Goloka
Goloka(Sanskrit:गोलोक) orGoloka Vrindavan(IAST:Goloka Vṛndāvana) is the celestial abode of theHindugodKrishnaand his chief consort goddessRadha.[1][2]In theBhagavata Purana,Krishna is portrayed as the highest person who resides in Goloka.[3]Goloka is often represented as the celestial realm containing flowing streams and lovely gardens, and is inhabited by cows and enchanting maidens -Gopis.[4]
According toGaudiya VaishnavaphilosopherJiva Goswami,Goloka, also calledVrindavan,is the highest spiritual planet and can be further manifested into three abodes, calledMathura,DvārakāandGokul,according to the difference in the pastimes and associates of Krishna.[5]
Goloka is revered in variousVaishnavismtraditions includingGaudiya Vaishnavism,Swaminarayan Sampradaya,Pranami Sampraday,PushtimargandNimbarka Sampradaya.BesidesBhagvata Purana,Goloka is also mentioned inSanskritscriptures such as thePancharatratexts,[6]Garga Samhita,[7]Brahma Samhita,Brahma Vaivarta PuranaandDevi-Bhagavata Purana.
Etymology[edit]
Golokaliterally means "World of cows".[8]The Sanskrit wordgorefers to "cow" andlokais translated as "realm."
Lord Krishna is also known asGaulokvihari(viharimeans "a resident of" ) since he is a resident of Goloka and his consort Radha is calledRadhika.[9]TheShri Swaminarayan Mandir in Mumbaihas twomurtisdedicated to this particular form of the gods.
Description[edit]
A description of Goloka can be found in theBrahma Samhita,verse 5.29:
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the first progenitor, who is tending the cows, yielding all desires, in abodes built with spiritual gems and surrounded by millions of purpose trees. He is always served with great reverence and affection by hundreds and thousands of devotees resembling goddesses of fortune."
Sanatana Goswami,an author of a number of important works in the bhakti tradition of Gaudiya Vaishnavism, states, "Sri Goloka is considered the ultimate destination of spiritual endeavour."[10]
TheBrahma Vaivarta Puranaexplicitly describes Goloka Vrindavan to be about 500 millionyojanas(4 billion miles) above Vaikuntha loka and expands till 30 million yojanas (240 million miles). The depiction is similar to a verse found in brahma samhita 5.43.[11]
Acharyasof Gaudiya Vaishnavaism explain it to be limitless. BothVaikunthaand Goloka are considered to beNitya Dhama(the eternal realm of existence) which are not prone to annihilation even after the whole cosmic dissolution. Krishna in his two-armed form eternally resides in the realm of Goloka and in his four-armed form, asVishnuhe eternally resides in the realm of Vaikuntha loka.[12]
Literary sources[edit]
Mention of Goloka is also found in otherPuranas,such asSkanda PuranaandMarkandeya Purana.InBrihad-bhagavatamrita,Sanatana Goswamiexplains this verse is quoted from Skanda Purana and it is spoken by Krishna to Arjuna,
Evam bahu-vidhai rupais caramiha vasundharam brahmalokam ca kaunteya golokam ca sanatanam. "I move about in many forms on earth, inBrahmaloka,and in eternal Goloka, O Kaunteya. "[13]
In theMarkandeya Purana,Krishna declares,[citation needed]
Golokam ca parityajya lokanam trana-karanat kalau gauranga-rupena lila-lavanya-vigrahah. "In the Kali-Yuga, I will leave Goloka and, to save the people of the world, I will become the handsome and playful Lord Gauranga."
Goloka Structure[edit]
All the Vaikuntha planets are said to be like petals of a lotus flower, and the principal part of that lotus, called Goloka Vrindāvana, is the center of all the Vaikunthas. Thus the expansions of Krishna in various forms, as well as His various abodes on the spiritual planets in the spiritual sky, are unlimited. Goloka is divided into three different portions: Gokula, Mathurā and Dvārakā. As stated in Brahma-samhitā (5.43), all the Vaikuntha planets in the spiritual sky (known as Vishnuloka) emanate from the predominating deity of Goloka Vrndāvana, known asSvayam Bhagavan.
See also[edit]
References and notes[edit]
- ^Asiatic Researches or Transactions of the Society Instituted in Bengal for inquiring into the History and Antiquities, Arts, Sciences and Literature of Asia.Vol. 16. Bengal Military Orphans Press. 1828. p. 126.
- ^PRADHAN, SHRIKANT (2008)."A Unique Image of" Ardharadhavenudharamurti: Or "Ardhanari Krishna"".Bulletin of the Deccan College Research Institute.68/69: 207–213.ISSN0045-9801.JSTOR42931207.
- ^G. M. Schweig (2005).Dance of divine love: The Rasa Lila of Krishna from the Bhagavata Purana, India's classic sacred love story(PDF).Princeton, NJ; Oxford: Princeton University Press. p. 10.ISBN0-691-11446-3.
- ^Garlington, W. (1984)."Candravali and the Caurasi Vaisnavan ki varta".South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies.7(1): 77–86.doi:10.1080/00856408408723053.ISSN0085-6401.
- ^Francis Bryant, Edwin (2007).Krishna: A Sourcebook.United States of America: Oxford University Press. p. 382.ISBN978-019-514891-6.
- ^goloko nitya-vaikuntho yathakaso yatha disah
- ^1.23, 2.14, etc.
- ^Paramahamsa Sri Swami Vishwananda (2017).Shreemad Bhagavad Gita: The Song Of Love.PublishDrive.ISBN9783940381705.
- ^King, Anna S. (2012)."Krishna's Cows: ISKCON's Animal Theology and Practice".Journal of Animal Ethics.2(2): 179–204.doi:10.5406/janimalethics.2.2.0179.ISSN2156-5414.JSTOR10.5406/janimalethics.2.2.0179.
- ^Śrĩla Sanãtana Goswãmĩ,Śrĩ Bṛhad Bhãgavatãmṛta,Dig-darśinĩcommentary to Part Two (Śrĩ-goloka-mãhãtmya) 1.24 (tr. Gopiparanadhana Dasa, Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, p. 39)ISBN0-89213-346-5
- ^"Śrī brahma-saṁhitā 5.43".vedabase.io.Retrieved2021-08-30.
- ^goloko nitya-vaikuntho yathakaso yatha disah
- ^Sri Brahma Samhita: with the commentary Dig-darsani-tika of Sri Jiva Gosvami.The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust. 2008.ISBN9789171497093.