Chapter summary
मधुरामाहात्म्यम् Madhurā Māhātmyam
The Glory of Mathura
**The revered Sadguru said:**
Victorious in all three worlds is the city of Mathurā, for it was there that Lord Vishnu, leaving His celestial abode of Vaikuṇṭha, indeed descended to earth. This sacred region, situated on the banks of the Yamunā, is home to Madhuvana, so named because it was here that Śrī Madhusūdana, the Slayer of Madhu, vanquished the demon Madhu. Within this holy Madhuvana, Dhruva, the foremost among devotees, steadfast in his vow, performed severe penance, yearning for a vision of Govinda. It was also in this very Madhuvana that King Ambarīṣa, in ancient times, observed the concluding ceremony of his sacred vow on the auspicious Dvādaśī tithi (the twelfth lunar day) (v.1-4).
Long ago, a demon named Lavaṇa resided in this forest. Having slain him, Śatrughna then founded the city of Mathurā. He established within it Brahmins deeply learned in the Vedas, alongside people of other classes: Śūdras, Vaiśyas, and Kṣatriyas. He built broad chariot-streets, bustling market-streets, elegant pavilions, grand assembly halls, diverse mansions, and beautiful gardens. Furthermore, he constructed schools for learning, theaters for entertainment, and temples dedicated to the gods. Because the city was inherently sweet (madhuram), it became known throughout the earth as Mathurā (v.5-8). Truly, this Mathurā is sweet to dwell in, sweet to behold, and likewise, in contemplation and in praise, Mathurā is eternally sweet (v.9).
Thereafter, this very city of Mathurā became the capital of all the Yādava kings, a place where Lord Hari is ever-present. It was here that the noble-minded Vasudeva married the divine Devakī, and filled with joy, he set out for his home with her. Kaṃsa, desiring to please his sister, himself took the reins and drove their chariot through the streets, surrounded by a multitude of people. But then, a clear celestial voice declared, "Devakī's eighth child will be the death of Kaṃsa!" Hearing this prophecy, Kaṃsa was overcome with rage. As he drew his sword, intent on killing Devakī, Vasudeva, the leader of the Yadus, restrained him, pleading, "I shall surrender all her sons to you; please release her." Yet, the stubborn and exceedingly wicked Kaṃsa, placing the couple in prison, considered his purpose accomplished. Overcome with fury, Kaṃsa killed each child as it was born, and repeatedly inflicted violence upon the Yādavas in countless ways (v.10-16).
Then, to swiftly remove the burden of the earth, Lord Mukunda, the beloved of His devotees, whose eyes are like lotus petals, appeared, having been earnestly prayed to by Brahmā, Śiva, and the other gods. Beholding that wondrous child, the lotus-eyed Lord, with four arms holding the conch and mace, clad in yellow silk, adorned with the resplendent Kaustubha gem, and His chest marked with the Śrīvatsa emblem, Vasudeva's heart swelled with joy. With folded hands, he offered praises to Him. By the Lord's command, Vasudeva took the infant Kṛṣṇa that very night and swiftly set out for the cowherd settlement (v.17-19). Though the clouds then rained heavily, Śeṣa followed, shielding them and warding off the water. The river Kṛṣṇā (Yamunā) herself parted, giving way for Kṛṣṇa, the Lord of the three worlds. Leaving Kṛṣṇa by Nanda's wife at night, and taking her daughter, Vasudeva, the best of the Yadus and foremost of the truthful, returned to Mathurā (v.20-21). However, as the merciless Kaṃsa seized the goddess, intending to strike her on a stone slab, she declared to him, "O fool, your enemy has already been born somewhere in secret!" (v.22).
This, therefore, is the sacred place, the very birthplace of the Lord of the worlds, which immediately destroys all sins upon merely seeing or hearing of it. An ancient and beautiful temple of Keśava stands there, where Lord Vishnu is ever-present, bestowing desired fruits upon His devotees. Truly, he who beholds Keśava, the slayer of the Keśi demon, in Mathurā during the auspicious month of Kārtika, is the most fortunate being in all three worlds (v.23-25). Indeed, the month of Kārtika is rare, the city of Mathurā is rare, and even within that, the sight of Keśava is certainly rare for human beings. In this Kali age, fortunate are those people who, during the holy month of Kārtika, bathe in the Yamunā and reside in Mathurā (v.26-27). For those who offer rows of lamps day after day in the temple of Keśava during Kārtika, divine knowledge dawns in their hearts. For women who offer lamps during Kārtika, all inauspicious things are destroyed, and auspicious blessings manifest (v.28-29). A devout person, residing in the region of Mathurā during the holy month of Kārtika, should daily worship Śrī Rādhā-Dāmodara (v.30).
Thus the seventeenth chapter, named 'The Glory of Mathurā', in the First Part of 'Divyadeśavaibhavam' [a Sanskrit work detailing the glories of the 108 sacred Vishnu temples], composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
