The debaters accept Muktanand’s point of view.
The debaters accept Muktanand’s point of view.
Suvrat said:-
O king, then folding their hands, they said to him - ‘O great sage, all our doubts stand dispelled.’ 1.
We never saw on the earth holy men like you enlightening us about the true meaning of the scriptures and also well-equipped in their own experience. 2.
Those who call themselves saints here are men deluded by hypocrisy; though scholarly, they are attached to women, wealth and enjoyment and are like the unscholarly. 3.
We have heard of Swami Narayan and his saints but nobody explained to us this greatness succinctly in this way. 4.
Superimposing vices on virtues, the learned ones over here called him an imposter (mayik), and no one said that he was the liberator from Maya (i.e. cosmic illusion). 5.
We indeed were greatly cunning and would vanquish even a scholar in any assembly in a moment and would never bow before anybody. 6.
By the grace of your guru, we have been rendered speechless today by you; therefore he should be known as the Lord; who else can defeat us ? 7.
Know that from today onwards we are his; therefore, it an entreaty you to take us to him since we are seekers of liberation. 8.
Muktanand promises to oblige them.
Suvrat said:-
On hearing this acknowledgement from them, that sage was pleased. He realized that they had shed their hypocrisy and that they were seekers of liberation, and then he said to them. 9.
Your conviction is right; you indeed are seekers of liberation; how else could your hearts harbor the desire for (hearing) of Lord’s activities ? 10.
O Brahmins, you should listen to His virtues coming over here every day. By means of that, all wrong-thinking born out of bad association will vanish. 11.
His vision, had by those who have realized His greatness though association with the good, makes them experience extreme happiness. 12.
Have no doubt that we shall go to Him after your hearts have properly made that resolve. 13.
On hearing these words of the sage, they were pleased and bowing to him, they retired to their residence recollecting ( the course of events). 14.
Effects on others and change in debaters’ opinions.
Those others who had gone there were taken aback on seeing their defeat and were dismayed; without saying anything they silently returned to their houses. 15.
That very news then spread to every household of the city. And all those who were seekers of liberation surrendered to him. 16.
That sage, however, was not at all surprised by defeating those debaters; he knew the prowess of the Lord residing in his lotus- like heart. 17.
He enlightened (properly) those people who had approached him and appropriately directed them to resort only to Krishna. 18.
Among those (devotees), Ramachandra and others, went to him every day and with great reverence, listened to the reports concerning the Lord. 19.
They become eager to have an actual vision of the Lord and Muktanand assures them of the same.
Then their love for the Lord increased day by day. By hearing of his greatness, they had a strong desire to see him.’ 20.
And that sage (Muktanand), on seeing their great faith in the Lord, said to them – “Meditate on him right here; he will afford you a vision today. 21.
Directed by him to meditate on the Lord, as wearing a white garment, as being dark like a cloud, and as charming and ascetic in appearance, they did as told by him. 22.
Sitting in the Swastika Asan posture and experiencing the meaning of his sentences, they actually saw the Lord in their souls while meditating on him there. 23.
They saw him at the centre of white light and extremely charming and were exceedingly delighted; then they rose from that state of Samadhi. 24.
With all doubts dispelled and greatly happy on having (the Lord’s) vision, they, with the guidance of the sage (Muktanand), remained constantly devoted to the Lord. 25.
Then they said to the people who were attached to them and had faith in them that if they had the desire for spiritual well- being, they should supplicate to the sage. 26. On seeing their firm faith, the citizens in thousands and their followers came to take refuge in the Lord. 27.
King Sayaji Rao comes to visit Muktanand.
Narupant then narrated all that reports to the king Sayaji Rao and on hearing them, he was surprised. 28.
Then on the day of Vasant panchami, he, accompanied by a large army, went to Muktananda and bowed down to him. 29.
Felicitated by the sage and asked about his health, the king sat near him and then he prayed to him. 30.
By virtue of the kindness of you holy men I am happy; now I am especially happy on seeing you. 31.
Now you were kind enough to give me a vision of yours; in the same way your guru also should afford me his vision; you should request him to that effect. 32.
There is a great desire in my heart to see him; therefore you should do this; it is my prayer to you. 33.
Preachings of Swami to the king.
Muktanand said:-
O king, what you have thought is right but the Lord is free (to decide in this);’ however, I will request him. 34.
Further, ‘O king, you are learned and thoughtful and you know how to discriminate between right and wrong; you have innumerable practical matters to attend to. 35.
In this (situation), time should be found to meditate on the Lord. That alone, and nothing else, gives happiness in the life after death. 36.
‘O king, the sequel to the virtues of the wise, such as peacefulness, restraint, compassion, (good) character etc. is said in the Bhagavat shastra (pancaratra) to be love for (the feet of) the Lord. 37.
What is the use of all the other virtues which are only the cause of moving in the ocean of mundane existence if one’s heart fails to concentrate on the feet of Shri Hariwith firm faith? 38.
For those whose minds are torched by the conflagration of mundane life, and who are in search of endless bliss, the only source of all happiness, as described by the Vedas, is the lotus- like feet of Krishna. 39.
It is not surprising that merely by looking at the feet (of Krishna) results in supreme happiness. A person whose soul suffers from the heat of mundane life attains peace by listening to the virtues of Hari. 40.
It is not surprising that the name of Krishna is efficacious in removing the burdens of the sins of the devout. Pronounced even by helpless people, it removes the accumulated mass of sins instantaneously. 41.
His name ‘Prabhu’ (i.e. Lord) is indeed meaningful since he does not forget his people even for a moment and protects them from hordes of internal and external enemies all the time. 42.
He is the soul of all - those having mobile and immobile bodies surrounded with sense-organs. He occupies the lotus of (their) hearts and is attained through the blessings of the saints. 43.
Those who take shelter at his lotus-like feet quickly cross over (the vast ocean of mundane life) as those who use another ship are devoured by crocodiles; that is certain. 44.
Suvrat said:-
Addressed in this way by that sage, the king was pleased; he stayed there for two hours and then bowing to him, he went home. 45.
That sage stayed there for three and half months guiding numerous people to resort to the Lord (Krishna). 46.
Then he thought of going back to Shri Harito have his vision; that very moment came a messenger conveying (to him) his journey back to Vrittalay. 47.
Arrival of Muktanand Swami at Vadtalpur along with the saints.
Thereafter, he along with Nathaji, Ramchandra and others, started for Vrittalay on the day of Amalaki ekadashi. 48.
Then, Ramchandra and others had a vision of Hari, who they had seen (before) in Samadhi and they were exceedingly happy. 49.
Muktanand narrated to him the entire course of events. On hearing that, the Lord was pleased and extolled him. 50.
O pure one, this I have narrated to you what you had asked me to narrate. This is how Muktanand vanquished the debaters at Vatapura (Vadodara). 51.
This is how the prowess of Hari, the Lord, shows itself; by virtue of it one achieves Samadhi at a far-off place. It is instantly achieved even by those men who have not practiced Yogic discipline, which (otherwise) is difficult to attain even for the well-versed in Yoga. 52.
Thus ends the thirty eighth chapter entitled ‘Conclusion of Muktanand’s arguments with the debaters’ in the fourth Prakaran of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 38
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