Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This place is known as the sangam, or meeting place, where the two sacred kundas, Radha-kunda and Shyama-kunda, meet each other through a small channel beneath the sangama causeway. It is said that at this sacred place, in Their transcendental liquid forms, Radha and Krishna eternally embrace each other without fear of ever being separated. The Vraja-riti-chintamani says, “Longing to meet, but forced to remain apart, Radha and Krishna assumed the forms of these two lakes and in this way are eternally splashed with the nectar of Their meeting.” This form of Radha and Krishna eternally embracing one-another is called Jugala-Kishore and the two ghatas on either side of the Sangama are also called the Jugala-sangama Ghata. The word ‘jugala’ means ‘combined together’. The meeting place of the two kundas is also known as the ‘Ratna-vedi’, which means the ‘jeweled altar’ on which the ‘divine lovers’ Radha and Krishna are locked in eternal embrace. The Sangama is the actual center of the sacred kundas and is also referred to as the Radha-kunda ‘Yoga-Pitha’. In this regard the term ‘yoga-pitha’ means the ‘secret meeting place’ and in the aprakata-lila or un-manifested pastimes, Radha and Krishna meet at this place with all their eternal associates. Also in the aprakata-lila, the Ratna-Vedi is seen as being a gem encrusted causeway across the Sangama.
This is also the place where, after Radharani had finished digging Her own kunda, the holy waters in Shyama-kunda, after taking permission from Radharani, broke through its banks and filled Radha-kunda with their sacred waters. At this place one can also see the marble engraving of Radha and Krishna’s lotus feet which is known as Charana-chinnha. The word ‘charana’ means ‘lotus feet’ and ‘chinnha’ means ‘indented’ or ‘engraved’. There is also a shrine at the Sangama called Giriraja Maharaja Mandira containing a large collection of Govardhana-shilas. The Sangama is the most popular place for pilgrims to take their holy bath in the sacred kundas. According to tradition, one should first bathe in Radha-kunda, then bathe in Shyama-kunda, and then bathe again in Radha-kunda. This is also the traditional way of bathing on the occasion of Bahulashtami.
