Madhavdas was a Brahmin exalted in morality. He lived like the great King and sage Janaka. Besides studying the four Vedas, he also studied the Vedic Vedantas, Vaiseshika, Pattam, Prabhakaram, Purva Mimamsa and Uttara Mimamsa. The goal of his life was to worship Bhagwan and to support His devotees. While doing this, his wife separated and went to Bhagwan’s feet. After the death of his wife, he went to Jagannath Kshetra after donating all his belongings to the poor and needy.
He reached Jagannatha, took a dip in the ocean and went to the Bhagwan Jagannath’s shrine. When the priests saw him standing empty-handed, “they said, “who are you? Is this how you come for Bhagwan’s darshan?”, they questioned. He came out of the shrine and sat in a lonely hall and meditated. He sat there for three days without food.
Bhagwan looked at Rukmini and said, “Rukmini, our true friend Madhavadasan is meditating without sleep. Give him food.” Rukmini Devi stood in front of Madhavdas with ghee and curry leaves in a golden bowl.
Das removed the nishad and asked who was the mother standing in front of him. Rukmini Devi told him, “Eat this, and then you will get the darshan of Bhagwan.” Rukmini Devi gave him food and water, washed her hands and feet, and disappeared.
Das slept with the gold plate under his head. The next morning, as soon as the sanctum sanctorum was opened, the priest was shocked when he saw Madhavdas on the disk. When he tried to explain, the Sripada bearers did not listen to him, caught hold of him, tied him tightly to a rope and locked him in a room. Thinking that this was also a good thing, Das used the room to meditate on Bhagwan.
That night, Sri Jagannath appeared in the dream of the priest and explained the greatness of Madhavdas and said that he would not accept the puja unless Madhavdas was released and respected. The priest was startled and explained the matter to others as well. Then they all went, opened the room in which he was sitting, cut off the ropes, and fell on his feet, begging for forgiveness. Later, they went to the shrine and performed Archanas and offered Prasadam.
One day in the rainy season, when Das was suffering from cold, Bhagwan Himself came and wrapped His Peethambaram like a blanket around Madhavdas. People were surprised when they got to know about this incident.
This news reached the king as well. The king himself came and worshipped Das. As his fame spread, people came and bowed down before him with respect. Thinking that this was a hindrance to meditation, he went to Mathura. There, too, the priests insulted him and chased him away, and Bhagwan Himself came and ate with him. There, in Mathura, Das was suffering from severe diarrhoea and Bhagwan came as a young man to fetch water, wash and dry his clothes. After that, the disease was cured.
After some time, a logician came to argue with him. We know the story of Bhagwan Shiva carrying firewood for Bana in Madurai, the land of my home. The Tiruvilayalapuranam and the Sivalilaarnavam tell us that the man who came before dawn ran away when he was playing the veena to shame his friend. But here, for Madhavadas, Bhagwan himself took the form of Das and won over the rival logician and ensured the two became friends. The logician who had come to argue became a disciple of Madhavdas. Furthermore, the logician engaged in the work of spreading the fame of Das.
