Shri Krishnadasji

Date of Birth: V.S. 1553 (A.D 1496)

Place of Birth: Village Chilotra in Gujarat

Left the World: V.S. 1636(A.D 1579)

Sung before whom: Shri Goverdhannathji

Instrument: Nil

Favourite Raag: Sung in almost all ragas principal ragas: Kanharo, Purvi, Malav, Kedar, Sarang.

First meeting with Shri Mahaprabhuji:

Shri Krshnadasji once decided to leave his house & go to Vraj for pilgrimage. During his pilgrimage moving from one place to another he came to Shri Goverdhan. At that time the temple of Dev Daman was being constructed & Shri Dev Daman was to be set there. On hearing this, from the people he went for darshan of Shri Dev Daman. Here he came in contact with Shri Goverdhannathji & Shri Mahaprabhuji. Later on , Shri Mahaprabhuji established the idol of Shri Goverdhananthji in the temple on third day of Bright Vaishakh. He deputed Bengalis for the seva of Shri Goverdhannathji living nearby & appointed Shri Krshnadasji as Bhetiya i.e. to go to the various parts of the country & collect Bhet (donations) for Shri Goverdhannathji. Afterwards Shri Mahaprabhuji appointed him as Adhikari (manager) of the temple of Shri Goverdhannathji

Biography:
Shri Krshnadas came to Shri Goverdhan once when he was on pilgrimage to Vraj. At that time, the temple of Shri Dev Daman was being erected & so he went for darshan there. He met Shri Mahaprabhuji & Shri Goverdhannathji at that time. Shri Mahaprabhuji appointed him as a Bhetiya to collect Bhet from various places for Shri Goverdhannathji. Later on he was appointed as Adhikari (manager) of the temple. As an Adhikari Shri Krshnadasji had given to one vaishnav rupees three hundred for digging a well. The vaishnav utilized Rs. 200 for digging & kept Rs. 100 for himself, which he kept under a mango tree. Shri Krshnadasji went to see the unfinished well where his stick slipped off & he fell into the well. His body was not found & he had attained the ghost body & was staying on a pipal tree. After some days, Shri Gopinath gwal came there searching for his buffalo. Shri Krshnadasji requested him to go & request Shri Gusaiji to free him from this ghost life. Accordingly he passed on his request to Shri Gusaiji. Shri Gusaiji gave Rs. 100 to the new Adhikari & ordered him to complete the remaining construction of the well & thereafter went to Mathura & performed Shraddh of Shri Krshnadasji on Dhruv Ghat & relieved him from the ghost life & got him divine body & then Shri Krshnadasji entered into Divya Leela.

Episodes:

  • Shri Krshnadasji decided to leave the house & go for pilgrimage of Vraj. During his pilgrimage he reached Shri Goverdhan via Mathura. The new temple of Dev Daman was being erected there & after some days the swaroop of Dev Damanji was to be set over there. At that time Shri Mahaprabhuji was performing Rajbhog Aarti. On beholding the swaroop of Shri Goverdhannathji Shri Krshnadasji’s mind got absorbed in the swaroop of Shri Goverdhannathji. However simultaneously Shri Goverdhannathji also kept staring at Shri Krshnadasji. Then Shri Goverdhannathji informed Shri Mahaprabhuji that Shri Krshnadasji who has been separated since long has arrived. Then Shri Mahaprabhuji asked Shri Krshnadasji to take bath in river Yamuna & meet him. After that he gave samarpan Diksha to Shri Krshnadasji in front of Shri Goverdhannathji. On this third day of Bright Vaishakh Shri Mahaprabhuji got Shri Goverdhannathji set in the temple & appointed the nearby Bengalis for the seva of Shri Goverdhannathji & appointed Shri Krshnadasji as Bhetiya of Shri Goverdhannathji i.e. to visit various places in the country & collect bhet (gifts, cash etc) for Shri Goverdhannathji.

