Bhaktivedanta Narayana Gosvami
From the book “Sri Vraja-maṇḍala-parikramā”:
Lord Mādhava’s dear Madhu-kuṇḍa also lies in Madhuvana, and is now also called Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa. Nearby is the cave of Lavaṇāsura. A deity of Śrī Śatrughna resides in a temple near Kṛṣṇa-kuṇḍa.
Rajashekhara Dasa
From the book “Chaurasi-kosa Vraja Mandala Parikrama”:
In the Bhakti-ratnakara, it is said that in the sacred forest of Madhuvana one can see a very beautiful lake which is full of sweet transparent water and fragrant blue lotus flowers, and anyone who bathes there will achieve the fulfillment of all their desires. This sacred lake in Madhuvana forest is known as Krishna-kunda, as well as Madhu-kunda or Madhuvana-kunda. This celebrated kunda was the place where Krishna and Balarama performed many of Their transcendental pastimes and often brought Their cows to Madhuvana forest to graze on the sweet fresh grass that grew there. This pastime is known as ‘go-charana-lila’ which means ‘wondering with the cows’ or sometimes as ‘ghoshta-vihara’ meaning ‘pastimes in the pasturing grounds’. Such activities form an integral part of Krishna and Balarama’s daily activities of taking the cows to pasturing grounds around Vraja. Once on a very hot summer day, when Krishna was grazing His cows in Madhuvana forest, He created this kunda by pushing His flute into the ground so that the cows and cowherd boys could quench their thirst. This lake then became famous as Krishna-kunda and Krishna and Balarama would enjoy many wonderful picnics along with Their friends on the banks of this beautiful kunda.
In the Vraja-bhakti-vilasa, all the presiding Deities of the sacred forests of Vrindavana Dhama are mentioned, along with all the various mantras and invocations to be chanted while performing achaman or bathing in the various kundas, but this is highly ritualistic and impractical for most pilgrims to follow, therefore it is recommended that one should simply chant the supremely powerful maha-mantra when bathing or performing achaman, either here at Krishna-kunda or at any other kunda in Vraja Mandala. When Lord Chaitanya was performing parikrama of Vraja Mandala, wherever He took bath or visited a temple, He simply chanted the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and danced in ecstasy.
