Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
The pastime connected with this place occurred at the time of the famous Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī. Śrīla Śyāmānanda, Śrīla Narottama Ṭhākura and Śrīla Śrīnivāsa Ācārya studied Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam and the Gosvāmī literatures from the young Śrīla Jīva Gosvāmī, who gave Śyāmānanda the service of sweeping this ancient place of Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes.
One day, while he was sweeping in the early hours before dawn, Śyāmānanda found a golden anklet. Previously, Jīva Gosvāmī had instructed him to return any lost object that he might find, directly to its owner, not to anyone else. If any others should try to claim a lost item, he should inform them of Jīva Gosvāmī’s instruction to him. Śyāmānanda therefore very carefully tied the golden anklet in the corner of his upper garment. A short while later, two vraja-bālās (young girls) came to him and said, “The anklet you found belongs to our sakhī, and we have been looking for it. You can give it to us.”
Śrī Śyāmānanda humbly replied, “Whomever the anklet belongs to should personally come and collect it. I will not give it to you.” The young girls replied, “Do you feel no shame? How can you dare desire to see the face of this young daughter-in-law?” But Śyāmānanda adhered to his words and did not give them the anklet. The two young girls brought their girlfriend to Śyāmānanda and said, “Tie the anklet around Her foot.” Śrī Śyāmānanda’s hands trembled with prema as he tied the anklet around the foot of their friend. These young girls were none other than Śrīmatī Rādhikā Herself and Her two sakhīs, Lalitā and Viśākhā. Śrīmatī Rādhikā ceaselessly desires to bestow mercy in this way upon Her loving devotees.
By this event, Śyāmānanda’s life became blessed. Previously his name was Duḥkhī-Kṛṣṇa dāsa, but upon receiving the mercy of Śrīmatījī, his name became Śyāmānanda dāsa. Śrīmatī Lalitā stamped that anklet on Śyāmānanda’s forehead. Even today, those in the spiritual family lineage of Śyāmānanda Prabhu wear a tilaka in the shape of the anklet on their forehead.
The following incident also took place here. Once, a long time ago, an old woman lived at Jhāḍū-maṇḍala, and in her house she had a grindstone. She used this stone to grind wheat for others and in this way carried on her livelihood. She had an unflinching devotion to Kṛṣṇa. As she ground wheat, her beautiful voice sang the sweet names of Kṛṣṇa, while the grindstone made a rumbling gharr-gharr sound.
One day, as she was grinding during the early hours before dawn, absorbed in singing the sweet names of Kṛṣṇa, a beautiful dark-complexioned young boy appeared and put one foot on the grindstone. “Maiyā,” He said, “why do you turn the grindstone in such a way that it makes this rumbling gharr-gharr sound? I cannot sleep because of it.”
The old lady became a little fearful and said, “My dear son, if I do not work the grindstone, how will I maintain my life?”
The beautiful, dark-complexioned boy replied, “I will put My footprint on your grindstone. People will come to take darśana of this footprint and give generous offerings. Their offerings will easily maintain you. Thus, you won’t need to use the grindstone anymore.” Saying this, the dark-complexioned boy disappeared.
When morning came, the old lady saw that the boy’s footprint had fully appeared on her grindstone. A crowd of people lined up, desirous to take darśana of the footprint, and this crowd increased day by day. The old lady was able to maintain herself easily through the donations she received, and she was always absorbed in remembering this pastime of Kṛṣṇa.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is the site of the famous jamun tree where Krishna once disappeared from Radharani just to intensify Her ecstatic love in the mood of separation. During rasa-lila pastimes at Vamsi Vata, Krishna suddenly left the arena of the rasa-dance and took only Radharani with Him. The gopis became almost mad at losing Krishna and began to search for Him everywhere. Meanwhile, Radha was feeling most fortunate among the gopis as She walked hand in hand with Krishna through Vrindavana forest. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “As the rasa-dance began, Krishna observed the different grades of gopis and decided to leave them, taking Radharani alone with Him. Hiding at this place, Krishna happily heard the gopis’ lamentation. Left alone by Krishna, the gopis inquired from the trees and creepers about His whereabouts. The gopis began imitating Krishna’s pastimes, and they glorified Shrimati Radharani’s fortunate position.”
While walking through the forest hand in hand with Krishna, in the hope of being embraced closely to Krishna’s chest, Radharani suddenly feigned weariness, hoping that Krishna would pick Her up and carry Her in His powerful arms. Understanding Her mind, Krishna immediately picked Radharani up and gently carried Her while embraced within His arms. Radharani was feeling very proud and especially favored that Krishna had chosen Her above all the other gopis. At that moment Krishna suddenly put Radharani down and disappeared into the bushes, leaving Her alone to lament Her mistake of becoming unnecessarily proud of Her fortunate position. Holding Her face in Her hands, She began weeping piteously and condemned Herself for revealing Her womanly pride in front of Her beloved Krishna, thus causing Him to leave Her. Radharani in great anguish said, “O master! My lover! O the dearest of all, where are You? Where areYou? Please, O mighty-armed one, O dear friend, I am totally helpless (withoutYou). I am Your servant. Please show Yourself to Me!” (SB.10.30.39). After some time, all the other gopis who had been franticly searching for Krishna in the forest, arrived at the jamun tree, and seeing Radharani all alone and in such a forlorn condition, they became very sad and tried to console Her feelings of separation.
The name Jaru Mandala means the area (mandala) swept with a broom (jaru). Some say it received its name as it was part of the area of Seva Kunja that was being swept by Shyamananda Pandita, but this is not correct. In another version, it is said this was a place where ascetics (tyagis) performed bhajana and many such tyagi-babas would gather to hear recitation of the Shrimad-Bhagavatam at this place. The incident in question occurred sometime in the late 18th Century when Vrindavana became more populated. The babas would always sweep the area with a jaru or broom before sitting down to hear the Bhagavatam. And for this reason this place got its name Jaru Mandala. An old blind widow residing nearby used to earn her living by grinding flour with a hand-operated grinding mortar. As she was blind and also half-deaf, she was usually unaware of the time of day. Consequently she would start grinding from the early hours and continue throughout the day and night.
The grinding sound always disturbed the babas who were trying to hear the Bhagavatam and the pastimes of Krishna; however, not wishing to interfere with the old widow whose only means of livelihood was grinding flour, the babas tolerated the grinding noise. Then one day, the old widow said a young boy suddenly arrived there and put his foot on the grindingmortar and stopped it, complaining that the grinding noise was disturbing the babas hearing Krishna-katha. The old widow told him her only income was from grinding flour. The boy then informed the old widow his name was Krishna, and that from now on His lotus foot-print would be indented on the grinding mortar and when local people came there to have darshana of His foot-print, they would leave some small donation, and in this way she could support herself. This foot-print soon became famous amongst local Vrajavasis who came for darshana while offering small donations as is the custom when visiting a holy place.
The Charana-cinha (foot-print) at Jaru Mandala is not included amongst the famous charana-chinhas of Vraja Mandala because it was not manifested during Krishna’s pastimes and its antecedents are to some degree unclear. This story of the footprint can never be verified and the real importance of this place is the sacred jamun-vriksha tree connected to Radha and Krishna’s pastimes during the rasa-lila in Vrindavana. With regard to the Indian Jambu tree which is also known as jambul, or jamun, it is a variety of damson, also known as black plum, and native to the sub-continent whose small crimson to dark purple colored fruit has a distinctive sweet and sour, as well as astringent taste. The jambu fruit is very popular when it ripens during the summer season as it is rich in vitamins and very good for health.
