SAMUDRAGADHA
About and Location
This place is situated in the south-western part of Koladvipa, and is understood to be within Bahulāvana in Vraja. It is also considered non-different from Dvärikäpuri and Ganga-sägara.
History
In Dväpara-yuga, a devotee of Krsna named King Samudra Sena ruled this area. At the time of the Rājasūya sacrifice, the powerful Pandava, Bhimasena, who had defeated the kings of
east India, came here with his army to conquer Bengal. Mahārāja Samudra Sena had an ardent desire to take Śrī Krsna’s darśana, and he knew that this is possible only by the mercy of His devotees. He thought, “If in battle I can somehow defeat Bhimasena, he will have no other solution than to call out to Krşņa to protect him. In this way, my worshipful Lord Krşņa will
appear and I will be able to take darśana of Him.” With high-spirited zeal and full force he met Bhīma in battle, and by the Lord’s desire, Bhima actually faced defeat. When, in great distress Bhima cried out to Śrī Kṛṣņa, the protector of the Pandavas, Krsna immediately appeared on the battlefield, but only King Samudra Sena was able to have His darsana. The Supreme Lord remained unseen to Bhimasena and to both armies. Śrī Kṛṣņa told Samudra Sena about His coming advent as Śrī Gauranga and instructed him to worship Śrī Gaura through harināma-sankirtana. On Samudra Sena’s request, Śrī Kṛṣņa manifested His form of Gauranga, resplendent with the lustre and sentiments of Śri Radha. Upon receiving this darśana, the King became deeply content. He offered abundant gifts to Bhima and established an alliance with him. Bhimasena, also satisfied, departed with the happiness of victory.
Non-different from Vraj
This place is also non-different from Kumudavana in Vraja. During the late afternoon, Śrī Kṛṣņa roams here performing playful pastimes with the cowherd girls. King Samudra Sena also had darsana of these pastimes.
Why is it called Ganga Sagara?
Famous Samudragadha is situated south of Navadvipa on the western border. The ocean is not very far from here. Being eager to see the Lord’s pastimes, Mahaprabhu’s devotee, the ocean, came here along the Ganga. Now the ocean eternally resides here taking darśana of Navadvipa-dhāma and Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu’s pastimes. It requested Mahaprabhu: “Please reside for some time on my shores, and bestow upon me the fortune of having darśana of Your wonderful pastimes there.” To fulfill this desire Śrī Mahaprabhu, after taking sannyāsa, manifested His astonishing pastimes in Śri Puri- dhama on the ocean’s shore.
CAMPAKA-HATTA
About
Śri Koladvipa’s southwestern part, Campaka-hatta, was named after the large garden of campaka flowers that used to be here. Its present name is Campā-hați and it is situated in the Vardhamana district.
History of Dvija Vaninatha
In Satya-yuga an elderly brahmaņa resided here and worshipped Śri Rädhä-Govinda with these campaka flowers. Pleased with his service, Śrī Śyāmasundara Krsna appeared before him as the beautiful Śrī Gaura, whose complexion is resplendent like a campaka flower, and said, “In Kali-yuga I will manifest the form you now see and distribute the chanting of the holy name and love of Krsna to the living entities. At that time you will also take birth and witness My most munificent pastimes.”
In Mahaprabhu’s pastimes that brāhmaņa was Dvija Vāņīnātha, the younger brother of Śrī Gadadhara, who is the personified potency of Śri Gaura. In Krsna’s pastimes Väņinātha was Kamalekha Sakhi. The deities of Śri Gaura-Gadadhara that Väņīnātha worshipped are now being served here in Śrī Gaura-Gadādhara Gaudīya Matha, which was established by jagad-guru Śrila Prabhupāda.
History of Srila Jayadeva Gosvami
This is Śrī Jayadeva Gosvāmī’s residence and place of bhajana. Jayadeva Gosvāmī was a contemporary of King Ballāla Sena, who greatly honoured him. Jayadeva’s bhajana-kuți was on the Ganga’s eastern bank some distance from Ballala Sena’s royal palace, but when an obstacle arose in his bhajana, he left there with his wife Padmavati and came to this solitary and charming garden. Once, as he was composing the verses of Gita-govinda, a pastime in which Śrīmatī Rādhikā entered Her sulky mood (māna) appeared in his heart. Krsna’s repeated attempts to remove Her mana all failed. Then the mood entered Śrī Jayadeva’s heart in which he understood that to pacify Śrīmati Rādhikā, Śrī Kṛṣņa put His head at Her lotus feet. This filled Śrī Jayadeva with fear and he could not bring himself to write it. He thought, “Śrī Kṛşņa is everyone’s worshipful Supreme Lord and He possesses all potencies. Śrīmatī Rādhikā is His potency and maidservant. How is it possible for Śrī Kṛṣņa to put His head at Rädhika’s lotus feet? That would transgress the principles of religion.” His hand trembled and lost grip of his pen. He could write no more, so he went to take bath in the Ganga. Meanwhile, Śrī Kṛṣņa, the topmost relisher of transcendental mellows, assumed the form of Sri Jayadeva and went to his house. He asked Padmavati to bring Him the manuscript and then personally completed the verse smara-garala-khandanam (“the deadly poison of amorous love”) that Jayadeva had begun to write, by adding mama śirasi mandanam dehi pada-pallavam udaram (“is counteracted by decorating My head with Your flower-like feet”).
smara-garala-khandanam
mama śirasi mandanam
dehi pada-pallavam udaram
“My beloved, offer the fresh buds of your enchanting feet as an ornament upon my head, so the devastating effect of Cupid’s poison may be alleviated and the harsh fire of amorous desires may also be relieved.”
Śrī Kṛṣņa left the house and a short time later, Jayadeva returned. Surprised, his wife asked, “How were you able to come back so quickly? Just a short while ago you returned, wrote something in your book, and again went out to take bath.” Jayadeva Gosvāmī asked for his manuscript and upon opening it saw that his unfinished verse was now complete. Filled with wonder, he told his wife, weeping, “O Devi, you are blessed. You had darśana of Śyāmasundara Krishna, who personally came here and completed the verse I feared to write. Krşņa is brought under control by prema, not by devotion based on rules and regulations.”
After some time, Jayadeva Gosvāmī and his wife moved to Jagannatha Puri. Gita-govinda is so beautifully sweet that even Jagannathadeva Himself is eager to hear it. Once in a garden, a deva-dāsī [a dancing girl in the Jagannatha Temple) was singing the verses of Gita-govinda, and Jagannathaji came out of the temple and swiftly ran towards that garden. As He ran, thorny nbushes tore His cloth and scratched His body. When he had heard all the verses He returned to the temple and took His place on the altar. When the pujari opened the door he was astonished to see Śrī Jagannatha’s condition. The head pujari and the king were informed and everyone was filled with concern. The next night Śri Jagannatha appeared to the head pujari in a dream and revealed to him the secret that He heard verses being sung from Gita-govinda, and in His haste to go to the source of the sound, His cloth was torn. When Śrī Svarūpa Damodara recited Gita-govinda verses to Sriman Mahaprabhu, He became immersed in ecstasy. Śrī Jayadeva received darśana of his beloved Lord in His form as Śrī Gauränga Mahaprabhu.
