People throng to see Shri Hari’s celebration of festivals.
People throng to see Shri Hari’s celebration of festivals.
Suvrat spoke:-
Staying in that town at king Abhay’s mansion, the master - ascetic, worshipped Krishna on all Ekadasi days as well as Krishna’s birthdays in a grand manner. 1.
Every day Shri Hari himself listened to the great Bhagavat Puran with dedication. He made king Abhay to give donations on that account and arranged for hundreds of recitations of same Puran through Brahmins in an appropriate manner. 2.
He Himself chanted and listened to Visnusahasranam of Mahabharat and made it recited by virtuous Brahmins, observing all rituals. 3.
At times, devotees coming from different towns used to plead to Him to visit their places. Sometimes Shri Hari also went to those places, having conferred with king Abhay. 4.
Sometimes king Abhay who could not bear His parting accompanied Him, his favourite Lord, with his relatives, and sometimes stayed back meditating on Him in his heart. 5.
O king, having given delight to the devotees in the places that he visited with His exalted excellence and observing grand festivals of Shri Ram (Vishnu), Shri Hari used to return to king Abhay’s town. 6.
People in groups used to throng for each and every festival He observed. There were women, children and the old, commoners as well as saints among them. 7.
There was an incessant flow of recluses and other devotees every day, some of them coming from various places, some going from there and some of them staying there at Shri Hari’s behest. 8.
None were able to count the number of devotees of Shri Hari or of recluses who were thronging that place each day. 9.
A good number of Shri Hari’s many devotees stayed with him in the palace of the king; as many were found in the town, on both banks of river Ganga, in the gardens, on paths, under the trees, for in all those places lord Vasudev sported his human form. 10.
To those devotees who served the Lord thus perpetually, every day used to be a great festive day. 11.
King Pratapsinh asks Suvrat to give more account on Shri Hari
King spoke:-
‘O Brahmin, blessed indeed is king Abhay, by whose devotion the real god though dispassionate becomes subjugated and lives in his house. 12.
O sage you had told about the god being pleaded by people to visit their towns, and Lord’s seeking consent of Abhay to go to those towns. In this regard please narrate to me about the places the master of virtues went and the great festivities he conducted. 13-14.
O wise one, not that you do not know any of the Lord’s exploits! By His grace you have become an all-knowing person; and also being His close attendant, you know all about His life and deeds. 15.
Thus asked by Pratapsinh, the sage recollecting Lord Narayan in mind, said to the king. 16.
Suvrat narrates on the subject.
Suvarat said:-
Listen O king, I will tell you the stories of the Lord, who is protector incarnate of Dharma, and pleasing to His devotees. 17.
When the Lord was staying in Durgapur, multitude of devotees used to pray to Him to visit their towns and cities. 18.
The devotee loving lord, the abode of compassion, went to those towns or cities for he was desirous of fulfilling their aspirations. 19.
He celebrated great festivities like Krishna’s birthdays (Janmastami) and others on those pertinent days as well as conducted talks on Holy Scriptures, giving impetus to Dharma and devotion. 20.
O king, there are many towns and cities to mention, where Shri Shri Hari performed and celebrated grand festivals in the company of sages. 21.
Certainly I am not able to tell you all the places he visited. Hence I will tell you some of them and His exploits concisely. 22.
The king of Souvir named Sursinh pleaded to Shri Hari to visit his city named Matsyavapura, along with sages. 23.
In the year Pramathi of Vikram samvat (1865) Shri Hari, having celebrated Vasantotsav, headed for that city on a horse with His attendants. 24.
Establishing firmly the tradition of the Vedas and making known His real puissance among the masses, effacing irreligious activities, He halted there in that town for a month. 25.
The ancient sage Narayan, staying in the abode of the royaldevotee Sursinh, invited many of His devotees of various states by sending them letters through messengers. 26.
The king worshipped Him and gave him clothes, invaluable ornaments of gold, garlands, flower, genuine Sandalwood and thousands of silver coins. 27.
The King’s wife Devika and daughter Tejovati worshipped the Lord with great devotion offering Him various kinds of raiment knit with golden threads, wealth and pure delicacies. 28.
The king’s brother-in-law’s wife Kesini by name worshipped Him devotedly, serving Him vividly O king. After that other men and women in hundreds and thousands worshipped Him as well. 29.
Having seen the grand worships and services offered (by the king and others) to Shri Hari and His prowess, the men and women and their relatives were in awe. Extolling His virtues, they returned to their respective places. 30.
The king satiated all the sages, Brahmins, ascetics as well as attendants of Shri Hari, with different kinds of food, each day. 31.
Seated on a high throne in the orb of sages and surrounded by scores of men and women devotees, Shri Hari was eulogized by singers and honoured by virtuous men listening to musical sounds and the buzz around. 32 - 33.
On the day of the swing-festival, Shri Hari delighted everyone by playing with the group of sages and other devotees. They threw vermilion onto each other. 34.
Shri Hari, with His garments soaked in variegated colours and His forehead dotted with tiny droplets of sweat akin to pearls owing to exertion, made His devotees drench in yellow and red hues that he snatched from others! He snatched saffron from fists of sages who stood next to Him, and besmeared the same on to their faces. The brilliant faced lord with a gentle smile thus delighted His folk. 35.
Thus making mirth befitting to His human form, the lord of all, stole away the minds of people into His essential being. 36.
Narayan Muni also installed an idol of Shri Hari namely Damodar (a distinguished form of Shri Hari) in the house of that royal-sage. 37.
Then once in the assembly, while being worshipped and fanned with Chowrie by the king, the Lord preached to him thus. 38.
Narayan Muni’s emphasis on greatness of Brahmins.
Shri Narayan Muni spoke:-
‘Those who are under my shelter should serve those Brahmins who have the knowledge of Brahman. By their grace, all desires will be fulfilled. 39.
For commoners in particular, Brahmins are adorable like gods, as well as for kings who are desirous of prosperity of their states. 40.
When Brahmins are appeased with the service, they by their prowess of penance would provide everything desired by the kings. Even gods serve them. 41.
By the grace of Brahmins, many kings in the past, have done meritorious deeds and thus achieved high ends that are not easily attainable. 42.
The success of those who possess the knowledge of Brahman is still being sung all over highly by Narad and other sages’. 43.
Suvrat continued:-
Thus hearing the greatness of Brahmins from the Lord, Sursinh in all humbleness asked thus. 44.
Sursinh said:-
‘Please tell me who those kings were, who in the past have they appeased the Brahmins here, the gods on earth and in which way’. 45.
Suvrat said:-
Thus asked by the pure-minded king of Souvir state in all humbleness, Shri Hari being satisfied, narrated to him respectfully
the stories of magnanimous kings briefly, O king. 46.
Thus ends the Thirty-eighth chapter entitled ‘The worship of Shri Hari by Sursinh in Matsyahvay town’ in the second Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 38
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