Introduction :
Once upon a time, Shri Sarasdev Ji, the fourth acharya of Swami Haridasi sect, was seated in the Nidhivan and all the devotees were also there. All the disciples kindly requested a question at the lotus feet of the Acharya:
"O Lord, please make such a disciple who can surrender his body and mind unto your lotus feet, and who can be enthroned as ‘Acharya’ [master] of this sect and can further do the welfare of the devotees.”
Swami Shri Sarasdev, after carefully listening to the words of the saints, said:
O saints and devotees, listen to me carefully. In Bundelkhand, there is a village on the banks of the river Dhasan whose name is Gudha. At this place Sage Vishwamitra Ji did penance and Shri Hari had appeared to him. A pious brahman lives in that village whose name is Shri Vishnudas, in whose house a divine son has appeared. His name is Narharidev, he will be my disciple who will serve Shri Shyamashyam and by my permission, he will be enthroned on this seat as Acharya. Everyone was astonished and happy hearing these words.
Birth :
In Bundelkhand, a wealthy Brahmana named Vishnudas lived in a village called Gudha on the banks of the Dhasan river. He was so wealthy that He used to give money to the king of Orchha. But Shri Vishnudas and his wife Uttamadevi didn't have children and they were very sad. Both the couple came to the place where ‘Sanakadika Paramhansas’ had performed penance. They started worshiping day and night in the lotus feet of Shri Sankadikas for begetting a child. Seeing their pure devotion, Sankadik was pleased and came in the dream of that couple and blessed them saying
"You will have a son who will be the incarnation of Lord Hari"
On waking up, both of them were very happy and returned to their home. After a year, they had a very brilliant son, who they named Narhari.
Childhood Pastimes:
Shri Narharidev used to recite the scriptural texts regularly. Due to His generosity, many saints would come to His house and Narharidev used to serve all the saints. He used to prepare many types of dishes and feed the saints with love. He always ate the food remnants left by the saints. Instead of water, He would take Charanamrit by washing the feet of the saints. Shri Naraharidev used to experience supreme bliss in the company of saints and wish to lead his life only under the grace and blessings of saints.
There was a merchant named Sukhji who had got leprosy. His body started smelling very bad due to which his relatives and loved ones also started staying away from him. Sukhji was very sad and thought that only Lord Jagannath can only cure his disease. He went to Jagannathpuri and with the thought that Jagannath Ji would cure my disease or else I would give up my life, he started fasting there. 5 days passed without food and water, then Lord Jagannath sent the information through his servant. The servant came near Sukhji and started reciting the orders of Lord Jagannath.
Lord Jagannath said, "The cure of your disease is not here, you must go to the village of Gudha, there lives a Brahmana whose name is Vishnudas, I have incarnated in the form of a son in his house, his name is Narharidas, you should wash his feet and take a bath with that water, your leprosy will be cured."
Hearing this, Sukhji came to Gudha village and requested the order of Shri Jagannath Ji at the lotus feet of the child Shri Narharidas. Shri Narharidas gave his Charanamrit and Sukhji bathed in it, as a result of which his leprosy was cured. This incident of Shri Narharidas Ji spread everywhere.
Spiritual Life and Initiation :
Once Mahant Muraridas came to the house of Narharidev with a group of four hundred saints. In the kitchen, 400 kg of black lentils were soaked immediately to make ‘vada’. But who will grind the lentils in such a short time? The cooks were very confused about what to do? But Narharidev was not worried at all. When the lentils got wet, people saw that four saints (who were actually Sankadik sages) came and within four hours, 400 kg of pulse were grinded. Shri Naraharidev made Dahi Vada from ground lentils and offered it to Sri Radha Krishn after which, Prasad was served to the saints. All the saints happily ate the prasad with great love and started saying among themselves that we have never eaten such a lovely prasad in our life.
Shri Sankadik went to their abode. Some lucky saints had darshan of them. Seeing the glory of Shri Narharidev, Mahant Murari Ji was very pleased and embraced Narharidev and asked him: Who is your guru?
Shri Narharidev said, "My guru is Shri Sarasdev, who resides in Vrindavan and is coming from Vrindavan to initiate me and make me his disciple."
