Invitation to Shree Hari to grace Vadtal and celebrate Pushpdolotsav. ‘Manikye Chadya Re Mohanvanmali’.
Invitation to Shree Hari to grace Vadtal and celebrate Pushpdolotsav. ‘Manikye Chadya Re Mohanvanmali’.
Suvrat said:-
There is a big town named Vruttalaya in Gujarat. All the four castes living there worshipped Shri Hari with enthusiasm. 1.
O King, all those people once had a desire to bring Shri Hari from Durgapur to their own city for celebrating the spring festival. 2.
Two officers named Kubera and Jobanpagi, discussed this matter with the local citizens and made profuse arrangements for that. 3.
Then, Jobanpagi sent his brother to meet and invite Narayan muni, i.e. Shri Hari. He reached there in the month of Magha on the full-moon-day. 4.
Having reached there he bowed down to the Lord, i.e. Shri Hari, Who was sitting amidst the group of devotees and requested Him humbly in many ways, please visit our city and oblige us. 5.
Thereupon Shri Hari, who always loved His devotees, was very much pleased. Knowing their keen devotion towards Himself, He showed His inclination to visit their city. 6.
So that noble-hearted Shri Hari, told the messenger Sundara, you go ahead now. I shall come to your city/town in the month of Falgun. 7.
Upon being told thus, he was very much pleased. Immediately, he returned to his town and broke that news to the people who eagerly awaited his arrival. 8.
The exciting announcement, Swaminarayana, i.e. Shri Hari will visit Vruttalaya, spread all around the region, in all the eight directions. 9.
That Lord Shri Hari made this news knows to His devotees and sages living in various places, through His messengers and by sending letters. 10.
Those devotees and sages who lived in Saurashtra and nearby places, hurriedly arrived at Durgapattana; because they wanted to travel along with Lord Shri Hari Himself in His sojourn to Vruttalaya. 11.
At the advent of its sixth day of the bright fort-night of the Phalgun month, in the year named Vikruta, Shri Hari started off for going to Vruttalaya. 12.
Shri Hari entrusted king Uttama, with maintenance of religious activities in that region, saying, we shall come back soon and He set off. 13.
Jaya and Lalita, as also thousands of other men and women, followed Him sitting in a vehicle. 14.
Shri Hari travelled along with thousands of sages celibates, and house-holders. 15.
Followed by thousands of devotees from Saurashtra, He proceeded, surrounded by the soldiers, horseback as well as on foot, he set off. 16.
Having mounted a mare of ruby colour, encircled by horsemen with shining spears and armours, Shri Hari looked lustrous like the sun, wearing white robe and yellowish saffron mark (Tilaka) on His high broad forehead, as also an attractive red Vermilion circle with whole rice grains on it put on His forehead for auspicious completion of His journey, He spread a smile on His face which had two lotus-live beautiful eyes. 17.
Holding the reins of His make with one hand, He moved on slowly pleasing His own men as well as people who had come from various villages. Being worshipped by them at every step, and hailed by hoards of devotees proclaiming His victory along with up-raised hands, also listened to the songs singing His glories and highlighting His special traits being sung in the continuous chants of the bards to the accompaniment of sounds of many different musical instrument. 18.
All His wishes ever fulfilled the contented Master gave joy to all coming on His way, with His very gaze, which was like a shower of the nectar of affection and bliss itself. After His slow beginning, when gods residing in heaven had showered on Him their blessings in the form of heaps of spot-white flowers along with short laughter, He kicked with a slight touch of His heel His mare, who was actually habituated to galloping. As she was unable to bear even that slight touch the very speedy one began to gallop fast surpassing in speed of the wind, just like Garuda, the vehicle of Vishnu. 19-20.
While galloping, she jumped high as if indicating that, due to the sacred touch of Lord Shri Hari, although she was born as an animal, at present, she will definitely achieve a higher state of life in heaven. 21.
While she was running so speedily, people were stunned to see that her feet barely touched the ground. 22.
Then the thousands of horsemen bit their lips for lagging behind, while they were duty-bound to protect the Master and be around Him. Fixing their eyes on Shri Hari’s back, they sped behind Him kicking the bellies of their own horses and beating them with whips, although they were already running at great speed. 23.
While causing horses to gallop after his mare, their bodies kept jumping and the ends of their big turbans spread out and shook so heavily that it appeared as though they were being fanned with Chamara fans by invisible gods present in the atmosphere. 24.
Their bodies wet with the sweat of exertion, they could not catch up with their Master riding on His mare, despite beating hard their horses whose mouths were already foaming out of fatigue. 25.
In order to provide some respite to those horsemen sweating profusely along with their horses, controlled his mare forcefully and waited upon them on the way. 26.
Then the horsemen, their bodies wet with the sweat of exhaustion, spotted Him far ahead of them is spot-white clothes had become grayish, being covered, with dust on the way, aroused due to the mare’s speed, but not at all wet with fatigue, with one hand in the mare’s mane to stop her from galloping, he was holding a high mango-twig having profuse flowers at its end with the other hand raised upwards. When they came nearer they saw that with his waistband still tight, not loosened with the gallop, he was smiling, viewing his followers with his beautiful lotus-like eyes. 27.
