Festivity on Shri Hari’s arrival at Vishanagar.
Festivity on Shri Hari’s arrival at Vishanagar.
‘As with praises and prayers requested by us before, now Shri Hari is coming to our town.’ Thinking thus, the people of Vishanagar along with those of Vadanagar rushed to the outskirts of the town to receive Him when they heard about His arrival. 1.
The Lord’s loving and compassionate nature ingrained in their hearts, they saw Him, the well-wisher of the god-loving people, riding a breed horse and surrounded by his devotee-attendants. 2.
O king, delightedly saluting Him, they joined Him on the way to the town, singing songs, beating drums and with Vedic recitations by Brahmins. 3.
Happy that their long awaited desire was being fulfilled, they respectfully arranged for His and His attendants’ accommodation. 4.
Along with the ascetics, Suryasharma, Motiram, Vanamali, Udyam, Amulya, Abhiram and other Brahmins together with devotees like Pitambar, Ganesh, Punjo, Chelaiyo and others served Him very joyfully. 5.6.
Ladies like Durlabhaba, Vujjvala, Jyethi, Udayakumarika, Suvarna, Yatini, Jnana, Punji, Dhanavati headed by Srinkhala, and other devout men and women in their hundreds very lovingly came forward to serve him. 7 - 8.
They all worshiped Him with various clothes, ornaments, wealth items, sandal-paste and flowers. 9.
There in Vadanagar, the Lord appeased the Brahmins in thousands by offering them various tasty dishes like Motichur Laddus, Kansar, Sira (Sanyava), Payasam (Kheer), Apup and side dishes all rich with ghee, and also mango juice mixed with sugar. Thus there He strengthened the tenets of the righteous path. 10-12.
This way for two and half months He offered meals to the Brahmins and celebrated Rathayatra - festival abounding in valuable objects. 13.
Devotees from Srinagar (Ahmedabad) requested and prayed to Shri Hari repeatedly to visit their native town. He assured them that He would visit their place at the Janmastami festival and will arrange a grand celebration. Satisfied, they returned with glee to plan arrangements. 14 - 15.
Every day in the noon and at night, in the assemblage of devotees, He used to give talks on single-minded devotion, which were delightfully appreciated by the audience. 16.
Shri Hari explains the procedure of Chaturmasya vow.
On the eve of Ekadasi, i.e. tenth day of bright half of the month of Ashadh, addressing the devotees gathered there, the Lord said ‘From tomorrow the Ekadasi day, Chaturmas (four-month vow) begins. All of you staying here should observe the vow according to your capacities. 17 - 18.
The people gathered there asked, ‘O Lord, what kind of vow is to be observed by men like us on this land? Please tell us, O the leader on the path of righteousness.’ 19.
Shri Narayan Muni said:-
‘O men, practice ‘Tapas’, austerities in the manner I tell you. The highest ‘Tapas’ is effective control and concentration of mind and the senses. Usually they are entertained by giving them objects of their fancies. Though they get nourished by that, the senses and mind will not be able to turn to and concentrate on Lord Vasudev. Hence one should abstain from the objects of their inclination. 20 - 21.
It is said that of all the sense-objects, (thirst for) tasty food is prime. Hence it should be conquered forcefully by observing control of food intake and fasting. 22.
With this in view, the sages and austere men in the past used to observe fast during these four months, and these days some yogis also practice in the same way. 23.
It is not possible to follow this way in this kali-age. Hence one may take fruits, milk or water or food of one kind, and that too once in a day. Otherwise, one may eat food without vegetables, or eat just only vegetables, or just curd or sesame or may take food without ghee. Any one of these is considered as an esteemed vow. 24 -25.
One should avoid taking vegetables in the month of Sravan, curd in Bhadrapad, milk in Aswin, and pulses in Kartik. 26.
In this period of Chaturmasya, people belonging in three classes should not eat watermelon, carrot and brinjal at all. 27.
Every day, commoners should give away a cow, or gold or food items as gift without hypocrisy, according to one’s ability. 28.
‘Dharan-Puran’ - observing fast on alternate days is said to be a highly commendable vow. Commoners and ascetics can observe it as well. It is greatly rewarding. Men and women, especially widows, should observe it particularly in young age. 29 - 30.
The other rules related to the vow like observing celibacy should be followed carefully without fail. Otherwise it will be a mere toil. 31.
In Puranas, a number of vows are prescribed for persons of different capacities. One should choose and follow any of those. 32.
Any one can follow any of these vows arduously according to his capacity, be it for fulfillment of any particular desire or without having any desire. 33.
Those vow-bound desirous persons would certainly get their desired fruit, and those who are desire-less will be rewarded by blessings of Lord Vasudev. 34.
Thus observing the rites properly, Lord Murari (Shri Krishna) should be worshipped in a grand manner at the close of the period and food should be offered to the Brahmins and sages according to one’s ability. Only then will one merit full benefit of the vow. 35.
Thus ends the Forty-first chapter entitled ‘Narration of the festivity of offering food to Brahmins in Vishanagar and Vatanagar’ in the second Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 41
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