(3/9) Madan-Mohan's Miracle (Part One)

His Divine Grace Om Vishnupad
Srila Bhakti Nirmal Acharya Maharaj
Mejhiari, temple inauguration programme,
21 April 2019, noon, part 3
Translated from Bengali

If you have been to Vrindavan, you must have heard about or, perhaps, have had the darshan of Banki Bihari. There was one great singer called Tansen whose guru was Haridas Das. There is junior Haridas (Chhota Haridas) and senior Haridas (Haridas Thakur) in Nabadwip, and over there there was another Haridas, Haridas Das. This Haridas stayed in Nidhuvan, and this was where he found the Deity of Banki Bihari. This Deity became manifest through him; this Deity is still worshipped to this day in Vrindavan.

Another pastime is related to Madan-mohan, who was served by Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu.

In our Gaudiya line, there are three main Deities: Radha-Madan-mohan, Radha-Gopinath, and Radha-Govindasundar. 'Ei tina thakura gaudiyake kariyachena atmasat. These three Deities have captured the hearts of Gaudiya Vaisnavs' (Sri Chaitanya-charitamrita, 1.1.19). That is why people in villages mostly worship Madan-mohan, Radha-Gopinath or Radha-Govindasundar. Now also we have Nitai-Gaura installed in many temples in India and all over the world because Their worship is much easier. So, here is how Madan-mohan's Deity appeared.

Mathura is situated a few kilometers (perhaps, eight–ten kilometers) from Vrindavan. In olden days, when there were no cars, that area was fully covered by jungles and forests. On the order of Mahaprabhu, Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu stayed in Vrindavan in a place called Dvadasatila, and he would spend nights beneath a different tree every day. He lived by begging, and because there were many rich people in Mathura, he would go there to collect alms (madhukari). One day, he came to a beautiful house that belonged to a zamindar. The family welcomed Sanatan Goswami with much affection and lovingly gave him some rotis, curd, milk, etc. He visited them a few more times, and the family got used to him, they would lovingly called him 'Baba' (Father). One day, Sanatan Goswami asked them:

'You have a very big and beautiful house, but you do not have Gopal at home. Do you not have any children?'

'No, Prabhu. Twelve–thirteen years have passed already since we were married – we have visited so many Deities and prayed to Them for a child, but we still do not have any children.'

'Oh, but you live right here in Mathura where Lord Krishna was born – could you not have prayed to Lord Krishna? Pray to the Lord.'

'Prabhu, we do not know all these things, you are everything to us. You are the Lord to us. So could you please give us your blessing so that we may have a child?'

'Who am I to give such blessings? If Krishna bestows His mercy on you, then Gopal must certainly come to your house.'

Shortly after that conversation, the husband and the wife begot a child. Several months later the baby was born. They thought, 'It is by Prabhu's mercy that so many years later a child has come to our house.' One day, they asked Srila Sanatan Goswami what they should call the child. Sanatan Goswami replied, 'Call him Madan.'

By and by, the child started to grow, and every time Srila Sanatan Goswami came to Mathura to collect alms, he would come to that house to see the child – to see whether he could already sit up, whether he could crawl, whether he could walk, and so on.

One time, Srila Sanatan Goswami came to that house and took some rest during the niyom-seva month. As it was chaturmasya, he had long hair and a beard (it is common for sadhus to grow beards during this time). Madan came up to him and started playing with him – he pulled his hair and beard! His mother scolded him, 'Hey Madan! Father has come from very far, let him take some rest! If you love this sadhu so much, why do you not go with him to Vrindavan?' Then, she told Sanatan Goswami, 'Take him with you!' After that, she went to the kitchen to cook and got busy with household chores. Srila Sanatan Goswami took some rest and left.

As Srila Sanatan Goswami was walking back to Vrindavan, he suddenly heard the sound of ankle-bells tinkling behind him. He turned round and saw Madan walking behind him!

'Madan?! You?! Why have you left your mother? Why are you walking behind me?'

'Why? Mother said I could come with you, and she told you also to take me along. I will stay with you. I will not go back to my parents.'

'What are you saying? Your mother has struggled for so many years, practised penances, prayed and meditated on the Lord for so long to have you, and you want to stay with me leaving your mother? How can that be possible? Go back home! Go, go!'

'No, I will stay with you, do not chase me away.'

'I say quickly go back to your mother!'

By this time, Madan's mother stopped cooking and went to see where Madan was. Discovering that Madan was not at home, she asked her neighbour if she had seen her son, and the neighbour replied, 'Yes, he went that way, he was following the sadhu.' Madan's mother was surprised, 'What? Following the sadhu?' She immediately ran crying, 'Madan! Madan! Wait! I am coming!'

'You see?' Sanatan Goswami told Madan. 'Your mother is so worried, she is struggling so much to run after you. Please go back.'

'No, no. I will stay with you. I will never go back to Mother.'

Madan's mother came running and crying, 'Madan, come, come!' Madan did not stir. Finally, she ran to the place where Madan and Sanatan Goswami were standing and caught hold of her son's hand. As soon as she grabbed his hand, Madan turned into a Deity. Her boy turned into a Deity! His mother did not understand anything, 'What is this? Why are you not talking? Why are you not moving?' When she realised what had happened, she told Srila Sanatan Goswami, 'How will I serve Him now? Better you take Him with you...' When she tried to shake the boy back to life, she could not even move Him because He had become so heavy, but as soon as Srila Sanatan Goswami touched the boy, He became as light as cork.

So, Srila Sanatan Goswami Prabhu took Madan with him.

In Vrindavan, Srila Sanatan Goswami told Madan, 'What am I to feed You? I do not cook anything. I go begging and only get some dal, maybe two rotis, some vegetables and I manage with that during a few days. And because of You, I will now have to roam around the whole day...' Anyway, he went begging in the morning and could only get some flour. He did not have any rolling pin or tawa to make rotis, so he mixed the flour with some water, made it a little flat with his hands and threw the patties into a fire – the rotis turned out a little burnt on one side and raw on the other side. 'Madan, You have been eating very nicely at Your mother's house all this time, and now You have decided to stay with me. You will have to make do with whatever I give You. Here, take this roti.' Madan started to eat and said (a Deity can talk, a Deity can give witness, a Deity can steal – it is necessary to have this kind of faith; you have heard about Ksir-chor Gopinath and Saksi Gopal), 'Whatever you give Me – even if it is a half-raw, half-burnt roti – I will eat it. But... how can one eat without any salt?'

'Oh, so now You want salt? Go, go back home then!'

'No, no! I will stay with you. Please do not kick Me out, I will eat without salt.'

After Madan finished eating, he again asked Sanatan Goswami, 'Where will I sleep?'

'Hey! Sleep? Go back to Your mother! Why have You come with me? Have I not told You that I sleep under trees?'

'All right, all right... but would you mind it if I made a house for Myself?'

'Your house is Your house – You can do whatever You want. What is it to me? If You want to make a house for Yourself, You can do that...'

— : • : —

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Length: 58 min
Language: Bengali

READ OTHER PARTS:

1) Gaura-Nitai's Mercy
2) Faith in Deity
3) Madan-Mohan's Miracle (Part One)
4) Madan-Mohan's Miracle (Part Two)
5) Deity and His Devotee
6) Lord Jagannath's Appearance (Part One)
7) Lord Jagannath's Appearance (Part Two)
8) Lord Jagannath's Appearance (Part Three)
9) Eternal Deities of Eternal Servants