre. The king Bhanandana carrying the girl in his lap handed her on to his queen. Kalavati felt delighted and started feeding her at her breasts. She then continued bringing her up. 

 At the time of her Annaprasana and the names-giving ceremony when the king was seated in the assembly of noble people, a divine voice was heard saying, "O king, you give this girl the name of Kalavati.” 

On hearing this, the king gave her the same name and, on that occasion, distributed riches among the Brahmanas, the beggars and the bards besides serving food to them. Thus, the best of the function was performed. In due course of time, the girl became youthful, she was extremely beautiful, dark-complexioned and could attract the mind of the sages, having the limbs as beautiful as the champaka flowers, a face resembling the full-blown lotus of the winter season, wearing a serene smile on the face and the eyes resembling the blossomed lotus flower. She had developed buttocks and pelvic region and well-developed breasts,

She kept on walking like the king of elephants. Such a beautiful damsel was spotted by Nanda once on the beautiful the Kingsway. He was so happy to see her that in spite of his being possessed of great wisdom and well disciplined, he fainted. Thereafter feeling panicky he enquired of the people walking on the Kingsway. "To whom does this girl belong"? The people said, "She is Kalavati the daughter of king Bhanandana.

She is born in the royal palace with the amsha of Lakshmi. She is going to the abode of her female friend for playing, О best of the people of Vraja, you go to Vraja." Thus, speaking the people left the place. Thereafter Nanda went to the royal palace of Bhanandana. 

Descending from the chariot he entered the court of the king quickly. The king got up and after a brief conversation he offered him the lion throne made of gold. 

They talked with each other variously and thereafter Nanda spoke to the king about his marriage. 

Nanda said - О best of the kings, you kindly listen, I am going to speak out something special to you. You better give away your daughter in marriage to a prominent person. 

She is best suited for Vrushabhanu the son of Suryabhanu, the lord of Vraja and born out of the amsha of Narayana. He has many qualities, is quite beautiful, well-read, youthful, a great yogi and remembers the happenings of his earlier births. Your daughter named Kalavati was also born without human contact out of the fire-altar and can attract all the three worlds towards herself. She is quite peaceful in nature and has appeared as an amsha of Lakshmi. Vrushabhanu is quite suitable for your daughter and your daughter is quite suitable for him. 

О king, it is always appropriate to unite a clever girl with a clever boy. Thus speaking, Nanda kept quiet in his court. Thereafter the king spoke to him quite humbly. 

Bhanandana said - О lord of Vraja, the union of the boy and girl is in the hands of lord and is beyond my capacity to do so because it is Brahma who can establish the union between the boy and the girl. I happen to be only the giver of birth; therefore no one knows who is the wife of whom or the daughter of whom and who happen to be the husband of whom because it is Brahma only who bestows the rewards for one's own karmas. It is heard in the Vedas that the deeds one performed cannot be infructuous; otherwise with the efforts made by the unauthorised person, the entire enterprise becomes infructuous.

In case it has been ordained by Brahma for my daughter to be the beloved of Vrushabhanu then it has already been established and who am I to do so now and who can stop it" О Narada thus speaking, the great king bowed in reverence to Nanda and served him sweets and food. 

Thereafter Nanda went back to Vraja and with the permission of the king, reaching the court of Surabhanu he narrated the entire story to him. 

Surabhanu then established the relationship by involving Nanda and Garga. 

At the time of marriage, the king gave away enormous riches in dowry which included the best of elephants, the best of horses and several other gems and precious stones besides the ornaments studded with gems. 

After the marriage of Kalavati, Vrushabhanu accompanied her to secluded places and enjoyed her company. At that point of time they lost the awareness of day and night, with the separation from the husband even for a moment Kalavati felt disturbed and Vrushabhanu also behaved similarly. Kalavati was born with the illusion of earth, remembered all the happenings of her earlier births. Similarly, Vrushabhanu who was born of Hari felt delighted by remembering the happenings of all his earlier births. 

The love of both husband and wife went on increasing day by day. She always remained a passionate girl while Vrushabhanu behaved like a passionate boy. 

With the passage of time they got Radhika as their daughter. As a move of destiny with the curse of Sudama, the friend of Krishna, Radha was born without human contact on earth. With the appearing of the girl Radhika both her parents looked blissful and achieved salvation. 

This is a matter of history and now you listen in reference to the context. The above historical story destroys the sins like the fire-wood in the burning flames.

Vishvakarma the best of the architects went to the abode of Vrushabhanu and then went to some other place with his workers. 

Vishvakarma who is well-versed in the tattvas mentally thought of constructing a vast building for the use of Nanda and he started the work accordingly. 

