o.b.: Have you been so kind assisting me to travel to so many places of pilgrimage. I have not felt fatigued once while on the tour. My own son would not render such service. I to want somehow or other show you my gratitude. I know! I will give you my own daughter as your wife.
y.b.: My dear sir, you are saying something completely unheard of. You are from
a rich, aristocratic brahmin family. You are well educated and very cultured. I'm the contrary, am poor uneducated and therefore a most unsuitable match for your daughter. I am simply happy to serve you. Service to a brahmin of your status is mosty pleasing to Lord Krsna. By pleasing Him my devotional assets increase.
o.b.: No I have decided you will have my daughter as your wife.
y.b.: Huh! You may offer her to me with all good intention, but what about your relatives? What will they say? Without their consent you will not be able to
give her to me. Remember the stry of princess Rukmini? Although her father King Bhismaka wanted her to marry Krsna, Rukmi his eldest son objected. He wanted Rukmini matched to Sisupala. King Bhismaka was therefore forced to betroath his daughter to that envious demon.
o.b.: I will not persuaded like King Bhismaka. My daughter will be given to the man of my choice. I will not listen to the objections of relatives. No, have faith in me and accept my proposal.
y.b.: If you really want to make such a strong offer then I suggest that we go before Sri Gopalji and you make a statement before the Lord. He will be perfect witness to the arrangement.
o.b.: A good idea! My dear Lord, O maintener of brahmins and upholder of truth, please witness my word. I will give my daughter as the wife of this nice brahmin boy.
y.b.: Dear Lord Gopal. You are the only witness. I therefore beg you to testify to this statment if need to be in the future.
o.b.: All glories to Sri Gopal! All glories to Vrindavan Dham! All glories to Brajabhumi! Well my son this will be the last holy place of pilgrimage. Now we must start the long trek home. Many miles we have come and many miles we must return. I thank you once again for your extraordinary kindness.
y.b.: It has been a pleasure. Here let me assit you to walk down the temple steps.
ACT II SCENE I
o.b.: Oh. It has been such a long time now since the day that I promised my daughter to the young brahmin. How am I ever going to tell my wife and that hard-hearted materialist of a son? They will be outraged! I have however given my word to a brahmin in a holy place. There's no other alternative. Wife! Son! Daughter! I have some important news to tell you. Please come here!
son: Yes father, what is it now. Please be quick, I was in the middle of studying karma kandya. How will we ever advance our family's position without adherence to the proper rituals?
wife: Such a good son always thinking of our welfare (material) I hope you are the bearer of good news?
o.b.: Ah III'm sure you will all be most happy to learn of wonderful arrangement that I have made. Do you remember when I was on pilgrimage with that nice young brahmin boy?
son: It was a waste of valuable time and energy if you ask me travelling all those miles. And as for that fellow who was with you -an uncultured uneducated pauper.
o.b.: But a nice kind devotee of the Lord. His character is decorated with so many wonderful qualities. Why he treated me as if I were his spiritual master assisting and serving me constantly. I was so greatful to him, that I promise him - in that holy place before the Deity that he would have our daughter's hand in marriage.
son: What! You must be joking. Never!
wife: Never! How terrible! Proposterous!
son: Don't ever do such a nonsensical thing again father.
wife: If you offer my daughter to such an unqualified wretch our family will be destroyed. What will happen to our good name? Our aristocratic lineage will be completely polluted. Our relaitves will condemn and excommunicate us. We will be laughing stock of the whole district.
o.b.: But I made a promise before the Deity to a brahmin in such a holy place as Brindavan. I cannot change the situation. My daughter will be married to that boy.
son: If you give my sister to him, we will sever all connection with you!
wife: If you do this to me, I vow to take a poison and die!
o.b.: Oh please, please do not be so unresable. I promiser him my daughter before the Lord Sri Gopalji Himself. The Supreme Godhead is the witness to my promise. The young brahmin will call the Deity to testify if need be. He could then take our daughter by force then what will be your plight and my religious practices will become meaningless.
son: The Deity may have been a witness but He's miles away in a far of distant state. How is he ever going to come here to testify against you? There's no need to make any false statements or to flatly deny that you ever said such a thing. If that fellow does come here then you simply say that you don't remember having promised. I shall take care of the rest. By argument and logic I shall defeat him. Come mother, do not be upset. Your son will save you from this terrible attrocity.
o.b.: Oh, how have I become the victim of these calamaties? In such a helpless condition my only shelter is the lotus feet of the Lord. My dear Lord, please help me to simply fix my attention on You. You are my only shelter so please protect me from falling into dishonesty nad at the same time save my kinsmen from death and dishonour. (knock at door)
o.b.: Daughter, please see who is at the door?
y.b.: It is I, o holy sir. I am most happy to see you once again.
