Sakshi Gopal - The Witness

Dadi: "Guddu, if someone made you a promise but later said they never made it, what would you do?"

Guddu: "I'd be really upset! But what could I do if no one else heard it?"

Dadi: "Tonight I'll tell you about a young man who faced exactly this problem - and found the most extraordinary witness to help him."

Guddu: "Who was the witness?"

Dadi: "God himself! Listen to this wonderful story from Vrindavan."

Guddu: "Tell me, Dadi!"

Dadi: "Two brahmins from South India went on a pilgrimage together to Vrindavan - the sacred land of Krishna's childhood. One was old and wealthy; the other was young and poor. The journey was long and difficult."

Guddu: "What happened on the way?"

Dadi: "The young brahmin served the elderly man with incredible devotion. He carried his belongings, arranged their food and shelter, and cared for him even better than the old man's own family ever had."

Guddu: "That was very kind of him!"

Dadi: "The old brahmin was so moved that when they reached Vrindavan and visited the beautiful Gopala temple, he made an extraordinary promise. "Young man," he said, "I want to give you my daughter in marriage. You have served me with such love.""

Guddu: "That's a big promise!"

Dadi: "The young man was hesitant. "Sir, I am poor and from a low family. Your relatives will never accept me. This promise will only cause trouble.""

Guddu: "What did the old man say?"

Dadi: "He insisted! Finally, the young man said, "If you are truly determined, please say it before the Gopala deity. He will be my witness.""

Guddu: "So they made the promise in the temple?"

Dadi: "Yes! Standing before the beautiful form of Gopala, the old brahmin declared, "I give my daughter in marriage to this young man." And the young man said to the deity, "Lord, if needed, I may call you to testify.""

Guddu: "Then what happened?"

Dadi: "They returned home. The old brahmin told his family about the promise. His son exploded with anger! "A poor nobody marry my sister? Never! Father, just say you don't remember anything. What's this village boy going to do - bring the deity as witness? It's just a stone statue miles away!""

Guddu: "Oh no! They were going to break their promise!"

Dadi: "When the young man came to discuss the wedding, the son attacked him with a stick and chased him away. The next day, the young man gathered the whole village and told them about the promise made before Gopala."

Guddu: "Did the villagers believe him?"

Dadi: "The son laughed. "Bring your stone witness if you can! Gopala is far away in Vrindavan. Statues can't walk!""

Guddu: "What did the young man do?"

Dadi: "With perfect faith, he declared, "I will bring the deity himself to testify." And he walked all the way back to Vrindavan."

Guddu: "That must have taken weeks!"

Dadi: "Many weeks. When he reached the temple, he stood before Gopala with tears in his eyes and prayed, "Lord, you heard the promise. Please come and be my witness.""

Guddu: "Did the deity respond?"

Dadi: "Gopala spoke! He said, "How can I go with you? I am a statue. I cannot walk.""

Guddu: "Oh no!"

Dadi: "But the young man's faith was unshakeable. He replied, "If a statue can speak, He can also walk.""

Guddu: "That's brilliant!"

Dadi: "Gopala smiled and agreed to come - but with one condition. "Walk ahead of me. You will hear my ankle bells jingling behind you. But if you turn around to look, I will stop at that very spot and never move again.""

Guddu: "Like a game of don't look back!"

Dadi: "For one hundred days, they traveled. The young man walked forward, always hearing the sweet jingle of Gopala's anklets behind him. He never turned around."

Guddu: "Not even once?"

Dadi: "Finally, they reached the outskirts of his village. The young man thought, "Let me just peek to make sure He's really there. Even if He stops here, the villagers can still see Him testify from this spot.""

Guddu: "He turned around?"

Dadi: "He turned and looked right into Gopala's smiling face. "Now you can go home," Gopala said. "I will not leave this place.""

Guddu: "What happened next?"

Dadi: "The young man ran to the village and told everyone that Gopala had come! The whole village rushed to see. Even the old brahmin came and fell at the deity's feet. And there, before all the villagers, Gopala confirmed that the promise had indeed been made."

Guddu: "Did the wedding happen?"

Dadi: "It did! The king of the province heard this miraculous story and built a beautiful temple for the deity. Gopala became famous as "Sakshi Gopala" - "the Gopala who bears witness.""

Guddu: "The temple is still there?"

Dadi: "Yes! Near Puri in Odisha. Millions visit every year."

Guddu: "Dadi, what does this story teach us?"

Dadi: "Many things, beta. First, that God sees everything - every promise we make, every truth we speak, every lie we tell. He is always witness. Second, that faith can move the immovable - the young man's trust literally made a statue walk. And third, that keeping our promises matters. The old brahmin learned that you cannot escape your word, even when you think no one is watching."

Guddu: "Because God is always watching."

Dadi: "Always. Sakshi Gopala reminds us that we are never truly alone when we speak truth or break it. The divine witness sees all."