320
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 4, Ch. 8]
places are called the four  dhāmas .  Dhāma  refers to a place where one can immediately contact the Supreme Lord. To go to Badrinārāyaṇa one has to pass through Haridvāra on the path to the Supreme Personality of God-head. Similarly, there are other holy places of pilgrimage, such as Prayāg (Allahabad) and Mathurā, and the topmost of them all is Vṛndāvana. Unless one is very advanced in spiritual life, it is recommended that he live in such holy places and execute devotional service there. But an advanced devotee like Nārada Muni who is engaged in preaching work can serve the Supreme Lord anywhere. Sometimes he even goes to the hellish planets. Hellish conditions do not affect Nārada Muni because he is engaged in greatly responsible activities in devotional service. According to the statement of Nārada Muni, Madhuvana, which is still existing in the Vṛndāvana area, in the district of Mathurā, is a most sacred place. Many saintly persons still live there and engage in the devotional service of the Lord.
There are twelve forests in the area of Vṛndāvana, and Madhuvana is one of them. Pilgrims from all parts of India assemble together and visit all twelve of these forests. There are five forests on the eastern bank of the Yamunā: Bhadravana, Bilvavana, Lauhavana, Bhāṇḍīravana and Mahāvana. On the western side of the bank there are seven: Madhuvana, Tālavana, Kumudavana, Bahulāvana, Kāmyavana, Khadiravana and Vṛndāvana. In those twelve forests there are different  ghāṭs , or bathing places. They are listed as follows: (1) Avimukta, (2) Adhirūḍha, (3) Guhyatīrtha, (4) Prayāgatīrtha, (5) Kanakhala, (6) Tindukatīrtha, (7) Sūryatīrtha, (8) Vaṭasvāmī, (9) Dhruvaghāṭa (Dhruvaghāṭa, where there are many nice fruit and flower trees, is famous because Dhruva Mahārāja meditated and underwent severe penances and austerities there in an elevated spot), (10) Rṣitīrtha, (11) Mokṣatīrtha, (12) Budhatīrtha, (13) Gokarṇa, (14) Kṛṣṇagangā, (15) Vaikuṇṭha, (16) Asikuṇḍa, (17) Catuḥṣāmudrika-kūpa, (18) Akrūratīrtha (When Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma were going to Mathurā in the chariot driven by Akrūra, all of them took baths in this  ghāṭ ), (19) Yajñigviprasthāna, (20) Kubja-kūpa, (21) Rangasthāla, (22) Mañchasthāla, (23) Mañllayudhasthāna, and (24) Daśāśvamedha.
TEXT 43
स्वात्वानुसवनं तस्मिन् कालिन्याः सलिले शिवे ।
कृत्वोचितानि निवसन्नात्मनः कल्पितासनः ॥४३॥
snātvānusavanaṁ tasmin
kālindyāḥ salile śive
kṛtvocitāni nivasann
ātmanaḥ kalpitāsanaḥ