o.b.: Oh, young boy, you are most welcome please be seated, can we offer you any refreshment?
y.b.: Nice cool water would be fine. I will never forgot the wonderful pilgrimage that we made together, so many sacred palces we visited, and in each one we were able to take the darshan of the Lord. Your association was so inspring.??? There is nothing sweeter then sadhu sanga (the association of the Lord's devotees). Do you remember our time in Sri Vrajabhumi, the beatiful form of Gopal constantly decorates my mind? I especially remember that occasion, it was when you promise me the hand of your dauther in marriage. Sri Gopal was our witness. We must therefore, fulfill your commitment and I will marry your daughter. Are you alright?..... Something is wrong? You look very troubled sir?
son: You- You lowly wretch! I heard you spesaking this nonsense to my father. You want to marry my sister. Who do you think you are?
o.b.: Son!
y.b.: Leave this to me father!
y.b.: You are just like a dwarf, who wants to catch the moon! The only thing you will catch is a stick- Where is it? Get out and don't come back.
ACT 3 SCENE 1
in front of curtain
y.b.: So this is the situation. And I think we must have a convention, as is held at such times of dispute and disturbance.
vil 2: This is indeed a serious dispute.
vil 3: Let us go to the meeting place.
vil1: Yes, let us go. Go and get the elderly brahmin and his family. He will tell the other side of the story, in this way we can fairly assess the situation.
curtains open
vil 1: Members of the village council, holy sirs, respected members of the public. We are gathered here today, praying for the guidance of the almighty, to decide on an important issue regarding the truth and purity of two respectable brahmins. As it is custom we will first here the plea of the plaintive. (R) Shh!
y.b.: Respected councillors, I had the great honour of being able to go to the holiest of places with this eldelry brahmin and by the Lord's grace was able to render service to him during that time. Being greatful to me, he offered his daughter's hand in marriage. Yet now he does not follow his promise. Now I do
not desire material benefit for service rendered, but the promise was made before the Supreme Lord and must be carried out. Why does this holy sir now not keep
his promise.
vil 1: On behalf of the people of the village, I am obligated to ask you
reverend sir, If you have already promised to give him your daughter in carity (and have given your word of honour), why are you not fulfilling you promise?
o.b.: I am sorry to cause such trouble, but I have to submit that I cannot exactly remember making such a bold promise.
son: Members of the council. If I may interject for a moment. I can give you the exact truth in the matter. My father is too embarressed and afraid to speak, but I as his son will not stand by and see him defamed. While traveling with this gentelmen father carried much money. Taking advantage of the situation this rogue gave him an intoxicant an making him mad stole his money. He claims that it was stolen by a thief and to add insult to injury he is saying that my father promised to give him his daughter. All of you assembled here are respectable gentelmen. How is it possible for you to decide to offer my sister to such a wretch?
vil 2: Indeed the lust for wealth is strong.
vil 3: Strong enough to make one give up all religious principles.
vil 4: Indeed!
vil 1: Shhh!
y.b.: My dear gentelmen, simply to win the argument this man is blatantly lying. I neither stole his father's money nor did I gave him an intoxicant. This his father will confirm. He knows wll that he promised to give his daughter to me. I refused to accept his proposal and I warned him that his relatives would outraged. Still he persisted and urged me to agree. It was then that we called
upon Sri Gopal witness and now if you so desire I will go to Brndavan and request the Lord to come and testify to my honesty. He is the Supreme Lord and His words are accepted by the whole world as the Absolute Truth. This revered brahmin is simply afraid to admit to my plea because his wife has threatened him with suicide and his family members will desert him. I simply want to protect his religious principles. On the strenght of his piety I will call the Lord to come.
o.b.: If Gopal personally comes here to serve as a witness. I shall surely give my daughter to the young brahmin.
son: Yes this is a nice settlement.
?o.b.?: Since Lord Krsna is very merciful, He will certainly come to prove my statement.
son: It is not posible for Gopal to come and bear witness.
y.b.: Let us write this down on paper with the appropiated signatures of all concered. Then there will be no question of deviating from the truth.
vil 1: Yes write it down scribe. We will take signatures. All will be legal and proper. This case will be solved.
vil 2: Sign here.
vil 1: Very good.
vil 3: Hah! Gopal's just a statue. How can a statue bear witness. Supreme Personality of Godhead hah!
vil 4: After all the Lord is merciful and if He likes He can come.
vil 1: The meeting is adjurned. All and sundry can return home Gopal must be witness. (R)
son: So this deity must come to bear witness. What fools they all are! Believing and worshiping a lump of stone. Intelligent people know that God doesn't exist. At least my sister will be saved from degradation. She can marry this nice rich merchant in town and thus benedict me with a nice brother in -law who can provide us with wealth. After all life is meant for enjoying good name, beatiful
women and riches. It certainly isn't meant for waving feathers at a stone statue.
o.b.: Such a blasphemous character, if I only can pray that the Lord will somehow give him some mercy. He will certainly learn his lesson when Sri Gopal comes to bear witness. Then he will see the power of God's devotee who is able to summon the Lord simply by sincere prayer. I will be most happy to have such a qualified devotee as a husband of my daughter. We will spend hours immersed in sweet talks about Krishna.
