Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Akṣayavaṭa is also called Bhāṇḍīravaṭa, and is situated two miles south of Rāma-ghāṭa. Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the sakhās played many games in the shade of this banyan (vaṭa) tree. They especially liked to wrestle here. Baladeva killed Pralambāsura at Akṣayavaṭa.
Once during cow herding, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma left the cows to graze in the lush, green fields and went off to play with the sakhās. They divided themselves into two groups, one headed by Kṛṣṇa and the other headed by Baladeva. The game they played had a rule that each boy in the group that lost had to carry the boy who had defeated him on his shoulders from Bhāṇḍīravaṭa to a fixed place some distance away and then back again. Pralambāsura, a demon sent by Kaṁsa, assumed the form of a beautiful sakhā and joined Kṛṣṇa’s team. Kṛṣṇa knowingly encouraged the new sakhā to play and kept him on His team. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was defeated by Śrīdāma and Pralambāsura by Balarāma. According to the rules, Śrīdāma sat on Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s shoulders and Balarāma on Pralambāsura’s. Kṛṣṇa made His way towards the appointed place, but the wicked Pralambāsura ran instead to a place that was deep and isolated. After some time he assumed his hideous rākṣasa form. Kaṁsa had instructed him to kill Baladeva before killing Kṛṣṇa. At first, Baladeva Prabhu was uncertain about what to do but, upon receiving a clue from Kṛṣṇa, He split the head of the demon with one blow of His fist. Pralambāsura vomited blood and collapsed to the earth. When Kṛṣṇa and the sakhās arrived there, they embraced Balarāma and praised His strength and fortitude.
The following pastime also took place at Akṣayavaṭa. One day, Śrīmatī Rādhikā, the sakhīs and Śrī Kṛṣṇa were playing together here. The sakhīs said to Kṛṣṇa, “Prāṇa-vallabha, You always boast that You have defeated even expert wrestlers. But why is it that Śrīdāma defeated You?”
Śrī Kṛṣṇa answered, “That is entirely untrue. No one in the whole universe can defeat Me. I have never been defeated by Śrīdāma.”
Rādhikā replied, “If that is so, then we gopīs are ready to wrestle with You. If You defeat us, then we will understand that You are the topmost wrestler.” The gopīs dressed themselves as wrestlers and Śrīmatī Rādhikā wrestled with Kṛṣṇa, easily defeating Him. The sakhīs clapped their hands and praised Her.
Since Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the sakhās wrestled and performed physical exercise here, the village near Akṣayavaṭa is called Kāśraṭa. The word kāśraṭa means kasrat karnā, or “to perform physical exercise”. It also means kuśtī karnā, or “to wrestle”. When the ancient banyan tree that stood here disappeared, a new one was planted in its place. Note that the Bhāṇḍīravaṭa situated in Bhāṇḍīravana is a different pastime place on the other side of the Yamunā.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is the sacred place known as Akshaya Vata where a very large forest of banyana trees stood during Krishna’s pastimes. At the present time only one large banyan tree remains which is very famous and known as Akshaya Vata. The word ‘akshaya’ means ‘everlasting’ or ‘that which never diminishes’ and the word ‘vata’ means a ‘banyana tree’ (Ficus benghalensi). The famous Bandira Vata (Akshaya Vata) is also mentioned as being one of Vraja Mandala’s sixteen famous banyana trees. The Gopala-champu says that this banyana tree located just south of Rama Ghata, was so vast that its roots and sub-branches spread out right across the Yamuna River and the cowherd boys could cross the Yamuna to the other side simply by walking on its branches. The Bhakti-ratnakara says that the forest which lays to the south of Rama Ghata and just north of Tapovana, is called Bhandiravana. This forest is also called simply as Bhandira and the famous banyana tree known as Akshay Vata, is also known as Bhandira Vata. This is the place where Krishna and Balarama used to graze Their calves and enjoy playing games with Their cowherd boyfriends. This same Bhandiravana (Akshaya Vata) is the place where Krishna enjoyed many pastimes with gopis including the famous wrestling match between Radha and Krishna. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “One day as Krishna sat beneath a tree in Bhandira, He played His flute in such an enchanting tone that it could drive the whole world mad. When Radha heard the sound of the flute She became agitated and ran to meet Krishna along with Her friends. In great ecstasy They enjoyed various sporting pastimes here along with the sakhis.”
There is overwhelming evidence that this particular Bhandiravana at Aksaya Vata, lying on the western bank of the Yamuna south of Rama Ghata, is the place where Balarama killed the demon Pralambhasura. There is a small village close to Akshaya Vata called Gadhibhima which is celebrated as the actual spot where the demon Pralambhasura was slain. Therefore this Bhandiravana at Akshaya Vata should not be confused with the sacred forest of Bhandiravana mentioned in the Adi Varaha Purana which is situated on the eastern bank of the Yamuna south of Bhadravana at the village of Chhanhari where the cowherd boys used to take their lunch and where Lord Brahma performed the marriage ceremony of Radha and Krishna.
