Every time that Purusottma Month occurs, hundreds of thousands of children, adults and aged bhaktas from all over India perform dandavat parikrama of Sri Giriraja Govardhana. Indeed, it is most amazing and wonderful darsana to see so many sincere devotees in one place offering their bodies, hearts and words to Giriraja Dharana ki jai !
Offering dandavats, lying full body on the ground, is an ancient devotional practice called Visnu pada-sevanam, which is the fourth anga of bhakti-sadhana described by Srila Rupa Goswamipada in his Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu.
Most of the traditional spiritual practices done in India have their origin in sacred scriptures. The humbling, purifying, enlivening and ego-dissolving practice of offering dandavats to Thakuraji Deities, Saints, Gurus, Vaisnavas, sacred places, lila-sthalis, and dandavata parikrama of favorite temples, Vrndavana, Govardhana Hill and Radha-kunda is mentioned in many Puranas and writings by acharyas.
We could not find a reference on this point. But it will be most welcome here if someone could provide shastra references about the importance or special benefit of doing dandavat parikrama of Govardhana Hill specifically during Purusottama month.
Although not mentioning Giriraja dandavats, the following entry shows a clear connection between Giriraja Govardhana and the Purusottama Month.In verse 83 of his bhakti-sutras, Narada Muni glorifies the ancient sage Kaundilya Muni, saying that he was a great “bhakti-acarya”.
In a previous age during Purosottama Month, Kaundilya Muni repeatedly chanted the following mantra every day throughout the sacred Adhika Month:
govardhana-dharam vande gopalam
gopa-rupinamgokulotsavam
isanam govindam gopika-priyam
“I worship Gopala, the lifter of Govardhana Hill, who is a beautiful cowherd boy of Vraja. Gopala’s presence fills Gokula with festive bliss. And Gopala is the beloved of all the Vraja gopikas, especially Priyaji Radha.”
In the phala-shruti, Kaundilya Muni gives a blessing saying, “By chanting this mantra with devotion during Sri Purusottama month, one will attain Vraja Lila-Purusottama Sri Krishna along with Srimati Radharani, and attain fulfillment of all their desires.”
We encourage everyone to come to Govardhana Hill and Radha Kunda to perform dandavat parikrama. If dandavats is not feasible then wherever you are you can chant the prayer above, do mental parikrama every day, and worship Radha-Krishna Yugala in all the many ways described in our article on Observing Purusottama Month.
Purusottama Vrata ki jai! Giriraja Radha-kunda Dandavat Parikrama ki jai!
Giriraja Dharan ki jai!Jai Jai Sri Radhe!
By Mahanidhi Swami