Posts tagged patna

Ramdas finds a ‘svarupa’ of Lord Krshna:

Ramdas once in the company of a wandering devotee went on a pilgrimage to the Ganga Sagar where he found amongst the sand, a ‘svarupa’ of Child Krshna. On showing the ‘swarupa’ to his companion, his friend exclaimed, ‘It is your great fortune to have found such a deity. Now you should perform his worship.’ Ramdas then mentioned that he did not have a guru, to which the devotee replied that he should become the disciple of Shri Mahaprabhu, who had just gone to Jagannath Puri. Hearing that, Ramdas headed home to fetch his wife so that they both might receive initiation.

Having just arrived at Jagannath Puri Ramdas happened to stay at the same garden where Shri Mahaprabhu was. At that moment Shri Mahaprabhu casually asked him, ‘Ramdas, how did you find that ‘svarupa’ of Lord Krshna at the Ganga Sagar? Please show him to me.’ Surprised, Ramdas thought, ‘He must be a great soul. He has never seen me, yet he knows of my discovery.’ Ramdas bowed to Shri Mahaprabhu and requested him to grace his home. The guru then visited his home in Patna, where he initiated Ramdas and his wife, and taught them the ways of devotional service. From that day, Ramdas performed Krshna’s ‘seva’ strictly and diligently.

The Lord cannot bear his devotee’s trouble:

Once Ramdas began to run out money and any he had left he gave to some weavers, who repaid him with interest. Ramdas expressed the pleasure he experienced on receiving the interest on his money to the Lord, the Lord replied to him ‘You have put the interest of those weavers above me even’. Ramdas then realised that his attraction for money was a hindrance to his devotional service to the Lord. Thus he requested to the weavers to return the principal saying ‘I have some work with my Lad. I am obliged to do whatever he says’. The weaver thinking that he was talking of an ordinary child returned the money. When Ramdas had completely exhausted his wealth his attachment to currency was finally severed.

On another occasion Ramdas borrowed money from a businessman and when he demanded his money back Ramdas borrowed it from another businessman. Ramdas became very distressed when he could not repay the money and thus returned home. The Lord being unable to tolerate the trouble of his devotee repaid the businessman with one hundred extra rupees, signed Ramdas’s name and then left. Several days later Ramdas was walking when the businessman (who Ramdas believed he still owed money to) fell to his feet and said ‘You have kept your promise. You have repaid me with one hundred extra rupees; please take the additional rupees back.’ Ramdas then realised that the Lord must have given him the money and when he went to the shop he found his signature that had been signed by the Lord. From this moment Ramdas saw the difficulties he was causing to Krshna and thus from this incident his false pride in performing Krshna’s ‘seva’ was removed.

Ramdas becomes a policeman:

Ramdas took up employment as a policeman in Prayaga. On one occasion when he went to visit Shri Mahaprabhu, Shri Mahaprabhu said to the people there ‘Ramdas is the most blessed.’ The other Vaishnavas unable to understand this asked ‘why is he blessed since he has left his ‘strict seva’ to work as a policeman. Shri Mahaprabu replied ‘he is blessed because he is concerned that he may not cause his Lord any inconveniences. His spiritual firmness is unmatched.’

All seva is equal:

Ramdas was never interested in receiving any fame or glory for his ‘seva’ and he looked upon all types of service whether grandiose or unobtrusive as being equal. Once Shri Mahaprabhu on his way to the Shri Yamuna river noticed a ditch in front of his door, Ramdas hearing this started to fill in the hole immediately. When Shri Mahaprabhu returned he saw the hole gone and Ramdas’s soiled clothes, he then praised Ramdas for doing this. Ramdas considered it a great fortune to have had this chance to serve Shri Mahaprabhu.

A desire for a child:

Once Ramdas’s wife expressed her desire to have a child. Ramdas enlightened her by saying ‘your desire will be fulfilled when you serve the Lord with maternal feelings.’ Ramdas told his wife to worship Krshna in order to attain the transcendental emotional state of Krshna’s mother, Yashoda. But since Ramdas’s wife’s understanding was not sublime, she performed the Lord’s ‘seva’ with the hope of having a son. Her wish was granted and she
was gave birth to a son.

Ramdas never had any material/worldly desires and thus received his Guru’s full flavour.