The Story of Gopal Jiu

Gauracandra · February 19, 2002

From “The Flow of Nectar” by Srila Gour Govinda Swami.

Some ninety kilometers north of Bhubaneswar, in the tranquil solitude of rural Orissa, amidst lotus-filled ponds and green paddy fields, lies the village of Gadai-giri. The village was named after Gadadhara-giri (Gadai means Gadadhara), a devotee of Mahaprabhu who lived there three hundre years ago. He had a son named Gopal-giri, who was very much devoted to Gopal. Gopal-giri used to worship a picture of Gopal daily with flowers, incense, sandalwood paste and the singing of wonderful bhajans. He always desired to go to Vrindavan and purchase a deity of Gopal, but being always busy in the government’s service, collecting taxes from the villagers, he simply found no time. The desire kept burning in his heart though.

One day Gopal-giri went to the tax office in Jagannatha Puri dhama to deposit the monthly collection. He spent the night in the office, sleeping on the floor. The next day when he was about to return to his village, he was astonished. Something mysterious was stopping him from leaving. The next day the same thing happened, when suddenly he heard a voice that he had never heard before, calling his name. He opened the door and saw that a babaji from Vrndavan had come to see him. Wondering why this babaji had come from such a long distance to see him, he requested the unexpected visitor to please explain.

The babaji said, “You see, actually I had come from Vrndavana carrying my Gopal, to have darsana of Lord Jagannatha, when soon I found out that Gopal had brought me here for a different reason. The first night, when I laid down to take rest, Gopal appeared in my dream telling me that, ‘You should hand Me over to My pure devotee whose name is Gopal-giri. He has been waiting for Me for many years now, and I will be very pleased to be worshipped by him. You can find him in the tax building.’ Then I woke up, ‘What? How can I leave my most worshipable Gopal, who is my heart and soul?’ I remained calm that day, thinking that it was just the imagination of my wicked mind. Then the second night again Gopal appeared in my dream. This time He was so angry with me for not having fulfilled His desire that He mercilessly beat me from leg to head.”

[...]

Gauracandra · February 19, 2002

The babaji was severely injured and covered with terrible wounds. He continued, “Then Gopal threatened me, ‘I had told you to hand Me over to My dear devotee but you simply thought it was the speculation of your mind. If you do not carry out My order by the third night, I will finish you life. Mind it, nobody will be there to help you. Now go! His name is Gopal-giri and by his soft touch the wounds on your body will be cured. No other medicine will be there.”

Gopal-giri was astonished to see that the Lord had mercifully come all the way from Vrndavana and how this babaji had been severely injured by Gopal for being reluctant to hand Him over. Then the babaji told him, “Gopal has told me that unless you touch my body nothing will be able to cure me. Please touch my body so that I may be relieved of this pain.” Then Gopal-giri touched the babaji and all the wounds on his body disappeared. The babaji thanked Gopal-giri and then departed for his return to Vrndavana leaving Gopal Jiu behind. Then Gopal-giri returned to Gadai-giri carrying Gopal Jiu with him. Upon arrival the deity was installed with abhiseka, different offerings, and kirtana. From that day, Gopal-giri spent his days offering worship and performing kirtan. One year after the installation of Gopal Jiu, the villagers brought Radharani from Vrndavana, because in the sastras it is recommended not to worship Krsna alone.

When another babaji, traveling from village to village, came to Gadai-giri, and had no place to take rest for the night, the villagers let him stay in the small temple of Gopal Jiu. Being very attracted by the beauty of Gopal, that babaji thought, “Out of their faith in me, the villagers have given me this place for the night, but before the day comes, I shall take the deity away from here, while there is nobody here.” Thinking this he took the deity of Gopal in his jhula (carry bag), and started walking, crossing over the paddy fields. After having crossed two acres, a black cobra attacked the babaji and bit him so heavily that he died immediately.

That morning when the villagers came to offer arati to Gopal Jiu, they found no Gopal there. Everyone was shocked saying, “Where is our Gopal?” The entire village started to look for Gopal, but He could not be found.

Lastly some villagers, on their way to work in the paddy fields, saw someone lying on the pathway. Immediately they ran there and saw that this person had died and it was the babaji who had stayed in the village the previous night. His entire body was blue and poisonous saliva was coming out of his mouth continuously. These are the symptoms of a snake bite, so they concluded that the babaji must have been attacked by a snake. The farmers informed the villagers that they had found the babaji lying dead in the paddy fields. Immediately the villagers rushed to the spot and concluded that, “Our Gopal has disappeared and this babaji is lying here dead. There must be some connection.” They lifted up the jhula and found the deity of Gopal there. So Gopal had punished the babaji with a poisonous snake bite, for taking Him away from His dear devotees in Gadai-giri. This is how dear the village of Gadai-giri is to Gopal Jiu.