Dhannā Jāṭ was a simple farmer of Rajasthan, born in the village of Kukarikheda near Nagaur. He belonged to a poor family and was uneducated, yet his heart overflowed with faith in the Lord.
From childhood, Dhannā had heard of the kindness of Thākura Jī, the Supreme Lord who accepts even the humblest offering when given with love. Although he had no temple, no wealth, and no priestly knowledge, he worshiped a small stone that he believed was Kṛṣṇa Himself. Every day before eating, he would place before that stone whatever food he had prepared and say affectionately, “Come, Thākura Jī! Eat first—You must be hungry.”
One day, a learned brāhmaṇa visited his home. Seeing the farmer’s simplicity, he smiled and said, “Dhannā, this stone you worship is only a rock. The Lord does not live in it. You should worship a properly installed deity in a temple.”
Dhannā replied with childlike sincerity, “Bābājī, the Lord is everywhere. If I call Him with faith, will He not come to me too?”
The brāhmaṇa laughed and, to test him, gave him a small deity of Śrī Viṭṭhala (Kṛṣṇa) and said mockingly, “Here—take this Thākura Jī. But remember, He eats only what is offered with devotion.”
Dhannā received the deity with folded hands and tears in his eyes. He built a little mud altar in his hut, placed the Lord there, and that evening prepared a simple meal of coarse bread and buttermilk. Setting it before the deity, he said earnestly, “O Thākura Jī, please eat! I know You must be hungry after traveling all the way here.”
He waited patiently, but the deity remained still. “Perhaps You are shy,” Dhannā said softly. “Don’t worry—no one else is here.” Yet still the Lord did not move. Hours passed. Dhannā’s eyes filled with tears. He pleaded, “If You do not eat, I cannot eat either. Please, my Lord, take even a morsel!”
Seeing the pure faith and affection of His devotee, the Lord could no longer resist. Suddenly the deity smiled and stretched out His lotus hand. Before Dhannā’s astonished eyes, the Lord took the bread and buttermilk and began to eat!
Dhannā fell to the ground crying in joy, “O my beloved Lord! You have accepted this poor man’s food!”
From that day onward, the Lord ate daily with Dhannā. Their friendship was intimate and full of love. Villagers would sometimes peek into his hut and find Dhannā talking and laughing with someone unseen. They did not understand that the Lord Himself had become his guest.
Even today, the shrine of Dhannā Jāṭ and Thākura Jī stands near Nagaur, where pilgrims offer coarse bread and buttermilk in memory of that divine friendship between the Lord and His simple devotee.
Reflection
Faith draws the Divine as surely as iron draws the magnet.
Dhannā Jāṭ’s story reveals that scholarship, wealth, and ritual are secondary; what matters is love that believes without doubt.
The Lord responds not to the complexity of our offerings but to the simplicity of our hearts. When devotion becomes childlike, God becomes humanlike—smiling, eating, and sharing friendship with His devotee.
Source: “Experiences in Bhakti: The Science Celestial,” by O. B. L. Kapoor — Chapter Six: Verification of the Law of Reciprocation (place: Kukarikheda, Rajasthan).
