The Pushti Marg saints: The Story of Chacha Harivamsa

The Pushti Marg saints: Varta 3: The Story of Chacha Harivamsa

Chacha Harivamsa was a Kshatriya from the east who lived in a village four miles from Patna.

Bhavaprakasha: This Chacha Harivamsaji was a devotee of the rajasi type [divine passionate nature]. His lila name is Chandrakala, who appeared from Sri Lalitaji and is therefore an expression of her inner heart. Sri Chandravaliji has much love for this Chandrakala. Why? Because she is a very close and revered sakhi and is particularly good at conveying messages. She is effulgent like a segment of the moon. Seeing her, devotees and even Sri Thakurji find her very attractive. Chandrakala’s function is to bring together the Lord and His devotees and make the love between them grow. In this way she spreads the Path of Love.

Here on earth, the Path of Grace was expanded by Chacha Harivamsaji. How is this known? It was on the request of Chacha Harivamsaji that Sri Gusainji composed the treatise Śṛṅgāra-rasa-maṇḍana and other works that throw light onto the Path of Grace. Also, on witnessing Chacha Harivamsaji’s behaviour and actions, many many divine souls took shelter of the Path. His influence was such that wherever he went countless souls found surrender.

Sri Gusainji also authorized Chacha Harivamsaji to initiate souls with the first Name initiation. So he made many Vaishnavas and the Path of Grace was thus widely extended.

He was born in a village about four miles from Patna in the east into a family of Kshatriyas. His father had four sons of whom Chacha was the youngest. He was only five when his parents died. He did not study to a high grade and was not married. From his very birth he was a celibate and knew nothing of family life. He would go around anywhere where the Lord divine pastimes were being eulogized. He grew up in this way. He would travel alone to pilgrimage places.

One day he arrived in Varanasi and spent many days there in the company of holy men and renunciates. However his consciousness found no lasting peace. He was restless and dissatisfied. Day and night he was simply engaged in the thought of how to attain the Lord.

Some days later Sri Gusainji came to Varanasi. One day he was bathing at the Manikarnika Ghat. At the same time there was group of renunciates having a discussion on the meaning of the scriptures and the discussion got a bit heated. This was when Chacha Harivamsaji caught sight of Sri Gusainji. The renunciates’ discussion was not reaching a conclusion. On seeing Sri Gusainji Chacha Harivamsaji approached him.

Witnessing his enlightened glow Chachaji supplicated him, “O Maharaj! Please accept me into the Path of Devotion. I have been wandering around for a long time. I have associated with many holy men but up till now never felt spiritual satisfaction. Just by seeing you my spirit feels joy and I am experiencing extraordinary bliss by hearing your words. Please bless and accept me.”

Sri Gusainji replied, “O Chacha Harivamsaji, I have come here for your sake alone. Do not worry about anything. Bathe in the Ganga River and I will initiate you in the water itself.”

Chachaji bathed in the Ganges and Sri Gusainji initiated him into the Path while he was in the water. Chachaji immediately recognized Sri Gusainji’s true form and Sri Gusainji kept Chachaji by his side. Chachaji learnt all the ways and practices of the Path of Grace from Sri Gusainji. The duties and principles of the Path of Grace became firmly established in his heart. So great was Sri Gusainji’s grace upon Chacha Harivamsaji.

From then on Sri Gusainji would take Chachaji to remote places and discuss the pastimes of the Lord with him. With Sri Gusainji’s blessings, Chacha Harivamsa ji remained constantly immersed in the bliss of the Lord’s loving Essence. He was totally full of such bliss. Therefore he did not take to serving any other personal deities. On Sri Gusainji’s instruction he would travel around and collect donations for Sri Nathaji. He would instruct any Vaishnavas that he met on the way about the form and essence of the Path of Grace.

Sri Acharyaji had retained Damodardas Harshani to teach his sons Sri Gopinathaji and Sri Gusainji the ways of the Path of Grace after he departed from the earth. In the exact same way Sri Gusainji retained Chacha Harivamsaji to teach his seven sons. After Sri Gusainji departed Chacha would pretend to go to the sons to hear their discourses and then discuss the secret doctrines of the Path with them. The seven sons and Sri Gusainji’s whole family respected and obeyed Chachaji. Chachaji lived on the planet for a very long time.

Chacha Harivamsaji was quite old. That is why everyone addressed him as Chacha [uncle]. Once Sri Gusainji sent Chachaji from Arail to Gujarat. Sri Gusainji was living in Arail at that time. Chachaji asked him, “Where should I go, leaving your lotus feet? I cannot live without you.”

