Shri Priyadas Ji
an early age
Shri Priyadas Ji was born in a village called Rajpura in Surat-city. His birth is estimated to be sometime before 1683.
In the Bhakti Rasbodhini commentary, Shri Priyadas Ji has mentioned the time of completion of the commentary as 1712. The time of the composition of the book is also mentioned in the book Rasik Mohini as 1737.
From this description, it appears that the period of Shri Priyadas Ji is sometime from 1683 to 1737. Shri Priyadas Ji’s father’s name was Shri Vasudev and his mother’s name was Shrimati Gangabai…..
Shri Priyadas Ji had come to Vrindavan at an early age and had received Vaishnav initiation (diksha) from Shri Manohardas Ji.
Shri Niwasacharya Ji has been well-known among the disciples of Acharya Shri Gopal Bhatt Ji.
Shri Manohardas Ji was the disciple of Shri Niwasacharya Ji.
FIRM FAITH IN THE VRINDAVAN
As a disciple of Shri Manohardas Ji, Shri Priyadas Ji traveled to Galta (Jaipur), where he was inspired (by Shri Nabhadas ji – who wrote Shri Bhaktmal Granth) to comment on the most famous Shri Bhaktamal Granth. It has 634 poems. The composition of this commentary was in the year 1712.
Shri Priyadas Ji also used to tell the story of Shri Bhaktamal very proficiently. His works in the Braj language have been of excellent quality.
In these compositions, while on the one hand the principles related to communal worship have been expressed, on the other hand, the exclusive allegiance to the Raas Leela of Shri Radha Krishna has been expressed and it has also been considered as the life-breath of the worship……
The desire for Raas Leela darshan of Shri Radha Madhava which was expressed by the former Rasik saints was also present in Shri PriyaDas Ji’s heart and he also wanted to keep watching the Raas Leela on the banks of Yamuna on the full-moon night regularly as he had the great love and affection towards the Raas as it was considered the breath of his life……
Shri PriyaDas Ji has depicted many places under Vrindavan as the place of Raas Leela in his poetry.
In all these places, the signs of various pastimes are well-known as Raasmandal of Sanket Vat, Lalita Kund, Kokila Van, Jawat Vat, Radha Kund, Kandarpasar, Chandrasar, Govind Kund, Shobha Kund, Gahvar Van, and Vanshivat, etc.
It is the belief of Shri PriyaDas Ji that in the Raasmandals of these divine places, the Raas Leela of Shri Radha Krishna keeps happening according to their will and it is divine and going on eternally since time immemorial……
Shri PriyaDas ji says, By residing in Shri Vrindavan Dham, one easily falls in love with Shri ShyamaShyam. Shri Radha Krishna easily captivates one’s mind.
He says, “The devotee whose mind has been stolen by Shri Radha Krishna, He/she keeps drinking the divine nectar of love and gives up the hope of anyone else. Night and day, that devotee drinks the nectar of the divine form. That devotee’s heart becomes clean and pure like a mirror and becomes devoid of desires (wishes).
Contemplating and remembering the divine pastimes, eyes are always filled in their love, whose intellect is merged in that love, that fortunate one walks like a madman intoxicated in their love. It is only by great fortune that such Rasik devotees are found, who make our eyes see such pastimes.”
DESCRIBING THE METHOD OF BHAJANA
Describing the sequence of service, Shri PriyaDas Ji says that “the worshiper should be absorbed in the service of prakat form (manifested form) of Shri ShyamaShyam night and day.
That devotee should continue to serve the divine couple with his/her Siddha (Sakhi) form. One must follow the path of the Rasik devotees who are situated in the divine form (Sakhi form). The Sakhis continue to drink the nectar of the divine form of Shri Radha Krishna and they do not give up the closeness of the divine couple even for a moment.
Worshipers should keep on remembering with the same spirit, there must be longing in their eyes, only then Shri Radha Krishna showers their grace.
This is the topmost method of worship, but the devotee should keep their feelings hidden in the depths of his heart, and shouldn’t let the world know about it.
A PARIKRAMA
When Shri PriyaDas Ji completed the commentary of Shri Bhaktmal (he was asked to do the commentary on Shri Bhaktmal from Shri NabhaDas Ji), he felt a desire to circumambulate the Braj Dham…….
Shri Priyadas Ji started for Braj Parikrama with the saints. Seeing the creepers, ponds, and lakes of Braj, Shri Priyadas Ji, immersed in bliss, reached Hodal, a little ahead of Kosi during the circumambulation.
Once he reached there with the saints who were accompanying him he saw there was a temple of the Shri Nimbarka sect (Nimbarka Sampradaaye) in Hodal whose Mahant (head priest) was Shri Laldas Ji…..
The presiding deity of the temple, Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju (Shri Radha Krishna), was seated in the temple. Shri Priyadas Ji was very happy after having the darshan of Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju he felt immense happiness and satisfaction……
Mahant Shri Laldas Ji was a great devotee and always used to serve the saints as and when he got an opportunity.
He stopped all the saints along with Shri PriyaDas Ji and requested Shri PriyaDas Ji to do Shri Bhaktamal Katha as he use to tell Shri Bhaktmal Katha in a very proficient way by which the devotees used to have the feeling of bliss……
Pleased with the service of Shri Laldas Ji, Shri Priyadas Ji stopped there and started the narration of Shri Bhaktmal.
