Family Who Were Offensive to Their Gopala Deity

Sakshi Gopal: The Deity Who Was Called every bit a Witness

An excerpt from Sri-Caitanya-caritamrta, translation and commentary
by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

At Vidyanagara in South Republic of india in that location were once two brahmanas who decided to make a long tour to see dissimilar places of pilgrimage. Starting time they visited Gaya, and so Kasi, and so Prayaga. Finally, with keen pleasure, they came to Mathura. There they visited all twelve forests of Vrndavana, saw Govardhana Hill and at last came to the town of Vrndavana itself.

In Vrndavana, at the site where the Govinda temple is at present situated, there was at that time some other great temple where gorgeous worship of Lord Gopala was performed. When the pilgrims visited this temple, the beauty of the Gopala Deity stole abroad their minds, and feeling dandy happiness, they remained there for a few days.

One of the two brahmanas was an former human being, and the other was immature. Because the young brahmana always rendered service to the older one, the old man was very pleased with him.

Grateful Acknowledgment

After their stay in the Gopala temple, the older human told the younger, "Yous have rendered diverse types of service to me. Yous have assisted me in traveling to all these places of pilgrimage. Fifty-fifty my own son does not return me such service. Past your mercy, I did not become fatigued while on this bout. If I do not testify y'all whatsoever respect, I would exist ungrateful. Therefore, I promise to give you my daughter in charity."

The younger brahmana replied, "My dear sir, please hear me. You are saying something very unusual; such a matter never happens. While you are a most aristocratic family homo, well educated and very rich, I am not at all aristocratic. Indeed, I am without a decent education and have no wealth. Sir, I am non a suitable bridegroom for your girl. I return service to you simply for the satisfaction of Krishna. Lord Krishna is very pleased by service rendered to brahmanas, and when the Lord is pleased, the opulence of one's devotional service increases."

The older brahmana replied, "My dear boy, do not doubt me. I shall give you my daughter in charity, for I have already decided this."

The young brahmana said, "You have a married woman and sons, and you accept a large circle of relatives and friends. Without their consent, y'all cannot mayhap give me your girl in charity."

"My girl is my ain property," said the elderly brahmana. "If I choose to give my belongings to someone, who has the power to terminate me? My dear boy, I shall give my daughter to you in charity, and I shall ignore the position of all others. Don't doubt me in this regard; merely have my proposal."

The younger brahmana replied, "If y'all accept actually decided to requite your immature daughter to me, so say so before the Gopala Deity."

Solemn Vow

Coming before Gopala, the elderly brahmana said, "My dearest Lord, delight witness that I have given my daughter to this boy."

In India the custom is to laurels any promise made earlier the Deity. Such a hope cannot exist canceled. In Indian villages, whenever there is a quarrel betwixt two parties, they get to a temple to settle information technology. Whatever is spoken in front of the Deity is taken to be true, for no one would dare lie before the Deity.

Then the younger brahmana addressed the Deity, saying, "My dear Lord, You are my witness. If necessary, I shall call for You to testify later on."

Later these talks, the two brahmanas started for domicile. Every bit usual, the young brahmana accompanied the elderly brahmana every bit if the older human being were his guru (spiritual master) and rendered service to him in various means.

Upon arriving in Vidyanagara, each brahmana went to his corresponding home. Later some time, the elderly brahmana became very anxious. He began to think, "I have given my discussion to a brahmana in a holy place, and what I promised volition certainly come to pass. I must now disembalm this to my wife, sons, other relatives and friends."

Thus the elderly brahmana chosen for a meeting of all his relatives and friends, and before them he narrated what had taken place in forepart of Gopala. When those who belonged to the family circumvolve heard the narration of the old brahmana, they made exclamations showing their disappointment, and requested that he not make such a proposal once more. They unanimously agreed: "If yous offer your daughter to a degraded family, your elite will exist lost. When people hear of this, they will make jokes and laugh at you."

The elderly brahmana said, "How can I undo the promise I made in a holy place while on pilgrimage? Whatever may happen, I must requite my daughter to the young brahmana."

