Biography of Shri Chhita Swami

Shri Chhitaswami was one of the eight Sakhas (childhood friends) of Shrinathji and was one of the Ashtachap devotees in Pushtimarg. He was a Brajwasi and was born in Mathura in the year 1515 in the Chaubey family. Later on, Chhitaswami took refuge in the lotus feet of Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji and used to sing padas for Shrinathji.

There lived five Chaubes in Mathura who were very big goons and used to cheat people. Chhit Chaubey (Chhitaswami) was the chief among those five.

One day they thought that whoever goes to Gokul is spell bound by the control of Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji. From this, it appears that Gusain Ji knows a lot about witchcraft. But if his witchcraft will work on us, then only we will accept it as true.

Thinking like this, all the five Chaubes came to Gokul with a fake coconut and a fake rupee. Four of them sat outside and Chhit Chaubey (Chhitaswami) came inside and offered that fake coconut and false money as an offering at the feet of Gusain Ji. Shri Gusain Ji called a servant and said to take this money and get some change. The servant took the money and got the change. After this, the servant broke that coconut, and a white kernel came out of it. Seeing all this, Chhitaswami started thinking that he is God himself. Then Chhitswami said to Gusain Ji, "O Maharaj, take me under your shelter."

Shri Gusain Ji gave the name initiation to Chhitswami and ordered to have darshan of Shri Navnitpriya Ji. When Chhitswami went inside, he saw that Gusain Ji is sitting there and when he came out, he saw that Gusain Ji is sitting here too. Then Chhitaswami thought that it is not possible for a living being to know the divinity of Gusain Ji.

The four Chaubes who were sitting outside started calling Chhitaswami. Gusain Ji told Chhitaswami that your companions are calling you. Chhitaswami went out and said to all four of them that "Gusain Ji has done sorcery on me, you all run away or else sorcery will also be cast upon you." Hearing this, the four companions fled from there.

After this, Chhitaswami made a pada and sang -

(Raag Nat)

Gusain Ji was very pleased to hear this pada.

Chhitaswami slept there that night and on the second day Shri Gusain Ji offered Chhitaswami to the Lord, then Chhitaswami had the vision of the Lord, and all the divine pastimes were manifested in his heart. After this, he became convinced between Gusain Ji and the Lord that both forms are the same.

Then Chhitaswami came to Govardhan to have darshan of Shrinathji. When he went inside the temple to see Shrinathji, he saw that Gusainji was sitting there. Chhitaswami bowed down to Gusain Ji and came out after having darshan of Shrinathji. Outside he asked some people that "when did Gusain Ji come here" to which people said that Gusain Ji is in Gokul. Hearing this, Chhitaswami came to Gokul and saw that Gusain Ji is also sitting here. Seeing all this, Chhitaswami decided that Shrinathji and Gusainji are one form. Since then, Chhitaswami composed many padas with the name "Giridharan Shrivitthal".

Shri Chhitaswami was the priest of Birbal. So He once went to Agra to take Varsondhi (annual donation) to Birbal and stayed with him. When He woke up early in the morning, he remembered Shri Vallabhacharya Ji's name. Later He sang a verse in Devgandhar raga -

So Birbal heard the verse and was fascinated by the melodious expression of Chhitswami's singing and musical knowledge, but feared in His mind that if emperor Akbar would listen to this, what would he think. Chhitaswami got up from the bed and went to have a bath in Shri Yamuna. From there He came and woke up his Shri Thakur Ji, did service to him, and offered some food to the Lord. Later, He again started singing a verse -

Birbal did not like all this act. So He very politely said to Chhitaswami, "You sang padas in the morning and now too, If the 'Malechha' king listens to the padas you sang and asks me, what will I answer, so it will be better if you don't do it."

Hearing this, Chhitaswami said to Birbal, "I will answer when the 'Mallechha' King asks me, but you are asking now only, you also seem to me to be 'Mallechha', from now onwards I will never see your face again."

Chhitaswami tied his belongings and left the annual donation and went back to Mathura.

When the emperor came to know about this, He asked Birbal "Why is your priest angry with you."

Birbal told everything to the emperor. The king Akbar said that Brahmins get angry a lot in small things.

