Story from the Fifth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam Jada Bharata came to this world to live his last life. Two lives ago, he was a hermit who became so attached to a deer that in the last moments of his life, all Bharata's thoughts were only about it. And when he himself was born as a deer, by the great mercy of the Lord, he remembered his past life. Jada Bharata came to Earth to live his last incarnation. For many lives in a row, he purposefully sought liberation, and by great mercy he was able to take birth in a priestly family. From childhood, he was not interested in anything. Like his other brothers, his father tried to teach Bharata the Vedic science of rituals and worship of the Lord, but he showed no inclination for anything, nor even the slightest interest. He was ready to do the dirtiest work, eat even the simplest food, wear rags and be content with the earth instead of a bed. Gradually he became a wandering wanderer, from whose appearance it was impossible to understand either his caste or age. He was indifferent to any aspirations, and led a life similar to the life of a python, which feeds only on what appears in front of it. And so one day the king passed by Jad Bharata, who was traveling to the place of the sage Kapila, hoping to meet a spiritual teacher there and receive instruction in spiritual science. When unexpectedly it was necessary to replace one of the bearers for his palanquin, the king's servants brought Jad Bharata, obedient to fate. But after a few steps it became clear that he was no good as a bearer. The fact is that, not wanting to harm the ants and bugs running under his feet, he carefully avoided stepping on them. Because of this, the king's palanquin shook every now and then. The angry king was about to whip the hapless carrier, but was surprised by the completely calm reaction and words of Jad Bharata.

A story from the Fourth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam Once upon a time there lived a king who had two sons: one from his beloved wife, and the second, Dhruva, from his unloved wife. And one day, when his brother was sitting on their father's lap, little Dhruva also reached out to them, but his stepmother stopped him: "If you want to sit on the throne, even on the king's lap, you must achieve the favor of Narayana through austerities and ask Him for the opportunity to be born from my womb." Cruelly offended, Dhruva ran away to seek solace from his mother, Suniti. This pain burned her heart unbearably, but she humbly said: "Yes, it was your destiny to be born from an unloved wife. As bitter as it is, she spoke the truth, and you should follow your stepmother's advice. The Lord is the protector of all living beings, and only He can help you." Having gone into the forest on the bank of the Yamuna, Dhruva gradually gave up food and drink and managed to slow down his breathing so that he took one breath every few days. His mind was calm and concentrated on the image of the Lord in his heart. And at one point Dhruva opened his eyes, and the Lord stood right before him. He placed all the knowledge of the Vedas in his childish heart, and then Dhruva was able to express in beautiful verses the ecstasy of a heart that had found the goal of all searches. The boy no longer wanted any kingdoms, feeling that his deepest desire had been fulfilled. But the Lord is not without reason known as the fulfiller of the desires of all living beings. He granted Dhruva not only a temporary earthly kingdom, but also the reign of a star that rests even higher than the abode of Brahma. We know this star as the polar star, and from that day on it is called Dhruvaloka. And to this day Dhruva, who has achieved an incredibly long life, rules there, and all this time he regrets only one thing. He could have found the company of the Lord in the spiritual world, but he received only a supra-celestial abode and a tiny hope. Hope for the next meeting.

This story is told in the Seventh Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam In one of the distant ages of the past, Hiranyakashipu ruled the Earth. He was once one of the guardians of the gates to the kingdom of the Lord, but by the will of the divine game, he was destined to play the role of a great demon and a god-fighter. His entire consciousness was absorbed in hatred for Vishnu, and he made sure that no one in all the planes of the Universes worshiped Vishnu or even spoke of Him. But it so happened that while Hiranyakashipu's own son was in the womb of his mother, he heard about the Lord from Vishnu's elusive servant, Narada Muni, and even before he was born, he became enchanted by the personality of the Lord. And after a few years, when his father realized that the hated Vishnu had "spoiled" his heir, little Prahlada, he decided to kill his son. But no matter what his father's servants subjected Prahlada to, he remained invulnerable under the protection of the Lord. Enraged, his father asked where he got such strength from. - Where do you come from, father? From Vishnu. - Where is this cowardly Vishnu of yours? - Everywhere, father. - And in this pillar? - the demon said with a laugh, and upon hearing his son's affirmative answer, he broke the pillar. At that very moment, Vishnu appeared from it in the form of the man-lion Nrimishi and after a short battle defeated the ill-fated Hiranyakashipu, and little Prahlada became the new God-loving and compassionate king of the entire Earth.

