An Unjust Complaint Against Narayandas

This is the continuing serialization of 252 Vaishnavan ki varta, the lives of the saints following Vitthalnath, son of Vallabhacharya. It has been translated from the original Braj Bhasha by Krishnaa Kinkari Devi. This is the fifth varta, part 6. See previous.

*Part 6*

Once someone went to complain about Narayandas to the Patshah. “When you order the highest quality cloth to be woven, Narayandas goes to those workmens’ homes and bribes them to give him the cloth. They are thus unable to bring such cloth here.” Hearing this, the Patshah kept quiet.

One day he called Narayandas in private and asked him, “O, Narayandas! When my workmen weave cloth for me why do you take from it?” Narayandas replied, “O, Sir, yes I do take some cloth. All the rest of it reaches here as it should.” The Patshah asked Narayandas what he did with the cloth and he replied that he sent it to his Guru’s home.

The Patshah continued to ask, “Where do you get the money to pay for this cloth?” Narayandas replied to him that he paid for it out of his own money. The Patshah ordered him to no longer pay for the cloth but to let it be paid for with the government’s money.

Narayandas explained to him, “Oh Sir, you know very well that if I send cloth that has been paid for by the government, then it will not be accepted by Sri Gusainji on behalf of the Lord. He should know that it comes from you whose attitude is that “if it wasn’t for your grace I would never have obtained such other-worldly cloth to send to you.”

The Patshah was delighted to hear Narayandas’ response. From that day on he gave him a twenty-five percent raise in his salary. The Patshah exclaimed, “Oh Narayandas, if you need funds for your household needs, then feel free to take it from the government coffers, but do continue to send such cloth to your Guru.”

*Bhavaprakasha*

Satsanga is such a thing! The barbarian Patshah’s intellgence was thus purified through his association with Narayandas, the great devotee.

*Part 6 Continued*

The man who had come to snitch on Narayandas found his face blackened with shame.

*Bhavaprakasha*

Here it is taught that if you cause offence to a Vaishnava, the result of that offence will turn back to yourself and obstruct your devotional path. You should never quarrel with a Vaishnava.