Thinking from his mind he built the abode for Nanda in an unprecedented manner which was surrounded by the high boundary walls and deep moats. It was inaccessible to the enemies and was built of stone. On both the banks of the river there were flower gardens, as a result of which it looked like a flower orchard. On the banks of the river, the campaka flowers were blossoming. The air which blew in the area touching the fragrant flowers, carried the fragrance everywhere. The trees grown on the banks included mango, betel-nut, jack-fruits, palms, coconut, pomegranate, wood-apple, cardamom, lemon, orange, mango, silk-fruit, banana, kevade, kadamba and several other trees blossoming with flowers. The place was surrounded by the moats on all the sides. Since it was always covered with the trees it was best suited for water-sport and therefore desired by all.

For entry into these moats a beautiful pathway was constructed which was always inaccessible to the enemies, but was easily accessible to the known people. 

The boundary of the road was indicated by signs of pillars studded with gems, having enough water. These pillars were indicative of the boundary, which were neither too big nor too small.

On the upper portion of the complex, there was a beautiful boundary wall which was as high as a hundred bows and each boulder studded in the wall was as high as twenty-five feet each and was built with red precious stone, looking quite beautiful.

There were two gates outside the same and inside there were seven of them with doors which were studded with the best of gems. 

The top of the palace of Nanda was built with pitchers of gold which were always shining. By constructing this palace Vishvakarma started roaming about in the city. 

He constructed several types of beautiful Kingsway, besides the pedestal made of red precious stones and the roads decorated with beautiful sign boards.

They were built quite strong which added to their beauty. The Kingsway was provided with mandapas of gems which could be used by the business community. 

Getting illumined themselves the mandapas also illuminated the Kingsway. Thereafter Vishvakarma constructed a circular Rasamandala in Vrundavana surrounded by a high boundary wall which was spread by a yojana from all sides. A number of pedestals were constructed and decorated with gems at several places. 

Nine crores of mandapas were added to the beauty of Rasamandala which were studded with the best of precious stones; it had enough of cosmetics, beautiful paintings and beds for enjoying the love-sports. 

The cool breeze which carried the fragrance of numerous flowers of different types filled the mandapas with the fragrance, the lamps made of diamonds were lighted in the same. The gulden pitchers enhanced its lustre. 

Vishvakarma after constructing the Rasamandala duly filled with the flowers, gardens and lakes, went to some other place. 

Finding the charming Vrundavana so beautiful, he was immensely delighted and he set up beautiful gardens of astonishing type in Vrundavana which were scattered at several places and were created thoughtfully. 

They were all set up for the love-sport of Radha and Madhava. There were thirty beautiful gardens. Thereafter there was an attractive beautiful spot quite secluded under the shade of the banyan tree, with a lake and an orchard of campaka flowers on the bank beside the forest of jasmine flowers. Besides that, for the love-sports a gem-studded mandapa was also erected which had four pedestals at four ends. It was exceedingly beautiful. 

It was decorated with the best of gems and painted with hundreds of brushes. There were nine pairs of door leaves which were studded with gems and contained different types of paintings. Its walls and ceilings were also studded with gems and precious gems. Every door had a Ratnamandapa attached to it. Three crores of artificial kalashas were adding to its grandeur. It had seven steps studded in precious stones, the top of the mandapa having kalashas made of gems which were illumining the entire area. It was decorated with banners, toranas and wide fly-whisks. Innumerable mirrors of precious stones were available there as a result of which the mandapa looked illumining from the front side. It was a hundred bows in height and was shining like the burning flames. It was circular in shape and was spread over an area of a hundred feet. There were beds of diamonds in the inner portion of the same. 

The beds were covered with the best of bed sheets purified by fire. Getting decorated with the garlands, they looked quite fine; they had pillows made of the garlands of Parijata flowers. 

The building was scented with sandal-paste, aguru, kasthuri and saffron. The garlands of jasmine and champaka flowers were placed there. For increase in fresh love, the betels with camphor were placed in the boxes of gems. 

There were several pedestals made of gems in which the diamonds had been studded and the strings of beads were hanging round them. It was filled with the pitchers of gems. 

It was decorated with the paintings drawn in gems over the gem-studded lion-thrones. It was decorated with jasmine flowers and the fragrant water besides other cosmetics were available here in abundance. Thus, Vishvakarma after constructing the pleasure house went back to the city. 

Whatever houses were allotted to the people, their name plates were fixed on each one of them. In this job his own pupils and the yakshas helped him. 

О sage, at that point of time, Sri Krishna, the lord of sleep bowed in reverence to the lord when he was fast asleep and left the place. Thus, all the pleasures were presented to the noble people in this manner. This is all due to the great lord and it is not surprising because this astonishing type of the city was built with the will of the lord. Thus, I have narrated the life story of the lord which provides welfare and destroys the sins providing all the pleasures. What else do you want to listen to from me? 

