* Shree Ramanand Swami leaves his mortal body in the village of Faneni.
Ramanand departs his funeral rites observed.
Suvrat said:-
There on the eleventh day of the fortnight of the month of Magashar in the year 1858, on ‘ Mokshada’ (bestowing salvation) Ekadashi he celebrated a grand festival. On the twelfth day, he offered food to thousands of sages and Brahmins. He also gave gifts to the Brahmins. At the dawn of the thirteenth day he offered gifts of cows, land, etc to the Brahmin sages. Then he reached to the river Bhadra and bathed there. Afterwards he went to a secret place, and sat there for meditation, in Padmasana posture. He meditated objecting Shri Hari, and with his wish, Uddhava (Ramanand), suddenly, gave up his human body. 1 -3.
O King, now he became free from the curse given by Durvasa, and obtained a new divine form. Then he arrived at the sacred place Badri and began to worship Krishna as before. 4.
In the year 1858 (1-moon, 8-elephants, 5-arrows of cupid, and 8- Nágas, serpents) of the Vikrama era in the month of Maagsharon the thirteenth day of the bright fortnight, the sage Ramanand disappeared from this world. At that time all his disciples were singing songs of Shri Krishna, and looking at him intently, knew that he is expired. 5 - 6.
When they came near him and saw that the pulse and breath has stopped, with tears in their eyes they became mournful. 7.
Shri Hari, somehow bearing courage, he observed all funeral rites proper to time and place, as he was expert in religious matters. First he took bath, shaved his hair, taken bath again, smeared sandal paste on the Master’s body. Then worshipped him with flowers, fragrant red powder (Abir and Gulal) and then saluted him. 8 - 9.
Then he performed funeral rites, following the traditional codes of belief. Then he manufactured an excellent celestial car, and immediately made him sit there, in an auspicious position. 10.
He covered that celestial car with valuable, soft, fine white silk cloth, and took it to the banks of river Bhadra along with other disciples who had taken bath. 11.
There the Brahmin disciples recited ‘Vishnu-Sukta’-(hymn dedicated to Vishnu); and others sang songs of Krishna, accompanied by drums like Mrudanga and Zarzari, with tearful eyes. 12.
At the bank of the river, on a sacred place, they made a funeral pyre with dry sandal - wood, Tulasi, and fig-tree-sticks. 13.
Then Krishna placed the preceptor’s body there, previously bathed and adorned with garlands, then smeared the body with ghee, and flamed it with the ‘Utthapana’ fire. 14.
He poured ghee also in the midst when the burning was going on. When the corpse was fully burnt, he extinguished the fire with water, and dropped the ashes in the river. 15.
Then all the disciples headed by Shri Hari, took bath in the river, of- fered water to the preceptor and again performed a ritual of taking bath. 16.
Then they returned to the town Fareni and stayed there. Full of grief they observed fast on the day, their faces faded. 17.
On the next day noble Shri Hari wrote and arranged to send letters to some of the devotees, staying at different places. Having read and known the news of the preceptor’s passing away forever, all of them, men and women became very sad and bathed with their clothes on according to the rituals. 18-19.
Having left all the duties, the householders immediately gathered money according to their ability and arrived there at Fareni town along with their families. 20.
Having heard these painful news all the ascetics, celibates, became sorrowful though they were realized ones. 21.
From all quarters wherever they stayed, instantly taking bath all ran towards Faneni town , on those wet clothes only. 22.
O King, sage Narayan, gave new clothes to wear and shelter, when he saw them coming swiftly, with tears in their eyes. 23.
From the second day up to the thirteenth day, every noon, the religious Narayan listened to ‘Shrimad Bhagavad Gita’ with original verses and meanings. 24.
The noble one did not take food with salt and spices for twelve days as he was observing the vow of defilement (Sutak). 25.
He himself observed all his regular rituals including Sandhya and offering sacrifice in fire in morning and evening in that period, as it was prescribed in Smriti texts; but he kept himself distant and untouched by others. 26.
On the last day of defilement he observed ninth day ritual of the pre- ceptor. On the eleventh day he did the same together with Vrushotsarga’ (letting loose a bull.) 27.
On the same day he gave thirteen assorted articles along with eight sorts of gifts and also donated ten gifts including cows, money and other things. 28.
He observed the twelfth-day ritual accordingly and then offered food to the Brahmins. 29.
On the thirteenth day, Shri Hari observed the rituals and worshipped thirty young Brahmachari, and gave them clothes, deer-skins, diamonds, coral rosaries and also food. 30 -31.
At the end of the ritual of benedictory utterances (Svastik-Vachana) the householders gave Shri Hari clothes and money according to their ability. 32.
The great celibate, Shri Hari, on that day, offered food to all householders, the ascetics, Brahmins, the natives of the town of Faneni, and all the guests present there. 33.
On the thirteenth day, Shri Hari worshipped the Brahmin who recited Gita, and gifted him with clothes, ornaments, sandal paste etc. 34.
O King! Thus Shri Hari observed all the thirteen - day rituals, after the death of the preceptor Shri Ramanand Swami according to rules. And after that he invited all the devotees and disciples of the preceptor, to think and recollect his teachings and invited them for the next day (fourteenth day) for a mourning assembly. 35.
Thus ends the sixtieth and the last chapter entitled ‘The Departure of Ramanand Muni and observance of his funeral rites’ in the first Prakarana of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 60.
Thus end the First Volume