ACT IV SCENE I
pujari: Welcome to Sri Gopal's temple once again. You are travelling alone this time? I remember you. You came with an elderly gentlemen before.
y.b.: That's correct, we very much enjoyed our visit here. Yes it will be wonderful to see the Lord again. Oh the curtains are open. Excuse me I will
greet Sri Gopal. Jay Sri Gopal!..... My dear Lord. I have returned from Vidyanagar. I have come to take shelter at Your lotus feet. You are the Supreme Lord and have appeared in this form to specially benedict the living entities who are bereft of you association. Both myself and the elderly brahmin are Your devotees and we are now in great difficulty. Please come with me to Vidyanagar and bear witness that the elderly brahmin promised to give his daughter to me.
It is not that I desire such material benefit for I am happy simply engaging in Your service. I just want to protect him from falling from the path of honesty.
Gopal: My dear brahmin, go back to your homre and call a meeting of all the men. In that meeting just try to remember Me I shall certainly appear there, and at that time, I shall protect the honour of both you brahmins by bearing witness to the promise.
y.b.: My dear Lord, even if you appear there as a four-armed Visnu Deity, still, none of these people will believe in Your words. Only if You go in this very form of Gopal and speak the words from Your beautiful face will Your testimy be heard by all of them.
Gopal: I've never heard of a deity walking from one place to another.
y.b.: Thats true, but how is it then that You are speaking to me, although You are a deity? My dear Lord, You are not a statue; You are directly the son of Maharaj Nanda. Please for the sake of teh old brahmin, You can do somethinmg You have never done before.
Gopal: My dear brahmin, just listen me. I shall walk behind you and in this way I shall go with you. Do not try to see me by turning around. As soon as you
see Me I shall remain standing in that very place. You will know that I am
walking behind you by the sound of My anklebells. Cook one kilo of rice for Me everyday. I shall eat that rice and follow behind you. Now you may begin your journy. Remember do not turn around.
ACT III SCENE II (PAUSE)
y.b.:I'm so fortunate. The Lord asked me to cook one kilo of rice for Him per day. What mercy to have a personal instruction from the Lord Himself. I hear His anklebells ringing. He is coming to take His food.(Gopal starts eating CURTAINN)
ACT V
y.b.: Now we have finally reached the outskirts of Vidyanagar, but I can't hear the Lord's anklebells I wonder what is happening. I must see if He is still with me.
???
y.b.:I will
Gopal: Now go and fetch all the villagers, I shall stay here and will not leave.
y.b.: Come everyone. Sri Gopal the Supreme Personality of Godhead has personally walked to Vidyanagar. Come see this great, wondrous phenomena. The Lord is here. vill: This is incredible. Sri Gopal has come to Vidyanagar.
vil 3: I dont.
vil 4: Let us go and see.
y.b.: Here is the Lord. He walked all the way on His own lotus feet.
vil 3: Walked?
vil 2: For certain. He is to heavy to carry.
vil 1: Of course the Lord walked. Sri Gopal welcome to Vidyanagar.
vil 4: Isn't He beautiful?
o.b.: Oh Sri Gopal. All glories to Sri Gopal. Oh Lord you are the most merciful personality. You are so kind to have journeyed all this distance simply to save the honesty of your devotees.
Gopal: I am apppearing before you in this deity form, which is my very self, just to help you increase your love for Me. These two brahmins are my eternally
(pure and liberated) devotees; and therefore to please them I have come here as a witness.Out of ?deadfast? obligation to their devotional service, for I become purchased by My devotees. Before You all I bear witness that this elderly
brahmin did indeed promise his daughter's hand in marriage to the younger. Please let the wedding take place immediately. You two brahmins are my eternal
servants, l have become very pleased by truthfulness of you both. Now you can ask for a benediction.
o.b.: My dear Lord Gopal. We beg this benediction. Please remain here so that people all over the world will know how merciful You are to Your servants. Out of causeless mercy You appear in a form apparently made of material elements, but because You are omnipotent and because all energies come from You, You can appear Yourself in any form You desire.
y.b.: All the world come and see the witness, Gopal the protector of brahminical culture, who appeared just to benedict a brahmin. For one hundred days, He travelled through the country, walking on His own legs, Thus His activities are wonderful.
Govinda Jaya Gopala Jaya breaking into the Maha mantra
Fade out and FIN.