Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
When Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva were seated on Akrūra’s chariot as he was driving Them from Vraja to Mathurā, the distressed Vrajavāsīs became overwhelmed in separation from Them. Their eyes remained fixed on the road as they saw the dust kicked up by the leaving chariot, and they maintained that same gaze even after the dust had settled back down again. In the memory of this pastime, Vajranābha named this village Magherā. This name comes from mag herā, which means “gazing in the direction of the road”.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Then Raghava showed them Maghera village, which was previously called Maghahera and the tamala forest where Radha and Krishna used to meet.” When Akrura was taking Krishna and Balarama to Mathura, the gopis followed Akrura’s chariot from Nandagrama all the way to this village of Maghera, where they experienced feelings of unbearable pain and deep anguish at the thought of losing their beloved Krishna. At that time they all fainted and fell down on the ground as if they were dead. Some of the gopis even tried to block the passage of the chariot by throwing themselves on the road in front of it, as death itself would have been less painful than separation from Krishna. Nevertheless, it was ordained by destiny that Krishna would leave the gopis behind and go to Mathura. Krishna’s departure from Vraja marked the occasion when the gopis entered the period of their vipralambha-bhava, or divine love in separation from their beloved Krishna. The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Look at this village of Maghahera. The Vrajavasis simply stared down the road in the direction that Krishna went, their anguish was indescribable! Nowadays, people call this place Maghera.”
Although there are no specific holy place to visit here one can still see the ancient village of Maghahera, now called Maghera, which was the site of Krishna’s final pastime with the gopis of Vraja. The word ‘maghahera’ means ‘to stare down the road’. This is the spot where the inhabitants of Vrindavana led by Radharani and the gopis, finally gathered to bid farewell to Krishna and Balarama who were being taken to Mathura on Akrura’s chariot. Due to intense feelings of separation, all the Vrajavasis stood motionless like stones, and with unblinking eyes they kept staring down the road even after Krishna and Balarama had gone out of sight. It is said that they were still standing there almost transfixed, even after the dust kicked up by the horse’s hooves had long settled.
