Śrīla Gurudeva, Bhaktivedānta Nārāyaṇa Gosvāmī Mahārāja, leading a group of faithful devotees and pilgrims throughout the land of Vraja Maṇḍala arrives at the bank of the Yamunā, Cīra Ghāṭa, where the Vraja gopīs performed Kātyāyanī-vrata, worship of Yogamāyā Devī for the pleasure of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. He explains many secret truths about this vrata and then in great happiness engages himself and all the devotees in worship of Kātyāyanī Devī. Below is an English translation from the Hindi that Śrīla Gurudeva spoke at this place.
Some highlights: Here the gopīs did arādhana for one month by bathing every day, becoming clean and changing their clothes and by taking dhūpa, incense, dīpa, ghee-lamp, conch shell, water, and so on. In this way they would perform worship with sixteen ingredients, bhoga, rāga, naivedya. Now there is a stone deity but before they would make her out of sand and place it under the tree and would worship it as Kātyāyanī. What would they say?
kātyāyani mahā-māye / mahā-yoginy adhīśvari
nanda-gopa-sutaṁ devi / patiṁ me kuru te namaḥ
They did not know what the meaning of ‘pati’ (husband) is, or the meaning of marriage. But they used to do this since childhood. If they had known or had the association of the gopīs they would not have used the word ‘pati’ but would have used a different word instead like priyatam or any other word...
They worshipped Kātyāyanīji but who came? Who gave them blessings? Kṛṣṇa did. Therefore, we understand that this was not worship of Kātyāyanī but rather of Kṛṣṇa. Kṛṣṇa came as the Devata, God, and said, I will fulfill all your hearts’ desires in the upcoming autumn full moon, śarada-pūrṇimā.
In this way, why did they call all the sakhīs on the last day? Not because the vrata had ended but in order to get the association of the nitya-siddha gopīs. Without their association it would never be possible themselves to become eternally perfected...
Therefore, this place is the place of perfection for the gopīs (siddhi ka sthāna). Now we will go over there to the bank of the Yamunā and whoever can take bath will take bath and then returning from there we will go to the temple of Kātyāyanī and there we will do Her ārati with incense, (dhūpa) and ghee lamp (dīpa) and we will chant this mantra (kātyāyanī mahā-māye…) and please her and Kṛṣṇa by offering flowers. We will pray, “Just like you fulfilled the inner-desires of the gopīs, in the same way fulfill our hearts’ desires as well.” Gaura Premānande Hari Hari Bol!
Srila Gurudeva and devotees in unison loudly chant again and again:
kātyāyani mahā-māye / mahā-yoginy adhīśvari
nanda-gopa-sutaṁ devi / patiṁ me kuru te namaḥ
Gurudeva: Priyatamo me kuru te namaḥ
All devotees: Priyatamo me kuru te namaḥ
Published by Bhakta Bāndhava, 04/12/2016, Vṛndāvana-dhāma
