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When Govind Dube turned fourteen, he felt something very strong in his heart. He wanted to leave home and go on a holy journey. He told his parents, “I want to live a simple life and serve Shri Krishna. Please don’t plan my marriage. I want to give my life to the Lord.”
His parents became very sad. They said, “We are getting old, dear son. Who will take care of us if you go away?”
But Govind lovingly replied, “Time does not wait for anyone. What if I leave this world before I understand Shri Krishna? Don’t worry. The Lord takes care of everyone.”
Seeing his firm heart, his parents let him go. Govind promised to return and then set off toward the holy city of Shri Dwarka. There, he stayed peacefully for three years, spending his days in prayer and worship.
One day, Govind heard that both his parents had passed away. He felt deep sadness. “They never had the chance to go on a pilgrimage,” he thought. So, he journeyed to Gaya and performed sacred rites in their memory. On the way home, he stopped at the holy city of Benares.
There, he saw Shri Mahaprabhuji. Something about him felt special. Govind thought, “He must be a great teacher. I want to learn from him.”
After Shri Mahaprabhuji had taken a bath and finished his prayers, Govind went up to him with respect and said, “Please teach me something, Maharaj. I want to learn.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji gently smiled and said, “You are not yet wise in scriptures. But you can at least learn to read.”
Govind said, “I want to learn the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita and the Shrimad Bhagavat. Please help me learn as much as I can.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji agreed and told him to return in the afternoon. Govind went and borrowed a grammar book from a Brahmin.
That afternoon, Shri Mahaprabhuji had already offered food to the Lord and eaten the Lord’s prasada. When Govind came back, Shri Mahaprabhuji said, “I will teach you in a special way. You won’t need the grammar book.”
“But how can I learn Sanskrit without grammar?” Govind asked.
“Just listen and do as I say,” said Shri Mahaprabhuji.
He taught Govind one verse from the Gita and asked him to say it again and again. Then, Shri Mahaprabhuji asked him to recite all eighteen chapters of the Gita. To his surprise, Govind could do it perfectly. Then, Shri Mahaprabhuji explained one verse and asked Govind to explain it back. Soon, Govind was able to understand and explain the whole Gita.
By evening, the lesson was over. Shri Mahaprabhuji told him, “Now you will be able to understand both the Gita and the Bhagavat. You don’t need to learn more.”
Govind happily returned the grammar book to the Brahmin. That night, as he lay in bed, he thought, “This is no ordinary teacher. Shri Mahaprabhuji is truly the Lord Himself. I learned everything from just one verse!”
The next morning, Govind went to Shri Mahaprabhuji and asked to become his disciple. Shri Mahaprabhuji smiled and gave him initiation. “Serve Shri Krishna with love,” he said.
Govind returned home and began worshipping Shri Krishna. But sometimes, he felt unsure if he was doing things right. He wrote a letter to Shri Mahaprabhuji, explaining his worries.
Shri Mahaprabhuji replied by sending him a short message called the "Navaratna", which means “Nine Jewels.” He wrote:
“Never feel sad if you have truly surrendered to Shri Krishna. He is full of kindness and will never leave anyone who takes shelter in Him. Even if we use our things for something not directly in worship, do not worry. After giving your heart to Shri Krishna, everything becomes His.”
“Do not be scared even if you don’t understand everything. If your love is true, the Lord accepts you. Do not worry about knowledge or wealth. The Lord is very powerful. He will not push you away or make you follow hard rules, for He watches over those on the Path of Grace.”
“Serve Shri Krishna just as your guru has told you. Keep your heart close to Him and be happy. If you feel upset, remember that everything is part of His beautiful play. Let the worry go quickly.”
“In my view, always see the world as filled with Shri Krishna and keep saying, ‘Shri Krishna is my shelter.’”
Govind followed this advice and began to feel peaceful again. Each day he recited the Navaratna and felt Shri Krishna’s love in his heart.
One day, when Govind was with Shri Mahaprabhuji, he asked a deep question. Shri Mahaprabhuji opened the Shrimad Bhagavat to answer. But just then, Shri Dwarkanathji, the Lord Himself, appeared and started speaking directly with Govind. Shri Mahaprabhuji quietly closed the book and went to rest.
The next day, Shri Mahaprabhuji gave his food leftovers only to Damodardasji and Damalaji. All the other Vaishnavas did not receive any and had to fast.
That evening, Shri Mahaprabhuji visited the temple of Shri Dwarkanathji. There, the Lord asked him, “Why did you not feed the others yesterday? You must give them food, just as you always do.” Shri Mahaprabhuji smiled and agreed to do so.
Some say that Shri Mahaprabhuji was unhappy with Govind for talking while he was about to teach. Others believe he was simply giving space to the Lord’s special moment with Govind.
Another story tells how Govind once visited a saintly devotee and follower of another path and stayed with her for a few days. When Shri Gusainji heard this, he was worried that others might follow and think it was okay to leave their spiritual shelter. So, he wrote a loving message and sent it with a disciple. It said:
“Those who are blessed to serve the feet of the Lord should not go looking for other shelters. If you have once ridden on an elephant, why would you ride a donkey?”
When Govind read this, he immediately left and came to Shri Gokul. He bowed before Shri Gusainji, who gently told him, “The deep secrets of Shri Mahaprabhuji’s teachings must stay only within the path. Do not share them with those outside.”
Govind was deeply devoted to Shri Krishna’s Dwarka pastimes. Because of this, he followed a path that mixed discipline with grace. This is known as Maryada Pushti Bhakti.
No matter what path he followed, Govind Dube lived his life with full surrender, faith, and love for Shri Krishna, always guided by the grace of Shri Mahaprabhuji.
Poem: The Gift of One Verse
Tags: Govind Dube, Shri Mahaprabhuji, Shri Krishna, Damodardasji, Damalaji, Mira Bai, Shri Gusainji, Navaratna, Pushtimarg story, Hindu bedtime stories, devotional stories for children, spiritual values for kids, Vaishnav teachings, Krishna bhakti for kids, simple Hindu stories, Gita for children, grace over rules, Path of Grace, devotional parenting, nurturing Hindu faith, inspiring stories from Sanatan Dharma