THE PALACE OF YĀVAT
After Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī’s marriage to Abhimanyu, Her father, Mahārāja Vṛṣabhānu, built a beautiful palace for Her in the village now known as Yāvat.
It was an elegant residence with grand courtyards, wide pathways, and walls adorned with jewels that glistened under the light of the sun.
Yet, despite all its splendor, Śrī Rādhā saw it not as a palace, but as a golden cage. Her heart belonged wholly to Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and each wall, each lamp, and every ornament reminded Her only of the separation from Her eternal beloved.
THE SECRET MEETING UNDER THE BANYAN TREE
One day, beneath a magnificent banyan tree, Śrī Kṛṣṇa secretly met His beloved Śrī Rādhā. The gentle breeze carried the fragrance of blooming flowers, and the forest of Vraja seemed to hold its breath, waiting to witness Their meeting.
Kṛṣṇa knelt before Her and lovingly took Her delicate lotus feet into His hands. With complete devotion, He began to apply red foot-lac (yāva) upon them, carefully tracing patterns and graceful designs. Then, in a gesture of divine intimacy, He wrote His own name within those designs —
“Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa.”
The great banyan tree under which this tender act of love took place became sanctified forever. From that time, it was known as Yāva–Vaṭa — the banyan (vaṭa) under which the yāva was applied.
THE NAMING OF YĀVAT
From the sacred memory of that banyan tree, the whole village took its name, Yāvat.
The place became eternally blessed as the site where divine service blossomed into divine love.
Each night, Rādhārāṇī would climb to the moon tower of Her palace and gaze toward Nandagrāma, where Kṛṣṇa also sat, gazing toward Yāvat. The rays of the same moon touched Them both — two hearts separated by space but united in eternal love.
REFLECTIONS
The story of Yāvat teaches us that love finds its perfection not in possession but in devotion. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, the Supreme Lord of all existence, knelt to serve His devotee, showing that divine love is rooted in humility.
By decorating Śrī Rādhā’s feet and writing His name upon them, He revealed the secret of spiritual intimacy: that the Lord finds joy not in being adored, but in serving His beloved.
The banyan tree of Yāvat reminds us that any place becomes holy when filled with selfless love. The moment we act with the intention to serve and not to own, the mundane turns divine — our home becomes Vṛndāvana, and our heart becomes a temple.
PRAYER
O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, whose lotus feet were adorned with the red lac of divine love,
please allow my heart to become the ground where Your footprints rest.
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, who humbly decorated the feet of Your eternal consort,
please teach me the art of serving with affection and surrender.
May the banyan tree of Yāvat grow within my soul,
its roots deep in humility, its branches heavy with the fruit of devotion.
May I live and die beneath its shade, whispering always,
“Rādhe Kṛṣṇa, Rādhe Kṛṣṇa.”
Origin: Lecture by HH Indradyumna Swami – “Śrī Rādhā’s Legendary Beauty – Yāvat Part 1,”
