ShreeNathji-Vallabhacharya Baithakji 8 at BahulaVan

Shri Bahulavan Baithakji Number 8

Baithaks in Pushtimarg religion are holy places where Shri Vallabhacharya, the founder of Pushtimarg, narrated the Holy Bhagvad Katha. They are total 84 in number and spread all over the country. Mahaprabhuji had circled the whole of India three times and done sthapna of these various Baithaks.

Each Baithak has its own particular Charitra (description).

Baithaks are holy places where there is no Idol or Chitra (Picture); sewa is done of Gaddi (Seating).

Baithaks are a very important pilgrim place for all Pushtimarg bhakts, as Shri Vallabhacharya is their primary Guru.

Here are some pictures displayed from my visit to the 8^th  Baithak of Mahaprabhuji, located at Bahula Van, Vraj Mandal.

The Mukhiyaji had asked us not to take photos of the darshans, so I did not.

These three photos that you see below, I have found on the internet, hence uploaded them for the bhakts. Their link is given at the bottom of this post.

View of the Krishn Kund, one of the few Kunds which have been maintained in cleanliness

There are several birds in this area, as it is not commercialized yet. There is no major construction happening here, thank God!

Shri Vallabhacharya was born in the VS 1535 or AD1478.

It was on Vaishak Vad Giyaras (11th) in Vikram Samvat 1535, or AD 1478; in Satbhisha Nakshatra on a Thursday; during the Abhijit mahurat, 12.40-1.00 in the afternoon; when ShreeNathji’s Lotus Face Appeared from Govardhan to give His divya Darshan to the lucky people of the village; According to Shree Krishn’s desire, on the same day but in the Abhijit mahurat, 12.40-1.00 at night, Shree Vallabhacharya also appeared at Champaran in a ring of fire.

(Details of his life and teachings, can be read on my website:

http://www.shreenathjibhakti.org

http://www.shreenathjibhakti.org/brief_sketch_vallabhacharya.htm

8^th Baithakji at BahulaVan

(This detail of the original varta about this Baithakji is taken from website: http://www.vallabhkankroli.org/)

At Bahulavan, Shri Mahaprabhuji stayed three days giving discourses on the Srimad Bagavatam

This is the fourth Van of the Vraj area, in the village of Bathi.

Krishn Kund is also located here

Here there are temples of Bahulabihariji and Bahula cow.

A story of Bahula cow can be found in Padma Puran:

Once Dharmaraja, in the form of a lion, visited this jungle to kill cows. All the cows except Bahula had escaped at the sight of this lion. Lion wanted to kill Bahula. She requested him to wait till she can go and feed her child. She promised him to return after that. She did return. Impressed with her honesty and truthfulness, lion revealed his true identity of Dharmaraja. When the cow died the people of this village started worshipping her by installing a stone statue of this cow.

The Muslim King of this area prohibited them from worshipping this cow. The king proclaimed that worship could only be commenced when the cow would actually eat grass. During his visit to this place, Shri Mahaprabhuji was informed about this prohibition. Shri Mahaprabhuji invited the king and showed to him the stone Bahula cow partaking of the offered grass. The king was amazed and became disciple of Shri Mahaprabhuji. In his next life this king was born as Meha Dhemar.

Amongst the Vraj’s 12 ‘ Vans’, this ‘ Van’ ranks fourth. Under the tree of ‘ Vadh’, this Baithakji is situated. Also beside it a cow named ‘ Bahula’ rests.

In this Baithakji, Vraj’s Muslim Suba was shown an astonishing miracle by Shri Mahaprabhuji.

Contact Information :-

Shri Mahaprabhuji’s Baithak,

At Post – Bathi

Dist. Mathura

Uttar Pradesh

India

(Picture of the inner mandir darshans are taken from: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/45245944)

Jai Shreeji!

ShreeNathji Gaushala – Nathdwara

ShreeNathji’s most favorite place – His Personal gaushala is situated about 3 km from His Haveli, at Nathdwara.   Surrounded by hills it is a very picturesque place; with a lot of open grounds. It was planned and built with the Haveli. As you see, numerous peacocks live in these surroundings. In the above picture, they seem to be feeding on freshly harvested wheat It houses about 2000 cows with a staff of 50 guwals to take care of them.

A lovely view of the Gaushala

Any visit to ShreeNathji is incomplete without a visit here. It is as important as the Mandir. Shreeji likes staying here – in the midst of His beloved ‘Gaumata’- as He calls them.   Shreeji’s Personal cow is Lalitha today; her mother was Rukmani who died about 5-6 years back. This personal cow is in direct lineage of the original herd of the Nand-vansh. She had appeared in Jatipura when the Ardh-Bhuja of Shreeji first appeared from Giriraj Govardhan, at Mathura. ShreeNathji Himself confirmed this to Shri Vallabhacharya. This cow also recognized her Gopal and would go on top of Shri Govardhan daily and feed her milk to Shreeji. (Cows can feel the vibrational levels and the fragrance of their loving Govinda, more than any of us humans). Since then the hierarchy has been maintained very strictly, and the cow came here when Shreeji moved from Mathura to Nathdwara. At this time, Lalitha is called the wish fulfilling cow – any wish whispered in her ear after doing the aathada in full faith will give guaranteed results. The whispered words are received directly by Shreeji Himself; provided the shraddha is there!! I was here first time with gurushree in February-2005 – did the aathada under his guidance and supervision. The aathada done in the presence of a Sadhya is totally clearing of all negativity of the past – our spine crosses totally through the surya bindu of this sacred cow. At the same time gurushree stands there with his mantra shakti and blessings – he granted me total mukti on this day from all the past births and the movement towards merging with the Divine Thakurjee. Since then I have been lucky to visit Nathdwara several times; each yatra has opened me, taking me closer and deeper to Divine ShreeNathji and my own true reality and identity. Many times I feel Shreeji likes to be away from His mandir; and He spends time with us at the Gaushala. This I can feel at times when His sweet voice tells us about some incident at His gaushala, and how much He loves being here with His beloved Gomata, as He calls them.

There is daily two thuli offered here from the mandir to the gaushala. This can be sponsored if one is lucky enough to get the required date; as only two people get the opportunity daily. This as I witnessed is cooked in the most ancient manner at the gaushala itself. Apart from this if any vaishnav wishes to offer food they can do so directly here by buying grains from the shops. But this is also monitored as extra feeding would have a bad effect on the health of the gaumata.

Gaumata, feeding peacefully.

  My Gurushree and MahaGurushree, both take delight in watching the gaumata feed in perfect discipline. Without any fight they come and stand in the designated spot and finish their food totally. No grain is wasted. “They should also take a lesson of not pushing around when doing My Darshans and take care to follow a proper queue; then all will get a chance to do proper Darshans”; Shreeji’s voice echoed.

There are paintings all over the gaushala, donated by bhakts.

Whatever offering is made to Shreeji Himself at His mandir in whatever form, He returns back savaya (25% more) to the donor. Finally nothing is actually kept by Shreeji.

The look of this place has been maintained in the original form.

It is only at the gaushala bhent that He accepts all totally and nothing is returned to the giver. Shreeji does the karm of taking His cows to graze; if anyone helps Him in this karm of His, He is the happiest and only blessings are returned. Not that we do this offering for return of blessings, it is with the bhao of doing some work for Shreeji; as ultimately in devotion to Thakurji it is only the purity of bhao that matters. Nothing else will help you get closer to Him. My Dear Shreeji, Thank you for all Your kripa on this bhakt.. Shreeji ki Jai ho!