This story is told in the Sixth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam At the beginning of the next cycle of creation, the progenitor Daksha decided to prepare his six sons to give birth to future humanity. He ordered them to go to the sacred lake Narayana and perform austerities there, strengthening the spirit, purifying the mind and taming the flesh. One day, the sage Narada came there and saw how the young men were performing austerities for the sake of temporary duty. This sage was such that he wanted to inspire every soul to achieve the highest goal of life. So he asked the boys this riddle: “Beyond the earth there is a wonderful kingdom, in which there is only one ruler, good and merciful. In order to get there, you need to cross the earth, in which there is a deep pit, and in it lives a harlot who wears colorful clothes, and with her her husband; and there is a river flowing in both directions; there is a swan that makes enchanting sounds, and there is a self-spinning wheel with spokes sharp as blades.” After reasoning, the six brothers realized that the earth is the flesh in which the soul is enclosed. The only ruler is the Lord. Yama is material consciousness, and the mind is a harlot, enticing the soul with colorful images and taking away its time and strength. The soul is a weak-willed husband, whom the harlot wife-mind captivates in her nets. The river flowing in both directions is the river of change, a series of creation and destruction. The swan is a saint who can distinguish reality from delusion, the temporary from the eternal. And time itself is a wheel that strikes like the tip of a blade. Reflecting on the riddle, the brothers understood its great meaning and, having gotten rid of the desire to acquire worldly things, ascended to the eternal abode of the Lord. The same thing happened with another hundred sons sent by Daksha. The angry ancestor cursed Narada, saying that he would have no shelter anywhere, and that he would never be able to become a family man. Narada joyfully and humbly accepted this curse and went on his eternal journey through the worlds.

Story from Srimad Bhagavatam Once the heir of Lord Vishnu himself, Bharata, ruled the Earth and ruled so gloriously that in his honor the entire Earth was called the land of Bharata (and the inhabitants of India still call their country that). According to ancient custom, one fine day he handed over the throne to his heir, and he himself became a forest wanderer. His goal now was liberation from the bonds of material attachments, and he showed an example of perfect asceticism in everything. He hardly ate, drank, or slept. He devoted the whole day to worship and offering prayers. But he had no idea in what form the divine energy of illusion, Maya, would sneak up on him in order to test him. She came in the form of a charming fawn, whose mother left her body right before Bharata's eyes. The hermit took pity on the fawn and took charge of it. Forgetting the illusory nature of the play of matter, he became so attached to the fawn that he abandoned his former purpose. He spent days and nights with this charming animal as if it were his own son, until it suddenly disappeared. The grief of this loss, after a long and fruitless search, killed the unfortunate hermit. His thoughts in the last moments of his life were so absorbed in the fawn that his soul itself was transferred to the form of a newborn fawn. But the Merciful Lord, remembering Bharata's true purpose, took pity on him and left him the memory of his past life. Bitterly regretting his mistake, Bharata, in fact carefully guided by divine providence, was not tempted by the pleasures of animal life, but found the sages, and spent all his days and nights carefully near their fire. Thus, hearing about the truth, at the appointed hour he left the body of a deer and was born again as a human being - Jada Bharata. And his fate in this incarnation turned out to be so unusual and fortunate that he was able to find the long-awaited liberation at its end.