* Protection of Gopaldas. Removing the ego of Siddhs. * Pleasing the Brahman from Tailang. * Arrival in the city of Sirpur. * Nilkanth’s desire to expose the hypocrisy of Siddhs. * Gopaldas becomes a victim of the jealousy of Siddhs.
Shri Hari visits Bengal; His victory over proud Siddhas.
Suvrat said:-
Thereafter that youth came there to the city of Sirpura in Bengal where religious - minded, noble king Siddhavallabha lived. 1.
The king requested him wholeheartedly to stay there; so the great sage Sri Shri Hari stayed there for four months in the palace, where he was served by the king. 2.
One ascetic, named Gopaladasa, who was virtuous by nature, used to serve him there every day, with devoted adoration. 3.
There were many sages having ‘Siddha’ title (who have achieved some spiritual power) who had achieved some black magic powers; more- over there were thousands of worshipers of mean (tamas) deities. 4.
There were some bachelors having the title as Veetaraga (who have conquered the passions fully) or some having the title Paramahamsa (who have achieved the salvation), some were sanyasi (monks), some were the worshipers of Bhairava and some of them were the worshipers of goddess Kali. Some of them were the adorers of Yogini i.e. female deity and some were experts in black magic. 5 - 6.
There were some, who used to wear only strip of cloth for loins and Siddhas who followed complete non-acceptance, moving with their hundred leaders engaged in penance, O King. 7.
The king had sheltered them in a good open space and in the same place he made this Nilakantha stay after serving him. 8.
Every day the king made them happy with food and eatables enriched with lot of ghee and sugar, and with their desired things. 9.
He gave each of them separate wooden seats. They also stayed there happily exhibiting their perfection in penance. 10.
Then Shri Hari with a wish to disclose untrue or hollow accomplishments of them, to the king, a seeker of liberation, thus decided: 11.
There were more rains in the rainy season this time, than usual, due to which arrogant Siddhas suffered, who lived there. 12.
In the sky there were thick clouds gathered making thundering noise and terrific lightning that made the sky very fearsome. 13.
They left their penance, being depressed and fatigued by the terrific clouds, roaring storm, thunderbolt and heavy rain through day and night. 14.
Slowly, one by one, they ran away at night. Shivering due to cold wind, sometime five or sometime seven of them in groups, fled from there. 15.
The servants of the king observed their behaviour every day, and saw, within a few days all of the Siddhas disappearing. 16.
The noble king, having seen the only celibate-supreme Shri Hari remaining there, came to know that he was the true Siddha, and not others. 17.
King and the citizens honoured him variously who withstood heavy rains and storms, undisturbed. 18.
The king understood that the sages who ran away and the other sages living in his palace-houses were simply ordinary ascetics. 19.
Then the Siddhas who followed ‘Shakti and others, having seen Shri Hari’s rise, became over-jealous, self burning sensations in their bodies, began to design his end (killing). 20.
None of the sorcerers with the help of their enchanted black grams with mantras thrown at him, or with their called upon favourite deities or with their incantations, were able to kill him. 21.
All their attempts to kill that celibate went in vain, like wielding weapons in the air, as he was divine in human form. 22.
When the evil minded sorcerers could not kill Shri Hari, they threw the black grams enchanted with black magic on the adorer of Shri Hari, named Gopaladas. 23.
By that black magic, Gopaldas fainted and was about to die. His tongue hung out, and foam from his mouth oozed and he became still and fell down on the ground. 24.
From here and there thousands of people came to see him. The king and the people thought that the condition of Gopaladasa was incurable. 25.
The king called on Siddhas and other experts in powerful Mantras to find remedy for the ailment, with their accomplishments. 26.
They said that the ailment was incurable and insisted that let great Nilakantha to do the cure. 27.
This was told by them, with envy. By then he, Nilakantha, having been asked by the king, came beside the deceased, found that indeed to be a cruel act of black magic. 28.
Slowly he whispered eight-syllable Mantra of Shri Krishna into his ears, no sooner this happened, the fainted Gopaldas instantly got up without any trouble, O King ! 29.
Then all the people were surprised and some of them thought that Shri Hari was the Lord Krishna himself and some of them thought that he was the devoted worshipper of Lord Krishna. 30.
The ascetic, who threw the black grams enchanted with black magic on Gopaladasa, became troubled in the same way immediately, by his own black magic. 31.
The ascetics tried to cure him with all their knowledge and power, but they could not and hence they lost their pride. 32.
They having saluted and requested the celibate-supreme Shri Hari, repeatedly, brought him near Shri Hari, gracious enough to consider one’s prayer. 33.
He, the god himself, the ocean of compassion and generous minded, having gone there, by his mere glance, instantly got him up. 34.
Then the astonished sages worshipped him again, and king praised him. Thereafter Shri Hari returned to his residence and stayed there. 35.
The noble minded king, surprised very much, understood him as the God himself and with love became his follower with his wife and son. 36.
In that city, the people who, were troubled by the sorcerers for the greed of wealth etc. were freed from that, by the power of Shri Hari, immediately. 37.
Shri Hari never accepted the generous wealth offered by the citizens, nor any clothing or vehicle, as he was desireless in all aspects. 38.
He did not accept thousands of gold coins and clothes that were given by the king, as he knew that those were the illusory things. 39.
In the meanwhile, there came a householder Brahmin from Telangaprovince, who had learnt the Vedas and religious texts and Puranas, but was poor. 40.
The king being religious gave him plenty of gifts like elephants, servants and food including salt etc. 41.
Then that fair-coloured Brahmin on accepting great gifts, turned black instantly and was gossiped by the people. 42.
Thus, to redress himself for the false accusation, he surrendered unto Shri Hari alone, having heard his fame. 43.
Shri Hari saw his agony and uttered the Mantra of Lord Krishna in his ear. And by this way he, the treasure of compassion, liberated the Brahmin from his sins. 44.
Instantly he got back his past form, then praising the virtues of Shri Hari, he went back to his country, being happy. 45.
Shri Hari, though possessed with high skills of excellence to the powers of all the ascetics, sages and Yogis, and people praising his qualities like accomplishments of high order, and intelligence, Shri Hari was not proud even for a moment. 46.
Thus ends the forty-sixth chapter entitled ‘Defeat of the overbearing Guru of Siddhas’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 46