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BY: SUN STAFF
Apr 17, 2014 — CANADA (SUN) — A serial presentation of the holy places mentioned in the Jaiva Dharma of Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur - Part 59.
Next on Jaiva Dharma's 'Glossary of Places' is Govardhana:
"Govardhana - a sacred mountain situated in the middle of Vrajamandala about 26 km north-west of Mathura. This mountain is also known as Sri Giriraja (the king among mountains). He is identical with Sri Krsna and is also known as haridasa-varya, the best devotee of Sri Hari, for He facilitates Sri Krsna's pastimes with His intimate friends and especially the most sacred pastimes with the gopis. Govardhana Hill lies in the shape of a peacock, with Radha-kunda and Syama-kunda as His eyes."
Sri Govardhana is mentioned several times in Jaiva Dharma. In chapter fourteen there is a description of four kinds of gopis who manifest to engage in different kinds of devotional service:
"These gopis are eternally-perfect souls who reside in the spiritual world of Vraja. The samvit-sakti manifests the different relationships of the people of Vraja. The sandhini-sakti manifests the land, water, villages, forests, hills like Govardhana Hill, pastime-places of Sri Krsna, Sri Radha, Their gopa and gopi friends, Their servants, the cows, and all the other residents of Vraja, their spiritual forms, and the paraphernalia used in their pastimes."
In chapter thirty-two, we find a passage describing Govardhana Hill as one of the many pastime places of the Lord, which all exist in Goloka Vrndavana:
"Desiring to enjoy the parakiya-rasa, Krsna rejects His own natural self-sufficiency (atmarama-dharma), and enjoys the rasa dance and other wonderful pastimes with His potencies, who are all convinced that they are the wives of others. In all these activities, His flute becomes a dear friend. In this way the parakiya-rasa is eternally perfect in the realm of Goloka. It is for this purpose that the pastime forests of Goloka and Vrndavana exist. Vraja's rasa-mandala, Yamuna shore, Govardhana Hill, and other pastimes places all exist in Goloka also. In this way svakiya rasa and parakiya rasa both exist in Goloka. Pure svakiya rasa is splendidly manifested in Vaikuntha. Svakiya rasa and parakiya rasa, which are simultaneously one and different from each other, are both seen in Goloka. Look. This is very wonderful." 
And in another exchange between Vijaya-kumara and the Goswami, in chapter thirty-five, Sri Govardhana Hill is mentioned as one of the transcendental things found nearby in Vrndavana, along with Sri Krsna's associates, paraphernalia, etc.: "Vijaya-kumara: Please be kind and describe the things nearby. Gosvami: Flower remnants, peacock feathers, mineral dyes from the hills, the cows, the stick, the flute, the buffalo-horn bugle, the sight of Krsna's dear associates, the dust raised by the cows, Vrndavana. The living entities and things that have their shelter in Vrndavana, Govardhana Hill, the Yamuna, and the rasa-dance arena are included among the things nearby." (Govardhana, to be continued…)
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