Shree Hari performed poojan-aarti of Shree Narnarayan Bhagwan sitting in Fuldol.
Shree Hari performed poojan-aarti of Shree Narnarayan Bhagwan sitting in Fuldol.
The sage Suvrat said:-
O King, on the following day (of the full moon), Lord Hari, having performed his daily chores, approached the high pedestal set up for him. Being hailed by all the groups of devotees, bowing down to him in reverence he ascended it. 1.
Thousands of women from the town, carrying high quality sandal-wood and flowers in Puja-vessels, bending their creeperlike bodies out of modesty, went to him, carefully avoiding male contact, with the lofty purpose of worshipping him. 2.
Acknowledging their firm resolve, the lord permitted them to do so. Their hearts filled with joy instantaneously, the ladies propitiated with all love to him, who was the master of their very soul. 3.
They worshipped him with fragrant sandal-paste mixed with saffron from Kashmir, vermilion and superior unbroken grains of rice, also costly clothing, ornaments and multi-colour garlands of flowers. 4.
They placed before him vessels filled with a variety of delicious fruits, bowed and then slowly went away, their vision blocked with tears of love. 5.
The fifteenth day thus passed off in merely accepting the worship of the ladies etc. At night, he slept for a while and woke up early long before dawn, being very vigilant. 6.
At that very hour, he roused from sleep his attendants headed by Mukundanand; and got them to prepare superior offering for performing an elaborate worship of Lord Badarishvara. 7.
Having hurriedly gone through daily chores including a bath, he summoned (from the town) Brahmins proficient in rituals. And, with their help, he duly performed the Puja of the image of Nar- narayan made of gold, as before, on Ekadashi. 8.
Starting with an invocation, all the sixteen service-course were carried out with full devotion; and finally, salutation was offered to that Lord. 9.
Thereupon, that Lord of Badari (in the form of an icon) was installed in a swing made of gold along with rows of precious gems. The gold-sing had been hung in an attractive celestial Pandal beautified with many ornate pillars and readied only recently at his instance. 10.
After installing Badarisha in the swing, Shri Hari proceeded to salute and worship Him once more. 11.
With all devotion, he offered sandal-paste mixed with camphor and the like, along with musk and saffron to the Lord of the universe. 12.
Then he decorated Him with a variety of floral garlands and placed before him food offerings. Next, he rocked the Lord’s swing for a while and then performed a grand Lustration rite. 13.
Holding with both hands, a golden vessel which had a camphor-lamp, placed amidst bright pearls arranged on it in a lotusshape, He stood before the idol of Vishaleshvara, exhibiting meditation. Then He began rotating that lamp-lit vessel, gradually upward, downwards and sideways, verily winning the hearts of his adherents with the skillful movements of His arms. 14.
Meanwhile, many musical instruments began to resound, both on earth and in heaven. 15.
Upon hearing those musical sounds, people from other (neighbouring) villages hurried up with daily chores and began arriving there enthusiastically, bringing alongside fragrant sandalpastes and various flowers, also many other substances of worship in glittering containers. 16-17.
Individually carrying numerous gift-items playing various musical instruments, people gleefully came there in the company of co-villagers, singing pious songs composed by Shri Hari. 18-19.
Reaching there while the lustration-rite was still going on, all those gathered there, uttered jaya in rhapsody, along with the sound of music and clapping of their hands. Since their number was in lakhs, the total sound created by them was tumultuous tremendous. It spread into all the ten directions. 20-21.
Thereupon, the attendants like Mukundananda who were standing near the swing, extended their fists filled with Gulala (pink-colored powder) and threw it up into the air as a mark of festive-gaiety. 22.
Viewing and hearing all this, Brahma and other gods stationed in heaven were stunned. They began to shower down flowers and also play musical instruments like Dundubhi. 23.
Divine sages began to recite eulogies and Gandharvas to sing various songs. Divine damsels performed dance while Indra and others in heaven uttered jaya-jaya. 24.
Admidst that atmosphere of great festivity, that leader of virtuous men began to sing this special verse for the Arati. 25.
Aarti of Shree Narnarayan Bhagwan.
Glory to thee, Lord and to the pious luster. Being the inner soul of all beings, You are the friend of mankind, Narayan, the foremost among men. I salute You, O Lord, seated amidst the retinue of gods and men in the heart of this swing-seat glittering in the center of this hall, decorated with heaps of varied gems that emit profuse ray and hence has a luster as attractive as that of the sun. 26.
I bow to You, residing in this idol, sporting in your ears a pair of very pristine ear-rings shaped as crocodiles, very attractive on account of their precious diamonds. A crown of even more lustrous gems adorns your head and you impart tremendous joy to all, with the dancing glances of your eyes beaming with mercy for all. 27.
I salute You (for all that). May my mind always rejoice in the wealth of joyful continuous memories of you, who wear a garment with a glittering border and numerous garlands over the region of your heart and have armlets, bangles shining like circles of lighting in both your hands. 28.
I am constantly meditating in my heart on you, my one and only lord whose feet are adorned by anklets, whose hand sports a large lotus and whose slight smile spray profuse glitter from the rows of white teeth. 29.
Universally agreed upon as the one Lord of all beings, you are, therefore, the soul and the sustainer of every individual; and also the protector of men, divine sages as well as gods (in heaven). Hence I seek shelter with thee and entreat thee to deliver me from this ocean of (worldly) existence. 30.
Singing like this, Shri Hari finally ended the lustration (Arati) and offered to the Lord a handful of flowers along with utterance of specific Mantras. Then he went around the Lord’s swing-seat and prostrated before him. Joining his hands once more he again praised Lord Nar-Narayan. 31-32.
Having prayed to him respectfully, Narayan muni then paid respect to Brahmins well- versed in rituals and honored them with love in every way. 33.
With profuse gifts of garments, ornaments, gems, cows, land, gold, elephants etc., He pleased all of them and then ended the worship of the Supreme Lord. 34.
Nothing is dearer to him than the Brahmins; and he does not consider anything so precious as to withhold while giving alms to Brahmins. Hence, when the festival came to an end, he satiated all of them with gifts of things they cherished. Thereby he became famous as one who considered Brahmins as gods 35
Thus ends the fifty-seventh chapter entitled, ‘Narration of depiction of the worship-ritual of Nar-Narayan seated in swing during the 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). 57