Suta said - On hearing the word of Narada, the sage Narayana laughed gracefully and he started narrating an ancient story to Narada. 

Narayana said - О Brahman, in the earlier times there was a king named Kedara in Satyayuga who happened to be the king of all the seven continents and always followed the path of dharma. He was leading the comfortable life of a house-holder together with his wives, sons and grandsons. The religious king looked after the people as good as his own sons. 

The king completed a hundred yajna but did not accept the title of Indra. Though he earned merits by performing various good deeds he never aspired for the reward.

He always performed many religious functions in order to please Krishna. Indeed, there had been no king like him in the past nor shall be any in future also. 

At the advice of the sage Jaigisavya, the king disowning his kingdom, the wife who could attract the three worlds, entrusting their care to his sons, went to the forest for performing tapas. 

The king who was immensely devoted to Krishna always meditated upon him. О sage, the Sudarshana-chakra of Krishna always attended on him for the sake of his protection. The king after performing tapas for a long time ultimately went to Goloka. A sacred place known by the name of Kedara emerged thereafter. It happens to be the place where even the dead person always achieves salvation. He had a daughter named Vrunda who was born out of the amsha of Lakshmi and happened to be a great ascetic. She was well-versed in the yogic practices and therefore did not accept anyone as her husband. Thereafter Durvasa initiated her with the inaccessible mantra of the lord which made her detached. After returning home, she again went back to the forest for performing tapas. She performed severe austerities for sixty thousand years.

Thereafter lord Krishna himself appeared before her. The lord spoke to him delightfully saying, "You ask for a boon." But at the sight of the peaceful lord of Radhika, she was infatuated with passion and fainted. 

On regaining consciousness, she quickly uttered, "You be my husband” Lord Krishna accepted it and enjoyed her company in seclusion for a long time. Thereafter Vrunda went back to lord Krishna to Goloka and became the fortunate cowherdess like Radhika.

The place where Vrunda performed the tapas, later on came to be known as Vrundavana. О sage, the place where Vrunda enjoyed the love-sports, known as Vrundavana. 

О son, there is another auspicious story about the origin of the name of Vrundavana which I am going to tell you and you please listen to it.

Kushadhvaja had two daughters named Tulasi and Vedavati who were well-versed in the scriptures but were quite detached from the worldly affairs. Out of these two Vedavati accepted Narayana as her husband. She is known as Sita, the daughter of Janaka everywhere,

Tulasi on the other hand becoming desirous of the lord, performed great tapas but because of the curse from Durvasa, she had to accept Shamkhasura as her husband. 

Thereafter, she achieved the pleasant lord of Lakshmi as her husband. The same goddess was turned into a tree with. the curse of the lord and with her curse the lord took to the form of Salagrama. But the beautiful damsel started living in the heart of the lord as a Tulasi.

О sage, I had already spoken about the story of Tulasi and I have discussed here as a passing reference. О great sage, she also performed the tapas in Vrundavana which earned the same name for the place. 

Besides the above, I am going to speak out another reason for the place getting the name of Vrundavana. 

In all the sixteen names of Radhika, she has a name also known as Vrunda which has been described in the Vedas. This is the same place for her sports. That is why the place is named as Vrundavana. 

Lord Krishna himself has grown the Vrundavana for the pleasure of Radha. It was a place for performing the human plays of the lord; that is why the place is called Vrundavana. 

Narada said - О teacher of the universe, which are the sixteen names of Radha. You kindly tell me about them, since I feel anxious to know about them. 

Though her thousand names have been described in the Samaveda I would like to know the sixteen names of Radha from your mouth.

О virtuous one, have these sixteen names been included in the thousand names or are they different from them. You kindly tell me because these names are quite meritorious and quite auspicious for the devotees,

You also kindly tell me about the genesis of the names of each one of them because these names happen to be the cause of the universe. 

Narayana said - The sixteen names of Radha are Radha, Raseshvari, Rasavasini, Rasikeshvari, Krishnapranadhika, Krishnapriya, Krishnasvarupini, Krishnavamangasambhuta, Paramanandampini, Krishna, Vrundavani, Vrunda, Vrundavanavinodini, Chandravati, Chandrakanta and Shatachandrani-bhanana. These sixteen names form part of the thousand names of Radha. 

In the word Radha, the letter stands for salvation and stands for the giving away in charity. Thus, the one who gives away moksha in charity is known as Radha. 

Besides stands for the dance and stands for the one who holds it. Therefore, she is known as Radha because she embraced Hari. 

