Flower picking quarrel at Kusum Sarovara?
It is generally
understood that Rādhā and Kṛṣṇa quarrel over Rādhā’s picking of flowers at
Kusum Sarovara, but this is not what the Goswāmīs’ books say. Govinda Līlāmṛta,
chapters 6 and 7, says that Kṛṣṇa plays with His cowherd boyfriends around
Govardhana in the pūrvāhna time,
between 9 and 11 in the morning, and then proceeds to Rādhākuṇḍa. On his way
north He does stop over at Kusum Sarovara, but only to consult His friends
about the upcoming pastimes at Rādhākuṇḍa and how to meet Rādhikā. This is in
Govinda Līlāmṛta 6.43-86. In Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta 8.56 Rādhikā does sūrya pūjā on her way to Rādhākuṇḍa.
Where? In a place where she entrusts the paraphernalia for sūrya pūjā to her assistants, before proceeding to svam saraḥ – her own kuṇḍa. She entrusts these paraphernalia
there because the sūrya-pūjā will be
done there later at 3 p.m. The same in Govinda Līlāmṛta 8.67-70. Though Sūrya
kund is not mentioned by name in either of these two books, Vṛndāvana Cakravarti,
a disciple of Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravarti, writes in his ṭīkā to Govinda Līlāmṛta 8.74 - kuñja-nṛpasya śrī-kṛṣṇasya kuñjarā iti prasiddhaṁ
kuñjenarākhyam dhāma prāptā rādhā - that Rādhā passes through Kunjera
village, which is north of Rādhākuṇḍa, travelling south from her husband’s
village of Yāvat, on the way between Sūryakunda and Rādhākuṇḍa, after doing
Sūrya Pūjā in verses 8.67-68 (see map above). So Rādhikā comes from a totally
opposite direction to Rādhākuṇḍa at 11 a.m., from the north, while Kusuma
Sarovara is in the south. The quarrel over the picking of flowers is described
in chapter 9 of both Govinda Līlāmṛta and Kṛṣṇa Bhāvanāmṛta, after elaborate
descriptions of Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa’s exciting meeting at Rādhākuṇḍa. Nowhere it is
mentioned that they leave Rādhākuṇḍa again to go to Kusuma Sarovara to perform
this pastime. Kusuma Sarovara is just named so because there are flowers
floating in the lake itself.
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