Now the sevak of Shri Gusainji, Manikchand Kshetri, he lived in Agra. The feeling of his story is being told.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This Manikchand is a tamas devotee. In the lila her name is Ragini. She manifests from Champakalata, therefore she is her emotional form. And Ragini has a friend. Her name is Anuragini. So here, Anuragini became Manikchand’s wife.
They both were born near Gopalpura in Agra, in the houses of two Kshetris who lived close by. Those two Kshetris had great friendship with each other. Because of that, both of them said, “If we marry our son and daughter, it will be good.” Later, when they grew older, they were married. Manikchand’s father was a servant in the royal court. He earned a lot of wealth. Later, after some days, his father passed away. Then Manikchand remained a servant in the royal court.
Prasang 1 – The Darshan in the Attari
Once, when Shri Gusainji came from Shrinathdwar to Adel, in Agra behind Manikchand’s house there was a Vaishnav’s house. There Shri Gusainji went and stayed. It was summertime.
In the evening, above in the attic there was a jharokha toward the bazaar, where Shri Gusainji sat. Directly across from Him was Manikchand’s house. Manikchand’s wife had climbed to the attic. She had the darshan of Shri Gusainji. Then the Lord, the complete Purna Purushottam, gave darshan to Manikchand’s wife in the form of bliss alone, showing His feet, face, stomach, and all limbs in that manner.
She became exhausted merely by seeing His darshan. After that this woman forgot the awareness of her own body. Later, when night came and Manikchand returned from the royal court, he asked the maid where she was. The maid told Manikchand that she was sitting in the attic. Then Manikchand went up to the attic. But the woman did not know that Manikchand had come. Her gaze was absorbed only in Shri Gusainji’s form. Then the woman said to Manikchand:
“Look, the one who is called the complete Purna Purushottam is sitting there.” Hearing the woman’s words, even Manikchand had the darshan of Shri Gusainji and became exhausted. Shri Gusainji stayed there until a quarter of the night had passed. After that the Lord went to sleep. Until then the woman and man stood there. After Shri Gusainji’s darshan the woman rose, and then Manikchand also stood up. Then the woman said, “Get up.” Then the man said, “Where shall we go now?” After that the woman and man sat there all night.
When morning came, after completing their duties, both went to Shri Gusainji, did dandvat, and made a request to the Lord: “O Lord! Please bless us.” Then Shri Gusainji showed grace to the woman and man and had their names offered. At that moment Manikchand sang this congratulatory verse before Shri Gusainji:
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राग देवगंधार
चहुँ जुग वेद बचन प्रतिपाय धर्म ग्लानी भई जब ही जब तब तब तुम बपु धाय। सत्ययुग श्वेत वाराह रूप धरि हिरण्याक्ष उर फाय । त्रैता राम रूप दसरथ गृह रावन कुल ही संहाय। द्वापर व्रज बूडत तें राखी सुरपति पायन पाय । कंसादिक दानव सब मारे,वसुधा भार उताय । अब श्रीवल्लभ गृह प्रगट होइ क मायावाद निवाय । 'मानिकचंद श्रीविट्ठल प्रभु कौ पुरुषोत्तम रूप निहायौ।
Raga Devgandhar
In all four yugas, the words of the Vedas prove Whenever there is decline of dharma, You take a body.
In Satyayuga You took the form of the white boar and tore open Hiranyaksha’s chest.
In Treta You took the form of Rama in Dasharatha’s house and destroyed Ravana’s lineage.
In Dvapara You saved Vraja when it was sinking and held up the mountain on Your feet. You killed demons like Kansa and relieved the earth’s burden.
Now You have appeared in the house of Shri Vallabh to destroy Mayavada.
Manikchand has seen the Purushottam form of Shri Vitthal Prabhu.
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In this way, Manikchand sang many verses before Shri Gusainji. From them Shri Gusainji understood that Manikchand saw Him as the Purna Purushottam form. Seeing such pure emotion in Manikchand, Shri Gusainji became very pleased with him. Then Manikchand requested Shri Gusainji to come to his home. Shri Gusainji stayed there for three days.
Later, when Shri Gusainji was preparing to go to Adel, both of them stood outside their home, each with a cloth. Then Manikchand said to Champabhai, “Whatever is in this house, you take all of it. Everything in this house belongs to Shri Gusainji.” After that, the horses were in the stable and the camels—all the belongings—were presented to Shri Gusainji. Manikchand offered everything and made full surrender. Then Shri Gusainji gave this command to Manikchand: “Today, both of you take prasad here.”
So Shri Gusainji stayed there for three more days. Then on the fourth day he went toward Adel. Then Manikchand held one camel’s rope in his wife’s hand and held one camel’s rope himself and went along with Him. Manikchand sold much household goods; from their price a hundi of seventy-six thousand was made. After that, going a little distance outside the village, Manikchand went along with Shri Gusainji’s palanquin. The camels went ahead first. Because the Vaishnavs were taking leave, the Lord was delayed.
Then Sukhpal quickly reached the camels. Then Shri Gusainji asked a khavas, “Which woman is this who is going with the camels?” That khavas went to look and saw that it was Manikchand’s wife. Then the khavas came back to Shri Gusainji and said, “Maharaj! It is Manikchand’s wife.” Then Shri Gusainji had the camels stopped at that place and had the palanquin stopped there, and He asked the khavas, “Where is Manikchand?” The khavas said, “Manikchand is coming behind You.” Then Shri Gusainji called Manikchand and gave this command: “Manikchand! Now you return.” Then Manikchand remained silent.
