Translated in English by Mohanlal Virjibhai Fatania
From "Sant Sarita" Published during 7th Amrit Mohatsav, 1970, Nakuru, Kenya
Almost about 300 years ago, in the Jammagar District of Sausastra, Bhakta Shree Jiva Bhagat was living the simple life in a small house in Gadhaka Village. Jiva Bhagat was of Jagatia Dynasty. He did his work of pottery and did Satsang and Bhajan with Sadhu and Santo.
As Gadhaka Village situated on the Dwarka Road, Sadhu and Santo come and go continuously. Raj Put (Royal Family) people also come there and participate in Satsang and enjoy smoking Hookha.
One day, a Jamadar sent a servant to call Jiva Bhagat to do his "Vethno Varo" in Rajagadh means in Royal home, not the palace. So Jiva Bhagat went to do this "Veth" in Rajagadh. There are several officers sitting there and Jiva Bhagat receives an order to fill up and light hookha for officers, and also he had to arrange to bring drinking water.
Jiva Bhagat filled up tobacco in hookha chalam (Chalam means big tall apparatus made to fill up coal to burn tobacco in chalam) and put burning coal in chalam. At this moment, Jiva Bhagat dropped the burning chalam and started to rub his hands on the ground here and there. All this happened in presence of all these officers. Seeing this behavior, the officer asked Jiva Bhagat,"Hey Jiva, what are you doing? As a servant, you are supposed to perform your duties. Instead, you broke the chalam and you are playing like a child. This is Darbar Gadh, and you have to behave. This is not the way to do "Veth". This will not be tolerated". But still, Jiva Bhagat continued to rub his hands nonstop. Officers asked again, "What is all this?"
"Jiva Bhagat replied, "Don't you know there is a fire in the temple of Bet-Dwara. The temple is burning, and the outfit of Bhagvan is also burning, and I am now putting out the fire of Bhagvan's outfit"
The Government officers were confused and surprised. After some time, Jiva Bhagat became quiet and looked at his wrist. He saw that his hands were black due to burns and found some cracks on the skin. Officers thought they should make sure whether it is true or just pretending. In order to make sure, officers sent one of the horseman to Bet-Dwarka. Horseman went straight to the temple and what he saw was that there had been a fire in the temple and it was extinguished. Before he left, he asked the people of Bet-Dwarka what had happened. The people told him that there was a fire, and no one could enter because it spreaded all over, but Jiva Bhagat arrived from Gadhaka. He went in and saved all of the garments and outfits of Bhagvan.
Jiva Bhagat normally goes to Bet-Dwarka, for the Darshan of people of Bet-Dwarka believed that even today, he must have come for Darsan. The horseman told people that he has been sent here by officers from Village Gadhaka to inquire about this fire and whole situation because Jiva Bhagat is in Gadhaka and doing , "Veth" in Darbargadh. All the people of Bet-Dwarka became wonder- struck by hearing this miracle and praised Jiva Bhagat.
The horseman returned to Gadhaka and informed the officers. At this surprising instance, the officers felt sorry about telling these cruel words and this matter was spreaded all over the town.
The people of Bet-Dwarka praised Jiva Bhagat, and everybody put ever faith in god and Jiva Bhagat. After being informed of this, by higher authorities in Jamnagar, they ordered the officer of Gadhara to stop "Veth No Varo" free service to government and since then, Jiva Bhagat and his family were made free from "Veth".
The other part of Jiva Bhagat's life is also interesting.
One day, a Sant Sadhu came to
Bhagat's home. He cooked Prasadam for him and feed. The Sant was so
happy that he gave blessings to Jiva Bhagat and said, "Bhagat, you will
have a daughter soon who will be virtuous and pious. She will make you
very famous. But what you will have to do is you get her married with a
man who comes to your home first and asks to marry her without
thinking, or watching his manners". Sant gave his blessings and left.
Jiva Bhagat was bound by his promise.
By time passing and by this mercy of lord, Jiva Bhagat had one
daughter. Slowly, she grew up and reached the age of marriage. During
this time, one man came to Gadhaka. He was young, but not fully mature.
He was just wandering in town so one man asked him, "Hey, young man,
you look very healthy, when are you going to marry?" Another man made a
joke and asked, "Who is going to give him a girl to marry him?" Then, a
third man said in mockery, "Hey, if you want to marry, go to Jiva
Bhagat's house so your bachelor-ship will be finished". The young man
became angry and he went straight to the home of Jiva Bhagat.
When he reached there, he shook hands with Jiva Bhagat and informed his wish to marry his daughter. He also mentioned that the people of the town considered me a fool and taunted me, which is why I came to you. Bhagat remembered the promise he had given to Saint and he agreed to get his daughter married to this man without asking him any questions because if he does not like this man, then he would break the promise. After sometime, according to the promise bhagat got her daughter married to this man from the same community.
Daughter came to Father-In-Laws home, saw an atmosphere different to her fathers home. She found lack of religious activities in family members; she found the life opposite to her father's home. She felt too much and feeling that, she stopped eating and started fasting. Her mother-in-law, seeing this situation for a newly wed woman was unhappy and requested her to leave fasting, but she continued.
One day, her mother-in-law became angry and started to utter unusual and unbearable words. She told her, if you don't eat and do like this who is going to do homework? Who is going to clean outside ground floor? Since morning this is not done who will do it? Will your father come and do it? The mother-in-law says such words to her daughter-in-law. This became the daily routine for her mother-in-law.
Then, one day, what happened was that while uttering bitter words to her daughter-in-law, she looked outside and what she saw was Jiva Bhagat, himself, cleaning the outside ground. She became insensible for a moment, and then started thinking what is this? Is this really Jiva Bhagat? Is he cleaning the outside ground? How Jiva Bhagat came here in the early morning and cleans outside? For a moment she became suspicious. In a short time, she saw that the ground is cleared, became very clean, but she neither sees Jiva Bhagat nor the broom. She surprised very much said herself. This is really a sort of miracle. She could not make sure as what was wrong in an appearance of Jiva Bhagat or her own sight. To make sure, she immediately sent one man to Gadhaka and asked him to find out whether Bhagat is in Gadhaka or somewhere else and come back quickly. Man went to Gadhaka and saw Jiva Bhagat was at his house and working. He asked everybody, but the answer was that since last night, Jiva Bhagat was here and did not leave his home at all. Man came back and told mother-in-law the whole story and she was satisfied. She regretted for her all wrong doing and asked Bhagvan for forgivness for telling unbearable words to his daughter. This story was spreaded among the people and Jiva Bhagat became famous. By the virtue of this, the whole family became God consciousness and lived a religious life.
Well done Prajapati Jiva Bhagat by your devotional service even Bhagvan himself had to be Jiva Bhagat and to clean ground.
Jiva Bhagat Ri Jai
Updated by Kantilal Thakarshibhai Pankhania, Nov. 4th 2004
"The young man who asked the hand of Jiva Bhagats daughter was none other than my great, great.....grandfather Thobanbapa who having finished being a Barvatia fighting along side Mulumanak and Jothamanak had come to Gadhka".