In the Gautamiya Tantra, r Narada asks: "What are the 32 forest of Vndvana I !

ish to hear of them" # $ord, if you think I am !orthy to hear, %&ease te&& me of them"" To this 'uestion $ord ()a *ave the fo&&o!in* re%&y: "This %&a+e named Vndvana is ,y trans+endenta& a-ode" When they die, the humans, +o!s, anima&s, -irds, inse+ts, and !orms !ho &ive here !i&& *o to ,y eterna& a-ode" "The *o%is !ho &ive here eterna&&y devoted to ,y servi+e"" "The forty mi&es of Vndvana forest is ,y o!n trans+endenta& form" The .amuna river there f&o!s !ith ne+tar" It is the same as the river named /usumna" "0ere the saints and demi*ods reside in su-t&e forms" I, !ho am the %ersonifi+ation of a&& the demi*ods, never &eave this forest"" ",i&&ennium after mi&&ennium, I a%%ear and disa%%ear" This -eautifu& and s%&endid a-ode +annot -e seen !ith materia& eyes""

r Narada said : When he heard the &i-erated sou&1s !ords, the -rahmana -e+ame stru+k !ith !onder" Then he asked another 'uestion of the &i-erated sou&, !ho kne! the %o!er and *&ory of Govardhana 0i&&" The -rahmana said : Who !ere you in your %revious -irth What sin did you +ommit" # fortunate one, you have s%iritua& eyes to see a&& this dire+t&y" The &i-erated sou& said : In my %revious -irth I !as a !ea&thy vaisya1s son" 2rom +hi&dhood I !as a +om%u&sive *am-&er" I -e+ame a *reat rake" I -e+ame a drunkard addi+ted to +hasin* %rostitutes" # -rahmana, my father, mother and !ife re-uked me a*ain and a*ain" Then one day !ith %oison I ki&&ed my %arents and !ith a s!ord I ki&&ed my !ife on a %ath!ay" Then I took a&& their money and !ent !ith my %rostitute -e&oved to the south, !here I -e+ame a mer+i&ess thief" #ne day I thre! the %rostitute into a -&ind !e&& and &eft her there to die" Indeed, !ith ro%es I ki&&ed many hundreds of %eo%&e as I ro--ed them" # -rahmana, I !as so *reedy after money that as a hi*h!ayman I murdered many hundreds of -rahmanas and many thousands of ksatriyas, vaisyas and sudras" #ne day, as I !as huntin* deer in the forest, I ste%%ed on a snake" The snake -it me and I died" 2earsome .amadutas -eat me !ith terri-&e +&u-s, tied me u% and dra**ed me, a *reat sinner, to he&&" I fe&& into the terri-&e he&& named (um-hi%aka and I stayed there for a manvantara" 2or a ka&%a I !as for+ed to em-ra+e the red3hot iron statue of a !oman" I, a *reat sinner, suffered *reat&y" 4y the desire of .amara5a I !as thro!n into ei*ht mi&&ion four3hundred thousand different he&&s"

Then my karma took me to 4harata3varsa" 2or ten -irths I !as a %i* and for a hundred -irths I !as a ti*er" 2or a hundred -irths I !as a +ame&" 2or another hundred -irths I !as a -uffa&o" 2or a thousand -irths I !as a snake" Wi+ked men ki&&ed me a*ain and a*ain" # -rahmana, after ten thousand years of these -irths I !as -orn in a desert as a *rotes'ue and !i+ked monster" #ne day I assumed the form of a sudra and I !ent to Vra5a" I +ame near to Vndvana and the sa+red .amuna" With sti+ks in their hands, some of $ord ()a1s handsome friends -eat me severe&y and I f&ed from the &and of Vra5a" 0un*ry for many days, I +ame here to eat you" Then you hit me !ith a stone from Govardhana 0i&&" Then, -y $ord ()a1s kindness, I -e+ame very fortunate" r Narada said : 6s the &i-erated sou& !as s%eakin* these !ords, a +hariot, s%&endid as a thousand suns and dra!n -y ten thousand horses, +ame from Go&oka" The +hariot rum-&ed !ith a thousand !hee&s" It !as de+orated !ith a hundred thousand asso+iates of the $ord" It had a *reat net!ork of -e&&s and tink&in* ornaments" It !as e7treme&y -eautifu&" 6s the -rahmana &ooked on, the +hariot a%%roa+hed" The -rahmana and the &i-erated sou& -o!ed do!n -efore the +hariot" 8&im-in* the +hariot and at that moment &osin* a&& interest in his heart to stay in the materia& !or&d, the &i-erated sou& !ent to r ()a1s -eautifu& a-ode, *ra+efu& !ith many %astime *ardens, the hi*hest of a&& s%iritua& rea&ms"