Mahaprabhu’s Teaching through Govinda
When Mahaprabhu returned to Jagannath Puri from His South India tour, Sarvabhauma Bhattacharya in consultation with King Prataparudra arranged for Mahaprabhu’s stay at Kashi Misra’s house, a secluded, peaceful place and also near to Jagannatha Temple. Now the place is called Radhakant Math and Sri Radhakant Vigrah are worshiped here. Inside Radhakant Math there is a small hut made up of clay, known as Gambhira, where Mahaprabhu, the tall figured personality stayed. Govinda used to serve His transcendental body there. Swarup Damodar and Ray Ramanand used to serve Mahaprabhu by intensifying His mood of relishing the highest Divine Love of Radharani.
One pastime took place that time from which we can learn something. If we become too attached to the rules and regulations then we will not have devotion. Following rules and regulations is good but not understanding their actual intentions, if we get too much attached to them then that will not help us in our devotion. Not following the rules will also harm our devotion. One pastime took place here. Every day after lunch prasādam, Govinda used to serve Mahaprabhu's lotus feet until Mahaprabhu would go to sleep. Everyday Mahaprabhu used to dance in ecstatic feelings and get tired. One day He was so tired and was sleeping in such a position that Govinda was not able to serve His feet in that position. Govinda requested Him to change His position so that he could serve Him. Mahaprabhu told him, “I am too tired, and will not move now”. So how could Govinda serve Him in that position? He thought, “It is my service and I have to do that.” Govinda took his upper cloth and covered Mahaprabhu’s transcendental body with it and crossed Him. Generally, in the scriptures it is written that crossing even the shadow of someone's body is an offense but here he crossed the body of the Lord, the Supreme, and went to the other side to serve Him. Mahaprabhu went into a deep sleep and when He woke up it was three o'clock in the afternoon. He saw Govinda and asked him, “What happened, did you not go for your lunch?”
He replied, “How can I go?”
“Just like you came, you can go the same way” Mahaprabhu replied.
Govinda told, “I crossed Your transcendental body to serve You and now for serving my belly, how can I cross You?”
This is the teaching. He broke the rules to serve Mahaprabhu.
I am in the temple serving the deities and suddenly Guruji comes and calls out my name. At that time if I think that I cannot go without completing the deity worship and if, not seeing me around, Guruji goes back then that will be considered as an offense. I have to immediately come out and serve him first. First Guru-puja and then by his order Gauranga-puja and then the worship of RadhaKrishna. By being too much attached to the rules, if you ignore Guru then that would be considered as an offense. When he calls, immediately, you have to open the door of the temple and when he will see you are serving the deities he himself will tell you to continue it. He will not stop you, but your first duty is to go to him immediately when he calls and offer obeisances to him and take permission from him to serve the deities. Mahaprabhu gave us this important teaching through Govinda.