Now, the story of the sevak of Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu, Gopaldas, the Jatadhari Gaud Brahmin from Prayag, is being told.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This Gopaldas, in the divine play (Leela), is one of Lalitaji’s companions. In the Leela, his name is Rasabhadra. He was born in Prayag in the house of a Gaud Brahmin. When he was six years old, many Naga renunciates (Vairagis) came to Kashi. They stayed there for a few days and then all went to Prayag for the Makar Sankranti holy bath. Gopaldas went with his father for the bath at Makar Sankranti. In the crowd, he got separated from his father and began to cry.
Then one Naga said to him, “I will take you to your father.” Saying this, the Naga took Gopaldas to his camp, gathered his belongings, and fled with him. He went south and kept Gopaldas with him as his disciple. Later, Gopaldas stayed with the group of that Naga renunciate for thirty years. Then, when that Naga died, the thought arose in Gopaldas’s mind, “I should go on a pilgrimage.”
So, he joined one hundred and fifty Naga Vairagis and went to Dwarka. After that, from Dwarka, the same group went to Mathura. Gopaldas too came to Mathura. At that time, Shri Acharyaji was at Vishram Ghat performing his Sandhya Vandana (evening prayers). Gopaldas saw Shri Acharyaji there and stood near him. Then Krishnadas Meghana said, “Why are you standing here? Go away! Your group of Naga Vairagis has gone.”
Gopaldas replied, “I have been separated from my true companion for many lifetimes. Now, may Shri Acharyaji show mercy upon me so that I may once again be united with the divine company of Bhagwan.”
After completing his Sandhya Vandana, Shri Acharyaji said, “Gopaldas, have you come?” Gopaldas bowed down and said, “Maharaj! I have come by your grace. But, Maharaj, I have wandered much, taken bad company on many paths, committed all kinds of sins, and become extremely wicked. Only through your mercy can I cross this ocean of worldly existence. I have no strength of my own. Therefore, please take me into your refuge.”
Then Shri Acharyaji said, “Shave off your matted hair, bathe, and come. Then I will give you a name.” So, Gopaldas shaved his head, bathed in the well, and then bathed again in Shri Yamunaji. He came to Shri Acharyaji, who gave him a name and made him perform submission (Nivedan).
Then Gopaldas humbly said, “Maharaj! What is your command for me now? Tell me what service I should do.” Shri Acharyaji said, “Come with us to Govardhan. There, serve in the garden of Shri Govardhandhar.”
After that, Shri Acharyaji went from Mathura to Shri Govardhan and arrived at the temple of Shri Nathji. Gopaldas was taken for the darshan of Shri Govardhannathji. Later, he was given the service of tending the garden of Shri Nathji.
He served so sincerely that he watched over every single flower and fruit, guarding all the trees carefully. No dirt or grass was allowed to remain in the garden. He kept all the trees green and fresh by watering them regularly. His thought was, “Here, Shri Thakurji comes to play; therefore, the place must remain beautiful and pure.”
One day, after some time, a small boy, the son of a Vaishnav, used to secretly pluck five or ten flowers daily for offering to his own Thakurji. Gopaldas made many efforts to find out who was stealing the flowers, but could not discover it.
One day, he hid in the garden. The Vaishnav’s son, about eleven years old, looked around to see if Gopaldas was there. Seeing no one, he began to pluck flowers. Gopaldas rushed forward, caught the boy, and beat him. The boy escaped and ran away. Gopaldas, angry, chased after him. The boy, fleeing, hid in the temple of Shri Nathji, where the doors were open for the offering. The boy hid inside for protection.
Gopaldas, blinded by anger, did not realize it was the temple. He struck the boy once there. Everyone intervened and stopped him. Shri Nathji felt very displeased, thinking, “Gopaldas struck a boy inside My temple? He did not restrain himself even here?” Shri Nathji later forgave him, but the punishment for that offense was that Gopaldas was forbidden from ever touching the flowers meant for Shri Nathji’s offering.
Afterward, there was no one serving in the betel (paan) room, so Shri Acharyaji gave that service to Gopaldas Jatadhari. Gopaldas began serving the paan with great devotion. During the month of Ashadh, when the heat and humidity were great, he would spread the paan leaves on a mat, cover them with a wet cloth, and spend the whole night keeping them moist and fresh.
Shri Acharyaji had a rule: during the night, two or three times he would rise and inspect all the sevaks to see that none were talking worldly matters or speaking ill of anyone. One midnight, Shri Acharyaji went to inspect. From afar, he saw some sevaks singing kirtan, some beating drums, some reciting Panchadhyayi, some discussing the stories of Bhagwan. Seeing this, he was pleased that none engaged in worldly talk or slander.
