Description of the state of the devotees performing Darshan of Shree Hari in Vadtal.
Description of the state of the devotees performing Darshan of Shree Hari in Vadtal.
Suvrat Said:-
Shri Hari, repeatedly praising that region and appreciating the mango and other trees, therin, reached the Pippalvana (Piplod)? on the fifth day. 1
O King, Shri Hari was welcomed and honoured with reverence by the people present there, with various gifts such as fruits and flowers etc. 2
Favouring them by accepting their gifts and making them happy, with his sweet and loving speech, Shri Hari reached Vruttalaya in the evening of the Dashami day, i.e. tenth day of the month. 3
All the people, waiting eagerly with their eyes fixed on the western direction enjoyed upon hearing about the arrival of Shri Hari. They immediately stood up with great respect. 4
Just as all the limbs of the body rise to action, at the advent of fire of breath, in the same manner, lakhs of all those squatting people, rose instantaneously and welcomed Shri Hari with great enthusiasm. 5
Upon hearing of the arrival of Shri Hari, all the citizens residing in that city: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, Shudras, Kolas, and also hundreds of male ane female devotees, considering His very sight as a great festival, got up and started off hurriedly, to receive Him on His way. 6-7.
The ladies of the city especially became so happy on learning of Shri Hari’s advent, that their minds got excited and confused, due to excessive affection towards Him. 8.
Owing to their excitement and great haste, at the moment, there occurred interchange of the placement of clothes and ornaments of those females, since their eyes were brimming with tears of joy. 9.
Very eager to have His Darshana, they got out of their homes, in great hurry, putting on whatever clothes they could lay hands on; and casually wearing ornaments and make-up. 10.
Some ladies were sweeping the homes, while some were smearing it with cow-dung. Some were taking bath. All of them instantly left work in hand, and set off hurriedly. 11.
Some ladies were cooking, some were milking the cow; some were feeding their infants. All of them left all that half way, and went to see Him. 12.
Some were contemplating on the emblems of Shri Hari and some were worshipping his feet. They Left even that and went to see Him in person. 13.
Some, who were viewing Him, in meditation suddenly found Him missing from there. Utterly confused, they excitedly longed to see Him. 14.
Eventually, the citizens, including the women folk, set off to welcome Shri Hari along with songs and music; also shouting victory to Hari intermittently. 15.
Although walking fast, they heard the sound of drums being beaten before Shri Hari, from distance. As they were very eager to see Him, they started running. 16.
At first, initially, they could (only) see hundreds and thousands of sages walking in front of Shri Hari. They bowed down to them and then saw Shri Hari in person (with their eyes). 17.
A white silken cloth with its glistening ends fluttering (in the wind) was fastened around His waist, while He rode His noble mare, surrounded by other horsemen. Charming all His devotees with smiling lotus-like eyes on a lotus-like face, He was worshipped all along the way by people with garlands of sandalwood and flowers. On beholding with quick side-glances, the hoards of fast approaching devotees, He burst into loud laughter, though amazed, and granted them protection with one hand, while holding the shining reins (with the other). Those indifferent could see Him quickly and salute Him first ahead of all others. 18-20.
And soon all the male devotees of Shri Hari residing in that city came running along with their leader Kuber. With the eyes shedding tears of overwhelming joy they immediately saluted Shri Hari by prostrating(before Him) with great devotion. 21.
Then, then hoards of women folk thousands in number, also rushed forth, with their minds eager to behold Him. And when they had a glimpse of the Master, they quickly bowed down in ecstasy, placing their heads on the ground, before Him. 22.
Having viewed that lotus-eyed one, very dear to their selves, the ladies experienced happiness beyond comparison. They absorbed their God Shri Hari, with eyes; and placed Him in their hearts by embracing Him symbolically. The hair on their body stood up in horrification. 23.
Each of the male devotees belonging to other regions happily greeted everybody who had arrived there along with Shri Hari uttering Jai Shri Krishna: May Shri Krishna be victorious . 24.
So also the ladies gathered there, from various other regions, ran forward to embrace with love those from the western region, who were accompanying Shri Hari. Filled with great joy, while exchanging the words, Jay Shri Krishna: Victory be with Shri Hari, they were overjoyed by excitement; and embraced each other with love. 25-26.
