Govind Swami

Shri Lalji said to Gusainji: "See, without playing in every forest, my heart finds no joy. And that one sits on the forest path hurling abuses at me. Bring my friend and soothe him. Of all the remedies you have tried, I have not found the slightest relief from any. Let his anger be calmed, and then I will feel well."

Gusainji rushed out and with great effort coaxed the friend around: "Your beloved has asked that you come, eat with him, and embrace him." And so it was done.

One morning Shri Govindaswamiji had gone out for his ablutions. There, brimming with premananda, Shri Krishnachandraji arrived and began pelting him with aak fruits, creating a joyful commotion. Govindaswamiji saw this, leapt up, and pelted Shri Krishnachandraji right back. Both of them, steeped in the rasa of sakhya-bhava, were lost in boundless play.

Govindaswamiji's mother, sensing the long delay, came looking for him. The moment she appeared, Shri Krishnachandra hid. Govindaswamiji managed to excuse himself and completed his morning duties. But that was his life: sometimes steady, sometimes swept away, soaked in deep prema, playing with his divine friend.

Now hear of the one called Ganja Mali, the garland-wearer from Lahore. His daughter-in-law became a widow. He called her and said: "Daughter-in-law, take this house and wealth that belonged to your husband. And this seva-murti Shri Gopalji is your lord. Take Him as your husband."

She was already endowed with bhakti-samskara. She asked for only one thing: "Give me the seva of Prabhu. All worldly things are perishable. I offer everything at His feet and will take nothing else."

Seeing her bhakti, he gave her the Shri Gopala murti itself, gave the house and wealth to his own wife, and went to live in Shri Vrindavana.

Now hear of the daughter-in-law's prema. Seeing her devotion, Prabhu began to eat from the Shri murti and to speak with her directly. One day children were playing near Thakurji's place, throwing bricks and dust, and some of it fell upon Prabhu. She grew angry and chased the children away.

She placed the bhoga thali before Him. Prabhu did not eat.

She prayed and asked why. Prabhu said: "Let those children come and play. Only then will I be pleased."

She said with loving anger: "If dust alone pleases You, then at dawn I will call the children to throw it. But now, please eat."

She pleaded and brought the children back. Only then did Prabhu take His meal and become greatly pleased.

Now hear of Shri Ganeshdeyi Rani, the queen of Shri Madhukarsahji, raja of Orchha. A false sadhu, one who wore the garb but lacked the heart, had been enjoying her hospitality for some time. One day when she was alone, he came with a knife and demanded her wealth.

She said simply: "Whatever wealth comes to me is spent serving you sants. There is no bag of dhan. If there were, I would show it. You know my heart. I do not hoard."

He stabbed her in the thigh. Blood flowed. The villain fled.

Shri Ganeshdeyi's first thought was not of her wound. It was this: if the raja finds out, he will punish this man. So she bandaged the wound herself and told no one.

When her husband came near, she said: "Please do not come close. I have stri-dharma." Three days passed. The raja, sensing something wrong, pressed her to speak. She refused twice, three times. Finally she told the truth. And then she consoled him: "Do not bring any ill feeling toward the Vaishnavas. It was my own karma, and it has already passed."

The raja, himself a parama Bhagavata, was overcome. He did parikrama around her. He fell at her feet. He set aside every question of a wife's honour before her husband, and began to regard Shri Ganeshdeyi with the deepest reverence.

Her greatest feat came later. She was devoted to Shri Ramchandraji and would visit Shri Ayodhya from time to time. Once she went and, held fast by love for the sacred dhama, could not leave. Her husband wrote many letters. Finally he wrote: "Bring your Prabhu along with you when you come."

Reading this, she prayed to Prabhu. Then she reflected: Prabhu has many servants like me. With whom will He go? But I will not return empty-handed. I will enter Shri Sarayuji and give up my prana.

She went to the Sarayu under the pretext of bathing and plunged beneath the water. At that very instant, the bhakta-vatsala Shri Raghunandanji appeared in a shyamasundara kishora murti, came into her arms, and set her upon the bank.

Who can describe the premananda of that moment?

She installed Him, celebrated a great mahotsava, and wrote to her husband. The raja came with an army and much wealth, had darshana, and became kritartha.

Then she brought Shri Janaki-Vallabhji to Orchha in a manner no one had seen before. She would travel only during the Pushya nakshatra. When Pushya was current, she proceeded. For twenty-six days she would halt. On the twenty-seventh day, when Pushya returned, she would move again. Journeying only during Pushya, she reached Orchha, where Prabhu was installed with indescribable ananda.

Her niyama was that she performed the puja with her own hands. Many harboured doubt: perhaps Prabhu did not truly come to her in the Sarayu. Shri Janaki-Vallabhji perceived this. One day, during private puja, Prabhu said: "You have been standing a long time. Sit down."

She offered pranama: "O Kripanidhe, You are standing. How can this servant sit?"

Prabhu said: "If I sit down, I shall not rise again."

She said: "As is Your wish."

For the sake of confirming everyone's faith, Shri Janaki-Vallabhji graciously sat down in virashana. He is seated there to this day.

The city of Orchha was destroyed for some reason, yet Prabhu and His sevaka-varga continue to dwell there even now.

I am the dasa of the dasas of those bhaktas who are dear to Bhagavan.

The bhaktas in this group include: Shri Narvahanji, Shri Vahanvarishji, Shri Japuji, Shri Jaymalji, Shri Vrindavatji, Shri Jayantji, Shri Dharaji, Shri Rupaji, Shri Anubhaviji, Shri Udaravatji, Shri Gambhire Arjanji, Shri Janardanji, Shri Govindji, Shri Jitaji, Shri Damodarji, Shri Sampileji, Shri Gadabhaktaji, Shri Ishvarji, Shri Hembiditaji, Shri Mayanandji, Shri Gudileji, and Shri Tulsidasji (the second). I am the dasa of the dasas of all these bhaktas.

In the Kali Yuga, these women became sovereign among bhaktas: Shri Sita Sahchariji, Shri Maliji, Shri Sumatiji, Shri Shobhaji, Shri Prabhutaji, Shri Uma Bhatiyani, Shri Gangaji, Shri Gauriji, Shri Kuvariji, Shri Ubithaji, Shri Gopaliji, Rani Shri Ganeshdeyiji, Shri Kalaji, Shri Lakhaji, Shri Kritgadhoji, Shri Manmatiji, the supremely pure Shri Satibhamaji, Shri Yamunaji, Shri Koliji, Shri Ramaji, Shri Mrigaji, and Shri Devadeyiji. All of them gave shelter and rest to Hari-bhaktas. Shri Jevaji, Shri Kaukiji, Shri Kamalaji, Shri Devakiji, Shri Hiraji, and Shri Haricheriji served the Hari-bhaktas with food and offerings. They were great recipients of the kripa of Shri Janaka-nandini and Shri Bhanu-suta.