From Devotees

Vrajmandal Parikrama: MATHURA PURI (Mathura)

Thepranams Team

October 17, 2019

According to the Puranas, the ancient city of Mathura is situated within the sacred
forest of Madhuvana. In the Skanda Purana it is said. “Originally Mathura Puri was the
forest of the demon Madhu who was slain by the almighty Shri Hari. O King, nothing is
impossible within this Madhuvana of Shri Hari. I am not capable of naming all the holy places situated here.” In the Bhakti-ratnakara it says. “In the forest of Madhuvana,
Mathura Puri is gloriously situated.”
The city of Mathura is famous as the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna, the Supreme
Personality of Godhead who appeared here in the prison cell of Kamsa five thousand years
ago. But long before this important event of Lord Krishna’s birth, Mathura was already well
known and considered to be the holiest city in India. It is said in the Puranas, that although it
may be possible to count all the particles of dust on the face of the earth; it is not possible to
count all the holy places in Mathura

The Ancient History of Mathura
In the Vishnu Purana it is said. “Shatrughna founded Mathura after killing the powerful demon
Lavanashura.” The Shrimad Bhagavatam (SB 9.11.15) says, “Shatrughna killed a Rakshasa named
Lavana, who was the son of Madhu Rakshasa. Thus he established in the great forest known as
Madhuvana, the town known as Mathura.”
During the twenty-fourth Treta-yuga of the Vaivasvata-manvantara, shortly after the great demon
Ravana had been killed by Lord Ramachandra in the Lankan war, Lord Ramachandra sent His
younger brother Shatrughna to Madhuvana forest in order to kill the demon Lavanasura, who was at
that time one of the last remaining demons living on earth. Lavanasura was the son of the demon
Madhu who had previously been slain by Lord Vishnu. Shatrughna came from Ayodhya to
Madhuvana and after a fierce battle killed the demon Lavanasura, after which he established the city
of Mathura Puri. This fact has also been confirmed by Valmiki Muni in the uttara-khanda of the
Ramayana. According to some Puranas, Prince Ayu, the son of King Sudyumna, founder of the
Chandra-vamsa dynasty of Ksatriya kings, established the first city of Mathura during the fifth Tretayuga
of the Vaivasvata-manvantara long before the appearance of Lord Ramachandra and
Shatrughna, who appeared much later in the twenty-fourth Treta-yuga. King Sudyumna, who ruled
all the lands on the western bank of the Ganges, had established his capitol at Pratistanpur (Prayag).
He was followed on the throne by his son Nahusha. After Nahusha, Maharaja Yayati ascended the
throne of Pratistanpura around the twelfth Treta-yuga followed by his son Yadu. At this time the
kings of the Chandra-vamsa Yadava dynasty began their rule over Mathura.
Some authorities have said that the famous Emperor Mandhata Maharaja of the Surya-vamsa dynasty
of Ayodhya, who was ruling all the lands east of the Ganges during the period of the fifteenth Tretayuga,
also gained control over Mathura before being slain in battle by Lavanasura. Lavanasura ruled
over the area around Madhuban forest from his capitol named Madhu Nagari, inherited from his
farther the demon Madhu Rakshasa, but after Lavanasura’s death, Shatrughana, who like Lord
Ramachandra, belonged to the Surya-vamsa dynasty, built a new city on the spot where the present
city of Mathura now stands. After some years the Chandra-vamsa dynasty of Yadava kings regained
control of Mathura and ruled unimpeded right up until the time of Vajranabha Maharaja, Lord
Krishna’s great grandson. Throughout the long course of Indian history, Mathura has always been
one of the grandest and most important cities in the entire subcontinent and according to the
Puranas, it is one of the oldest existing city in the world. Mathura was the capitol of the Surasena
kingdom ruled by the Yadavas and one of the original sixteen Janapadas or large urban cities during
the late Vedic period after the battle of Kurukshetra. The city reached the zenith of its fame when the
incarnation of Vishnu, Lord Shri Krishna took birth here as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki in the
prison cell of King Kamsa.

