Shri Hari going place-to-place instructing people about True religion.
Shri Hari going place-to-place instructing people about True religion.
Arrival of Shree Shri Hari in Shekhpat and Bhadra.
Suvrat said:-
O King, worshipped by the chariot-maker Narayan and other carpenters, Shri Hari left for the town of Sheshapata. 1.
There in that town the lord stayed for a few days and was wors- hipped by the carpenter Laljit along with his mother and son. 2.
From there He came to the town Bhadra (Bhadara) with His followers on VasantPanchami (fifth bright day of Magh) and celebrated the festival there. There Mulasundar and other Brahmins, Vrddharatna, Labdhadeva and other merchants (Vaishyas), Vishram, Bhav, Ramaji and other carpenters and Nath and other Shudras served Him respectfully. 3-5
Many devotees coming from different places had gathered there. They delightfully worshipped Him with Sandal paste, flowers and ornaments. 6.
A massive congregation was arranged in the afternoon. In the middle sat Sri Hari on a beautiful throne, bestowing delight on all his followers. 7.
They were all seated orderly according to their class and looked Sri Hari’s face intently. Sri Hari, the celibate-supreme thus, pleased the devotees and said: 8.
Characteristics of Asuras.
‘O servants of God, for all the embodied souls, devotion to Krishna is the only way to emancipation. It develops in the company of holy men and perishes in the company of vicious people (Asuras). 9.
A person striving for spiritual knowledge should never keep contact with demoniac natured men. There is no particular caste, etc., for them. They are to be known from their characteristics. 10.
Hearing these words of beneficial advice by the beloved of devotees, Mulasharma, a wise Brahmin, saluting Him spoke. 11.
Mulasharma said:-
‘O protector of the world, we are keen to know clearly the signs of wicked men that are to be avoided. 12.
O all knowing Lord, ‘please tell us those signs to look for. ‘Thus asked by the Brahmin, Shri Hari said: 13.
Narayan Muni said:-
O Brahmin, nursing hatred towards Krishna, His incarnations and His devotees are the main characteristics of the demonical men. 14.
Know that it is their natural tendency. Outwardly they show their devotion. Know that this is their one more peculiarity. 15.
They find fault with life and the superhuman, miraculous deeds of Krishna and His devotees. This is one more sign of those demons. 16.
They firmly believe in and worship gods and goddesses loving violence and intoxicating drinks and meat. They chant Mantras and observe vows agreeable to such deities only. 17-18.
They engage themselves in reading and listening to scripts of those deities and take initiation in those left-hander sects. These are the characteristics of those enemies of gods.
Know that killing animals intentionally, alcoholism, eating flesh and keeping contact with another’s wife are the peculiar signs of those wicked people. 19.
O Brahmins, in the same way, haughtiness on account of passion, anger, greed, pride and arrogance is the sign of wicked men. 20.
They pretend to follow religious code regarding caste and life stage. They are desirous of tasty food and are prone to intermingling among castes. 21.
In brief these are the marks of those enemies of gods. Men having these blemishes are demons. 22.
Devotees of Krishna should not keep company with them normally. If they do so, they will become corrupt and fall from the path of righteousness.’ 23.
Suvrat said:-
Listening to these words, Brahmin Mulasharma and other devotees of Sri Hari sitting in the assembly replied humbly that they would follow his advice. 24.
Arrival of Shree Hari in Anjar and Bhuj.
Thus instructing His devotees each day, the Lord stayed in Bhadra town for six days and then proceeded towards the creek in the sea on the way, which he crossed by boat and went to the town named Anjara. There Kachar and other Brahmins worshipped Him with great joy. 25-26.
Staying there for a few days, the Master left for Bhujangpur with a purpose of establishing true religion and vehemently root out irreligious forces. 27.
Hearing the news of His arrival, the devotees in the town immediately hastened to welcome Him. Taking along buggies, horses and other vehicles and playing on musical instruments like drums, they welcomed him by prostrating at his feet. 28.
He blessed them. The accompanying devotees were then seated in several vehicles. The Lord Himself riding on an excellent horse entered the city with them. 29.
There He stayed at the residence of carpenter Sunderjit and accommodated his followers in the houses of other devotees in the city. 30.
Thus ends the seventeenth chapter entitled ‘Signs of demoniacal people and arrival in Bhujangpur’ in the second Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 17
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