84 Vaishnav Varta 22 - Purushottamdas, husband and wife

Now, about Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu’s sevak, Purushottamdas, husband and wife, both Kshatriyas, who lived at Rajghat in Agra, the sentiment of their story is described here –

Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): These Purushottamdas are, in the divine play, the intimate sakhi of Shri Chandravali. Purushottamdas’s name is Madhavi, and his wife’s name is Malati. They were born in the houses of two Kshatriyas at Rajghat in Agra. Between those two Kshatriyas there was great friendship. So both said, if our son and daughter are married, it will be good. Thus, both agreed. Then the marriage was performed. Within one year after that, the fathers of both passed away.

At that time, Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu came to Agra. At that time Purushottamdas and his wife were sitting at the doorway. As soon as they saw Shri Acharyaji, both began speaking to each other, “Let us take refuge in him.” So Purushottamdas quickly ran forward, bowed down at the feet of Shri Acharyaji, and made a request, “Maharaj! Please show mercy and take us in refuge. Please come to my home.” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “You come to Adel. Receive your name from Shri Gusainji.” Then Purushottamdas said, “Maharaj! What is the difference between Shri Gusainji and you? Therefore, please yourself make us your sevaks. What reliance is there on this body? Later, your darshan is difficult to obtain. In this way, by divine grace, knowledge of your true form arose in their heart.”

Then Shri Acharyaji came to the house of Purushottamdas. He performed the ritual of offering names to Purushottamdas and his wife. Then Purushottamdas and his wife requested, “Maharaj! Now what is your command for us?” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “Perform Bhagavad Seva.” Then Purushottamdas said, “Maharaj! Please grace us by installing Shri Thakurji, so we may serve him.” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “A blemish will come upon your head. So, you go to bathe in the Ganga. Then when you come to Adel, we will install Shri Thakurji upon your head. Now both your mothers are alive. They are Asuric souls. They will cause affliction.” Then Purushottamdas, along with his wife, said, “Our mothers show us much affection. How can affliction happen?” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “Until now you were not Vaishnavs. That is why they love you. When they hear you have become Vaishnavs, then you will see. That is why we will quickly depart from here. We do not wish for conflict.” Then Purushottamdas and his wife, being fearful, immediately performed whatever was necessary and bid farewell to Shri Acharyaji. Shri Acharyaji, knowing conflict would arise, at once departed for Adel.

So Purushottamdas and his wife, being fearful, did not tell their mothers for three days that they had become Vaishnavs. They simply drank some milk daily. Then Purushottamdas’s mother saw a mala (rosary) on his neck and said, “Son! Why is there a mala on your neck? For Kshatriyas, the sacred thread (janeu) is foremost. What is the meaning of this mala?” Then Purushottamdas said nothing. Then his mother lifted the veil from his wife’s head and looked. She saw the mala and began to weep greatly, saying, “These husband and wife have both become renunciates.” Afterwards, she went and told Purushottamdas’s wife’s mother, “Your daughter and my son both wear malas. Both have become renunciates. Now what should we do?” Then the other mother said, “Come, let us remove their malas, otherwise both will die.”

So both came and said to the husband and wife, “Right now remove your malas, otherwise we will kill both of you.” Then Purushottamdas called ten or twenty Kshatriya relatives and in front of all said to his mother, “This mala is tied to our heads. If the head goes, we do not care, but the mala we will never give up. What use do you have of this mala? If you wish, you may live with us. If you prefer, we will give you a separate house, and a servant will serve you. Whatever you desire, take it. Whatever we are able to do, we will serve you. If you wish, live in this house. We will live separately in another house. As you say, we will do it. Do not create conflict. But this mala we will never leave. And we will not take food and water touched by your hands. If you wear the mala and become Vaishnavs, then water from your hands will be acceptable.”

Hearing this, both mothers became angry and said, “If you two have become renunciates, will you make us renunciates too? We raised you, and now you call us Chamars and Bhangis, saying you will not take water touched by us! We will both die because of you!” In this way, for five days they did not take water. All the relatives, even the village governor, came and tried to explain, but both did not agree.

That night, Purushottamdas and his wife slept. Then both mothers fell into the well in the house and left their bodies. In the morning, Purushottamdas performed their funeral rites. Then all the relatives began saying, “You two are guilty of killing your mothers. Therefore, go bathe in the Ganga. Then we will accept you among us.” Then the husband and wife thought, “We must go to Shri Acharyaji and receive Bhagavad Seva.” So they departed.

