Now the sentiment-story of the degraded, fallen rakshas, the sevaks of Shri Gusainji, from Mahikantha, is told.
They, those degraded and fallen ones, in the land of Gujarat, on the riverbank at Mahikantha, were at an ashwatth (peepal) tree; there, in a ravine (gorge), they lived. One time, Chacha Harivanshji and Vaishnavs were going in Gujarat to Shrinathjidwar. On the way, they got lost. They came out by going into that ravine. Then, from upon that tree, two rakshas brothers, degraded and fallen, came and stood in front of those Vaishnavs. Then they looked terrible like a huge mountain. Then the Vaishnavs became afraid in their minds. And they said, “O brother! From where have these come here? Who are these?” Then those Vaishnavs said to Chacha Harivanshji, “Who are these who have come and blocked the path and are standing ahead?”
Then Chacha Harivanshji came forward and asked them, “Who are you? For what reason have you come and are standing here?” Then those degraded and fallen ones said, “We are rakshas. We will eat all of you. We have come here in order to eat you.” Then Chacha Harivanshji asked the degraded and fallen ones, “Why are you standing? Why do you not eat?” Then those rakshas said, “When we come near you, it burns us; therefore we are standing. We cannot come close to you.” Then Chacha Harivanshji again said, “Why have you stood blocking the path? You will not be able to eat us. In our body the Lord of the fourteen worlds resides. Therefore leave the path.” Then those two rakshas brothers said, “You are a great Vaishnav, a devotee of Bhagvan. You are a great exalted person. We have come for your darshan. We have had darshan, therefore we have gained knowledge. So do our upliftment and go. Free us from the pain of the preta-yoni.”
Then Chacha Harivanshji said, “Go and bathe in this river.” After that, those two brothers bathed in the river and stood. Then Chacha Harivanshji spoke the name—the ashtakshar mantra—into their ears. And he put garlands on the necks of both. And he placed charanodak and maha-prasad into their mouths. At that very moment their preta-body left. A divine, extraordinary body became. After that, those two fell at the pure feet of Chacha Harivanshji, and kept their hands folded. Then the two brothers made a request and said, “You are truly Bhagvadiya. Without you, who can remove our preta-suffering? There is none like you in the three worlds. Therefore what favor can we do for you? We have no such wealth.” In this way the two brothers requested again and again. Then, by the mercy, strength, and power of Shri Gusainji, the messengers of Shri Thakurji brought these two into the lila.
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): In this story, the form of Chacha Harivanshji as a Vaishnav is shown—such a Vaishnav does not fear anyone. Because in his heart Shri Thakurji Himself resides, the Death of even Death. Therefore death and karma all fear him. So Paramananddasji has sung.
(राग सारंग | Rāga Sārang)
हरि कौ भक्त माने डर काके।जाके करजोरें ब्रह्मादिक देत सबै दंडौती जाके ॥ सिंघ सखा करि ग्राम बसावे यह विपरीत सुनी नहीं देखी।हाथी चढ़े कुकर की संका यहधों कौन पुरानन लेखी ॥ सुगम लोग अरु विगम मूढमति कृपासिंधु समरथ सब लायक।'परमानंददास' को ठाकुर दीनानाथ अभयपद दायक ॥
Why should one who is a devotee of Hari fear anyone? To the one at whose folded hands even Brahmā and the rest offer, and to whom all bow down. ॥
A lion is made a friend and settled in the village—such a reversal has neither been heard nor seen. An elephant is afraid to climb, fearing a dog—who has ever written such a thing in the Purāṇas? ॥
The easy folk and the difficult, the dull-witted too—this ocean of grace is capable and fit for all. The Lord of ‘Paramānanddās,’ the protector of the lowly, is the giver of the fearless state. ॥
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And Vaishnavs are very compassionate. Even if someone does them harm, they still do good to that person. They remove the suffering of that person’s birth and death. So Surdasji has sung.
(राग धनाश्री | Rāga Dhanāshrī)
ऐसो भक्त तरे और तारे।परम कृपाल परम दीनबंधु सरन गहे वाकौ दुःख निवारे ॥ सब सों मैत्री सत्रु नहीं कोई वाद विवाद सबन सों हारे।हरि कौ नाम जपे निस बासर संसय सोक ताप निवारे ॥ काम क्रोध ममता मद मत्सर माया मान मोह भ्रम हारे।निरलोभी निरवैर निरंतर कृष्ण रूप जब हदय बिचारे ॥ हरि कौ नाम सुने अरु गावे कृष्ण भजन करि दुःख ही दुरावे।'सूरदास' हरि रूप मगन भये गुन औगुन का पर नहीं आवे ॥
Such a devotee is carried across, and also carries others across. The supremely compassionate, the supreme friend of the helpless, removes that one’s sorrow when refuge is taken. ॥
With everyone there is friendship; there is no enemy. In all arguments and disputes, he yields to everyone. He repeats Hari’s name night and day, and removes doubt, grief, and burning distress. ॥
He casts away desire, anger, possessiveness, pride, envy, illusion, arrogance, infatuation, and delusion. When he continually reflects on Krishna’s form within the heart, he remains without greed and without enmity. ॥
He listens to Hari’s name and sings it, and by doing Krishna’s devotion he drives away sorrow itself. Sūrdās says: becoming absorbed in Hari’s form, he does not come to the end of virtues and faults. ॥
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So Chachaji is such a devotee of Bhagvan. Therefore when these rakshas came into his shelter, he remembered Shri Gusainji and made them hear the Name. So those two got the guru-connection. Therefore those two were uplifted; they attained the lila. So just as that Rajput’s daughter attained the lila, in the same way know this here too.