THIEVES ENTERING INTO THE TEMPLE
One night some thieves came there. The thieves took away the presiding deity of the temple, the jewelry, and all the materials of the service.
When the doors of the temple were opened in the morning, the priest saw that there was neither deity nor any service material. The priest understood that the thieves had stolen everything.
When all the saints in the temple came to know that the thieves had taken away the deity, all became very sad.
Shri PriyaDas Ji was also very sad and did not cook anything that day and remained hungry, he did not even commence the narration of Shri Bhaktamal.
Shri PriyaDas Ji said, “the presiding deity Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju does not like the narration of Shri Bhaktmal, that is why they went with the thieves.”
Mahant Shri Laldas Ji prayed with folded hands to Shri PriyaDas Ji and requested “please start again Shri Bhaktamal Katha and eat something, you have not eaten anything today.”
Shri PriyaDas Ji said “Now I will never do the katha of Shri Bhaktmal. Shri Nabhadas Ji, the author of Shri Bhaktmal, has said that ‘Shri Hari likes very much the biographies of his devotees’, which has proved to be untrue today, that’s why Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju went away from here leaving the Katha of Shri Bhaktamal.” Saying this Shri PriyaDas Ji remained hungry, and all the saints became worried……
WARNING OF SRI KRISHNA TO THE THIEVES
Thieves fell asleep in the forest and while they were sleeping, Shri Lalbihari Ju (Shri Krishna) came in the dream of those thieves and ordered each thief, “Take me back to the temple from where you have brought me, otherwise you all will have to suffer a lot. Firstly my devotees are unhappy, and secondly, I could not hear the Bhaktamal Katha. Because of all of you I have to bear double sorrow, If I have not reached the temple and back to my devotees, believe me I will give you fourfold sorrow.”
Hearing this warning of the Lord, all the thieves got up in the mid-night itself and did not even wait till the morning.
They had got a lot of transformation in them as soon as they heard the words of the Lord himself in their dreams, now with great joy, they took the Lord with them and started moving towards the temple.
All the thieves started moving towards the temple doing dance and chanting the kirtan of the Lord……
THIEVES COMING BACK WITH THE DEITY TO THE TEMPLE & SHRI PRIYADAS JI NARRATING THE BHAKTAMAL KATHA
Even before dawn, the information reached the temple that thieves were coming to the temple with the Lord while performing the kirtan on the way along with dancing.
All the saints became happy when they heard that the Lord was coming back to them and the saints came in front of the thieves while performing the kirtan.
The hearts of the saints were filled with love and joy, they had forgotten everything that happened, and they were cooling their hearts by touching the Lotus Feet of the Lord.
The hearts of those thieves were also purified, they were unable to say anything, remembering the words of the Lord, their chests were bursting and tears were flowing from their eyes.
By somehow managing themselves, the thieves wiped their tears and told all the details of the dream to the saints, that how the Lord appeared to each one of them and warned them and how they got transformed.
The saints were very happy to hear about the dream of the Lord, all their sorrows were gone.
Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju were welcomed back in the temple and the festival was celebrated with great joy.
Again the Katha of Shri Bhaktamal started by Shri PriyaDas Ji.
All the saints started saying that Shri Hari is the first listener of Shri Bhaktamal Katha……
TEXT COMPOSITIONS BY SHRI PRIYADAS JI
Five books of Shri PriyaDas Ji are well known, namely –
𝟭. Ananya Medini,
𝟮. Chaahbeli,
𝟯. Bhakta Sumirini,
𝟰. Rasik Mohini, and
𝟱. Bhakti Rasbodhini Commentary on Shri Bhaktamal.
There are a total of 111 couplets in Shri PriyaDas Ji’s granth ‘Rasikmohini’, in which the glory of Shri Vrindavan Dham has been described.
The total number of poems and couplets in ‘Ananya Medini’, (except for the quotes of Vyas Ji), is 75, in which the unique principle of devotion is described.
There are a total of 51 verses in ‘Chaahbeli’, in which the desire for grace has been expressed.
‘Bhakta Sumirini’ is a small composition of 35 verses, which is a list of devotees who are mentioned in Shri Bhaktamal. The year of composition is also given in ‘Rasikmohini’, which is 1683.
The descriptions of Raasleela which have come to be seen in the literature of Shri PriyaDas Ji are indicative as well as brief. The description of the forest pastimes under Raasleela is very excellent.
In the middle of the Yamuna water, Shri Radha Krishna are seen in the water-play pastimes situated in the circle of the gopis. The scene of the forest-pastimes, which Shri PriyaDas Ji has recorded after the water-play pastime, is also full of supernatural sweetness, surrounded by sakhis and visible only by the grace of Shri Radha Krishna.
In a book called Chaahbeli, Shri PriyaDas Ji has presented a symbolic description of flute playing, Raasleela, Ramanotsav, and Jal Vihar (water-play) on Vanshivat under Arilla (poem). It seems that Shri PriyaDas Ji, while being a Rasik devotee of the nectar of Shri Krishna, was also a nurturer of the dignity of the Rasik. This is the reason why he has expressed Raasleela in a very decent way…….
Spread The Love:
© Devotional Tales – Shri Harivansh. All Rights Reserved