Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The Bhakti-ratnakara says, “Just see Ara Grama and Munjatavi near Bhandira, where Krishna swallowed the forest fire to rescue the cows and cowherd boys.” Munjatavi forest is located near Ara Grama, which is known today as Agaryala, and is the place where Krishna swallowed the forest fire. In the Shrimad-Bhagavatam it says that the forest where Krishna swallowed the forest fire was named Isikatavi, but they both appear to be the same place known by two different names, Munjatavi and Isikatavi. One day, Krishna and Balarama were absorbed in playing games with Their cowherd boyfriends at Bhandira Vata. Without anyone noticing, the cows slowly drifted away and entered the very dense Munjatavi forest, being attracted by the lush green grass that was growing there. Within a short time, the cows suddenly found themselves being surrounded by a raging forest fire and being trapped began crying out.
Meanwhile, the cowherd boys noticed that their cows had disappeared from Bhandira Vata and began worrying that they may be lost. They then began to search for the cows by following their hoof prints as well as the path of eaten grass and after arriving at Munjatavi, they could hear the crying of the cows. Krishna began calling the cows and when the cows responded, the cowherd boys were able to locate them, but by then, the cowherd boys were also surrounded by the blazing forest fire. Being severely afflicted by the suffocating smoke, the cowherd boys began to collapse on the ground. Having no other shelter, the cowherd boys looked to the transcendental brothers Krishna and Balarama to save them. Assuring the cowherd boys by speaking telepathically through His eyes, Krishna immediately inhaled His breath and simultaneously sucked all the fearful flames into His mouth. When the cowherd boys regained consciousness, they saw that all of them along with the cows had been saved by their friends Krishna and Balarama. The boys then began thinking that Krishna was not an ordinary boy, but must be a demigod that had taken birth amongst them.
