Now the sevakini of Shri Gusainji, Patho Gujri, she lived in Anyor. The sentiment of her account is being narrated.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): She is a sattvik devotee. In the divine play, her name is “Chapla.” This Chapla has manifested from Manmathmoda; therefore she is of the form of sentiment. She has childlike affection toward Shri Thakurji. She was born in Bhavanpura, in the house of a Gujar. When Patho became ten years old, she was married to a Gujar of Anyor. After some days, her gauna took place, and then she came to Anyor. There she received initiation from Shri Gusainji. From childhood she had a very great love for Devdaman. She would go daily for darshan. Seeing her pure love, Shri Govarddhan Nathji showed very great grace toward her. After some days, Patho had two sons.
Shri Govarddhan Nathji would come to Patho’s house. Whatever He desired, He would ask for and take. Such grace Shri Govarddhan Nathji showed upon Patho Gujri. Shri Govarddhan Nathji Himself would play with the children of Patho Gujri. Why? Because in the divine play they are both gopas. One is named Narua, and the other is Garuva.
Prasang 1 – Shri Govarddhan Nathji asks for the yogurt-rice
So one day Patho Gujri prepared a basket of yogurt and rice for her son and brought it. From her house she was going toward the forest. At that time Shri Govarddhan Nathji was standing at Govindkund under the shade of the mountain. At that place Patho Gujri came out carrying the basket. Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Patho Gujri, “O mother! What is in this?” Then Patho Gujri said to Shri Govarddhan Nathji, “Son! In this there is yogurt and rice.” Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Patho Gujri, “For whom are you taking this basket?” Then Patho Gujri said to Shri Govarddhan Nathji, “My son went to the forest early in the morning. There was no bread at home, so he went hungry. I am going to deliver this basket to him.”
Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Patho Gujri, “I am feeling very hungry. So if you give this basket to me, it would be good.” Then Patho Gujri said to Shri Govarddhan Nathji these words, “Son! My son will be hungry.” Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Patho, “Go to your home; in the pot there is rice for your son. And serve this to Me, for I am very hungry.” Then Patho Gujri said to Shri Govarddhan Nathji, “Take it.” Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Patho Gujri, “Come, serve it on my plate.” Then following behind Shri Govarddhan Nathji, Patho Gujri came into the temple. She saw that all the temple doors were open, and the attendants were asleep. Then Patho herself went inside the temple. She served the plate before Shri Govarddhan Nathji. After that Shri Govarddhan Nathji began to eat. And Patho Gujri, having served, returned to her home.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In this account there are many doubts, such as: how did He eat the basket meant for the son? And furthermore, how did Shri Govarddhan Nathji go into the temple and eat the basket from Patho’s hands? This is not the customary practice of the path of Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu. So how did Shri Govarddhan Nathji do this? It is said there that Patho Gujri and her sons had a direct relationship with Shri Thakurji. And they are Braj residents. Therefore Shri Govarddhan Nathji Himself does not maintain any difference of sentiment with them; He keeps friendly sentiment. Just as in the Krishna incarnation He would snatch and eat the food of the cowherd boys, even eating what was left over, in the same way here, being bound by affection for Patho Gujri, Shri Govarddhan Nathji Himself performs similar divine play with them. And furthermore, the Braj devotees have the right of service. Therefore Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu Himself did not keep services such as sweeping during the anavsar. Patho Gujri is a Braj devotee; therefore Shri Govarddhan Nathji Himself gave her this right. Thus during the anavsar he went into the temple and ate the basket from her hands. This should be understood as according to the practice of the path of Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu, not contrary.
Therefore Shri Govarddhan Nathji Himself ate the yogurt and rice. In the plate there were impressions of the lines of Shri Govarddhan Nathji’s fingers. The plate remained placed before Shri Govarddhan Nathji, and a little yogurt and rice still remained on the plate. At the time of uthapan, Shri Gusainji, after bathing, climbed the mountain and, having the conch sounded, arrived at the temple. When Shri Gusainji went inside and looked, he saw the plate placed before Shri Govarddhan Nathji, and the finger-line impressions were also present in the plate. Seeing this, Shri Gusainji felt sorrow about the matter. First he called Prabhu Rupa, the attendant, and asked, “Rupa! Who came here?” Then Rupa submitted to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! No one came here. But I fell asleep a little. What happened then, I do not know. But before me no one came or went.”
Then Shri Gusainji understood the matter of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. Why? Because Rupa never sleeps, so why did he sleep today? Therefore this act must be of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. This determination Shri Gusainji made in his mind. Then Shri Gusainji asked Shri Govarddhan Nathji, “Bava! From whom did you ask for this and eat?” Then Shri Govarddhan Nathji said to Shri Gusainji, “Today I asked Patho Gujri for this yogurt and rice and ate it.” Then Shri Gusainji remained silent.
Prasang 2 – The temple doors open for Patho Gujri
At another time, Patho came for the darshan of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. At that time the offering to Shri Govarddhan Nathji was going on, and the doors were not open. At that time Patho came for darshan. Then Patho Gujri began to reproach Shri Govarddhan Nathji from outside. These words Patho Gujri said to Shri Govarddhan Nathji: “Now here You have become a king, sitting inside the house. You eat with the doors closed so that no one can see. Now You have become extremely lordly. Then who will let us go inside?” Patho Gujri spoke many such words and made Shri Govarddhan Nathji hear them.
At that very moment the temple doors opened. Then Patho Gujri went inside the temple near Shri Govarddhan Nathji. From that day, whenever Patho Gujri came for darshan, she would obtain immediate darshan. No one stopped Patho Gujri. She would go inside the temple, do darshan, and return. There was no restriction of time or untimely moment for Patho Gujri. Such was Patho Gujri’s relationship with Shri Govarddhan Nathji. And whenever Shri Govarddhan Nathji ate the kunwara offering, then the entire family of Patho, the cowherds of that place, would come there. Patho Gujri had the customary share. How far should one speak of Patho’s account? Only those who experienced it know it. That Patho Gujri was such a favored Bhagavadiya recipient of Shri Gusainji’s grace. Therefore, how far can her account be narrated?