Sri Gusainji replied, “Go to Rajnagar, to a place named Asaruva and there you should keep company with Bhaila Kothari. I shall constantly let you see me there.’’

Bhavaprakasha: Why? Bhaila Kothari’s attachment to Sri Gusainji was solid. Because of her love Sri Gusainji was always present in her home. Sri Gusainji sent Chachaji there so that Bhaila Kothari would experience deep nourishment for her love through his association.

Hearing Sri Gusainji’s instructions Chacha Harivamsaji took his leave and set off for Gujarat. He came to Rajanagar where he presented Sri Gusainji’s garland, prasad and the water in which his feet had been washed to the Vaishnavas. Then he went to Asaruva and went to Bhaila Kothari’s home. All the Vaishnavas of that area came there to meet Chachaji. They were so happy to see him.

Bhavaprakasha: Why? Chachaji embodied acceptance by and relationship to Sri Nathaji and Sri Gusainji. On seeing him the Vaishnavas remembered Sri Nathaji and Sri Gusainji and thus became overjoyed. It is a feature of loving devotional sentiment that wherever even a tiny bit of that relationship is evident the devotee will run towards it.

After this Chacha Harivamsaji gave prasad to all the Vaishnavas gathered there. He stayed in Asurava village for some days. Sri Gusainji would grant his sight to Chachaji every day in Bhaila Kothari’s home. Then the Vaishnavas of that place all got together and collected some wealth which they gave to Chachaji. He asked Bhaila where he might be able to procure some best quality items like camphor, sandal paste and fragrant aloe wood or anything else that he might bring for Sri Thakurji. Bhaila told him that he would be able to find such items in Khambhaich. Chachaji had a cheque prepared for the amount of the donations and set off for Khambhaich. He arrived there.

At a very short distance from Khambhaich there is a small lake named Narayanasar. Chachaji Harivamsa came there with four Vaishnavas. They stopped there to cook, make the offerings and partake of Mahaprasad. They spent the night there and in the morning, having completed their ablutions, went into the town. They went all over the town, but Chachaji could not find a single Vaishnava. So Chachaji began to ask people there, “Where could I find an upstanding man who can always be trusted to speak the truth around here?”

He put the same question to Madhodas. Madhodas was a broker. He replied to Chachaji that there was a draper who might fit the bill and that if Chachaji went with him he would show him to this draper’s shop. Madhodas led Chachaji to this draper’s shop. This man’s name was Sahajpal Dosi. Chachaji sat down in his shop and began to show him all his best items. Chachaji bought whatever he found suitably lovely. He paid Sahajpal with a cheque for four thousand rupees and asked him to take out of that whatever the goods were worth and to return to him any money that was left over. Having said this he got up to leave.

Sahajpal presented Chachaji with some sugar sweets and some cardamom seeds. Chacha Harivamsaji told Sahajpal that he had no use for these. Sahajpal told him to give them to the men who had accompanied him there. Chachaji repeated that these were of absolutely no use to any of them and that he should give them to his men instead, on his behalf. He then took his leave and returned to the Narayanasar lake.

Madhodas Dalal, the broker, accompanied Chachaji to come and see where he was camped. On the way, Chachaji asked him which spiritual lineage he belonged to. Meanwhile he explained that his own sampradaya was that of Sri Vallabhacharyaji who had taken birth in order to defeat the Mayavadis [impersonalists]. He had also firmly established the Path of Devotion known as the Vallabha Sampradaya. He told Madhodas that Sri Acharyaji’s son was Sri Vitthalnathaji who resides in Arail, and that whilst the Path traditionally known as the Vishnuswami Path remained intact, within this he had introduced a Path where Seva to the Lord was the very essence and followed the way of Sri Vallabhacharyaji. He also told him that he was the disciple of Sri Vitthalnathaji Sri Gusainji.

Having heard all of this from Chachaji and having seen his camp Madhodas returned home and recounted all of it to Sahajpal Dosi who was amazed to hear it. They were three friends, Sahajpal, Madhodas and Jiu Parikh, and Sahajpal recounted everything to Jiu Parikh; so the three of them got together and went to Chacha Harivamsaji’s camp.

