Short account of Sri Hari’s life and acts as told by King Khatvang
Short account of Sri Hari’s life and acts as told by King Khatvang
King Khatvang said:-
There is a town named Chhapaiya in north Kosal province. In that town lived a pious, wise Brahmin Devasharma, an incarnation of Dharma Prajapati Himself. 1.
He was born in the family of Savarni lineage belonging to Samaved School. Both he and his pious wife named Bhakti observed their religious duties diligently. 2.
Along with his wife, he respectfully worshipped Sri Krishna performing Vishnuyag in Vrndavan. 3.
The Lord pleased with them was born to them on this earth to promote righteousness and uproot anti-religious forces. 4.
He was a handsome boy and he became famous by the name Shri Hari. Since His childhood, he removed sins of many, just by his sight and his gestures. 5.
When he was an infant of just ten days old, a child-killing female demon Kotara and her helpers, tried to harm him by kidnapping him. But His mere glance burnt them and hence they ran away. 6.
At the age of three, He annihilated the deadly demon Kalidatt, the originator of female demons, puzzling and haunting him in a whirligig, only by His sight. 7.
His father, who was afraid of evils that was caused by the female demons etc. brought Him to his old residence in Ayodhya and stayed there. 8.
Playing the role of a human being hiding His divine powers, in his childhood, that boy of outstanding intelligence gave delight to the people with His sportive acts. 9.
Since his adolescence He was gifted with all saintly qualities. When His father performed His thread-ceremony he took a vow of celibacy. 10.
Staying in His house He started His studies; and to the astonishment of his preachers He acquired mastery over the entire Vedic-lore, in short time. 11.
Then He bestowed the divine state to His parents at the end of their life: At the age of eleven, He left home, disinterested, and took to a life of an ascetic. 12.
Roaming about holy fords, observing celibacy to its perfection, He became an epitome for an avowed celibate. Doing severe penance He showed the way to practice penance to ascetics; and by practicing yoga, He put forth an example of an ideal Yogi. 13-14.
In Sirpur He shattered the pride of haughty Siddhas and Shaktas. He saved a Brahmin whose body had turned black due to the sin of accepting gifts indiscriminately, by turning him to fair complexion by virtue of His glance. 15.
He defeated thousands of Virs (like Bhairavs) etc. and Krtyas (female spirits). He destroyed sins of thousands of those who had taken refuge in Him. 16.
In Jagannathpuri, He annihilated innumerable devilish Asuras, creating confusion among them and making them fight against each other (without wielding weapon by Him). 17.
Again, in Manaspur He eliminated thousands of Asuras engaged in antireligious activities, at the hands of King Ksatradharma, for protecting religion. 18.
Moving about sacred places, He liberated many from transmigratory cycle, only by His sight, touch, words and such other gestures. 19.
O, of good intellect, uprooting irreligious forces and establishing true religion in this land He came to Lojpur in Saurashtra. 20.
There He came into contact with the disciples of Ramanand Muni, the great Vaishnav preacher, promoter of devotion to Krishna, and whom they venerated. 21.
He created awe in their minds with His righteousness, knowledge, penance, yogic skills, learning, detachment and devotion. He excelled all of them, though they possessed all those virtues. 22.
With them He went to Pippalana and met preceptor Ramanad Swami, the incarnation of Uddhav himself, who was staying there with thousands of his disciples. 23.
He took initiation in the great Vaishnav following even though Himself being a supreme preacher, to promote the discipline of initiation, on earth. 24.
The preceptor happily named Him Sahajanand and called Him by another epithet Narayan Muni befitting to Him. 25.
Narayan Muni being endowed with all the virtues unequalled. Ramanand swami, having entrusted him with a responsibility of becoming the chief of his sect, in a few days, made his way to the celestial abode. 26.
All his followers and disciples, commoners and ascetics obeyed Narayan Muni’s commands in every respect. 27.
Then, to enhance true religion, moving from place to place in the country, He first came to the town Makaralay on the shore of the western sea to manifest His excellence on the day of full moon in Pausa month in the year 1858 (Vasu - 8) (Bhutas - 5) (Gaja -8) (Indu -1). 28 - 29.
To protect people from anti-religious acts of evildoers and to promote ancient religious tradition, He stayed there for nine months. 30.
In the festival of worshipping of Vishnu arranged at the time of digging the tank as a part of philanthropic work (Purta Karma), He appeared as Vishnu before the Brahmin worshippers, with great joy they adored Him with Vedic chants. 31.
In the grand celebration of Janmastami festival He manifested Himself in a superb form of Krishna, in the presence of all who were gathered there. 32.
Followers of Ramanand Muni, having full faith in Him worshipped Him as their favourite deity-Sri Krishna, the consort of Radhika, and came under His shelter. 33.
Innumerable men and women, seeking emancipation took His refuge and venerated Him. 34.
At that time, sitting in the assembly, I was assured in mind that He was Lord Krishna Himself, and I accepted His discipleship. O sinless one! 35.
In that assembly manifesting His supreme yogic powers He controlled and attracted the vital breath of thousands of men and women in Him, and gave them ecstatic joy of Samadhi, without any consideration to their fitness or unfitness; whether they deserved it or not; like a cloud in the rainy season, showering water for all without discrimination. 36 - 37.
