Ramdas of Dwaraka

[Guest guest]

Ramdas of Dwaraka

Source:http://www.ramakrishnamath.com

 

In a park in the village of Tanko a boy was plucking flowers and

singing. An old man came there listening to the song. He asked the

boy, " My boy! You sang a song now. Who taught you that song? "

 

The boy replied, " Sri Krishna appeared before me in a dream and

taught me that song. "

 

The old man blessed this boy that he would become a great devotee

and have darshan of the Lord.

 

The boy Ramadas grew up. He was married. But he took up his mission

to do Bhajans and singing the Lord's name. He would go around the

streets begging with his brass bowl. He would conclude his ekadashi

fast only after feeding at least a few devotees.

 

On Ekadashi day he would walk forty miles all the way to Dwaraka,

deck the image of Krishna with flowers with garlands of Tulasi and

feel delighted. He would feed the devotees before retuning home.

This went on for a number of years.

 

As he grew old, one day he could not walk to Dwaraka. One day,

thoroughly exhausted he stopped half way near a temple and went to

sleep chanting the Lord's name

 

In a dream, he had a vision of Sri Krishna. The Lord consoled him and

said, " I will come to your place. You take me to your place. "

 

Ramadas woke up and looked around. There was a golden chariot. He

ran and mounted the chariot. He saw that the Lord's image was also

in the chariot.

 

Ramadas continued to gaze at his beloved Lord as the chariot moved

and stopped near his house. Ramadas installed the image in the front

courtyard and started doing Bhajans.

 

The next morning, people in Dwaraka were startled to find the image

of the Lord missing.

 

Soldiers started searching for the image everywhere. Presently it

came to be known that the image was at Ramadas's place. People

started for his place.

 

Learning this, Ramadas was perturbed that he would be considered to

have stolen the Lord. No one would believe that the Lord came with

him of his own accord.

 

Fearing public accusation, Ramadas placed the image on a box and

lowered it into a well. The people as well as officers came and

searched the place everywhere. At last they searched the well and

found the image there.

 

When they found the image, they made ready to take the image to

Dwaraka. Ramadas was in great anguish to be separated from his Lord.

He banged his forehead on the feet of the Lord in agony.

 

Suddenly he heard a formless voice tell him, " Say that you will give

gold equal to that of the image. They will accept the proposal and

leave the image with you. "

 

Accordingly Ramadas told the soldiers, " Sirs, please leave the divine

image. I shall give you gold equal to that of this image "

 

The panchayat was assembled. They all felt that there must have been

some miracle in the image coming so far as it was not possible for

one man to have carried the image all the way. So they decided that

if he gave gold equal to the weight of the Lord they would make

another image and leave the divine image with Ramadas.

 

A balance was set up. Ramadas placed on it, his wife's nose stud and

chain. The assembled people laughed. Ramadas said, " This is all the

gold I have. "

 

Then praying to the Lord, Ramadas placed a Tulasi leaf on the pan.

 

As soon as the Tulasi leaf was placed, the two pans balanced each

other. At once all of them realized the greatness of Ramadas's

devotion and fell at his feet.

 

On that spot where Ramadas placed and worshipped the Lord, the public

raised a temple. Even today the songs of Ramadas of Dwaraka are

being sung there

GOMU<gokulmuthu