The supreme realm of Vaikuntha, where old-age and death do not exist, which is situated in the spiritual sky above the material universes

Chapter Four from Sri Brahma-vaivarta Purana

Goloka-varnana

Description of Goloka

1          Sri Narada said: Asked by whom, and for what reason did Lord Krsna, the master of the universes, come to the earth? O best of the knowers of the Vedas, please tell.

2          Sri Narayana Rsi said: In ancient times, during the Varaha-kalpa, bearing a great burden and filled with grief, the earth took shelter of the demigod Brahma.

3          Accompanied by hosts of demigods, who were all unhappy at heart to be so troubled by the demons, she went to the assembly of Brahma, which is very difficult to attain.

4          There she saw Brahma, the king of the demigods, who shone with spiritual power, who was cheerfully served by the kings of the rsis, munis and siddhas...

5          ...who happily smiled as he glanced at the Apsaras dancing and listened to the Gandarvas beautiful singing,...

6          ...and who chanted the two most sacred syllables Krs-na, the hairs of his body erect and his eyes filled with tears of the ecstasy of devotion.

7          O sage, accompanied by the demigods, the earth goddess then devotedly offered here respectful obeisances to four-faced Brahma and told him how she was burdened by the demons.

8          The hairs of her body erect and her eyes filled with tears, she offered prayers and wept.  Brahma, the creator of the universe said to her: Why do you offer prayers and weep?

9          O beautiful one, why have you come?  Please tell.  It will be auspicious.  Be steady.  O beautiful one, why are you afraid of me?

10        Brahma comforted the earth-goddess and then respectfully asked the demigods, why have you come to me?

11        Hearing Brahma’s words, the demigods said to Prajapati Brahma: O Lord, the earth is overcome by the demons and we also are in the demons’ grip.

12        You are the creator of the worlds.  Please stop (the demons).  O Brahma, the earth has taken shelter of you.  You should stop (the demons).

13        O grandfather, the earth is now tormented by the burden (of many demons).  We are also tortured by them.  Please remove the burden (they have brought).

14        After hearing the demigods’ words, Brahma, the creator of the worlds said to the earth-goddess: Child, throw your fears far away.  Stand happily before me.

15        O Lotus-eyed one, who has brought this burden you cannot bear?  O beautiful one, I will take away your burden.  Things will be auspicious for you.  That is certain.

16        When she heard these words, even though she was anxious and unhappy, she made her eyes and face cheerful and she anxiously spoke to him.

17        The earth goddess said: Father, please listen and I will tell the suffering in my heart.  I cannot tell this to any but a  faithful friend.

18        A weak woman should always be protected by her father, husband, sons and other relatives.

19        O father of the worlds, you created me.  I am not shy to tell you.  Listen, and I will tell you who has brought the burden that crushes me.

20        I cannot bear the burden of carrying great sinners that have no devotion to Lord Krsna and that blaspheme the devotees.

21        I am crushed by carrying the burden of they who do not perform their religious duties, who never do what they should, and who have no faith in the Vedas.

22        I cannot carry the burden of they who do not maintain their father, mother, guru, wife, sons and grandsons.

23        I am crushed by the burden of carrying they who speak lies, who have neither mercy nor truth, and who insult their spiritual masters.

24        I am crushed by the burden of carrying they who become enemies to their friends, who are ungrateful, who bear false witness, who are faithless, and who rob what is given them to protect.

25        I am crushed by the burden of carrying they who sell the auspicious Vedic prayers and hymns and the most auspicious name of Lord Hari.

26        I am crushed by carrying the burden of murderers, they who become enemies of their spiritual master, brahmanas who misuse the Vedic rituals, they who hunt animals, they who have transformed their body into a crematorium for burning the flesh of dead animals, and brahmanas who eat what sudras offer them.

27        I am crushed by the burden of carrying the fools who hinder the performance of worship, yajna, fasting, vows and sense-control.