People became astound at His miraculous act and thenceforth took His refuge and firmly set on the path of righteousness. 38.
When He showed his divine forms of their own favourite deities in Him, many others belonging to other faiths, were astonished and came under His shelter. 39.
To remove doubts of the people of the Kalvani town He vividly expressed His super-human yogic prowess. 40.
By His grace, He enabled thousands and thousands of His devotees to experience Samadhi independently, without yogic practices or observing austerities. 41.
On the banks of river Ojasvati He performed a stupendous Vishnuyag and offered meals to the Brahmins continuously for six months. He gave them money, gold, silver and other substances like clothes, vehicles, profusely, like a thick cloud in rainy season, pouring water on the earth to the satisfaction of all. 42 - 43.
O honorable one! Sri Hari was now celebrating religious festi- vals in immeasurable manner at places, such as Sharadharapur. 44.
While sitting in the assembly when I requested Him to visit my town, He replied that He would come on the full-moon day of the month of Kartik. 45.
He is Narayan Muni, named as Sahajanand He is also known as SwamiNarayan, Swami Hari Krishna, Hari, Krishna, Nilakanth and called by many other names. 46 - 47.
Thousands and thousands of ascetics and commoners and intently religious women worship and serve Him with utter devotion. 48.
It is heard that Bhakti, Dharma and others also attend upon Him in celestial forms. But someone having purity and merit to his credit, may visualize them, that too very rarely. 49.
To some of His devotees He exhibited Himself in the form of Krishna with His celestial attendants and associates like Radha and others as in Golok; to some devotees, in the form of Vishnu with Lakshmi, and other attendants in Vaikunth. 50 - 51.
He appeared as universal the God in the lustrous Shvetadvipa with NityaMuktas before some devotees. 52.
To some devotees in the form of Bhuma Purush the all pervading, and as infinite deity with Lakshmi and with celestial powers in the form of female deities and as attendants in the non- manifesting abode; 53.
To some devotees in the form of Nar-Narayan, in Badarikasrama (Vishala) surrounded by numerous great sages and ascetics; 54.
To some, in the celestial ocean, in the form of Yogeshvar, with Lakshmi, resting on Shesh (the divine serpent). 55.
To some devotees that the Lord, the master of the virtuous, manifested Himself in the golden form of divine person, in the orb of the Sun. 56.
Some devotees saw Him, that devotee-loving Lord as the presiding deity of sacrifice, in the middle of the sacrificial fire. 57.
Hence, it is certain that He is the Supreme Lord of the universe who has come to this world, and none else is higher than Him. 58.
To those unacquainted with yogic practices, He brings them to a state of Samadhi state by controlling and concentrating their vital breath flowing in the veins; He exhibits Himself in these various forms. 59.
Because of this miraculous experiences people were exceedingly surprised and those aspiring for emancipation among them, adored Him as the Lord Himself. 60.
I shall tell you O great Abhay, one more incredible but wellk- nown fact about Him that actually happened and seen in this land. 61
That any of His devotees, knowledgeable or ignorant, children, youngsters or old men, women or even impotents, may he or she actually seen Him or not, remembers and utters His name having full faith in the word of His devotee and resolving that He is the all powerful Supreme Lord. 62 - 63.
All those, devoted to Him thus, at the end of their life, without suffering pangs of death, have vision of this Lord along with His celestial attendants seated in the space-craft. Those attendants will ensure that the wonderful divine spacecraft is there for the devotee and will take the devotee to His celestial abode coveted even by yogis. 64 - 65.
Not that, only dying persons see Him thus, also others at his bed side, having no dedication to Him, sometimes, by chance, visualize Him. Having seen Him thus and surprisingly looking at Him, all their doubts about His supreme divine character, are vanished, and among them those who were of good intellect, immediately sought His shelter. 66 -67.
This kind of puissance could not be seen anywhere except in Lord Shri Hari, hence you should all know and believe in Him to be the Lord Himself and not anyone else. 68.
If you meditate upon Him as I have prescribed, you will certainly find Him in your heart, in the same way. 69.
Abhay accepts Shri Hari’s supremacy.
Suvrat said:-
Hearing these words from him, King Abhay and his relatives de- cidedly thought that preceptor Shri Hari is Krishna Himself. 70.
O King, becoming extremely happy they profusely praised King Khatvang. Again King Abhay consented by his accompanying relatives, asked: 71.
Abhay said:-
‘O King sage, whatever you have told is certainly true. You are really blessed having actually seen Lord Sri Krishna, and having firm faith in Him.’ 72.
Know that now onwards we all belong to Him and settled in Him alone. Please tell us how to contemplate upon Him. 73.
Suvrat said:-
‘O King, thus asked by King Abhay, Khatvang of unbroken chastity whose mind was settled in the lotus-feet of Sri Krishna like a black bee, began to tell the mode of contemplation of Shri Hari, to the utmost pleasure of Abhay and his family members. 74.
Thus ends the twenty fourth chapter entitled ‘Narration of Shri Hari’s life and deeds in short’ in the second Prakarana of Satsangijivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as ‘Dharmashastra’ (the rules of the code of conduct). 24
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