Home/Bhaktachintamani/Chapters

Bhaktachintamani Prakaran 16

Read the whole text

Hasmukh Patadia

Gujarati narration
Auto-continues · 164 in section
1×
Reading

Hearing this, Dharma grew exceedingly downcast: the labor of so many days, this enemy has now destroyed. Seeing this obstacle befall them, they remembered the god who removes obstacles, and began turning the beads of Ganapati's name.

As they did so, three watches of the night passed. Then the son of the wind, in the guise of a Brahmin, came to that place.

He revealed himself to Dharma and said, I am Hanuman; now that Krishna is soon to manifest, why do you remain so sorrowful?

When Krishna takes incarnation, he shall lift the burden of the earth; the eight great powers (siddhis) and the nine treasures shall come to dwell in your home.

Suffering and poverty shall not remain even a trace, and you shall attain great happiness and prosperity. Krishna shall be exceedingly wise, and by his wisdom shall bring the demons to their end.

He shall have no need of weapons; by cleverness he shall clear away every stronghold of the demons. So saying, giving them courage, Hanuman then disappeared.

Then the couple set off from there, making their way homeward. As they walked, Bhakti asked, why do you call Hanuman immortal and a renunciate?

He is the servant of Ram -- why then do you say he lives on, sustained by the Lord's feet? Then Dharma spoke thus: Bhakti, listen, I shall tell you his secret.

By the grace of Raghuvir, he remains ever alive, sustained by devotion to those feet. And see -- the moment we remembered Ganesh, Hanuman came to us in the guise of a Brahmin.

So our task shall surely be accomplished; from today all our suffering shall depart. Then, rejoicing, they arrived home, and their relations received them warmly.

Those who had been enemies became friends, and all suffering and poverty departed. This, Dharma and Bhakti themselves knew, was the glory of Krishna.

Then, for the salvation of souls, Maharaj resolved to take birth. Shri Hari entered the bounds of Dharma's household, and beauty and radiance arose there greatly.

Having received the grace of Shri Hari, people began calling him by a new name -- they called him Hariprasad (Gift of Hari), both men and women addressing him so.

Such a pure Hariprasad played joyfully with the other children. Then, at that time, the chaste Bhakti conceived, and shone with the pregnancy.

As the eastern horizon shines with the rising of the sun, so Premavati shone forth, as Krishna entered within her.

Day by day she grew ever more radiant, and it was known that Krishna had entered the womb. By this, boundless joy arose, and the man and woman found new happiness each day.

At that same time, the demon-folk set out to worship the goddess. The demons who dwelt among all four castes went forth together with their children and wives.

They came to the door of the goddess Vindhyavasini, bringing countless buffalo, sheep, and goats, other goats and cocks besides, and jars of liquor.

They slaughtered before the goddess, offering poison, ate meat and drank liquor; by this their bodies grew inflamed with lust, and they consorted there with three women.

Seeing such worship performed by the demons, the goddess grew wrathful. She said, whoever performs such deeds, I say your lineage shall perish.

And whoever is on your side, even if he be a king, his kingdom shall be lost. And whoever performs such worship, his lineage shall be destroyed and he himself shall die.

Know that from today, within a short time, your destruction is certain. To bring about your destruction, Hari shall now take incarnation.

Whatever demons are like you, the Lord shall seek out and slay. So spoke the goddess in a dream, and then vanished at once.

Hearing this, all the demons grew anxious with worry. Then the demons considered in their minds, some measure must be taken against this.

Destroy Hari as soon as he is born, and then all shall be well and at peace. The goddess is angry -- we shall please her by doing this evil to him once.

When Shri Hari is born, this plan must certainly be carried out. For now, let each of you go to your own home, but do not forget this resolve.

So saying, they returned to their own homes, having bound themselves in great enmity toward Hari. Now, what did Dharma and Bhakti do? They undertook the vow of Ganapati.

To protect the child in the womb, they recited the mantra of Ganapati. Bhakti shone greatly with her pregnancy, like Aditi and Devahuti of old.

Seeing her, all people were filled with wonder in their hearts. As nine months passed in this way, in the tenth month Hari came forth.

In the matchless year Samvat one thousand eight hundred, in the joyful year thirty-seven, in the era named Virodhi, as the sun turned north, at the time of the celebrated spring season --

on the ninth day of the bright half of Chaitra, know this, on a Monday as reckoned, under the Pushya nakshatra, in Shukra yoga, in Kaulava karana, under the constellation that removes the disease of worldly existence --

as ten ghatikas of the night had passed, the Lord appeared, of perfect and complete glory. His mother was asleep at that time, and then she awoke and became alert.

She saw her son, appearing just like an ordinary human child, and gazed upon him with love. Then a mass of radiant light appeared, and within it she beheld the dark form, Ghanshyam.

