Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Kṛṣṇa’s cow herding pastimes in Madhuvana are as sweet as honey (madhu) and beyond description. In Kali-yuga, about five hundred fifty years ago, Śrī Caitanya Mahāprabhu visited Vraja and came to Madhuvana, where a momentary vision (sphūrti) of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s pastimes overwhelmed Him with ecstasy. Each year, many groups of pilgrims stop here to rest.
In Madhuvana, Dāūjī and the sakhās would dance as they relished the sweet nectar of this forest. This is well known. Today, one can also take darśana of the black deity of Dāūjī here. There is a deep secret behind the black colour of this deity. After leaving Vṛndāvana and Mathurā, Śrī Kṛṣṇa and Baladeva resided in Dvārakā with Their relatives. When Baladeva heard about the restlessness and lamentation of all of Vraja in separation from Śrī Kṛṣṇa, He wanted to take Kṛṣṇa back there, yet because this was somehow delayed, Baladeva went there alone. He did His best to console everyone, but when He saw the extent of their state of separation from Kṛṣṇa, He also felt intense separation from Him. Meditating upon Śyāma and His pastimes in Vraja, Baladeva began to relish śyāma-rasa (or mādhura-rasa), and Himself took on a śyāma (blackish-blue) complexion. This śyāma – rasa is the only honey that is truly sweet and it is eternally relished by Baladeva, who thus remains perpetually immersed in the ecstasy of kṛṣṇa-prema.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
The Deity of Lord Balarama in this temple is considered to be the presiding Deity of the village. The word ‘Dau’ or ‘Dauji’ means elder brother, and a most affectionate name used by Vrajavasis to address Lord Balarama, the elder brother of Lord Krishna. It is believed that the Deity of Lord Balarama was established here at Krishna-kunda thousands of years ago. The original Deity was unfortunately lost in the course of time and the present Deity of Lord Balarama is the ‘pratibhu-murti’, or replica of the original Deity. The term ‘pratibhu’ means ‘possessing the same spiritual potency’.
