Uddhava-kyari (Visakha-kunja)

Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami

From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:

Uddhava-kyārī, which is also known as Kadamba-kyārī, is situated a short distance from Lalitā-kuṇḍa to the south-east. Actually, this is the kuñja of Viśākhā, and Viśākhā-kuṇḍa lies nearby. In this secluded and beautiful place surrounded by kadamba trees, Viśākhā used to arrange meetings between Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa. Sometimes, Kṛṣṇa also used to perform the rāsa dance here with Rādhājī and Her friends. There is a platform here reminding us of that pastime. Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa also enjoyed many kinds of water- sports in the clear and fragrant water of Viśākhā-kuṇḍa.

After Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s departure to Mathurā, all of Vraja drowned in an ocean of separation from Him. What to speak of the gopas and gopīs, even the birds and animals gave up eating and drinking, feeling distressed in separation from Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa’s beloved gopīs followed Akrūra’s chariot to this point and then fell to the ground unconscious. They never returned home again. Grievously afflicted by separation from Kṛṣṇa, Rādhājī stayed in this dense forest in seclusion. In the hope of Kṛṣṇa’s return, She counted each passing day, remaining on the verge of death. At that time, Kṛṣṇa’s messenger Uddhava came here to console the gopīs but, upon seeing Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s state of separation, he paid his respects to Her from afar, unable to say anything.

Acutely aff licted by separation, Śrīmatī Rādhikā saw a bumblebee and thought it to be Kṛṣṇa’s messenger. In the state of divyonmāda94, She started manifesting citrajalpa, prajalpa and other moods of transcendental madness. Sometimes She chastised the bee, and sometimes She complained to it. Sometimes She gave the bee instructions, sometimes respects and sometimes She inquired from it about the well-being of Her beloved. Uddhava was amazed to see and hear all this. He had come as a teacher to give instructions, but instead he became a student. To console the gopīs, he relayed some of Kṛṣṇa’s messages to them, but this only intensified their pain of separation. They said, “Udho man na bhayo das bīs, ek huto so gayo śyām saṅga, ko ārādhe īśa – Uddhava, we do not each have ten or twenty hearts. We had only one, which has now gone away along with Śyāma. With which heart shall we now worship God?” They also said, “Udho joga kahāṅ rākheṅ yahāṅ rom rom śyām hai – Uddhava, how can we perform yoga when Śyāma already pervades every particle in our bodies?”

In the end, Uddhava desired to take birth in Vraja in the form of a small shrub, creeper or blade of grass so that he could be blessed with the dust of the gopīs’ feet. He worshipped their foot-dust as follows:

This pastime place is filled with the rasa of topmost meeting (mahā-sambhoga) and at the same time, it is filled with the rasa of the highest degree of separation (mahā-vipralambha). The life of a sādhaka becomes successful by taking darśana of and touching this place.

Rajashekhara Dasa

From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:

The word ‘kyari’ means a ‘garden’ that is being systematically cultivated and also regularly watered. This particular garden was situated within the kunja or forest grove of kadamba trees belonging to Vishakha-sakhi, whose kunda known as Vishakha-kunda is also nearby. When Krishna left Vrindavana, all the residents, especially the gopis, drowned in an ocean of sorrow due to separation from their beloved Krishna. Therefore, Krishna requested His dear friend Uddhava to take a message to the gopis on His behalf. After bathing at Krishna-kunda in the morning, Uddhava saw the gopis assembled near Vishakha-kunda and went there to meet them. The garden where Uddhave met the gopis and delivered the message sent to them by Krishna became known as Uddhava-kyari. At that time, after receiving Krishna’s message, Shrimati Radharani entered into the state of ‘maha-bhava’, the topmost ecstatic expression of pure love of God. Uddhava was extremely surprised to see the high level of spiritual advancement of Radharani as well as the other gopis, and therefore desired to take the dust of their lotus feet on his head. To fulfill Uddhava’s desire, Krishna allowed him to take birth as grass (gulma-lata) next to Kusuma-sarovara in the forest known as Pushpavana, so that when the gopis came there to pick flowers, they would trample on the grass and in this way Uddhava could receive the dust from their lotus feet on his head. Uddhava Kyari is located in a very isolated spot on the parikrama path of Nandagrama where one can also see Uddhava-kunda. This place is also known as Udho-kriya-sthana, which means the place (sthana) where Uddhava (Uddho) performed the task (kriya) given to him by Krishna, when he conveyed Krishna’s message to the gopis of Vraja at this spot.

Uddhava remained in Vrindavana for ten months and wherever he went, he spoke about the wonderful pastimes of Krishna. Due to Uddhava continually describing Krishna’s pastimes, it was as if Krishna was still present in Vrindavana. The Vrajavasis much appreciated Uddhava being present amongst them and by hearing about their beloved Krishna, they appeared to get back their life. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it says, “Uddhava felt fortunate to see the activities of the gopis. He had come to console the cowherd men like Nanda, but felt restless by seeing the wonderful display of the gopis loving sentiments. It is said that by seeing this place known as Uddhava Kyari, one will achieve perfection in all his activities.”