That form shone with such abundant beauty -- how can its splendor be described? A flute in his hand, golden garments upon him, a jewel-studded crown upon his head.

His face like the full moon, his eyes the color of lotus petals, golden ornaments set with gems -- such a form the mother beheld with her own eyes.

She said, you are the merciful Krishna; you are the very child I met in Vraj. Knowing this, Premavati then offered great praise to the child.

She said, blessed, blessed is Krishna, Lord of Radha! Blessed is this form, the very embodiment of bliss! You are Shri Krishna, the full and complete Brahman, the cause of all causes.

However many countless millions of universes there may be, you are present in their beginning, their end, and their middle. By your powers of truth, knowledge, and the rest, Hari, you pervade every one of the countless worlds.

And yet you remain apart in Akshardham, complete and fulfilled, like the great elements themselves. You are Purushottam, the Supreme Brahman, of whom even the scriptures can only say, not this, not this.

To lift the burden of the earth, you took incarnation in the lineage of Yadu; in the house of Vasudev and Devaki you appeared in Mathura, out of your own grace.

For fear of Kansa, Vasudev placed you in Gokul at once; by your own will, together with your own people, you, lord of Vraj, came to Vraj.

Blessed are the fortunate Nanda and Yashoda, in whose home you, Kanha, played! First you brought an end to your aunt (Putana), and slew the demon Trinavarta.

You broke the cart with your foot and overturned it, and showed the whole universe within your mouth. You broke the pot and spilled the milk-curds, and made your mother helpless with anger.

You uprooted the twin Yamalarjuna trees, and slew Baka by seizing and tearing his beak. You brought death to Vatsasura, and saved the children by slaying Aghasura.

You took the form of the calves yourself, and King Brahma, seeing it, was bewildered. You subdued the serpent Kaliya and made him drink poison no more, and granted the boon desired by the maidens who observed their vow.

You accepted the worship offered by the sages' wives, and made them equal to the very scriptures. Out of love for your own people, you lifted the great mountain Govardhan upon your hand.

Within your seventh year, O Bhagwan, you humbled the pride of mighty Indra. You freed Nanda from the abode of Varuna, and gave joy to the people of Vraj.

You showed the people of Vraj your true abode, and fulfilled the deepest wishes of them all. You sported with the young maidens, and made even the god of love your servant.

You freed Nanda from the great serpent, and slew the wicked Shankhachuda. You slew the bull-demon and the sky-demon (Vyomasura), and by your strength killed the wicked horse-demon Keshi.

So you performed countless deeds, giving great happiness to the people of Vraj. You brought joy to Akrura, and showed your own people your true abode.

You slew Pralambasura the traveler, and delivered your true devotee, the garland-maker Sudama. You removed the crookedness of Kubja's body, and granted what was truly in her heart.

You broke the bow with your own hand, and slew the mad elephant at the gate of the arena. You slew the wrestlers in the arena with your own hand, and seizing Kansa by the hair, you, my Lord, slew him.

You removed the suffering of Vasudev and Devaki, and placed the royal umbrella over Ugrasena's head. You made your dwelling in your guru's house, and fulfilled the wishes of the Brahmins there.

You went to Kubja's house, and made your own word true. You went to Akrura's home, and then sent him on to the city of Hastinapur.

Then, O beloved lord of my life, you left Mathura for Dwarka with love. You slew Kalayavana through a clever ruse, and awakened Muchukunda, O Hari.

You slew Jarasandha, O Lord, and freed twenty thousand imprisoned kings. Having conquered kings, O wielder of the bow Sharanga, you married your eight chief queens.

You slew Bhaumasura, O Murari, and brought back sixteen thousand women. You severed the arms of Banasura, and preserved unbroken the sacrifice of Arjuna (Partha).

You slew Shalva and Shishupala, and brought death to Dantavakra. Seeing the poor Brahmin Sudama, you turned his dwelling into gold.

You gathered your kinsmen together at Kurukshetra, and by your mother's request restored her elder son. You gave happiness at once to Partha, to Janaka, and to Shrutadeva.

So you performed countless deeds for the sake of your own people, O Maharaj. Whoever has come to your refuge, your very feet are for them the wish-fulfilling tree.

You are the merciful friend of the humble; you have come, O compassionate one, out of your own grace. So the mother offered such praise, and then the beautiful dark one spoke.

Thus ends the sixteenth chapter, named 'The Praise Offered by Premavati,' in the Bhaktachintamani composed by the disciple Nishkulanand Muni of Shri Sahajanand Swami, propagator of the path of Ekantik Dharma.

Shree Swaminarayan Temple, Bhuj-Kutch / Vadtal Gadi, AI-translated, unverified · Source details