Because she happens to be the wife of the lord of dance, therefore she is called Raseshvari. Since she is completely engrossed in the divine dance, therefore she is known as Rasavasini. 

The saints say her as Rasikeshavari because she is foremost of all the goddess of taste. 

Since she is dearer to lord Krishna than even his life, therefore she is given the name of Krishnapranadhika by lord himself. 

She was beloved wife of lord Krishna and Krishna was always beloved to her, therefore, all the deities called her Krishnapriya. 

Since she, at times, takes to the form of Krishna playfully therefore she is known as Krishnasvarupini. She is the chaste, beloved of Krishna and emerged out of the left side of the lord, therefore she is called Krishnavamanga-sambhuta.

The chaste Radha happens to be the heap of bliss; therefore, she is given the name in the Vedas Paramanandarupini. 

The word stands the moksha and stands for the excellent and giver the meaning as giver of moksha, therefore she is known as Krishna. 

Since she belongs to Vrundavana therefore she is known as Vrundavani. Or otherwise she is known by that name since she is the goddess of Vrundavana. 

The group of the female friends is also known as Vrunda and stands for strength and prowess. Since she has the group of female friends, therefore she is called Vrunda. 

Since she enjoys enough of pleasure in Vrundavana, therefore the Vedas know her by the name of Vrundavanavinodini. 

Since she has the face which emits the rays of the moon always therefore, she has been given the name of Chandravati; since her face always emits the glory of the moon therefore, she is known by the name of Chandrakanta. 

Since the glory of the full moon of the winter season always emerged from her face, therefore, she is known as Shatachandranibhanana.

Thus, I have spoken out the details about her and all the sixteen names which were narrated by lord Narayana himself to Brahma who was seated on the lotus and Brahma in return narrated the same to my father. The same details were narrated by dharma in Pushkara region at the time of a solar eclipse during an auspicious time, in the assembly of gods about the glory of Radha. Thereafter getting delighted the same knowledge was imparted to me. 

Now I have recited this immensely auspicious stotra to you, the knowledge of which should never be imparted to a non-believer, the one who denounces dharma or a non-Vaishnava. О sage, the one who recites this stotra thrice a day, achieves the lotus-like feet of Radhamadhava with devotion during this birth itself. Ultimately, he. achieves the slave hood of the feet of the lord and becomes his companion for all times to come. He achieves the eternal body together with the siddhis like anima and others. 

The merits one earns by performing all the vratas, giving away in charities, performing vratas, reciting the Vedas with their meanings, performing all the yajnas in a proper manner, taking a round of the entire earth, protection of the people who come to take refuge, imparting knowledge to those who are without it and getting an audience with the gods or the Vaishnava, the same merit cannot be compared with the one-sixteenth part of the merit one earns by reciting this stotra. With the recitation of this stotra a person is relieved of his birth and death. 

Narada said - О lord, you have bestowed the knowledge of the extremely inaccessible stotra to me and I have also received the kavaca of Radha which bestows victory in the universe. I have also attained the knowledge of the inaccessible stotra composed by the yajna. By the grace of your lotus-like feet, I have listened to the astonishing type of story of lord Krishna; now you kindly enlighten me about the secret and the reaction of the cowherds after looking at the city. 

Narayana said - When the night was over, Vishvakarma left the place at day-break and all the people woke up. 

Soon after waking up, they were surprised to find the astonishing construction of the city and all the people said, "This is simply astonishing." 

Some of the people said to the cowherds, "How could it happen, who knows, who appeared on the ground and in what form”

Recollecting the words of Garga, Narada understood everything that it had all happened by the will of the lord. Because this moveable and immovable universe is created with his will and with his simple frowning everything from Brahma to a straw is made and unmade. What could be beyond his competence? 

The lord, in the hair-pits of whose body, the eternal globes are lodged what could be beyond the competence of such a Mahavishnu. 

The gods like Brahma, Ananta, Shiva and Dharma always adore at his lotus-like feet. What is beyond the competence of such an illusory lord. 

Nanda went around each and every place in the city and distributed the houses to all looking at the name plates fixed on each one of them. Both Nanda and Vrushabhanu delightfully entered their respective houses at an auspicious time together with their families and servants. 

Their faces and eyes were delighted while staying in Vrundavana. Thereafter, all the gopas entered their respective abodes gleefully. All the people felt happy in the beautiful houses given to them. The boys and girls started rejoicing, playing at the same time. 

Lord Krishna and Baladeva also playfully engaged themselves in sport together with other boys there at charming places. 

Thus, О Narada, I have narrated to you the details about the construction of the city and the Rasamandala for the cowherdesses in the forest.