Ominous Threat

In one case once more, the relatives were unanimous. "If you give your daughter to that boy, we shall surrender all connection with you lot." Indeed, his wife and sons declared, "If such a thing happens, we shall take toxicant and die."

The elderly brahmana said, "If I do non requite my daughter to the young brahmana, he will phone call Sri Gopalaji as a witness. Thus he will take my daughter by strength, and in that example my religious principles will go meaningless."

The old homo's son replied, "The Deity may be a witness, but He is in a afar land. How can He come to deport witness against you? Why are you so broken-hearted over this? Also, you lot do non have to flatly deny y'all spoke such a thing. There is no demand to make a false statement. Simply say that yous exercise not remember what you lot said, and I shall take care of the rest. By argument, I shall defeat the young brahmana."

The son of the elderly brahmana was an atheist. Consequently, he did non believe in the spiritual position of the Deity, nor did he have any organized religion in the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As a typical idol worshiper, he considered the form of the Lord to exist made of stone or wood. Thus he bodacious his begetter that the witness was simply a stone Deity and was not capable of speaking. Likewise that, he bodacious his male parent that the Deity was situated far away and consequently could non come up to bear witness.

Hopeful Plea

When he heard his son's argument, the mind of the elderly brahmana became very agitated. Feeling helpless, he only turned his attending to the lotus feet of Gopala and prayed, "My love Lord Gopala, I accept taken shelter of Your lotus feet, and therefore I request Y'all to please protect my religious principles from disturbance and at the same time save my kinsmen from dying."

The next day, while the elderly brahmana was thinking deeply about this matter, the young brahmana came to his house. Later coming before the erstwhile human and offering respectful obeisances, he very humbly folded his hands and spoke as follows: "You lot have promised to give your girl to me, but now you do not say anything. What is your conclusion?"

The elderly brahmana remained silent. Taking this opportunity, his son immediately came out of the house with a stick to strike the younger human. The son said, "Oh, you are most degraded! You want to marry my sis, just like a dwarf who wants to catch the moon!"

Seeing the stick in the hand of the son, the younger brahmana fled. The next day, still, he gathered together all the people of the village. They called for the elderly brahmana and brought him to their meeting place. The young brahmana then began to speak before them as follows: "This gentleman has promised to give his daughter to me, yet now he does non go on his promise. Please ask him about his behavior."

Sensitive Inquiry

All the people gathered there addressed the elderly brahmana: "Why are you not fulfilling your hope? You have given your discussion of honor."

The elderly brahmana said, "My dear friends, I do not exactly retrieve making a promise similar that."

When the old human's son heard this, he took the opportunity to juggle some words. Becoming very impudent, he stood before the assembly and said, "While touring various holy places of pilgrimage, my male parent carried much money. Seeing the money, this rogue decided to steal it. There was no one besides this man with my father. Giving him an intoxicant known as dhutura to swallow, this rogue made my father mad. Then he took all my father's money and claimed that it had been taken by some thief. Now he is claiming that my father has promised to give him my sister in charity. All of y'all assembled hither are gentlemen. Delight judge whether it is befitting to offer this poor brahmana my father's daughter."

Hearing these statements, all the people gathered there became a little doubtful. They thought it was quite possible that because of attraction for riches, one might give upwardly his religious principles.

At that fourth dimension, the immature brahmana said, "My dear gentlemen, delight hear. Just to gain victory in an argument, this man is lying. Being very satisfied with my service, this brahmana said to me of his own accord, 'I hope to give my girl to you.' At that time, I forbade him to do this, telling him, 'O all-time of the brahmanas, I am not a fit husband for your girl. Whereas you lot are a learned scholar, a rich man belonging to an aloof family, I am a poor human, uneducated and with no merits to aristocracy.'

"All the same, this brahmana insisted. Once more and again he asked me to take his proposal, proverb, 'I have given y'all my daughter. Please accept her.' I then said, 'Delight hear me. You are a learned brahmana. Your wife, friends and relatives will never agree to this proposal. My dear sir, you will non be able to fulfill your promise. Your promise will be broken.'

