Gajjan was a young boy born into a rich and noble family. One night, he went with his father, four brothers, and many others on a boat to watch a dance show on the river. But suddenly, in the middle of the night, the boat sank. Everyone drowned, except Gajjan. He had managed to hold onto a piece of the broken boat and float back to safety.
When he reached home the next morning, he told his mother everything. She was heartbroken, and in her sorrow, she gave up her life by sitting on her husband’s funeral pyre. From that day, Gajjan would sit quietly by the Yamuna River, waiting for the Lord to call him back. He no longer had interest in the world and wished only to meet Shri Krishna.
Far away in the city of Agra, there lived a man named Jiyadas. He worked for the police. One day, a Brahmin woman came to him with a complaint. She had lent money to someone who never returned it. That man gave Jiyadas a bribe and asked him to change the decision in his favor. Jiyadas accepted the money and let the wrongdoer go free. The Brahmin lady went away in tears.
Later, Jiyadas became very sick with leprosy. He realized that this illness came because of the wrong he had done. With a heavy heart, he quit his job, gave back the money he had taken—including interest—and begged the Brahmin lady to forgive him. After that, he gave up all worldly comforts and sat by the banks of the Yamuna River, praying with a clean heart. Over time, his illness completely disappeared.
One day, Gajjan and Jiyadas met near the Yamuna. They shared their life stories and became close friends. They would often talk about the Lord and how much they longed to see Him. Gajjan said, “If we can meet a saint who knows the Lord, maybe we can see Shri Krishna one day.”
Not long after, Shri Mahaprabhuji came to that very place to say His prayers. Gajjan and Jiyadas felt something very special in their hearts. They bowed before Him and asked to become His disciples. Shri Mahaprabhuji lovingly accepted them and took them with Him to Gokul.
There, He gifted each of them a beautiful form of Shri Krishna. Gajjan received a small idol of Shri Navanita Priyaji, who looked just like a little baby Krishna. Jiyadas received Shri Ladaleshji, another sweet form of the Lord.
Jiyadas lovingly served Shri Ladaleshji every single day. He used all his time, energy, and money in seva. After each day’s service, he would feel deep separation from Shri Krishna. Only great devotees experience such feelings. When Jiyadas passed away, his sons continued the seva. Later, the idol went to his friend Haraji, and then finally back to Shri Mahaprabhuji.
Gajjan also served his Shri Navanita Priyaji with deep love. He would pretend to be a cow or horse and let little Shri Krishna ride on his back. His heart was so full of devotion that he forgot his body completely and could no longer do the seva properly. One day, Shri Navanita Priyaji told him, “Take Me back to Shri Mahaprabhuji.”
Gajjan obeyed at once. He traveled back to Gokul and gave the idol to his Guru with tears in his eyes. Shri Mahaprabhuji could see that Gajjan had reached the highest level of love for the Lord.
That night, there was no bed ready for Shri Navanita Priyaji, so He slept beside Shri Mahaprabhuji. The next day, a small bed was made for Him, but the Lord said, “It’s too small. I want to sleep with you.”
Shri Mahaprabhuji gently made another bigger bed. But still, Shri Navanita Priyaji said, “I want to sleep with you.” Shri Mahaprabhuji tried to convince Him lovingly to sleep in His own bed. After some time, Shri Navanita Priyaji agreed.
From then on, Gajjan stayed near the temple of Shri Navanita Priyaji. One day, Shri Mahaprabhuji’s wife asked Gajjan to bring some betel leaves from the market. Gajjan went out to buy them, but before he could reach the market, he felt a deep pain in his heart. He missed Shri Krishna so much that he fainted and fell to the ground.
Back at the temple, Shri Navanita Priyaji refused to accept any offerings. “Where is My Gajjan?” He asked. “I will not eat anything until I see him.”
When Shri Mahaprabhuji heard this, He asked the devotees to find Gajjan. Someone told Him that Gajjan had gone to the market. Shri Mahaprabhuji rushed out and found him lying unconscious near the path. He gently called Gajjan’s name and said, “Shri Mahaprabhuji is calling you. Please come back.”
As soon as Gajjan heard these words, he slowly got up. With great effort, he walked back to the temple. Only then did Shri Navanita Priyaji begin to eat again.
Gajjan’s heart was forever tied to Shri Krishna. And Shri Krishna, too, could not bear even a moment without His dear devotee.
Poem: Gajjan and Jiyadas
Tags: vaishnav bedtime stories, gajjan and jiyadas story, child-friendly krishna story, stories of mahaprabhuji, spiritual stories for kids, hindu stories for children, devotional parenting, vaishnav tales, krishna bhakti stories, shri mahaprabhuji disciples, gokul seva stories, hindu faith kids, yamuna river devotion, sanatan dharma kids, mahaprabhuji miracles, ladaleshji story, navanita priyaji story, stories about leprosy and repentance, hinduism forgiveness stories, tales of divine love and separation