Biography of Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji was born in the year 1597 in Jamunavata village of Braj. His father was the great poet of Ashtachap, Shri Kumbhandas Ji. Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji had become a devotee of Shrinathji since birth and became a disciple of Gusain Vitthalnathji.

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji was one of the Ashtachap devotees in the Pushtimarg sect.

 

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji was the son of Kumbhandas Ji. One day Shrinathji appeared in the form of Chaturbhuj (four arms) to Kumbhandas Ji. On the same day a son was born in his house, hence the son was named Chaturbhujdas.

 

When Chaturbhujdas Ji was 11 days old, Kumbhandas Ji took him and came to Gusain Shri Vitthalnath Ji and Gusain Ji initiated Chaturbhujdas Ji in the Pushtimarg sect. When Chaturbhujdas Ji turned 41 days old, Kumbhandas Ji came and placed Chaturbhujdas Ji at the feet of Shri Gusain Ji. Gusain Ji then surrendered Chaturbhujdas Ji to Shrinathji. From that day onwards, Shrinathji bestowed such blessings on Chaturbhujdas Ji that being a newborn child, he began to talk. Sometimes he would behave like a newborn child and sometimes would talk supernatural things. When Kumbhandas Ji would sit in solitude, Chaturbhujdas Ji used to discuss pastimes of Lord with him and if someone had come at that time then Chaturbhujdas Ji would have become an enchanted child. Sometimes Shrinathji would take Chaturbhujdas Ji to play with him. Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji used to sing the same verse as he saw the Pastimes.

 

One day Shrinathji came with Chaturbhujdas Ji to the house of a Brajwasi to steal butter. There the daughter of Brajwasi saw Chaturbhujdas Ji, but she did not see Shrinathji. That daughter told everyone in the house and Chaturbhujdas Ji was caught red-handed, after which Brajwasi people beat him a lot.

Later, when Chaturbhujdas Ji came to Shrinathji, he said to him, "Because of you, I have been beaten a lot".

Shrinathji said, "You are a young man, why didn't you run away from there?"

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji was such a friend of Shri Krishna, with whom Shrinathji used to perform several pastimes.

 

The day Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji experienced the first pastime, from that day onwards he used to see all the divine pastimes of the Lord everywhere. Shrinathji had bestowed such blessings on him.

One day Kumbhandas Ji was having a vision of the pastime of the Lord in which, the Lord was sleeping, so he started singing these verses -

 (Look there, the lamp is burning behind the curtains and the Lord is sleeping)

 

Shri Kumbhandas Ji sang this much that Chaturbhudas Ji started singing -

 

On hearing this, Kumbhandas Ji understood that Chaturbhujdas Ji has got complete divine experience by the grace of Shri Gusain Ji. Shri Kumbhandas Ji was very pleased to see this grace. From that day onwards, Shri Kumbhandas Ji never asked Chaturbhujdas Ji anything, whether he stayed in the house or went out, came early, or came home late, Kumbhandas Ji thought that Chaturbhujdas was playing with Shrinathji.

 

One day Shri Gusain Ji was showing mirror to Shrinathji after adorning him and Chaturbhujdas Ji was seeing Shrinathji from the courtyard. At the same time Chaturbhujdas Ji started singing the verses -

(Seeing the beautiful adornment of Shri Krishna, Sakhi is showing a mirror to her beloved.

I sacrifice myself on the beautiful form of Shri Krishna, I am not able to describe today's beauty.)

 

After this Gusain Ji came to Govind Kund. Then a Vaishnava asked Gusain Ji, "Maharaj, Chaturbhujdas Ji today sang 'Aaj Ki Chhavi Kachhu Barani Na Jaavai', daily you used to decorate Shrinathji and show him the mirror, but the meaning of today's pada is not understood."

Then Gusain Ji said "Ask Chaturbhujdas about this"

That Vaishnava asked the same question to Chaturbhujdas Ji, on which Chaturbhujdas Ji sang a verse -

(O Sakhi, what to say of today and yesterday, the beauty of Shri Krishna is ever new every moment.)

 

Hearing this verse, the Vaishnava asked Gusain Ji, "God's pastimes is eternal and everywhere, then why Chaturbhujdas Ji sang 'Aur Aur' (different than before)."

Shri Gusain Ji said, "The only uniqueness in the pastimes of God is that it is eternal, but still it seems new every moment, so the character of pastimes and the person who sees the pastimes finds this moment new and creates new interest."

 

One day Gusain Ji was seated in Gokul and all his sons were seated in Shrinathji temple in Govardhan. In those days the Ras Mandali came to Govardhan. Shri Gokulnathji took permission from Shri Giridhar Ji and organized Raas pastime in Parasauli. The singing of verses began in Raas Leela. Then Shri Gokulnathji said to Chaturbhujdas Ji "You also sing something".

Chaturbhujdas Ji said, "How can I sing if Shrinathji, who used to listen to my verses, has not come?"

