SRI SRI RADHA-KRSNA-GANODDESA-DIPIKA by Srila Rupa Goswami
INTRODUCTION

1

I offer my respectful obeisances to the lotus feet of my spiritual master. I offer my respectful obeisances to Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, who appeared in this world with Nityananda Prabhu and is surrounded by His devotees.

2

I offer my respectful obeisances to the two lotus feet Srimati Radharani. I offer my respectful obeisances Lord Nandanandana, who is surrounded by the gopis and enchants the minds of the residents of Vrndavana.

3

The celebrated personal associates of the King and Queen of Vrndavana are briefly but truthfully described with great delight in both Vedic literatures and oral tradition. This book will also describe them.

4 - 5

These associates of the Lord are described by the residents of Mathura-mandala, by the various books written by devotees , various Vedic literatures such as the Puranas and Agamas and by the great devotees and saintly persons. For the satisfaction of my dear friends, these associates of the Lord will now be briefly describing in writing, following the previous authorities in the path of ecstatic love of God.

6

The associates of Krsna who reside in Vrajabhumi may be divided into three groups: 1. protectors of domestic animals, 2. brahmanas, 3. others.

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The Protectors of Domestic Animals

These are descendants of the Yadu dynasty and they may be divided into three groups: 1. vaisyas, 2. abhiras, 3. gurjaras.

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The Vaisyas

For the most part the most important vaisyas earn their livelihood by protecting cows. Some of the vaisyas are born from lower-caste mothers and they are known as abhiras.

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The Abhiras

The abhiras are those who have vaisya fathers and sudra mothers. A little inferior to the vaisyas, who are engaged in cow protection, the abhiras earn their livelihood by protecting buffalo. They are known by various names, such as ghosa.

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The Garjaras

A little inferior to the abhiras, the garjaras earn their livelihood by protecting goats and similar animals. Their bodily features are a little chubby and they reside on the outskirts of Vraja.

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The Brahmanas

Learned in all the Vedas, the brahmanas engage in performing sacrifices, worshiping the Deity and other brahminical occupations.

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The Bahisthas

The bahisthas earn their livelihood by engaging in various trades and crafts. In this way we have described five kinds of associates (vaisyas, abhiras, garjaras, brahmanas and bahisthas) of Lord Hari in Vrajabhumi.

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Lord Krsna's associates may also be divided into the following eight groups: 1. worshipable superiors, 2. relatives who are on the same level (such as brothers and sisters) 3. gopi messengers, 4. servants, 5. craftsmen, 6. maidservants, 7. contemporary cowherd friends and 8. dear gopi friends. Included among the worshipable superiors are the brothers and similar relatives of Nanda Maharaja, Nanda's contemporary friends, servants, other associates and the elderly gopis. Krsna is always respectful to these superiors.

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1. Worshipable Superiors

The worshipable superiors include Krnsa's grandfather, other elderly relatives and also the community of brahmanas.

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Krsna's fair-complexion, white-haired and white-attired grandfather is named Parjanya Maharaja, because he is like a great cloud (parjanya) showering the nectar of auspiciousness. He is the best of all the residents of Vraja.

Desiring a worthy descendant, he followed the advice of Devarsi Narada and engaged in the worship of Lord Narayana, the husband of Laksmi. As he was worshiping Narayana at Nandisvara-pura, a pleasant voice spoke the following words from the sky.

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" Because of your pious austerities you will obtain five sons. Of these sons the middle one, named Nanda, will be the best. Nanda's glorious son will delight the residents of Vraja. He will defeat all oppositions. Both the demigods and demons will worship Him, touching the jewels of their crowns to His lotus feet."

19

Hearing this, Parjanya Maharaja became happy and decided to reside at the place. He lived there until he saw the Kesi demon arrive and at that time he became frightened and fled with all his associates to Mahavana.

20

Krsna's grandmother Variyasi is respected in the land of Vraja. She is short in stature and her complexion is the colour of a kusumbha flower. She is attired in green garments and her hair is the color of milk.

21

Parjanya Maharaja's brothers are named Urjanya and Rajanya and his sister is an expert dancer named Suverjana. Her husband is named Gunavira and they live in the town named Surya-kunja.

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Krsna's father is Nanda Maharaja. Nanda delights the residents of Vraja and he is worshiped by all the worlds. He has a protuberant belly, his complexion is the colour of sandalwood, he is tall in stature and his garments are the colour of a bandhujiva flower. His beard is a mixture of black and white hairs, like rice and toasted sesame seeds mixed together.

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Nanda is the king of the cowherd men, the younger brother of Upananda and the intimate friend of Maharaja Vasudeva. Nanda and his wife Yasoda are the king and queen of Vrajabhumi and the parents of Lord Krsna.