After that, all the Vaishnavs and Chacha Harivanshji came to Shri Gusainji at Shri Gokul. They had darshan of Shri Gusainji. Then, doing sashtang dandavat, and seeing the time (opportunity), Chacha Harivanshji told Shri Gusainji all the news about those two rakshas brothers. And he made a request to Shri Gusainji, “Maharajadhiraj! In the previous birth, who were these two brothers? And by what merit did this meeting happen to them and their upliftment occur? Kindly tell us everything.”
Then Shri Gusainji said, “These two brothers were Vaishnavs in a previous birth. They were Shri Mali Brahmins, residents of Gujarat. They served Bhagvan very well. But they were poor. One time they had gone on pilgrimage to Braj. After completing the pilgrimage, they were returning home. On the way there lived a Harivansh-jan Vaishnav. These two brothers went to his house. But that Vaishnav was not at home; he had gone somewhere to the village for work. His wife was at home. Then that woman, knowing them as Vaishnavs, lodged them in the house. Then she gave all the ingredients for simple food. After that those two brothers drew water from a well, bathed, and offered bhog. Then taking maha-prasad, at night they did kirtan. After that that woman made those two sleep inside her house itself. She spread a beautiful seat and bedding. Then they slept on it. After that, on that woman’s body there were many ornaments. The house was very wealthy.
Then at midnight the two brothers awoke. Then the younger brother said to the elder brother, ‘This woman has many ornaments, and in her house there is no one else. Therefore let us kill her, cover her face, remove all the ornaments, and take them away.’ In this way both brothers, thinking with perverse intellect, got up and began looking here and there. Then seeing a knife, taking it, one brother covered the woman’s face with cloth. One brother climbed onto her chest and struck her two times with the knife and took off all her ornaments. Then the two brothers ran away from there. In the night they went out ten to twenty kos.
After that, that woman, becoming conscious, removed the cloth from her mouth, and then cried out. Then all the people came and gathered. Arrangements were made. Then the hakim’s men came and heard the whole matter. The hakim sent ten men to search for them; they chased, but did not find them. After that her husband came home. Then he heard the whole matter. Then he said to that woman, ‘Tell the whole matter in detail.’ After that he scolded his wife. He said a lot, ‘Why did you lodge them in the house? From today onward do not do such a thing.’ Then that woman said, ‘I lodged them knowing them to be Vaishnavs.’ After that she was treated with bandages and medicine. In a few days that woman became well.
And those two brothers were going on the road, toward home. On the way thieves and swindlers kept watch. Those thieves and swindlers followed them. By the riverbank, into that ravine, they misled them and took them. There they killed both of them. And the ornaments and wealth that had been stolen—those thieves took all of it. From that day those two Brahmin brothers became rakshas. They received the preta-yoni. This happened five hundred years ago. These are Vaishnavs of the Vishnuswami sampraday. Shri Thakurji remembered them and showed mercy. Then they got darshan of Vaishnavs. Then their fault was removed. Then they gained knowledge. Now, by obtaining our sambandh, they have attained their true state. They have reached the lila.”
Bhav Prakash (Revealing the Sentiment): Because, in the lila, these are the two sakhis ‘Naro’ and ‘Varo’. They manifested from ‘Chitrlekha’, therefore their form of sentiment is tamas. They belong to Chandrakala’s group. So here, by Chacha Harivanshji, after obtaining sambandh with Shri Gusainji, they attained the lila. Here a doubt may arise: “These two did not receive brahm-sambandh, so how did they attain the lila?” There it is said: just as through Krishnadas, that courtesan’s daughter attained the lila—after that, in the lila, Lalitaji, through Shri Swaminiji, had brahm-sambandh done—so for these two, Chandrakala had brahm-sambandh done through Shri Chandravali; know it so.
Therefore a Vaishnav should walk with reflection. From a great offense such a state happens. But by the company of Vaishnavs, by darshan, Bhagvan is attained. Therefore such is the company of such Vaishnavs. Such things Shri Gusainji said from His own mouth. Hearing this, Chacha Harivanshji and the Vaishnavs became very pleased. So those degraded and fallen ones are two such mercy-recipients, Bhagvadiya ones of Shri Gusainji. Therefore to what extent should their story be told?