  • Bengalis served Shri Goverdhannathji for many years. One day Shri Goverdhannathji ordered Shri Avadhutnathji one of the sevaks of Shri Mahaprabhuji “Ask Shri Krshnadasji to remove these Bengalis from my service. I want to increase luxuries/richness of my seva system. These Bengalis are hiding one Devi Deity in their hair & place the deity during Rajbhog besides me. Therefore relieve them from my seva as early as possible”. Avadhutnathji met Krshnadasji & narrated this incident to him. Krshnadasji immediately went to Adel to meet Shri Gusaiji & acquainted him with the instructions of Shri Goverdhannathji. Moreover these Bengalis used to pass over whatever bhet they received for Shri Goverdhannathji to their Guru residing at Vrindavan. Therefore Shri Gusaiji according to the order of Shri Goverdhannathji agreed to remove Bengalis from the seva. Shri Krshnadasji took two letters from Shri Gusaiji one for Raja Todarmal & one for Shri Birbal & gave to both of them. He discussed the matter with them for about two hours & returned to Rudra Kund where Bengalis were staying in huts.He put on fire all those huts. Bengalis seeing this left the temple & seva of Shri Goverdhannathji & rushed down to save their huts. Shri Krshnadasji at that time placed his men on all the gates & stopped Bengalis to come up. Like this he got rid of the Bengalis. Shri Gusaiji later came to Shri Goverdhannathji from Adel & appointed Shri Krshnadasji as Adhikari (manager) & honored him by wearing him Khes.

  • Once a few vaishnavas came to Shri Kumbhandasji & requested him to explain the principles of Pushtimarg. Shri Kumbhandasji advised them to go to Shri Krshnadasji. The vaishnavas requested him to accompany them & they all together went to Shri Krshnadasji. Krshnadasji got very much pleased by seeing them & received them respectfully by singing a song “Giridhar jab apno kari jaane”. Shri Kumbhandasji then requested Krshnadasji that these vaishnavas want to understand the principles of Pushtimarg. Krshnadasji first sung kirtan of sentiment of Hastakshar “Krshna Shri Krshna Sharnam Mamaha Ucchare” & after that one of the sentiment of Panchakshar “Krshna he Krshna man mahi gati jaaniye”. Krshnadasji by these two kirtans explained the principles of the Marg to the vaishnavas & removed all doubts from their minds.

  • Referring to the incident of Gangabai Chhatrani Shri Gusaiji told Shri Krshnadasji “You are suffering the results of your deeds”. These words hurt Krshnadasji. He therefore resolved in his mind to stop Gusaiji from Shrijis darshan. He approached Shri Purushottamji the son of Shri Gopinathji & told him “you are the eldest son of Shri Gopinathji & you are eligible for the position of Tikait of the family & so to come to mandir after taking bath & offer Shringars to Shri Goverdhannathji.” Shri Krshnadasji then did not allow Shri Gusaiji to come up. When he came for seva, after bath & told him that he should come to darshan only after Purushottamji the Tikait allows him. Gusaiji offered Dandvat to Dhwajaji of the mandir & went to Parsoli where he started feeling experience of separation of Shri Goverdhannathji. Birbal knowing this arrested Krshnadasji & put him behind the bars & informed Shri Gusaiji that he can restart seva of Shri Goverdhannathji. Shri Gusaiji at that time told Birbal “I will take my food & perform seva of Shri Goverdhannathji only after Krshnadas returns”. Krshnadasdji thus being freed from prison came to Shri Gusaiji & offered Dandvat respect to him & sung one pada “Param krupal Shri Vallabh Nanadan” in raga Kanhara.

  • One vaishnav was given Rs. 300 for digging one well. Out of that he hid Rs.100 under a nearby mango tree & started digging the well. Due to shortage of funds he could not complete the work. One day, Shri Krshnadasji visited that place. He put his stick on the land & got slipped & fell into the well. People tried to find out his body but they could not trace it. Krshnadasji then attained ghost yoni & used to dwell on a Pipal tree there. Once Shri Gopinathdas Gwal while searching for his lost buffalo came near that tree, the ghost of Shri Krshnadasji told Shri Gopinathdas Gwal to request Shri Gusaiji to free him from this ghost life. Accordingly he passed on his request to Shri Gusaiji. Shri Gusaiji gave Rs. 100 to the new Adhikari & ordered him to complete the remaining construction of the well & thereafter Shri Gusaiji went to Mathura & performed Shraddh of Shri Krshnadasji on Dhruv Ghat & relieved him from the ghost life & got him divine body & then Shri Krshnadasji entered into Divya Leela.