Chapter 42 - Shree Hari performs worship of Lord Ganapati with a desire to leave home

Shri Hari leaving home praises lord Ganesh.

Suvrat said:- 

O King! At the completion of father’s funeral rites accordingly, Nilakantha desired to move about for pilgrimage. 1. 

He, having thought that the affectionate closeness of relatives, friends, and people of the town for him, to be the highest obstacle in his leaving for pilgrimage. 2. 

To overcome this barrier, he having worshipped, Ganesh, who takes away all the difficulties, with Durva grass and others, praised him with folded hands. 3. 

Ganapati Ashtak. 

O Vignesha, having the description of destroying the heap of hurdles, O! The one born of Sankara, your feet are worshipped by king of celestials, Indra, thou are born as the fruit (result) of Durga’s great vow, O all auspicious-incarnate, O! Siddhivinayaka, thou take away my hurdle. 4. 

Thy body is of the lustre of a ruby diamond, besmeared with saffron and by Siddhi and Buddhi placed on thy both sides; thy beautiful trunk encircled towards the right chest; kindly take away my hurdle. 5. 

Thy four hands hold a noose (paash), a goad (ankush), a lotus (kamal) and an axe (kohado). Thou are adorned with a garland of red-flowers, O the one born of Uma! Thou are of the lustre of moon with your forehead adorned with a red-mark, take away my hurdles. 6. 

Thou are adored by the Brahma and others, fearing obstacles in their missions, and by the best of celestials with sweet-balls and other articles. Thou are worshipped as the foremost among the celestials. 7. 

Thy fat mouse moving rapidly, stumble, hence become quiet, making chu, chu, sound, that rendered the band of gods laughing, (glee) Thy ears as large as winnowing basket, and the belly, big and plump. 8. 

The king of snake has taken the place of thy sacred-thread, and upon thy grace the Lord of stars - the moon has become grateful by men, wishing merits, in the beginning of every white fortnight. Thou are abode of mercy, giving assurance of safety to the devotees. 9. 

Thy crown is dazzling with pure gems decorated, Thou are adorned with two beautiful safflower-dyed clothes. Thou are endowed with various powers, Thy name remembered, showers auspiciousness (favourableness) everywhere. 10. 

Thou have taken away the fear of celestial gods afflicted by rival demons, and removed the inner darkness of the king Varenya by teaching him various knowledge, thou have made the three worlds blissful, O brother of Kumara, O Siddhivinayaka, take away my hurdles. 11. 

Shri Hari takes articles of worship with Him. 

Suvrat said:- 

Thus having praised and saluted Ganesh, Shri Hari left his house on Friday, the tenth day in bright fortnight of Ashada month, 1849, in early morning hour. 12. 

Having never asked, his brothers, relatives or the town people, he alone went out of the house in the guise of taking bath. 13. 

At the outset, he moved in northern direction with an eagerness to observe penance, then having reached the bank of Sarayu, stayed there for a while. 14.

He had covered himself with a strip of cloth for loins (koupin), deer skin as the upper garment (mrugcharma), holding a Palasham stake (Palasha no dand); he wore a white sacred-thread (Yajnopavit). 15. 

Wearing two strings of Tulasi wood around his neck (kanthi), he had marked a moon like dot in between the vertical lines, on the forehead (kumkum chandlo in the middle of Urdhvapundra tilak). 16. 

He had his hair matted, and encircled a girdle of Munja grass around the waist (Munj mekhala), and held a rosary (Maala), for uttering names and wooden pot (Kamandalu), another utensil for alms (Bhikshaapaatra), and a piece of cloth to filter the water (Jal Gaaranu). 17. 

In a small box he put the divine stone Salagrama (form of Vishnu) and the idol of child Krishna, covered with a small piece of cloth and wore it in his neck (Baal Mukund no batavo). He was not wearing any footwear. 18. 

He held on his shoulder a small booklet containing the essence of four texts (Pancharatna no Gutako), which was fully protected with bee- wax and good cloth, as it was very dear to him. 19.

Thus the religious one, desiring to cross the great river Sarayu, waited for the float, standing away from the sight of people to avoid them. 20. 

Shri Hari escapes the torment of a demon. 

In the meanwhile there came a demon, crooked and ugly. He was an enemy of Shri Hari, in prior birth and was killed by the Lord, in the battle, with the weapons wielded at to each other. 21. 

He wished to do something dear to his dead relatives. Hence, at once with anger, he dropped Him in the river, when He was helpless. 22. 

The brave Shri Hari, though thrown in the fearful big river, tried to swim protecting the booklet, from the much terrible crocodiles. 23. 

From sunrise to almost three hours, he swam in the river, eventually got to the bank, having crossed more than three yojanas (39 – 48 km). 24. 

Having imagined that the demon knowing Him to be dead, He be- haved in the same manner by becoming unmoved amidst the waves. 25. 

Having learnt Him dead through His stillness, the demon caught in His illusive web, became overjoyed and told thus. 26. 

The demon told his fellows staying here and there about the deed he committed. Some of them thought Shri Hari was dead, and others did not. 27. 

Shri Hari leaves for Himalayan Mountain where Hanuman meets Him. 

Because of the Yogic powers, Krishna was not defeated from the water. Afterwards he proceeded to North to see the mountains, purple coloured in Himalayan range. 28.

The ever-living Hanuman, Dharma’s family-deity, having performed his daily rituals, came there to see Shri Hari. 29. 

