Garga Samhita, Vrindavana-khanda, Chapter 3 of river Yamuna on earth

The Arrival of Yamuna — When Divine Grace Descended to Earth

 A Celestial Command

When Lord Sri Krishna prepared to appear on Earth to perform His sweet Vrindavan pastimes, He summoned all His eternal companions from Goloka — the forests, the mountains, the cows, and even the sacred rivers on the request of sri Radha.

Among them was Sri Yamunā Devi, daughter of the Sun-god, who eternally flows in the divine realm as a river of love and bliss (ananda-rasa).

At Krishna’s command, she began her glorious descent — her waves shimmering like blue crystal — to become the most beloved river on Earth.

The Journey from Goloka

Yamuna did not come alone.

Accompanying her were Ganga, the purifier of all worlds, and Viraja, the river dividing the spiritual and material realms.

Each carried a divine purpose —

Viraja signifies the boundary between matter and spirit.

Gaṅga brings liberation and purity.

Yamuna embodies the madhurya-rasa — the sweetness of divine love for Krishna.

Breaking through the borders of the Viraja, Yamuna journeyed through countless universes. Her waters glowed with celestial brilliance, and the fragrance of lotuses spread across the skies as divine beings sang her praises.

Through the Cosmic Realms

As described in the Garga Samhita, Yamuna flowed through the opening made by Lord Vamana’s left toe, the same passage through which Ganga had once entered creation.

She descended from Dhruvaloka to Brahmaloka, then through the heavenly and earthly spheres, her descent shaking Mount Sumeru and reshaping the very geography of the world.

The gods rejoiced, showering flowers and offering hymns, recognizing that her descent was not merely natural — it was divine preparation for Sri Krishna’s earthly pastimes.

Touching the Sacred Earth

When Yamuna finally reached Bharata-varsha, the land of mortals, her waters shimmered like sapphire light.

She flowed joyfully toward Vrindavana, the destined home of Krishna’s divine play.

Along her banks, kadamba trees burst into bloom, tulasi plants perfumed the air, and the land itself appeared newly alive.

It was as if the earth had awakened, awaiting the touch of Krishna's lotus feet upon her gentle waves.

The queen among rivers

The Garga Samhita calls her Pat-Rani, the chief queen among all rivers.

Ganga bestows liberation, but Yamuna grants love — prema-bhakti, the purest love for Sri Krishna.

It is upon her banks that Krishna would later play with His friends, bathe with the gopis, and perform His most intimate, love-filled pastimes.

Thus, Yamuna is not just a river — she is Krishna’s eternal consort, flowing forever in devotion to Him.

 Reflection

Yamuna’s descent from Goloka is more than a cosmological event — it is the symbol of divine mercy.

She crossed countless universes only to reach our world, so that even in this age, we may touch, remember, or chant her name and feel Krishna’s love within.

To bathe in her waters or simply meditate upon her flow is to cleanse the heart of pride and awaken love for the Supreme Beloved.

 “He who remembers Sri Yamuna with devotion, attains the eternal shelter

of Krishna’s lotus feet.”

Yet, it is deeply painful to see how we, the people of Bharata, often forget the sanctity of these divine rivers.

We revere them in temples, offer flowers and prayers, yet allow their waters to be polluted with waste and neglect.

This contradiction reflects not a lack of faith, but perhaps a loss of awareness — a forgetting that to keep our sacred rivers pure is itself an act of worship.

When we honor Yamuna, Ganga, and all holy waters by keeping them clean, we serve not only nature, but the very will of the Divine they embody.