Shri Radha Shyamsundar Ji Temple, Vrindavan

Dukhi Krishna Dasa was a humble devotee of Lord Krishna, filled with deep love and devotion. One day, Srila Jiva Goswami, a great saint, gave him the rare blessing of allowing him to clean the sacred groves of Seva Kunj in Vrindavan. For twelve years, Dukhi Krishna Dasa worked hard, cleaning and taking care of these holy places while growing in his devotion to Lord Krishna.

One afternoon, after finishing his work, Dukhi Krishna Dasa sat in his small hut (called a bhajan-kutir) to pray. As he meditated, his mind became completely absorbed in the sweet and joyful pastimes of Radha and Krishna. In his heart, he felt as though he could see Lord Krishna, also known as Shyamsundar, dancing joyfully with the beautiful gopis (cowherd girls) of Vraja in the grove. Srimati Radharani and the gopis were forming a circle around Shyamsundar, holding hands and dancing, just like the stars circle the moon in the night sky. The gopis sang melodious songs as they danced, and Srimati Radharani danced gracefully, adding even more joy and beauty to the scene. Krishna was so enchanted by the dance that He felt as if He was swimming in an ocean of happiness.

During this beautiful dance, an anklet called Manjughosha, made of gold and decorated with precious gems, slipped off Srimati Radharani’s left foot without anyone noticing. After the dance was over, Radha and Krishna rested on a well-decorated bed in the grove, and the gopis also became peaceful, resting their minds. When morning came, the divine couple and all the gopis returned to their homes.

That same morning, Dukhi Krishna Dasa went to clean the groves of Seva Kunj, as he did every day. When he arrived, he noticed the place looked even more festive than usual. The flowers were more fragrant, and the footprints of Radha, Krishna, and the gopis were still visible on the soft earth. Feeling overwhelmed with love and devotion, Dukhi Krishna Dasa began to roll on the sacred ground, overcome with joy.

As he continued cleaning, something shiny under a pomegranate tree caught his eye. Curious, he went closer and was amazed to find a beautiful anklet studded with precious gems. He immediately felt it was no ordinary anklet. A voice from the sky instructed him to guard the anklet carefully. Dukhi Krishna Dasa lifted the anklet, touched it to his forehead, and immediately felt a powerful surge of devotion and love for Srimati Radharani. He hid the anklet under his robe and resumed his work.

Later that day, Srimati Radharani, disguised with her friends, came back to the grove to search for her lost anklet. She sent her close friend, Lalita Sakhi, who was dressed as an old Brahmin woman, to approach Dukhi Krishna Dasa. Lalita Sakhi explained that the previous night, her newly married daughter-in-law had been picking flowers in the grove and had lost an anklet. She asked if Dukhi Krishna Dasa had seen it.

Dukhi Krishna Dasa responded that he had indeed found an anklet but felt there was something special about it. He was doubtful that such a precious item could belong to an ordinary person. He told Lalita Sakhi that if her daughter-in-law could show him the matching anklet on her right foot, he would return the one he had found.

Listening from behind a tree, Srimati Radharani realized that Lalita Sakhi’s cleverness wasn’t enough to convince Dukhi Krishna Dasa. So, she stepped out of hiding and spoke directly to him. She told him that everything in Vrindavan is divine and that nothing there is ordinary. She explained that all the objects in Vrindavan, including the anklet, are spiritual, even though they might appear normal to someone in the material world.

After a conversation full of clever back-and-forth, Lalita Sakhi finally revealed the truth: the anklet belonged to Srimati Radharani herself. Upon hearing this, Dukhi Krishna Dasa was overwhelmed with emotion. He entered a state of trance for a few moments, lost in the ecstasy of the divine revelation. When he came back to his senses, he humbly requested to know more about how the anklet had fallen and what had happened the night before.

Lalita Sakhi explained that the previous night had been a beautiful one, with a full moon lighting up the sky. Radha and Krishna, along with the gopis, had been performing their joyful dance, known as the rasa lila. During the dance, Srimati Radharani’s anklet had slipped off, but no one had noticed at the time. When Radharani returned home, she realized the anklet was missing and became worried because it had been a gift from her mother-in-law.

Hearing this, Dukhi Krishna Dasa immediately returned the anklet to Lalita Sakhi, feeling honored and blessed to have found such a precious treasure. He then made a humble request: he wanted to have darshan, or a vision, of the divine forms of Radha and Krishna.

Lalita Sakhi told him that it wasn’t possible to see their divine forms with ordinary eyes. But, touched by his devotion, she gave Dukhi Krishna Dasa special spiritual vision. With this blessing, he saw their beautiful divine forms and was filled with even more love and devotion. Lalita Sakhi then told him that after he completed his service in the material world, he would be able to serve Radha and Krishna forever in their spiritual home.

However, when Dukhi Krishna Dasa asked to stay in their divine service immediately, Srimati Radharani explained that he had a special purpose to fulfill in the world. To help him, she gave him a beautiful deity of Lord Krishna, known as Shyamsundar. She told him that by worshiping this deity, not only would his own separation from her be eased, but others would also find peace and liberation through devotion to Shyamsundar.