Upanishads · Gopāla-tāpanī Uttara 42
॥
Devanāgarī
द्वे वने स्तः कृष्णवनं भद्रवनं
तयोरन्तर्द्वादश वनानि पुण्यानि पुण्यतमानि
Transliteration (IAST)
dve vane staḥ kṛṣṇavanaṁ bhadravanaṁ
tayorantardvādaśa vanāni puṇyāni puṇyatamāni
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
द्वे वने स्तःdve vane staḥthere are two woods; there are two groves
कृष्णवनम् भद्रवनम्kṛṣṇavanam bhadravanamKṛṣṇavana and Bhadravana; the wood of Kṛṣṇa and the wood of Bhadra
तयोः अन्तःtayoḥ antaḥbetween them; within them
द्वादश वनानिdvādaśa vanānitwelve woods; twelve groves
पुण्यानि पुण्यतमानिpuṇyāni puṇyatamāniholy, most holy; good and best
Translation
There are two woods — Kṛṣṇavana and Bhadravana — and between them twelve woods, holy and most holy.
Version
055a4a06dd0c · published Jul 28, 2026, 2:30:24 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
The total is named: twelve woods enclosed between the two chief ones. The twelve vanas of Vraja are known to the whole later tradition, and pilgrimage among them is made to this day.
The structure is described as nested: two woods and twelve between them. The city will be described the same way: Mathurā inside a ring of forest, and inside it the abode.
The words puṇya and puṇyatama — "holy" and "most holy" — stand together deliberately: the degree of holiness differs from place to place, and the book acknowledges this without levelling them.
Note that here the enumeration of the outward ends, and the enumeration of who abides in these woods begins. The following mantras will name twelve forms of the Lord — by the number of the woods.
So the geography of the abode turns out to be its theology: as many groves, so many manifestations.