Chapter summary
भारतदेशमाहात्म्यम् Bhārata Deśa Māhātmyam
The Glory of the Land of Bharata
**The revered Sadguru said:**
Out of boundless compassion, Hari created the world to reveal the goals of human life (puruṣārthas) to those souls who lay dormant in beginningless ignorance, latently bound by the chains of karma. (v.1)
One should understand Māyā as Prakṛti [primordial matter], and its wielder as the Great Lord (Maheśvara). From the transformation of Māyā, the Mahat-tattva [the great principle of cosmic intelligence] was born. From Mahat came Ahaṅkāra [the principle of ego], and from that, the mind, along with the five sense organs (jñānendriyas) and the five organs of action (karmendriyas). The five gross elements and the five subtle elements (tanmātras) also came into being. These constitute the twenty-four principles, with Puruṣa, the soul, being the twenty-fifth. Thus, the Lord is the supreme regulator of both Prakṛti and Puruṣa. Thereafter, He created the cosmic egg and the fourteen worlds. (v.2-5)
The Lord Hari then created the Earth with its seven islands, encircled by seven oceans. Within this, He fashioned Jambūdvīpa, and within that, the region of Bhārata, specifically the subcontinent of Bharatakhaṇḍa. (v.6)
Within this sacred land, flow the revered rivers: Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Narmadā, Sarasvatī, Kāverī, Tāmraparṇī, Tuṅgabhadra, and Payasvinī. Here too are the holy cities of Māyā (Haridwar), Mathurā, Kāśī, Kāñcī, Avantikā, Ayodhyā, and Dvārakā, along with the supreme abode known as Śrīraṅgam. The majestic mountains—Himavān, Vindhya, Veṅkaṭa, Vṛṣabhācala, Govardhana, Citrakūṭa, Mahendra, and Malaya—also grace this land. And here are the sacred forests: Naimiśāraṇya, Bṛndāraṇya, Puṣkara, the holy Daṇḍakāraṇya, and Campakāraṇya. (v.7-10)
It is here that Lord Vishnu, taking repeated incarnations as Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and others, re-established His own eternal dharma. Here, too, great sages like Vyāsa, Vālmīki, Mārkaṇḍeya, and Parāśara performed their severe penances and attained the supreme state. Kings such as Māndhātā, Manu, Yayāti, Purūravas, Hariścandra, and Nala ruled their kingdoms with exemplary righteousness in this very land. And it is here that chaste wives like Arundhatī, Anasūyā, Sāvitrī, Damayantī, Jānakī, and Rukmiṇī were born. (v.11-14)
In this land, the Vedas are the ultimate authority, and Sanātana Dharma [the eternal righteousness] is upheld. This is a sacred land of action (karma-bhūmi), where people are earnest seekers of the ultimate truth. Indeed, all people on Earth should learn their respective duties and character from the high-born individuals born in this very land. (v.15-16)
Bhārata is supremely sacred, Bhārata is supreme happiness, Bhārata is the supreme abode, Bhārata is supremely auspicious. (v.17)
Within this land are one hundred and eight sacred places [Divya Deśams, holy abodes of Vishnu] and holy waters dedicated to Mahāviṣṇu, which are constantly frequented by multitudes of saints. I shall now narrate their glory, which eradicates all sins, bestows devotion to Vishnu upon humanity, and grants every form of auspiciousness. (v.18-19)
Thus ends the fourth chapter, titled "The Glory of the Land of Bharata," in the first part of the "Divya Desa Vaibhavam," composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
