Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
When Indra saw that the Vrajavāsīs had stopped worshipping him and were worshipping Govardhana instead, he became angry. Consequently, with the intention of destroying them, he poured forth torrential rains and hurled thunderbolts upon them for seven days, but he was not successful. Finally, Lord Brahmā advised him to ask for forgiveness for his offence, and so Indra performed abhiṣeka of Śrī Kṛṣṇa with the milk of Surabhī- devī at this place. Śrī Kṛṣṇa was named “Govinda” because He nourishes and gives pleasure to all – the cows, gopas, gopīs and to the land of Vraja. This place is known as Govinda-kuṇḍa because the name-giving ceremony and abhiṣeka of Śrī Govinda were performed here. Śrī Vajranābha established this kuṇḍa in memory of this pastime.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This famous kunda is said to have been established by Maharaja Vajranabha during his reign as the king of Mathura. By following the Adi-Varaha Purana and other Vedic literatures, Vajranabha was able to identify and name many holy places connected to Krishna’s pastimes within the area of Vraja Mandala. In the Mathura-mahatmya it is said, “The sacred Govinda-kunda has been created at the place where Lord Krishna was bathed by the enemy of the Yadus named Indra. It is filled with the water that washed Krishna’s body. Just by taking bath there one attains liberation.” This sacred kunda was created when Lord Indra, the king of heaven, performed an elaborate abhisheka of Shri Krishna with water from the celestial River Ganges. This happened after Krishna had defeated Indra by lifting Govardhana Hill to save the Vrajavasis from the devastating rains sent by king of heaven, who wanted to punish the Vrajavasis for neglecting to worship him. After Indra had performed the abhisheka of Krishna, the demigods headed by Brahma and Shiva also bathed Krishna and then performed an elaborate aratrika ceremony with ghee lamps, incense, chamaras, and various other paraphernalia. Lord Brahma then crowned Krishna as Govinda, the Lord of the cows. Shrila Jiva Gosvami has said that because all the demigods reside within the body of a cow, when the demigods anointed Krishna as the king of the cows, they were automatically crowning Him as the king of the demigods.
After the demigods had left for their own abode, the cowherd boys arrived there with the cows and were surprised to find all the paraphernalia for puja lying there including: a large ornate ceremonial umbrella, golden trays, large golden ghee lamps, fragrant incense, a pure white conch shell, a pure white chamara whisk and a beautiful peacock fan. The cowherd boys then spontaneously began to worship Krishna with the paraphernalia while they sang songs glorifying Krishna’s wonderful activities. From a distance the demigods heard the sweet singing of the cowherd boys, and turning their heads they looked back in amazement at the spontaneous love that the cowherd boys had for Krishna, and felt ashamed at their own efforts to worship the Supreme Lord.
Just as the cowherd boys had finished worshiping Krishna, the cowherd men arrived at Govinda-kunda along with Nanda Maharaja and were surprised to see all the elaborate puja paraphernalia. When Nanda enquired from the cowherd boys as to where all the utensils for worship had come from, the cowherd boys replied that after rounding up the cows, when they arrived back at Govinda-kunda, all the puja paraphernalia had somehow or other appeared there. One small boy who witnessed the events, said that he saw a pure white cow arrive with a man who had thousands of eyes all over his body (Indra), and after he paid his obeisance’s to Krishna, a large white elephant arrived there (Airavata) and poured water over Krishna’s head, then many others came forward and bathed Krishna. Then a man with four heads (Brahma) and another with five heads (Shiva – in his form as Pancha-mukhi Mahadeva), began worshiping Krishna with all this paraphernalia and after completing the puja they left. As Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men stood there in amazement, suddenly a tumultuous voice reverberated from the sky saying, “Oh Nanda, just as we the demigods have crowned your son Krishna as the king of the cows and the senses, you should also crown him as the king of Vraja.” After hearing the voice from the sky, the cowherd men also worshiped Krishna with the puja paraphernalia after which they crowned him as the king of Vrindavana.
