Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The name Saunkh is derived from the word ‘chaunke’, sometimes pronounced as ‘chownk’ or ‘chaunce’, which refers to the frying of spices in ghee for the purpose of flavoring vegetables and other preparations. One day, Radharani and the gopis were searching for Krishna in the forest near here. Noticing all the many varieties of wild vegetables that were growing within the forest in such great abundance, the gopis suggested to Radharani that they should cook all these wonderful forest vegetables and Krishna would surely come there to enjoy the feast. Radharani responded by saying that they had no pots, no utensils, no ghee, no spices, and no water, so how could they possibly cook anything!
Suddenly, the gopis noticed all the things they needed lying here and there in the forest. The gopis then started to cook varieties of forest vegetables and wild roots, and many kinds of wild spinach. Radharani then prepared a most wonderful chaunkh and the aroma of the fried spices spread throughout the forest. Meanwhile, Krishna informed His friend Madhumangala that the gopis must have started cooking for them somewhere in the forest. Taking Madhumangala with Him, Krishna followed the aroma of the chaunkh until He finally found the place where the gopis were cooking. Krishna and Madhumangala then sat down to enjoy the most wonderful feast prepared by the gopis.
