Sri Madhavendra Puri’s Discovers Gopal

Once, Çré Mädhavendra Puré traveled to Våndävana, where he came upon the hill known as Govardhana.

Mädhavendra Puré was almost mad in his ecstasy of love of Godhead, and he did not know whether it was day or night. Sometimes he stood up, and sometimes he fell to the ground. He could not discriminate whether he was in a proper place or not.

After circumambulating the hill, Mädhavendra Puré went to Govinda- kuëòa and took his bath. He then sat beneath a tree to take his evening rest.

While he was sitting beneath a tree, an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk, placed it before Mädhavendra Puré and, smiling, addressed him as follows.

“O Mädhavendra Puré, please drink the milk I have brought. Why don’t you beg some food to eat? What kind of meditation are you undergoing?”

When he saw the beauty of that boy, Mädhavendra Puré became very satisfied. Hearing His sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst.

Mädhavendra Puré said, “Who are You? Where do You reside? And how did You know that I was fasting?”

The boy replied, “Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts.

“In this village a person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk, but if a person does not ask anyone for food, I supply him all his eatables.

“The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and sent Me to you.”

The boy continued, “I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you.”

Saying this, the boy left the place. Indeed, He suddenly could be seen no more, and Mädhavendra Puré’s heart was filled with wonder.

After drinking the milk, Mädhavendra Puré washed the pot and put it aside. He looked toward the path, but the boy never returned.

Mädhavendra Puré could not sleep. He sat and chanted the Hare Kåñëa mahä- mantra, and at the end of the night he dozed a little, and his external activities stopped.

In a dream Mädhavendra Puré saw the very same boy. The boy came before him and, holding his hand, took him to a bush in the jungle.

The boy showed Mädhavendra Puré the bush and said, “I reside in this bush, and because of this I suffer very much from severe cold, rain showers, winds and scorching heat.

“Please bring the people of the village and get them to take Me out of this bush. Then have them situate Me nicely on top of the hill.

“Please construct a temple on top of that hill,” the boy continued, “and install Me in that temple. After this, wash Me with large quantities of cold water so that My body may be cleansed.

“For many days I have been observing you, and I have been wondering, ‘When will Mädhavendra Puré come here to serve Me?’

“I have accepted your service due to your ecstatic love for Me. Thus I shall appear, and by My audience all fallen souls will be delivered.

“My name is Gopäla. I am the lifter of Govardhana Hill. I was installed by Vajra, and here I am the authority.

“When the Muslims attacked, the priest who was serving Me hid Me in this bush in the jungle. Then he ran away out of fear of the attack.

“Since the priest went away, I have been staying in this bush. It is very good that you have come here. Now just remove Me with care.”

After saying this, the boy disappeared. Then Mädhavendra Puré woke up and began to consider his dream.