Madhya-lilaChapter 19: Lord Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Instructs Srila Rupa Gosvami

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Sri Caitanya Caritamrita Madhya 19.102

syama-rupera vasa-sthana sreshtha mana' kaya?

'puri madhu-puri vara' -- kahe upadhyaya

SYNONYMS

syama-rupera -- of the supreme form, Syamasundara; vasa-sthana -- residence; sreshtha -- the supreme; mana' -- you accept; kaya -- which; puri -- the city; madhu-puri -- Mathura; vara -- best; kahe -- said; upadhyaya -- Raghupati Upadhyaya.

TRANSLATION

"Of all Krishna's abodes, which do you think is the best?"

Raghupati Upadhyaya said, "Madhu-puri, or Mathura-dhama, is certainly the best."

PURPORT

Lord Krishna has many forms, as stated in the Brahma-samhita (5.33): advaitam acyutam anadim ananta-rupam. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu asked Raghupati Upadhyaya which form was the best of Lord Krishna's millions of forms, and he immediately replied that the supreme form was the Syamasundara form. In that form, Krishna stands curved in three places and holds His flute. The Syamasundara form is also described in the Brahma-samhita (5.38):

premanjana-cchurita-bhakti-vilocanena

santah sadaiva hridayeshu vilokayanti

yam syamasundaram acintya-guna-svarupam

govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

"I worship the primeval Lord, Govinda, who is always seen by the devotee whose eyes are anointed with the pulp of love. He is seen in His eternal form of Syamasundara, situated within the heart of the devotee."

Those who are filled with ecstatic love for Krishna always see the form of Syamasundara within their hearts. Raghupati Upadhyaya confirms that the Absolute Truth, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, has many incarnations -- Narayana, Nrisimha, Varaha and others -- but Krishna is distinguished as the supermost. According to Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.3.28), krishnas tu bhagavan svayam: "Krishna is the original Personality of Godhead." Krishna means Syamasundara, who plays His flute in Vrindavana. Of all forms, this form is the best of all. Krishna lives sometimes in Mathura and sometimes in Dvaraka, but Mathura is considered the better place. This is also confirmed by Rupa Gosvami in his Upadesamrita (9): vaikunthaj janito vara madhu-puri. "Madhu-puri, or Mathura, is far superior to the Vaikunthalokas in the spiritual world."

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His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness