THE SACRED WATERS OF KIŚORĪ-KUṆḌA
Within the quiet grove of Yāvat, not far from the palace where Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī resided with Abhimanyu, lies a serene and sacred pond known as Rādhā-kuṇḍa, or more locally, Kiśorī-kuṇḍa. Unlike the celebrated Rādhā-kuṇḍa of Govardhana, this one reflects the gentle sweetness of Rādhā’s daily life in Yāvat — a place of delicate simplicity and quiet love.
Each morning, Śrī Rādhā, accompanied by Lalitā, Viśākhā, and sixty-two other intimate gopīs, would come to bathe here. The waters glowed with a golden hue, turned so by the minerals of the earth, yet the devotees say it was truly colored by the radiance of Her own divine complexion.
Śrī Narāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī, in Bhaja-bhakti-vilāsa (5.22), describes this kuṇḍa as a place that increases good fortune and spiritual happiness without limit, for anyone who bathes there or even remembers it. The very ripples of its waters echo the sound of Rādhā’s laughter and the anklet bells of Her companions.
THE DAILY SPORTS OF THE DIVINE MAIDENS
As the soft morning light touched the grove, the sakhīs would joyfully enter the kuṇḍa. Some would splash Rādhā gently, others would wash Her long, dark hair, while others rubbed fragrant sandal paste over Her arms. Their laughter mingled with the hum of bees and the cooing of doves.
From behind a curtain of kadamba trees, Śrī Kṛṣṇa often watched in silent wonder, His eyes filled with devotion for the Queen of Vraja. Sometimes, disguised as a flower seller or a gardener, He would secretly bring garlands or sweet-scented oils, His heart longing for even a glance from Her.
The Bhaja-bhakti-vilāsa preserves a prāṇa-mantra glorifying this sacred lake:
rādhayā sva-tataṁ tu nyan lalitayā namo namaḥ
kṛṣṇena saha kīdayai rādhā-kuṇḍāya te namaḥ
Translation:
“I offer constant obeisances to Śrī Rādhā and Lalitā, and to this divine Rādhā-kuṇḍa where Śrī Kṛṣṇa joyfully sports with Them.”
Śrī Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī instructs that one who chants this mantra ten times while offering ācamana (sipping sanctified water) attains unhindered happiness in spiritual life.
THE RASAMAṆḌALA OF THE ETERNAL DANCE
Not far from Kiśorī-kuṇḍa lies another hallowed spot called Rasamaṇḍala — the circular arena where the young Śrī Kṛṣṇa, at the tender age of seven, performed a form of the rāsa-līlā with Śrī Rādhā and Her sakhīs.
According to Bhaja-bhakti-vilāsa (5.23), this rāsa took place during the bright fortnight of the month of Bhādra, when the air of Vraja was filled with jasmine fragrance and the moon shone like a silver drum in the sky.
As the moonlight touched the trees, the flute of Kṛṣṇa called out softly — “Rādhe, Rādhe!” — and one by one, the gopīs appeared, drawn not by sound but by the irresistible power of love. The circular dance began, Rādhā at the center, Kṛṣṇa between each pair of maidens, multiplying Himself countless times to fulfill every heart.
The Gosvāmīs tell us that the earth itself trembled in joy, the Yamunā stopped her flow to listen, and even the stars seemed to bow.
THE PRĀṆA-MANTRA OF RASAMAṆḌALA
Śrī Narāyaṇa Bhaṭṭa Gosvāmī gives the prāṇa-mantra of this divine place as follows:
catuḥ-ṣaṣṭi-śakhībhyas tu rādhā-divyo namo namaḥ
kṛṣṇāya ramanāyaiva saptavarṣa-svarūpiṇe
Translation:
“Obeisances to Śrī Rādhā, Lalitā, and the sixty-four sakhīs. Obeisances to delightful Śrī Kṛṣṇa, whose form here is that of a seven-year-old boy, performing His divine sports.”
By chanting this mantra nine times and offering obeisances, one is said to attain joy equal to the wealth of the three worlds and is blessed with the kingdom of divine love.
REFLECTIONS
The twin sites of Kiśorī-kuṇḍa and Rasamaṇḍala are like two mirrors reflecting divine love — one calm like water, the other alive like dance. Together they reveal that love for Kṛṣṇa is both rest and movement, both stillness and ecstasy.
When the soul bathes in the remembrance of Rādhā-kuṇḍa, its impurities dissolve.
When it dances in the circle of Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa’s rāsa, its identity as a servant of divine love awakens.
These sacred waters and sands whisper the eternal message of Vraja:
“The soul’s perfection is to love Kṛṣṇa purely, without fear, without calculation, and without end.”
PRAYER
O Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī, who bathes daily in the golden waters of Kiśorī-kuṇḍa, may my heart be purified by even a single drop of Your mercy.
O Śrī Kṛṣṇa, seven-year-old Lord of the Rāsa, may I forever dance on the edge of Your divine circle, not seeking to be seen but to serve.
May every thought be a ripple of that kuṇḍa, every breath a step in that dance, and every heartbeat an offering at Your lotus feet.
Origin: Lecture by HH Indradyumna Swami – “Lo and Behold! – Yāvat Part 2
