Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The name Raheja is derived from the word ‘behaya’ which means ‘remorse’ as well as ‘shame’. According to Bhakti-ratnakara, Lord Indra, after realizing how offensive his behavior had been towards the lotus feet of Lord Krishna, and feeling full of remorse and shame, he came to this place accompanied by Surabhi Devi. Lord Indra thoroughly condemned himself for daring to challenge the authority of Lord Shri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Indra had impudently attempted to devastate the land of Vrindavana by sending torrents of rain which caused flooding and great hardship to all the Vrajavasis. It was Lord Brahma who advised Indra to take help from the Surabhi Devi, the mother-goddess of all cows, by asking her to speak to Krishna on Indra’s behalf. This was because Brahma knew that Krishna, as the well-wisher of the cows, would naturally fulfill any request made by mother Surabhi. It is said that Lord Indra dismounted from his elephant carrier at Raheja and as a sign of remorse, walked barefoot all the way to Govardhana Hill. At that time Krishna was walking on Govardhana Hill when Surabhi Devi approached with Indra’s humble request for forgiveness. Lord Krishna agreed to Surabhi’s plea and Indra immediately came forward and while shedding an ocean of tears, fell down just like a stick before the lotus feet of the Lord. The place where Indra bowed down while asking for forgiveness is known as Indra-pranama-sthali or sometimes as Indra Puja; the torrent of tears shed by Indra formed a small pool which became known as Indra-kunda.
