Now the sentiment of the account of a sevak of Shri Gusainji, a washerman who lived in Gopalpur, is being narrated.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): He is a tamas devotee. He belongs to the category of antargrih-gata. In the divine play, his name is “Shridevi.” He has manifested from Manmathmoda; therefore he is of the form of sentiment. Once Chandrakala said to Shridevi, “Shridevi! Go and say this to the Lord, that Shri Chandravali ji is remembering You. So please come quickly.” Then Shridevi said, “Just now my mother is calling me, so I will go there.” Then Chandrakala said, “Shri Thakurji is seated in Saurabhkunj. How far is that? Go immediately, say it, and come back. And this betel leaf that Shri Chandravali ji has sent, give it to Shri Thakurji.” Then Shridevi took the betel leaf and went. She came to Saurabhkunj. Then Shri Thakurji said, “O Shridevi! How have you come here today?” Then Shridevi said, “Maharaj! Today fulfill my desire. I have been worshipping You for many days. Please remove my affliction.” Then Shri Thakurji smiled. Shridevi understood that Shri Prabhuji was pleased with her. Therefore, she herself ate the betel leaf and began to embrace Shri Thakurji. At that very moment Chandrakala arrived there. She saw this matter. Shridevi understood it and, frightened, stood aside. At that moment, a spittle from her mouth fell upon Shri Thakurji’s garments. Shri Thakurji became displeased. Then Chandrakala cursed her, saying, “Shridevi! I sent you to do one thing, and you did something else? There, Shri Chandravali ji is experiencing increasing separation at every moment. In that situation, you delayed and deceived? You spat upon Shri Thakurji’s garments. Now there will be delay even in changing Shri Thakurji’s garments. You have done an improper act. Therefore you will fall into a low birth.” Then Shridevi began to tremble. She fell at Chandrakala’s feet. Then Chandrakala said, “The Lord will deliver you.”
Thus she was born in Gathoauli as a washerman. When he grew up, he began to live in Gopalpur. There he received initiation from Shri Gusainji. Later he began to serve by washing the garments of Shri Nathji. Shri Gusainji fixed his customary share.
Prasang 1 – The washerman washes the garments of Shri Govarddhan Nathji
That washerman would wash the garments of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. He washed them with great care. Once Shri Gusainji had arrived at Shri Nathji Dwar. One day, after completing the service of Shri Govarddhan Nathji, he took food and afterward went toward Govindswami’s Kadambkhadi. After that, from there he went toward Harji’s pond. There he saw that washerman washing the garments of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. He saw that the garments were being washed with very great care, with intense love and devotional feeling, but he did not strike them upon a stone. Seeing this, Shri Gusainji asked him, “Why do you wash the garments like this by hand? Why do you not strike them on a stone while washing?” When asked thus, the washerman said, “Shrimaharajadhiraj! These garments are those which are used upon the sacred body of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. How can I strike them upon a stone? Therefore I wash them like this.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): By saying this, he indicated that these garments too are the very form of the sentiments of the divine devotees. Therefore, how can one behave so harshly with them?
Hearing such words and seeing him wash with such care, Shri Gusainji became very pleased. Then Shri Gusainji said to that washerman, “Ask for something. I am pleased with you.” Then the washerman said, “Grant me liberation, and let me be worshipped on earth. Let greatness accompanied by prosperity continue.” Then Shri Gusainji said to the washerman, “What you asked for has been granted.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): That is, he asked for an inferior thing. Why? Because his intellect is inferior. Thus he asked for a trivial thing. And in the divine play he belongs to the antargrih-gata category. Therefore he is sagun and desire-oriented. Hence here worldly desire still remained.
Later Shri Gusainji returned to his home. After some days, his time came, and his body was relinquished. After that, sayujya liberation occurred. His Pooja started.
Prasang 2 – Seeing the royal deity
Once Uncle Harivanshji and another Vaishnav, both, were going to Gujarat. On the way they came to a large town. Arriving there, they halted. They purchased all necessary provisions directly from a merchant’s market. Then they went outside the town, near a water place, cooked food, placed the offering before Shri Thakurji, and afterward both took mahaprasad. Then they came into the town and sat in that merchant’s shop. The day was somewhat remaining. People were going about, and that merchant also closed his shop and departed. Then the Vaishnav companion of Uncle Harivanshji asked the merchant, “Where are you going? And where are all these people going? And what is in this temple here?”
Then the merchant said, “These are the king’s Shri Thakurji. There is great splendor here! The beautiful temple has very exquisite workmanship; it is a place worth seeing. And Shri Thakurji has many ornaments of very high value. The throne platform and seat are of gold, studded with gems. The garments, canopies, and backdrops are of very fine brocade and velvet. There are tassels and festoons of pearls and elephants’ pearls. All the vessels are of gold.” Thus he described great wealth and said, “If you also go and see, is it not true? You must have seen Shri Thakurji in many places, but nothing like this.” Then the Vaishnav companion said to Harivanshji, “Since this merchant has praised so much, let us go and see. What harm is there in seeing? They are Shri Thakurji.” Saying this, he insisted greatly. Then Harivanshji said, “You go and see.” Then the Vaishnav said, “If you also go, then I will go.” He insisted greatly. Then Harivanshji and Vaishnav both went there to see.
