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desires fructify. As on the Meru there are seven such Purfs, so there
are seven Nishkamya or Moksha-producing Pun's). On the earth,
these, are seven Sakamya Puris (Ayodhya, Mathura and others.) Of
these Gopala Puri (Mathura) is the direct abode of Brahma.
As the lotus floats on the lake, Mathura rears itself up on the
earth, protected by Chakra, the disc of Vishnu. Hence it is called
Gopala Puri. This Puri is surrounded by twelve forests:
Brihat Vana (from Brihat or great, large).
Madhu Vana (From Madhu, a daitya).
Tala Vana (Tala or palm tree).
Bahula Vana (From Bahula, a kind of tree).
Kumud Vana (From Kumud, flower).
Khadira Vana (From Khadira or the catechu plant).
Bhadra Vana (From Bhadra, a kind of tree).
Bhandira Vana (From Bhandira, the name of a religious fig tree).
Sri Vana (From Sri or Lakshmi).
Loha-vana (from Loha, the name of an Asura.)
And Vrindavana (from Vrinda or Tulasi plant.)
These twelve forests are presided over by the 12 Adityas, n
Rudras, eight Vasus, seven Rishis, Brahma, Narada, the five Vinaya-
kas (Moda, Pramoda, Amoda, Sumukha and Durmukha), Viresvara,
Rudresvara, Visvesvara, Gopalesvara, Bhadresvara, and 24 other Siva
Lingas.
There are two chief forests, Krishnavana and Bhadra vana.
The 12 forests are included in these. They are all sacred, some of
them most sacred.
There are four forms of Vishnu (Murtis) in these forests, Rama
(SankarshanaJ, Pradyumna, Aniruddha and Krishna (Vasudeva).
There are twelve other Murtis in Mathura:
Roudri adored by the Rudras.
Brdhmi, by Brahma.
Devt, by the sons of Brahma.
Mdnavt, by the Maruts.
Vighna ndsint, by the Yinayakas.
KdinyA, by the Vasus.
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