It is said that once, when Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī was returning to Yāvat after enjoying pastimes with Śrī Kṛṣṇa in the nearby forest of Kokilavana, She suddenly noticed that Her feet were covered with mud from the forest.
Rādhārāṇī became anxious that Her mother-in-law, Jaṭilā, would see the mud on Her feet and understand that She had been wandering in Kokilavana with Kṛṣṇa.
At that moment, Kṛṣṇa manifested the Gaṅgā River at this place by pressing His foot into the ground. Rādhārāṇī then washed the mud from Her lotus feet in the newly formed kuṇḍa before returning home to Yāvat.
How to Get There
Caraṇa-kuṇḍa (Caraṇa-gaṅgā) is located near Yāvat village, about three kilometers northeast of Nandagrāma, close to Kokilavana.
Reflections
This simple and beautiful pastime reveals how Kṛṣṇa always protects and serves His devotees. Even the smallest concern of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī became the cause for a divine miracle — the appearance of a sacred river.
The mud on Her feet symbolizes the touch of this material world that clings to every soul. The Lord, by pressing His foot into the earth, shows that only His mercy can purify the heart and remove all traces of worldly attachment.
Just as Rādhārāṇī’s worry became sanctified by Kṛṣṇa’s compassion, so too our smallest fears and anxieties can become sacred when offered to Him in faith. Where there is devotion, even a moment of anxiety becomes a doorway to divine grace.
Lessons to Be Learned
- Kṛṣṇa always responds to the call of His devotee’s heart.
- True purity is humility — the desire not to displease others.
- The Lord’s mercy can transform any difficulty into a place of blessing.
- Wherever Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa place Their feet, that place becomes eternally holy.
Prayer
O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose lotus feet sanctify the earth of Vraja, please remove the dust of ignorance and pride from my heart.
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who pressed Your divine foot into the ground to bring forth the sacred Gaṅgā, please press Your mercy into my soul so that the river of devotion may flow within me.
May my life become another Caraṇa-kuṇḍa — a place purified by Your feet and fragrant with Your love.
