Rio Yamuna, Vrindavan, India's photostream

Source : Yamunotri
Length : 1,370 km
Coverage : Uttranchal, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Delhi

"Simply by bathing in the Yamuna, anyone can diminish the reactions of his sinful activities." (Krishna Book, Chap 38)

Yamuna is the daughter of Surya and Sharanyu and the twin sister of Yama, the god of Death. It is said that Sharanyu, unable to bear the lustre of the quivering Surya, closed her eyes upon which he cursed her. It was then that Yamuna was born. The Yamuna is thus also known as the quivering river.

Those who take a dip in its holy waters are not tormented by fears of death.

Yamuna is considered more pious than Ganga because it was here that Krishna played and swam. One who takes bath in the river Yamuna is freed from all past sins and contamination of this material world. That person will also gradually become a pure devotee and achieve liberation

The river Yamuna is intimately connected to Lord Krishna's pastimes. The Lord Krishna sanctified the River Yamuna from the beginning of His transcendental pastimes in the world. While His father Vasudeva was crossing the Yamuna with baby Lord Krishna for a safe place at Gokul on the other bank of the river from Mathura, Yamuna waters go up to touch His feet, and by the dust of His lotus feet the river at once became sanctified.

Bhagavati Yamuna
Maharani Yamuna has the same darkish blue complexion as Krishna. She assists in the playful amorous pastimes of Sri Radha-Krishna Yugala in every respect, and flows on three sides of Vandavana. To fully support the rasa-vilasa of Priya-Priyatama, she creates countless charming nikuïjas on both her banks with various kinds of dense trees and creepers laden with flowers and fruits. She is ornamented and beautified with divine ghaöas bedecked with jewels, and with various bowers made from kadamba, tamala, amra, bakula and other types of trees. The Divine Couple Sri Radha-Krishna perform water pastimes and boating pastimes with the sakhis in the waters of Sri Yamuna. This water is saturated with prema and is always decorated with seven-petalled lotuses. This Bhagavati Yamuna, who serves the Youthful Couple eternally, is supremely worshipful. In Caitanya-candrodaya-nataka (5.35) Srila Kavi-karnapura glorifies Sri Yamuna-devi as follows (also quoted in Sri Caitanyacaritamata, Madhya-lila 3.28):“I repeatedly offer prayers to Sri Yamuna, the daughter of the Sungod, who is the bestower of unnata-ujjvala prema for Nanda-nandana Sri Krishna, the transcendental sun. She embodies transcendental bliss and directly personifies the melted form of Parabrahma. Simply remembering her destroys all types of wickedness and great sins, thus rendering the heart pure. She bestows all auspiciousness upon the world, and can even infuse vraja-rasa into dry, desert-like hearts. May she purify us.” “I offer obeisances time and again unto the beloved of Krishna, Sri Yamuna, whose lotus feet are always served by Gaìga, Godavari, Narmada, Sindhu and other tirthas. Sri Yamuna is glorious as it is she who bestows service that is saturated with rasa to Sri Radha-Krishna Yugala in Goloka-Vandavana. In her nectar-filled waters, Sri Radha-Mukunda remain immersed in an ocean of happiness.”