"Madhavendra Puri's Devotional Service"

Chorus:

Madhavendra Puri was a pure and humble soul
His pastimes with Lord Krsna by Mahaprabhu were told
Lord Caitanya narrated a story He'd once heard
From Sri Isvara Puri, now please listen to these words...

Lord Caitanya Tells the Story of Madhavendra Puri to His Devotees

Once upon a time, Sri Madhavendra Puri traveled to Vrndavana, where he came upon the hill known as Govardhana. With great love, he circumambulated Govardhana Hill, then went to Govinda-kunda to take his bath. After bathing, he found a tree under which he could rest for the night.

Chorus:

Madhavendra Puri then sat down beneath the tree
Just then, an unknown cowherd boy approached him lovingly
"Within My village, no one fasts. I make sure all have food.
I heard that you are fasting, so I brought this milk for you."

A Handsome Cowherd Boy Brings Milk to Madhavendra Puri

The boy said, "Sir, I must go milk the cows. I'm leaving soon.
But I will then return to take this milk pot back from you."
He disappeared along the path, that handsome cowherd boy
Madhavendra Puri's heart was filled with wonderment and joy.

After drinking the milk, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and put it aside.
He looked toward the path, but the boy never returned. Madhavendra Puri could not sleep. He sat and chanted the Hare Krsna maha-mantra. At the end of the night he dozed a little, and began to dream...

Chorus:

In his dream Madhavendra Puri saw that cowherd boy again
The child came before him, and then took him by the hand
He led him to some bushes near the hill of Govardhana
"I'm living in this bush!" He cried, "Please go tell everyone!

The Cowherd Boy Shows Madhavendra Puri Where to Find the Deity

"Gather the devotees and bring them here to see
Please get Me out of this bush! Please come and rescue Me!
My name is Govardhanadhari, here I am in charge
Bring many men to lift Me out, for I am very large!

"Please construct a temple on the top of Govardhana
Install Me there and let all fallen souls come for darshana
Cleanse My body with cold water. I am very warm
For I have been exposed so long to scorching heat and storms."

After saying this, the boy disappeared. Madhavendra Puri woke up and realized, "I saw Lord Krsna in person, but I didn't recognize Him!" He fell down on the ground crying in ecstatic love. Madhavendra Puri cried for some time, but then he fixed his mind on executing the order of Gopala. Thus he became tranquil.

After taking his morning bath, Madhavendra Puri entered the village and announced to all the people:

Chorus:

"The Owner of this village, Govardhana-dhariji
Is lying in the bushes! Let us go immediately!
The jungle's very dense, so bring your choppers and your spades
We won't be able to find Him unless we clear the way!

All the people happily came to help. They cut down bushes, cleared a path and entered the jungle. When they saw the Deity covered with dirt and grass, they were all struck with wonder and pleasure.

Madhavendra Puri Finds the Gopala Deity

The Deity was so heavy, that just to lift Him out
Took several men together who were very strong and stout.
They carried Lord Sri Gopala to the top of Govardhana
And there, they built an altar for the Lord of everyone.

Madhavendra Puri arranged a great festival for the Lord that very day.

The Deity was bathed with hundreds of pots of water from Govinda-kunda, dressed with fine, new cloth, and offered a sumptuous feast. Arati was performed while all the people danced and sang and played musical instruments. 

Madhavendra Puri Worships Gopala

After the Lord had eaten and enjoyed the arati, He was invited to take rest on a new bed with a freshly made bedspread. Madhavendra Puri then ordered the brahmanas who had cooked for Gopala to feed the Lord's prasadam to the multitudes of people who had gathered there.

Day after day, the Lord's festival continued. Soon, a temple with a surrounding wall was built for Lord Sri Gopala, further enhancing the opulent and gorgeous worship of the Lord, which continued daily for two years. 

Then one day, Madhavendra Puri had another dream...

Chorus:

In his dream Madhavendra Puri again saw Lord Gopala
The Lord said, "My hot temperature has not cooled down at all!
Go get some pulp of sandalwood from Jagannatha Puri town
Then smear it on My body. Only this can cool Me down!"

Lord Gopala Requests Sandalwood from Madhavendra Puri

Madhavendra Puri felt such great love for Gopala
He made all the arrangements and then started towards Bengal
While traveling he came upon the town of Remuna
And there he saw the beauty of the Deity Gopinatha

He first offered obeisances and then began to dance
He chanted Krsna's holy names in pure, ecstatic trance
How they cooked for Gopinatha Madhavendra Puri wished to learn
For he planned to cook the same foods for Gopala when he returned

Lord Gopinatha's pujari told him, "Our kheer is the best.
We offer it to Gopinatha at night before He rests."
Madhavendra Puri thought, "I'd like to taste this famous kheer
So I'll know how to cook it for Gopala when I leave here!"

Madhavendra Puri thought, "If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I can then taste it and make a similar preparation to offer to my Lord Gopala." But as soon as he thought like this, Madhavendra Puri became greatly ashamed. He realized that he had desired to taste the sweet rice that was being offered to the Lord. He immediately began to think of Lord Visnu.

After the arati was finished, Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to the Deity and then left the temple without saying anything more to anyone. He sat down in the vacant village marketplace and began to chant Hare Krsna.

That night, Lord Gopinatha appeared to His pujari in a dream...