The Vaishnav saw the great worldly splendor. Then the king performed arati on a golden plate. Many instruments were playing, many people were standing. Shri Thakurji was standing adorned, wearing very heavy and splendid garments. Seeing Shri Thakurji, Harivanshji shook his head and said, “It is well-made, like that of a washerman.” Shaking his head, the king saw this. Then the king said to his attendant, “Those two foreigners are standing there; take them and confine them in a room.” Then the attendant seized those two Vaishnavs, confined them in a room, struck them, and said, “The king has some work.” Then Harivanshji said to his companion Vaishnav, “You insisted, and we saw the Shri Thakurji of another path and went to their temple; this does not please our own Shri Thakurji. Therefore Shri Thakurji did this, so that we were put into bondage. But it is good; there is nothing improper. Shri Gusainji is seated upon our heads. But immediately this fruit came.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): From this account it is indicated that, except for the Thakur of the Pushtimarg, one should absolutely not go to any other Thakur. One should not see them, and should not take their prasad. Otherwise, it becomes reliance on another. Shri Acharyaji Mahaprabhu says this in the text Vivek-Dhairya-Ashray. That shloka is:
अन्यस्य भजनं तत्र स्वतो गमनमेव च। प्रार्थनाकार्यमात्रेऽपि ततोऽन्यत्र विवर्जयेत्।
The worship of another there, and even going there by one’s own will, should be avoided.
Even for the mere purpose of making a request, one should refrain from going anywhere other than that.
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Therefore a Vaishnav must remain very cautious regarding reliance on another. There is no other offense equal to reliance on another.
After finishing the service, the king came home. Then he said to the attendant, “Those two men are confined; bring them.” Then both were brought before the king. Then the king said to Uncle Harivanshji, “Why did you shake your head after seeing my Shri Thakurji? Tell that matter.” Then Uncle Harivanshji said, “I shook my head naturally.” Then the king said, “You tell me this matter. Explain it to me. This must absolutely be said; otherwise I will not release you, and I will keep you detained.” Then Uncle Harivanshji said, “Your Shri Thakurji is the washerman of our Shri Thakurji. That is why I shook my head.” Then the king said, “How can I accept that he is a washerman?” Then Harivanshji said, “Believe as you wish, but he is a washerman.” Then Harivanshji said, “If it is not convincing in your mind, we have with us garments of our Shri Thakurji. You yourself go and place them in the temple of your Shri Thakurji. And when those garments are washed and brought back, and are folded and arranged properly, then will you be convinced?” Then the king said, “Come, let us do this.” After that the king and Harivanshji went to the temple of his Shri Thakurji.
Harivanshji had with him the spring-season garments of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. Taking them out, he spread the garments on a low platform and placed them. Harivanshji said to the king’s Shri Thakurji, “These garments belong to Shri Govarddhan Nathji. Wash them in the same proper way in which you used to wash them earlier, and then fold them and return them. Do it just as your regular practice is.” Saying this, they closed the door, locked it, and came outside. After that Harivanshji slept outside at the door. Then in the morning, getting up, the king and Harivanshji went into the temple and opened the doors. Then they saw that all the garments had been washed, the stains of the leaves had all been removed, and they were folded, arranged, and properly set in order, neatly prepared and placed.
Then Uncle Harivanshji said to the king, “Now has he become a washerman? Have you become convinced?” Then the king said, “I have become convinced. But think and tell me this: what kind of washerman is this, and how did Shri Thakurji become so?” Then Harivanshji said, “Earlier this was the washerman of our Shri Govarddhan Nathji. He used to wash the garments of Shri Govarddhan Nathji. Once our guru Shri Vitthalnathji went to that pond where this one was washing. Then he saw him washing the garments. He would wash them by hand, bending and rubbing them with great care. Then Shri Gusainji asked, ‘Why do you wash these garments by bending and rubbing with your hands? Why do you not strike them on a stone?’ Then that washerman said, ‘These are Shri Thakurji’s garments. They are like the Lord Himself. So how can I strike them upon a stone? Therefore I wash them like this.’ Hearing this, Shri Gusainji became very pleased. Then he said, ‘Ask for whatever desire you have; I am very pleased with you.’ Then the washerman said, ‘Give me sayujya liberation, and let worship and honor continue for me in the world. Just as I serve Shri Thakurji, let my service be done in the same way.’ Then Shri Gusainji said, ‘So it will be.’”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Here there is a great doubt: after attaining sayujya liberation, that soul merges into the radiance of the Lord. Then how can worship of him continue in the world? It is said there that this washerman was of the Pushtimarg. Therefore, by the method of grace, Shri Gusainji Himself gave him sayujya liberation. In that, just as there is the state of an antargrih-gata within the Lord’s body, in the same way his state should be understood. This sayujya liberation is distinct from the sayujya liberation of the maryada path. In this, when the Lord wishes, that soul manifests outward again, and through him the Lord performs ras and other pastimes. After that, again his state becomes within the Lord’s heart. But in maryada-path sayujya liberation, radiance merges into radiance and it does not come out again. Thus this washerman attained sayujya in the form of adhidevik sentiment, and in the adhyatmik form he became Shri Thakur and was worshipped in the world. Understand it in this manner.
After that, within some days his body was relinquished, and at that very time the installation of your Shri Thakurji took place. That washerman’s soul entered into the form of your Shri Thakurji; it entered and possessed it. So this is that Thakurji. I recognized him on seeing him. Therefore I shook my head—look, what honor of a washerman has continued! This is such a matter. That washerman was such a favored Bhagavadiya recipient of Shri Gusainji’s grace. Therefore, how far can his account be narrated?