Hearing this melodious voice, all the saints were surprised and they also stayed there for the darshan of Shri Sarasdev Ji.
After two days, Shri Sarasdev arrived. When Shri Naraharidev got the information that Gurudev has come near His village, He ran for more than 2 miles to welcome his guru and fell at the lotus feet of Shri Guru and started rolling in His foot dust. Mahant Murari Ji along with other saints also ran after Narhari dev only for the darshan of His Guru Sri Saras Dev. Shri Sarasdev picked up Narharidev and embraced him and came to his house.
Festivities started in the whole village. Shri Sarasdev Ji gave initiation to Narharidev and made him His disciple and returned to Vrindavan.
Arrival in Vrindavan:
After some time Shri Narharidev also left the material life and came to Vrindavan and reached the lotus feet of his Guru. When Shri Sarasdev saw Narharidev, He was very pleased with His devotion and enthroned him on the throne of Nidhivan.
Shri Narharidev often lived in Vrindavan, but sometimes used to go to Bundelkhand with the spirit of public welfare. And when He would return to Vrindavan, He would prostrate on the border of Vrindavan, because he used to see every living being in Vrindavan in the form of Shri Radha Krishna.
Shri Narharidev [in his Sakhi form] would always use to serve Shri Radha Krishna in divine Vrindavan with his guru and Swami Shri Haridas. Shri Naraharidev was always immersed in divine nectar, wherever He went, he always used to serve his worshipful deity and saints, he used to take charnamrit of the saints and always took food remnants leftover by the saints. He never saw the caste of saints, He would always treat everyone equally and used to serve all the saints equally.
When He came to Vrindavan, He broke His sacred thread even though he was a brahmin, believing that these Vedic injunctions and prohibitions are nothing more than a hindrance in this divine nectar. He left the Vedic rituals of devotion and used to serve Priya Lal (Radha Krishn) day and night lovingly.
Shri Narharidev used to love the residents of Braj very much and if he had taken anything from them, He would have given them quadruple-eight times the price only with the feeling that some service could be done to them. It is believed that Swami Naraharidev Ji was so great, and He had such an aura that even the fallen ones are rectified as they came near to Him.
Swami Narharidev Ji was also a strong worshiper of exclusive nectar and Nitya Keli like his previous acharyas Swami Haridas, Shri Vitthal Vipul, Shri Biharin Dev and Shri Saras dev etc.
Praising him Shri Govinddasji has written:
"Shrikunjviharidas Aas Dooji Nahin Kini.
Haritan Sanmukh Bhaye Peethi Sab Jag Ko Dini.
Haribhaktan Sau Paanti Jaati-kul Dharm Na Maanyau.
Paavat Mahaprasad Vidit Sab Jag Mein Jaanyau.
Lok-ved Son Na Daren Vimukhan Son Nahi Deenata.
Shriswami Narharidas Ki Dekhi Badi Ananyata."
Disciple Tradition:
Shri Narharidev Ji had two main disciples, Shri Rasikdas and Shri Keshavdas. Shri Rasikdas was the elder and sat on the throne after Shri Narhari Dev. It is believed that Shri Bihariji had asked Shri Narharidev Ji to make Shri Rasik Das Ji as His disciple.
It is believed that once Shri Narharidev Ji was in Bundelkhand, he was in such a detached state that suddenly His forehead hit the branch of the tree, due to which his forehead got hurt, but he did not even know of it. Shri Rasik Dev Ji, who was very far from there and was such a great devotee of Guru, that he came to know inside his heart that the forehead of my guru has been hit by a branch of a tree, and he grabbed his forehead with pain and started saying that my Guru got hurt.
Once some disciples gave hot milk to Sri Narharidev due to which He got blisters in his mouth, and Shri Rasik Dev Ji got upset that my Guru had blisters in his mouth.
Shri Rasik Dev was considered a very intimate disciple of Shri Narharidev Ji. Shri Rasik Dev Ji had 52 disciples in which Shri Lalit Kishori Dev [Acharya of Tattiya Sthan], Shri Pitambar Dev [Shri Rasik Bihari temple], and Shri Govind Dev [Gore Lal Ji ki Kunj] were prominent.
Text Composition:
The pada's composed by Shri Narharidev is compiled in the book known as Shri Naraharidev Ju Ki Vani.