28        I am crushed by carrying the burden of sinners who hate the cows, brahmanas, demigods, Vaisnavas, Lord Hari and devotion to hearing the glories of Lord Hari.

29        O Brahma, these demons crush me even more than Sankhacuda crushed me in the past.

30        I, who have no shelter, have told you everything.  Please give me shelter.  O Lord, please solve my problem.

31        After speaking these words the earth-goddess wept again and again.  Seeing her weep, Brahma, who was an ocean of kindness said to her: I will remove the burden of these demons.

32        O earth, the remedy will come.  In due course of time my master will remove your burden.

33-39   O beautiful one, the foolish demons that now place on you yantras, mangala-kumbhas, Siva-lingas, kunkuma, honey, sticks, sandal paste, musk, the dust of holy places, swords, gandaka swords, crystal, padmaraga jewels, sapphires, suryakanta jewels, rudraksa beads, kusa grass, Salagrama-silas, conchshells, tulasi, Deities, water, lamps, stone Deities, bells, offerings of flowers and food, emeralds, knotted sacred threads, mirrors, white camaras, gorocana, pearls, oyster shells, manikya jewels, the Puranas, fire, camphor, axes, silver, gold, red coral, jewels, kusa-brahmanas, water from holy places, milk, cow urine, and cow dung, will burn on the rope of time for ten thousand years.

40        In this way Brahma comforted the earth-goddess.  Then, accompanied by her and the demigods, Brahma, the creator of the worlds, went to Lord Siva’s abode, Mount Kailasa.

41        Coming to that beautiful asrama, Brahma saw, staying under an eternal banyan tree by the shore of a river, Lord Siva...

42        ...who wore a tigerskin garment, who was decorated with the bones of Daksa’s daughter, who held a spear and trident, who had three eyes on each of his five faces,...

43        ...who was surrounded by siddhas and served by the kings of yoga, who happily smiled as he glanced at the dancing of the apsaras,...

44        ...who listened to the tumultuous music of the Gandharvas, who affectionately glanced at Parvati with crooked eyes,...

45        ...and who, the hairs of his body erect in ecstasy, with his five mouths chanted Lord Hari’s auspicious holy name on bead made from lotus seeds in the heavenly Ganga.

46        In that place Brahma, the earth-goddess and the bowing demigods stood before Lord Siva.

47        Lord Siva stood up and for a long time gazed at Brahma, the master of the universe.  Lord Siva affectionately bowed his head and accepted Brahma’s blessing.

48        The demigods bowed down before Lord Siva and the earth goddess also bowed down with devotion.  Lord Siva gave them his blessing.

49        Brahma told the news to Lord Siva, the husband of Parvati.  Lord Siva, who is kind to the devotees, at once bowed his head when he heard it.

50        When, hearing of the devotees’ sufferings, Siva and Parvati became unhappy, Brahma comforted them.

51        Carefully reassuring them, Brahma and Siva then sent the earth-goddess and the demigods to their homes.

52        Then Brahma and Siva at once went to Yamaraja’s palace.  After some thought, all three went to Lord Hari’s abode,...

53        ...the supreme realm of Vaikuntha, where old-age and death do not exist, which is situated in the spiritual sky above the material universes,...

54        ...which is ten million yojanas above Brahmaloka, which is eternal, which poets and philosophers cannot describe, which is wonderful, and which is made of jewels.

Note: a yojana is equal to eight miles.

55        Travelling at the speed of mind, they went to that beautiful place, where the royal paths are paved with rubies and sapphires.  Entering Lord Hari’s palace, the three demigods saw Lord Hari,...

56        ...who sat on a jewel throne, was decorated with jewel ornaments, and was splendid with jewel bracelets, armlets, and anklets,...

57        ...whose cheeks were splendid with jewel earrings, who wore yellow garments, who was decorated with a forest garland,...

