Story of Viṣṇudāsa

A Vaiṣṇavite devotee who lived in ancient days. The story of this devotee who defeated his king Cola in devotion to Viṣṇu, is given in Padma Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 110. The story is as follows.

In days of old there was a king named Cola in Kāñcīpura. It was because of his reign that the country got the name Cola. He had performed several sacrifices. On the banks of the river Tāmraparṇī, stood his golden Yūpas (pegs on which sacrificial animals were tied) that the place looked like Caitraratha.

Once the king went to the temple and worshipped Viṣṇu by offering flowers of gold and jewels such as chalcedony and prostrated before Viṣṇu and rose up. At that time a Brahmin named Viṣṇudāsa from his own city came there to worship, with holy basil and water as offerings. He worshipped with the leaves and flowerbunches of holy basil. Because of his worship by holy basil, the king’s worship by jewels, was dimmed. The emperor got angry and said, "Viṣṇudāsa, you are a poor man who does not know how to worship Viṣṇu. What merit has your worship of holy basil after mine of jewels?" Both began to contest on this point. At last the king said "Let us see who between us will get oneness with Viṣṇu first, you or I"

After saying this the king went to his palace. He appointed Mudgala the high priest and began to perform a sacrifice to Viṣṇu. The sacrifice was going on with pomp and festivities. Viṣṇudāsa also was immersed in devotion to Viṣṇu to the best of his abilities.

Once Visṇudāsa, after his usual prayer and meditation prepared rice-food. But somebody took away the cooked rice unseen by Viṣṇudāsa. Fearing that he would miss the time for his evening prayer, he did not think of cooking food again. Next day also he cooked food and went for evening prayer. On that day also the rice was stolen. This continued. One day after cooking the food, Viṣṇudāsa waited close by in a hidden corner. He saw a low-caste man who was a mere skeleton because of famine, stealing the cooked rice and feeling pity on him he said, "Stop, stop. How can you eat it without any oily thing? See, take this ghee also." Saying so he drew near. The out-caste was terrified at this and ran away. On the way he stumbled and fell. Viṣṇudāsa ran to the spot and fanned him with his cloth. When he rose up the figure in the place of the low-caste was that of the real Śrī Nārāyaṇa with conch, discus and club held in his hands. Because of devotion Viṣṇudāsa stood benumbed. While the King Cola and the people were looking on, Viṣṇudāsa got into the divine Vimāna and went to the world of Viṣṇu.