Chapter 9 - Wonderful story of the Brahman

Sage Shatananda said:-
O you of great intellect, I shall tell you the wonderful story of that noble minded person, please listen to it attentively. 1.

There is the most holy place the best of all in this region, named Antarveda. It is worthy to be desired even by Gods and Sages. 2.

All men living there are brave, truthful and courageous, and all women are also faithful to their husbands. 3.

O King! There in that region is the city named Kanha which competes with the city of the king of Gods, i.e. Indra, in grandeur; even Gods aspire for it. 4.

There are mansions decorated with pillars of gem and golden-grills, like the palace of Indra the King of Gods; and numbers of pleasure gardens; and beautiful multi-storied Gopuras; and temples having conical stories of uniform structure with shining niches; that are adorned by many attractive assembly halls surrounded with fencing wall and grows of creepers and thickets; decorated with shining ornamental arches. 5-7.

The people of the four castes, who strictly follow their own religious code, also aspire to visit this city which is adorned by the sounds of the recitation of Veds by the Brahmans expert in Veds. The city is also decorated by pools, full of many kinds of lotuses like day-lotus, night lotus,  and kalharas with a hundred petals. The sacred river Ganga flows in the upper region of this city and people who take a plunge in that river just look like the Gods and deities. 8-10.

There lived a Brahman named Madhavarama belonging to a sub caste called Kanyakubja, he had a son named Kalyanajit, O King. 11.

He belonged to the Yajurveda tradition, Gargagotra, and was proficient in Vedas and Vedangas. He used to worship Lord Shri Krishna in solitude. 12.

Due to his past meritorious impressions, he had great knowledge of the past and future births of his own life. 13.

O King! He remembered and visualized the intense miseries he had to suffer in the past lives and those that would come in the future births, may be of animals in egg-born class; and insects like sweat-born, etc. 14. 

He also witnessed those unbearable pains of various kinds he underwent during his stay in the womb before birth. 15. 

Description of Brahman’s sufferings

When the creature enters the womb, he finds the place dirty due to urine and excrete and other filth. There, with back and head bent, facing upside down, this creature experiences acute pain. There, worms keep biting and hurting his tender body all the time. He faints due to the scarcity of air to breath in (suffocation), and excessive pain. He is unable to move, just like a bird in a cage. He feels very hot and his body singes due to the vicinity of the stomach fire. 16-18.

Thus, he remembered and actually experienced, all acute pains he had to suffer in past when he was in the womb. 19.

He, also came to know all sever and dreadful pains suffered in thousands and thousands of hells like Tamisra, Andhatamisra and Raurava and
others. 20.

There, the sinners are beaten with weapons like swords, hunters, clubs and iron rods by the servants of Yama, the God of death. 21.

They pluck out their eyes, crush their limbs and plunge in mud of salty water; thrown down from a high peak mountain, and sink in hot oil;  though they are alive, the servants of Yama drag out their intestines. 22-23. 

They burn them in unbearable fire; make them suffocate in poisonous smoke, tear out their skin and then stitch it again. 24.

They force them to embrace hot iron idols, many times. Thus he saw innumerable such dreadful tortures in the terrain of Yama. 25. 

O King! Having seen these tortures, he felt distressed. Thus, deposed by the pains he could not sleep at night. 26.

Thus, due to the anguish in his heart he lost interest in his wife and children, even in food and also wealth. Then he went to many learned persons and asked for a way out of this situation; he acted upon their suggestions; but still did not get the peace he was looking for. 27-28.

Then, in a depressed mood, he went on a pilgrimage, leaving behind his family, servants and house. That Brahman visited Prayag, auspicious city Kashi, Jagannathpuri, Ayodhya, Chitrakut and sacred place of Vrundavan. 29-30.

He went to Ramnath, Haridwar, holy Kurukshetra, Pushkaratirtha, meritorious Pulahashram. Then he went to Siddhapura, Prabhasa Tirtha, and Dwarka. Thus he visited many sacred places to quench his agony. Then the Brahman went to the major holy rivers, Ganga, Yamuna, Reva (Narmada), Sarayu, Tapi and Godawari.31-33 

In all those holy places he came across many renowned learned persons, teachers and gurus. 34.

Modestly, he asked them about the remedy for getting out of his mental torture. He practiced all those mentioned to him; but he still did not get  any relief. 35.

Disappointed as he was, with deep pain in his heart, by chance, he went towards the west of Panchala region. 36. 

From people living there, he heard about the beautiful temple of Gopinath, here in Durgapur, erected by Bhagwan Swaminarayan. He also heard about the great sages who have experienced actual presence of Shri Krishna and very much pleased on this he came here. The moment he reached this place his mind became tranquil. 37-38.

From this sign he guessed that some great sage must be living here. So he took bath into Unmattaganga River and went to visit the Gopinath temple, and had Darshan of the Lord. 39. 

As he visited the Shree Gopinath temple, he attained peace of mind and was pleased. There he enquired with a devotee if by chance there lived any great saint in that place. 40.

