Devotees from Bhujangapura wait for an audience with the Lord and their prayers to him.
Devotees from Bhujangapura wait for an audience with the Lord and their prayers to him.
O king, even before his arrival from the city (srinagara), his devotees, with their chief Gangaram, had come there from Bhuj- Kutch in order to catch a glimpse of him. 1.
After having met with him, they were very happy and stayed there; they were felicitated by king Uttam and honored by Hari. 2.
There, the Lord organized a great swing festival . After its conclusion, while Shri Hariwas sitting comfortably, Gangaram bowed to him and said- 3.
‘O Lord, (please) get a temple of Narnarayan constructed in our town. There, we shall offer services with our wealth etc.’4.
‘O Lord, this is the desire of all the citizens; (please) fulfill it because you are capable of it and we belong to you. 5.
Directions to Vaishnavanand Swami to construct the temple in Bhuj.
Beseeched by his devotees, he said that it was also his heart’s desire (to have a temple constructed) and approved of that idea saying, ‘Let it be so.’ 6.
Then Narayan said to sage Vaisnavanand, ‘ O sage, you along with your companions should go to Bhuj with these (people)’ 7.
‘There you should get a beautiful temple constructed by the best artisans; after that is accomplished, I will go there for the installation of the deity’. 8.
Directed thus, that sage said with folded hands, ‘It shall be as you direct, ‘O Lord’. The residents of Bhuj were also very glad (to hear this). 9.
Bowing to the Lord and meditating only on him, they left for their town with that sage and his companions. 10.
And that sage got a beautiful temple constructed there within a year, in accordance with the science of (temple) architecture, ‘O king. 11.
Shri Hari listens to the Katha of Mahabharat.
Staying at Durgapur, the Lord sage Narayan began to listen to the Mahabharata from the beginning. 12.
Beginning with the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Chaitra, the Lord completed (listening to the Mahabharata) without any impediments on the Ramnavami of the next year. 13.
On the completion (of this undertaking), the Lord rewarded the reader with his desired Daksina (fee), garments and ornaments as per the custom. 14.
On the tenth day, he fed Brahmins in thousands and on the next day he observed the festival of Vimal Ekadasi. 15.
Invocation of Bhagwan Shri Narnarayan in Bhuj and return to Durgapur.
On the full moon day of that very month, a messenger from Bhujangapur came to Shri Hariand said, ‘O Lord, the temple is ready in Bhujangapur’. 16.
‘O Lord, it is the prayer of the people residing at Bhujangapur that on reaching that place, you should install Naranarayan there (in the temple). 17.
On hearing these words of the messenger, the Lord called a great astrologer first and fixed the opportune time for conducting the installation ceremony. 18.
He fixed the fifth day of the bright half of the month of Vaisakha for that purpose and left for (that place) on the second day of the dark half of the month of Chaitra. He asked (the king) Uttam to stay back. 19.
Mounted on a horse, accompanied by the followers, and taking rest on his path in the villages of his devotees, he arrived at that city (Bhujangapur) on the thirteenth day of the dark half of Chaitra. 20.
Received affectionately by the residents of that city with their eyes filled with tears of love, he entered the city and lodged near the temple. 21.
All the citizens rendered service unto him with respect. Shri Hariordered all the materials required for the installation of the deity. 22.
Thereafter, at the opportune time, he installed Narnarayan in the temple, exactly as he had done at Srinagar. 23.
With generous offering of substances and in accordance with the rites prescribed in the Shastras (scriptures), ‘O king, he conducted the event of installation, something which is arduous even for the kings to accomplish. 24.
He fed all the Brahmins, citizens and others who had come (for the occasion) to their satisfaction and gave them Daksina (fees). 25.
On the seventh day, Shri Harimade arrangements for the worship of Krishnaand for the conduct of (temple) festivals in accordance with the practices of the sect. 26.
After dinner on the eighth day, he departed from that city, persuading the citizens who were in tears not to follow him. 27.
On his way back, he was taken to their respective villages by his devotees and was worshipped there. Reinforcing righteousness and devotion (in this manner), he returned with his followers to Durgapur after a month. 28.
Received by the king and the citizen devotees with great joy to the accompaniment of the sound of musical instruments, the Lord entered the town with all of them and occupied the high throne at his mansion.
Thus ends the twenty sixth chapter entitled ‘Construction of Temple at Bhujangapuri’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 26
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