Kheer Chor(Kshira Chora) Gopinath
There was one great devotee called Sri Madhavendra Puri. He was residing in Govardhan Hill serving Gopal(Srinathji)deity. One day he had a dream. In his dream, Madhavendra Puri saw Gopala, who said, "I am feeling very hot please bring sandalwood from the Malaya province and smear the paste over my body . Bring sandalwood pulp from Jagannatha Puri. Kindly go quickly. Since no one else can do it, you must."
After having this dream, Madhavendra Puri Gosvami became very glad due to ecstasy of love of Godhead, and in order to execute the command of the Lord, he started east toward Bengal.On his way Sri Madhavendra Puri visited Remuna, where Gopinatha is situated. Upon seeing the beauty of the Deity, Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed.
In the corridor of the temple, from which people generally viewed the Deity, Madhavendra Puri chanted and danced. Then he sat down there and asked a brahmana what kinds of foods they offered to the Deity. From the excellence of the arrangements, Madhavendra Puri understood by deduction that only the best food was offered.
Madhavendra Puri thought, "I shall inquire from the priest what foods are offered to Gopinatha so that by making arrangements in our kitchen, we can offer similar foods to Sri Gopala.When the brahmana priest was questioned about this matter, he explained in detail what kinds of foods were offered to the Deity of Gopinatha.
The brahmana priest said, "In the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots. Because the taste is as good as nectar [amrta], it is named amrta-keli. This sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gopinatha-ksira. It is not offered anywhere else in the world.
While Madhavendra Puri was talking with the brahmana priest, the sweet rice was placed before the Deity as an offering. Hearing this, Madhavendra Puri thought as follows. "If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I can then taste it and make a similar preparation to offer my Lord Gopala. Madhavendra Puri became greatly ashamed when he desired to taste the sweet rice, and he immediately began to think of Lord Visnu. While he was thus thinking of Lord Visnu, the offering was completed, and the arati ceremony began.
After the arati was finished, Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to the Deity and then left the temple. He did not say anything more to anyone.
Madhavendra Puri avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.
A paramahamsa like Madhavendra Puri is always satisfied in the loving service of the Lord. Material hunger and thirst cannot impede his activities. When he desired to taste a little sweet rice offered to the Deity, he considered that he had committed an offense by desiring to eat what was being offered to the Deity.
Madhavendra Puri left the temple and sat down in the village marketplace, which was vacant. Sitting there, he began to chant. In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest. Finishing his daily duties, the priest went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gopinatha Deity come to talk to him, and He spoke as follows.
"O priest, please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for the sannyasi Madhavendra Puri. This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks. "A sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri is sitting in the vacant marketplace. Please take this pot of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him."
Awaking from the dream, the priest immediately rose from bed and thought it wise to take a bath before entering the Deity's room. He then opened the temple door. According to the Deity's directions, the priest found the pot of sweet rice behind the cloth curtain. He removed the pot and mopped up the place where it had been kept. He then went out of the temple. Closing the door of the temple, he went to the village with the pot of sweet rice. He called out in every stall in search of Madhavendra Puri.
Holding the pot of sweet rice, the priest called, "Will he whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot! Gopinatha has stolen this pot of sweet rice for you!" The priest continued, "Would the sannyasi whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot of sweet rice and enjoy the prasadam with great happiness! You are the most fortunate person within these three worlds!"
Hearing this invitation, Madhavendra Puri came out and identified himself. The priest then delivered the pot of sweet rice and offered his obeisances, falling flat before him. When the story about the pot of sweet rice was explained to him in detail, Sri Madhavendra Puri at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of Krsna.
Upon seeing the ecstatic loving symptoms manifest in Madhavendra Puri, the priest was struck with wonder. He could understand why Krsna had become so much obliged to him, and he saw that Krsna's action was befitting. The priest offered his obeisances to Madhavendra Puri and returned to the temple. Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice offered to him by Krsna.
After this, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and broke it into pieces. He then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth and kept them nicely.
Each day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that earthen pot, and after eating it he would immediately be overwhelmed with ecstasy. That night he witnessed Krishna and Radha in a dancing posture on the banks of the Yamuna.
Goswami left the place at dawn for Purushottamdam. And Lord Gopinath came to be known as `Kshir Chora,' one who had stolen milk for a devotee.
Goswami went to Nilachal and Gajapati Raj gave sufficient quantities of sandal paste and camphor and also one sevak to carry the load. Madhavendra once again visited Remuna enroute his own place.
Gopal of Govardan appeared in his dream and asked him to smear a mixture of sandal and sulphur on Gopinath's body. Further, he added that Gopal and Gopinath were one and the same. It would cool his body.
Madhavendra passed on the orders to the worshipers and priests. The paste should be applied throughout summer. Everything was done in accordance with the directions of Goswami, who returned to Remuna after visiting Puri. His hermitage still exists in Remuna near the temple of Sri Gopinath and his sandals are being worshipped there.
The system of applying sandal paste to the body of Gopinath for 42 days (in summer) prevails even today. Sri Krishna Chaitanya has also visited this place.
