9.178

daksina-mathura aila kamakosthi haite

tahan dekha haila eka brahmana-sahite

SYNONYMS

daksina-mathura—at southern Mathura; aila—arrived; kamakosthi haite—from Kamakosthi; tahan—there; dekha haila—He met; eka—one; brahmana-sahite—with a brahmana.

When Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at southern Mathura from Kamakosthi, He met a brahmana.

PURPORT

Southern Madurai, presently known as Madura, is situated on the banks of the Bhagai River.

This place of pilgrimage is specifically meant for the devotees of Lord Siva; therefore it is called Saiva-ksetra, that is, the place where Lord Siva is worshiped.

In this area there are mountains and forests.

There are also two Siva temples, one known as Ramesvara and the other known as Sundaresvara.

There is also a temple to Devi called the Minaksi-devi temple, which displays very great architectural craftsmanship.

It was built under the supervision of the kings of the Pandya Dynasty, and when the Muslims attacked this temple, as well as the temple of Sundaresvara, great damage was done.

In the Christian year 1372, a king named Kampanna Udaiyara reigned on the throne of Madura.

Long ago, Emperor Kulasekhara ruled this area, and during his reign he established a colony of brahmanas.

A well-known king named Anantaguna Pandya is an eleventh-generation descendant of Emperor Kulasekhara.