Chapter summary
श्रीवृषभाद्रिनारायणाद्रिऽञ्जनाद्रि वेङ्कटाद्रिवैभवम् Śrī Vṛṣabhādri Nārāyaṇādri Añjanādri Veṅkaṭādri Vaibhavam
The Glory of Śrī Vṛṣabhādri, Nārāyaṇādri, Añjanādri, and Veṅkaṭādri
Śrī Sadguru speaks: Knowing of Murāri’s divine presence there, the foremost yogis and great sages journeyed to the sacred mountain. These ascetics performed severe penance, their hearts yearning for a vision of the Lord of Veṅkaṭa. However, the demon Vṛṣabhāsura, in his malevolence, inflicted violence upon these sages who were solely devoted to the Lord. Distressed, they sought refuge in Vishnu, the ultimate shelter of all beings, praying for the destruction of their tormentor, Vṛṣabhāsura. (v.1-2)
Responding to their pleas, Mukunda assumed the divine form of a hunter king. Mounted upon a swift horse, wielding a bow and a splendid sword, He roamed the great mountain, delighting in the sport of hunting. As the demon, sharp-horned and enraged, encountered Mādhava on his path, he roared in fury. Vishnu, with a supreme arrow, struck him down, and the demon fell suddenly. Abandoning his bull form, he then emerged in his true demonic shape. Yet, this most fortunate among beings, filled with devotion, praised Hari, the friend of the afflicted and the beloved of His devotees. (v.3-5)
Vṛṣabhāsura speaks: “O Lord of the world, Mukunda, You have graciously descended and now shine resplendent on Śeṣa-giri, both to bestow grace upon the virtuous sages and to punish the wicked. That death has come to me by Your very hand is indeed my supreme good fortune. O Ananta, now freed from all sin, I have taken refuge at Your lotus feet. Just as a mother’s discipline is for the welfare of her children, so too is the unfailing discipline meted out by You to the asuras, O ocean of mercy, which surely bestows ultimate good fortune. I know You to be the one Lord of the universe. Both the virtuous and the wicked dwell in this world, and though I am wicked, I am surely Yours alone. Therefore, I am a being deserving of Your boundless compassion.” (v.6-9)
The Lord speaks: “At the very end of your life, in My presence, knowledge has dawned upon you by My grace alone. O best of demons, this is indeed the greatness of this, My pleasure-mountain, which utterly destroys all sins. From this day forth, this mountain will attain fame on earth by your name. I grant you this boon: you too will attain residence in My eternal abode.” (v.10-11)
Śrī Sadguru speaks: Thus, Mukunda, the bestower of boons, having granted His blessing to Vṛṣabha, vanished at that very moment. The great demon, too, ascended to heaven. Therefore, the saints call this sacred peak Vṛṣabhācala. (v.12)
On another occasion, a pre-eminent Vaikhānasa Brahmin named Nārāyaṇa, the best among the good and a chief among the twice-born, performed severe penance here, solely for the vision of Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Lord. Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Self, adorned with the conch and discus, bearing the resplendent Kaustubha gem on His neck, and with one hand resting on His hip, graciously granted him His divine vision. Overwhelmed with devotion, his body thrilled, Nārāyaṇa, the excellent Brahmin, praised that Śrīnivāsa, the one Lord of the universe, Mukunda, his lotus-eyes brimming with tears of joy. (v.13-15)
Nārāyaṇa speaks: “O Lord, I behold You before me, You who are difficult to be seen even by gods and demons. Oh, I am utterly fulfilled, O abode of Ramā! Yet, how shall I perform Your worship? How shall I meditate on You, O Primeval Lord, the cause of creation, who are beyond even the grasp of the mind? How shall I invoke You, Vishnu, who are all-pervading and unborn, into a specific place? O Ananta, how shall I offer a seat to You, who are the very basis of everything? How shall I offer Pādya [water for washing feet] and Arghya [water for washing hands] and the great ablution to You, whose form is eternally pure? How can I even offer clothes to You, who are of the form of the sky and are sky-clad? O source of all fragrances, how can I anoint with sandal paste You, who are untouched by Prakṛti [primordial matter]? How shall I show a lamp to You, O Mukunda, who are self-luminous? And how shall I offer Naivedya [food] to You, who are the form of Time and the enjoyer of all? How shall I bow in a specific place to You, who are all-pervading and ever of one form? And how shall I praise You, who are without name and form, without attributes, and utterly beyond the reach of speech? Therefore, abandoning all ritual means, I shall remain silent, ever without desire. If You indeed desire worship to be performed, O Lord of the worlds, then please tell me the proper procedure for Your worship.” (v.16-22)
The Lord speaks: “Though I am beyond the mind, I Myself enter the mind of a devotee. Though I am all-pervading, out of compassion, I thus make My presence felt in an idol. Though I am the foundation of all, I reside happily on a seat, even one made of Kuśa grass, offered by a devotee. Though I am ever pure, I desire the Pañcāmṛta bath and the Arghya. A leaf, a flower, a fruit, or water—I accept what is offered with love and devotion. Though I am self-luminous, I gaze upon a ghee lamp if it is offered by a devotee. Though I have no name or form, I Myself assume a name and form and reside before them. I listen to the devotee’s singing of My names and praises, being captivated by their love. (v.23-26)
