Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Bacha-gaon is three miles south of Paiṭha, and is also called Vatsavana. Śrī Kṛṣṇa and the sakhās sometimes herded the calves here. Kanaka-sāgara, Sahasra-kuṇḍa, Rāma-kuṇḍa, Aḍvāro- kuṇḍa, Rāvari-kuṇḍa, and the temples of Mākkhana-chora Ṭhākura and Vatsa-bihārī Ṭhākura are also here.
Lord Brahmā stole the cowherd boys and calves in order to further behold Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s sweet pastimes. Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself took the forms of all the cowherd boys, as well as the forms of their sticks, flutes, horns, calves and so forth; and for one year He went cow grazing and performed the pastimes they had all previously enjoyed.
One or two days before a full year had elapsed, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, Balarāma and the cowherd boys were grazing the calves here. The adult gopas were grazing the cows nearby on Govardhana Hill, and their newborn calves were with them. When the cows saw their older offspring with Kṛṣṇa and Balarāma, they ran towards them, bellowing loudly, without caring for the thorns, sharp grass and ditches on the way. The adult gopas tried their level best to obstruct them by using their sticks, but to no avail. The cows did not even care for their newborn calves. When they met their older calves at this place, they began to lick them lovingly. The older gopas became angry that they could not restrain the cows, and thought that their children had sounded their flutes and horns to attract them. Intent on punishing their children, they went there quickly; but as soon as they arrived, their anger completely vanished and they embraced their children instead.
Śrī Baladeva was amazed to see this and wondered, “Why did the cows leave their younger calves today and show more affection to their older ones? They used to love their younger calves the most, and had even more love for My brother Kṛṣṇa. And the mothers of the cowherd boys used to love Kṛṣṇa more than their own sons, but now they love them both equally.” Baladeva sought the answer to this riddle through His transcendental vision. Smiling, He then turned to Kṛṣṇa and said, “Brother, was the milk of one mother not enough to fill Your belly? Did You have to become the children of hundreds and thousands of mothers so that You could drink their milk too? But even this did not satisfy You, so You assumed the form of all these calves and drank the milk of millions of cows. What is the secret behind this pastime of Yours?” Kṛṣṇa revealed the entire mystery to Baladeva. Thus, because this forest is where Kṛṣṇa revealed Himself to be all the calves (the Hindi word for “calf” is bachḍa), it is called Bachavana.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “See here Vatsavana where Brahma stole the calves.” The Vraja-vilasa-stava gives the following description, “I sing the glories of Vatsa-harana-sthali where Brahma, being inquisitive about the glories of Lord Krishna, stole the calves and cowherd boys. To satisfy the long cherished desire of the mothers of the calves and cowherd boys, Krishna then manifested Himself as calves and cowherd boys to eat the food given by their mothers.” Local brahmanas confirm this is the actual spot where the cowherd boys and the calves were stolen by Brahma. Vatsavana is presently known locally as Bachwan, or Bachpan, and both names mean ‘children’s forest’ or, ‘cowherd boy’s forest’. It is also said that Vatsavana is the place where Krishna slew the demon Vatsasura. The word ‘vatsa’ can mean a ‘calf’ as well as a ‘boy’, and ‘vana’ means ‘forest’. Vatsavana is one of the forests where Krishna used to bring His calves and it is also known as ‘Vatsa-krida’, which in regard to Krishna’s cow herding pastimes means, the ‘playground of the cowherd boys and calves’. This place is less than a kilometer from the village of Sei and in ancient times the forest of Vatsavana covered the area between the villages of Sei and Mai, two miles to the south, with the Yamuna River forming the forest’s eastern border. Unfortunately today, only a few trees remain of what was once a vast and verdant forest.
At Vatsavana one can see the temple of Vatsavana-Bihari, also known locally as Bachapan-Bihari, where one can have darshana the ancient four-armed Deity of Chaturbhuja-Narayana, the same form that Brahma saw manifested by Krishna when he returned from Brahmaloka to review the situation after stealing the calves and cowherd boys. Nearby is the Gwala Mandali where Krishna sat in a circle (mandali) with all the cowherd boys to take their lunch. The word ‘gwala’ pronounced as ‘gowala’ means a ‘cowherd boy’. Nearby is the sitting place of Vallabhacharya who spoke on Bhagavatam at this place. There is also a drinking water well known as Ganga-bhowari; the word ‘bhowari’ means a ‘large well with steps going down inside it’. Not far away is the Gwala-kunda, which is also known as Brahma-kunda.
