Description of the means of salvation
Narada said:
O pious one, you have asked a very deep question. O pious Brahmin, one cannot answer this question by virtue of his own logic even after hundred years, unless he is the recipient of the grace of the Lord. (1)
O pious one, you are a person steeped in Dharma. There is nothing for me to hide from you. Hence I will answer your question, with the knowledge I have acquired by the grace of Lord Vasudeva. (2)
This is the very question that the great King Yudhisthira, who had no enemies, had asked Sri Bhishma at the end of the Mahabharatha war. Bhishma was the best among the knowers of Dharma; he lay on a bed of arrows; by constant and deep meditation, he had had the vision of the Lord Achyuta; he was undeterred by worldly attainments; he was a stalwart in the knowledge of the Vedas and their allied texts. (3-4)
Yudhisthira said:
“O grandfather! Whom should a person, desirous of attaining all the four Purursharthas, be he of any caste or creed or belong to any of the four Ashramas, worship for attaining fulfillment? (5)
How will that person, with very little efforts and little virtue, be able to attain that exalted position in a short period of time, without any obstacles? O grandfather! You know everything. Kindly clear this doubt of mine. (6)
Skanda said:
O Sage! Bhishma, the son of king Shantanu, thus asked by the virtuous Yudhishthira, turned his gaze towards the lotus like face of Lord Krishna and smiled. (7)
Lord Sri Krishna, by his very gaze urged Bhishma to speak about the greatness of Sri Vasudeva that he had heard from his own father (King Shantanu). Bhishma acted accordingly. (8)
Narada who was also present there, listened to the same. He then visited Kurukshetra; later he came to Kailasa and narrated the same to my father Lord Shiva. My father was king enough to tell me the same. (9)
O pious one, you are a person who is devoid of deceit. Since you have asked me, I will now narrate the Vasudeva Mahatmya that clears spiritual doubts of even the great sages. This has been decided in the assembly of great men steeped in penance. (10)
Lord Vasudeva is the Supreme Being. He verily is Lord Sri Krishna and is the best among all persons. He is the Lord, who is worshiped by people having desires, people devoid of desires as well as souls who have already attained liberation. (11)
The Brahmins, women and people born of lower castes by devotedly performing the duties assigned to them propitiate this great Lord. (12)
Hence, one has to perform all the duties ordained (to him) towards God as well as his forefathers by the scriptures, with affection and dedication. (13)
The above mentioned auspicious duties have to be performed in such a manner that they are services to Lord Krishna. Those duties that are performed without the constant remembrance of the Lord will not yield lasting fruits even if they are performed in the best possible manner. (14)
If an event is performed without the remembrance of the Lord, such an event will also be counter-productive; it will face numerous obstacles; it will not produce the desired results. (15)
If an event is performed with dedication and devotion unto Lord Krishna, that event will yield good results to all those involved in the event. (16)
Such an event will yield lasting fruits that are much more than the expectations of the performer. Any ill effects that arise out of performing the event at an improper place will also be negated. (17)
O Brahmarshi! By the grace of the Lord holding the divine discus, the event will not encounter any obstacles; it will instantly yield the desired results. (18)
By the direct involvement of the Lord in the event being performed, even a small devoted event will become a great one (in terms of the result it yields for the performer). (19)
Just as a small spark becomes a terrific big fire when it comes into contact with a pile of (well dried-up) forest wood, a small event performed with the blessings of Lord Sri Hari will turn out to be a big one. (20)
Therefore, a virtuous person who wishes to have good attainment has to constantly meditate upon the Lord Vasudeva, irrespective of his involvement or keeping away from worldly events. (21)
Our forefathers often quote this ancient instance, where a conversation took place between Sage Narada and the Sage Narayana. (22)
That great Vasudeva who resides in his eternal abode, Himself appeared in the womb of Dakshayani for the well being of the world to spread the message of Dharma. (23) Long ago, in the ‘Swayambhuva-Manvantara’ and in the Krita Yuga, He appeared taking the dual form of Nara and Narayana. (24)
Both Nara and Narayana proceeded to the holy place of Badarikashrama to perform severe penance for the well being of all humans on this earth. (25)
There, the two-some, who were slim and devoutly following the codes of conduct, secretly performed severe penance, such that they were invisible even to the gods. (26)
Only those who are the recipients of the grace are able to have a vision of these two. Without their grace, even those staying in the same location are unable to see them. (27)
Once, the great Yogi Narada, came to know within himself that Nara and Narayana wanted to meet him. (28)
He descended from the top of the mount Meru, directly through the sky and instantly arrived at the place known as Badarikashrama. (29)
Soon, sage Narada happened to see from a distance, Nara and Narayana who were deeply immersed in their oblations. (30)
Having seen them engaged in their oblations, Sage Narada was surprised. He thought, ‘Oh! How is that these two, the masters of the universe, the indwellers of everything in this world, are performing oblations that are prescribed for the common man. (31)
These two, themselves are verily the fathers of all beings. They are the God of all Gods. Which God will they worship by performing these oblations? (32)
Thinking thus, Sage Narada, who was a great devotee of the Lord Narayana slowly approached Him and stood near Him in all humility with folded hands. (33)
O sinless one! The twosome, after performing their oblations, according to the procedure, received Narada with respect. (34)
The two-some was greatly surprised at the arrival of Sage Narada. They seated him nearby. Narada too was surprised. (35)
He saw Lord Narayana and with a focused mind, propitiated Him and then addressed Him. (36)
Here ends the second chapter in Vasudeva Mahatmya titled “Description of the means of salvation”.