BRAJ_BARSANA

Stories and Myths related to Radha Krishna and Ashta sakhis

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LORD KRISHNA’S ASHTA SAKHI TEMPLES NEAR BARSANA VRINDAVAN..
An Introduction

Braj Bhumi is the most sacred dham spread over 168 miles- 42 miles on each direction with Mathura as the center. The holy place
comprises of Mathura, Goverdhan, Gokulam Barsana ,Vrindavan and the surrounding 12 forests. The Supreme Lord manifested
Himself as Lord Krishna along with HIS attendants and enacted various pastimes 5000 years ago in Dwapara yugam which attracts
millions of devotees to have darshan of this holy dhaam repeatedly.

Lord Krishnavataaram is the POORNA AVATARAM of Lord Maha Vishnu. Every inch in this place is sacred because of its association with
Lord Krishna’s lotus feet (as He walked over all these places).

Anyone who visits this sacred place is bestowed with divine love . This is one of the seven mukthi tharum kshetrams , the rest being
Ayodhya, Avatnti, Kasi,Kanchi, Puri, Dwarka. Also, Mathura is very dear to Lord Vishnu as it has Lord’s association in all the four yugams.
Lord eternally resides in this place

According to scholars every major forest in Braj corresponds to the various parts of Krishna’s body, hence the land is non-different from
Krishna and walking about its sacred spaces is considered synonymous with being with Krishna. This is the feeling evinced throughout
history by Krishna devotees and can and will be relished so long as these sites survive

HIS HEART ALWAYS CRAVED FOR THE GOPIKAS AFFECTION IN VRINDAVAN. The Lord was physically present in Dwaraka but always
resided permanently in the hearts of the Gopis and Gopikas of Vrindavan.
LORD KRISHNA’S ASHTA SAKHI TEMPLES NEAR BARSANA VRINDAVAN..
An Introduction

Kulasekhara Azhwar, Periazhwar have expressed beautifully about the pastimes of Lord Krishna with the gopikas and Andal has
glorified him as the one who simply roams about telling lies ( madhuryabhavam) in Vrindavan.
Lord Krishna manifested his divine play in this land it is this playful nature which endears and establishes his reign over the hearts of
those devoted to him throughout time and it is this which endears this land to his devotees. Krishna performed his “leelas” in 137
sacred forests and around 1000 Kunds (water bodies), on holy hills and on the banks of river Yamuna as per the legendary details .
Brajbhaktivilas mentions that over 137 transcendental dense forests on both flanks of Yamuna existed . More than 650 villages of
Braj are associated with HIS various leelas. All this makes the entire region of Braj sacred for millions of Vaishnavites all over the world.
Braj has a 5000 year old cultural heritage of unbroken continuity.
According to scholars every major forest in Braj corresponds to the various parts of Krishna’s body, hence the land is non-different from
Krishna and walking about its sacred spaces is considered synonymous with being with Krishna. This is the feeling evinced throughout
history by Krishna devotees and can and will be relished so long as these sites survive.Lord Sri Krishna lived in Vrindavan upto HIS 10th
year and later moved to Mathura to annihilate the demon Kamsa. After this episode , Lord stayed in Mathura and later shifted to
Dwarka. Though Lord Krishna resided in Dwaraka by constructing a beautiful city in the sea and was served by 16,108 wives and
innumerable assistants,
HIS HEART ALWAYS CRAVED FOR THE GOPIKAS AFFECTION IN VRINDAVAN. The Lord was physically present in Dwaraka but always
resided permanently in the hearts of the Gopis and Gopikas of Vrindavan.Of the 16,108 wives of Lord Krishna, eight are more prominent
who are collectively known as Ashta mahishis.
They are Rukmini, Sathyabama, Jambhavati, Kalindhi, Mithravindha, Sathya, Badra and Lakshmana.
Likewise, out of lakhs of gopis in Vrindavan, eight gopikas(Ashta sakhis) along with Radharani are very prominent. One can have THEIR
darshan at ISKCON, Mayapur, ISKCON Tirupati, and in Vrindavan. RAdharani belongs to Barsana(Varsana) and the ashta sakhis serving
the lordships appeared in the surrounding villages of Barsana. The villages and the distances are mentioned below .