Once upon a time, Shri Sarasdev Ji, the fourth acharya of Swami Haridasi sect, was seated in the Nidhivan and all the devotees were also there. All the disciples kindly requested a question at the lotus feet of the Acharya:
"O Lord, please make such a disciple who can surrender his body and mind unto your lotus feet, and who can be enthroned as ‘Acharya’ [master] of this sect and can further do the welfare of the devotees.”
Swami Shri Sarasdev, after carefully listening to the words of the saints, said:
O saints and devotees, listen to me carefully. In Bundelkhand, there is a village on the banks of the river Dhasan whose name is Gudha. At this place Sage Vishwamitra Ji did penance and Shri Hari had appeared to him. A pious brahman lives in that village whose name is Shri Vishnudas, in whose house a divine son has appeared. His name is Narharidev, he will be my disciple who will serve Shri Shyamashyam and by my permission, he will be enthroned on this seat as Acharya. Everyone was astonished and happy hearing these words.
Birth :
In Bundelkhand, a wealthy Brahmana named Vishnudas lived in a village called Gudha on the banks of the Dhasan river. He was so wealthy that He used to give money to the king of Orchha. But Shri Vishnudas and his wife Uttamadevi didn't have children and they were very sad. Both the couple came to the place where ‘Sanakadika Paramhansas’ had performed penance. They started worshiping day and night in the lotus feet of Shri Sankadikas for begetting a child. Seeing their pure devotion, Sankadik was pleased and came in the dream of that couple and blessed them saying
"You will have a son who will be the incarnation of Lord Hari"
On waking up, both of them were very happy and returned to their home. After a year, they had a very brilliant son, who they named Narhari.
Childhood Pastimes:
Shri Narharidev used to recite the scriptural texts regularly. Due to His generosity, many saints would come to His house and Narharidev used to serve all the saints. He used to prepare many types of dishes and feed the saints with love. He always ate the food remnants left by the saints. Instead of water, He would take Charanamrit by washing the feet of the saints. Shri Naraharidev used to experience supreme bliss in the company of saints and wish to lead his life only under the grace and blessings of saints.
There was a merchant named Sukhji who had got leprosy. His body started smelling very bad due to which his relatives and loved ones also started staying away from him. Sukhji was very sad and thought that only Lord Jagannath can only cure his disease. He went to Jagannathpuri and with the thought that Jagannath Ji would cure my disease or else I would give up my life, he started fasting there. 5 days passed without food and water, then Lord Jagannath sent the information through his servant. The servant came near Sukhji and started reciting the orders of Lord Jagannath.
Lord Jagannath said, "The cure of your disease is not here, you must go to the village of Gudha, there lives a Brahmana whose name is Vishnudas, I have incarnated in the form of a son in his house, his name is Narharidas, you should wash his feet and take a bath with that water, your leprosy will be cured."
Hearing this, Sukhji came to Gudha village and requested the order of Shri Jagannath Ji at the lotus feet of the child Shri Narharidas. Shri Narharidas gave his Charanamrit and Sukhji bathed in it, as a result of which his leprosy was cured. This incident of Shri Narharidas Ji spread everywhere.
Spiritual Life and Initiation :
Once Mahant Muraridas came to the house of Narharidev with a group of four hundred saints. In the kitchen, 400 kg of black lentils were soaked immediately to make ‘vada’. But who will grind the lentils in such a short time? The cooks were very confused about what to do? But Narharidev was not worried at all. When the lentils got wet, people saw that four saints (who were actually Sankadik sages) came and within four hours, 400 kg of pulse were grinded. Shri Naraharidev made Dahi Vada from ground lentils and offered it to Sri Radha Krishn after which, Prasad was served to the saints. All the saints happily ate the prasad with great love and started saying among themselves that we have never eaten such a lovely prasad in our life.
Shri Sankadik went to their abode. Some lucky saints had darshan of them. Seeing the glory of Shri Narharidev, Mahant Murari Ji was very pleased and embraced Narharidev and asked him: Who is your guru?
Shri Narharidev said, "My guru is Shri Sarasdev, who resides in Vrindavan and is coming from Vrindavan to initiate me and make me his disciple."
Hearing this melodious voice, all the saints were surprised and they also stayed there for the darshan of Shri Sarasdev Ji.
