Friendly quarrel between Hemantsinh Raja and Uttam Raja.
Friendly quarrel between Hemantsinh Raja and Uttam Raja.
Suvrata said:-
Shri Hari said to King Hemantsinh: ‘Go to your hometown along with your people. I’ll soon come there, following you. 1.
The King was very pleased when he was thus told and he prepared to go to his own town. Then Shri Hari told his devotee, Surakhachar to return to his hometown quickly. 2.
No doubt I’ll reach there next morning. So get the food prepared by the Brahmins ready and wait there. 3.
As he was told in this manner he was very much pleased and set out for his own town with his people. The whole of this matter was reported to Jayaben by Ratidevi. 4.
At that time, Jaya along with Lalita got up at once, took bath, and hastened to King Uttam (her brother) who was performing his daily rituals. 5.
Jaya said:-
The first part of the day (Prahara) is over, and you are performing the daily rituals so late As you ring the bell, all your belongings are being taken away. 6.
Hearing this, Uttam exclaimed with confusion, “What ? How is it being taken away?” She said to him, “Narayan muni is going to Junagadha (Jeernadurg) along with his followers. 7.
He will be served (there) very heartily by his loving devotees with deep love and affection; hence how will he come back to our city? 8.
All the devotees are equal to him as he is impartial, so go now, pray to him by bowing down (to him) and prevent him from going. 9.
Thus told, King Uttam rose at once and went bare-headed to Shri Hari. When Hemantsinh saw him coming. 10.
Hemantsinh asked:-
Uttam, my friend, where are you going without a turban on your head? Uttam replied: “I am coming to you to invite you to come with us. 11.
Hemantsinh said: “Bhagavan, along with his followers, is going to Junagadha, you too should come there with your relatives. 12.
Hearing these words, that king who was comparable to Uddhav, showed him the way to prevent the journey of Bhagavan. 13.
Uttam said:-
Oh brother, you are intelligent, wise and honored by your people. All your subjects behave properly because of your intelligence. 14.
I think that your decision to invite the master to your town is not proper. 15.
The cold season of winter has set in and it afflicts the skin of people; the cold is even unbearable for the one who keeps himself covered in warm blankets at home. 16.
Would it not create trouble to Shri Hari, early in the morning, with the cold winds blowing at dawn? If you insist him to stay, your devotion to him may seem ridiculous. 17.
The saints who have become weak due to yoga and those who do not respect their wallet will be troubled by cold on the way during this bitter cold season. 18.
How can the widows who are engrossed continually in Shri Hari’s devotion, walk bare footed on the road in this season? 19.
Bathing in cold water, shivering early in the morning and trembling while walking in the cold that too with bare feet means that people will curse you. 20.
O brother, this act of yours will bring curse to your name Hemant. Hence, I request you to take master happily (to your place) when the cold season is over. 21.
O brother, till then, you can stay in Durgapua along with your people and take advantage of having a vision of Shri Hari at all times. 22.
You can treat the Munis with variety of delicious sweet dishes and properly worship them along with Shri Hari. 23.
What special treatment would be extended even when Shri Hari is taken home, considering home is not home in the absence of a housewife. 24.
It is equivalent to a forest, when there is no housewife in a man’s home. The place where she is, is called ‘Grihasthasram’. 25.
Your wife is here along with you, so when worshipping Shri Hari with her, you can avail the fruit of Grihasthasram. 26.
Moreover, according to the scriptures, a friend’s house is no less than one’s own house, which means while staying in my house, you can please the Master respectfully. 27.
I have told you all this only out of friendship, henceforth, you can decide on what is good and what is not accordingly. 28.
Suvrat said:-
thus after hearing the words of Uttam, who was an expert in arguments, and comparable to Vidura for his intelligence, the king knew the purpose and said- 29.
Hemantasinh said:-
O, brother, what you say about protecting our own people is quite correct. Even though you are young, your intelligence and thinking are much matured than experienced people. 30.
Those who are altruistic are always in the company of saintly people; they always wish to be in their company. You were such a man; even then how did you develop selfishness? 31.
O good man, by citing the cause of severe winter and cold, you are objecting to Prabhu’s arrival at Junagadha. It is just a trick of words and arguments. I’ll answer you. 32.
O friend, I’ll take Shri Hari in a palanquin carried by palanquin-bearers. How then can severe cold affect Him in a cozy palanquin? 33.
Also, I’ll take the ascetic women in chariots or carts, which will protect all of them from the bitter and severe cold. 34.
I’ll take all the Munis during first half of day, and rest in the cold night. All of them will enjoy travelling in warm sunlight; where then is the danger and fear of cold? 35.
(Travelling in) Summer is difficult and dangerous than winter, why aren’t you thinking of it ? 36.
Whatever you said about the duties of a householder man, you can perform the same with your wife at Junagadha when you come there. 37.
Years have passed since I prayed to Shri Hari for Him to come to my town and Shri Hari has (ultimately) promised to visit my town. 38.
Thus when the tree of my wishes has bloomed and is about to bear fruit, why are you are uprooting it under the garb of being friendly? 39.
When Shri Hari walks on the way to Junagadha, millions and millions of people will get an auspicious chance to have vision of him. 40.
People will be emancipated from their sins just by having his vision; thousands of them will get to realize the reason of their birth in this world and will be free, attaining liberation from this world. 41.
Thus, in such a time of gaining/obtaining/attaining piety, an intelligent and knowledgeable man like you should not oppose and be a reason to be blamed by my people. 42.
For one who espouses to enjoy brotherly relations in this world and enjoys the happiness of your relations, why are you speaking like this? 43.
You are trying to divide the happiness among your own people while denying the happiness given by forefathers to your relations. Does it not shame you? 44.
It is better for you and will display the fraternity and generousness in your heart if you come to my town without me urging you. 45.
Hands protect the body and eyelids protect the eyes without any command from them. Similarly, if you behave in the same way, it will prove you to be my true friend. 46.
Always behave according to the meaning of the neutral gender of the term ‘friend’ and oblige me by favoring me; don’t conduct yourself as the meaning of the masculine gender (of the word) and burn me. (In Sanskrit ‘Mitra’ means the sun, in masculine gender and ‘Mitram’ means friend in neutral.) 47.
Suvrat said:-
The king smiled and said that the wish of God will come to reality. 48. Saying this, he went near Shri Hari. Hemantsinh began to think in mind. 49.
There are many obstacles in my plans, so what the knowledgeable will think is right will happen. So let us try accordingly and God will grant the result. 50.
Thinking thus in this way, Hemantsinh thought of Lord Krishna as the God who destroys all difficulties and prayed to him. 51.
‘O God Ganesh, I’ll offer you Durvas, sindoor and laddoos of raw sugar (Gud) on my return on the fourth day (Chaturthi), please destroy the obstacles and difficulties to my plans. 52.
Thus praying to Lord Ganesh in this way, he allowed all his men to go to their places, holding himself back. 53.
Knowing the truthfulness of Shri Hari, he sat beside him, having doubt in his mind about Uttam. 54.
Thus ends the sixtieth chapter entitled ‘Uttam’s sincere request to Hemantsimh regarding Narayan Muni’s departure’ in the fourth Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 16
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