Having located Shri Hari along with His mare, the horsemen and the worshipers, quickly came up to Him and rejoiced, forgetting all their fatigue, at his very sight. 28.
Thereupon that God, consoled them, promising not to gallop any more, laughing Himself and making His men laugh too with sweet humour, He began to move slowly along the path. 29.
Thereupon, there arose a loud uproar, of advance proclamation to the effect that Lord Shri Hari is arriving soon, in cities, villages and even smaller localities. 30.
People from numerous locations, began coming to Vruttalaya, with aged ones; and children, taking the lead, they being most eager to have a glimpse of Lord Shri Hari. 31.
Thousands of devotees of Shri Hari, came to Vruttalaya from Kousala, Kashi, Mithila, Ganda, Kilakila and Vanga countries, Purushottamapury, Gayanti, and Prayaga, Shonabhadratata i.e. Vrundavana, Mathura, Shurasena and Avanti. Other devotees from eastern countries, Kashmir, Haridwar, Kurukshetra, Pushkara, Maru, Dhanvadesha, mount Aabu, and devotees from northern states and Siddhapur also arrived at Vruttalaya, with great enthusiasm. Thousands of devotees from western states and Sind and Cutch states, Saurashtra, Panchala, Souvira, came to Vruttalaya. Multitudes of devotees from southern states, in the vicitudes of Setubandha, Venkatachala, Shrirangam, Kanchipur, Dandakaranya, Malayachala, Vindhyachala as well as people from the shores of Tapi and Narmada and from Gujarat came to Vruttalaya. 32-41.
People from all the above regions had arrived there, with all the necessary luggage loaded in the carts along with the women, children and old people, all eager to see God in the form of Lord Shri Hari. 42.
Even old men with worn out bodies, who were told at home by their sons come along with us, only if you are capable enough to walk all the way. Holding sticks in their hands, they were trying to walk faster along with the youngsters, being very anxious to view the feet of Shri Hari with (their) mouths constantly open gasping for breath, they were uttering the names of Shri Krishna. 43.
Women folk reached there too hastily, but behind the men, since they were observing the restrictions laid down by Shri Hari in avoiding the touch of males. 44.
Shouting like, I must see Shri Hari first, no, I shall, and running fast, even children also arrived there. 45.
The region surrounded by the rivers Mahi, Sabarmati, Vetravati, became very much crowded, with the people who had come from various parts of the country. 46.
O King, this region is just superb. No other region exists on this earth which can be compared with it. 47.
The soil of this entire land is very fertile and the climate there of is very pleasant in all the seasons. Therefore it is very dear to the hearts of the farmers. 48.
At every step, here in each and every village, forests, there are ample wells and ponds, and pools, with clear and fresh water. 49.
There are innumerable mango trees and trees of milky fruits and also many other trees which give joy of their shade. 50.
There are trees like Audumbara, Kapittha, Banyan tree, Piple, Tamarind, Ashvattha, Priyangu, Palm, Coconut, orange, lemon trees, mango, Nagakesar, Punnaga, Asopalav, Patal, Suvarna Ketaki, Shatapatri, Jasmin, Kaner, Bilva, Shami, Jujubi, Kimshuka, beetlenut, Kadamba, Kuruntaka, Jackfruit, banana, Bandhujivaka, and Jui trees. 51-54.
Such varied flora, found everywhere in that region, makes the atmosphere very comfortable to the people living or coming there. 55.
Although it is a forest-region, travelers find in it huge houseshaped trees providing ample shade and fruits, pools and ponds provide water. So they do not require to go to any village for food, water and shelter. 56.
That much expanse of the region which is frequently visited by holy men and devotees of God, becomes superb, as a sacred place as Vrindavan. 57.
In such a land, thousands of people, who had come for the swing festival happily stayed there surrounding Vruttalay region. 58.
Some people put up on the sandy beaches of these rivers; some near the structures around the wells and near the banks of the ponds, pools or lakes. 59.
Some people stayed merely under the house-shaped huge trees. Some giving up laziness went and stayed in the villages, as per their convenience. All of them gathered since early morning at Vruttalaya on the day of Dashami (i.e. tenth day of the month). They stayed there, ate and drank there making them- selves comfortable. They waited for the arrival of Shri Hari. 60-61.
Finally, Shri Hari, who had started, from Durgapura, on Shasthi (i.e. sixth day of the month), after traversing through the entire Panchala region, crossing the river Bhadra passing through the area called Bhalla, and swimming across the river Sabaramati, arrived at character on the fourth-day of His jouney, i.e. on Dashani day. 62.
Thus ends the forty-seventh chapter entitled, ‘Narration of description of the arrival of Shri Hari and the people from various region to Vruttalaya on the occasion of Dolotsava i.e. (swing festival),’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 47