Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is the place where the king of heaven Indra, came before Krishna to offer his humble obeisances and beg forgiveness for his offence after he dared to challenge the Supreme Lord’s authority and attempted to punish the Vrajavasis for not worshiping him. It is said that one day Krishna was walking on Govardhana Hill viewing the damage caused by the great flood of water, when Indra suddenly arrived there accompanied by Surabhi Devi, the mother-goddess of cows. Indra had walked barefoot all the way from Raheja (Bahaj) as a penance and as a show of great remorse. Lord Brahma had asked Surabhi Devi to help Indra obtain forgiveness for his sins, as he knew Krishna would fulfill any request made by Surabhi, because He is Govinda, the well-wisher of the cows. The Shrimad-Bhagavatam (SB.10.27.1-2) says, “Sukadeva Gosvami said: After Krishna had lifted Govardhana Hill and thus protected the inhabitants of Vraja from the terrible rainfall, Surabhi, the mother of the cows, came from her planet to see Krishna. She was accompanied by Indra. Indra was very ashamed of having offended the Lord. Approaching Him in a solitary place, Indra fell down and lay his helmet, whose effulgence was as brilliant as the sun, upon the Lord’s lotus feet.” Surabhi Devi spoke first and requested Krishna to forgive Indra for his offences and while doing so, it is said that she bathed Krishna’s lotus feet with her milk. After Krishna agreed to Surabhi Devi’s request, Indra stepped forward and threw himself on the ground before the Lord and offered his heartfelt pranama at Krishna’s lotus feet. Indra than glorified the Lord profusely while shedding a torrent of tears which formed into a small kunda. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Indra described the glories of Lord Krishna’s mercy here.”
According to the Vallabhacharya sampradaya, Indra performed a puja to Krishna at this place and made various other offerings including fifty-six different types of food preparations known as capana-bhoga. Some followers of the Vallabhacharya sampradaya also believe this is the spot where the king of heaven, Indra, actually stood when he performed an abhisheka of Krishna, but there is no shastric evidence to substantiate this claim and it is very well documented that the place where Indra performed abhisheka of Krishna was at Govinda-kunda. The Bhakti-ratnakara clearly indicates that Indra came here to beg forgiveness and glorify Krishna while offering his pranams to the Lord’s lotus feet.
