God and a Cup of Oil

“My Lord, I have a great curiosity about one thing. Will you kindly tell me the truth if I ask you?” said Narada. Vishnu looked at him quizzically, which alerted Narada. He continued, apologetically, “Of course, my Lord, whatever you say is true, or it becomes true. It was unwise of me to ask if you would tell me the truth!” Vishnu smiled and asked, “Tell me, my dear sage, what is your question?”

“I want to know how many true devotees you have on Earth,” Narada replied.

The Disappointment

“That’s all? Well, there are many!” Vishnu responded. Narada looked disappointed; he secretly hoped the Lord would say, “Narada, you surely head the list of my true devotees!” However, His answer sounded overly vague.

“Are you sure, my Lord, that there are many? Don’t I already know them?” he asked skeptically.

“Oh no. You don’t know most of them, I’m afraid,” Vishnu said.

The Search for Gopal Das

“Can you name one of them offhand?” Narada inquired. “Well, take the case of Gopal Das of Bhalapur on the outskirts of the city of Ujjain, for example.” Vishnu had hardly finished giving Narada the devotee’s name and address before Narada set out for Ujjain, disguised as an ordinary traveler.

Upon arrival, he asked about Sage Gopal Das, but most people had not heard of Bhalapur, let alone the sage himself. However, he discovered that Bhalapur was a small village located by the river. When he arrived, he asked the first man he met, “Where is the Ashram of Sage Gopal Das?”

A Humble Encounter

The man looked at him with surprise and replied, “Sage Gopal Das? We have never heard of any such sage!” Narada continued to ask anyone he met about the sage until a farmer said, “I never knew there was a sage bearing my name!”

“Is your name Gopal Das?” Narada asked. “Yes,” the farmer responded. “Is there any other Gopal Das in this village?” Narada continued. “No,” answered the farmer.

Now it was the farmer’s turn to be surprised. “What is the matter, gentleman?” he asked. Narada explained, “I had heard of you from a friend. If you don’t mind, can I take some rest in your house? I’ve a long way to go.” Gopal Das happily led Narada to his home.

The Realization

At Gopal Das’s house, Narada observed that he lived the life of an ordinary person. He was busy attending to a sick relative, discussing matters with his wife, and tending to his children, just like anyone else. Still hopeful, Narada accompanied him to his fields.

After a full day, Narada took leave of him. However, he remembered that Gopal Das had only uttered Vishnu’s name three times throughout the day. “My Lord, at least once, you made an error. You gave me a wrong address!” Narada complained to Vishnu.

“Is that so? We will see. Meanwhile, dear Narada, will you kindly carry this cup of oil to place it on Mount Meru? You must go at the speed of a human being, and the other condition is that not a drop of oil should spill out of the cup. If it does, the mission will fail,” said Vishnu.

Narada took the cup full to the brim with oil and carefully made his way to Mount Meru. After a full day, he reached his destination without spilling a drop. When he returned, he used his divine powers and was swiftly back before Vishnu.

“I’ve done it, my Lord,” he said, beaming with satisfaction. “That’s fine. Now, tell me, Narada, during your day-long travel, how many times did you remember me?” Vishnu asked.

Narada stood in silence, trying to recall. The smile faded from his face. “My Lord, all my concentration was on the cup of oil—so that it would not spill!”

“Now, Narada, think of Gopal Das. He carried so many cups of oil—I mean the burden of countless worldly problems. Even then, he remembered me three times during a day. And I alone know with how much intense devotion he did it! Do you truly believe that I gave you a wrong address?”

Narada silently saluted Gopal Das. He bowed to the Lord and said, “I understand, my Lord. You can never speak anything that is not true!”