58        ...who was peaceful, who was dear to Sarasvati, whose lotus feet were massaged by Laksmi, who was playful as millions of Kamadevas, who smiled, who had four arms,...

59        ...who was served by His associates Sunanda, Nanda, and Kumuda, whose entire body was anointed with sandal paste, and who was splendid with a beautiful jewel crown.

60        To Lord Hari, whose form was full of transcendental bliss, and who was overcome with kindness to the devotees, the three demigods headed by Brahma bowed down, O sage, with devotion.

61        Overcome with transcendental bliss, the hairs of the bodies erect, and their necks bowed with devotion, they offered prayers with great devotion.

62        Sri Brahma said: I offer my respectful obeisances to the infallible and peaceful Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is the beloved of Laksmi and the master of all.  We demigods are parts of the parts of the parts of the parts of the parts of Him.

63        O Lord untouched by matter, the Manus, the kings of sages, the human beings, and the moving and unmoving entities are parts of the parts of the parts of the parts of You.

64-65   Sri Siva said: Who has the power to properly glorify You, the immortal and imperishable Supreme Personality of Godhead, who are the supreme controller and enjoyer, beginningless, the beginning of all, whose form is filled with bliss, whose form contains everything, who is the origin of the mystic perfections beginning with anima, who is the cause of all, whose knowledge is perfect, who grants perfection, and who is the form of perfection?

66        Sri Yamaraja said: Who has the power to describe that being whom the wise say is the topic of the Vedas, but whom the Vedas fail to describe?

67        The (material mind) can understand forms created by the modes of material nature, but You are not touched by the modes of nature.  How can I offer prayers to You?

68        O great sage, a person who reads these prayers of the demigods headed by Brahma, prayers spoken in eloquent verse, become free from difficulties and attains his desire.

69        After hearing the demigods’ prayers, Lord Hari said to them: You go to Goloka and I will follow with goddess Laksmi.

70        Nara-Narayana, who live in Svetadvipa, will go to Goloka, and goddess Sarasvati will also go.

71        Ananta, My Maya, Karttikeya, Ganesa and Savitri, the mother of the Vedas, will also follow.

72        Here I am with Laksmi and My associates headed by Sunanda.  There I am two-armed Krsna, with Radha and the gopis.

73        I am Narayana and I am Krsna.  I am the Lord whom resides in Svetadvipa.  All the demigods headed by Brahma are considered My partial expansions.

74        The living entities headed by the demigods, demons, and human beings are parts of the parts of the parts of the parts of Me.  You go to Goloka and your goal will be accomplished (in the end).

75        To fulfil your desire, we will follow you.  After speaking these words in the assembly, Lord Hari became silent.

76        Bowing down, all the demigods went to Goloka, the wonderful transcendental abode, which is free of old-age, and death,...

77        ...and which, by the wish of the all-powerful Lord, is situated five hundred million yojanas above Vaikuntha in the spiritual sky.

78        The demigods were eager to go to that place beyond description.  Travelling at the speed of mind, they all went to the shore of the Viraja river.

79        The demigods became filled with wonder when they saw that beautiful and broad riverbank splendid with pure crystal,...

80        ...glittering with pearls, rubies, parasa jewels, and many kinds of blue, white, green and red jewels,...

81        ...somewhere beautiful with coral grass and decorated with priceless transcendental gems,...

82        ...somewhere filled with treasuries of rubies and sapphires Brahma had never seen before,...

83        somewhere filled with treasuries of emeralds, somewhere syamantaka jewels, and somewhere rucaka jewels,...

84        ...somewhere filled with treasuries of topaz, somewhere kaustubha jewels, and somewhere other jewels,...

85        ...somewhere filled with treasuries of jewels that are beyond description, and somewhere filled with beautiful and delightful pastime places.

86        After gazing at this place, the (three) demigods crossed to the farther shore, where they saw a beautiful mountain with a hundred peaks,...

87        ...splendid with parijata trees, filled with kalpa-vrksa trees and surabhi cows,...

