Based on The Faith Book by Kadamba Kanana Swami
The Widow in the Woods
In a quiet forest hamlet, far from the noise of cities and the glitter of temples, lived an old widow. Her hut was made of mud and leaves. Her belongings were few—just a pot, a spoon, and a small grinding stone. But in her heart burned a deep, unwavering love for Kṛṣṇa.
Each morning she would chant softly while grinding flour. She had no Deity, no altar—only a small picture of Gopāla pinned above her hearth. She offered whatever she had, even if it was just one chapati.
“Take this, Gopāla,” she would say. “I know You won’t come. But I still like to imagine You here.”
Her life was simple, her devotion pure.
The Devotee’s Drought
One year, a great drought came. The crops withered, the rivers shrank, and the villagers began to starve.
Still, the widow found ways to offer at least a crumb to her Lord. One day, she had just enough flour to make a single chapati.
She shaped it carefully, roasted it over fire, and placed it on a leaf before the picture of Gopāla.
She bowed and said, “Today I can only offer You this. I won’t eat unless You do.”
Then she closed her eyes and chanted.
A Knock at the Door
Just then, there was a knock.
She opened the door—and saw a small cowherd boy, dark as a monsoon cloud, dressed in yellow, smiling playfully.
“Auntie,” He said, “I’m hungry. Do you have anything?”
The old woman gasped. “Who are You?”
“I’m just a traveler,” the boy replied. “But I smelled your chapati and followed it.”
She stared, her heart pounding.
She offered Him the chapati, her last. The boy ate with joy, licked His fingers, smiled, and disappeared.
Gone.
Only the half-leaf remained.
The Revelation
That night, she dreamed of the Lord. Kṛṣṇa stood before her, His eyes full of affection.
“My dear devotee,” He said, “you thought I wouldn’t come. But how could I stay away when you offered with such love?”
“Your single chapati,” He smiled, “was more precious than a thousand royal feasts.”
She woke up crying, overwhelmed by the Lord’s kindness.
The Power of Love-Filled Offering
This story is a timeless jewel: Kṛṣṇa is not attracted by wealth—He is attracted by love.
A single chapati, dry and plain, when soaked in devotion, becomes nectar for the Supreme.
He crosses worlds for one crumb from a pure heart.
A Verse to Remember
na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati
“My devotee is never lost.”
— Bhagavad-gītā 9.31
The Lord always comes—sometimes not in the form we expect, but always at the time we need Him most.
He came for a chapati.
He stayed for love.