They reached Prayag and bathed there. Afterwards they came to Adel, bowed down to Shri Acharyaji and Shri Gusainji, and told everything, “Maharaj! What you said has happened. Both our mothers have died. Now the conflict is gone. Please now install Bhagavad Seva.” Then Shri Acharyaji said, “They both were Asuric souls. But since you have become Vaishnavs, their liberation will happen. In the family where there is a Vaishnav, that whole family is uplifted. Now you perform Bhagavad Seva.”

In Adel, there was an aged Brahmin of the Pujari lineage in whose house Shri Lalji resided. Shri Acharyaji said to him, “If you are unable to perform Puja, then give Shri Thakurji to us.” Then that Brahmin said, “I was already thinking to whom I should give Thakurji. Now I am unable to perform the Puja.” Then Shri Acharyaji gave Shri Thakurji a Panchamrit bath and installed him upon the head of Purushottamdas. For some days they remained in Adel, learning all the ways of Seva. Afterwards they were sent back to Agra.

There, they arranged cooking for the whole community and Brahmin feasts, thus removing worldly blame. The husband and wife both began performing Bhagavad Seva.

Prasang 1 – Shri Gusainji Visits Agra

One time Shri Gusainji came to Agra. He stayed at the house of Purushottamdas. At that time, Purushottamdas’s wife hid herself. Then Shri Gusainji asked Purushottamdas, “Where is your wife?” Purushottamdas replied, “Maharaj! Perhaps her sacred thread has broken.” Then Shri Gusainji thought, “She must be sitting separately.”

Afterwards, Shri Gusainji took a bath and himself cooked rice, five to seven kinds of vegetables, kheer, and everything. When the time came to roll out the bread, Purushottamdas’s wife came after bathing and sat down. Then Shri Gusainji asked, “Where were you until now?” She replied, “Maharaj! There was some work.”

Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This was the fifth day of the period of restraint. That wife was hiding, thinking, “How can I show my face to Shri Gusainji without bathing?” Later she rolled out the bread. Shri Gusainji prepared the entire meal and offered it to Shri Thakurji. Afterwards, the bhog was removed and the food distributed.

Then Purushottamdas and his wife said to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! Please take your meal in this thali and bowl.” Shri Gusainji said, “How can I eat in the vessel of Shri Thakurji? I will eat on a leaf plate.” Then Purushottamdas said, “Maharaj! The food is not diminished. And the potters are not all dead. New vessels will come. Therefore, please eat in Shri Thakurji’s vessel.” In this way, saying such words, they made Shri Gusainji eat in the same vessel of Shri Thakurji.

Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This shows the deep love they had for Shri Gusainji. And in the divine play, Shri Chandravali eats in the same vessel along with Shri Thakurji. So, this wife is the sakhi of Shri Chandravali. She brings to life all the pastimes. That is why they served Shri Gusainji food in the same vessel of Shri Thakurji. Also, the couple had so much affection for Shri Gusainji that they thought, “If we transfer the food into another vessel, the taste will be lost. All of it will become cold. And moving it again will delay the meal, which is not good.” Therefore, out of love, they served the food in the same vessel.

Afterwards, when Shri Gusainji sat to eat, the wife of Purushottamdas sat near him. She said, “Maharaj! Please eat this preparation.” Then Shri Gusainji said, “Whatever I want, I will take myself.” Then Purushottamdas’s wife said, “Maharaj! Just as you eat in the house of Nandarai, in the same way you should eat in the house of all Vaishnavas.”

Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Here it is shown that in the house of Nandarai, the Lord eats according to the desires of the devotees. But here Shri Gusainji said, “I will take what I like.” So how will it be the same?

In this way she spoke lovingly with Shri Gusainji. Again and again she served him the entire meal and made Shri Gusainji pleased. Later, they made the bed of Shri Thakurji, with mattress and pillow, and placed Shri Gusainji to rest there. The couple began to serve his feet. Then Shri Gusainji said, “Get up now, both of you, and go take Mahaprasad.” Then Purushottamdas and his wife said, “Maharaj! We will take Mahaprasad daily.”

In this way, with new and fresh love every day, they kept Shri Gusainji with them for five to seven days. Every day there were new vessels, new bedding, and new clothes. Thus, both husband and wife were recipients of divine grace.

Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In this story, the principle is established that their love for the Guru was even greater than for Shri Thakurji. In the same way, when a Vaishnav does this, then he attains the true fruit.

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