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto In ancient times, there lived on Earth a king named Chitraketu. He was surrounded by luxury, dutiful servants, wise ministers, and the affairs of his kingdom were going well. But one circumstance darkened Chitraketu's entire life. Not one of his wives was able to bear the king an heir. And one day the sage Angira came to him. Chitraketu received the hermit as an honored guest and, together with one of his wives, Kritadyuti, served him in every possible way. Angira shrewdly asked the king about the cause of his grief. Having heard his story, Angira gave Kritadyuti the remnants of his sacrificial food and said that soon she would give birth to a son who would bring him and Chitraketu much happiness, but also a lot of grief. And soon his wonderful blessing was fulfilled. The newborn really brought so much joy that the inhabitants of the palace had not seen for a long time. Only a few souls were sinking deeper into despondency every day - the other wives of the king, who felt rejected and unsuccessful. Their hearts were poisoned by the poison of envy and anger, which gave birth to a terrible decision in their minds. And soon they poisoned the little prince. It is impossible to describe in words the grief of his parents, at whose call two divine sages flew - that same Angira and the great Narada Muni. They offered the boy's soul to return to the body again. But the soul of the prince answered from the heights of eternity, having already severed ties with the body. “To which parents should I return, if thousands of them have already surrounded me in past lives and will in the future? Whom should I call my family and to whom should I become attached, if my path lies through eternity?” These and many other words sobered up the royal couple and freed them from grief. They also gave Chitraketu invaluable spiritual knowledge, which later helped him ascend to the heavenly planes of existence.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto The sage Kashyapa had two wives. Aditi was the mother of the demigods. And Diti's firstborn were two great demons - Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakasipu. They were born to conquer the entire universe, and then to be killed in a battle with Lord Vishnu himself, who was called to help by Indra, the king of the demigods. It was Indra who became the main object of Diti's resentment and anger, and she conceived a cunning plan of revenge. For several years she played the role of an ideal spouse so perfectly that Kashyapa promised to fulfill any of her desires. It was then that Diti announced her intention to give birth to a demon who would kill Indra. Kashyapa cursed himself for his gullibility, but was forced to keep his word with one condition - her wish would be fulfilled only if Diti would flawlessly fulfill the most difficult vow of abstinence and worship for a whole year. But if she violated her asceticism in any way, the born one would become Indra's best friend and assistant. Having learned of this, Indra took the form of a servant and followed Diti relentlessly to catch her when she broke her vow. And when that moment came, Indra in the subtlest form crept into Diti's womb and, possessed by fear for his life, cut the fetus into two parts. But the mother's vow was so powerful that the baby not only survived, but each half became a full-fledged child. Then Indra cut them both, and each new half acquired the form of a baby. This continued until there were 49 brothers in Diti's womb. They prayed to Indra, assuring him that they did not wish him harm. This miracle touched Indra so much that he fell on his knees before Diti and begged her for forgiveness, surrounded by the 49 Marut brothers who had miraculously appeared. Seeing them, Diti forgave her offenses, blessing Indra with a long life. And the Marut brothers remain faithful assistants of the demigods to this day.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Canto Eight Once the renounced king Indradyumna, immersed in meditation, did not pay respect to the sage Agastya who came to him. And Agastya cursed him to be born as the giant elephant Gajendra. Gajendra lived a very happy elephant life, respected even by his rivals and loved by his wives. He indulged in simple elephant pleasures at the picturesque foot of the universal Mount Meru, where even the celestials and heavenly dancers flock. And what could be a greater pleasure for an elephant than bathing in the cool waters of a lake on a hot day? But on one of those days, a giant crocodile was waiting for him in the waters of the lakes. He bit into Gajendra's leg, and no matter how much he tried to pull his body out of the predator's mouth, no matter how much his relatives helped him, the crocodile was stronger. By earthly standards, this fight lasted for thousands of years, until something inside Gajendra awakened in him the realization of who alone to seek refuge and salvation from. From his lips burst an unknown prayer to the Supreme Lord, which he had once uttered in the body of King Indradyumna. The demigods who were watching the fight marveled at this prayer. They heard that the prayer was addressed not to them, but to their source and master. And Lord Hari actually descended on the back of the celestial bird - Garuda. Seeing him, Gajendra, with the last of his strength, plucked a lotus flower with his trunk and handed it to the eternal master of his heart. Lord Hari delivered not only Gajendra but also the crocodile in whose body the cursed celestial singer was languishing. Thus, by the grace of the Supreme Lord, curses turn into blessings, for all roads, as the scriptures say, lead to His loving embrace.