Source : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/02/kheer-chor-gopinath.html
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
 |
| Kshira Chora Gopinath |
After having this dream, Madhavendra Puri Gosvami became very glad due to ecstasy of love of Godhead, and in order to execute the command of the Lord, he started east toward Bengal.On his way Sri Madhavendra Puri visited Remuna, where Gopinatha is situated. Upon seeing the beauty of the Deity, Madhavendra Puri was overwhelmed.
 |
| Kshira Chora Gopinath Temple at Remuna,Balasore, Odisha |
Madhavendra Puri thought, "I shall inquire from the priest what foods are offered to Gopinatha so that by making arrangements in our kitchen, we can offer similar foods to Sri Gopala.When the brahmana priest was questioned about this matter, he explained in detail what kinds of foods were offered to the Deity of Gopinatha.
The brahmana priest said, "In the evening the Deity is offered sweet rice in twelve earthen pots. Because the taste is as good as nectar [amrta], it is named amrta-keli. This sweet rice is celebrated throughout the world as gopinatha-ksira. It is not offered anywhere else in the world.
While Madhavendra Puri was talking with the brahmana priest, the sweet rice was placed before the Deity as an offering. Hearing this, Madhavendra Puri thought as follows. "If, without my asking, a little sweet rice is given to me, I can then taste it and make a similar preparation to offer my Lord Gopala. Madhavendra Puri became greatly ashamed when he desired to taste the sweet rice, and he immediately began to think of Lord Visnu. While he was thus thinking of Lord Visnu, the offering was completed, and the arati ceremony began.
After the arati was finished, Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to the Deity and then left the temple. He did not say anything more to anyone.
Madhavendra Puri avoided begging. He was completely unattached and indifferent to material things. If, without his begging, someone offered him some food, he would eat; otherwise he would fast.
A paramahamsa like Madhavendra Puri is always satisfied in the loving service of the Lord. Material hunger and thirst cannot impede his activities. When he desired to taste a little sweet rice offered to the Deity, he considered that he had committed an offense by desiring to eat what was being offered to the Deity.
Madhavendra Puri left the temple and sat down in the village marketplace, which was vacant. Sitting there, he began to chant. In the meantime, the temple priest laid the Deity down to rest. Finishing his daily duties, the priest went to take rest. In a dream he saw the Gopinatha Deity come to talk to him, and He spoke as follows.
"O priest, please get up and open the door of the temple. I have kept one pot of sweet rice for the sannyasi Madhavendra Puri. This pot of sweet rice is just behind My cloth curtain. You did not see it because of My tricks. "A sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri is sitting in the vacant marketplace. Please take this pot of sweet rice from behind Me and deliver it to him."
Awaking from the dream, the priest immediately rose from bed and thought it wise to take a bath before entering the Deity's room. He then opened the temple door. According to the Deity's directions, the priest found the pot of sweet rice behind the cloth curtain. He removed the pot and mopped up the place where it had been kept. He then went out of the temple. Closing the door of the temple, he went to the village with the pot of sweet rice. He called out in every stall in search of Madhavendra Puri.
Holding the pot of sweet rice, the priest called, "Will he whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot! Gopinatha has stolen this pot of sweet rice for you!" The priest continued, "Would the sannyasi whose name is Madhavendra Puri please come and take this pot of sweet rice and enjoy the prasadam with great happiness! You are the most fortunate person within these three worlds!"
Hearing this invitation, Madhavendra Puri came out and identified himself. The priest then delivered the pot of sweet rice and offered his obeisances, falling flat before him. When the story about the pot of sweet rice was explained to him in detail, Sri Madhavendra Puri at once became absorbed in ecstatic love of Krsna.
Upon seeing the ecstatic loving symptoms manifest in Madhavendra Puri, the priest was struck with wonder. He could understand why Krsna had become so much obliged to him, and he saw that Krsna's action was befitting. The priest offered his obeisances to Madhavendra Puri and returned to the temple. Then, in ecstasy, Madhavendra Puri ate the sweet rice offered to him by Krsna.
After this, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and broke it into pieces. He then bound all the pieces in his outer cloth and kept them nicely.
Each day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that earthen pot, and after eating it he would immediately be overwhelmed with ecstasy. That night he witnessed Krishna and Radha in a dancing posture on the banks of the Yamuna.
Goswami left the place at dawn for Purushottamdam. And Lord Gopinath came to be known as `Kshir Chora,' one who had stolen milk for a devotee.
Goswami went to Nilachal and Gajapati Raj gave sufficient quantities of sandal paste and camphor and also one sevak to carry the load. Madhavendra once again visited Remuna enroute his own place.
Gopal of Govardan appeared in his dream and asked him to smear a mixture of sandal and sulphur on Gopinath's body. Further, he added that Gopal and Gopinath were one and the same. It would cool his body.
Madhavendra passed on the orders to the worshipers and priests. The paste should be applied throughout summer. Everything was done in accordance with the directions of Goswami, who returned to Remuna after visiting Puri. His hermitage still exists in Remuna near the temple of Sri Gopinath and his sandals are being worshipped there.
The system of applying sandal paste to the body of Gopinath for 42 days (in summer) prevails even today. Sri Krishna Chaitanya has also visited this place.
Source : http://vedic-stories.blogspot.in/2012/02/kheer-chor-gopinath.html
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
No comments:
Post a Comment