Being a firm devotee of Shri Ram, he used to have His Darshana, knowing Him to be his most favoured god. 30. 

Hanuman not seeing Rama in the temple, searched for Him in the vicinity but to no avail, then he came to the bank of Sarayu, meditated there for a while. 31. 

He learnt through his meditation that He has gone to roam about Bharat, India (Bharatavarsha), to resurrect religion and devotion and to terminate its rival demons. 32. 

Having known the situation, Hanuman quickly flew from the Sarayu bank, reached child Krishna, saluted Him and stood before. 33. 

Shri Hari praises Hanuman, in turn Hanuman praises Shri Hari. 

Thus pleased Shri Hari, having saluted Hanuman, told ‘O’ Monkeysupreme, you are our family god, what made you come here in person unexpectedly? 34. 

With a desire to observe penance, I had left for dense forest. Your desired Darshana occurred here is for my good. 35. 

By uttering your name only, men will venture out of their homes and towns, meet success in their efforts. When you have appeared in person what to speak then? 36. 

Hanuman said - 

O Lord! I know that you are my real favourable god, Ramachandra, the consort of Sita, who bestowed boon upon me, before. 37.

From the very day of your arrival from Chhapaiya town, I am having your Darshana every day. 38. 

After observing my rituals, when I went to Dharma’s house to see you, you were not seen there. 39. 

Then having known through meditation about your desire, I have come here wishing your Darshana, be merciful, O Lord! 40. 

You speak to me as a devotee, having adopted human form that shows your highness. But I remain a servant always. 41. 

I will come with you, with your order if given; I will serve you daily in the forest, during your penance. 42. 

The God said:- 

O Maruti! I know you are the devotee-supreme, firm and unparalleled, when I remember you, come to me. 43. 

With intense detachment and indifference about everything I have come here in the forest, at present, nobody’s company interests me. 44. 

Go to your original place now. When you wish to see me (myself), through meditation accomplish it, and come there wherever I am, O monkey-supreme! 45.

Hanuman exits and Shri Hari enters a great forest. 

Suvrat said:- 

Thus told by Shri Hari, Hanuman, an ardent devotee-supreme, immediately knowing His inner wish, having saluted him, disappeared. 46. 

Hanuman, at times, used to come to see Him from distant places, having saluted, he would disappear, and sometimes he used to sit before him. 47. 

As and when, Shri Hari was in meditation in dense forest, Hanuman used to come there, giving protection from devils and beasts, (by keeping guard) wandering around him. 48. 

The great ascetic reached the black Himalaya mount (Shyam-giri Himalayas), within a month from the exit of Hanuman, having crossed
many a forests. 49.

After some days, He entered great a forest where innumerable vicious snakes and beasts dwelt, at the foot of the mount. 50. 

The forest was crowded with lions, tigers, hippos, buffaloes, huge elephants, forest-bulls, deer and musk-deer. 51. 

There were groves of various trees embellished with fruits and flowers; also there ran rivers, brooks and lakes, giving shelter to many a species of birds. 52. 

He was very tender, subsisting on forest herbs and fruits, though a boy as he was, brave, not fearing cruel beasts, wandering without footwear. 53. 

He was the prophet of the Self, long-sighted, of sharp intellect, without hatred. He wandered about the forest, strictly observing self-religious duties. 54. 

He used to see His forest stay as a comfort more than home, by virtue of His detachment and disinterestedness in rustic pleasures. 55.

Shri Hari had become detached minded towards company of men influenced by the learning he made from Shrimad Bhagavata’s fifth skanda
of Jadabharata’s example. He was very eager to observe penance in the hermitage of Pulaha. 56. 

Once moving in certain direction, Shri Hari forgot His way, hence went without food and water for three days. 57. 

On the fourth day his body became weak due to insistent moving without food, hence collapsed on the ground like a flag broken by the wind. 58.

Having stayed the same way for a while, he stood up slowly, opened his eyes, seeing around, found a river at some distance. 59. 

Moving slowly, he reached the river, flowing at the foot-hill, and observed the daily ritual accordingly in the crisis. 60.

Then he drank water from the river and felt relieved a bit. He took rest under a Banyan tree on the bank. 61. 

The sun as if unable to see his beloved Shri Hari’s difficulty in the forest, became immersed in the sea. 62. 

The lord showed the world as to how men of intense detachment show dedication and behave in crisis, by observing evening ritual accordingly. 63.

It was pitch darkness all over on the eighth day of dark fortnight, due to thick shroud of clouds; even stars were invisible in the sky, O the sinless one! 64. 

There were foxes, owls, tigers and other beasts wandering here and there, making different sounds, and insects like crickets made sharp sounds. 65.

There were awesome thunders with echoing sounds, along with repeated lightening explosions all around. 66. 

There were repeated scenes of rows of devils moving around, and the night was dreadful even to the brave. 67. 

Firmly sitting there, Shri Hari concentrated on his own form (original form) in mind as the dear of Radha i.e. Krishna, and becoming fearless; he ignored all the feeling of the bodily existence, peacefully, drowned deep in meditation. 68. 

At that time, Hanuman, the son of the wind arrived there at once, in subtle form, desiring to see Shri Hari. He saw him drowned deep in meditation, saluted him and stayed there alone, knowing that the place is dangerous. 69.

Thus ends the forty-second chapter entitled ‘Shri Hari’s wandering about Himalayan mountain in his migration’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 42