The Glories of Mathura Puri
In the Adi-varaha Purana, Lord Varahadeva told Bhumi Devi, the goddess of the
earth. “O Devi, within all the three worlds there is certainly no place superior to
Mathura. I live there eternally throughout the ages.” And in the Brahmanda Purana it is
said. “The precious attainment of ecstatic love, which is rarely obtained by serving all
the holy places within the three worlds, can easily be attained simply by touching the
dust of Mathura.” In the Padma Purana it says. “Mathura is more glorious than the
Vaikuntha Dhama of Narayana. Anyone who spends even one day in Mathura will
become devoted to the lotus feet of Shri Hari.” Again in the Adi-varaha Purana the following verse appears. “If the killer of a brahmana, a drunkard, a killer of cows, or any
person who violates brahmacharya circumambulates Mathura, he will be freed from
the results of his sins. A pilgrim, who comes from a far away country and
circumambulates Mathura, purifies whoever sees him and relieves them of their sins.”
The holy city of Mathura is celebrated in the Vedic scriptures as having the shape of a
half moon which is caused by the River Yamuna running in a crescent shape along the cities
eastern boundary. In the Adi-varaha Purana it says. “Those who live in this half-moon
shaped place undoubtedly attain liberation. One who controls his eating and bathes
here achieves the imperishable abode; of this there is no doubt. Hey Devi! Those who leave their body at this crescent moon shaped region reach My abode, Vaikuntha.
Those who take bath or perform other pious activities here, even if they die at another
place without a proper funeral ceremony, still they are eligible for liberation. One,
who dies here, although sinful, is worshipable in Brahmaloka for as long as his bones
remain at this place.” It also says. “The Siddhas, Bhutas, and Devas see the inhabitants
of Mathura as possessing four arms.”
The Padma Purana says. “Attachment for Mathura is aroused only in those
fortunate persons who have firm devotion to Shri Hari and have achieved His grace.”
The Vayu Purana it says. “Aho! This Mathura Dhama is even more superior to and also
more blessed than Vaikuntha, the Dhama of Shri Narayana. By residing here for only
one day one attains Krishna-bhakti and by residing here for three nights, one attains
the most rare Krishna-prema which is rare even for the most liberated of souls.” The
Adi-varaha Purana also says. “O Devi, the result one receives by residing in Varanasi for
one thousand years is achieved by residing in Mathura simply for a moment.”
The city of Mathura is mentioned in the Puranas to be one of the famous sapta-puris or
seven most holy cities of Hinduism, where one can achieve moksha or liberation, the others
are Haridwara, Kashi, Ujjain, Dwaraka, Kanchi, and Ayodhya. In the Padma Purana it says.
“Amongst the sapta-puris, Mathura is the topmost and is considered even superior to
Vaikuntha, because in Mathura one can awaken devotion to Lord Hari.” There are a
number of very famous deities that were established in Mathura including; Keshavaji, Dirgha
Vishnu, Mathura Devi, Mahavidya Devi, Adi Varaha, Sweta Varaha, Gatashrama Narayana,
Swayambhu Padmanabha, Dwarkadisha, Gokarna Mahadeva, and Bhuteshwara Mahadeva.
Within the holy city of Mathura are many sacred hills and amongst them nine are most
famous including; Ambarisha Tila, Dhruva Tila, Bali Tila, Sapta-rishi Tila, Gatashrama Tila,
Kamsa Tila, Hanumana Tila, Kali-yuga Tila, and Rajaka-vada Tila. The celebrated kundas of
Mathura include; Balabhadra-kunda, Potra-kunda, Saraswati-kunda, Sudarshana Mokshakunda,
and Shiva Tala. The ancient walled city of Mathura is also famous for its four gates
namely; Vrindavana Gate, Dig Gate, Bharatpur Gate, and Holy Gate.