Once, there was a great devotee of Lord Ramachandra named Raghu Dasa, who lived in Puri under a large umbrella near the Lion Gate of the Jagannath temple. One day, while visiting Lord Jagannath, he saw Rama, Lakshmana, and Sita on Jagannath’s altar. From that moment, he was convinced that Lord Jagannath was non-different from Lord Ramachandra and developed a friendly love, or sakhya rasa, for Lord Jagannath.
The Garland Incident
Raghu Dasa once prepared a beautiful garland for Lord Jagannath and gave it to the pujari to offer. However, the pujari refused to offer the garland because Raghu had used a string made from the bark of a banana tree, which was prohibited in the temple. Feeling dejected, Raghu left the temple. Later that day, during the evening arati, the pujari found that none of the flowers would stay on the Lord’s body. The pujaris became worried, thinking they had committed an offense. They decided to fast and sleep in the temple, hoping the Lord would reveal their offense in a dream.
That night, Lord Jagannath appeared in the head pujari’s dream and said, “My devotee Raghu Dasa brought a flower garland for Me with so much love and devotion. You saw the external feature of the string and denied it, unable to see the love and devotion with which it was made. Now my devotee is lying at home, holding the garland, crying, and has not eaten or slept. How can I accept any garland from you unless his desire has been fulfilled?”
The head pujari woke up, told the others, and they all went to Raghu Dasa to apologize and ask for the garland. Raghu was overjoyed and realized the Lord’s mercy. His garland was finally offered, and he was ecstatic.
The Lord’s Service
Once, Raghu Dasa fell seriously ill and was bedridden. He passed stool in his bed, and the smell was terrible. A small boy came to serve him, cleaning his body, applying sandalwood paste, and pur
The Lord replied, “Yes, I could easily cure you. But I want you to be free from all your prarabdha karma so that you will come back to My abode at the end of this life. Also, you should know that as My devotees get pleasure by serving Me, I also get pleasure by serving My devotees. There is no difference between Me and My devotee.”
In this way, Lord Jagannath expressed His intimate relationship with Raghu Dasa. Raghu was very simple, with a nature like that of a small boy, and his relationship with Lord Jagannath was very friendly. Sometimes the Lord would come to him in the form of a boy, and they would play together. It was well known among the people that the Lord came to Raghu to play with him. Everyone respected Raghu, and he became famous as the friend of Lord Jagannath.
The Jackfruit Incident
Once, Lord Jagannath came to Raghu and told him to go with Him to steal jackfruit from the King’s garden. Raghu said, “Why do You want to steal jackfruit? If You desire to eat jackfruit, let me know and I will get a nice one for You.” Lord Jagannath replied, “In this way, I receive everything from My devotees. In fact, I have everything. Mother Yasoda would feed Me so much butter and give Me pleasure. But still, I would go to the homes of others to steal butter. There is a special pleasure in eating stolen things. Today, I want you to experience that pleasure of stealing. Please come with Me!”
Helpless, Raghu agreed to the Lord’s proposal and accompanied Him. They entered the King’s garden, and Jagannath instructed Raghu to climb the tree while He stood on the ground. Raghu was to pluck the best and biggest jackfruit and throw it down for Jagannath to catch. Raghu followed the instructions, but when he threw the jackfruit down, Jagannath was nowhere to be seen. The jackfruit crashed to the ground, making a loud noise and splitting open.
Hearing the noise, the King’s gardener rushed to the spot, found the jackfruit, and saw Raghu Dasa in the tree. The gardener reported the incident to the King, who, surprised and disbelieving, went to the garden with his ministers. Upon seeing Raghu Dasa in the tree, the King asked, “My dear Prabhu, if you desired to eat jackfruit, why did you come to my garden in the middle of the night and climb a tree? You could have asked me, and I would have sent the best jackfruit to your house.”
Raghu told the King the entire story of how he was deceived by Lord Jagannath. Everyone enjoyed hearing the pastime and laughed heartily, glorifying Raghu for his greatness.
Ratha Yatra Miracle
A devotee once witnessed a miracle involving Raghu Dasa and Lord Jagannath during the Ratha Yatra festival. The Lords had taken Their seats on the chariot, and after the King swept the road, everything was ready for the chariot to move. Despite thousands of people pulling the rope, the chariot wouldn’t budge. The British Saheva arranged for a powerful elephant to pull the chariot, but even that didn’t work. Frustrated, the Saheva told Raghu Dasa, “What kind of Lord is this? I have engaged elephants, yet the chariot won’t move.”
Hearing this, Raghu climbed the chariot and spoke into Lord Jagannath’s ear. Immediately, the chariot started to move. The Saheva was amazed and told Raghu Dasa, “You are perfect, and your Lord is also perfect.”
Raghu Dasa’s Humble Nature
Wherever Raghu Dasa lived, he would leave a pot full of prasada outside for anyone to take. He would take prasada from the same pot that animals and birds took from. This demonstrated his wonderful, humble nature. Raghu Dasa was very dear to Lord Jagannath and had an intimate, friendly relationship with Him.
Lessons to Be Learned
- Devotion Beyond Rituals: Raghu Dasa’s story emphasizes that true devotion goes beyond rituals and societal norms. It is the sincerity and love behind the offering that matter to the Lord.
- Divine Relationship: The intimate and playful relationship between Raghu Dasa and Lord Jagannath shows that the Lord reciprocates the love and devotion of His devotees in personal and endearing ways.
- Unwavering Faith: Raghu Dasa’s unwavering faith in Lord Jagannath, even during hardships, teaches us the importance of steadfast devotion and trust in the Lord’s plans.
- Lord’s Compassion: The Lord’s willingness to serve His devotee during Raghu Dasa’s illness highlights the compassion and humility of the Supreme.
Relevant Quotes
From the Srimad Bhagavatam:
- “The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: My dear Uddhava, neither through ashtanga-yoga (the mystic yoga system to control the senses), nor through impersonal monism or an analytical study of the Absolute Truth, nor through study of the Vedas, nor through austerities, charity or acceptance of sannyasa can one satisfy Me as much as by developing unalloyed devotional service unto Me.” (SB 11.14.20)
From the Caitanya Caritamrita:
- “Pure love for Kṛṣṇa is eternally established in the hearts of living entities. It is not something to be gained from another source. When the heart is purified by hearing and chanting, this love naturally awakens.” (Madhya 22.107)
From the writings of Srila Prabhupada:
- “If one simply follows the instructions of the Supreme Personality of Godhead as they are given in Bhagavad-gītā, Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, or directly by the Lord Himself, then one will become a perfect devotee.” (Bhagavad-gītā As It Is, Introduction)
Raghu Dasa’s life is an inspiring testament to the power of pure devotion and the extraordinary ways in which the Lord reciprocates the love of His devotees.
