Now they tell the sentiment of the Varta of a sevak of Shri Gusainji, a lowly poor Brahmin who lived in Mathura.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): He is a rajas devotee. In the lila, her name is Rupdevi. She has manifested from “Madhurekshana.” Therefore she is of the nature of sentiment-form. The form of Rupdevi is very beautiful, as if she is the very image of beauty itself. So one day Shri Thakurji greatly praised Rupdevi before Madhurekshana. Madhureshna told this matter to Rupdevi: “Today Shri Thakurji has greatly praised you; therefore go and meet Him.” Then Rupdevi said, “How is the meeting done? I know nothing of that. And if Shri Thakurji has some work, he himself will meet me.” Then Shri Thakurji heard this matter. Then Shri Thakurji said to the messenger-companion Kam-dutika, “Explain to Rupdevi and bring her here. I am sitting here.” Then Kam-dutika came to Rupdevi. Rupdevi understood the secret of this matter. So Rupdevi started to go from there. Then Kam-dutika said to Rupdevi, “Rupdevi! Shri Thakurji is remembering you; therefore go quickly. I have been sent to bring you. Shri Thakurji is watching your path at Bilas-bat.” Then Rupdevi said with pride, “I cannot come right now.” Then Kam-dutika said, “You have pride in your beauty; therefore you do not come even when Shri Thakurji calls you. You will receive the fruit of that. And Shri Thakurji has many Braj devotees like you, who always desire to meet Him.” Saying this, Kam-dutika came to Shri Thakurji and said, “Maharaj! She is not coming.” Then Shri Thakurji became displeased with Rupdevi and went to the grove. Rupdevi, being proud of her beauty, committed an offense. Because of that offense, she came upon this earth.
So she was born in Mathura in the house of a Brahmin. That Brahmin was poor. When this boy became fourteen years old, he died. Then this boy began to sustain himself by begging. At one time Shri Gusainji was residing in Mathura. Then this boy, while begging, came to Shri Gusainji’s camp. Shri Gusainji, knowing him to be poor, gave him mahaprasad with His own hand. The boy ate it. As soon as he ate, his intellect changed. Then the next day the boy again came for the darshan of Shri Gusainji. After doing darshan, he made a request to Shri Gusainji: “Maharaj! I am a poor Brahmin. Therefore, by mercy, make me Your sevak. Yesterday I received mahaprasad; therefore I understood that You are the complete Purushottam. Therefore now I have come into Your refuge.” Then Shri Gusainji, knowing him to be a divine jiva, accepted him into refuge. Then for some days He kept him near Himself and explained to him the system of the path, the siddhant, and everything. After that, this Brahmin took Shri Gusainji’s permission and came to Shrinathjidwar. There he lived by working and sustained his body. Wherever there was Bhagavad-varta, he went to listen.
Prasang 1: Leprosy appeared in the body of this Brahmin
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Because, in the lila, he had pride in beauty; therefore leprosy appeared. He began to feel very great repentance in his mind. Then he began to pray greatly to Shri Govarddhanathji. This Vaishnav said, “Maharajadhiraj! Remove my leprosy.” Then Shri Thakurji said to Shri Gusainji, “This Vaishnav is giving me pain. Since I am not a physician, remove his leprosy.” Then Shri Gusainji became very annoyed with that Vaishnav. And He said to that Vaishnav, “Take medicine. Why do you pray to Shri Govarddhanathji?” Then that Vaishnav said to Shri Gusainji, “Maharajadhiraj! I do not have to take support of anyone else—whom else should I tell? And for me, Shri Prabhuji Himself is everything.” Then Shri Gusainji commanded from His own mouth, “In such-and-such village there is such-and-such Vaishnav who lives in a courtesan’s house. Go and do his darshan; then your disease will go away at once.”
Then that Vaishnav took some expenses from his home and set out for that village. He reached there. Then he went into the village and asked for the courtesan’s house and went to her house. He saw that on the courtesan’s bed two people were sitting with their arms around each other’s neck. And in front of the bed there was scattered, mixed food—what is to be eaten and what is not to be eaten. Then that Vaishnav went and remembered Shri Krishna. Then that Vaishnav asked, “Who are you?” Then this Vaishnav told his entire account. Then as soon as he heard it, he stood up. Then in great joy he began to dance. And from his own mouth he began to say, “Does Shri Gusainji Himself care for sinners like me?” Then that Vaishnav was greatly astonished, and said, “Shri Gusainji Himself does care.” As soon as he heard this much, from the tenth door the life-breaths departed. And from the body of that Vaishnav, at once, leprosy left from every place.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In this Varta it is shown that, seeing only the outward actions of a Vaishnav, one should not consider anything else at all. Whatever kind of jiva he may be, if he has been accepted in the path of Shri Acharyaji, then Prabhu never abandons him at all. Shri Acharyaji and Shri Gusainji, by the power of their own prameya, deliver him. In an instant, by giving the gift of separation, they remove all his faults. How? Just as all the sins and sufferings of Antargahgata were burned merely by the separation from Prabhu, in the same way Shri Acharyaji, entering the heart in the form of separation, destroys all the sins of the jiva in an instant. Thus He is supremely compassionate and merciful. This matter Shri Gusainji Himself revealed through this Vaishnav.
After this, in the mind and inner faculty of that leprosy-affected Vaishnav, self-reproach arose: “If my disease had remained, it would have been better; but for my sake a Vaishnav’s body left—this is not good.” After that, this Vaishnav, repenting greatly in his mind, came to his home. Then he went to Shri Thakurji’s temple. Then he saw that there that Vaishnav was standing and doing darshan. Then this Vaishnav remembered Shri Krishna to that Vaishnav and said, “What is this?” Then that Vaishnav said to him, “Brother! Come to a secluded place and let us speak a secret Varta. Without seclusion this matter cannot be said.” Then both sat in seclusion and began to speak secret Varta.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): That Vaishnav, in the lila, is the companion of Rupdevi. Her name is “Shridevi.” The sentiments of both of them match. So Shridevi told Rupdevi the entire matter of the lila.
Then the diseased Vaishnav asked her, “Who were you in your previous birth?” Then she said, “In my previous birth I was born in Sihnand in the house of a Kshatriya. Then I became a sevak of Shri Acharyaji. I served in many ways. And I also did foolishness: when a Vaishnav would come, I would strike him on the head; and before elders I used to gossip about Vaishnavs. Because of that offense my condition became like that. But Shri Gusainji has held this jiva’s arm, so He does not let him go.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In this Varta this principle is established: one must not take support of anyone else. One must not make Shri Thakurji labor for one’s own work. And one must not cause any Vaishnav, in any way, to feel distressed. This path is (pure) Advaita; how far can its praise be spoken?
So that leprosy-affected Vaishnav, hearing this, became very pleased. That Vaishnav was such a greatly favored, Bhagavadi recipient of Shri Gusainji’s grace, upon whom Shri Gusainji always remained pleased. He showed him His own form and revealed the greatness. Therefore, how far can his Varta be told?