88        ...ten million yojanas high, ten times as long, and five hundred millions yojanas wide,...

89        ...on its peak a beautiful walled rasa-dance circle ten yojanas across,...

90        ...with a thousand gardens of fragrant blossoming flowers attended by swarms of black bees,...

91        ...splendid with jewelled pastime palaces and with a thousand multiplied by ten million jewel pavilions,...

92-93   ...splendid with jewel staircases, beautiful jewel domes, and a splendid emerald pillar studded with rubies and its middle decorated with beautiful sapphires,...

94        ...splendid with jewel walls and four gates of many jewels,...

95        ...with many mango  trees tied with diamonds, and with many banana trees,...

96        ...with the leaves of white-rice plants, with fruits, and with durva grass, anointed with sandal, aguru, musk and kunkuma,...

97        ...filled, O sage with many millions of youthful gopis decorated with jewel ornaments, splendid with jewel necklaces,...

98        ...decorated with jewel bracelets, armlets, and anklets, their cheeks splendid with jewel earrings,...

99        ...their fingers beautifully decorated with jewel rings, their toes splendid with a network of jewels,...

100      ...decorated with jewel ornaments, splendid with jewel crowns, their nostrils splendidly decorated with a gajendra-pearl ornament,...

101      ...the place below their curly hair splendid with a dot of red sindura, their complexions the colour of beautiful campaka flowers, (their limbs) anointed with sandal paste,...

102      ...dressed in yellow garments, their beautiful lips bimba fruits, the splendour of their faces eclipsing the autumn moonlight,...

103      ...their eyes eclipsing the beauty of lotuses blooming in autumn, their eyes glistening with black kajjala and designs drawn in musk,...

104      ...their braids decorated with malata blossoms that attract black bees greedy for nectar,...

105      ...their graceful motions defeating the elephants and khanjana birds, the crooked motions of their curved eyebrows suggesting a slight smile,...

106      ...splendid with teeth like ripe pomegranate seeds, decorated with raised noses opulent like the king of birds’ beak,...

107      ...their heavy breasts like the elephant king’s cheeks, their thighs firm and their hips broad,...

108      ...their hearts wounded by Kama’s arrows, passionately yearning to gaze on the full moon of (Lord Krsna’s) face...

109      ...(their forms) beautiful, attached to serving Sri Radha’s lotus feet, and by Radha’s order engaged in protecting that place,...

110      ...which was always filled with a hundred thousand pastime lakes filled with red and white lohita lotuses, splendid padma lotuses, sweetly humming black bees,...

111      ...and which had a thousand gardens of blossoming flowers and many forest cottages with couches of flowers,...

112      ...betel nuts and camphor, jewel lamps, white camaras,...

113      ...and wonderful, beautiful, and colourful flower garlands.  O sage, after seeing this rasa dance circle, the (three) demigods left that mountain.

114      Then they saw Radha-Krsna’s favourite forest, which was named Vrndavana forest, which was extraordinarily beautiful and charming,...

115      ...which was a place where Radha and Krsna enjoyed pastimes, which was filled with kalpa-vrksa trees and gentle breezes carrying drops of water from the shore of the Viraja river,...

116      ...which was fragrant with musk designs everywhere, filled with new sprouts and with the cooing of cuckoos,...

117      ...beautiful with somewhere keli-kadamba trees, somewhere mandara trees, somewhere sandal trees, and somewhere campaka trees,...

118      ...scented with fragrant flowers of mango, nagaranga and panasa trees,...

119      ...filled with forests of tala, coconut, jambu, badari, kharjura,...

120      ...guvakamrataka, jambira, banana, sriphala, and pomegranate trees, O Narada,...

121      ...splendid with many piyala, sala, and banyan trees, with many trees bearing ripe tala fruits,...

122      ...with many beautiful nimba, salmali, tintidi, and with other kinds of trees,...

