Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
This very charming place, surrounded by trees and creepers, lies north-east of Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa. Mahādeva Śaṅkara worships Kṛṣṇa here, and therefore this place is also known as Mahādeva’s sitting-place (baiṭhaka). Once, Mahādeva Śaṅkara, desiring to have Kṛṣṇa’s darśana, was wandering throughout Vraja like a madman, but his repeated attempts bore no success. Sometimes, Kṛṣṇa would be sleeping when he arrived and sometimes He would be sucking the breast of His mother. Also, Mother Yaśodā did not want to show her baby Kṛṣṇa to this strange yogī, whose hair was matted, who was adorned with a necklace of serpents, and who was riding a bull and carrying a trident in his hand. She thought that he might give her son the “evil eye”.
Finally, a defeated Śaṅkara sat down at this very spot firm in his decision not to leave until his desire was fulfilled. He started to beg by invoking the name of God, loudly calling out, “Alakha nirañjana, alakha nirañjana!” and playing on his ḍamarū drum. Inside Nanda-bhavana baby Kṛṣṇa also started to bawl just as loudly as Śaṅkara was calling out and playing his drum. The drum playing did not stop; nor did Kṛṣṇa’s crying. Finally, the clever elderly gopīs advised Yaśodā, “This must be the work of that yogī. He certainly knows some mantras, so why not call him to pacify the child?” They went to the yogī and said, “O yogī, come, Nandarānī Yaśomatī is calling you to Nanda-bhavana.” Hearing this, Śaṅkarajī became so happy and made his way to Nanda-bhavana, where he took some mustard seeds and salt in his hands, touched the head of baby Kṛṣṇa and blessed Him. When touched by the hands of Śaṅkara, Nanda-lālā immediately stopped crying and began to make sounds of joy. Seeing the yogī’s wonderful act, Nandarānī (Yaśodā) became very pleased with him and gave him her pearl necklace in charity, saying, “Yogī, you should stay here at Nanda-bhavana and, whenever my lālā cries, you should pacify Him by your darśana.”
Sūradāsa has described this pastime in the following poem, which is steeped in transcendental emotion:
laṭkat-laṭkat saṅkar āvai man meiṅ mod baḍhāve
nandabhavan meiṅ āyo jogī rāī non kar līno
bār pher lālāke ūpar hāth śīś par dīno
vithā bhaī ab dūr badan kī kilak uṭhe nandalālā
khuśī bhaī nandajū kī rānī dīnī motiyan mālā
rahure jogī nandabhavan meiṅ braj ko bāso kījai
jab-jab mero lālā rovai tab-tab darśan dījai
tum to jogī param manohar tum ko ved bakhāne
(śiv bole) būḍho bābā nām hamāro sūrśyām mohi jāneṅ
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
There used to be a kunda here called Yogiya-kunda, which has now become dry. According to the Bhakti-ratnakara, the Yogiya-sthana is the place where Uddhava gave instructions on bhakti-yoga to the residents of Nandagrama and where he often discussed Krishna’s pastimes with them during the ten months that he remained in their association at Nandagrama. Thanks to Uddhava’s presence at Nandagrama, the Vrajavasis felt great relief from the burning fire of Krishna’s separation.
