Bhakta Sangam

Dnyandev and Nama arrived at the bank of the Chandrabhaga river. After taking a bath, they circled around Pundlik's tomb. They paid their respects to his feet and crossed over to the other side of the river.

Once Nama had been seen off, Krishna returned to his own temple. At that moment, Rukmini approached with a golden vessel to wash Krishna's feet. When she looked into his face, she noticed tears in his eyes and his body covered in sweat. The Mother of the world was astonished. Rukmini placed her head on his feet and said, "Your condition today seems very strange. I'm quite surprised."

Hearing Rukmini's question, Krishna, the Life of the world, replied, "My heart has been shattered by the pain of separation from Nama. I love him deeply, and that's why I feel so sad. No matter how much joy I experience, my mind remains restless. Besides me, Nama has no close friends or relatives. I worry about how he will survive without me. Dnyandev came like a beggar and took away the treasure I had stored, in the form of Nama, who is a mine of devotion. Nama is like the child of my old age, and I am fond of him at all times. But Dnyandev forcefully took him away from me and made him wander to sacred bathing places. I am like a tree in the form of the earth, and Nama is the moisture of my roots. Dnyandev, like a water deity, has taken it away. Nama used to nourish the tree, giving it the moisture of joy like a cloud. Dnyandev came like a storm and carried it far away."

Hearing these words, Rukmini responded, "Weeping, pain, and desires do not harm those whose lips chant your name." The Life of the world replied, "You speak the truth, but I cannot bear a single moment without my devotee. Although I am unmanifested and formless, I assume attributes for the sake of my devotees. I have created the heavenly abode of Vaikunth for my devotees to reside in. Only my devotees have the right to share in my good fortune. I alone understand their needs. Apart from my devotees, no one knows the secrets of my heart."

With great emotion, the Lord of Heaven spoke these words to Rukmini. "These devotees of mine let go of all pride and become one with me in essence, just as there is no distinction between a lamp and its light, or the sun and its rays, or gold and its brilliance. Nama is the dust of the feet of the foremost devotees who possess knowledge of the soul. I am separated from him today, and that's why I'm sad."

After saying this, God fainted and fell to the ground. Mother Rukmini, the Mother of the world, was greatly alarmed, but she regained her courage and revived God from his faint. She then called all the devotees to come and told them what had happened. She said, "The Lord suddenly sobbed and fainted. Do something to help. Come near him and inquire."

The devotees fanned him with their clothes and asked, "O Ocean of mercy, Savior of the world, why are you so overcome today?" Upon hearing their words, God summoned his willpower and awakened. The Life of the world, with great emotion, said, "There is nothing I cherish more than Nama. I feel as though I must embrace him in my heart. I am always working to fulfill the needs of my devotees. I'm ashamed to say it, but Nama has never caused me any trouble while serving him. He overcame the difficulties of earthly existence by slaying powerful enemies such as lust, anger, pride, and envy through his heroic actions. He rid himself of envy and conceit and freed himself from illusions and earthly attachments. Nama has no inclination to worship inferior deities. He bows only to me. Apart from me, he finds no rest for his soul. As he walks on his path, he must often feel weary. Who will ask him if he is hungry or thirsty? This is what deeply troubles me."

Upon hearing this, the devotees shouted, "Victory, victory!" and overwhelmed with joy and love, they prostrated themselves at God's feet. They then danced with joy as they proceeded to the elevated platform. Once again, they prostrated themselves before him. Witnessing their actions, the Life of the world regained some consciousness.

Meanwhile, Nama looked back frequently and cried, "O God, you have forsaken me. You did not come to bid me farewell." Uttering these words, he fainted. Nama was overwhelmed with grief, just as a child cries loudly when separated from its mother, or a young deer searches desperately for its mother in the forest, or a hungry person suffers from lack of food, or a thirsty person searches for water, or a chatak bird, in its thirst, waits for a cloud, or a chakor bird, on the first day of the month, looks for the moon, or a fish suffers from lack of water in the hot season, or a young turtle, hungry and unable to see its mother, longs for her presence. Due to separation from Pandurang, Nama was consumed by sorrow. He said to himself, "I find myself in a forest overwhelmed with anxiety. I see no one near and dear to me. You are my father and mother. O God, come quickly to my aid. O Lord of Pandhari, you alone are my dearest friend, my brother, and my uncle. O Shri Vitthal, Helper of the helpless, you alone are my family deity. You alone are the means for my ultimate liberation. O Shri Vitthal, O Ocean of mercy, supreme Lord of the earth, Nama is in great distress without you. Look upon him with merciful eyes and let him reside in the chamber of your heart."

Thus, Nama, overwhelmed with grief, spoke to Dnyandev. Listening to his moving words, Dnyandev replied, "With a heart full of love, why are you sad? God resides within your heart, and yet you are needlessly troubled. O chief of devotees, consider this for a moment. Your joy resides within your heart. You yourself, without a doubt, are the visible God with attributes. Just as the fragrant aroma exists in the navel of the deer itself, and yet it needlessly wanders through the forest in search of it, similarly, you, unaware of your own spiritual nature, are overwhelmed by the pain of separation. It's as if untold wealth were buried in the house of an unfortunate person. Since they don't see it, they remain hungry. That is your situation."

Upon hearing these words, Nama replied, "The chatak bird will not drink water from a river; it will only joyfully drink from waterfalls in the sky. Likewise, God fills the entire universe. This idea seems false to me, just as a devoted wife would not listen to the story of anyone other than her husband."

In response, Dnyandev said, "The imperishable and singular Being whom the wise worship, that Being resides in your heart." To this, Nama replied, "I am fond of a form that possesses attributes. Looking at such a form is pleasing to the eyes. I feel as if I want to listen to songs praising Him."

Observing Nama's firm resolve, Dnyandev said, "Blessed is your pure faith." They continued to share their experiences every day, testing their discussions through personal experience. This brought them immense happiness, a joy that filled their hearts to the brim.