ŚRĪ MADHAVENDRA PURĪ MEETS A COWHERD BOY

Once, Sri Madhavendra Puri traveled to Vrndavana, where he came upon the hill. known as Govardhana. He was almost mad in his ecstasy of love of Godhead, and he did not know whether it was day or night. Sometimes he stood up, and sometimes he fell to the ground. He could not discriminate whether he was in a proper place or not. After circumambulating the hill, Madhavendra Puri went to Govinda-kunda and took his bath. He then sat beneath a tree to take his evening rest. While he was sitting there, an unknown cowherd boy came with a pot of milk, placed it before Madhavendra Puri and, smiling, addressed him as follows, "O Madhavendra Puri, please drink the milk I have brought. Why don't you beg some food to eat? What kind of meditation are you undergoing?"

When he saw the beauty of that boy, Madhavendra Puri became very satisfied. Hearing His sweet words, he forgot all hunger and thirst. Madhavendra Puri said, "Who are You? Where do You reside? And how did You know that I was fasting?" The boy replied, "Sir, I am a cowherd boy, and I reside in this village. In My village, no one fasts. A person can beg food from others and thus eat. Some people drink only milk, but if a person does not ask anyone for food, I supply him all his eatables. The women who come here to take water saw you, and they supplied Me with this milk and sent Me to you." The boy continued, "I must go very soon to milk the cows, but I shall return and take back this milk pot from you." Saying this, the boy left the place. Indeed, He suddenly could be seen no more, and Madhavendra Puri's heart was filled with wonder. After drinking the milk, Mädhavendra Puri washed the pot and put it aside. He looked toward the path, but the boy never returned.