There was once a princess and a daughter of a landlord — the two were close friends. One day, a saint visited the king’s palace. The king was himself a devotee and would often host holy people. The saint’s life was wholly devoted to the service and remembrance of God. He carried with him a sacred Shaligram (a divine form of the Lord in stone), which he worshipped with deep devotion. The two young girls watched him with great reverence. A thought arose in their hearts — “We too wish to serve the Lord in this way.” The saint stayed there for several days. Daily worship, singing of holy names, and spiritual discourses continued.
Sil Pille Bai’s Desire to Serve the Lord
One day, the two friends expressed their heartfelt desire to the saint. They approached him, held his feet, and prayed, “Gurudev, this desire has arisen in our hearts as well. Please bless us with a deity of the Lord so that we, too, may serve Him.”
Now, they were just young girls. The saint pondered deeply, realizing that serving the Lord requires great care and reverence, and he feared that in their inexperience they might unknowingly commit some offense. Still, he gently replied, “Tomorrow, I will bring a deity of the lord and give it to you.”
The next day, the saint went around the village. Nearby, he found some small, round stones. He picked them up, brought them to the girls, and said, “Here — this is your Lord.”
Sil Pille Bai Accepted the Ordinary Stone as God
Both girls firmly believed that whatever Gurudev had given them was truly the Lord Himself. They embraced those simple stones with heartfelt devotion, considering them to be none other than God. One was the daughter of a landlord, and the other a princess. They had golden thrones made and seated their Thakurji (or Lord) upon them. Gurudev named their deity Sil Pille Thakur. The two girls installed Thakurji on the thrones and began worshipping Him devotedly.
Their love for the Lord continued to grow, and chanting His holy name became an inseparable part of their lives. Deities given by a Guru often manifest special miracles if served according to the principles laid down by the Guru.
Marriage of Sil Pille Bai
As the two friends grew up, discussions of their marriages began. Sil Pille Bai (the princess) was married to a prince, and the wedding took place. When it was time for her to leave her parental home, she placed her beloved Thakurji, seated on His golden throne, carefully into a beautiful box and held it in her lap as she departed. Her heart was silently burning with longing and anguish — “O Lord, I have always considered You my true beloved. This man may be called my husband in worldly terms, but in my heart, you alone are my dearest. How can there be two beloveds? I have surrendered only to You.” Immersed in these thoughts, she was leaving with great sorrow.
She sat in the palanquin, accompanied by royal guards, while the prince rode ahead on horseback. The prince frequently approached the palanquin to catch a glimpse of his new bride. But each time, he saw her looking deeply sad. Seeing this, he began to feel uneasy and guilty in his heart.
Sil Pille Bai Saw Lord Krishna in the Stone
As they journeyed, they came across a river. The prince instructed his soldiers, “We shall rest here for a while. Place the princess’s palanquin here, and all of you stand at a distance.” The prince wished to speak with Sil Pille Bai, but she neither looked at him nor responded to his words. She was exceedingly beautiful, and this silent indifference stirred jealousy in the prince’s heart. “What is it that holds her attention so deeply that she won’t even speak to me?” he wondered.
Sil Pille Bai kept opening her small box again and again to have darshan of her Thakurji. Due to the power of her devotion and constant chanting, that stone was no longer just a stone to her. She had begun to behold the divine vision of Lord Krishna in it. Every time she looked at her Thakurji, she saw the enchanting form of Lord Krishna.
Sil Pille Thakur Thrown into the River
The prince now realized that the source of the distance between him and Sil Pille Bai was that very box resting in her lap. He summoned a few maids and said, “Distract her with conversation and laughter, and bring me that box.” The maids were clever and skilled in their ways. They tried to engage Sil Pille Bai with playful talk and jokes, but she remained detached and unresponsive. Still, one of the maids managed to gently take the box from her lap and handed it to the prince.
The prince exclaimed, “So this is the thing that stands between us!” And saying so, he flung the box into the river. The agony that arose in Sil Pille Bai’s heart at that moment was unbearable. Her heart cried out in anguish, and she became extremely distraught. The prince, alarmed, immediately commanded the soldiers to seat her in the palanquin and hurried her to the palace.
Sil Pille Bai’s Vow and Resolve
Upon reaching the palace, Sil Pille Bai said, “If my Thakurji is not with me, then I too shall not remain.” She declared, “From this moment on, I renounce food and water. If Thakurji is not by my side, I will give up my life. I won’t even take a single drop of water. How could I? Every morsel I’ve ever eaten was first offered to my Thakurji. And now, my Thakurji has been thrown into the river. This is unbearable for me.”
Now the prince grew fearful. The entire palace was filled with sorrow and anxiety. “What will society say,” they all worried, “if the new princess ends her life? They will surely say — ‘The new princess went to her in-laws’ home and was treated so cruelly that she chose death.’” The prince was overwhelmed with guilt. He fell to his knees before Sil Pille Bai and pleaded, “I never wanted to hurt you, but I cannot bear to lose you either. Please, tell me what I can do to make you smile again, to see you happy once more.”
Sil Pille Bai replied in a calm but firm voice, “I cannot live without my Thakurji. If you wish to see me alive, then bring my Thakurji back to me.” But Thakurji had already been thrown into the river—how could He possibly be recovered now? Even so, the prince, accompanied by his family members, went to the riverbank. There, he turned to Sil Pille Bai and said, “If the love you have for Thakurji is truly reciprocated by Him, then show me proof of that divine love. If that love is real and you can show me its proof, I vow to live the rest of my life in obedience to you.”
Sil Pille Bai’s Heartfelt Cry and the Miraculous Appearance of the Lord
Sil Pille Bai spoke in a calm voice, “So, you wish to see how deeply my Thakurji loves me?” She lifted both hands toward the sky and cried out with deep anguish, “O Govind! I can no longer live without you. If you are truly my beloved, then please appear before me and grant me Your darshan.” Her prayer came from the depths of her heart. Her words were filled with surrender, sorrow, and profound love. And then… From the waters of the river emerged a divine light. Within that radiant light, Thakurji appeared, seated on His throne—Sil Pille Thakurji Himself! He flew through the air and, to everyone’s astonishment, came straight to Sil Pille Bai, embracing her.
This miraculous sight left the entire royal family, the prince, and all who were present utterly speechless.
Tears began to stream from the prince’s eyes. He bowed at Sil Pille Bai’s feet and said, “Now I understand everything. From this moment on, I will live according to your wishes. Whatever you say, I shall do. Today, I have seen true love—and the true Lord.”
Lessons from This Story
If we follow the words of the Guru and the spiritual practice given by the Guru with unwavering faith and devotion, success (or spiritual realization) is certain. Our devotional commitment should be so strong that the mantra, the worship, and the deity given to us by our Guru become the ultimate and complete truth for us.
The form of the lord we have received through the Guru’s grace should become our deity, our life force, and the foundation of our existence — this alone is true devotion.
Guidance By: Pujya Shri Hit Premanand Govind Sharan Ji Maharaj
