Shri Govind Swami (1505 – 1586) lived in Antri village near Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh. He always wondered that “How will I attain the lotus feet of the Lord?” He always used to think about this question.
Arrival in Braj :
One day Shri Govind Swami thought that Braj is the abode of God and only in Braj one will attain the lotus feet of the Lord. With this thought, Govindaswami came to Braj and started living in Mahavan. He was already a poet, so in Braj also, he would compose verses and sing for the Lord.
First meeting with Shri Gusain Vitthalnath Ji:
In Mahavan, Shri Govindaswami would regularly recite the pada to Thakur Ji. Whoever listened to his pada would come and narrate it to Shri Gusain Ji in Govardhan. Gusain Ji was pleased to hear the pada. The Vaishnava would then go to Govindaswami and tell that Shri Gusain Ji is very happy to hear your pada. Hearing this, Govindaswami thought that he should go for the darshan of Shri Gusain Ji.
One day a servant of Gusain Ji had gone to Mahavan and there he met Govindaswami. Both of them started talking about pastimes of the Lord. Sri Govindaswami asked the servant, “How will the Lord be attained.”
The servant said, “Nowadays Shri Vitthalnath Ji has kept the Lord under his control, so the Lord cannot come and go anywhere. Lord is in the hands of Shri Gusain Ji.”
Hearing this, Govindaswami said, “Please take me to Shri Gusain Ji.”
Gusain Ji’s servant took Govindaswami with him and came near to Shri Gusain Ji in Gokul.
At that time Gusain Ji was doing Sandhya Tarpan (Vedic Ritual) at Thakurani Ghat. Govindaswami had darshan of Shri Gusain Ji and started thinking that he looks karma-margiya (follower of Vedic rituals), so what is the reason for this?
Then seeing Govindaswami, Shri Gusain Ji said, “Come Govindaswami, you have come after a long time.”
Govind Swami said, “Mahaprabhu, I have just arrived.” After this Govindaswami started thinking that Gusain Ji has never seen me before, then how did he know my identity? There is definitely a reason for this.
When Gusain Ji came to the temple, Govindaswami requested him, “O Mahaprabhu, please take me in your shelter.”
Shri Gusain Ji said, “Go, take a bath.”
Govindaswami came after taking a bath and Gusain Ji gave him name initiation and as soon as he heard the name of the Lord, he had a vision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead Shri Krishn, and all the pastimes of the Lord manifested in his heart. After initiation, He called himself das (servant) rather than calling Swami (master), due to which his name became Govind Das. After serving Shri Navnitpriya Ji, Gusain Ji came out of the temple. Then Govindswami pleaded to Gusain Ji, “O master, You are the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but you show deceitful form by doing Vedic rituals, due to which living beings like me are deluded.”
Shri Gusain Ji said, “The path of devotion is a tree of flowers and the path of Karma is a fence of thorns. Therefore, without the fence of the path of actions, the flower tree of the path of devotion cannot be protected.”
Govindaswami was very pleased to hear this.
Shrinathji sings on the request of Shri Govindaswamy Ji:
Shri Govindaswami Ji used to live in Mahavan and regularly sang padas to Shri Thakur Ji. Shrinathji himself used to come to Govindaswami Ji to listen to the pada. There, a Vaishnava named Madangopaldas used to come regularly to write padas.
One day Govindaswami asked Shrinathji, “You bear so much hardship to come here regularly to listen to kirtan, which shows that you have a practice of singing, so please sing something.”
Hearing this Shrinathji started singing, listening to which Swamini Shri Radha Ji appeared and started giving rhythm. Hearing this wonderful song and rhythm, Govindaswami began to feel blessed and applauded his great fortune.
At the same time, Madangopaldas came there and asked Govindaswami “There is no one to be seen here, so who are you talking to.”
Shri Govindaswami did not say anything, kept this divine secret in his heart.
One day Shri Gusain Ji asked Govindaswami “Govindaswami, how does Shri Thakur Ji sing?”
Govindaswami said, “Shri Thakur Ji sings very well but Shri Swamini Ji gives very good rhythm.”
Hearing this Shri Gusain Ji smiled and did not say anything.