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Eighth Canto Even sages sometimes wonder how it is that the gods, the rulers of the universe who serve the Supreme, are constantly losing their power and are forced to recapture the heavens from the demonic forces. The fact is that the gods - devatas - are ordinary souls who have achieved such a high position as a result of their karmic path. Therefore, to one degree or another, they are characterized by all the imperfections of a limited soul. For example, after the game of churning the ocean of milk and acquiring the elixir of immortality, the gods rested peacefully on the laurels of their victory, indulging in heavenly pleasures. Meanwhile, the defeated Bali performed austerities and received blessings from the brahmin priests through his service. And Shukracharya, the guru of the demons, pleased with him, gave him the opportunity to gain invulnerability. And when the huge army of Bali approached the walls of the heavenly city, the king of the gods Indra turned to his guru, Brihaspati, for help. But the wise teacher told Indra that Bali had gained his strength according to all the laws of justice and karma. He had earned the favor of the brahmins, which meant that he was now truly invulnerable. And the gods had lost their piety in pleasures. And now they have no choice but to retreat and disperse to the far corners of the universe, remaining unrecognized by the demons. But Brihaspati also calmed the confused king of heaven. Everything is temporary, and the strong quickly become weak. Just as you, reveling in the fruits of your victory, have lost courage and vigilance, becoming neglectful of good deeds and rites, so Bali will one day fall victim to his own pride. He will disobey his guru and lose everything. But this defeat will also turn out to be an unprecedented blessing for him, which will inscribe his name in the spiritual tablet of this universe.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Eighth Canto When Bali Maharaja occupied the universal throne, he undertook to perform a great sacrifice in order to consolidate his power. According to custom, the main part and sacrifice of the ceremony was the offering of gifts to the brahmanas. Knowing this, the Lord came to Bali in the form of a wonderful dwarf, Vamana. Seeing the effulgent Vamanadeva, Bali understood that his sacrifice had been crowned with success, since such an extraordinary personality had come to accept his gifts. Bali inquired about the dwarf's desire, to which he replied that he needed only... three steps of land. “I can give you a whole island. What’s more! Even the whole of heaven, just ask” But the dwarf modestly replied: “I am a Brahmin, I don’t need much” Bali’s teacher, Shukra, saw that the Supreme Being himself was hiding behind the deceptive appearance and warned his student: “As soon as you give Him a little, He will eventually take everything from you.” But the noble Bali said: “If it is the Lord Himself, so much the better. Everything already belongs to Him,” and he uttered Om, sealing his promise. At that very moment, the dwarf began to grow so rapidly that His first step covered the entire Universe, and it turned out to be lying inside Him. With His second step, He pierced the shell of the Universe, and the holy waters of the Ganges gushed into it from the spiritual world. “Where should I take the third step?” the Lord cunningly asked. And then Bali understood who Vamana had really come for. Bali bowed his head and said, “I offer myself to You.” Vamana touched him with His foot, thus granting him liberation from the captivity of illusion. Now He lives with him as a personal guardian on the patala, waiting for the time when Bali will become the next Indra, the Lord of heaven.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto The young brahmin Ajamila lived a completely pious life until one day he accidentally witnessed a drunken meeting of two low-born lovers. Seeing this woman ready to give up her body, Ajamila felt an irresistible desire to possess someone else's flesh. He called upon his reason, logic and the values in which he was brought up, but all was powerless. Ajamila asked his father to hire this woman as a servant, and soon began to live with her as a second wife. And as soon as his father left the world, Ajamila drove out his noble wife and began to live with a new one, sinking deeper and deeper into the abyss of vice and passion. Drunkenness, unbridled passion, extravagance - and when all the inheritance was squandered, then stealing - became a regular part of his life. He had children, for whose sake he had to steal more and more. Ajamila was especially attached to the youngest, whom he named Narayana. It was his name that he began to desperately call out when he felt that his old body was about to die. It was not death that frightened him, but the Yamadutas, the servants of the god of justice. These merciless creatures were already ready to pull his soul out of his body in order to force him to atone for all the atrocities he had committed before. “Narayana! Narayana!” Ajamila screamed hysterically. And in response to this call, the shining beings, the servants of Lord Narayana, came and declared their right to this soul to the Yamadutas. The Yamadutas were indignant and began to list all his misdeeds, but the Vishnudutas loudly sang the glories of the Holy Name of their Lord, even the casual pronunciation of which makes one forever a ward of the Lord Himself. And the Yamadutas gave Ajamila's soul to the Vishnudutas, who granted him some more time to live. What happened so astonished Ajamila that very soon his brahminical qualities and values ​​reawakened in him, illuminating his last days with faith and happiness, until his soul ascended to the abode of Narayana.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto Once, in order to regain his heavenly kingdom, the king of the gods Indra asked the priest Vishvarupa to perform certain powerful rituals. But being half of a demonic race, Vishvarupa secretly, with one of his lips, uttered spells for Indra's opponents. Seeing this, the angry Indra chopped off all three of the priest's heads, thereby incurring the great sin of killing a brahmana. Indra's unrighteous act gave the demons the strength to perform the ritual that resulted in the birth of Vritrasura. His name meant "he who obscured the light," for he grew so quickly that very soon he was able to obscure even the heavenly bodies with his mighty snake-like body. The astonished gods realized that only the Almighty Vishnu could help them this time, and by the power of a sincere prayer uttered in despair, they appeared before His merciful gaze. He answered them with unusual advice. “Find Dadhyanchu. He has acquired deep knowledge, and in his body he has accumulated great power through austerities. Let him give you his flesh, and the divine blacksmith Vishwakarma will create a weapon from it that will easily defeat Vritrasura.” This request greatly surprised the sage Dadhyanchu. But not attached to the fleshly, he gave up his earthly life without hesitation for the sake of the victory of the gods. With this sacrifice, he set an example for the entire universe, and the glory of his feat spread throughout all three worlds.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto Once upon a time, the great king Satyavrata was performing worship. As an offering, he scooped up a handful of water from the sacred river Kritamala. To his surprise, a beautiful fish jumped into his palm. But in order not to interrupt his worship, the king released it back and scooped up water again. To his surprise, the fish was again in his hand. It begged in a pitiful voice: “Do not let me perish in this river, where so many monsters want to eat me. Take me to a place where I will be under your protection.” Satyavrata scooped up water from the river with a pitcher, and the fish settled there. But the next morning, he was amazed to find that the fish barely fit into the spacious pitcher. He released her into the pond, but a moment later, the fish occupied it too. Then Satyavrata released the fish into the lake, whose shores stretched to the horizon, but even that soon turned out to be too small for her. “Have you really saved me so that I would die of suffocation? Find me a pond where I will have room.” But even the sea turned out to be insufficient for her. And in response to Satyavrata’s offer to release her into the world ocean, he heard again a pitiful plea: “But sir, the ocean is teeming with sea monsters that will easily eat me. Where can I find protection?” The amazed Satyavrata asked: “What kind of amazing creature are you? It must be that you, Lord, have hidden behind this form.” And then he heard amazing words. “I have tested you, My dear servant. You have recognized Me even in this form. I have come to save you, the Vedas and the living entities. The day of Brahma is coming to an end, and soon before the morning of the day everything will be submerged in the waters of the universal deluge, the maha-pralaya.” And led by that wonderful avatar of the Lord, Matsya, the servant of the Lord was saved in a huge ark to become the progenitor of mankind, Manu, in this age.

