Now there were two renunciates, both sevaks of Shri Gusainji. Of them, one was a tahdsi and one was ordinary; those two lived together. The sentiment of their story is told.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): This tahdsi renunciate is a sāttvik devotee. In the lila, his name is Kunjadevi. He manifested from a “harni”; therefore, he is of that bhav-form. And Kunjadevi has one companion whose name is Gunjadevi. So his complexion is red like the gunja fruit. He is an obedient follower of Shri Chandravaliji’s command.
This tahdsi was born in Gujarat, in one village, in the house of a Brahmin. From childhood itself he remained in the company of sādhus and sannyāsis. Therefore, he roamed about like a renunciate vairāgi. His parents tried very hard to stop him. They said, “Son, from now itself you live in this manner. So how will your marriage happen later? What will the people of the caste say? Therefore you should dress well. Sit with good people.” Then the son said, “I am a renunciate from a previous birth. Therefore, let no one show affection to me. I will not do this. And besides, whoever will have attachment to me will surely die. This is my word.” So in this manner he said this to everyone. Then the parents did not speak to him. They thought, “Surely it is written like this.” In this manner the boy became sixteen years old.
Then one day a Maryādā-mārgīya Vaishnav came to that village. Then this boy went to him and said, “I have to do a pilgrimage. Therefore, if you kindly take me with you, then I will come.” Then that Vaishnav said, “I have set out for pilgrimage. I will do the journey of the four dhāms. If you want to go, then come.” Then this tahdsi became very pleased. After that, this tahdsi went with that Vaishnav. His parents did not know that he had left like that. Then on the next day the parents came to know. Then they searched for him a lot, but did not find him. So, suffering grief, they remained silent.
And this boy came with that Vaishnav to Dwarkaji, and had darshan of Shri Ranchhodji. After staying there for a few days, those two went to Badarikashram. They came to Mathuraji. There those two bathed in Shri Yamunaji. After that, seeing the beauty of Mathuraji, this boy remained astonished. Then he thought, “I should stay in Mathuraji for a few days. After that I should go to Gokul, Vrindavan, and Badarikashram.” Then the Maryādā-mārgīya Vaishnav said to him, “I will go to Badarikashram. If you want to go, then come.” Then he said, “I will stay in Mathuraji now. If you want to go, then you may go.” Then that Vaishnav went to Badarikashram.
After that, this boy stayed a few days in Mathuraji and had darshan of Keshavrayji. After that he had darshan of all the places. After that he left for Shri Gokul. First he came to Raval. By destiny and good fortune, on those days Shri Gusainji was residing in Raval. Shri Gusainji had come to Shri Yamunaji to perform sandhyavandan. There he obtained darshan of Shri Gusainji. He kept looking at Shri Gusainji without blinking even for a moment. He did not speak or converse with anyone. In this way, for one moment he looked. Then he gained knowledge of Shri Gusainji’s swarup.
Then Shri Gusainji himself said to him, “O so-and-so! Since when have you come?” Then he said, “Maharajadhiraj! It has been many days since I came, but today I have obtained the lotus-feet of Raj. Therefore today I have become fulfilled. Now kindly accept me quickly. Otherwise, where should I go, what will happen? There is no trust in this body. There is no fixed place even for this mind. Who knows what will happen after a moment? Therefore kindly take me into refuge quickly.”
In this way, Shri Gusainji, knowing his intense state, said, “Bathe in Shri Yamunaji. I will accept you into refuge.” After that, he bathed in Shri Yamunaji and came before Shri Gusainji and stood there. Then Shri Gusainji, with mercy, gave him name-nivedan and took him into refuge.
After that, he requested Shri Gusainji, “Maharajadhiraj! Now what is the command?” Then Shri Gusainji, with mercy, commanded him: “You should recite the text ‘Sanyas-nirnay’. Then this path will become clear to you. And do not keep anyone’s company. Do not stay in one place. Do manasi seva. Then all the lila will become manifest to you.”
After that, Shri Gusainji went with that Vaishnav to Shri Gokulji. That Vaishnav came to Shri Gokul, had darshan of the seven swarups in the seven temples. After that, taking permission from Shri Gusainji, that Vaishnav left for Shri Govardhan. He came to Shri Govardhan, went to Shri Gopalpur, and had darshan of Shri Govardhannathji. He obtained great happiness. After that, while doing Braj parikrama, he began roaming in Braj. He did not stay in one place. He recited ‘Sanyas-nirnay’, and always remained absorbed in manasi. So he became such.
After some days he came to Shri Gokul. Then another renunciate sevak of Shri Gusainji came to him. He was an ordinary Vaishnav, but he had great eagerness for satsang. He came to this tahdsi renunciate and requested, “Kindly keep me in your service; then I will serve you, and I will also meet the company of people like you.” Then this tahdsi Vaishnav said, “Shri Gusainji’s command is not to keep anyone’s company. Therefore I do not keep anyone with me.”
Then that ordinary renunciate came to Shri Gusainji and requested, “Maharajadhiraj! Kindly grant such grace that the swarup of the path becomes manifest.” Then Shri Gusainji commanded, “O so-and-so, keep the company of that kind of Vaishnav.” Then this Vaishnav requested Shri Gusainji, “Raj! He does not keep anyone near him, and says, ‘I do not have Shri Gusainji’s command.’ Therefore if you command him, then he will keep me with him.” Then he got that company.