At that time Chachaji and the other four Vaishnavas had partaken of prasad and were singing the Lord’s praises. The three friends came there and sat for two hours. When the kirtan was over Chachaji opened up one of the bags of prasad and distributed a little to the Vaishnavas who were with him and then to the three friends. He also gave those three some prasad to take home with them.

When the three had partaken of the prasad they all had a change of heart with the thought that they would all like to become Vaishnavas on this Path. They realized that this was a very superior Path and that every other righteous path that they had seen so far was inferior to this one. This is what they felt in their hearts.

Thinking thus they went home for the night but then in the early morning they all three set out for the Narayanasar lake. They approached Chacha Harivamsaji and asked him to give them the Name initiation. “Please make us into Vaishnavas,” they requested. 

Chachaji addressed them, “My master Sri Vitthalnathaji resides in Arail, please go there to him and take initiation. Go there and become his disciples.”

But the three men asked again, “Please let us hear the Lord’s Name from you and then we will go to have the Sight of Sri Gusainji in Arail.”

They asked him humbly over and over again. Seeing their insistence Chacha Harivamsaji gave them the Name initiation. Sahajpal Dosi then requested Chachaji to come to his home. He got all his family members initiated by Chachaji. After this Sahajpal Dosi implored Chachaji with his heart full of deep devotion, “O, Chachaji, will Sri Gusainji now accept something from me?”

Chachaji replied, “O Sahajpal, you have just become a Vaishnava. Whatever you now wish to send and offer Sri Thakurji will accept through the auspices of Sri Gusainji.

Bhavaprakasha: Why? This is the way of Sri Acharyaji’s Path of Grace: Sri Thakurji does not accept offerings from non-Vaishnavas, but accepts only those things that have been offered lovingly by his devotee.

Sahajpal Dosi was very happy and sent as much as he could to Sri Gusainji. Sahajpal sent many items and gave a cheque to Chachaji. Then Jiu Parikh also invited Chachaji to his home. Thereafter he sent the highest quality muslin cloth, bejeweled taffeta and the best camphor in large amounts along with many other offerings.

Madhodas the broker also sent as much as he possibly could to Sri Gusainji. Sahajpal then had Chachaji stay as a guest in his home for some days during which time he learnt all about the ways of the Path of Grace from Chachaji. In fact the three of them all learnt as much as they could from him.

Chachaji then took his leave from them and, taking all their offerings with him, returned to Rajnagar. Having sorted out everything in Rajanagar he set off from there to Arail. He soon arrived. Chachaji bowed low to Sri Gusainji as soon as he saw him and presented him with all the goods. Seeing them Sri Gusainji became very pleased with Chachaji, and Chachaji told him of all the events whilst he had been away, Sri Gusainji was very happy.

A few days after Chachaji had left Khambaich, Sahajpal Dosi, Jiu Parikh and Madhodas Dalal left the confinement of their homes saying that they were going to travel to Varanasi, but they really went, with Sri Gusainji’s lotus feet in their hearts, to have darshan of Sri Gusainji in Arail. It took them just a few days to reach there.

They first met Chachaji then they all went to see Sri Gusainji together. The three friends felt much joy. Chachaji explained to Sri Gusainji how he had granted them the Name Initiation. After asking Sri Gusainji’s permission, Chachaji had them all initiated with Brahma Sambandha. They were all overjoyed to take this vow of surrender.

Afterwards they requested Sri Gusainji to teach them all the principles of the Path of Grace. He explained everything to them thoroughly. How happy they were! Sri Gusainji granted them great mercy. They stayed there for some days. Madhodas composed some new poems for the Lord. One day Chachaji asked him to sing his compositions for Sri Gusainji so that his voice would become unwavering. Madhodas immediately began to sing to Sri Gusainji in front of Chachaji.

One line of his poem:-

After he had heard this Sri Gusainji was most pleased and said to Chachaji, “O, Chachaji! I really should reside in Gokul.” This he announced at that time.

After staying with Sri Gusainji some more days those three Vaishnavas returned to Khambaich.

Bhavaprakasha: In the eternal lila Madhodas is Chandrakala’s sakhi named Kokilakanthi. Her voice is sweet like that of a nightingale. Her voice is most dear to Sri Thakurji. In the eternal lila Sahajpal Dosi is Chandrabhan Gopa [cowherd] and Jiu Parikh is Mahiman. Their feeling towards Sri Chandravaliji is that of parental love. Here they all share a great love for Sri Gusainji.

The post The Pushti Marg saints: The Story of Chacha Harivamsa appeared first on Vrindavan Today.