Divine pastimes where Lord Krishna suffered from severe headache for which Sage Narada said that” applying dust from feet of
devotees was the only remedy “reminds us of the deep love LORD has for HIS devotees . The wives of Krishna got perplexed and
refrained from committing this grave sin (apacharam ) whereas the gopis hearing this news started dusting their feet and collected the
dust in carts and sent it to Dwaraka as they couldn’t digest the fact that their Lord was suffering. Such was their bhakti.
Once ,during Solar eclipse, Lord KRishna decided to have holy bath at Surya Theertham in Kurukshetra and along with HIS entire retinue
from Dwaraka went to Kurukshetra. On hearing this news, the gopis of Vrindavan also reached Kurukshetra to meet their life-breath-
Krishna.

The wives of Krishna were very curious to know about the gopikas bhakti and approached Rohini, the step-mother of Krishna who was
The Ashtamahishis of Lord Krishna were very excited to see the gopis and their faces lit up in reverence. The gopika bhakti cannot be
described in words. All the queens were keen to know from them what was that trait which Lord Krishna was attracted to them.

Draupadi, an ardent devotee of Lord Krishna was also extremely happy to see the Gopis. People who had gathered were all extolling
the greatness of Lord Krishna. Draupadi on seeing the queens eagerly enquired the reason for marrying Lord Krishna.
The Ashta Bharyas/ Mahishis beautifully replied to Draupadi’s question that they married Lord Krishna for merely doing service to the
Lord and not for acquiring any wealth or even liberation. They wanted to marry the Lord not to enjoy the status of being a spouse, but
so that they may be treated like a broom (‘gruha maarjani’) so that there is a nimble chance that He may shower His grace by looking at
them in the passing.
Their main purport in life was to do service to the Lord and they clearly mentioned that they learnt this purport only from the Gopis
who are verily the personification of godliness.

The Eight Gopis who are the foremost, dearest and most beloved friends of Shri Shri Radharani are glorified as Asta-sakhis Gopis .
The Eight Gopis who are the foremost, dearest and most beloved friends of Shri Shri Radharani are glorified as Asta-sakhis Gopis .

The Astha-sakhis display the zenith of spiritual love for Radha and Krishna. No one can equal or exceed the love they bear for the Divine
Couple.
To increase the transcendental ecstasy of Radha and Krishna, the Parama-preshta Gopis show partiality; sometimes they favour Krishna,
sometimes Radha.
These Eight Gopis are the leaders of all the other gopis. Although these Varishtha Gopis are the leaders of millions of other gopis,
because they are very greedy to earn Radha’s love , they always prefer to serve under the command of Radha and try to please her in
every way possible.
These gopi friends decorate their own dear friend Srimati Radharani and they take Radharani’s side whenever she has a lover’s quarrel
with Lord Hari. They please the Divine Couple by expertly singing, dancing and playing instrumental music. At the appropriate time they
beg to be engaged in various appropriate services.
They serve palatable meals to the Divine Couple and afterward relish tasting the remnants left by Them.
Their minds are pure and they are very expert and intelligent, so they serve Radha and Krsna very appropriately. Lalita-devi is the leader
and controller of all these exalted and worshipable young gopis…
RADHA RANI MANDIR_LADLI MAHAL

Puranas reveal that out of many thousands of gopis, sixteen thousand are predominant
and among them 108 gopis are very close , eight are still more prominent . Radharani
and Candravalli are very prominent and Srimathi Radharani is the most prominent.
Because Radharani possesses all the charm and sweetness to attract Lord Krishna .
Srimati Radharani, the personification of bhakti and the foremost dearest gopi of Lord
Krishna appeared on a lotus in a pond at a place presently known as Rawal to
Vrishabanu.

She was affectionately brought up by King Vrishabanu and Kirti Devi at Barsana . It may
be recalled that in Kaliyugam, our Kodhai nachiyar(Andal) also appeared near a Tulasi
plant and was brought up affectionately by Periazhwar
references

https://kazhiyurvaradanblog.in/2015/11/07/lord-krishnas-ashta-sakhi-temples-near-barsaana-vrindavan-an-introduction/