Vrindavan’s Yogapith I

Sri Rādhā Krishna’s Yogapith lila happens thrice daily:
• After the Pratah Lila, at Gupta Kunda (on the west side of Nandishwar),
• At midday, in Vishakha Devi’s Madan-sukhada Kunja at Rādhā Kund,
• At night, at Govinda-sthali near the Yamuna.

The Yogapith mandir changes color with the times and the seasons, and being divinely ominiscent, it can expand or contract to accommodate any lila that is called for. This place is Chandravali’s durdarsha (it is never seen by Chandravali or other yutheshwaris) because it is Sri Rādhā’s saubhagya-mandira, where only she and her sakhi-varga meet with Govinda.

Vrindavan’s Yogapith is described in Brahma-samhita 2.59, Chapter 38 of Padma-purana’s Patala-khanda, and the Atharva Veda (Purusha-bodhini Shruti). Later, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s dear associate, Sri Gopala Guru Goswami and his disciple Sri Dhyanachandra Goswami described the Yogapith manasi seva in their Arcana-paddhatis. In Sādhanamrita-candrikā, Sri Siddha Krishna Das Baba says,There are two types of smarana sadhana: svarasiki and mantramayi.

Svarasiki refers to ashta-kala lila meditation that flows like a river.
Mantramayi smaran, using mantras, focuses on the Yogapith, and is compared to a still lake.

But just as a river can flow into a lake and then continue flowing onward, Mantramayi Yogapith meditation is a part of Ashta-kala lila smaran; it is not a separate form of worship. In Siddha Krishna Das Baba’s Gutika, Rādhā Govinda’s morning Yogapith lila is described, and here is a synopsis of that narration:

After a brief rest, Dhanishtha escorts Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī through a secret door to Nandishwar’s west side to pick flowers; the Sakhis and Mañjarīs also follow behind. While viewing the beautiful scenery, everyone descends into a valley where Gupta Kunda is located. Leading down the hill is a colored stone staircase. On either side, the trees bend over like an umbrella to provide cooling shade. Gupta Kunda is a picturesque lake, and four types of lotus grow there; cranes, swans and other exotic birds also thrive herein.

The banks are lined with enchanting ghats made of precious gems, and beyond, wherever the eyes should glance, there are attractive flower gardens that display the opulence of the six seasons. Sri Vira Devi is the care taker. And she has arranged for Rādhā Krishna’s milan in the Kuṅja named Ashok-Ananda (on Gupta Kunda’s west side).

Herein is a nikunja mandir beside four types of kalpa-vrikshas whose flower-laden branches intertwine overhead to form a flower canopy. Below, Vira Devi has prepared a flower petal bed; and the nikunja mandir’s windows are also made of flowers. Thus the bumblebees produce a madhura concert with their buzzing as they move about extracting pollen. The kokilas also call in the fifth note to awaken the rasa of Kandarpa’s kingdom.

Next to the flower bed are chamaras, a jeweled box containing fresh pan, a spittoon and golden lotas of fragrant water (everything is nicely arranged and waiting).
As Radhika takes darshan of the wonderful sights around Gupta-kunda, she is overwhelmed by the desire to meet Krishna. Similarly, Krishna’s eagerness for Rādhā’s angasanga has allured him to this area. And suddenly, as the peacocks see Krishna and smell his bodily aroma, their tail feathers open and they begin to dance, calling “ke-ka, ke-ka!”

Then Rādhā sees Krishna also, and hears his madhura anklebells! Thus she is attacked by Cupid’s arrows and loses composure! But her vision fails her too: “Oh Lalita! Oh Vishakha! She exclaims. “Just look at the beautiful newly-formed cloud appearing before us! A streak of lightning, a rainbow, and a flock of cranes are all visible within it! And I can head the sonorous quacking of the swans too!”

Lalita answers, “Hey Shashimukhi Rai! Your eyes are deceiving you! That wonderful cloud is your Prana-nath! His peacock feather crown appears like a rainbow, his cloth resembles lightning, and his pearl necklace looks like a flock of cranes. Moreover, his jingling kinkini mala and anklebells resemble the calling swans!”
Hearing Lalita’s words, Srimati quickly hides herself within Vira Devi’s Ashokananda Kunja. As Krishna approaches the sakhis, he inquires about Rādhā’s news. But they answer: “Oh Shyama! Sri Radhika Devi hasn’t come today!”

Krishna replies, “Then how am I able to perceive her bodily aroma?”
The sakhis answer: “Because we always stay with her, her bodily fragrance has mixed with ours.”
Krishna exclaims, “Could the moonrays be visible without the moon? Similarly, in Rādhā’s absence, your arrival in this kunja isn’t possible!”
The sakhis retort: “Oh hey! This isn’t the moonrise (the appearance of Chandravali). Rather, we’re the effulgence from Vrishabhanush Sri (the beautiful Sun of Vrishabhanu Raja-nandini)!”

Thus the sakhis tease Krishna with various laughter and joking. When Vira Devi sees Krishna downtrodden for want of Rādhā’s sanga, however, she gives a hinting eye gesture. Then Krishna understands and enters the Ashokananda-kunja. But being exceedingly greedy for Rādhā, Shyama becomes ‘Rādhāmaya’ and mistakingly embraces a golden lata.
Being compassionate, however, Srimati comes to relieve his illusion, and yugala milan takes place! Then Rādhā Krishna submerge deep within their vilasa-sindhu. and the sakhis peek through the windows to let their minnow eyes swim within the ambrosia!

After a while, Sri Sri Yugala Kishor’s vilasa keli concludes, and they come out of the kunja to enter the Yogapith. This fabulous mandir is constructed from a myriad of various colored gem stones, and their effulgence is brighter than a million suns, yet more cooling than a million moons! The opulence of the six seasons are always manifest here.

In the center, Rādhā Govinda come to the jeweled singhasan that is surrounded by an eight petaled, lotus formation. Many strands of pearls hang in tassels from a canopy overhead. Placed over the singhasan is a soft silken bedspread with comfortable round pillows. Then the Reservoir of all conjugal splendor (Sri Sri Radhe-Shyama) stand above the singhasan (with great emotion) and the ashta-sakhis encircle them to stand in their respective places on the eightlotus stemsed lotus.