123      ...splendid with many kalpa-vrksa trees everywhere, with mallika, malati, kunda, ketaki, and madhavi vines,...

124      ...with many yuthika flowers, with five hundred million forest cottages, O sage,...

125      ...with jewel lamps, with decorations fragrant with incense, with fragrant breezes,...

126      ...and with beds made of flowers decorated with a network of flower garlands and scented with sandal filled with sweet sounds of bees greedy for nectar,...

127      ...filled with gopis beautifully decorated with jewel ornaments, by Radha’s order protected by five hundred million gopis,...

128      ...filled with thirty-two forests of which beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, secluded Vrndavana is the best,...

129      ...filled, O sage, with many perfectly ripe, sweet, delicious fruits, filled with many cows and barns,...

130      ...filled with a thousand fragrant gardens of blossoming flowers (attracting) hosts of bees greedy for nectar,...

131      ...and splendid with the jewel homes of five hundred million gopas whose forms were like Sri Krsna’s.

132      After gazing at beautiful Vrndavana, the (three) demigods went to circular Goloka, which was ten million yojanas in size,...

133      ...which was surrounded by a jewel wall with four gates protected by many gopa gatekeepers,...

134      ...and which had five hundred million asramas of Lord Krsna’s servants, asramas studded with jewels and filled with many delightful things,...

135      ...one billion asramas of Lord Krsna’s devotees, asramas even more beautifully made of many jewels,...

136      ...one hundred million asramas of Lord Krsna’s associates, asramas even more beautifully made of precious jewels,...

137      ...ten million jewel asramas of the Lord’s intimate associates, whose forms were like Lord Krsna’s,...

138      ...320 million jewel asramas of gopis purely devoted to Sri Radha,...

139      ...one hundred million beautiful jewel asramas of these gopis’ maidservants,...

140-44 ...and one billion beautiful asramas of they who, purified by austerities in a hundred births, became very firm devotees on earth in Bharata-varsa, awake or asleep rapt in meditation on Lord Hari, and chanting “Radha-Krsna! Krsna!” day and night, asramas made of many jewels, filled with many delightful things, splendid with flower couches, flower garlands, white camaras, jewel mirrors, many sapphires, curtains of fine cloth, and roofs decorated with many domes made of priceless jewels.

145      After gazing at this wonderful place, the (three) demigods went a little further and happily saw a beautiful and eternal banyan tree,...

146      ...five yojanas across and twice as many high, with a thousand trunks and countless branches,...

147      ...and beautiful with jewel platforms and many ripe jewel fruits.  At the root of that tree the demigods saw many cowherd boys who had forms like Lord Krsna,...

148      ...and who were dressed in yellow garments, attached to playing, handsome, decorated with jewel ornaments, and all of whose limbs were anointed with sandal paste.

149      The demigods gazed at these close associates of Lord Hari and then looked far away at the beautiful royal path,...

150      ..which was paved with sapphires, rubies, diamonds, rucaka jewels, and jewels the colour of red sindura,...

151      ...which had many benches and jewel pavilions, which was anointed with sandal, aguru, musk, and kunkuma,...

152-3   ...which was splendid with many banana trees decorated with yoghurt drops, leaves, rice, fruit, flowers, sandal anointed flowers strung on fine threads, kunkuma, auspicious jewel bells, and branches filled with fruit,...

154      ...decorated with flower garlands anointed with sindura, kunkuma, and fragrant sandal,...

155      ...and filled with many playful gopis.

156-8   Then, seeing in the distance a beautiful place surrounded by a moat and jewel walls with sixteen gates guarded by gatekeepers, splendid with jewel stairways, beautiful curtains more pure than fire, mirrors, white camaras, wonderful jewel beds, and flower garlands and anointed with sandal, aguru, musk, and kunkuma, the demigods became very eager to proceed.

159      O Narada, after going a short distance they saw the beautiful asrama of Radha, who is the queen of the rasa dance,...

