Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
Lauhavana is one of the twelve sacred forests of Vraja which was especially well known for the many varieties of aromatic flowers that formerly grew there which created a wonderful fragrance throughout the entire forest. The Adi-Varaha Purana says, “This ninth forest, Lohavana, which was protected by the demon Lohajangha, is the destroyer of all vices.” This sacred forest also called Lohavana, Loban, as well as Lauhajangavana, has an individual parikrama of about two and a half miles (4km), unfortunately hardly any trees remain of the vast forest that once stood here. The Adi-Varaha Purana says that at one time this forest fell under the control of a demon named Lauhajangha, also known as Lohasura, therefore the forest became known as Lauhajanghavana and formerly covered both banks of the Yamuna, east and west. The fact that the Lauhajangha demon live here is also confirmed in the Gopala-tapani Upanishad. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “At Lohavana, Lord Krishna used to tend the cows. The demon named Lohajangha was killed at this place.” It is also believed that near Lauhavana was the area where Krishna defeated the army of Jarasandha on eighteen different occasions when the king of Magadha who was the father-in law of Kamsa, attempted to conquer the city of Mathura. Lauhavana was one of the forests where Krishna and Balarama used to graze Their cows and where They enjoyed playing water sports in the company of Their cowherd boyfriends in the lake known as Krishna-kunda. During the course of His pastimes here, the Bhakti-ratnakara says that Krishna slew the demon Lauhajanghasura and rid the forest of his menace forever. The places of interest here are the celebrated Krishna-kunda, the ancient Gopinatha Mandira, and the Lauhajangha Gufa, or cave where the demon supposedly lived and which is said to go underground for many miles. One can also see what is believed by locals to be the lower part of the demon Lauhajangha’s body after it was cut in half by Krishna. Local panditas say that when the demon was cut in two, the upper part went to heaven while the lower part, which was made of iron, remained on earth. The word ‘lauhajangha’ means that the demon’s ‘thighs’ (jangha) were made off ‘iron’ (loha), or that his thighs were ‘as strong as iron’. There is what appears to be a large sandstone rock known as Lauhasura-ki-jangha near the bank of Krishna-kunda that is supposedly Lauhajangha’s lower torso and thighs, which is now worshiped by the local Vrajavasis with all the paraphernalia normally used in the worship of Shanideva (Saturn). The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Raghava then showed his followers the pleasant places where Nanda-kumara (Krishna) had roamed. After seeing the Deities of Krishna and Balarama, Narsingha and others, Raghava took them near the Yamuna where Radha-Krishna’s nauka-lila pastime was performed.”
How To Get There: This forest is 5km south of Panigaon & 6km east of Mathura (See map no.39, 40, 40A, 40B & 41).
Krishna’s Boating Pastimes at Lauhavana
The Bhakti-ratnakara mentions that the place where the Yamuna River passes through the Lauhavana forest is the spot where Krishna’s nauka-vihara pastimes were enacted. The word ‘nauka’ means a ‘boat’ and ‘vihara’ means ‘ambrosial pastimes’. This pastime is also mentioned in the Padyavali of Shrila Rupa Goswami. One day, the gopis came here to the banks of the Yamuna carrying vessels full of milk products that they were taking to the market on the other side of the Yamuna. On arrival, the gopis saw that there were no boats to carry them across the river, accept an old and dilapidated boat owned by Krishna, who was lying inside it pretending to be unconcerned and fast asleep. Actually, Krishna had been secretly waiting for the beautiful gopis to arrive so He could carry them in His boat across the river and enjoy some fun. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Once Radha and Her friends came here to cross the Yamuna with their milk vessels. Their beauty overwhelmed Krishna, who had been waiting for them with a broken boat to help them cross the river.” Seeing Krishna lying in the boat, Radharani called His name but at first He could not be woken. After much cajoling, Krishna eventually woke up and agreed to take the gopis in His boat to the other side of the Yamuna.
As they made their way across the river the weather suddenly changed and as the wind started to blow, the water became choppy and dangerous. As the boat began to rock from side to side, it also began filling with water due to a hole that suddenly appeared in the bottom of the boat. Krishna advised the gopis that in order to save the boat from immediately sinking, they would have to throw all their heavy vessels containing milk products overboard. Thus, on Krishna’s advice, the gopis without hesitation threw all their vessels into the river. When that did not have the desired effect and the boat still appeared to be sinking, Krishna advised the gopis to remove all their heavy jewelry, including their gold necklaces, bangles, and rings, and throw them overboard also, which they did. The Padyavali says that in great anxiety, Radharani told Krishna, “This boat is broken and the river is very deep here. We are only young girls and this situation is not in our favor. The only way we will be saved is with You as our boatman. O Yadu-Nandana, on Your suggestion I have thrown away My milk vessels, My necklace, and also My scarf, yet the other bank is not even in sight. This boat is filling with water and at any moment it will sink, being caught by a storming whirlpool. Alas, what an unforeseen calamity! Despite this, Krishna, You are clapping joyfully. My hands cannot stop bailing out water from the boat and You cannot stop making jokes. O Krishna, if I save Myself this time, I will never again set foot in Your boat.” The boat however managed to return and reach the shore. The gopis, although bereft of all their milk products and gold jewelry, were just happy to have been saved from certain death, while Krishna was feeling the greatest ecstasy due to His transcendental boating pastimes with the gopis at Lauhavana.