Shri Gokulnathji said, "Don't worry, Shrinathji will come here in a short time."

To make Shri Gokulnathji's speech true, Shrinathji woke up and woke up Shri Giridharji and came to Parasauli with him. Shrinathji was seen only by Shri Gokulnathji and Chaturbhujdas and no one else. Then after seeing Shrinathji, Chaturbhujdas Ji started singing -

 

(Shri Krishna has donned a wonderful disguise.

Shri Shyamsundar is performing Raas dance on the banks of Yamuna.)

 

(Shri Krishna is dancing with his hand placed around Shri Radha's neck.)

 

In this way, Chaturbhujdas Ji sang many verses and there was a lot of joy in the Raas pastime.

Shri Giridhar Ji did not wake Shrinathji in the morning as he was awake at night. At the same time, Shri Gusain Ji came from Gokul. When Gusain Ji saw that Shrinathji was not woken up in the morning, he asked Shri Giridhar Ji "It is so late, why didn't Shrinathji wake up."

Shri Giridhar Ji said, "Shrinathji was awake at night for Raas pastime, so he was not awakened yet."

Shri Gusain Ji said, "Shrinathji always performs the Raas Pastime, so blow the conch shell and wake Shrinathji."

Then the conch shell was sounded and Shrinathji was awakened. After this, Gusain Ji ordered Shri Gokulnath Ji, "Never make such a request to Shrinathji for his arrival, he always performs the Raas Pastime, so never insist him to come."

So Chaturbhujdas Ji was such a great devotee who used to sing in front of Shrinathji only, not anywhere else.

 

One day Gusain Ji ordered Chaturbhujdas Ji "Go to Apsara Kund and ask Ramdas Bhitaria to come here and you should go and bring some flowers."

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji sent Ramdas Bhitaria to Gusain Ji and himself went to collect flowers. When Chaturbhujdas Ji was bringing flowers, at the same time Shrinathji and Shri Swamini Ji (Shri Radha) came out from the cave of Govardhan. Shri Swaminiji was thinking that no one knows this pastime. At that same time, Chaturbhujdas Ji came and after having darshan started singing this verse -

(Shri Radha Krishn had stayed for a night in the dense valley of Govardhan Mountain.)

 

Another Verse -

 

Shri Swaminiji was very pleased to hear these verses. After this Chaturbhujdas Ji came to Shri Gusain Ji with flowers.

 

Once Shri Gusain Ji had gone abroad. At that time Shri Giridhar Ji had such a desire that it would be fine if Shrinathji should come to his house in Mathura. Then Shri Giridhar Ji, after taking permission from Shrinathji, brought Shrinathji to Mathura after doing shayan aarti on the sixth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Phalgun (March-April). The next day Shri Giridhar Ji held a huge festival in which he pledged to surrender everything and offered everything to Shrinathji. Shri Giridhar Ji's daughter, who was very young in age, kept a betel leaf with her. Shrinathji also asked for that betel leaf to fulfill the promise of Shri Giridhar Ji.

At that time Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji used to sing verses of separation sitting on top of Govardhan Mountain. Shrinathji used to visit Govardhan every evening to listen to Chaturbhujdas Ji's verses and give darshan to him.

On the 13th day of the bright fortnight in the month of Vaishakh (April-May), Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji sang this verse -

(O Shri Krishna, who stays at the Govardhan, I cannot live without you. O dear beloved of Nanda, I cannot live without you.)

 

When Shrinathji heard this verse, he became distraught with compassion and thought in his mind that now I will stay here for all time, because seeing the sorrow of the devotee, Shrinathji was restless.

The next day, on Chaturdashi (14th), before Brahma Muhurta (96 mins before sunrise is called Brahma Muhurta), Shrinathji ordered Shri Giridhar Ji, "Today I will perform Rajbhog (lunch) at Govardhan."

Then Shri Giridhar Ji performed Mangala Aarti and sent servants to get Shrinathji's temple clean at Govardhan, which took a little more time. Shri Giridhar Ji brought Shrinathji to Govardhan, but a lot of time had passed in this and the time of Rajbhog had passed. Therefore Shrinathji was given Rajbhog (lunch) and Shayan Bhog (dinner) together.

From that day till today, on the day of Narasimha Chaturdashi, Shrinathji is offered Rajbhog twice.

So Chaturbhujdas Ji was such a devotee without whom Shrinathji could not live.

 

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji's son was Raghavdas. When he experienced the Pastimes of Lord, he sang a Dhamar -

(Come we will go there where Shri Krishn is performing divine pastimes with the Gopis.)

When Raghavdas sang ten verses of Dhamar, he left his body and entered the Pastimes of Lord. Then Raghavdas's daughter sang one and a half rhyme, which completed the verses of Dhamar.

So  Chaturbhujdas Ji and his entire family were such great devotees of God.

There are 400 verses composed by Shri Chaturbhujdas.

Shri Chaturbhujdas Ji lived for 45 years and in 1642 He left his body and entered the divine Pastimes of the Lord.