Then, when he came to see Gopaldas, he found him overcome by drowsiness but still diligently tending to the paan. Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu became very pleased with Gopaldas, thinking, “He is the best among all. Even when sleep overcomes him, he continues serving Bhagwan.”
Prasang 1 – Shri Acharyaji’s Command to Serve Shri Nathji Personally
Then Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu said, “Gopaldas, tomorrow morning, after bathing, go inside the temple of Shri Nathji. Go near Shri Nathji and fan Him.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Earlier, there was no one to fan during the afternoon rest.
So, the next morning, Gopaldas bathed and went into the temple near Shri Nathji to fan Him. Immersed in love, he continued fanning even during the Lord’s rest time, following Shri Acharyaji’s command. Shri Acharyaji said, “Gopaldas! During the rest time, fan with your eyes closed. Do not open your eyes.” So even at night, Gopaldas would fan with his eyes closed. Thus, Gopaldas became so divine that his consciousness transcended bodily awareness, and even the obstacles of night did not hinder him.
One night, Shri Nathji said, “Gopaldas! Open your eyes and see My darshan.” Gopaldas replied, “Maharaj! I have no permission from Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu. Therefore, I cannot open my eyes.” Then Shri Nathji Himself placed Mahaprasad in Gopaldas’s mouth, yet Gopaldas did not open his eyes. Such was his strict obedience to Shri Acharyaji’s command that he would not disobey even when Shri Nathji Himself instructed him. Shri Swaminiji would appear and converse with Shri Govardhandhar, and Gopaldas would hear it all. Such was the grace upon him.
Prasang 2 – Gopaldas’s Atonement and Departure
Later, one day, a thought came to Shri Nathji’s mind: “This is the same Gopaldas who struck the Vaishnav’s child inside My temple when he hid before Me. That was his offense. Now, to purify him of that sin, I will make him experience the pain of separation (viraha).” Thinking thus, Shri Nathji changed Gopaldas’s inner disposition. A thought arose in Gopaldas’s mind: “I should perform a circumambulation of the earth.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Because Shri Gusainji has written, “Buddhi preraka Krishnasya padapadm prasidatu” May the Lord Krishna, who inspires our intellect, be pleased. Whatever kind of thought the Lord inspires in a soul, that soul performs such an act. So, Gopaldas came to Shri Acharyaji and requested, “Maharaj! Please grant me permission; I have the desire to circumambulate the earth.” Shri Acharyaji said, “You may certainly go.”
Gopaldas bowed to Shri Acharyaji and departed. All the Vaishnavs were astonished: “On whom such grace was bestowed, one to whom Shri Nathji Himself spoke, whom He personally fed Mahaprasad with His own hands, how could such a thought arise in his mind?”
This created doubt in the minds of the Vaishnavs. One Vaishnav asked Shri Acharyaji, “Maharaj! How could such a divine devotee as Gopaldas get this idea of leaving service and going on a world pilgrimage?” Shri Acharyaji replied, “He has committed one grave offense. The son of a Vaishnav used to steal flowers from Shri Nathji’s garden, and Gopaldas struck that boy inside the temple. For that sin, the Lord has now given him a punishment. He will not be able to go far. From the burning pain of separation, he will leave his body and attain the Lord’s Leela. There will be no obstacle to his liberation.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This shows that after one experiences the fruits of sin and virtue in this world, then one attains the Lord.
Then all the doubts of the Vaishnavs were removed.
Later, when Gopaldas reached the place called Majhali Dwai, the remembrance of Shri Nathji’s form as Swaroopanand arose in him. Overcome by the pain of separation, he fell down crying out, “Alas! Who is more wicked than I? I left the service of Shri Nathji, the divine experience of Swaroopanand, and the company of Vaishnavs to go on this pilgrimage around the world? Shame on me! Shame on my mind that conceived such a thought!” Saying thus, he fainted from grief. Fixing his mind on the form of Shri Govardhandhar, he gave up his body and attained the divine Leela.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This story shows that one should never commit an offense against anyone. Such offenses become obstacles in the supreme path of devotion. Through offenses, one’s devotion declines. Therefore, one must always remain fearful of offenses and firmly believe in the commands of Shri Acharyaji.
Even when Shri Nathji Himself said, “Open your eyes,” Gopaldas did not open them because Shri Acharyaji had not permitted it. Shri Nathji was pleased by this obedience. And this story establishes that in the Path of Grace (Pushtimarg), the pain of separation (viraha) is the main means for removing all offenses. Through separation, one attains the Lord. This is the principle revealed here.
Thus, Gopaldas was a divine sevak, deeply devoted to Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu, a recipient of his grace, and firmly established in faith. His story is told up to this point.