A great devotee named Haripal once lived. He asked his revered Gurus, “What is the simplest way to attain God?” His Gurudev replied, “Serving saints! Serving saints is undoubtedly the way to attain God.” Wherever saints assemble, divine grace is bound to manifest. Wherever saints gather, God Himself resides.
Taking this wisdom to heart, Haripal Ji dedicated himself to serving saints. The saints, pleased with his devotion, began speaking highly of his selfless service to one another. Gradually, his fame spread far and wide. Soon, not just one or two saints, but entire assemblies started gathering at his place. Even pilgrims from other sacred places began stopping at Haripal Ji’s residence, as it had become a center of saintly service and divine devotion.
Haripal Ji Dedicated All His Wealth to Serving Saints
Haripal Ji became so deeply immersed in saintly service that he gradually exhausted all his wealth—be it food, money, or property. As the number of saints visiting his place kept increasing, he sold his land, his precious jewelry, and every bit of his accumulated wealth to continue serving them.
Eventually, the situation became dire—there was nothing left to offer. When he ran out of money to provide meals for the saints, he started borrowing from the market. His debt mounted to thousands of rupees—a staggering amount at that time when a single rupee could buy a large quantity of goods.
Having spent everything on serving the saints, he soon found himself in a predicament where even borrowing was no longer an option. When he approached the shopkeepers for more credit, they refused, saying: “Haripal Ji, first repay your previous loans. No one in the market will lend you any more. You have already exhausted all your wealth.” There was nothing left in Haripal Ji’s house that could be sold to provide food for the saints. Yet, the number of saints visiting him continued to grow each day. Some chanted “Jai Dwarkadhish!”, others proclaimed “Jai Siya Ram!”, while some hailed “Har Har Mahadev!” Different groups of saints kept arriving, filling the atmosphere with divine vibrations.
Haripal Ji pondered, “What should I do now? I have dedicated all my wealth to serving saints and taken loans from the market, but now no one is willing to lend me more. How can I let the saints go hungry? No matter what, I must continue serving them!”
Haripal Ji’s Difficult Decision – Looting for Serving Saints
Faced with no other option, Haripal Ji made a difficult decision. He took a spear and positioned himself along a forest path. His strong, imposing physique and radiant presence were enough to instill fear in travelers. However, he never harmed anyone—people would willingly hand over their wealth upon seeing him.
Yet, there was one exception—if someone bore devotee symbols (such as a tilak), he would let them pass without asking for anything. Haripal Ji resorted to this extreme measure only after exhausting all his resources—first dedicating his home, wealth, and jewelry to saintly service, then borrowing heavily from the market. When all means failed and repaying debts became impossible, he took this desperate step to continue his sacred mission of serving the saints.
Gradually, word spread that if a traveler chanted “Ram-Krishna”, Haripal Ji would not stop them. Out of fear, people would fold their hands and utter God’s name while passing through the forest. Travelers soon realized that although a fearsome dacoit stood on the path with a spear, he would spare anyone who bore a tilak and chanted the Lord’s name.
Over time, this led to an unexpected transformation—every person passing through the forest began wearing a tilak and chanting the Lord’s name. Even those who had never engaged in devotional remembrance before started reciting the lord’s names just to ensure their safe passage.
Thus, through Haripal Ji’s unique influence, a wave of nam-sankirtan (chanting of God’s name) spread across the entire region. However, this also created a new challenge—with everyone chanting the Lord’s name, there was no one left for him to take money from, and once again, he faced a shortage of funds for serving the saints.
Haripal Ji Faces a Crisis
One day, a large gathering of saints arrived at Haripal Ji’s home. Overjoyed, he turned to his wife and said, “We are truly blessed today! So many saints have graced our home.” However, his joy was short-lived as a wave of concern took over—”There is no food! We cannot borrow from the market anymore, and we have nothing left.” His wife, equally worried, said, “There is not a single grain left in the house. How can we let the saints go hungry? That would be a great misfortune!” Haripal Ji pondered for a moment and then said, “Why don’t we ask the neighbors for some food?”
Haripal Ji’s wife set out to seek help from the neighbors. She knocked on one door and said, “Saints have arrived…” but before she could finish, the door was shut. She went to another house, but the same thing happened. People had already given so much for serving saints at Haripal Ji’s request, and now, no one was willing to help. Tired and disheartened, she returned home and said sorrowfully, “No one is ready to give anything now. Your devotion to saint service has led to a situation where people close their doors the moment they see me.”
Hearing his wife’s words, Haripal Ji simply smiled and said, “No worries. When all doors close, only God remains as our support.” Deep in thought, he recalled his Guru’s words: “Serving saints leads to the attainment of God.” He prayed in his heart, “O Lord! Whether I attain you or not, let not the saints leave my home hungry today. No path is visible—please shower Your grace!”
The Divine Play of Lord Krishna Begins in Haripal Ji’s Life
Meanwhile, Lord Shri Krishna was seated in Dwarka with Rukmini Ji. Suddenly, a thought arose in His mind: “Haripal Ji has called upon Me. He is in distress while serving the saints.” Without delay, the Lord adorned Himself with a crown studded with precious gems, earrings, a waistband, armlets, and celestial ornaments.
