On his tenth birthday, Śrīla Gurudeva’s mother and father gave him a stallion. His father, grandfather, and great grandfather each had their own horses. Sometimes, Gurudeva and his friends rode into the wilderness. The young boys let their horses graze while they explored the forest, had a picnic, and took a nap in the cool shade of the sheltering trees.
One day they wandered deeper into the forest than usual. While exploring a new section of the forest Gurudeva was reminded of Rāma’s pastimes in the forest of Daṇḍakāraṇya. Envisioning Rāma’s pastimes, he lay on the forest floor and had a nap with his friends.
Upon waking, Gurudeva’s horse was missing. As dusk approached, the horse was still nowhere to be found and Gurudeva became increasingly anxious. “Soon it will be dark and we have a long journey home,” he said. “What will I tell my father?”
In search of the horse the boys climbed a hill and surveyed the landscape. Not seeing him, they split up and searched around for his tracks. After a few minutes, one of the boys shouted, “I found hoof prints!” His friends ran over, “Where?”
“Look! Over there.”
They followed the tracks further into an unknown part of the forest until they happened upon a charming, serene lake. The horse was standing motionless near the water. Seeing Gurudeva, he tried to come but was somehow unable to move.
“He wants to come but cannot,” Gurudeva said. “There’s no rope holding him back.”
“What do you think is stopping him?” his friend asked. “Do you think it could be some mystic power?”
“Perhaps,” Gurudeva said. He walked forward and tried to lead the horse away, but he would not budge.
As the boys searched the area for an explanation, they came upon a yogī standing on one leg engaged in austerities next to a cave. He was clothed in white garments, and bore hefty dreadlocks.
Seeing them, he said, “Why have you come here?”
Gurudeva spoke in a bold voice, “We came here to find our horse.”
“Is this your horse that came to drink from the lake?” said the yogī.
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you watch him to ensure that he wouldn’t wander off? I use this water for my worship and oblations. I also bathe here and drink this water with care not to contaminate it.”
“He was thirsty and left to search for water,” Gurudeva said. “What is the need of etiquette for an animal? I can see you are a great personality. One shouldn’t be angry with an animal.”
“No! I am upset with you, not the horse,” the yogī said. “Why were you irresponsible in looking after him?”
Seeing the yogī had a hot temperament, Gurudeva touched his feet and addressed him with folded hands, “O great sage, please forgive me for this disturbance. I am just an ignorant boy.”
The yogī became pleased with Gurudeva’s humility and blessed him. “From now on this horse will be very attached to you and will never want to leave your side.”
Intrigued, Gurudeva inquired, “Mahārāja, please tell us how long you have been staying here? Who do you worship and what are your austerities?”
“Who are you? Where are you from?” the yogī asked.
“My name is Śrīman Nārāyaṇa, and my father is a brāhmaṇa paṇḍita in Tiwārīpura.”
“So, here you are. I have been waiting for your arrival,” the yogī said. “I can see into your future. You will also be a mendicant yogī and shall become famous all over the world.” The yogī laughed. “You will have tens of thousands of disciples and shall be constantly engaged in looking after them.”
Gurudeva was surprised by the yogī’s response. A long moment of silence passed. “Please tell us whom you worship?” he asked.
“I worship you! I worship you!” shouted the yogī gleefully.
All the boys were astonished. “You worship me?” Gurudeva asked in confusion.
“Yes, that is why you came to me,” replied the yogī. “Why else would you have come? When your horse came here, I caught it with a spell, and then I was able to see you.”
Śrīla Gurudeva could not reconcile the yogī’s words. His friends thought, “What does he mean? ‘I worship you, I worship you.’”
Seeing the bewildered boys, the yogī laughed tumultuously. Gurudeva and his friends thought, “What will he do next?”
The yogī spoke, “I have been eager to meet with you for a long time, just as the sages of the Daṇḍakāraṇya forest waited to see Śrī Rāma. I knew that a great soul had been born in Bihar. Now I am pleased and ready to depart. I bestow upon you my blessings. You will be a world-famous ācārya. In a few years you will meet with pure sādhus. Upon hearing their advice you will leave your family and travel the world to spread pure love.”
Śrīla Gurudeva contemplated the yogī’s mysterious predictions. As the sun began to set below the horizon the yogī advised, “You have come and given me your audience. Now you boys may return home. I will perform my evening meditation. We will meet again if I ever call you with my mystic power.” Saying this, the yogī entered his cave, leaving the astonished boys to find their way back across the unfamiliar hills.
Just as the yogī had said Gurudeva’s horse became surprisingly devoted to him and would not allow anyone else to ride him. Gurudeva returned to that forest area many times with his friends but never saw the yogī again. He pondered the prediction of the yogī and eagerly anticipated meeting with the sādhus he had mentioned.