Bhakti Wisdom

Vrindavan Dham is full of magic. Srila Prabhupad encouraged devotees to regularly visit Vrindavan to get inspired and charge their batteries so when they return back home to their service they can continue to remain strong and enthusiastic to serve the mission.

After spending 3 months in Mayapur earlier this year and before coming back home to Bhaktivedanta manor I decided to visit Vrindavan for a few days to beg for blessings, serve and hear from sadhus and do some sadhana.I was very eager to have some private time with sadhus in the Dham after 3 month of intense Deity course in Mayapur.

Before leaving Mayapur I asked one sadhu for blessing so I could enter Vrindavan Dham.He told me: “don’t worry, Prabhupada created a place for all of us in Vraja, you will be fine”. After taking the last darshan and before leaving the temple room one devotee ran towards me saying: “prabhu prabhu, I will pray to Lord Nrsimha for you”.I could not ask for more than that, all blessings were there for me to go Sri Vrindavan Dham .

After many hours of traveling finally I reached Vrindavan Dham and after offering my obeisances I settled in my room. 

For the next 10 days my schedule was very simple, wake up in the morning,chant as many rounds of maha mantra as possible, do puja for my Deities,read Srimad Bhagavatam, serve sadhus and in the afternoon visit Krishna Balaram and Radha Damodar temple.Srila Prabhupad spend so much time in Radha Damodar temple and he would often say that this place is centre of the spiritual world.I would go there to pray for guidance and help so I can follow the instructions from sadhus that i received over the years.

I would also visit Gopeshwar Mahadev as part of my daily routine. I would beg from Lord Siva that he grants me eternal residence in Vrindavan Dham. I would spend every day there offering prayers and chanting Harinam with intention to get mercy from Mahadev so I can enter Vrindavan Dham.

It was winter time and Vrindavan was very quiet so whilst walking towards the temple or doing parikrama I would see the same faces every day. Rickshaw walas,wandering sadhus,pujaris from the temple and rest of Vrijabasis,all of them deeply absorbed in their respective duties.All of them had one thing in common, everyone was absorbed in Krishna.

I never wanted to leave this place,it was the perfect setup for me but my duties have been calling me back to the West.

On the last day I was preparing myself to leave Vraja so before leaving I went to visit Radha Damodar and Krishna Balaram temple to take last darshan and then I went to look for rickshaw walas who could drive me to the local shops so I could buy things for devotees who asked me to bring things for them to London.After explaining to rickshawala the place I want to visit he agreed to drive me there.

While driving me I noticed that he took a different route which was unknown to me but he assured me that he knows what he is doing. Once we reached the place he told me:”we are here”.I told him that that’s not the place where I asked him to bring me to but he said: “no no, this is Gopeshwar Mahadev temple, you asked me to bring you here!!”

I was very clear when I asked him to take me to the shops but he heard something else.I was shocked because I realised that that was a higher arrangement and even my driver realised and he said: “ whilst you are here now go and take darshan, you got special Gopeshwar Mahadev kripa.”

I went inside, being grateful for the special mercy I received.The moment I entered pujari came forward and gave me maha garland, a special cotton cloth was given to me and wrapped around my hand and pujari chanted special mantras for my protection whilst placing red sandalwood paste on my forehead.

For a whole week, every day I was coming to the temple but I never received all these blessings and today I didn’t plan to come and I got more than I could ever imagine.

I offered my prayers and came out in full bliss looking for my driver. When my driver saw me with maha garland, covered in sandalwood and looking so happy, He offered obeisances to me and said:”prabhuji sorry for bringing you to wrong place but I can see that you got special mercy from Lord Mahadev, now you pay or not pay, doesn’t matter, I will drive you for free wherever you want”!

That was my last day in Vraja. 

I’m missing Vrindavan, I’m missing the sadhus in Vrindavan, I’m missing walking around Vrindavan and observing the life of local devotees who are so absorbed in their service to Krishna.

My only prayer is that one day my driver will again “make a mistake” and take me to Vrindavan instead of the destination that I ask him for.

Ananta Gopal das

6.8.2020