This story is from the Ninth Canto of Srimad Bhagavatam There was a time when the righteous king Ambarishi ruled the entire earthly plane of existence. He devoted all his time to serving the Lord. Including constantly performing various vows with his wife. One of them was observing the Ekadashi fast for a year, which was to end with magnificent worship and celebration. And at the moment when the king was ready to break the fast, a guest appeared on the threshold of his palace. It was the sage Durvasa, known for his hot temper. Even the demigods feared his curses, for nothing can prevent the fulfillment of the words of a brahmana. But something special happened that day. Durvasa went to take a bath, and the king, according to all the rules, should not have started eating before his guest. But Durvasa did not appear, and the Ekadashi fast must be broken at a strictly defined time. After consulting with the brahmins, Ambarishi took only a sip of water and began to wait for the guest. Upon returning, Durvasa realized that the king had already broken the fast, and in a fit of anger he gave birth to a monster that was supposed to destroy Abmarisha. But the Sudarshan Chakra, the fiery wheel of time and the eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, who protects His devotees, destroyed this monster in the blink of an eye and rushed after Durvasa himself. Durvasa could not find salvation either from Brahma or Shiva, and even the owner of the chakra, Narayana, answered the old man: “I am completely in the power of my beloved servants and devotees. If Ambarishi forgives you, then I will forgive you too.” When Durvasa returned to Ambarishi, he was surprised to find him still kneeling, awaiting punishment for his sin. And when Durvasa himself began to beg for his forgiveness, Ambarishi began to humbly speak of his own sins and extol Durvasa. Then, amazed, the old man went to spread the glories of the devotees of the Supreme Lord throughout the universe.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto After going through a series of sufferings and revelations and receiving instructions from the great sages Angira and Narada Muni, King Citraketu ascended above the earthly plane of existence and became the master of the heavenly sorcerers and magicians. And one day, with his servants and companions, he flew past Parvati and Shiva on a vimana. Shiva, the ruler of the material universe and the teacher of everyone who strives to get out of the control of the senses, was sitting in front of his sage disciples. On his lap sat his eternal energy-shakti and his consort, Parvati. Looking at this picture with a mundane eye, one might think that this divine couple was enjoying each other's company, as an ordinary man and woman would do. And for a moment such a thought crept into Chitraketu, and he smiled, turning to his wives and companions. Of course, this could not fail to touch the ears of the divine couple. Shiva only smiled, but his wife flared up with righteous anger and attacked the earthly king who dared to teach Shiva himself. She cursed Chitraketu that he would have to give birth again on Earth, in a demonic family. Chitraketu descended from the vimana and prostrated himself before those whom he dared, by the will of the divine play, to judge and criticize. Having delivered a speech filled with wisdom, he accepted the will of the Supreme with confidence. Knowing that nothing bad for the soul can come from the servant of the Lord, he accepted the curse as a gift and mercy. Parvati was so amazed that this inspired Shiva to deliver a beautiful speech about the glory of the devotees of Lord Vishnu. This speech has remained for centuries on the pages of Srimad Bhagavatam. And King Chitraketu played his role in the divine drama, being born as the great demon Vritrasura, who was destined to fight and fall in battle with the heavenly king Indra.

Srimad Bhagavatam, Sixth Canto As is known, the devas (demigods) live in heavenly abodes, from where they manage the affairs of the earthly and other planes of existence. Indra is their king. And although the demigods live in accordance with Vedic knowledge, they are still inhabitants of the material world, and their character is imperfect. They, like ordinary people, are characterized by pride, envy and anger, for which they have to pay with karmic consequences. For example, one day Indra was enjoying another meeting, where numerous demigods, celestial singers and countless servants praised him and rendered service. At this time, the guru of the demigods, Brihaspati (Jupiter), entered the hall. Indra, who was so absorbed in the scene, did not show him any respect, which showed his teacher how far the king of the devas' pride had gone. He then left the assembly and became invisible to the eyes. Indra quickly realized his mistake and, along with everyone else, began searching for Brihaspati throughout the universe to ask forgiveness for his mistake. But in vain. This was their teacher's lesson. They had to learn the hard way how important the guru's mercy is. Without it, they quickly began to violate their duties, starting with the smallest things. Gradually, they lost their valor, strength, and honor. And seeing their weakness, the demons quickly captured the heavenly kingdom. In despair, the demigods turned to the creator, Brahma. Having scolded his children for violating one of the main principles of the universe - respect for the spiritual teacher - Brahma gave them advice. Turn to the brahmin priest Vishvarupa. He was of pious character and perfectly knew the science of worship, although he carried in himself the blood of two clans - divine and demonic. Having agreed to help the devas, Vishvarupa wove for them an indestructible protection from the holy name of Lord Narayana. Dressed in this wonderful hymn, the demigods quickly recaptured their kingdom. But this was destined to be only the beginning of the story that led to an amazing battle between the rulers of the universe and the wise demon Vritrasura.

