Yamuna Devi ki Jai!

First of all I offer my unlimited obeisances to the lotus feet of my Guru Maharaja, Sri Sripad Bhaktivedanta Damodara Maharaja, and ask for a particle of mercy that I may post something of value.

Boatman taking passengers across Yamuna Devi's waters

Today I went with a group of devotees to bathe in Vrindavan Dham's sacred Yamuna Devi! Rupa Goswami writes in Sri Yamunastakam that she is so purifying that even desiring to bathe in her waters, what to speak of feeling the breeze on her shores and actually taking bath releases us from the most heinous sins and the bondage of repeated birth and death. Taking bath in holy rivers such as Yamuna lies not in eliminating the dirt from our our gross, material body (actually Guru Maharaja says it is an offense to use sacred waters for material cleaning, like washing laundry, cleaning our skin with soap, etc. or even to view them as material substance) but rather their power lies in cleansing the grime that covers our spiritual nature. Many of us are familiar with traditions that acknowledge the purifying properties of holy waters, like baptism. One song that comes to mind is Alison Krauss' song from the movie, "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou", with lyrics, "All brothers/fathers/sisters/mothers/sinners let's go down, down to the river to pray."

Every day Vrajavasis and pilgrims bathe in her sacred waters

     Yamuna Devi is very dear to the Vrajavasis. Local residents transport people across her waters, young children sell paraphernalia that can be offered to her as it is custom, especially before bathing in her waters, to offer her ghee lamps, flowers, incense, songs, prayers, etc. 

Local boy selling flowers with ghee wick

Mathajis offering flowers, ghee lamp and prayers

Yamuna Devi's transcendental waters

     Guru Maharaja has described many of Yamuna Devi's glories, like she is younger sister of Ganga Devi (Ganges) but more glorious because she is liquid transcendence, flowing directly from the body of Sri Krishna. She is a blackish color, like Krishna, because she is always absorbed in thoughts of Him. But he emphasizes the real benefit is achieved by visiting the holy rivers in sadhu-sanga in order to bathe in hearing the nectar of their glories!
     I heard from senior devotees that Param Gurudeva said that not all of his disciples came to him during his manifest appearance, but when they are ready, they can come to the banks of Yamuna devi, and he will be there to greet them and that his love is ever-flowing like the waters of Yamuna devi.

Jahmuna Devi and I on boat