Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
About four hundred metres south-east of Kusuma-sarovara is Nārada-kuṇḍa, where Śrī Nārada performed austerities. After Nārada heard the glories of gopī-bhāva (the exalted moods of the gopīs) from the mouth of Vṛndā-devī, the presiding deity of Vṛndāvana, an intense desire to lovingly serve the Divine Couple Śrī Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa as a gopī in Their most elevated amorous pastimes arose in his heart. He received the gopāla-mantra from Brahmā, the Grandsire of the world, and began to perform meditation and worship here in rāga-mārga, the path of spontaneous attachment, in the wake of the gopīs.
After doing this for a long time, Yogamāyā Paurṇamāsī dipped Nārada in Kusuma-sarovara, by which he received the form of a gopī. Thereafter, he received the ekadāśa-bhāva (eleven features that constitute one’s true identity) in the path of spontaneous attachment and became qualified to serve the Divine Couple.
It is highly beneficial to visit Nārada-kuṇḍa.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
This is the spot where the Shrila Narada Muni performed tapasya on the advice of Vrinda Devi, and the place where he is said to have written his famous Narada-bhakti-sutras explaining the science of devotional service. Naradavana is also mentioned in the Adi-Varaha Purana to be one of the upavanas or sun-forests of Vraja Mandala. There is a temple here next to the kunda where the Deity of Narada Muni can be seen. One day while he was engaged in tapasya, Narada noticed Vrinda Devi passing by with some of her girlfriends and he humbly begged her to bless him so he might enter the rasa-mandala to witness the rasa-dance. Vrinda Devi informed him that he should first take bath at Kusuma-sarovara, after which his desire would be fulfilled. After bathing in the sacred Kusuma-sarovara, Narada immediately achieved the form of a gopi and was able to enter the rasa-mandala to see the rasa-dance between Radha and Krishna.