Then Shri Gusainji called that tahsi Vaishnav and commanded, “Keep this Vaishnav with you.” Then, accepting Shri Gusainji’s command as proof, that tahdsi Vaishnav kept this Vaishnav near him. From that day those two lived together.
Prasang 1 – The Separation and the Remedy
With them, one more Vaishnav also lived. He too was a renunciate, ordinary. He had Shri Gusainji’s command, “Stay with this one.” And that tahdsi renunciate had the command, “Let him come.” So the two traveled together.
While doing so, one day those two were going to Dwarkaji. By Bhagwan’s will, at one place they cooked food and offered bhog to Shri Thakurji. After that they took mahaprasad. Then he said to the companion Vaishnav, “You go ahead; I am coming.” So he went ahead. Those two came into a lane. There he went into another lane. Then the tahdsi went to another village and slept, and the other Vaishnav went to one village and sat there. First, he had great suffering of separation from that Vaishnav.
After that, in that village a courtesan was dancing. So that Vaishnav went there to the dance and sat. There he became absorbed. Then he had no awareness. Thus for three days he remained sitting there. At night he watched all the dancing; in the daytime too, helplessly, he remained sitting there.
Then that tahdsi renunciate kept searching for him, and said, “Shri Gusainji has entrusted that Vaishnav to me, therefore I must definitely set him right.” After that, on the fourth day, coming there and seeing, he found that at night he was helplessly in the courtesan’s fascination. He called out, but he did not answer. Then he caught him with his hand and pulled him, yet there was no awareness. After that, even when he called, he did not reply. He was staggering like a madman. He did not speak anything, he did not say anything.
Then that tahsi had great worry: “What answer will I give to Shri Gusainji!” After that, he asked him to take mahaprasad, still he did not speak. Meanwhile, by Bhagwan’s will, a wind blew. Then the dust of that tahdsi’s feet went into his mouth. After that, that Vaishnav drank water. Then that dust went into his stomach. Then immediately he vomited. Then blue, yellow, black water came out; all the pain came out from the stomach. Inside, the inner faculty became pure. Then he spoke and told all the details. After that, those two left from there. But they did not understand anything in the matter.
After wandering for some days, they came to Shri Gokul. They had darshan of Shri Gusainji. Then that tahdsi renunciate said to Shri Gusainji, “Maharaj! One day this Vaishnav got separated from me and got lost. In one village he watched a courtesan’s dance. There he became absorbed, helpless; he had no awareness of the body. I searched a lot. On the fourth day I found him. He was sitting in the dance; I called out, but he did not hear, did not reply. Then I caught him with my hand and dragged him out, but there was no awareness. Then I became worried; I suffered distress. While this was happening, a wind blew. After that I made him drink a little water. Then he vomited. Blue, yellow, black water came out. A stench came to me. Then I made him do achaman and rinse. After that he became alert. Then he told all the details; I heard everything, but I did not understand anything. Kindly explain this matter.”
Then Shri Gusainji said, “He became separated from you. Then in his mind it came, ‘Now I have understood everything; now what is the need of my companion?’ Therefore there arose a lack of company. Therefore Shri Thakurji caused separation.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Here it is shown that if even a little sense of worthiness arises in the mind, then the company of Vaishnav becomes rare, because then the Lord becomes displeased. Therefore even the company gets left behind. Therefore, one should keep the company of Vaishnav with the mood of a sevak; then it bears fruit. Humility arises. Then one always considers oneself low. One also gains knowledge of the swarup of Vaishnav. This became the established principle.
After that, by worldly, demonic company, he sat near them and their influence touched him. Then the dust of that courtesan’s feet flew and went into his mouth. Then he swallowed the spit. Then it entered within. Then ignorance increased. Through demonic maya there arose delusion. After that, due to my mercy and considering my connection, you took care of him and searched for him. Then you caught him by the hand and made him sit near you. At that time, a particle of foot-dust connected to the feet went into his mouth. Then you made him drink water. Then that dust went into his stomach. Then, by the momentary power of that dust, it became strong and gained great force. Then it threw out, by vomiting, the whole possession that had arisen from the earlier dust and its mode of association. Then he came to awareness.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): The intent of this story is that one must not keep worldly people’s company at all. Why? From their company, from their touch, worldly possession arises. And if by chance the dust of their feet goes into the mouth, then even the swarup is forgotten. Ignorance increases; demonic possession arises. Therefore one should keep the company of such a Vaishnav. From their touch, from taking their foot-dust, the intellect becomes pure. Why? Because in the heart of such a Vaishnav, Shri Acharyaji himself always resides. And what is Acharyaji like? He is of the form of “hutash” (fire). By a moment’s connected touch of him, the demonic possession of many births, sin and suffering, all get burnt away. The intellect becomes pure. Then Bhagwan’s lila enters the heart. Therefore, daily, with the mood of servitude, one must surely keep the company of such a Vaishnav. And Shri Acharyaji resides within them; therefore one must always keep their contemplation. Always keep love in them. This is such a matter.
So those two renunciate Vaishnavs, sevaks of Shri Gusainji, hearing the words from Shri Gusainji’s mouth, afterward always stayed together closely, and always kept mutual affection. Those two renunciate Vaishnavs, sevaks of Shri Gusainji, are such grace-receivers, belonging to Bhagwan. Therefore, how far can their story be told?