Sringaravata

Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami

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

This place lies a little towards the east from Imlītalā (towards Keśī-ghāṭa) on the bank of the Yamunā. While out grazing the cows, Subala and the other sakhās joyfully decorated Kṛṣṇa here with diverse colours and ornaments. In turn, to break Śrīmatī Rādhikā’s māna, Śrī Kṛṣṇa ornamented Her with marvellously imaginative decorations made of flowers that He had personally picked. This is very wonderfully described in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam.

During rāsa-līlā, when Śrīmatī Rādhikā saw Śrī Kṛṣṇa dance with other gopīs as well as with Her, She left the rāsa. Wishing to hide Herself, She sat down in this solitary place. Here, rasika Kṛṣṇa decorated Śrīmatījī with belī, camelī and other flowers that He had personally picked, and thereby pleased Her. When the other sakhīs were searching for Śrī Kṛṣṇa, one sakhī said, “O sakhīs, look, look here! Our dear Kṛṣṇa picked flowers for His beloved here, standing on His toes, and therefore the ground is marked with only the front portion of His lotus feet128.”

Kṛṣṇa was decorating Śrīmatī when He heard the loud voices of the gopīs nearby. Kṛṣṇa requested Śrīmatījī to quickly leave this place with Him, but She refused on the excuse of being tired. Śyāmasundara then crouched down and requested Her to sit on His shoulder, but just as She was about to do so, He disappeared. Distressed in separation, Śrīmatījī fainted, crying out:

When the sakhīs found Śrīmatī Rādhikā thus overwhelmed in separation, they consoled Her and took Her with them to the bank of the Yamunā.

The following pastime also took place here. While wandering throughout Vraja-maṇḍala, Śrīman Nityānanda Prabhu stayed near Śṛṅgāravaṭa for a few days. He was always absorbed in the mood of Śrī Baladeva. Sometimes He would be fully absorbed as an avadhūta. Holding on to the necks of the cows, He would cry and ask them, “Have you seen Kanhaiyā? Where is He?” Sometimes He would catch hold of the cowherd men and ask them with tears in His eyes, “Where is Kanhaiyā?” One day He heard an aerial voice announce, “Your Kanhaiyā as Śacīnandana Gaurahari in Nadiyā is waiting for You to come to Him.”

Śṛngāravaṭa is thus also known as Nityānandavaṭa because Nityānanda Prabhu resided here. The presiding deities in the temple are Śrī Nitāī-Gaura and Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa. Just near the temple under an ancient banyan tree is a unique painting in which Śrī Kṛṣṇa is decorating Śrīmatī Rādhikā.

Rajashekhara Dasa

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

The word ‘shringara’ means to ‘decorate’, or to ‘dress’, either the Deity or a worshipable person, with various types of jewelry, ornaments, and clothing, and the word ‘vata’ means a ‘banyan tree’. Shringara Vata, like the Radha Damodara Mandira and Imli-tala, is also situated within the area of Seva Kunja. It is said that on one occasion when Krishna left behind the other gopis and took only Radharani with Him, He sometimes came to this place. While sitting under this banyan tree, Krishna combed Radharani’s hair into braids and then decorated her long black locks with aromatic forest flowers. Krishna would also decorate Her moonlike face with cosmetics made of natural pigments found in the nearby forests and smear black anjana on Her lotus eyes. He would also carefully decorate Her body with various gem-studded ornaments including a golden girdle, bangles, earrings, and a necklace of shining pearls. While Krishna was decorating Radharani in this way, She would hold up Her mirror and while seeing Her own reflection, gaze in awe at the beauty of Krishna’s lotus-like face. In the Vraja-vilasa-stava it says, “While dancing with the radiantly beautiful wives of the cowherd men, Krishna left them and went with Radha to a solitary place to decorate Her with flower ornaments and engage in divine loving play with Her.”

At Shringar Vata Krishna would dress-up in various costumes just to please His cowherd boyfriends. On other occasions the cowherd boys would enjoy decorating Krishna with different dresses, ornaments and fragrant forest flowers. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Look at this wonderful vata tree on the bank of the Yamuna. Everyone calls it Shringara Vata. At this place Lord Krishna would enjoy Himself by dressing in various ways for the pleasure of Subala and the others.” Shringara Vata is also known as Nityananda Vata, because when Lord Nityananda came on pilgrimage to Vrindavana, He stayed at this very place. Lord Nityananda was an avadhuta, which means a sadhu or holy man who does not have any material conception of life, who appears to be almost mad due to intense feelings of love for God. While staying here, Lord Nityananda would often become completely absorbed in the mood of being a cowherd boy, sometimes He would sit down while chanting under this banyan tree and at other times He would roll on the ground in great ecstasy. On other occasions He would decorate Himself with forest flowers and cry out the names of Krishna in a very loud voice while shedding torrents of tears. According to the Bhakti-ratnakara, while Lord Nityananda was absorbed in the mood of Lord Balarama and shedding tears in separation from His younger brother Krishna, He suddenly heard a celestial voice from the sky informing Him that His younger brother Krishna had now taken birth at Navadwipa. After hearing the voice, Lord Nityananda immediately left for Navadwipa to meet Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.