Bhakta Nabhaji
God resides in us and so he knows our innermost thoughts too. We don't have to spell out our desires to him. But here is a miraculous story which goes one step ahead. If we pray to God with ananya bhakti, we can know the whereabouts of God, who resides in us.

Kasi is known for the holy river Ganges, for Lord Siva and for many jnanis and yogis. One such yogi was Anandaswami . The sishya parampara begins with Ananthanande swami. His disciple is pokarides, whose disciples were Agraji and Kinji. Agraji chanted the name of the Lord Vishnu and was known for his bhakti, jnana and vairagya. He taught nava vidha bhakti and the greatness of Srihari to his disciples like Padmahasti.

Agrasi was so great a yogi that the Lord Lakshminadha manifested himself before him in human form as and when he wanted. In due course there arose famine in the tours and people wre starving for food. There was a lady known for her good qualities and her devotion to her husband. She was unable to feed her son. So she left him on the river bed and praying to God, she gave up her life in the river. The boy on the riverbed let out a pathetic cry out of hunger and out of fear.

At that time Agrajidas came there to have his bath in the holy river. He asked the boy why he was crying. The boy said that he asked his mother for food and she disappeared leaving him there. Agrajidas learnt what had happened with his jnana drusti and took pity on the time. He took him to his Matt and named him Nabhaji.

Nabhaji grew up in the Matt with the food offered to saintly people. He felt he was lucky to be blessed by such people and ate it as the veritable food of Gods. He felt the food could protect him as his parents.

Nabhaji keenly observed the rituals followed by Agrajidas in his offerings. He fell to the feet of great saints. He listened to stories of Bhagavatam. By such continuous practices all his previous sins were nullified and he was provided with Divyajnana. He could read the innermost secets of people around, but never revealed his powers. He was just praying to God and was finding immense pleasure in it.

One day as usual Agrajidas had his holy dip in the Ganges prayed to God and asked Nabhaji to watch out for any tresspasser . He closed the door and prayed to God in deep meditation, but there was trace of God that day. He was worried why God had not appeared. God did not answer his prayer second time too. Nabhaji who was seated outside knew all this. He consoled his guru, Swami! A ship is about to be sunk in the ocean. The owner of the ship is a businessman. He prayed to God desperately and offered one fifth share to God's staunch devotee. Agrajidas if he was saved. So God who is known for his kindness, soft nature helpful nature etc. rushed there to help him. So please bear with it and stop your prayer for sometime. Agrajidas followed his advice.

After some time, Swami, Rukminivallabha has completed his task of saving the ship. So now you can pray to him. Accordingly Agrajidas prayed to God and God appeared before him in the humanform. His clothes were wet. Agrajidas asked where he was and why his clothes were wet. God answered I went to save a businessman whose ship will about to be sunk. He promised one fifth of the goods in his ship to you. You make use of that amount for the Matt. Anyway the expenditure of the Matt is unbearable now a days . Then the Lord disappeared.

Then Agrajidas opened the door and invited Nabhajidas inside,. He asked, how did you know a secret which was impossible to be known even to the Lord Brahma ? Nabhajidas smiled and said Narayanethi mantraha sarvardha Sadhakhalu said our elders. So I have been chanting the name of Narayana incessantly. Not only that, I have been eating the food of the great saints. God has blessed me as his disciple . So I was able to know his whereabouts.

Agrajidas smiled and said, 'God is more pleased at the praise of his devotees than at his praise. The people are not aware of this secret. I'll enlighten you with those stories. Nabhajidas learnt those stories and wrote them down in Gwalior language and in Sanskrit of the common people. The news spread far and wide and many people came to listen to those stories. By listening to such bhaktas stories narrated by Nabhaji they too became the devotees of the Lord Krishna and were blessed by him. Nabhajidas too ultimately was united with God.
Bhakta Giridharlal

God is our Godfather. He watches our every move and fulfils our every need. He never lets us down if we pin our faith on him. He provides the smallest help to the greatest help to prove our Bhakti on him to the world.

Brindavan is even today treated as the holy place where Lord Krishna moved around. In that place lived once a Brahmin called Giridharlal. He was known for his Bhakti, Vairagya kindness and respect for the Sadhus. Everyday he prayed to the Sadhus. He wore anklets and danced and sang playing 'Tumbura'. He sang Kirthanas of God and stole the hearts of young and old alike.

One day, when he was praying to Gopalakrishna in the temple some Sadhus who had come there asked him to sing and dance the Rasaleela of Krishna. Giridharlal was in a fix. He couldn't say no to such great Sadhus. Their anger would drive him to hell. But his anklets and Tumbura were at home. It would take some time for him to go and fetch them. How best should he react? God showed him a way out. As everybody was watching, he got from the sky shining anklets, Tumbura Tala and Pithambaram. He accepted them with utmost reverence and devotion. The Sadhus wondered at his Bhakti. They praised him for the blessings showered on him by God.

Then Giridharlal wore the silk dhoti tied the anklets to his feet, held the Tumbura in his hand and sang and danced Rasaleela. The Sadhus were watching with deep interest. Giridharlal also sang the Rasaleela and was engrossed in it. Then the Lord saw to it that the people gathered there witnessed his Rasaleela in Krishnavatar time. The Sadhus and Giridharlal were filled with joy. Then God put an end to his leela and vanished.

The Sadhus were so thrilled there prayed to him in many ways and then prayed to the Lord too. Oh God Nobody can praise your leela. Not even Adisesha or Saraswathi or Brahma. In such a case how can we after all ordinary human beings praise you? You should bless us with your great kindness. Then Giridharlal took them to his math, offered them food and ate after them and spent time in listening to stories of God.

One day, a Viragi came there. Giridharlal gave him a warm welcome offered Pranams to him and washed his feet and drank that tirdham. The people in the town objected to it. They said Giridharlal could not be a true Brahmin since he served a Viragi from a cemetery. Giridharlal said that that Sanyasi was a devotee of the Lord Vishnu. Moreover it doesn't befit them to insult a great man. Then they challenged Giridharlal, If you have powers to identify him as a great man, then you provide life to a dead body. Giridharlal accepted the challenge.

One day they took him to a dead body, Giridharlal prayed to Krishna in various ways and then looked at the dead body. He woke up as if from deep sleep and went round Giridharlal. Then the people pleaded to Giridharlal to forgive them. He took it as the leela of God.

The people prostrated before God and asked him to teach them how to be blessed, by God and how to be liberated from life. Giridharlal taught them Krishna mantra and asked them to recite it. He said; treat everything as a manifestation of God. Develop Jnana, Bhakti and Vairagya and control your Indriyas. Use your Indriyas for the good of others do your duty sincerely and leave the result to God. Pray to Sadhus and accept that Tirdham Prasadam. Then you will be liberated from life and you will experience Sat Chit Ananda! They prayed to him and left.

Giridharlal continued his prayer of God and transformed many people into Bhaktas, visited many holy places and finally attained Moksha. Giridharlal helped his disciples to attained Moksha.