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Because he possesses the splendor (deva) of great wealth (vasu), Nanda Maharaja is also known as Vasudeva. He is also famous by the name Anakadundubhi and it is known that in his previous birth he was named Drona.

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These names of Maharaja Nanda are described in the Mathura-mahima section of the Garuda Purana. Nanda's most intimate friend is named Maharaja Vrsabhanu.

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Krnsa's mother is named Yasoda because she bestows (da) fame (yasah) on the cowherd residents of Vraja. She is like the personification of parental love for Krnsa. Her complexion is dark and her garments are like a rainbow.

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Mother Yasoda's body is of a medium size, neither large nor small. She has long black hair. Her closest friends are Aindavi and Kirtida.

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Yasoda is the wife of Nanda, the king of Gokula. She is the queen of the cowherd men in Vraja, the friend of Devaki and the mother of Lord Krsna.

30

The friendship of Yasoda is described in the following statement of the Adi Purana: " The wife of Maharaja Nanda was known by two names, Yasoda and Devaki. Partly because they share the same name (Devaki) the wife of Maharaja Nanda and the wife of Maharaja Vasudeva were great friends."

31

Lord Balarama's mother is named Rohini, because she is filled with a constantly rising (arohini) flood of transcendental bliss. Although she dearly loves her son Balarama, she loves Krsna millions of times more.

32

Nanda Maharaja's elder brothers are Upananda and Abhinanda and his younger brothers are Sannanda and Nandana. These are the names of Lord Krsna's parental uncles.

33

Upananda's complexion is pink. He has a long beard and wears green garments. Tungi-devi is his dear wife. Both her complexion and garments are the colour of a cataka bird.

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Abhinanda wears dark garments and his long beautiful beard is like a great conchshell. Pivari-devi is his wife. She wears blue garments and her complexion is pink.

35

Sannanda is also known as Sunanda. His complexion is white and he wears dark-colored clothing. He has two or three white hairs and he is very dear to Lord Kesava.

36

Kuvalaya-devi is Sannanda's wife. Her complexion is the colour of a blue lotus flower and she wears red garments. Nandana wears garments the color of a candata flower and his complexion is like the color of a peacock.

37

Nandana lives in the same house with his father, Parjanya Maharaja. He is full of love for his yound nephew Krsna. Atulya-devi is Nandana's wife. Her complexion is like lightning and her garments resemble a dark cloud.

38

Krsna's father has two sisters, Sananda-devi and Nandini-devi. They both dress in garments of many different colors. They have beautiful teeth and their complexions are the color of white foam. Sananda-devi's husband is Mahanila and Nandini's husband is Sunila.

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Kandava and Dandava are the two sons of Upananda. Their faces are as beautiful as lotus flowers and they become especially happy in the association of their friend Subala.

Catu and Batuka are Nanda Maharaja's two ksatriya cousins born in Vasudeva Maharaja's dynasty. Catu's wife is Dadhisara and Batuka's wife is Havihsara.

41

Krsna's energetic and enthusiastic maternal grandfather is named Sumukha. His long beard is like a great conchshell and his complexion is the color of a ripe jambu fruit.

42

Queen Patala-devi is Krsna's maternal grandmother and she is very famous in Vrajabhumi. Her hair is the white color of yogurt, her complexion is the pink color of a patala flower and her garments are green.

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Patala-devi's dear friend is named Mukhara-gopi. Out of intense affection for her friend, Mukhara used to feed the infant Yasoda with her own breast milk.

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Carumukha is Sumukha's younger brother. His complexion is the color of black eye-cosmetics and his wife Balaka-gopi was raised by her stepparents. Gola is the brother of Patala-devi, Krsna's maternal grandmother. His garments are the color of smoke. His brother-in-law, Sumukha, used to make fun of him and laugh and because of this Gola was very angry with him. Because he had worshiped Durvasa Muni in his previous birth, Gola was allowed to take birth in Vrajabhumi in the family of Ujjvala.

46

Jatila-devi is Gola's wife. She has a large belly and her complexion is the color of a cow. Her sons Yasodhara, Yasodeva and Sudeva head the group of Krsna's maternal uncles.

47

Krsna's maternal uncles have complexions like the color of a dark atasi flower and they dress in white garments. Their wives have complexions like karkati flowers and they dress in smoke-colored garments.

48

Rema-devi, Roma-devi and Surema-devi are the daughters of Krsna's parental uncle Pavana. Yasodevi and Yasasvini are the sisters of Krsna's mother Yasoda. Yasasvini's husband is named Malla.

49

Yasodevi is elder. Her complexion is dark and she is also known by the name Dadhisara. Yasasvini is younger. Her complexion is fair and she is also known by the name Havihsara. Both dress in vermillion-colored garments.

50

Yasoda's sisters married the two ksatriyas Catu and Batuka (see text 40). Yasoda's uncle Carumukha has one son who is named Sucaru.