Rukmini Ji asked in surprise, “Lord! Why are you adorning yourself with such divine ornaments? Why this new attire?” Lord Krishna smiled and replied, “One of my devotees is in distress. Today, I am going to visit him.” Rukmini Ji said, “If you are going to meet such a great devotee, then I shall accompany you.” The Lord agreed, “Alright, but remember—do not wear any divine symbols, do not engage in any discussion about God. Just wear worldly ornaments and attire.” Rukmini Ji was even more astonished. “Lord! Who is this devotee that opposes divine discussions and symbols?” Lord Krishna laughed and said, “Just come along, and you shall be overwhelmed by his devotion!”
Shri Krishna and Rukmini Ji Visit Haripal Ji
The Lord and Rukmini Ji arrived in Haripal Ji’s village, dressed in extremely opulent attire. Just outside the village, they halted and sent a message: “We are wealthy travelers journeying through the forest. We need assistance to safely cross the path.” As soon as Haripal Ji received this news, his heart filled with joy. He thought, “Ah! This is the Lord’s divine grace. With the help of these wealthy travelers, I can arrange for the service of the saints.”
Haripal Ji stepped outside and saw a man and a woman of extraordinary beauty, adorned with radiant, jewel-encrusted ornaments. The Lord spoke, “We have gold coins. If you help us cross the forest safely, we will give you some wealth.” Haripal Ji thought, “Today is the greatest success of my life! With this much wealth, I can serve the saints for months!” Such was the divine play of the Lord—He, who helps His devotees cross the ocean of worldly existence, was now asking Haripal Ji to help Him cross the forest!
The Lord Sought Help from Haripal Ji
To avoid arousing suspicion, the Lord began conversing with Haripal Ji like a merchant. The Lord said, “We are wealthy traders. We carry precious jewels and gold coins. We need to cross the forest, but there is a fear of robbers. If you help us, we will give you a gold coin.” Haripal Ji felt immense joy within.
Haripal Ji said to the Lord, “Do not worry, I will help you cross the forest.” Rukmini Ji was observing everything, but she could not understand, “Why is He, the wielder of the Sudarshan Chakra, seeking the help of a mere human?” She asked, “You possess the Sudarshan Chakra and infinite power, yet you are asking for help from an ordinary man?” The Lord smiled and replied, “Do not question, just watch! I told you, didn’t I? He is my great devotee!”
The Lord Was Robbed by His Devotee
Haripal Ji carefully observed the Lord and Rukmini Ji—”No mala, no tilak, no divine marks. They appear to be completely worldly people. Surely, they must have immense wealth! There is no sin in robbing them because we will use this wealth to feed the saints.”
Haripal Ji, holding his spear, stepped forward and commanded, “Take off all your jewelry and give it to me.” The Lord turned to Rukmini Ji and said, “Take off your ornaments and give them to him.” Rukmini Ji, astonished, replied, “We employed him for our protection, and now he is robbing us! And you are telling me to give them to him?” The Lord smiled and said, “Remove your ornaments and hand them over. Otherwise, he will strike us with his spear. If we stay alive, we can always buy new ornaments.” Then, looking at Rukmini Ji, the Lord added, “This is the very devotee I brought you to see. He has given away everything for the service of the saints. He has nothing left to eat today. That is why I have come to be looted by him.”
Haripal Ji’s Repentance
When Haripal Ji turned back, he saw the Lord and Goddess Rukmini seated before him, radiating infinite beauty. Overcome with emotion, he fell at the Lord’s feet and cried, “Lord! I have made a mistake. My harsh words, raising my spear—everything was my fault. But you know, my home is filled with saints. We are drowning in debt, and no one is willing to lend us anything anymore. The neighbors have shut their doors on us, and whatever little wealth we had is now gone. But, O Lord, I could not let the saints go hungry! That is why I did all this.”
The Lord’s Love for Haripal Ji
The Lord embraced Haripal Ji and said, “You are the greatest, my dearest devotee!” Haripal Ji, overwhelmed with devotion, replied, “Lord, I cannot accept these ornaments from you.” The Lord smiled and said, “Look, we have brought all this only for the service of saints. Take these ornaments—they are from the divine body of Mahalakshmi herself. According to tradition, they will only grow; they will never diminish. Sell them, repay all your debts, and serve meals to thousands of saints every day. From now on, your prosperity will never decrease.”
Haripal Ji’s Prayer
Haripal Ji humbly prayed to the Lord, “Lord! Please do not speak of this incident to anyone. Otherwise, devotees will say that while the Lord showers immense love upon His devotees, this devotee went to rob Him with a spear in hand.”
The Lord reassured him with a smile, “Fear not! Even if someone hears of this story, they will see you as an ideal devotee and be inspired to serve saints. Instead of focusing on your faults, they will seek the path to attain Me.”
The Fortune of the Saints
After witnessing the divine presence of the Lord, Haripal Ji said, “Lord! Since you have already arrived, why not receive the offering of the feast before you leave?” The Lord smiled and replied, “Of course! Wherever My saints partake in a meal, I manifest there.”
Due to Haripal Ji’s devotion, all the saints present at the feast were blessed with the divine vision of Lord Dwarkadhish and Goddess Rukmini. A grand offering was prepared, and the saints only ate after the Lord had accepted the offering. They then partook in the sacred remnants, and finally, Haripal Ji humbly received the remnants of both the saints and the Lord.
Lessons from This Story
Whenever we get the opportunity to serve saints, we should rejoice, for it is the greatest blessing of life. Serving saints undoubtedly leads to the attainment of God.
Guidance By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
