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A long time ago, in a quiet village called Sinhananda, there lived two kind-hearted women—Goraja and her daughter-in-law Samarai. Both of them were very simple and loved Shri Krishna with all their hearts. They had the great fortune of becoming disciples of Shri Mahaprabhuji. He once told them to visit the holy Saraswati River, where they would find a divine form of Shri Krishna.
They went to the river and found a beautiful small deity of Shri Krishna. Shri Mahaprabhuji gave Him the name Shri Damodarji. He asked them to do His seva with love. Samarai was clever and careful, so she took care of Shri Damodarji’s puja and cooking. Goraja helped with cleaning and other work. Together, they served their Lord every day with great joy.
Living near a very spiritual devotee named Vasudevdasji also inspired them even more. Just like an unlit coal catches fire when close to a burning one, their hearts began to burn brightly with devotion.
One day, Goraja came to Samarai and said, “I want to go visit Shri Mahaprabhuji in Thaneshwar. He’s across the river from here. You take care of Shri Damodarji while I’m gone. Wake Him up, dress Him nicely, and offer Him food.”
Samarai was happy. This was her first chance to do all the seva by herself. She bathed, decorated Shri Damodarji lovingly, cooked tasty food, and offered it to Him. Then she closed the curtain of the temple, washed the dishes, and cleaned the kitchen.
When she opened the curtain later, she was shocked. The food looked untouched. She felt very sad and thought, “Maybe I did something wrong. Maybe Shri Damodarji didn’t like it.” So she bathed again, cooked fresh food, and offered it once more.
But again, the food looked exactly the same. Tears came to her eyes. She folded her hands and prayed, “O Shri Krishna, I’m just a simple girl. I don’t know anything. Please tell me what mistake I made. Why aren’t You eating?”
Not giving up, she tried a third time. She cleaned everything, bathed again, and made another full meal for Shri Damodarji. After offering it, she felt so weak and sad that she fainted on the floor.
Shri Damodarji could not bear to see her in pain. He stepped down from His seat, gave her water from His own pot, and gently said, “Why are you so upset? I ate all your offerings, each time. Why don’t you believe Me?”
Samarai looked up in surprise and said, “But the food still looks untouched! How can I know You really ate it?”
Shri Damodarji smiled and said, “Whatever I eat does not change. Tomorrow, I will eat in front of you. Now please eat something. You haven’t eaten all day.”
Samarai was still unsure. So she gave the food to the cow and went to bed hungry. The next morning, she bathed, woke up her Lord, decorated Him, and cooked a fresh meal. As she was about to close the curtain, Shri Damodargi said, “Don’t close it today. I will eat while you watch.”
Samarai stood quietly and watched in wonder. Shri Damodarji began eating with joy, even laughing and playing as He ate. Samarai was filled with happiness. She now believed that He had truly eaten the offerings before too. Her heart was full of peace and love.
For the next five days, she joyfully served Shri Damodarji with all her heart. Her home was full of divine happiness.
At the same time, Shri Damodarji told Shri Mahaprabhuji all about Samarai’s devotion. When Goraja was ready to return, Shri Mahaprabhuji said, “Please send Samarai to see me soon.”
When Samarai arrived, she found Shri Mahaprabhuji cooking food. He welcomed her kindly and said, “Bathe and help me roll the rotis.” She happily helped. He smiled and said, “Your Lord told me everything. You are so lucky to be with Him.”
Samarai shyly said, “My Lord cannot keep any secrets! What did He tell you? He’s just a small child.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji laughed gently and said, “I should come visit your home, but I never cross the Saraswati River. Your house is on the other side.”
She told him all about her lovely time with Shri Damodarji. On the third day, she asked to go home. Shri Mahaprabhuji replied, “I wish I could always listen to you talk about the Lord, but He is waiting for you. You may return.”
Samarai thanked him with folded hands and said, “It is only by your grace that I was able to feel His love.”
Even though Samarai had seen Shri Krishna with her own eyes and had served Him directly, she never felt proud. Real devotees stay humble, even after seeing the Lord.
When Samarai got home, she told Goraja everything. Then she went to rest. But soon, she woke up with a thought: “I wonder if Shri Damodarji liked the food?”
She quickly bathed and rushed to the temple. There, she saw Him joyfully eating His meal! Later, He told Goraja, “You should cook for Me, but let Samarai do the decorations. I enjoy her service very much.”
From that day on, both women continued to serve Shri Damodarji with love and creativity. He was always pleased with their care.
When Shri Krishna comes into our homes, plays with us, and accepts our offerings, that is the greatest gift. Samarai and Goraja were two blessed souls who showed how to love the Lord with a pure heart. Their story teaches us that with love, care, and faith, even a simple home becomes a temple.
Poem: The Loving Heart of Samarai
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