Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
This place is situated between Nandagaon and Varsānā. The first meeting of Śrīmatī Rādhikā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa, after Their pūrva-rāga, took place here. Śrīmatī Rādhikā would then come from the house of Her in-laws in Jāvaṭa and Śrī Kṛṣṇa would come from Nandagaon, and They would meet here. Vṛndā-devī, Vīrā-devī and Subala Sakhā would be messengers (dūtīs) and arrange the meeting of Priyā-Priyatama through signals (saṅket). This is why this place is called Saṅket. Sometimes, Śrīmatī Rādhikā would come here to meet with Kṛṣṇa, and sometimes Kṛṣṇa would come here to meet with Rādhikā.
In Govinda-līlāmṛta and Kṛṣṇa-bhāvanāmṛta, Śrīla Kṛṣṇadāsa Kavirāja and Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura respectively, describe Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s meetings and pastimes here at midnight (naiśa) and pre-dawn (niśānta). These descriptions are full of rasa.
By Yogamāyā’s desire, the principal messengers, Vīrā-devī and Vṛndā-devī, arrange the meeting of the Divine Couple Śrī Rādhā- Kṛṣṇa. Vṛndā-devī makes very sweet arrangements to awaken the Divine Couple at the end of the night, just before dawn breaks. The male parrot and the female parrot awaken Them with enchanting words. The black cuckoo helps to wake Them up with his sweet kuhu-kuhu, and the peacock and peahen with their ke-kā. Lalitā, Viśākhā and the other sakhīs offer āratī to the Divine Couple. When Kakkhaṭī, the old she-monkey, calls out “Jaṭilā”, Śrī Rādhā and Śrī Kṛṣṇa become embarrassed and make Their separate ways to Their respective residences, where They fall asleep.
Delightful places worth visiting here are the temple of Saṅket- bihārījī, a rāsa-maṇḍala and the place of a swing. The bhajana-kuṭī of Śrī Gopāla Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī stands in front of the rāsa-maṇḍala, to its east. Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu rested here while travelling through the twelve forests of Vraja. Just near the rāsa-maṇḍala is the temple of Saṅket-devī (Śrī Vīrā-devī); and nearby are Vihvalā- devī, Vihvala-kuṇḍa, Raṅga-mahala and Śayyā Mandira. Kṛṣṇa- kuṇḍa lies to the west of the village. On the bank of Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa is a sitting-place of Śrī Vallabhācārya.
Some people continue their pilgrimage of Vraja-maṇḍala by travelling from Saṅket to Nandagaon. Others visit and perform parikramā of the following pastime places before continuing on to Nandagaon: Riṭhaura, Bhāṇḍokhora, Meherāna, Sātoyā, Pāī, Tiloyāra, Śṛṅgāravaṭa, Bichora, Andhopa, Sonda, Vanacārī, Hoḍal, Kuñjaravana, Daīgaon, Lālpura, Hāroyāna, Sāñculī, Geṇḍo and so forth.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
Sanket is mentioned in the Puranas to be one of the adhivanas or sub-forests of Vraja. In the village one can visit the Sanket Devi Mandira containing the Deity of Sanket Devi, an expansion of Yogamaya, who is seen here in her form as Durga Devi riding on her tiger carrier. Sanket Devi is also considered non-different from the gopi named Vira Devi, one of Vrinda Devi’s most important assistants responsible for arranging the pastimes at Sanket. This Deity of Sanket Devi was discovered here by Shrila Narayana Bhatta, who then re-installed the Deity. Local brahmanas say the Deity was originally installed by Vajranabha Maharaja. One can also visit the rasa-mandala commemorating the rasa-lila pastimes enacted here by Radha and Krishna as well as jhulana-sthali where the swing pastimes of the ‘divine lovers’ took place. Situated near the Sanket Devi Mandira is the bhajana-kutira of Shrila Gopala Bhatta Goswami, who spent a considerable time performing bhajana at Sanket. Some say the sitting place or baithaka of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is located here, but this baithaka is not mentioned in Bhakti-ratnakara and this particular baithaka is that of Vallabhacharya, wrongly called as Mahaprabhu by his followers, which has lead to the confusion. To the south of the Sanket Devi Mandira is Krishna-kunda where many wonderful pastimes took place and also the famous banyan tree known as Sanket Vata. To the east is Vihvala-kunda, where Krishna became overwhelmed (vihvala) when He suddenly heard the name of His beloved Radha being chanted somewhere nearby by a parrot. It is said that this kunda was formed from the tears shed by Krishna while overcome by the ecstatic symptoms of maha-bhava. Subala had to immediately bring Radharani there in order to pacify Krishna’s intense feelings of separation from Her. Next to Vihvala -kunda is the Vihvala Devi Mandira where there is a Deity of Vihvala Devi, who is an expansion of Yogamaya Devi.
Sanket is situated half-way between Varsana and Nandagrama and therefore the perfect place for the ‘divine lovers’ Radha and Krishna to secretly meet together while unseen by others. In fact, this is the actual place where the ‘young lovers’ first met one another at the very beginning of Their much celebrated ‘love affair’. Their first meeting was arranged with the help of Vrinda Devi and Vira Devi, as well as Lalita-sakhi, who accompanied Radharani, and Subala-sakha who accompanied Krishna. The word ‘sanket’ means ‘to give a hint’ or ‘to give a signal’, which is the way the sakhis and sakhas used to arrange secret meetings between Radha and Krishna at this place. In the Bhakti-ratnakara it says, “In this Sanket-kunja the sakhis were giving hints to one-another and they very carefully brought Radha and Krishna together at this place. At a most auspicious moment, Radha and Krishna briefly became united together for the first time. Just see, there is Krishna-kunda and many other enchanting places where innumerable unseen pastimes took place”.
Sanket is especially well known because of the transcendental midnight meetings between the ‘secret lovers’ Radha and Krishna. With the help of Their intimate assistants, especially the gopis Vrinda Devi and Vira Devi, the ‘divine lovers’ would come to Sanket Kunja and enjoy various loving pastimes and would later take rest together within the kunja on a bed of flowers prepared by the gopis. Just before dawn, Vrinda Devi would awaken Radha and Krishna and They would secretly return to Their respective homes. During Their midnight rendezvous, the ‘divine lovers’ would sometimes enjoy together on a swing, or partake of drinking honey liquor, or engage in rasa-dancing, besides many other transcendental pastimes. Sanket-kunja is also considered to be the residence of Yogamaya Devi, who is the controlling Deity and facilitator of all Krishna’s pastimes; Purnamasi Devi is her immediate expansion. Purnamasi and Vrinda Devi meet one-another every morning and make all the arrangements for the various pastimes of Radha and Krishna, as well as Their secret meetings at Sanket. In the Bhaktivedanta purports to Chaitanya-charitamrita Shrila Prabhupada says, “Yogamaya is the name of the internal potency that makes the Lord forget Himself and become an object of love for His pure devotees in different transcendental mellows. The yogamaya potency creates a spiritual sentiment in the minds of the damsels of Vraja by which they think of Krishna as their paramour.”