After that, the woman replied to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! Now where shall I go? For me, there is no shelter apart from your lotus-feet.” Then Shri Gusainji explained many kinds of things to that woman and repeatedly instructed her, “You now go back.” Then that woman said to the Lord, “Raj! Whatever household service you assign to me, that I will do. Otherwise, I will just sit aside. But I have no other place where I can go. If you do not take me with you, then sell me here into someone’s hands, and whatever my price is, you take that. To the person into whose hands you sell me, I will serve the household well. But for me, there is no shelter apart from your lotus-feet.” Then Shri Gusainji greatly explained and reassured her. But she did not accept it.
Then Shri Gusainji said to her, “I ask you for one thing, so give that to me. And I will give you one thing, so you may take that from me.” Then that woman made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! What other thing is there with me that you ask for? This one body is here; even that I have already offered to you. It is yours. Whatever you wish to do with this body, you may do. Besides that, I have nothing to give.”
Then Shri Gusainji said to Manikchand, “You accept what I say.” In the same way, Shri Gusainji said to Manikchand’s wife, “You stay at home and do service.” And to Manikchand, the Lord said, “You do the worldly dealings.” Then that woman said to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! How would I know how to do service?” And Manikchand said to the Lord, “Maharaj! How will worldly dealings happen? I have no wealth.” At that time, the storekeeper (bhhandari) was standing near Shri Gusainji. The Lord asked him, “What offering of Manikchand has come into the storehouse?”
Then the storekeeper made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! Manikchand has arranged a hundi of seventy-six thousand and given it into the storehouse. And he has not kept anything at home, not even enough for daily living.” Then Shri Gusainji asked him, “How much is needed for worldly dealings?” Then Manikchand made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! If there are ten thousand rupees, then worldly dealings can be done.” Then Shri Gusainji told the storekeeper, “From that wealth give ten thousand rupees to Manikchand.” Then Manikchand said to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! What will I do by taking your wealth?”
Then Shri Gusainji said to Manikchand, “With this wealth you earn. After that, send my wealth back to me.” Then again Manikchand made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Raj! If I take your wealth, then I become indebted. And with this wealth how shall I work? And the state of this body is uncertain. If somehow the body falls away and your wealth does not reach the storehouse, then the debt will remain on my head. Therefore, I will not work with your wealth.”
Then Shri Gusainji said to Manikchand, “Earn. And if it continues like this, then no debt will remain on your head.” After that, Shri Gusainji said this to Manikchand’s wife, “What I am giving, that is for you. I am pleased with you.” And giving his word, Shri Gusainji told that woman, “I will stay for five months at Shrinathjijidvar. So I will stay at Shrinathjijidvar for four months, and for one month, while coming and going, I will stay at your house.” After that, following Shri Gusainji’s command, Manikchand returned to his home. Then Shri Gusainji placed the seva of Lalji upon Manikchand’s head. For some days he performed the seva himself and explained all kinds of service to that woman.
When Shri Gusainji did the seva, both Manikchand and his wife would come and stand there. Thus Shri Gusainji explained all kinds of seva to Manikchand. Then both of them, Manikchand and his wife, began doing seva very well. After that, with that wealth, Manikchand began earning. From one part they maintained their household, and three parts of the wealth they added and increased. In a few days the wealth grew.
When Shri Gusainji came to Manikchand’s home, they placed the bundle of ten thousand before the Lord. Then Manikchand made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! Take your wealth. And free me from the debt. By your grace, now I have enough wealth for working. So why should I keep your debt?” Then Shri Gusainji became extremely pleased with Manikchand and at that time said from his divine mouth, “The offering that King Bali made, and the offering that Manikchand made are alike.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Here a doubt arises: King Bali made an offering but he did not take anything. And Manikchand took wealth for worldly dealings and then cleared the debt. So how can this be called an offering? The answer is given: King Bali’s offering was according to the rules of maryada. The Lord accepted the gift. And a gift is not taken back. But this offering was made according to the path of Pushtimarg, out of love. Thus, as worldly dealings between Swami and sevak occur in the world, so it is here also. Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu has written in the text Siddhant Rahasya.
तस्मादादौ सर्वकार्ये सर्ववस्तुसमर्पणम् । दत्तापहारवचनं तथा च सकलं हरेः ॥
न ग्राह्ममिति वाक्यं हि भिन्नमार्गपरं मतम् । सेवकाना यथा लोके व्यवहारः प्रसिद्धयति ।।
Therefore, in the beginning of every activity, the offering of all things. The statement concerning what is given and what is taken away, and that everything is of Hari.
The statement “this is not to be accepted” is indeed the view belonging to a different path. Just as in the world the conduct of sevaks is well known.
Therefore, Manikchand, like worldly dealings, took the wealth by removing the debt. Even this was by Shri Gusainji’s command. Thus, Manikchand’s offering is excellent. Understand this sentiment.
After that, when one month passed, Shri Gusainji went to Shrinathjijidvar, and from there returned to Adel. Every year Shri Gusainji stayed one month at Manikchand’s home this way. Such was the grace of Shri Gusainji upon Manikchand.
Prasang 2 – Shri Gusainji’s Grace at the Son’s Wedding
And once, the wedding of Manikchand’s son took place. So Manikchand wrote a request letter and invited Shri Gusainji to his home. Then Shri Gusainji came from Shrigokulji to Agra. After a few days, the birth anniversary of Shrigokulnathji came. Then Shri Gusainji sent Shrigiridharji to Shrigokul, saying, “You perform the duties of Shri Vallabh’s birth anniversary. If the wedding here finishes early, I will come.” After that, when the wedding of Manikchand’s son was happening, Shri Gusainji took leave of Manikchand and went to Shrigokul. Such was the grace Shri Gusainji showed upon Manikchand. Manikchand and his wife were such recipients of Shri Gusainji’s grace, Bhagavadiya. Therefore, their story has no limit; how much can one tell?