If you serve the external, physical Govardhan, i.e. cultivate knowledge merely to increase or indulge your selfish material senses, then you are actually dunking yourself into the waters of Niraya Kunda (Hell Pond) that is created by the mahamaya, the external shadow potency of Sri Radha; those who foster transcendental senses and cultivate transcendental knowledge consider that service to Govardhan is to give pleasure to Krishna's senses. When the demon Aristasur attacks Govardhan with his horns trying to expand his own enjoyment (when mundane rationalism attacks theism and is about to destroy the truth of five spiritual relationships with the Lord, namely neutrality, servitude, friendship, parenthood and consorthood), then Krishna kills this demon and establishes the truth. When the bull-demon Aristasur was slain, an elderly gopi named Madanika handed Sri Radhika-sundari over to Krishna as a reward for that.

Aristasur assumes the form of a bull. 'Go' (a cow) is considered among religious-minded people to be a symbol of dharma, religion, and it is also known as the carrier of Lord Rudra, who is in charge of universal annihilation. So, when the bull-demon of rationalism comes to charge the banner of religion, Krishna destroys this promoter of rationalism.

Lord Rudra (Siva) rides a bull and carries Ganga—the water that washes the lotus feet of Lord Vishnu, a personal expansion of Lord Krishna Himself—on his head. This Lord Rudra, when he was defeated by Cupid, wanted to understand the transcendental pleasure Madan Mohan (Krishna, the Enchanter of Cupid) experiences during His rasa-lila and prayed for the mercy of the gopis. This Lord Krishna, surrounded by dancing sadharani and samanjasa gopis (gopis with general and appropriate attraction) during the rasa-lila, left that place of the rasa-lila. Being attracted only by the love of His dearmost Ananda-vidhayini Sri Radhika, He left the place of rasa-lila and followed behind Her. Those common gopis then spoke about Her, the main heroine of Srimad Bhagavatam, in this way:

anayaradhito nyunam bhagavan harir-isvarah
yan no vihaya govindah prito yam anayad rahah

(Srimad Bhagavatam, 10.30.24)

"My friend! Krishna has abandoned us and took Her to a secluded place. She must have worshipped the Supreme Lord very much." The hidden meaning of these words is that because She is the crest jewel among all the beloved of Krishna, Her name is Radhika.

We hear also that after Aristasur (bull-demon) was killed, two kundas were created—Sri Syama Kunda and Sri Radha Kunda. At this Radha Kunda Sri Krishna always enjoys the rasa-lila with Sri Radhika and Her group at midnight. These nocturnal pastimes are far more captivating than the midday pastimes, and the general gopis have no entrance there. Those who are attracted by the flute of Sri Krishna but, not waiting for the guidance of Sri Radhika, come to play with 'Dhira Samira' Krishna, have no right to enter the rasa-lila performed at Radha Kunda—Chandravali has no right to enter there.

The dancing and loving pastimes of Rasaraj Sri Krishna (the King of Love) have nothing to do with the frenzied dance of Nataraj Rudra or any of the imitative various modern and traditional indigenous dances. In fact, Gopisvar Sadasiva learned to dance at the rasa-mandali, and based on that, his plenary expansion Rudra manifests his Nataraj form (Lord Siva dancing at the time of universal annihilation). We can see in Sri Brhad-bhagvatamrta that Rudra is a servant of Sankarsan and, being always absorbed in the chanting of the name of Rama, he creates his frantic dance that drives the world mad. Imitating the ever increasing enjoyment of this dancing of Rudra the world is heading towards the tryst with annihilation....

For as long as the son of Nanda Maharaj enjoyed His pastimes confidentially in the abode of Lord Hari in Nanda-Gokula, all the gopis of Vraja, headed by Sri Radha, enjoyed with Him confidentially. However, when Sri Nanda Kumar enjoyed His pastimes openly, the crest jewel of the Vraja-gopis Sri Radhika expanded Herself into many gopis and enjoyed Sri Krishna's pastimes openly.