After two days, Shri Sarasdev arrived. When Shri Naraharidev got the information that Gurudev has come near His village, He ran for more than 2 miles to welcome his guru and fell at the lotus feet of Shri Guru and started rolling in His foot dust. Mahant Murari Ji along with other saints also ran after Narhari dev only for the darshan of His Guru Sri Saras Dev. Shri Sarasdev picked up Narharidev and embraced him and came to his house.
Festivities started in the whole village. Shri Sarasdev Ji gave initiation to Narharidev and made him His disciple and returned to Vrindavan.
Arrival in Vrindavan:
After some time Shri Narharidev also left the material life and came to Vrindavan and reached the lotus feet of his Guru. When Shri Sarasdev saw Narharidev, He was very pleased with His devotion and enthroned him on the throne of Nidhivan.
Shri Narharidev often lived in Vrindavan, but sometimes used to go to Bundelkhand with the spirit of public welfare. And when He would return to Vrindavan, He would prostrate on the border of Vrindavan, because he used to see every living being in Vrindavan in the form of Shri Radha Krishna.
Shri Narharidev [in his Sakhi form] would always use to serve Shri Radha Krishna in divine Vrindavan with his guru and Swami Shri Haridas. Shri Naraharidev was always immersed in divine nectar, wherever He went, he always used to serve his worshipful deity and saints, he used to take charnamrit of the saints and always took food remnants leftover by the saints. He never saw the caste of saints, He would always treat everyone equally and used to serve all the saints equally.
When He came to Vrindavan, He broke His sacred thread even though he was a brahmin, believing that these Vedic injunctions and prohibitions are nothing more than a hindrance in this divine nectar. He left the Vedic rituals of devotion and used to serve Priya Lal (Radha Krishn) day and night lovingly.
Shri Narharidev used to love the residents of Braj very much and if he had taken anything from them, He would have given them quadruple-eight times the price only with the feeling that some service could be done to them. It is believed that Swami Naraharidev Ji was so great, and He had such an aura that even the fallen ones are rectified as they came near to Him.
Swami Narharidev Ji was also a strong worshiper of exclusive nectar and Nitya Keli like his previous acharyas Swami Haridas, Shri Vitthal Vipul, Shri Biharin Dev and Shri Saras dev etc.
Praising him Shri Govinddasji has written:
"Shrikunjviharidas Aas Dooji Nahin Kini.
Haritan Sanmukh Bhaye Peethi Sab Jag Ko Dini.
Haribhaktan Sau Paanti Jaati-kul Dharm Na Maanyau.
Paavat Mahaprasad Vidit Sab Jag Mein Jaanyau.
Lok-ved Son Na Daren Vimukhan Son Nahi Deenata.
Shriswami Narharidas Ki Dekhi Badi Ananyata."
Disciple Tradition:
Shri Narharidev Ji had two main disciples, Shri Rasikdas and Shri Keshavdas. Shri Rasikdas was the elder and sat on the throne after Shri Narhari Dev. It is believed that Shri Bihariji had asked Shri Narharidev Ji to make Shri Rasik Das Ji as His disciple.
It is believed that once Shri Narharidev Ji was in Bundelkhand, he was in such a detached state that suddenly His forehead hit the branch of the tree, due to which his forehead got hurt, but he did not even know of it. Shri Rasik Dev Ji, who was very far from there and was such a great devotee of Guru, that he came to know inside his heart that the forehead of my guru has been hit by a branch of a tree, and he grabbed his forehead with pain and started saying that my Guru got hurt.
Once some disciples gave hot milk to Sri Narharidev due to which He got blisters in his mouth, and Shri Rasik Dev Ji got upset that my Guru had blisters in his mouth.
Shri Rasik Dev was considered a very intimate disciple of Shri Narharidev Ji. Shri Rasik Dev Ji had 52 disciples in which Shri Lalit Kishori Dev [Acharya of Tattiya Sthan], Shri Pitambar Dev [Shri Rasik Bihari temple], and Shri Govind Dev [Gore Lal Ji ki Kunj] were prominent.
Text Composition:
The pada's composed by Shri Narharidev is compiled in the book known as Shri Naraharidev Ju Ki Vani.