CC Madhya 9.178
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
TEXT 178
- dakṣiṇa-mathurā āilā kāmakoṣṭhī haite
- tāhāṅ dekhā haila eka brāhmaṇa-sahite
SYNONYMS
dakṣiṇa-mathurā — at southern Mathurā; āilā — arrived; kāmakoṣṭhī haite — from Kāmakoṣṭhī; tāhāṅ — there; dekhā haila — He met; eka — one; brāhmaṇa-sahite — with a brāhmaṇa.
TRANSLATION
When Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu arrived at southern Mathurā from Kāmakoṣṭhī, He met a brāhmaṇa.
PURPORT
Southern Mathurā, presently known as Madurai, is situated on the banks of the Bhāgāi River. This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Śiva; therefore it is called Śaiva-kṣetra, that is, the place where Lord Śiva is worshiped. In this area there are mountains and forests. There are also two Śiva temples, one known as Rāmeśvara and the other known as Sundareśvara. There is also a temple to Devī called the Mīnākṣī-devī temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship. It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pāṇḍya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundareśvara, great damage was done. In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampanna Udaiyara reigned on the throne of Madurai. Long ago, Emperor Kulaśekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brāhmaṇas. A well-known king named Anantaguṇa Pāṇḍya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulaśekhara.