Now, another sevak of Shri Gusainji, a Patel who was Akinchan, who lived in Gujarat and offered garlands to Shri Gusainji—the sentiment of his vartā is being narrated.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This Patel is a rājas devotee. In līlā, his name is Mālinī. Mālinī manifested from Premmanjarī; therefore, this is his bhāva-form.
He was born in Gujarat in the house of a Kunbī Patel. As soon as he was born, his father died. When he became fifteen years old, then his mother also died. There was no wealth at all in the house. Therefore, he began to sustain himself by doing labor work. Once, Shri Gusainji traveled to Dwarkaji. On the way, he came to this Patel’s village. There, Shri Gusainji set up camp near a pond. At that time, this Patel was digging soil there. He obtained the darshan of Shri Gusainji. As soon as he had darshan, this thought arose in his mind: “This is some great soul. Therefore, it is good to go into his refuge.” Thus, this Patel made a request to Shri Gusainji: “Maharaj! Please show mercy and make me your sevak. I have come into your refuge.”
Seeing such humility, Shri Gusainji showed mercy to that Patel and made him a sevak. He arranged his name-nivedan. Then many other divine souls also came into the refuge of Shri Gusainji. Shri Gusainji made all of them sevaks. The next day, Shri Gusainji went to Dwarkaji. After staying there for some days, he then returned to Adel.
Prasang 1 – The Garland Offering
Once, a group of Vaishnavs set out together from Gujarat to have darshan of Shri Gusainji at Shrinathji. Along with that group was a Patel who was a sevak of Shri Gusainji. He had received name-nivedan earlier when Shri Gusainji had gone to Dwarkaji, and at that very time he had obtained darshan of Shri Gusainji. Many days had passed since then. From his village, he set out with the group toward Shri Gokul.
All the other people prepared their own provisions and expenses and set out. But this Patel had no wealth at all. Yet in his mind there was a very strong longing for the darshan of Shri Gusainji. Therefore, he resolved in his mind and left home, thinking: “Wherever any Vaishnav gives prasad, I will take prasad there. Otherwise, I will beg a little grain along the way and sustain myself as I go.”
Having made this determination, he left home. In this manner, begging as he went, after several days he reached Shrinathji Dwar. All the Vaishnavs had darshan of Shrinathji and experienced great joy. After that, Shrinathji’s sayan-ārti took place. Then that entire group came up to Rudra Kund and set up camp. At night, they cooked food and took prasad. Then all of them, among themselves, took out from their own bundles whatever wealth they had according to their capacity as offerings, and tied it again in their waist-cloths. They said to one another: “Brother! Tomorrow Shri Gusainji will give darshan. Therefore, at that time no one should sit opening bundles. So keep your offerings ready.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Here it is indicated that one should never go empty-handed before the Lord or before the Guru.
Then this Patel began thinking in his mind: “All of them have taken out their offerings. But I have nothing at all to offer. So what offering will I make to Shri Gusainji? If I take a loan from someone and make an offering, then I have nothing with which to repay it later. And He is the Lord Himself; therefore, He already knows everything about my situation.”
Thinking like this, he did not get any sleep throughout the four watches of the night. Then all the Vaishnavs rose very early in the morning and set out. This Patel also got up and set out while thinking like this. As he walked along, thinking, he came upon a garden along the way. In that garden, jasmine flowers were blooming abundantly. He had a small piece of cloth with him. He gave that cloth to the gardener and made a request: “Please pluck jasmine flowers suitable for making one garland, so that I may offer it to my Guru.” The gardener returned his cloth and, understanding his humility, said: “You yourself may make whatever kind of garland you wish.”
Then he became very happy. Taking the gardener’s permission, he made one jasmine garland and set out with it. Carrying that garland, with great eagerness he walked along, forming various hopes in his mind: “All the other Vaishnavs will make various kinds of offerings before Shri Gusainji, and I will place this garland around Shri Gusainji’s neck. Seeing my garland, Shri Gusainji will become very pleased. Now, if only I can quickly reach there along with this group, that would be good.”
Meditating on the lotus feet of Shri Gusainji, he walked on. Shri Gusainji could not bear the intensity of his devotion. Therefore, that very day, early in the morning, Shri Gusainji set out for Shrinathji’s adornment. He mounted a horse, and two or four Vaishnavs were with him. To those Vaishnavs, Shri Gusainji had already said: “One group is coming from Gujarat. In it there is one Patel, Akinchan. He is bringing a very beautiful garland as an offering for me, and he is behind everyone else. My acceptance of his garland should happen first; only after that may all other Vaishnavs make their offerings. Before that, no one should offer anything.” Saying this, he urged the horse to move swiftly.
Here, as the garland was exposed to the sun, the Patel grew anxious. Shri Gusainji could not tolerate his distress. Therefore, Shri Gusainji urged the horse to go faster. Thus, he met the entire group right on the path. All the Vaishnavs offered dandavat to Shri Gusainji and made a request: “Maharaj! Please stop the horse for a moment, so that we may all make our offerings.”
Then the Vaishnavs who were with Shri Gusainji said to them: “There is one Patel coming behind all of you with a garland. When he meets us, the horse will stop.” Saying this, they continued onward. With great haste, the Lord’s horse reached that Patel. Then that Patel obtained darshan of Shri Gusainji. As soon as the Lord came near, that Patel placed the garland around Shri Gusainji’s neck and offered dandavat. He became completely oblivious of his body.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Because he became absorbed in the bliss of Shri Gusainji’s divine form and remained overwhelmed; therefore, he lost awareness of his body.
Then the Lord dismounted from the horse, placed His sacred hand on the Patel’s head, and whispered the Ashtakshar mantra into his ear. Then that Patel regained awareness. Shri Gusainji said to him: “Patel! I have come forward from Shri Gokul for the sake of your garland. And you have become absorbed in My lotus feet. What will all these companions of yours say about Me now? From now on, I still have service to take from you.”
Saying this, He proceeded onward, and again and again He praised the garland along the way. Then that Patel humbly submitted all his life story before Shri Gusainji, saying: “Maharaj! You are the Lord. You are compassionate to the humble, the treasure of mercy, the purifier of the fallen. Who among living beings has the capacity to describe Your greatness? Therefore, please accept the service of your sevak.”
Just then, the entire group came running from behind, offered dandavat to Shri Gusainji, and all of them placed their respective offerings. All of them remained astonished in their minds. Then Shri Gusainji again mounted the horse and went to Shrinathji Dwar. He bathed, went up the hill to the temple, performed Shrinathji’s rajbhog-ārti, and then came and sat in the baithak. There also, the Lord called that garland-bearing Patel near Him. Seeing this, all the Vaishnavs were amazed.
Thus, Shri Gusainji is an ocean of compassion. Then, by His grace, Shri Gusainji entrusted that Patel with the service of Shrinathji’s flower house. That Patel became such a greatly favored, God-centered devotee by the grace of Shri Gusainji. Therefore, how far can his vartā be narrated?