Biography of Shri Priyadas Ji

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 before 1683 to 1737 or sometime after. 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 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. As a disciple of Shri Manohardas Ji, Shri Priyadas Ji traveled to Galta (Jaipur), where he was inspired to comment on Bhaktamal. It has 634 poems. The composition of this commentary is 1712.

Shri Priyadas Ji also used to tell the story of 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 Krishn 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 Madhav expressed by his former Rasik's was also present in Shri Priyadas Ji and he also wanted to keep watching Raas Leela on the banks of Yamuna on the full-moon night regularly.

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 places, the Raas Leela of Shri Radha Krishn keeps happening according to their will.

Shri Priyadas Ji mostly stayed in Vrindavan. He had accompanied the Rasik saints. He has considered Sri Roop-Sanatan as the origin of divine nectar according to the Sect. Shri Priyadas Ji expressed that the stay of Vrindavan is necessary for the Rasopasna [worship].

Bhootal Mein Vrinda Vipin E Sarvopari Aahi.

 

If a devotee is unable to live in Vrindavan by his body, then he should keep strong affection for Vrindavan in his heart:

Shri Vrindavan Dham Mein, Basai Nirantar Deh.

 

By residing in Vrindavan, one easily falls in love with Shyamashyam. Shri Radha Krishn easily captivates one's mind. 
He says, "the devotee whose mind has been stolen by Shri Radha Krishn, He keeps drinking the divine nectar of love and gives up the hope of anyone else. Night and day, He drinks the nectar of the divine form. His heart becomes clean and pure like a mirror and becomes devoid of desires. Contemplating and remembering the divine pastimes, eyes 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 sequence of service, Priyadas Ji says that "the worshiper should be absorbed in the service of prakat (manifested form) night and day. He should continue to serve the divine couple with his 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 Krishn, 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 Krishn showers their grace. This is the topmost method of worship, but the devotee should keep his feelings hidden in the depths of his heart, and shouldn't let the world know about and make fun of it.

 

When Shri Priyadas Ji completed the commentary of Bhaktmal, he felt a desire to circumambulate 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. There was a temple of the Shri Nimbarka sect in Hodal whose Mahant (head priest) was Shri Laldas Ji. The presiding deity of the temple, Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju, was seated in the temple. Shri Priyadas Ji was very happy after having the darshan of the deity. Mahant Shri Laldas Ji was a great devotee and always used to serve the saints. He stopped all the saints along with Shri Priyadas Ji and requested Shri Priyadas Ji to do Bhaktamal Katha. Pleased with the service of Shri Laldas Ji, Shri Priyadas Ji stopped there and started the narration of Shri Bhaktmal. All the saints and devotees started listening to the narration.

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, did not even commence the narration of Bhaktamal. Shri Priyadas Ji said, "the presiding deity Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju does not like the narration of Bhaktmal, so he went with the thieves."

Mahant Shri Laldas Ji prayed with folded hands to Shri Priyadas Ji "please start again the Bhaktamal Katha and cook something, you have not eaten anything today."

Shri Priyadas Ji said "Now I will never tell the story of Bhaktmal. Shri Nabhadas Ji, the author of Bhaktmal, has said that 'Shri Hari likes very much the biographies and stories of his devotees', which has proved to be untrue today, that's why Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju ran away from here leaving the Katha of Bhaktamal." Saying this Shri Priyadas Ji remained hungry, and all the saints became worried.

Thieves fell asleep in the forest and Shri Lalbihari Ju said to each thief in a dream, "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, I will give you fourfold sorrow."

Hearing this warning of the Lord, all the thieves got up in the mid-night and with great joy, took the Lord with them and started towards the temple. All the thieves started moving towards the temple doing dance and chanting kirtan. Even before dawn, the information reached the temple that thieves were coming to the temple with the Lord while performing kirtan. All the saints became happy and came in front of the thieves while performing kirtan. The hearts of the saints were filled with love and 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 chest 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. The saints were very happy to hear about the dream of the Lord, all their sorrows were gone. Shri Lalbihari Biharini Ju was installed in the temple and the festival was celebrated with great joy. Again the story of Bhaktamal started. All the saints started saying that Shri Hari is the first listener of Bhaktamal Katha.

 

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 Bhaktamal.

 

There are a total of 111 couplets in Priyadas Ji's book 'Rasikmohini', in which the glory of 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 only a list of devotees who are mentioned in 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 simple and excellent. In the middle of the Yamuna water, Shri Radha Krishn are seen in the water-play pastime 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 Krishn. 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.