In ancient times, the great sage Vikhanā manifested from My own mind for the purpose of My worship. The procedure for My worship was told by Me alone to him, who was surrendered and wise. You are born in the inherently pure lineage of Vikhanas due to many meritorious deeds. Perform My worship following the path of the Vaikhānasa scriptures, and I shall make My presence felt. He who, abandoning the scriptures, worships Me according to his own intellect, his effort is surely in vain. I do not accept what is given without devotion. The scripture is indeed the ultimate authority for My worship.” (v.27-29)
Śrī Sadguru speaks: Nārāyaṇa, the excellent Brahmin, respectfully carrying the command of Murāri upon his head, performed the worship of the Supreme Person daily, meticulously following the path prescribed by the Vaikhānasa tradition. By the very name of that chief of Brahmins, the saints call this mountain Nārāyaṇādri, where Nārāyaṇa, the God of the Bhūdevas [Brahmins], is ever pleased for the welfare of the worlds. (v.30-31)
In ancient times, there was a king of the monkeys here, famed by the name of Kesarī. His wife was Añjanā, renowned throughout the world for her virtues, noble character, and beauty. Being childless, the wife of the monkey-king performed penance here to obtain the boon of a son. The formless Vāyu [Wind God] came to her, embraced her, and bestowed upon her a fruit. By the grace of Vāyu, she gave birth to a son of immense strength, the best among the intelligent, not born from a womb, endowed with a beautiful form, and as swift as the wind in his energy. (v.32-34)
Seeing the sun, this son of the monkey, mistaking it for a fruit, suddenly rose into the sky. The monkey leaped with playful grace; seeing him, even the Sun God was struck with fear. The king of the gods, Indra, quickly intervened, striking his lotus-face with the thunderbolt (Pavi). The child suddenly fell to the earth. Witnessing this, his mother lamented piteously. Seeing his son fallen on the ground, Sadāgati [Vāyu, the ever-moving one] became utterly motionless. Then, due to the anger of Samīra [Vāyu], the entire world became still, for the very breath of life was arrested. (v.35-37)
Then Vidhātā [Brahmā] himself went, and with his own hands, mercifully took up the son of Samīra, consoled him, and bestowed upon him a boon. And all the gods paid their respects. Brahmā declared, “This boy is born to serve Viṣṇu, the wielder of the Kodaṇḍa bow. Therefore, I shall teach all the scriptures to him, the best among the intelligent.” Thus, making him his own excellent disciple and placing him before him, Sahasrarashmi [the Sun God] taught all the scriptures to this son of Samīra, making him all-knowing. A celibate, himself pure, and an expert in the meaning of all scriptures, he lived on the mountain named Pravarṣaṇa, awaiting the Lord. (v.38-41)
This great mountain is the birthplace of this best of devotees, the son of Vāyu. Therefore, the saints call it Añjanādri, where the virtuous Añjanā performed her penance. (v.42)
In ancient times, there was a young Brahmin named Mādhava, possessing a handsome physique. Wandering somewhere under the influence of desire, he encountered a beautiful Chaṇḍāla maiden. Abandoning righteousness, good conduct, family honor, shame, and fear of his relatives, he, afflicted by the arrows of the god of love, called out to her. But she, seeing the Brahmin, ran away in fear. Having somehow seized the maiden, he, overcome by desire, sported with her. The Chaṇḍāla maiden, weeping and ashamed, went and recounted what had happened to her father. All her relatives then beat the one who was following the Chaṇḍāla maiden. That sinner, spurned by his own kinsmen, ran away in fear for his life. Wandering here and there among the village huts, begging for alms, he became most wretched. Due to his great sin, a dreadful disease arose, and he wandered the world with his body afflicted by sores. (v.43-47)
This wretched Brahmin, a miserable soul, by chance reached the Seven Hills, where the infinite form of Vishnu, the destroyer of men’s sins, resides, having left Vaikuṇṭha. By the mere act of entering, his sin was burnt up as if by fire, through the glory of the mountain. He became pure, his body freed from disease, and attained true Brahminhood by the grace of Murāri. Then, being greatly honored by the chief sages, having seen and worshipped Veṅkaṭeśa, and having received His permission, he returned home and was honored by his kinsmen. (v.48-50)
Sages explain that the syllable ‘Ve’ signifies all sin, and ‘kaṭa’ is said to mean its destroyer. Because it destroys the great sins of men, this mountain is named Veṅkaṭa. (v.51)
Thus ends the thirty-sixth chapter, titled "The Glory of Śrī Vṛṣabhādri, Nārāyaṇādri, Añjanādri, and Veṅkaṭādri," in the First Part of the "Divyadeśavaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
