Everyone Assumes a Godly Gaze
Somewhere along the way, almost every single human touches hands and prays for a sign, something to get them to think that God is gazing at them. They would like that one instant, once, when they sense God’s presence, when all else fades, leaving them with merely that divine connection. Mathura-Vrindavan’s Baba Premanand Maharaj, so dear to seekers of truth, one day had something similar happen to him. And when he narrated it, something stirred in each heart that heard him.
A Simple Journey Turns Mystical
Maharaj Ji started, simply, with a recollection of a day spent on Dandavati Parikrama, a type of devotion where the devotee stoops at every step that encircles Giriraj Hill. His guru led off, he followed behind. All was well. The ground was dry, the air a gentle color of quiet. And then, on the course of that sacred pilgrimage, something inexplicable occurred.
A little boy arrived. Out of the blue. He went up to Maharaj and begged for a rupee.
Surprised, Maharaj said quietly, “I haven’t any money.” The boy didn’t complain. He just looked.
The Boy Who Knew the Truth
That look stayed with Maharaj. He began thinking, “Maybe he’s a Braj village kid, wandering nearby.” But there were no villages around. Still, Maharaj didn’t question much. He had a small cloth pouch tied at his waist, it had some coins meant for offerings.
He looked into Maharaj’s eyes and said, “You’re lying.”
Stunned, Maharaj pulled out the pouch, grabbed a coin, and extended it to the boy. The boy smiled. Not respectfully but knowingly. And then he turned and went like a gust of wind blowing away into the forest.
Guru’s Words Reveal a Secret
Later, Maharaj explained this peculiar, story to his Guru. His Guru did not blink. He just said, “There are no villages here. No children. That was no ordinary boy. That was Giriraj Ji Himself, He came for a moment to play.”
Those words cut deep. The atmosphere around Maharaj changed.
The Unspoken Confirmation
Once he was back in Vrindavan, Maharaj sat by the Yamuna. Another saint, silently sitting on the riverbank, noticed him and asked, “Did you see Shri Krishna?”
Maharaj was surprised. “No, I didn’t,” he replied, though deep inside, his heart felt quietly shaken. How did he know? Why would a stranger inquire after something he had not shared with anybody?
And in that question, lay the answer.
A Leela Beyond Understanding
Was the young boy the Lord Krishna? Maharaj had no question about it after that. The glance, the smile, the saintly question came one after another like concealed lines of a divine poem. That moment was stunning and also divine, miraculous, and unforgettable.