About 600 years ago lived a great devotee of Lord Krishna by the name of Sripad Madhavendera Puri. He used to chant the names of Krishna continuously, eyes full of tears, always in remembrance of Krishna. Being an Acharya of such high moral principles category, he never asked for anything from anyone. If someone gave him something to eat, he would accept it, or else he was always involved in kirtan and bhajan.
He always walked to places while doing kirtan and chanting names from one pilgrimage to another.
Madhavendra Puri Arrived At Vrindavan
Almost 600 years ago, when Madhvendra Puri Ji reached Vrindavan while doing kirtan, he started taking a round of Goverdhan Parvat, during which he reached Govind Kund and decided to rest there. Govind Kund is a famous place where 5000 years ago Indra did Abhishek of Sri Krishna, so it was in reality full of the water from Sri Krishna’s lotus feet. So when Madhvendera Puri reached there, his Love for Krishna increased manifold, and he was overwhelmed with devotion for Lord Krishna. He started wondering about Lord Krishna’s merciful nature, His pastimes, and how he mercifully gave us the water from his lotus feet.
Also Read: Ekadashi Fasting
A Cowherd Boy Brings Milk For Sri Madhavendra Puri
While he was doing bhajan under a tree at Vrindavan, a little boy arrived there and said to Acharya Sri Madhavendra Puri,” Baba, you are sitting here, why don’t you eat something, why don’t you ask for something? In my village, no one stays hungry, and you have not asked anything, so I have got a pot of milk for you.”
Sri Madhavendra Puri was amazed and said, “How did you know that I am hungry? The little cowherd boy smilingly replied, “Some ladies were passing through here, and they saw that you are sitting here and doing bhajan, so those ladies have sent this. In Braj, no one stays hungry; you must drink this milk. I will come back after some time and take my milk pot.”
When Sri Madhavendra Puri saw the little boy, he became so filled with love that his tiredness disappeared, and he forgot that he was hungry. The boy went away, so Madhavendera Puri drank the milk and started bhajan again.
Lord Krishna Appears To Sri Madhavendra Puri
While chanting Hare Krishna Mahamantra, he fell asleep and saw a dream where he saw the same cowherd little boy. The boy said, “Baba, I was waiting for you here.” In that dream, the cowherd boy took hold of Madhavendera Puri’s hand and took him to Giriraj. Upon arriving, he said, “In this forest, there is my Deity.”
So that cowherd boy was none other than Lord Krishna himself, who saw that his loving devotee was hungry and got milk for him. Lord Krishna declares in the Bhagavadgita that I will protect what you have and provide what you lack. So with this incident, the Lord proved his promise. In the same dream, Lord Krishna told Sri Madhavendra Puri, “My name is Gopala, and my Deity is buried in this place. I am the owner of this place. Some years ago, a Muslim king attacked this place, and the priest buried Lord Gopals’s Deity and fled the place towards safety.”
This tale is also the Lila of Lord Krishna. He told Sri Madhavendra Puri,” I want you to serve me and care for my Deity. I want you to take me out of this place and bath me as I am feeling so hot while under the soil.”
Deity Is Evacuated
After learning this, he woke up from his dream and was so amazed that the Lord himself got him milk in the form of a cowherd boy. Sri Madhavendra Puri got a little sad that he took service from God, as great devotees of God want to serve God, but they don’t want service from God. But, he stopped thinking about this because more pressing matters were at hand. Acharya Sri Madhavendra Puri shifted his complete focus towards the Lord’s orders given to him. So he went to the villagers and told them that Lord Krishna had come in his dream and informed him about the Deity in the forest of Giriraj.
All the villagers got ready and went there with Madhavendera Puri to start digging at that place, where they discovered a beautiful Deity of Lord Gopal. The Brij people felt immense pleasure upon the appearance of Lord Gopal in their lives.
Overjoyed, all Brijwasi people then lifted the heavy statue and placed it in the specific spot as instructed by Madhvendra Puri. He called Brahmans and brought nine hundred clay pots full of water as Lord Gopal had requested that he was feeling so hot, and with 900 clay pots full of water, they gave a bath to the Gopal statue and massaged the statue with fragrant oils and milk. After that, they offered new clothes and ornaments to the Lord. After that, villagers brought lots of food and grains from their houses, and Madhvendra puri asked ten Brahmans to cook food for the pleasure of Lord Gopal. Within a short span, the whole of Goverdhan hill was full of innumerable delicacies. Chapatis, dal, rice, sweets, delectable vegetables were all presented in front of the diety’s statue.
Serving the Lord in His Deity Form
The Lord appears in Deity form so we could get an opportunity to serve him. Krishna is present in every atom; moreover, even a tiny Ant has a Soul and Supersoul. So Deity worship is of utmost importance. All the deities in ISKCON Temples are equivalent to appeared Deity. We should hence serve the Lord in his deity forms.
Nityananda Prabhu and Madhavendra Puri’s Transcendental Union
Nityananda Prabhu was Divinely United with Madhavendra Puri during his sacred pilgrimage throughout India. Providence brought Nityananda Prabhu to Madhavendra Puripada in the western parts of India during his holy trip to sanctify the country’s holy spots. As they saw each other, they were engulfed in ecstasy and had deep spiritual experiences.
Madhavendra Puri’s unmatched devotion was frequently lauded by Shri Gaurcandra, and his pupils, too, were deeply touched by the immense love surrounding their teacher and Nityananda Prabhu. Joyful tears and exuberant hugs greeted their reunion as they lost themselves in Krishna-katha ecstasy.
Madhavendra Puri demonstrated his great devotion to God by falling asleep whenever he saw a raincloud, and Nityananda Prabhu also showed a comparable level of passion, behaving crazedly and shaking with pleasure. Their group, unable to absorb such divine demonstrations, withdrew, leaving the two saints to enjoy their private spiritual communion. Madhavendra Puri praised Nityananda for being the epitome of heavenly love, astonished at the divine blessing bestowed upon him through his friendship.
Nityananda Prabhu and Madhavendra Puri travelled together as gurus and disciple, their consciousness surpassing material worries. Madhavendra Puri departed from Krishna with great devotion, leaving a legacy of love and students, including notable figures such as Shri Advaita Acharya and Shri Nityananda Prabhu. Abundant with heavenly love, Madhavendra Puri’s body became the dwelling place of Krishna’s pastimes, while his worshippable deity, Gopalji, continues to be honoured by Vallabhacharya’s devotees in Nathdwar, Rajasthan.
