Based on The Faith Book by Kadamba Kanana Swami
The Traveling Grandmother of Bhakti
In the dusty lanes of Bhārata, under the scorching sun and sweeping winds, walked an old lady with bent back, shaking limbs, and a cloth bundle tied around her waist. She had no companions, no wealth, no map—but she had one divine treasure nestled close to her heart: a small Deity of Gopāla.
A Living Temple on the Road
That Deity was no ordinary doll of clay or stone. To her, He was a living child—her beloved Kṛṣṇa. She spoke to Him, laughed with Him, even scolded Him when her feet ached. While others saw only poverty, she walked in regal confidence, as if the whole world belonged to her—because it did, for the world was Gopāla’s, and He was hers.
The Power of Simple Bhakti
Though illiterate, she chanted His name constantly. She carried no scriptures, but her every breath was a verse of devotion. “Govinda, Gopāla, Mādhava,” she would sing, as the dust from her feet mixed with the dust of sacred places. She didn’t stay long in one village. She wandered, following only the inner call of love.
The Curiosity of Scholars and Saints
Once, a group of pilgrims encountered her and asked, “Why do you carry that idol? You have no knowledge, no pūjā, no mantra.” She smiled with toothless grace and replied, “I may not know the verses you recite, but I know His name. I may not know the rituals, but I know His smile. He is my child, and I am His.”
The Deity that Danced
One night, in the quiet of a forest grove, she placed Gopāla on a rock, offered Him a piece of her dry roṭī, and sang a lullaby. A bright moon illuminated the clearing. And then—so say those who watched from a distance—Gopāla smiled and moved. His little feet danced on the rock, and His eyes gleamed with playful affection.
Faith that Moves the Lord
This was no superstition. It was the fruit of deep, unshakable faith. When a devotee’s love becomes so pure, the Lord cannot remain still. He breaks the boundaries of stone, rituals, and philosophy to respond to the soul that loves Him without condition.
A Verse to Remember
nāhaṁ vasāmi vaikuṇṭhe
yogināṁ hṛdayeṣu vā
mad-bhaktāḥ yatra gāyanti
tatra tiṣṭhāmi nārada“I do not dwell in Vaikuṇṭha, nor in the hearts of yogīs, but wherever My devotees chant My name, O Nārada, I am present there.”
— Padma Purāṇa