160      ...the queen of the demigods, the best of the gopis, and She who to Lord Krsna is more dear than life, a beautiful, beautiful asrama,...

161      ..that was completely indescribable, that no great pandita could describe, that was a great circle of six gavyutis,...

Note: A gavyuti is equal to two miles.

162      ...that had a hundred palaces, shone with the splendour of many jewels, was made of the best of the best of priceless jewels,...

163      ...was beautiful with many impassable deep moats, filled with a hundred flower gardens and many kalpa-vrksa trees, constructed with many jewels, surrounded by great walls,...

164      ...and was made with jewel benches and seven wonderful jewel gates, O sage,...

165      ...and a series of seven gates that led, one after the other, to a place of sixteen gates.

166      Gazing at this great wall as tall as a thousand bows and splendidly beautiful with many small jewel domes, the (three) demigods became filled with wonder.

167      Keeping it on their right, they happily went a small distance behind that asrama.

168      There they saw a billion asramas of many gopas and gopis.

169      They gazed again and again at the beautiful, beautiful ever new asramas of the gopas and gopis.

170      After thus seeing all of Goloka, the demigods returned to the beautiful circle of Vrndavana forest.

171      The demigods saw the mountain of a hundred peaks and went past it to the Viraja river.  When they went past the Viraja river they saw nothing more.

172-3   Thus the demigods gazed at auspicious, wonderful, spiritual Goloka, which had a thousand lakes, which was made of jewels, and which, by the will of Lord Krsna and the wisdom of Sri Radha, was situated in the spiritual sky.  The demigods then gazed at the beautiful dancing they saw there.

174      Then. O sage, as they heard beautiful, beautifully rhythmic, nectar songs there about the glories of Sri Sri Radha-Krsna, the demigods fainted.

175      Regaining consciousness in a moment, and their thoughts now fixed on Lord Krsna, the demigods gazed at the many beauties and wonders there in place after place.

176      They saw all the beautiful gopis dressed in many different kinds of garments, some with mrdangas in their hands, some with vinas in their hands,...

177      ...some with camaras in their hands, some with karatalas in their hands, some with various musical instruments in their hands, some making their jewel anklets tinkle melodiously,...

178      ...some making a whole network of jewel ornaments tinkle, some spontaneously dancing as they carried jugs on their heads,...

179      ...some dressed as men with others dressed as their heroines, some dressed as Krsna with others dressed as Radha,...

180      ...some in the mood of separation, and others happily embracing each other.  As they gazed at these playful gopis, the (three) demigods smiled.

181      O Narada, going a little further, they saw the asramas of Radha’s friends, and then the homes of Her dearest friends,...

182      ...who in beauty, virtues, dress, appearance, youthful spirit, good fortune, and age were just like Her.

183      Now please hear the names of Sri Radha’s thirty-three gopi friends, who are beyond description.

184      They are Susila, Sasikala, Yamuna, Madhavi, Rati, Kadambamala, Kunti, Jahnavi, Svayamprabha,...

185      ...Candramukhi, Padmamukhi, Savitri, Sudhamukhi, Subha, Padma, Parijata, Gauri, Sarvamangala,...

186      ...Kalika, Kamala, Durga, Bharati, Sarasvati, Gangambika, Madhumati, Campaparna, Sundari,...

187      ...Krsnapriya, Sati, Nandani, and Nandana, their forms were like Sri Radha’s.  Their asramas were made of jewels,...

188      ...decorated with many wonders, beautiful, splendid with many domes of priceless jewels,...

189      ...splendid, and made with the best of jewels.  This world is beyond the material world.  There is no world higher than this.

190      Above this there is nothing.  What exists culminates in this world.  In the same way, there is nothing below the seven realms of Rasatala.

191      Below them is only impassable and invisible water and darkness.  Now you have heard from me all about the boundaries of the universe and what lies beyond the universe.