On the request of Narayangiri Bava and devotees, Shree Hari promises to stay upto Vimala Ekadashi and His own birthday. Letter from Dadakhachar.
On the request of Narayangiri Bava and devotees, Shree Hari promises to stay upto Vimala Ekadashi and His own birthday. Letter from Dadakhachar.
Suvrat Muni told the King :-
In the mean time, a devoted Gosvami named Narayan Giri came hurriedly from the city and said, O Lord, fulfill my desire to play your host and of all the saints tomorrow. 1-2.
Being thus entreated, the beloved Lord of devotees said, be it so! Soon came other citizens too, Jobanpagi, Jushopagi, Mulaji, Kuber Patel. All four bowed to him salutation. Then Kuber addressed him thus: 3-4
O Lord, twenty-three days have elapsed since your arrival this time. The very first day, you fulfilled Jobanpagi’s wish by accepting his food preparations. Then you blessed people from other places. 5-6.
Being your devotees, we too wish to serve you with food. If you go away without favouring us that way, it will not be proper on your part. 7.
Moreover, it is our heart’s desire to felicitate you on your birthday, which is near at hand. So, do please stay on till the festival of Vimala Ekadashi (the 11th day of this month, eight more days henceforth . The Lord obliged by accepting even to this wish of his devotees. 8-9.
So, he stayed on there, accepting invitations from devotees one by one. But on the ninth day of Chaitra, He fasted and worshipped Lord Rama at noon. 10.
Knowing that the same was his birthday too, the devotees came enthusiastically and worshipped him also, with great love. 11.
They bedecked him with costly new clothes, bejeweled gold-ornaments, beautiful floral garlands and fragrant sandal- paste. 12.
They worshipped him with a grand lustration-rite, songs of praise and salutation. Observing total fast the whole day, they kept awake all night in his company. 13.
Next morning following his wish, they satiated the saints and Brahmins with good food and gifts as per their monetary capacity. 14.
It was only after feeding several Brahmins that Shri Hari broke his fast on the tenth day of Chaitra. On the following day, i.e. Vimala Ekadashi, He organized a grand festival. 15.
Placing a gold-image of the Lord along with Shri Lakshmi amidst the Sarvato-bhadra Mandala, He worshipped it with various service-courses on a royal scale. 16.
Later, he installed it in the swing, offered lustration to it again and rocked it. After a while, he ended the worship, honoured the Brahmins and observed fast along with the night- vigil in the company of devotees. 17-18.
On the 12th day, He broke fast following due procedure, and commanded both the infantry as well as horsemen from Junagadh and his own retinue to prepare for an early departure. 19.
From among the saints, He directed some to go to other areas for instructing the populace there, and some others to accompany him. 20.
Then he ascended the high gold pedestal for the last time, accepted worship from devotees and lovingly instructed them thus. 21.
Listen you all, men and women, while going to your respective lands, be very vigilant on the way and keep remembering Sri Krishna at heart. 22.
After thus advising them all, that ocean of compassion uttered aloud: glory to Sac-chid-anand, (Alighted from the pedestal) and mounted his mare. 23.
Wearing many pearl necklaces around his neck, a turban with strand of flowers tucked in on the head and a white vertical Tilaka with a red crescent – moon of vermilion below it, the moon-faced Shri Hari, surrounded by western horsemen with speedy horses, rode past the crowd of devotees, listening to song and music by all the people viewing him. 24.
Seeing men and women following him, they tried to stop them with a sign of his hand, but failed to do so. 25.
Therefore, He made his horse gallop with the touch of his heel, and swiftly reached very far, beyond the sight of devotees, all along, leaving behind His horsemen and other retinue. 26.
The people tried to spot him till so far as was possible, and thereafter, returned to their respective places with tearful eyes and minds remembering him all along. 27.
Inhabitants of Ayodhya headed by Ram Pratap, riding on their chariots and other vehicles, had already gone a head towards Durgapur as per orders of Shri Hari. 28.
Joining the rear horsemen Hari also proceeded and after a while, He travelled along with them and reached the region called Bhala, on the way to Durgapur. 29.
Seeing thousands of people assembled there already, blocking his way with folded hands, a smile emerged on the Lord’s face. 30.
After paying respects, they held the reins of his horse more processed him profusely to visit their respective cities. 31
His fondness for devotees prevented him from disregarding their requests and going ahead. So he agreed to visit each city and please all of them. 32.
Somewhere he stayed just half-a-day in a small place and somewhere one day, somewhere two days or somewhere three days, at the most, till a month elapsed swiftly like one moment, in his wish to please his devotees. 33-34.
Mean while, that single month became very difficult to pass for king Uttam at Junagadh, who stood in wait each day to welcome Sri Hari. 35.
Thinking He may arrive this morning or this evening, tomorrow or the day after, that he had to pass one more month in anxiety. 36.
At the advent of the third month, the king became extremely worried and could not bear separation from the Lord for one more moment. 37.
Having kept awake for several nights without proper food or drink, his body became feverish with anxiety. So he engrossed himself in writing to the Lord. Offering his salutations at the outset, he then wrote as follows: O Lord, The limit set for your return here has long been surpassed. 38-39.
I am not able to bear your separation any more. Having retained the life – breath within my body with great difficulty up to this hour, either you come over there or call me there wherever you are. 40-41.
Having written a detailed letter of such import, king Uttam immediately dispatched it with a speedy messenger, who reached a city called Gumpha the very same day. Luckily he met Shri Hari there itself and delivered the letter. 42-43.
The merciful Lord read the entire letter carefully, reporting how unbearable the king’s pangs of separation from himself had indeed become. 44.
Therefore, he took leave of everybody in Bhala region that very day; and starting at night with several horsemen alongside, he reached Durgapur city around dawn-time; and dispatched a horse man with this information. 45-46.
The king was sitting on a seat in his court-yard, when he heard the news of Lord’s arrival. That very moment, he ran barefooted to welcome him. He was experiencing the joy of life having returned to his body. 47.
While he was bowing down, Shri Hari raised and embraced the king. He was surprised to see his body so very emaciated. 48.
Right away the Lord, surrounded by his retinue, went to his usual residential abode and encamped there. 49.
King Uttam accompanied him to that place and begged reverentially of him and his companions, to go and stay at his own palace. He finally managed to prevail upon the Lord, at least in this matter. 50.
Finally Muni Suvrat said, O King Pratapsimha, thus was the detailed depiction, as per your wish, of how the Lord Swaminarayan alias Shri Hari organized the swing festival and many other similar festivities in that city called Vrittalaya. 51.
He who reads aloud the depiction of this extremely holy and grand festival, and he who listens to the same, both shall obtain, by the grace of that Lord, all worldly things desired by them, as also the highest spiritual state of liberation. 52.
Thus ends the sixty fourth chapter entitled, ‘Narration of return of Lord Shri Hari to Durgapur,’ in the third prakaran of Satsangi Jivan, the life story of Lord Narayan, also titled as Dharmashastra. (the rules of the code of conduct). 64