Gopinatha Appears to His Pujari

Chorus:

"Please arise, O priest, open the door and come see Me
A pot of kheer I've saved for Madhavendra Puriji
Please come and move the curtain. You will see it hidden there.
Take it to My devotee in the vacant market square."

The priest awoke, bathed, and then hurried to open the temple door. To his amazement, he found the sweet rice behind the cloth curtain, just as Lord Gopinatha had described!

Lord Gopinatha's Pujari Finds the Stolen Kheer

He removed the pot and mopped up the place where it had been kept. He then closed the door of the temple and quickly went to the village square with the pot of sweet rice. He called out in every stall in search of Madhavendra Puri. 

Chorus:

"Oh Madhavendra Puri! Please come forward! Take this kheer!
Lord Gopinatha stole it for you because you are so dear!
He hid this pot of sweet rice just behind His curtain cloth!
Oh Madhavendra Puri, you've been blessed by Gopinatha!"

Madhavendra Puri heard the priest call out his name
He got up from his resting place, then to the priest he came
The priest offered respects at Madhavendra Puri's feet
Then handed him the pot of kheer sent by the Deity.

Upon hearing of Lord Gopinatha's merciful trick, Sri Madhavendra Puri at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of Krsna.

After Delivering the Kheer, Lord Gopinatha's Priest
Offers Obeisances to Madhavendra Puri

The priest again offered his obeisances to Madhavendra Puri, then returned to the temple. Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice which had been personally sent to him by Lord Sri Krsna. After honoring the Lord's prasadam, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot, broke it into pieces, and kept the pieces in a cloth.

Fearing that because of this miracle, great crowds of people would gather in the morning, he quietly left Remuna before daybreak.

Madhavendra Puri walked and walked toward Jagannatha Puri. Along the way, each day he would eat one piece of that treasured earthen pot. Every day, after eating a piece of that broken pot, he became overwhelmed with loving devotion for Lord Sri Krsna.

Madhavendra Puri Daily Eats a Small Piece of the Broken Pot

When he reached Jagannatha Puri, Nilacala, he saw Lord Jagannatha and his heart overflowed with loving sentiments.

Madhavendra Puri Offers Obeisances to Lord Jagannatha

Chorus:

Madhavendra Puriji wasted no time at all.
He told all the devotees there the story of Gopala.
They heard His glorious pastimes and they clearly understood
That Lord Gopala felt hot and that He wanted sandalwood.

With great pleasure the devotees of Jagannatha Puri collected a large quantity of both sandalwood and camphor for the pleasure of Lord Gopala.

All necessary arrangements were then made to expedite Madhavendra Puri's return to Vrndavana. Two servants went with him to help carry the heavy load of sandalwood, and government officials provided papers to help him get through the tollgates along the way.

Madhavendra Puri Departs from Jagannatha Puri

After some days, he again reached the village of Remuna and the Gopinatha Temple there. He offered his respectful obeisances at the lotus feet of the Lord, and sang and danced in the ecstasy of love.

When Lord Gopinatha's priest saw Madhavendra Puri again, he offered all respects to him and again gave him some of Lord Gopinatha's sweet rice prasadam. Madhavendra Puri then took rest that night in the temple, and toward the end of the night he had another dream...

Gopala Instructs Madhavendra Puri to Offer Sandalwood to Gopinatha

Chorus:

Madhavendra Puri dreamed that Gopala came and said,
"Please smear all of the sandalwood on Gopinatha instead.
Gopinatha and I are the same Personality-- 
Whatever service you perform for Him, you do for Me."

Gopala disappeared and Madhavendra Puri rose.
To all Gopinatha's servants, Gopala's order he proposed:
"Please offer to Lord Gopinatha the sandalwood I've brought--
Our Lord Gopala has said it should be smeared on Gopinatha!

"My two servants will help to grind the sandalwood each day
Two other men should also help; their salaries I shall pay...
If sandalwood and camphor on Lord Gopinatha are smoothed
Lord Sri Gopala in Vrndavana will also become cooled!"

So, under the loving watch of Sri Madhavendra Puri, the camphor-scented sandalwood pulp was smeared over the body of Lord Gopinatha daily until the whole stock was finished.

Gopinatha Receives Sandalwood on Behalf of Gopala

At the end of the summer, Madhavendra Puri returned to Nilacala and stayed for the duration of the rainy season, Caturmasya.

Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu thus personally praised the nectarean characteristics of Madhavendra Puri, and while He related all this to the devotees, He personally relished it. He said, "Being obliged because of the loving affairs of Madhavendra Puri, Lord Krsna Himself appeared as the Gopala Deity, and, accepting his service, He liberated the whole world."

Chorus:

Madhavendra Puri was a pure and humble soul
His pastimes with Lord Krsna by Mahaprabhu were told
Lord Krsna came and brought him milk and saved for him some kheer
To give him personal orders, in three dreams the Lord appeared!

By Madhavendra Puri's selfless love the Lord was pleased
Thus Lord Caitanya told his tale to all the devotees
Whoever hears this true story with faith and devotion
Will surely taste pure love of God and soon he'll go back Home!

Hare Krsna Hare Krsna Krsna Krsna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare!

Based on Sri Caitanya-caritamrta, Madhya-lila, 4:21-170, "Madhavendra Puri's Devotional Service."

Words and music by Phalini devi dasi (ACBSP) 
Illustrations by Aparabhakti dasi (JPS)