Brāhmaṇa Puṣkara
When the darkness lifted, Nityānanda Rāya took Jīva and continued on pilgrimage. He explained as follows: “See this enchanting village. Now everyone calls this place Brāhmaṇapura, but in the scriptures it is named Brāhmaṇa Puṣkara. The mysteries of this place are very confidential.
“In Satya-yuga, a brāhmaṇa named Divadāsa gave up family life and went on pilgrimage. Puskara-tīrtha was very dear to him, but during his wandering he came to Navadvipa. While here, he dreamt that if he stayed he would receive a great treasure. The brāhmaṇa built a cottage and lived here till he became old. Though he wanted to see Puskara, he found it impossible to move about. In this situation he began to weep, ‘Now I will never see Puskara!’ “The personality of Puskara then mercifully appeared before Divadasa in the form of a brāhmaṇa and said, ‘Do not cry. Before you is a splendid pond. Take bath there once, and you will see Puskara before your eyes.’ “The brāhmaṇa took his bath in the pond and received transcendental eyes to see Puskara before him. The brāhmaṇa cried and said to Puskara, I have given you so much trouble.’
“Puskara replied, Listen, fortunate brāhmaṇa. I am not coming from far off, for I am present here. This Navadvipa is the embodiment of all tirthas, which reside in and render service to Navadvipa. I have exhibited one form in the west, but I myself always reside here. The results one attains by bathing one hundred times there are achieved by one bath here. Therefore, whoever gives up Navadvipa with the desire to go to other holy places is a fool and a rascal. If one attains the fruit of travelling to all the holy places, then he may reside in Navadvipa. See that raised area that resembles a market. Kurukṣetra and Brahmavarta are present there. Sarasvati and Drṣadvati flow on its two sides. It is splendid and gives much punya.
“O brāhmaṇa, I will tell you a very secret thing. In a short time, ecstasy will be given out here. Gauranga will appear at Māyāpur in Sacidevi’s house, and He will freely distribute prema. In all these places the Lord and His devotees will dance madly in the ecstasy of sankirtana. The Lord will perform kirtana along with the devotees of all His previous incarnations. The whole universe will drown in the flood of prema. Other than the false logicians, everyone will receive that gift of love.
“O Divadāsa, whoever lives in the dhama with firm faith will attain the feet of Gaura. Although the evil-minded may worship Krsna for millions of years, they will not get attraction for the holy name. But if one worships Gauranga, all one’s wicked sentiments will be uprooted and very soon one will attain Radha and Krsna in Vṛndāvana. That person will attain his spiritual body and serve the divine couple in a secluded grove under the shelter of the sakhis. O brāhmaṇa, stay here and worship, then you will see Lord Gauranga with His associates.’
“Saying this, Puskara Rāja departed. Then a voice from the sky said, “The glorious age of Kali is coming. At that time you will again take birth and swim in the ocean of Gauranga’s kirtana.’ Hearing this, the brāhmaṇa was freed from anxiety and stayed on the shore of the pond worshiping the Lord.”
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Chapter 10)
In the Mahabharata, concerning Brāhmaṇa Puskara, it is said: “The holy place of Lord Visņu, Puskara-tirtha, renowned in the three worlds, is situated on this earth. Fortunate souls can enter that place. O son of the Kuru dynasty, at Puskara-tirtha billions of tirthas gather at daybreak and sunset. The indityas, Vasus, Rudras, Sadhyas, Maruts, Gandarvas, and Apsaras reside there. Sins of both men and women, including the sin which caused their birth, are destroyed simply by taking a bath at Puskara-tirtha. As Madhusudana is the original God, so Puskara is the original tirtha.”
(Sri Navadvipa-Dhama-Mahatmya, Pramana-Khanda, Chapter 3)
South of Naimisaranya lies Brahmana Puskara, nondifferent from Puşkara. The brāhmaṇa Divadasa worshiped Gauranga here and was consoled by seeing the Lord’s golden form.
(Sri Navadvipa Bhava-taranga)
Śrī Īśāna now advanced gladly towards the village named Vāmana Pukara. He started talking about the glory of that place where Prabhu had performed many sports. Some experts said that Vāmana Pukara had been formerly known as Vrāhmaṇa-puskara. He began to narrate the history of this village to Śrīnivāsa.
“There had been a highly experienced old brāhmaṇa who was also a great meditator and scholar in all scriptures. He had a hope in his mind to visit Puṣkara Tīrtha, for which he had great reverence, but could not go there due to his old age. He repented and said, ‘I am unfortunate as I cannot see Śrī Puṣkara-tīrtha as it is situated in a distant western country. I have spent my golden days futilely. I am afraid as to when Śrī Tīrtha will favor me to go there.’
“The brāhmaṇa began to lament over this privately. Observing the brāhmaṇa’s miserable state of mind, Śrī Puṣkara Tīrtha-rāja out of kindness appeared before him. Suddenly a new kuṇḍa exposed itself with pure water. Śrī Puṣkara-tīrtha appeared before the brāhmaṇa and told him sweetly, ‘Do not lament anymore. Come and take your bath in this kuṇḍa.’ The brāhmaṇa became very glad and hastily took his bath. As soon as he got up from the kuṇḍa, he obtained some sort of celestial knowledge.
“The brāhmaṇa eulogized Śrī Puṣkara-tīrtha by falling on the ground, and with his folded hands he again told him, “It is kind of you that you have come from a distant place for me.”
“Puṣkara replied, ‘I have not come from a distant place. On the contrary, I used to live in Nadia for serving that holy place where all the holy places used to assemble to pay their homage. Navadvīpa-dhāma is the eternal abode of love and devotion that is the sporting place of Śrī Gauracandra, who has performed the rāsa-vilāsa once in Śrī Vṛndāvana. He is Śyāma in Vṛndāvana, and he is Gaura in Navadvīpa. In Navadvīpa, Prabhu behaves like a gopa. This Kali-yuga will float in the river of happiness due to the prakata and aprakata sport of Prabhu. In this Kali-yuga, Prabhu will distribute the precious gem-like devotion and deliver the living being from damnation by revealing the glory of saṅkīrtana. The fortunate people of Nadia can see the sport of Prabhu.’
“On hearing all of this, the brāhmaṇa began to weep loudly, saying, ‘Can I take birth at that time in Nadia? Can I be so fortunate to observe the beautiful sport of Gauracandra?’
“Śrī Puṣkara Rāja disappeared after consoling the brāhmaṇa in various ways. The brāhmaṇa became very disheartened over the disappearances of Puṣkara. In the meantime, an oracle came to the brāhmaṇa: ‘Always think of the feet of Śrī Gauracandra. Calm down, for all your wishes will be fulfilled.’ The brāhmaṇa became very happy and began to think of the moon of Navadvīpa all the time. Everyone was very astonished to observe the efforts of the brāhmaṇa through which he had been trying to please Prabhu. The name Vṛāhmaṇa-puskara came from that favor that Puṣkara had given to the brāhmaṇa.
“So this was the place of Puṣkara-tīrtha, where the brāhmaṇa had worshipped Prabhu. He who lived here could get the darśana of Prabhu. He who sang the praise of this place could avoid the sufferings of hell. O Śrīnivāsa, what shall I say as to what I have seen here?” Saying so, Śrī Īśāna began to weep. Now they started from Vāmana Puṣkara.
(Bhakti-ratnākara by Sri Narahari Cakravarti, Chapter 12, Page 341-342)
One who controls his mind, fasts at the holy places Puṣkara, Mathurā or Dvārakā, and studies this scripture will be freed from all fear.
(SB 12.12.61)