Recluses who had come from different regions had taken shelter under naturally grown canopies here and there, being very much devoted to Shri Hari, also came forth in thousands. 27.
Like the swans floating in the sky, flying swiftly from a far, aiming merely at Manasa lake, those devoted recluses rushed from far off shelters towards Shri Hari as their only goal. 28. 29.
Having reached there, they bowed down to Shri Hari, after prostrating before Him stood up. But on seeing them, the laymen (gathered there) also went near and saluted them. 29
Knowing them to be the dearest ones of Shri Hari, they greeted (each other) with the words Jaya Swaminarayana and looked at each other with Joy. 30.
Suvrata said:-
O King, Shri Hari honoured all those humble devotees gathered there for the festival, with due respect, and satisfied all of them. 31.
He reciprocated their greetings in various ways: He patted some by hand; some with conversation, some by assuring them for protection, and some with smiling glances. 32.
Having expressed His regards for all the men and women, He reached near the city of Vruttalaya along with them, being glorified with the words sounding the victory. 33.
At that time, two of His closer devotees, named Kuber and Jobanpagi, fanned Him holding Chouris; and wafting them, while walking on either side of Him, the darkness disappeared due to thousands of lamps and moonlight. 34 - 35.
Afterwards there was a loud noise of conches, drums, Mrudangas, cymbals, kamsya, and small drums. 36.
In that tremendous noise, nobody could hear anybody. Hence, signs made with hands became the mode of communication. 37.
Keen to redeem the fate of even the immobile entities like trees, along with tiny beings, thriving there, He had His lodgings constructed outside the city, having mango trees at a stretch. 38.
Gradually surrounded by the hoard of people, He could reach that very best spot, alluring the minds of all, and which was situated to the north of the town. 39.
There Shri Hari got down from the back of the mare, on seeing this, the mare’s attendant tried to hold his hand for helping Shri Hari. But, by that time, Shri hari had very swiftly touched the ground. 40.
He ascended a beautiful very high pedestal, with four feet and stood there for a while, so that all devotees may have a closer glimpse of Him. 41.
Thereupon Shri Hari saw to it that, all those who had accompanied Him, were given appropriate seats. Only after that He, himself sit down on the pedestal. 42.
After sitting at rest for a while, He drank water, and looked around the people, who had assembled there from various regions. 43.
Most of them were His devotees. Some had come there as mere audience, while some others had come there to take away their near and dear ones with a fear of their staying there for long or forever. 44.
Whichever side Shri Hari turned His eyes, there He saw people standing very close to each other and fixing their gaze on Himself alone. 45.
He saw the same number of people standing in front and on both the sides, and even behind Himself. 46
He glanced at the people standing on castle-walls, in the fields of the farmers, on the banks of the lakes, near the mouths of the wells, sitting in carts, on higher and higher branches of the trees and on every roof- top. 47.
O King, such an ocean of people in all directions and sub- directions, He shook His head and amazingly exclaimed, Oh! No, Oh! No! And continuously laughing, took His seat. 49-50.
Then He raised both his hands and requested all the standing audience to sit down. The Lord made all the standing people sit down. 51.
Although their number ran into lakhs, all of them understood the gesture of His hand and sat down obediently as if all had a unique thinking. 52.
When all had taken their seats, Shri Hari made them control their speech, by first making loud sounds of clapping His hands, and then resorting to Mouna- Mudra (i.e. placing His index finger on His mouth). 53.
When all of them sat silent, Shri Hari, Who loved His devotees, welcomed them and inquired whether their lodging arrangements were comfortable. 54.
He called two or three prominent persons of each region, near Him, and asked them to give Him a detailed news report of that part of the country. 55.
Thereafter, in order to avert the possible entry of thieves, He instructed His devotees to drive away from their respective lodgings, any person who is hitherto unknown to them. 56.
As instructed by Shri Hari, those people thinking themselves to be very lucky, returned to their respective lodgings. 57.
They appointed one person each as a watchman at each residence and being very eager to behold Shri Hari again and again, they came back and waited upon Him until they caught at least one or more glimpse of Him. 58.
Thus ends the forty-eighth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of description of the gathering of devotees with their families and their joy after seeing Shri Hari at the time of the swing festival (Dolotsava),’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 48