Long, long ago in Puri, there lived a panda named Arjun Mishra. Every day, he devotedly read the entire Bhagavad-gita, earning him the nickname Gita Panda among the local people. He was a devout follower of Lord Jagannath, fully surrendered to the Lord and dependent on Him for everything. He accepted whatever happened as the Lord’s will, remaining undisturbed by worldly concerns.
Gita Panda was a poor man who lived by begging. One year, Puri experienced heavy rain for about a week, preventing Gita Panda from going out to beg. His small stock of food quickly ran out, and he and his family were forced to fast. Despite this, Gita Panda remained undisturbed, spending his days joyfully reciting the Bhagavad-gita. He considered the inability to go out as a blessing, giving him more time to immerse himself in the sacred text.
His wife, however, became very angry and chastised him. “How do you think your family will survive if you don’t go out and beg? We have three children. They will all die if you don’t get something for them!” Gita Panda remained calm and showed her a verse from the Bhagavad-gita:
ananyas cintayanto mam ye janah paryupasate
tesam nityabhiyuktanam yoga-ksemam vahamy aham
“But those who always worship Me with exclusive devotion, meditating on My transcendental form—to them I carry what they lack, and I preserve what they have.”
His wife grew even angrier. She waited for days, but Gita Panda brought nothing, continually reassuring her that the Lord would provide. Frustrated and hungry, she took her husband’s Bhagavad-gita, found the verse he always quoted, and angrily scratched three lines through it. Then, she and the children went to sleep, while Gita Panda continued his recitations before also resting.
Some time later, Gita Panda’s wife heard a knock at the door. She opened it to find two beautiful boys, one dark-skinned and the other fair like milk. They had brought various foodstuffs. The dark boy spoke, “Please take these foodstuffs sent by a friend of Gita Panda. Cook and eat to your hearts’ content.” The brahmani was overjoyed to see these beautiful boys and felt great affection for them. She invited them to wait and share the meal, but the dark boy replied, “Yes, we would love to take prasada with you, but my tongue has been cut, and I cannot eat.” After this, the boys left.
The brahmani stored the ingredients and went to call her husband. Gita Panda saw the storeroom filled with food and asked, “Did you feed those boys? I hope you offered them some prasada.” His wife replied, “I asked them to wait, but the dark boy said his tongue was cut in three places, so he couldn’t eat.” Gita Panda immediately understood that the boy was the Lord Himself. Because his wife had scratched the verse in the Gita three times, the words, emanating from the Lord’s lotus mouth, were reflected on His tongue.
Realizing that Lord Jagannath had personally come to fulfill His promise to maintain His devotees, Gita Panda and his wife prepared to visit the Jagannath temple to beg forgiveness and offer thanks. At the temple, they saw that Lord Jagannath had three spots on His lips, confirming the divine intervention.
Lessons to be Learned
- Unwavering Faith: Gita Panda’s story teaches the importance of unwavering faith in the Lord. Despite dire circumstances, his faith remained strong.
- Divine Providence: The Lord takes care of His devotees, as shown by Lord Jagannath personally providing food for Gita Panda’s family.
- Surrender to the Divine Will: Accepting everything as the will of the Lord can bring peace and contentment even in difficult times.
- Miraculous Interventions: Divine interventions can occur in the lives of those who are fully devoted and surrendered to God.
Relevant Quotes
Srimad Bhagavatam: “Whatever result was obtained in Satya-yuga by meditating on Vishnu, in Treta-yuga by performing sacrifices, and in Dvapara-yuga by serving the Lord’s lotus feet can be obtained in Kali-yuga simply by chanting the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.”
- Srimad Bhagavatam 12.3.52
Caitanya Caritamrita: “One who chants the holy name of the Lord is immediately freed from the reactions of unlimited sins, even if he chants indirectly (to indicate something else), jokingly, for musical entertainment, or even neglectfully.”
- Caitanya Caritamrita, Adi-lila 8.26
Srila Prabhupada: “A pure devotee is not anxious to elevate himself to the heavenly planets, nor is he anxious to become liberated and merge into the impersonal Brahman effulgence. A pure devotee does not ask anything from the Lord for his personal benefit. He only wants to be engaged in the service of the Lord.”
- Bhagavad-gita 9.22 (Purport)
Conclusion
The story of Gita Panda is a testament to the power of unwavering faith and devotion. It reminds us that divine grace can manifest in miraculous ways, reaffirming the importance of surrendering to the will of the Lord and maintaining steadfast devotion. Reflecting on Gita Panda’s story and the teachings from scriptures and Srila Prabhupada’s books can deepen our faith and inspire us to lead a life of sincere devotion.
Source :http://nitaaiveda.com/All_Scriptures_By_Acharyas/Bhakti_Purushottama_Swami/Lord_Shri_Jagannatha_at_Puri/Gita_Panda.htm