"All the same, again and again the brahmana emphasized his promise. 'I have offered yous my daughter,' he said. 'Exercise not hesitate. She is my daughter, and I shall give her to you. Who can forbid me?'

"At that time I concentrated my heed and requested the brahmana to make the promise earlier the Gopala Deity. When we came before the Deity, this admirer said, 'My dear Lord, please witness that I have offered my daughter to this brahmana in charity.'

"Accepting the Gopala Deity as my witness, I then submitted the following at His lotus anxiety: 'My dear Lord, if this brahmana after hesitates to give me his daughter, I shall phone call on You as a witness. Please note this with care and attending.' Thus I have called upon a peachy personality in this transaction. I take asked the Supreme Godhead to exist my witness. The unabridged world accepts the words of the Supreme Personality of Godhead."

Although the immature brahmana described himself as having no claims to aristocracy and every bit being an uneducated common man, still he had some expert qualifications: he believed that the Supreme Personality of Godhead was the topmost authority, he accepted the words of Lord Krishna without hesitation, and he had firm organized religion in the Lord's consistency. When the young brahmana was finished speaking, the elderly brahmana immediately agreed to his argument. He said, "If Gopala personally comes here to serve as a witness, I shall surely give my girl to the young brahmana." The elderly brahmana's son also immediately agreed, saying, "Yes, this is a very nice settlement."

The same Gopala Deity who testified in the dispute between two brahmanas was moved to this temple in Cuttak, Bharat, from Vidyanagara by Rex Purusottama.

Absolute Arrangement

As the Supersoul within the heart of all living entities, Krishna knows anybody's desire, everyone'due south request and everyone'southward prayer. The father and son were thinking in a contradictory way, yet Krishna created a state of affairs wherein they both agreed.

The elderly brahmana thought, "Since Lord Krishna is very merciful, He will certainly come up to prove my statement."

The atheistic son idea, "It is not possible for Gopala to come and bear witness." Thinking like this, both begetter and son agreed.

The young brahmana took this opportunity to speak: "Please write this downward so that you may not again modify your word of honor." All the assembled people got this statement down in blackness and white and, taking the signatures of understanding from both of them, served as the mediators.

The young brahmana then said, "Will all you lot gentlemen present please hear me? This elderly brahmana is certainly truthful and is post-obit religious principles. He has no want to break his hope, but fearing that his kinsmen will commit suicide, he is diffusive from the truth. By the piety of the elderly brahmana, I shall call the Supreme Personality of Godhead every bit a witness. Thus I shall go along his truthful promise intact."

The young brahmana immediately started for Vrndavana. Upon arriving in that location, he first offered his respectful obeisances to the Deity and so narrated everything in total item. "My Lord," he said, "You are the protector of brahminical civilisation, and You lot are also very merciful. Therefore, kindly show your not bad mercy by protecting the religious principles of u.s.a. ii brahmanas. My dear Lord, I am not thinking to become happy past getting the girl as a bride. I am simply thinking that the old brahmana has cleaved his promise, and that is giving me great pain."

Selfless Request

It was not at all the intention of the young brahmana to get the daughter of the elderly brahmana in marriage and thus enjoy material happiness and sense gratification. His simply concern was that the elderly brahmana had promised something, and if Gopala did not prove to that transaction, so the older brahmana would incur a spiritual blemish. That is why the boyfriend went to Vrndavana to ask the Deity for protection and aid. The immature brahmana was a pure Vaisnava (devotee of the Lord), and his just desire was to serve the Supreme Personality of Godhead and the older brahmana, who was too very devoted to the Lord.

The young brahmana continued, "My dear Sir, You lot are very merciful and You know everything. Therefore, kindly be a witness in this instance. A person who knows things as they are and notwithstanding does not comport witness becomes involved in sinful activities."

