Madan Mohan means “One who can even enchant Cupid.” Advaita Ācārya Prabhu discovered the original Deity of Madan Mohan (Krishna) in Mahavan-Gokul and served Him there at the base of an old "Vat" tree. Before His departure for Navadvīpa, he entrusted the Deity to a brāhmaṇa by the name Purushottam Choubey in Mathura. Years later, Caitanya Mahaprabhu sent Sanātana Gosvāmī to Vṛndāvana to discover lost places of Kṛṣṇa's pastimes and write books about devotional service. For many years, the deity of Madan Mohan (formerly Madan-Gopal) was lost and it was discovered by Kṛṣṇa's great grandson Vajranabha.
Sanātana Gosvāmī used to beg in nearby Mathura and one day came to the home of the brāhmaṇa Purushottam Choubey. He saw brāhmaṇa's children playing with the deity as if Madan Mohan was one of them. Horrified Sanātana Gosvāmī chastised Purushottam Choubey and taught him proper ways of deity worship. Both Sanātana Gosvāmī and the brāhmaṇa had a dream that night. Madan Mohan appeared to Sanātana Gosvāmī and told him, that He liked to be treated as one of the brāhmaṇa's children and since Sanātana Gosvāmī introduced so many rules, He don't like it any more. To Purushottam Choubey, Madan Mohan said that he is like one of his children. He told him that he had many children and he should give Him to Sanātana Gosvāmī. Next morning, both devotees apologized to each other profusely and at the end Madan Mohan went with Sanātana Gosvāmī but not before He promised to Sanātana Gosvāmī that He would be satisfied with whatever he will be able to offer.
Sanātana Gosvāmī, being traveling mendicant could not give much luxury to his Deity. Sanātana Gosvāmī used to do madhukari (begging from doors to door) and he could offer to the deity just dry bread balls. Madan-Mohan asked him, if he could give Him at least little salt. Sanātana Gosvāmī replied he would like to, but being dedicated to his bhajan couldn't afford such a luxury and besides today He is demanding salt, tomorrow, it can be something else.
Shortly afterwards, at the foot of the Dvādaśāditya hill, the merchant's boat went aground in the Yamuna river. The owner Krsnadas Kapoor was worried about his goods and didn't know what to do. Madan-Mohan took the form of small cowherd boy and led him upwards to Sanātana Gosvāmī. The merchant described what happened, but Sanātana Gosvāmī replied he couldn't do anything about it, being just a sannyasi. But he told him to pray to Madan Mohanji, he had kept just humbly roofed nearby. The merchant did what Sanātana Gosvāmī advised and few moments later his boat was released by rising of Yamuna's waters. Sailing down to Agra and making big profit, he later under Sanātana Gosvāmī's direction began to construct temple for Madan Mohan which became one of the symbols and dominant features of Vṛndāvana.
Worshiped along with Madan-Mohan are Radharani and Lalita. They were sent to Vṛndāvana by Purushottam Sen, a disciple of Maharaja Pratāparudra. The original Madan-Mohan deity was moved from Vṛndāvana to Jaipur when the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb's soldiers attacked Vṛndāvana in 1670. That Deity is now in Karoli, which is southeast of Jaipur in Rajasthan.
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