PURPORT

Formerly, at the end of Dvapara-yuga, all the cowherd men of Vrndavana had arranged to worship King Indra, but they gave this worship up, following the advice of Krsna. Instead, they performed a ceremony whereby they worshiped the cows, brahmanas and Govardhana Hill. At that time Krsna expanded Himself and declared, "I am Govardhana Hill." In this way He accepted all the paraphernalia and foodstuff offered to Govardhana Hill. It is stated in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (10.24.26, 31-33):

pacyantam vividhah pakah
supantah paya-sadayah
samyava-pupa-saskulyah
sarva-dohas ca grhyatam

kalatmana bhagavata
sakra-darpam jighamsata
proktam nisamya nandadyah
sadhv agrhnanta tad vacah

tatha ca vyadadhuh sarvam
yathaha madhusudanah
vacayitva svasty ayanam
tad dravyena giri-dvijan

upahrtya balin sarvan
adrta yavasam gavam
godhanani puras-krtya
girim cakruh pradaksinam

"'Prepare very nice foodstuffs of all descriptions from the grains and ghee collected for the yajna. Prepare rice, dahl, then halavah, pakora, puri and all kinds of milk preparations like sweet rice, sweetballs, sandesa, rasagulla and laddu.'

"The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krsna, therefore advised the cowherd men to stop the Indra-yajna and begin the Govardhana-puja to chastise Indra, who was very much puffed up at being the supreme controller of the heavenly planets. The honest and simple cowherd men, headed by Nanda Maharaja, accepted Krsna's proposal and executed in detail everything He advised. They performed Govardhana worship and circumambulation of the hill. According to the instruction of Lord Krsna, Nanda Maharaja and the cowherd men called in learned brahmanas and began to worship Govardhana Hill by chanting Vedic hymns and offering prasada. The inhabitants of Vrndavana assembled together, decorated their cows and gave them grass. Keeping the cows in front, they began to circumambulate Govardhana Hill."