The dealings between a devotee and the Lord are very uncomplicated. The immature brahmana said to the Lord, "You know everything, but if You do not bear witness, You volition be involved in sinful activities." There is no possibility, however, of the Lord's being involved in sinful activities. A pure devotee, fifty-fifty though he knows everything of the Supreme Lord, tin speak with the Lord exactly as if He were a mutual human.

Lord Krishna replied, "My dear brahmana, become dorsum to your home and phone call a coming together of all the men. In that meeting, just try to remember Me. I shall certainly announced in that location, and at that fourth dimension I shall protect the accolade of both you brahmanas by bearing witness to the promise."

"My dear Sir," said the young brahmana, "even if You lot announced there as a 4-handed Visnu Deity, still, none of those people will believe in Your words. Only if You go at that place in this grade of Gopala and speak the words from Your beautiful face will Your testimony be accepted past all the people."

Lord Krishna said, "I've never heard of a Deity'south walking from one place to some other."

The brahmana replied, "That is true, only how is it that You are speaking to me, although Y'all are a Deity? My dearest Lord, Yous are not a statue; You are actually Krishna, the son of Maharaja Nanda. Now, for the sake of the quondam brahmana, You can do something You lot accept never done before."

Gracious Consent

Sri Gopalaji and so smiled and said, "My dear brahmana, but listen to Me. I shall walk behind you, and in this way I shall go with you."

Those who have understood the scientific discipline of Krishna—Krishna'south name, form, quality and so forth—tin can likewise talk with the Deity. To an ordinary person, all the same, the Deity will appear to be made of stone, woods or another material. In the higher sense, since all material elements ultimately emanate from the supreme spiritual entity, nothing is really material. Being omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, Krishna can bargain with His devotees in any form without difficulty. By the mercy of the Lord, the devotee knows perfectly well about the Lord'south dealings. Indeed, he tin talk face to confront with Him.

The Lord connected, "Do not attempt to encounter Me by turning effectually. As shortly equally you run across Me, I shall remain stationary in that very place. You lot will know that I am walking behind you past the sound of My ankle bells. Cook one kilo of rice daily and offer it to Me. I shall eat that rice and follow behind you."

The next solar day, the brahmana started for home, and Gopala followed him, step past step. While he walked, the immature brahmana could hear the tinkling audio of the Lord's ankle bells. The brahmana became very pleased, and he cooked first-course rice for Gopala to eat. When he neared his own village, the young man began to recall as follows:

Cheering Arrival

"Having now come to my ain village, I shall go home and tell all the people that the witness has arrived." Then the brahmana turned to look back, and he saw that Gopala, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, was standing there smiling.

The Lord told the brahmana, "Now you lot tin go home. I shall stay here. Practise not fear."

The immature brahmana and so went to the town and informed everyone of Gopala's arrival. They were struck with wonder. All the townspeople went to see the witness Gopala, and when they saw Him actually standing there, they all offered their respectful obeisances. They were very pleased to see the beauty of Gopala, and when they heard He had actually walked there, they were all amazed.

Then the elderly brahmana, existence very pleased, came frontwards and immediately savage similar a stick in front of Gopala. Thus in the presence of all the townspeople, Lord Gopala diameter witness that the elderly brahmana had offered his daughter in clemency to the young brahmana.

After the marriage anniversary was performed, the Lord informed both brahmanas, "You two brahmanas are My eternal servants birth afterward birth. I accept become very pleased by the truthfulness of yous both. Now you can inquire for a benediction."

With great pleasance, the brahmanas said, "Please remain here and then that people all over the globe will know how merciful You are to Your servants." Thus Lord Gopala stayed, and the two brahmanas engaged in His service. Afterward hearing of the incident, many people from dissimilar provinces began to come to encounter Gopala. Eventually the king of the province in which Vidyanagara is located heard this wonderful story, and he also came to see Gopala. Being very satisfied, the king constructed a nice temple, and regular service was executed. Thus, the Deity became very famous as Saksi-Gopala, the Gopala who bore witness to the matrimony vow.

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Source: https://back2godhead.com/sakshi-gopal-the-deity-who-was-called-as-a-witness/

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