Now, Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu’s sevak, Bhagwandas, a Saraswat Brahmin from Hajipur, his story’s essence is told as follows.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In the Divine Play, he is the sakhi (companion) of Shri Vishakhaji. In the leela, his name is “Sugandhini.” He was born in the house of a Saraswat Brahmin in Hajipur. Once, he went to the house of a yajman (patron) in Patna and stayed there for a few days. At that time, Bhagwandas was seventeen years old. After serving that yajman diligently, when it was time to leave, the yajman began to give him a payment of a few coins.
Bhagwandas, filled with anger, said, “I do not want this! You are a wealthy man, and after keeping me so many days, you give me such little dakshina? I want nothing from you.” Saying this, he left the money and went home. Before his father, he wept and said, “Why have such Brahmin masters done this to me? For the sake of a few coins, royal people serve others and look at their faces in greed; this must be the result of great sin.”
Then his father said, “I am going abroad; I will earn and bring money from the east.” Bhagwandas replied, “You are old; do not go. I will go instead.” So Bhagwandas set out ahead toward Patna. Meanwhile, Shri Acharyaji was traveling from Kashi toward Purushottam Kshetra (Puri). On the way, Bhagwandas met him and had his darshan. Bhagwandas said, “Good! I am blessed to have the company of a learned Brahmin like you on my path.”
Shri Acharyaji spoke with the Vaishnavas along the way about various topics, and Bhagwandas kept listening as they walked. When they halted at a resting place, Shri Acharyaji said to Bhagwandas, “Go to Krishnadas and take what you need from him.” Then Shri Acharyaji told Krishnadas, “After taking what you need for your daily offerings, give the remaining items to the Brahmin who asks for them.”
So Krishnadas took Bhagwandas along, gathered his own necessary items, and said, “Whatever you need, take it.” Bhagwandas said, “A sher of sugar, a sher of ghee, and two shers of flour.” Out of greed, he took food supplies for two or three days. He used a little and kept the rest aside.
In this manner, for three days he kept asking, and Krishnadas kept giving. On the fourth day, Bhagwandas said to Krishnadas, “Please tell me some task I can do, shall I bring water, or wash the vessels?” Krishnadas replied, “You are not Shri Acharyaji’s sevak, so water carried by your hands cannot be used. Nor can you touch the cooking vessels.”
Then Bhagwandas went to Shri Acharyaji and asked, “Maharaj! The water is brought by Shudras, and they wash the vessels. I am a Brahmin, why don’t you have me do this?” Shri Acharyaji said, “In our belief, one who does not know Bhagwan is as fallen as a Shudra. And one who truly knows Bhagwan is the highest Brahmin. This is the only distinction. Therefore, we do not assign such tasks according to caste.”
Bhagwandas then said, “Maharaj, how can one know whether a Vaishnav knows Bhagwan?” Shri Acharyaji replied, “When Shri Thakurji bestows His grace, only then can He be truly known.” Bhagwandas asked, “How does that grace happen?” Shri Acharyaji said, “When the Guru is pleased, then know that Shri Thakurji is also pleased.” Bhagwandas said, “But I have no Guru. Please accept me as your sevak.” Shri Acharyaji said, “Becoming a sevak is very difficult. You, as a Brahmin, consider yourself great. A sevak must become humble like a das (servant). Therefore, do not become a sevak lightly.”
Bhagwandas replied, “Then I will become a das now. I have long lived proudly as a master and found only sorrow in it. Now, please accept me as your sevak.” Then Shri Acharyaji gave him a name, instructed him to fetch water, wash the vessels, and prepare the cooking area. Later, Bhagwandas held the used plates of Mahaprasad and took the remnants as prasad himself. His mind changed, and he realized, “I greedily took food from Krishnadas for three days; that was very wrong.” Later, he took the five rupees he had tied in his cloth and offered them to Shri Acharyaji, saying humbly, “Maharaj! I acted wrongly by taking the food out of greed. But I was ignorant and did not recognize your true form. Please forgive my offense. You are the Lord Himself. Now please initiate me with Brahma Sambandh.”
Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu said, “Tomorrow I will have you do samarpan (offering of self). Keep these five rupees with you, they will be useful for your expenses.” Bhagwandas pleaded, “Maharaj! I have already offered them as your gift. How can I keep them now?” So Shri Acharyaji accepted them. The next day, he gave Bhagwandas Brahma Sambandh initiation. Afterward, Bhagwandas stayed with Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu for one year, serving him faithfully.
During the summer, he made large leaf shelters along the road to provide shade. Wherever Shri Acharyaji stayed, he would clean the ground, lay down soft bedding, and help in the kitchen preparations. Seeing this, Shri Acharyaji became pleased and gave him the seva (service) of his own footwear. He said, “Serve these well. Now you may go home.” Bhagwandas said, “When you come to my home, please give shelter to my whole family.” Shri Acharyaji replied, “Your family members are not divine souls; they will not attain shelter. You alone will perform the seva.”
Then Bhagwandas bowed down, made his humble request, took leave, and returned to his village Hajipur. There, he prepared a special place in his home and began serving Shri Thakurji with great devotion. After some time, Shri Thakurji began to reveal His grace and affection to Bhagwandas.
Prasang 1 – Shri Acharyaji Visits Bhagwandas’ Home
After some days, Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu came to Bhagwandas’s home. Bhagwandas prepared food offerings, and Shri Acharyaji accepted the meal. Bhagwandas held the used plate of prasad. Shri Acharyaji gave names (initiation names) to Bhagwandas’s parents and his wife. Then he went to Adhel.
At the place where Shri Acharyaji resided there, Bhagwandas built a raised platform (chauri) and cleaned it daily. Every morning, after bathing, he would bow down there, thinking with full faith, “Here, Shri Acharyaji himself resides.” Shri Acharyaji would appear to him, give him darshan, and converse with him. Thus, Bhagwandas became a recipient of Shri Acharyaji’s great grace. This much is told of his story.
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