Then the emperor said: Birbal, when you and I were sitting on the boat, a saint named Dixit blessed me and I presented him a priceless gem, out of which 50 grams of gold appeared every day. But Dixit Ji took that gem and threw it in Shri Yamuna. I got very angry and I asked for that gem from him. Then Dixit Ji, putting his hand in Yamuna Ji, took out a handful of divine gems and asked me to identify the gem of mine. Then I was determined that He is God, no one can do this except God. Thinking of this, your priest is right, why didn't you think about it." Birbal was very angry on hearing this and remained silent.

Shri Gusain Ji heard all this and said to some Vaishnavas of Lahore sitting nearby, "I will send Chhitaswami to your place, you all serve Him well and send him off with donations."

A few days later, Gusain Ji gave a letter to Chhitaswami and said, "You go to Lahore with this letter, there are some Vaishnava devotees, they will farewell you well."

Hearing this, Chhitaswami said, "Jai Jai, I am your servant, I was not born to beg anywhere, I was born for your service. I used to go to Birbal for Annual donations. When Birbal behaved like 'Mallecha', I left everything. Now I will not go anywhere except at your feet. Being a Vaishnava, I can't wander anymore door to door to beg."

Shri Gusain Ji was very pleased to hear the sincere words of Chhitaswami and said to the Vaishnavas sitting nearby, "This is the behavior of Vaishnavas, a Vaishnava should do like this."

Later Gusain Ji wrote a letter to the Vaishnavas of Lahore, "Chhitaswami cannot come to Lahore, so you all send him hundred rupees per year as donations."

When the Vaishnavas of Lahore read this letter, they started sending Chhitaswami hundred rupees every year.

One day after taking permission from Emperor Akbar, Birbal came to Gokul to have darshan of Krishn Janmashtami. After Birbal, Emperor Akbar also came in disguised form to Gokul hiding from everyone. At that time there was a crowd of devotees to see the cradle of Janmashtami. Akbar also stood in the crowd and started having darshan. No one recognized Akbar except Shri Gusain Ji. At that time Chhitaswami was singing kirtan and Shri Gusain Ji was swinging the cradle of Shri Navnitpriya Ji. Shri Chhitaswami sang this verse -

"Shri Vitthalnath Ji is swinging Shri Navnitpriya Ji in the cradle. Sometimes Shri Navnitpriya Ji and Shri Vitthalnath swing together and sometimes they get down and swing each other."

Shri Chhitaswami got this darshan so He sang this pada and upon hearing this, Emperor Akbar also got the same darshan. Everyone else got ordinary darshan. After this, when Akbar was going, Gusain Ji got him Mahaprasad secretly. After receiving Mahaprasad, Emperor Akbar went to Agra. On the second day, Birbal also came to Agra. Then the emperor asked Birbal, "What have you seen in Gokul?"

Birbal said, "Shri Navnitpriya Ji was sitting in the cradle and Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji was swinging them".

On this, Emperor Akbar said, "This is not true, I had a vision that Shri Gusain Ji was sitting in the cradle and Shri Navnitpriya Ji was swinging him. Your priest Chhitaswami was also singing the same in his pada, I stood near you."

Hearing this, Birbal said, "Why didn't I have such darshan?"

Emperor Akbar said, "You do not have the knowledge of the true form of the Guru, you don't have affection for your priest Chhitaswami, who has all the divine experiences, so how will you have such visions."

Shri Chhitaswami was such a devotee of God.

Shri Chhitaswami has composed many padas. But there is no text of him available. His padas express the divine pastimes which are not visible to the common man. For example -

Chhitaswami Giridharan Shri Vitthal, Nirakh Nayan Tray Taap Nasaaven.

His bhava towards Swamini Shri Radharani seems to be supreme and pure. He considers Shri Krishn remains always under the control of Shri Radha, as mentioned in His pada:
"Chhit Swami Giradhar Bas Jake so Vrishbhanu Dulari"

How much Shri Chhitswami loved Braj Dham, it is clear from his post -

"O Creator, I seek your favour and beg you, please fulfill my desire and give me a residence in Braj, birth after birth and never remove me from the sacred Realm of Braj."

Shri Chhitaswami left his body in 1585 in Poonchhri near Govardhan and entered the abode of Lord.