Yamuna

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Yamuna / यमुना

Yamuna

Origin

The origin of River Yamuna is at Yamunotri, in the Uttarakhand Himalaya, which lies north of Haridwar in the Himalayan Mountains.
River Yamuna is the longest tributary of the Ganga River, having a length of approximately 860 miles or 1,380 km.
The river flows through the states of Delhi, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, before confluencing with the Ganga at Allahabad.
The cities of Baghpat, Delhi, Mathura, Noida, Etawah, Agra, Hamirpur, Allahabad and Kalpi lie on its banks.
The major tributaries of this river are the Tons, Chambal, Betwa and Ken.
Yamunotri is the source of the Yamuna River and the seat of the Goddess Yamuna.

Mythological History

Other Links

Ghats Of Yamuna

Yamuna is the daughter of Surya and Sharanyu and the twin sister of Yam, the god of Death.
The river Yamuna is closely connected to Lord Krishna's childhood days.
The Lord Krishna consecrated the River Yamuna from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world.
While His father Vasudev was crossing the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safe place at Gokul on the other bank of the river from Mathura, the Lord fell down in the river, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river immediately became sanctified.

Bhagvati Yamuna

Maharani Yamuna has the same darkish blue complexion as Krishna. She assists in the playful amorous pastimes of Shri Radha-Krishna Yugal in every respect, and flows on three sides of Vrindavan. To fully support the rasa-vilasa of Priya-Priyatama, she creates countless charming nikunjas on both her banks with various kinds of dense trees and creepers laden with flowers and fruits. She is ornamented and beautified with divine Ghats bedecked with jewels, and with various bowers made from kadamba, tamala, amra, bakula and other types of trees. The Divine Couple Shri Radha-Krishna perform water pastimes and boating pastimes with the sakhis in the waters of Shri Yamuna. This water is saturated with prema and is always decorated with seven-petalled lotuses. This Bhagvati Yamuna, who serves the Youthful Couple eternally, is supremely worshipful. In Chaitanya-chandrodaya-nataka (5.35) Shrila Kavi-karnapura glorifies Shri Yamuna-devi: as follows (also quoted in Shri Chaitanyacharitamrita, Madhya-lila 3.28):^[1]

"I repeatedly offer prayers to Shri Yamuna, the daughter of the Sungod, who is the bestower of unnata-ujjvala prema for Nand-nandan Shri Krishna, the transcendental sun. She embodies transcendental bliss and directly personifies the melted form of Parabrahma. Simply remembering her destroys all types of wickedness and great sins, thus rendering the heart pure. She bestows all auspiciousness upon the world, and can even infuse Braj-rasa into dry, desert-like hearts. May she purify us."

gangadi-tirtha-parisevita-pada-padmam

goloka-saukhya-rasa-puramahim mahimna
aplavitakhila-sudhasu-jalam sukhabdhau
radha-muKund-muditam yamunam namami

"I offer obeisances time and again unto the beloved of Krishna, Shri Yamuna, whose lotus feet are always served by Ganga, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and other tirthas. Shri Yamuna is glorious as it is she who bestows service that is saturated with rasa to Shri Radha-Krishna Yugala in Goloka-Vrindavan. In her nectar-filled waters, Shri Radha-MuKund remain immersed in an ocean of happiness."