Chapter summary
स्वामितीर्थमाहात्म्यम् Svāmi Tīrtha Māhātmyam
The Glory of Svāmitīrtha
**The revered Guru said:**
In his assembly hall, like Mahendra on his throne in the capital of the celestials, the Chola prince sat, attended by his chief ministers and revered by all. To this court came an excellent Brahmin, journeying on pilgrimage with his wife. The king, with due respect, welcomed the Brahmin and inquired the purpose of his visit. Firm in his *dharma* and proud of the sacred duties he had undertaken, the Brahmin, with a confident voice, presented his wife and child and addressed the bowing monarch. (v.1-3)
**The Brahmin said:**
"My name is Śrīkṛṣṇaśarmā, O King, and I reside in Candrapura on the banks of the Sindhu river. This is my wife, Dharmiṇī, and our three-month-old son. I am bound for Kāśī, for this human birth is indeed transient. Until my return, I humbly request you, O King, to protect this virtuous woman and child as if they were a precious treasure entrusted to your care. I shall swiftly complete my pilgrimage and return to my wife and son. Grant me this great favour, a truly meritorious act, so that I may depart today free from all worry." (v.4-6)
**The revered Guru said:**
The king assented, saying, "So be it," and after consoling the Brahmin, sent him on his way. Thus, relieved of the burden of fear and with his mind resolved on the pilgrimage, the Brahmin departed. The king then placed the virtuous woman in a secluded dwelling, providing ample grain, and secured the door, protecting her as one would a deposited treasure. However, engrossed in other affairs of state, this ruler of the kingdom forgot about them. When the grain ran out, the woman, confined within the house, succumbed to hunger, perishing along with her son. (v.7-9)
At the year's end, the Brahmin returned, eager to see his son and wife. The sight of the Brahmin jogged the king's memory, filling him with profound anxiety. After performing due worship for the eminent Brahmin, the king rushed to that house. There, seeing the bones of the mother and child, he fainted from overwhelming grief. Immediately rising, the king, overcome by fear and sorrow, made his way to the abode of Viṣṇu, seeking refuge in the Dweller in the Lotus, the friend of the distressed, and the shelter of the good. (v.10-12)
**The King said:**
"O You, the embodiment of Truth, who has descended here to protect truth and *dharma*, I take refuge in You. You are the Truth of Truth, whose eyes are Cosmic Order and Truth, the very form of Truth itself. To make true the words of Your servant, O ocean of mercy, You appeared from a pillar in the form of Nṛsiṃha, slaying the demon and granting fearlessness even to the denizens of heaven. To uphold Your father's word, You went to the forest with Jānakī and Lakṣmaṇa, enduring unbearable suffering in Your human *līlā* [divine play]. And to make true Bhīṣma's words in battle, You, abandoning Your own vow, took up the discus in Your hand and, with Your upper garment fallen, ran to strike the son of Śantanu [Bhīṣma]. O Lord of Ramā, O God, protect my vow of truth as well, for I am Your devotee. O ocean of mercy, bring the Brahmin's wife and son back to life, for You are indeed the supreme medicine!" (v.13-17)
**The Lord said:**
"I know your distress, O best of devotees. This sin has occurred by chance, and I shall make your words true as well; I will bring the child and the virtuous woman back to life. Here on My mountain, there is a sacred pool named Asthikūṭa, which removes all sins. Throw the bones of the mother and child into it, and they shall regain life." (v.18-19)
**The revered Guru said:**
Revived by tasting the nectar of words from the lotus-face of Ramā's Lord, the king, with renewed courage, approached the Brahmin and narrated the entire incident. Seeing the bones of his wife and son, the Brahmin wept and lamented greatly, but the king consoled him, recounting the boundless grace of the Abode of Lakṣmī. When he cast their bones into the sacred pool, behold! The mother and son were instantly revived, rising immediately in their own bodies to approach the Brahmin with reverence. Witnessing this wonder, all the people were filled with joy, and the king, realizing such compassion from the Lord of Kamalā, remembered Hari. (v.20-23)
The saints call this sacred place Svāmitīrtha—the Lord of all *Tīrthas* [sacred bathing places]—because, by the mere presence of Viṣṇu, the father of the Gaṅgā, it is supremely holy and the master of all famous *Tīrthas* like the Gaṅgā. (v.24)
In ancient times, there lived a great king named Śaṅkhaṇa, a virtuous soul devoted to his own *dharma*. Accompanied by his ministers, he ruled the earth, pleasing all people with his noble qualities. This hero, the gentle lord of the Haihayas, was, however, defeated by his ministers through deceit in a game of dice. Utterly dejected, he abandoned everything and fled his kingdom for the forest. Having forsaken his kingdom, wealth, relatives, home, army, ministers, and soldiers, he, deeply distressed, undertook a pilgrimage with his wife and son. (v.25-27)
Reaching the presence of Keśava on Śeṣācala—a place that removes the sorrows of all who take refuge there—he built a humble cottage on the most sacred bank of Svāmitīrtha and took up residence. Day after day, bathing three times in the Svāmi lake, he, filled with firm devotion, served the Dweller in the Lotus and constantly chanted His name. Seeing his unwavering devotion, the Primeval God granted him a vision in a dream: adorned with conch and discus, with crown and garlands, wearing yellow garments, and His neck graced by the resplendent Kaustubha gem. (v.28-30)
**The Lord said:**
"O King, I am pleased with your devotion. You shall regain your kingdom, for by your bathing in this Svāmi lake, you have once again attained sovereignty over the earth. Today, return to your own country with your wife and son in the morning. Your ministers themselves will restore your kingdom by My command, O King." (v.31-32)
**The revered Guru said:**
Hearing the words of Mukunda in his dream, the king felt supreme joy. Rising in the morning, he bowed to the Abode of Ramā and set out for his own city. Meanwhile, the king's ministers, having quarreled amongst themselves to seize the kingdom, were killed in battle. Therefore, all the people in the city now desired the king once again. Seeing the king returned, all the people were overjoyed. They consecrated Śaṅkhaṇa on the throne, and the king regained his lost kingdom. (v.33-35)
The Seven Hills shine forth in the world as the pleasure-mountain of the Lord of all worlds, where Viṣṇu, accompanied by Kamalā, eternally performs His divine sports in the forests. This is truly Vaikuṇṭha on earth, the supreme abode of the Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, where all the animals, birds, trees, and creepers possess a form of pure consciousness. (v.36-37)
Just as a person, freed from bonds, goes to the supreme state after crossing the seven coverings, so do people, after traversing the seven hills, behold Viṣṇu, the Abode of Kamalā. And seeing Viṣṇu, the embodiment of supreme bliss and the ultimate refuge, within the Ānandavimāna, they are instantly freed from the sorrows of worldly existence and chant the names of Govinda. (v.38-39)
There is no god equal to Veṅkaṭeśa, and no sacred place equal to Śeṣagiri. I speak the truth, and again the truth: take refuge in Śrī Veṅkaṭeśa. (v.40)
Thus, in the work "Divyadeśavaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu, in the First Part, the thirty-ninth chapter entitled "The Glory of Svāmitīrtha".
