Rasik Shiromani, Swami Haridas ji, incarnation of Lalita Sakhi, used to please Shri Bihariji by sweetly singing devotional songs, he had personally composed as he played the vina. While singing, he would become so absorbed that he would forget his body and mind and kept on singing day and night. The famous Baijubavara and Tansena were his disciples. Upon hearing about Swami Haridasa’s glories from the mouth of Tansena, who was the jewel among Emperor. Akbara’s ministers, Akbarahimself desired to relish the nectar of Haridasa’s blissful music. But Swami Haridas had firmly resolved not to entertain anyone but his deity "Shri Bihariji". Therefore one day Emperor Akbara disguised himself as an ordinary man and, along with Tansena, came to Swami Haridas’s bhajana kutira in Nidhivan. Tansena, who also was very expert in music, had purposely brought his vina along and now began to sing a sweet song. His singing enchanted Akbara. Swami Haridasa then took the Vina from the hands of Tansena and began to sing the same song, pointing out the errors that Tansena had made in singing it. Swami Haridasa’s singing was so sweet and attractive that even the deer, birds and other animals of the forest came to that spot, where they listened silently. Emperor Akbara’s amazement knew no bounds. He was so pleased that he immediately wanted to present something to Swami Haridas, but the wise Tansena indicated to the emperor not to do so as it would alter Haridas’s mood. The samadhi of this great personality is still present in Nidhivan.
Afterwards, Akbar asked for the service from Swami Shri Haridas. When he repeatedly requested Swamiji to grant him opportunity to do something for Vrindavan at least, Swamiji said, "You are so persistent and have such a keen desire, kindly get one of the broken stairs of Yamuna Ghat repaired." He directed his disciples to guide King to the broken stair. Akbar was now really disappointed. The thought the sage may be a great musician but seems to be mad at the same time. He is telling me, the King of Hindustan to get a damaged stair repaired? I am the one who have constructed huge forts and nosques and now they are taking me to show the broken stair which I should get repaired? What a joke? But better sense prevailed on him; he kept his cool and followed the saints. As he reached Yamuna bank and the accompanying saint pointed to broken stair, the scene before him changed in a flash. What he was now seeing was not ordinary stone-mortar masonry, but he saw the ghat made up of precious metals (gold and silver) and studded with rare gems. Rubys, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds etc of such high purity and size were studded so generously that it was impossible to estimate the cost. Even then he tried to look at the broken corner and found on comparision with other corner, that he would not be able to get the matching gems for repair even if he was hundred times richer and spent all his fortune for this repair.
Now he knew the real nature of Swamiji. The scene changed again, now the ghat appeared to be ordinary stone-mortar masonry, but Akbar did not dare to undertake the repairs. Disillusioned, he walked back to Swamiji, bowed to him in dandvat, admitted his incapacity to touch anything in Vrindavan and left for Delhi along with Mian Tansen.
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