A Story from Sri Chaitanya Charitamrita On his way south, Madhavendra Puri visited Rimun, where there is a temple of Gopinatha. He was amazed at the beauty of this Deity. In front of the altar of Gopinatha, Madhavendra Puri began to chant and dance. He then sat down and began to inquire with the brahmana attendant what kind of food they were offering to the deity. Seeing how lavishly the deity was being worshiped, Madhavendra Puri concluded that only the most delicious foods were being offered to the deity. Madhavendra Puri thought so. We should inquire from the attendant what kind of food was being offered to Gopinatha. Then we can prepare the same food in our kitchen for Sri Gopala. When Madhavendra Puri asked the brahmana this question, he explained in detail what kind of food was prepared for Gopinatha. The brahmana attendant said that in the evening the Deity was offered sweet rice in twelve clay pots. Because this sweet rice tastes like the nectar Amrita, it is called Amritakeli. This sweet rice is famous throughout the world as Gopinatha-ksira. It is not prepared anywhere else on earth. While Madhavendra Puri was talking with the brahmana attendant, the sweet rice was brought and placed before the Deity. When Madhavendra Puri heard this, he thought of this. If the attendant, without my request, offers me sweet rice, I will taste it and then prepare exactly the same for my Lord Gopala. As soon as Madhavendra Puri had a desire to eat sweet rice, he became very ashamed and immediately concentrated his thoughts on Lord Vishnu. While Madhavendra Puri was thinking of Lord Vishnu, the offering of sweet rice ended and the Arati ceremony began. After waiting until the Arati was over, Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to the Deity and left the temple without saying a word to anyone. Madhavendra Puri never begged. He was unattached and indifferent to all material things. If someone offered him food without asking, he would eat it, and if not, he would simply fast. A Paramahamsa like Madhavendra Puri, who serves the Lord with love, is always satisfied. He is not affected by material hunger or thirst. When Madhavendra Puri wanted to eat some sweet rice, he considered it sinful because the Deity had not yet finished eating. From the temple, Madhavendra Puri went to the marketplace, which was already deserted. He sat down there and began chanting the holy name. In the meantime, the temple attendant put the Deity to sleep. After completing his daily duties, the attendant went to sleep. In a dream, Gopinatha appeared to him and spoke as follows. “O pujari! Please get up and open the temple door. I have saved one pot of sweet rice for a sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri. This pot is hidden under the hem of my cloth. By my cunning you did not notice it. In the deserted marketplace, there is a sannyasi named Madhavendra Puri. Take this pot of sweet rice and give it to him.” Upon awakening, the priest jumped out of bed and decided to bathe before entering the Deity's room. After bathing, he unlocked the temple door. As the Deity had said, the priest found a pot of sweet rice under his robe. He took the pot, wiped the floor underneath it, and left the temple. After locking the temple, the priest went to the village with the pot of sweet rice. He began calling out Madhavendra Puri's name and inspecting every stall in search of him. With the pot in his hand, the priest called out, "Madhavendra Puri, come out and take the pot of sweet rice. Gopinatha has stolen it especially for you." The priest continued, "Sanyasi named Madhavendra Puri, please take this sweet rice and enjoy the sap to your heart's content. In all the three worlds, there is no one more fortunate than you." Hearing this, Madhavendra Puri came out and introduced himself. Then the attendant handed him a pot of sweet rice and prostrated himself before him. After hearing all the details of how the pot of sweet rice had been stolen, Sri Madhavendra Puri became absorbed in the ecstasy of love for Krishna. Seeing the symptoms of ecstatic love displayed by Madhavendra Puri, the attendant became astonished. He understood why Krishna felt so indebted to Madhavendra Puri. It was now clear to him that Krishna's act was fully justified. After bowing down to Madhavendra Puri, the attendant returned to the temple, and Madhavendra Puri began to eat the sweet rice that Krishna had given him in ecstasy. After this, Madhavendra Puri washed the pot and broke it into small pieces. After collecting all the broken pieces, he folded that edge of his cloth, tied it in a bundle, and carefully kept it. Every day, Madhavendra Puri would eat one piece of that pot. By doing this, he would immediately become absorbed in ecstasy. Indeed, this story is wonderful. After breaking the pot and collecting the pieces, Madhavendra Puri thought, “The Lord has sent me a pot of sweet rice, and tomorrow morning when people hear of this, a huge crowd will gather here.” Being afraid of this, Sri Madhavendra Puri offered his obeisances to Gopinatha at that very spot and at the end of the night, he left Rimun. After a long journey, Madhavendra Puri finally reached Nilacala, Jagannatha Puri.