When the devotee was asked he was very pleased and told the Brahman, that today the auspicious Katha - discourse about the scripture Satsangijivan had begun. 

And that saints and satsangis have gathered there in the assembly to listen to the meritorious story of Satsangijivan, the story of Lord Shri Hari’s life and deeds. 41-42.

Having heard this, he came here and sat in the assembly and heard the story of Satsangijivan composed by me (Shatanand Muni) devotedly. 43.

That noble Brahman sitting in the assembly heard this wonderful text that you have enquired about called the Satsangijivan Mahatmya - greatness of Satsangijivan. 44. 

Thus, after hearing the whole narration, attentively and devotedly, he finally had the Darshan of Lord Shri Hari in person, and from this he became relieved from grief that he had experienced before in his life and was very pleased. 45. 

Thus, I have told you the account of this Brahman, who attained the fulfilment of his life, after hearing this sacred text. O you of pure intellect! You have heard all about it very attentively and with interest. There by you also have received the answer to your questions. 46.

O King! By hearing this auspicious story of Satsangijivan a person immediately achieves the most blissful state – the forth and the final goal, i.e. true liberation. The sovereign kings took passage to the forest to attain that state. It is therefore of no wonder if any one achieves the three ends Dharma, Artha and Kama, a fruits of the same.47. 

Whoever wishes to attain any of these four goals, he will be successful in having the same by hearing this auspicious Katha of Satsangijivan. 48.

O King! Whoever with his exclusive devotion, performing his own religious duties properly and by following the path of knowledge and detachment pleases the Lord - the Supreme Person and wishes to get established in His service will surely receive his desired fruit only by listening to the sacred book of Satsangijivan. 49-50. 

Thus having heard his nectar-like speech, Hemantsinh was very much pleased and all the members in the assembly also were very happy. 51.

Those mortals who desire in their hearts to achieve any of the four goals namely – virtue (Dharma), wealth (Artha), enjoyment (Kama) and liberation (Moksha), should read very aptly this auspicious scripture Satsangijivan at their leisure. 52-53.

There, a person who desires Dharma surely will achieve merit; who desires wealth will be successful in receiving it within a short period; who desires enjoyments will also receive all these accordingly and a person who aspires for liberation will also attain this in a short time. 54-55.

One who aspires to please Lord Shri Hari by his exclusive devotion to Him, and wishes to be in His service in His abode, surely his desire will be fulfilled. 56.

Hemantsinh who desired liberation, appointing a reader, arranged for the reading of the Satsangijivan Katha at his place and listened to it devotedly. 57. 

Having heard the nectarine words in the scripture Satsangijivan, coming from the moonlike mouth of the sage Shatanand, the King attained his goal of liberation and experienced the highest bliss. 58. 

(Now here Muktanand Swami declares) I have heard the importance (Mahatmya) of Satsangijivan explained by Shatanand Muni in his speech in the assembly and giving full thought to it, I have written this book named Satsangijivan Mahatmya according to my intellectual capacity. 59-60.

Shatananada Muni told me that, first this Mahatmya book should be read and listened to and then it should form the book of Satsangijivan. 61. 

In this world those who will hear or read this book (Mahatmya) sincerely, will definitely earn the fruit of hearing Satsangijivan also.62.

They will certainly get their desired happiness by the grace of the Lord Shri Hari, and I, Muktananda, assure that it will come true, this is my promise. 63.

Muktanand Swami’s concluding meditation of Shri Hari 

I delightfully bow down to Lord Sahajanand Swami the son of Dharma Dev, who is above he illusory Maya, who shines with His splendorous divine form in the highest imperishable abode. Who is the only treasure house of innumerable  extraordinary divine qualities, whose eminence is above all. Who is the ocean of compassion, who appeared on this earth for promoting righteousness and devotion. 64.

I, all the time contemplate on Lord Shri Swaminarayan who bears a very auspicious form, who removes sorrow; who holds the rosary of Tulsi beads in His right (dakshe) hand; who has put on fine, soft white clothes; who always has a cheerful lotus like face with a sweet smile; whose chest is marked by Shree Vatsa and whose body is adorned with ornaments. 65.

That Lord Hari Krishna may always reside in my heart – the Lord whose feet are served by the liberated souls, in the highest imperishable abode and who is charming, who is the controller of the Gods headed by Brahma. 66.

The Lord, who has embodied himself with His heart full of compassion, whose life is very interesting due to many wonderful aspects; who fully destroys fear from the hearts of those who have taken refuge in him, who is the righteous one, be pleased with me. 67. 

Worship of saints
May these sages who have managed to control the impulses of their senses which are like speedy horses; whose mind is adhered like a bee to the lotus feet of the Lord, and who are always busy with helping others, be always pleased with me. 68. 

Thus, here ends the ninth chapter of Satsangijivan Mahatmya, that describes the episode of a Brahman and the history of the text, during the conversation between Shatananda Muni and Hemantsinh. 9