A long time ago, there lived a boy named Narayandas. He belonged to a family of scribes, but instead of studying or helping at home, he loved to play games of chance. Narayandas became so caught up in gambling that he did not listen to his father’s warnings. One day, he lost a huge amount of money—one thousand rupees! His father had to pay it for him, and it brought great sadness to the family.
Feeling ashamed, Narayandas decided to leave home. He traveled far to the south, where he gave up gambling. He started learning from a wise Brahmin teacher and later became a teacher himself. But Narayandas still had a bad habit—whenever his students forgot a lesson, he would beat them.
One day, a kind Vaishnav named Krishnadas Meghan saw Narayandas hitting a young boy. Gently, Krishnadasji said, “Please do not hurt your students. If one of them gets badly injured, it will be your fault. My guru, Shri Mahaprabhuji, has shown me that harming others only brings sorrow.”
But Narayandas did not listen. That very afternoon, he hit a student so hard that the boy fainted. Narayandas tried everything to wake him up, but the boy stayed still. Remembering Krishnadasji's words, Narayandas became afraid. He ran to the garden outside town where Shri Mahaprabhuji was staying.
There, he found Krishnadasji and told him what had happened. Krishnadasji brought him to Shri Mahaprabhuji. Shri Mahaprabhuji listened calmly and gave Narayandas some water that had been blessed with Vedic mantras. He gently said, “Sprinkle this water on the boy. He will be fine. But remember—never be cruel to anyone again.”
Narayandas ran back and poured the sacred water on the boy. Slowly, the boy opened his eyes. Narayandas felt a wave of relief and deep thankfulness. He returned to Shri Mahaprabhuji and asked with great respect, “Please accept me as your disciple.” From that moment, Narayandas gave up his harsh ways. He stayed close to Shri Mahaprabhuji and learned from him with a humble heart.
Later, when they traveled together to Dwarka, Shri Mahaprabhuji shared with Narayandas a very special teaching called “Bala Bodha.” He said, “I bow to ever-joyful Shri Krishna. Let me explain for those who are like children in spiritual matters, a simple path to understanding the truth.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji then lovingly explained that some people seek truth by leaving behind worldly things, like the paths of Sankhya or Yoga. Others follow the path of Shiva or Shri Vishnu. Shiva loves those who seek peace and gives happiness but rarely gives freedom from birth and death. Shri Vishnu, who enjoys loving devotion, freely gives spiritual freedom but not always worldly joys. Brahma, who is always busy with creating, almost never grants liberation.
Then Shri Mahaprabhuji shared the simplest and most loving way: “By listening to the Lord’s glories with a heart full of love, the soul becomes pure. Offering everything to Shri Krishna is the best path. If one cannot do that, then at least take shelter in Him. If that is hard, follow your own duties with care. And if even that is not possible, then life becomes very heavy. But those who understand this will never be confused.”
After learning all this, Narayandas felt deep joy in his heart. He went to visit his parents after four long years. They were amazed to see the change in him. They gave him a peaceful place to pray and serve Shri Krishna, and Narayandas also helped his parents and worked honestly for the local ruler.
But one thing always made him sad—he missed Shri Mahaprabhuji very much.
So, Narayandas had an idea. He hired a man and paid him four rupees every month to ask him, again and again, “When are you going to Gokul to see Shri Mahaprabhuji?”
Every time the man asked, Narayandas would reply, “Now I will go.” His eyes would fill with tears, and his heart would overflow with love. He never wanted to forget his guru or the holy town of Gokul, where Shri Krishna spent His childhood.
For the rest of his life, Narayandas kept that man by his side, just to keep reminding him to think of Shri Mahaprabhuji and go to Gokul. In this way, Narayandas lived a life full of love, memory, and devotion.
Poem: The Path to Gokul
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