Chapter summary
वरदवैभवम् Varada Vaibhavam
Sri Sadguru said:
To witness the grand sacrifice being performed by Brahmā, people from various lands converged upon the site. Old and young, men and women, all came, filled with faith—Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras; forest-dwellers, householders, ascetics, and celibate students alike. Brahmā himself, the Lord of the worlds, who perceives Viṣṇu in all beings, personally honored each one of them. (v.1-3)
Devas, Pitṛs, Siddhas, Kinnaras, Garuḍas, Vidyādharas, and sages—all gathered there. The attendants respectfully served all the people, led by the Brāhmaṇas, with rice cooked from śāli grain, endowed with the six tastes, accompanied by five kinds of edibles, along with various fruits, and complemented by vegetable dishes and condiments, as well as yogurt, milk, and ghee. Day after day, the guests remained, praising, "Oh, we are delighted and well-fed! We have received a meal fit for the gods!" (v.4-7)
While the Adhvaryu priest made offerings to the host of gods, Vidhi [Brahmā], the foremost among devotees, meditated upon the limbs of the Puruṣa. An act performed with ignorance yields but a small fruit, but that same act, if done with knowledge, grants the fruit of liberation. The rituals prescribed in the Śruti and Smṛti are, in truth, a form of worship of the indwelling, inner controller, the direct agent, the Supreme Lord. He who performs action while contemplating that very Puruṣa, Viṣṇu, the universal form, the eternal one, and visualizing the other gods as His limbs—he alone performs karma with knowledge and is considered a wise man. Thus, with profound knowledge, faith, and devotion, Brahmā performed the great worship of Viṣṇu through the rite known as the horse sacrifice. (v.8-12)
Then, from the sacrificial fire-pit, the compassionate Lord Viṣṇu Himself appeared, clad in yellow garments, with eyes as large as lotus petals, four-armed, and holding a conch, mace, and lotus. Seeing Him, the wielder of the discus, the sole Lord of the universe, with eyes as wide as a blooming lotus, the primeval God bearing the Śrīvatsa mark on His chest, the gods and sages praised Him with delight. Brahmā, upon beholding Him—the abode of the universe, the companion of Padmā [Lakṣmī], the bestower of boons, Mukunda—praised the God who is the refuge of the worlds, his own body bathed in tears of joy. (v.13-15)
**Brahma said:**
Salutations, salutations to You, O Puruṣottama, Śrī Vāsudeva, the eternal one! You who are to be known through all the words of the Vedas, who are the Veda itself, and the most excellent among the knowers of Vedānta. (v.16)
At the dawn of the age, when the Vedas were stolen by Madhu and Kaiṭabha, it was You, O Viṣṇu, who, having been prayed to by me to protect them again, took the incarnation of a fish. Searching for a foundation below for myself and for the world, O God of gods, I beheld the primeval, excellent, first Tortoise, supporting the worlds on His vast back. Again, once, when desiring to lift up the earth which was submerged in the waters of dissolution, O Deva, I meditated upon You alone, and You Yourself appeared from my nostril as a Boar. (v.17-19)
In the form of Narasiṃha, having slain the primeval demon who was intoxicated by a boon granted by me, You embraced Prahlāda, my offering and Your foremost devotee, and became the bestower of boons. Seeing the generosity, devotion to Brāhmaṇas, and adherence to truth of Prahlāda's grandson, Bali, You, the Lord of Lakṣmī, assuming the form of a dwarf, came into his sight, uttering, "Give!" Wielding a fearsome axe, You swiftly brought about the destruction of the Kṣatriyas, O God of gods. Twenty-one times, You, as Bhārgava [Paraśurāma], established Dharma in the world. (v.20-22)
Having descended into the Ikṣvāku dynasty, You, in the form of Rāma, practiced Dharma, taught all people their respective duties, and established a holy and virtuous way of life. By dragging the city of the Kurus with Your plough, You showed them Your power. For You, Saṅkarṣaṇa, the very self of Śeṣa, what is so amazing about this sport of ploughing? Indeed, at my request, O Murāri, You took the form of Kṛṣṇa, desiring to remove the burden of the earth and to protect the virtuous through Your own Māyā. (v.23-25)
Your birth in a prison, O Mukunda, then Your childhood pastimes in Gokula, herding cows on the banks of the Yamunā, the sport of lifting Govardhana hill; then going to the city and killing Kaṃsa, establishing Your own kingdom in glorious Dvārakā, and composing the teachings of the Gītā—how can I describe it all? How can I even remember it? (v.26-27)
In the Kali age, O Murāri, O infinite-formed one, to re-establish the eternal Dharma which has been destroyed in the world, You Yourself will become Kalki, wielding a very sharp sword. Today in my sacrifice, having accepted a form, You shine forth as an Arcā-avatāra [iconic incarnation], O Viṣṇu. I choose only supreme devotion to You, not the position of Brahmā (Parameṣṭhya) or the highest state. (v.28-29)
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Thus praised, Ramānātha, the boon-bestower, the imperishable Viṣṇu, spoke to the lotus-seated Brahmā, whose throat was choked with emotion. (v.30)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
I have come, desiring to see the great festival of your sacrifice. I am worshipped and well-pleased with you, O grandfather of the worlds. Taking an iconic form out of a desire to grace the world, I will reside eternally on this Hastigiri [Elephant Hill], O four-faced one. Whoever comes to the city of Kāñcī and sees Me, to them I, as Varada [the bestower of boons], will grant their desired boons. (v.31-33)
I grant you devotion to Me. You shall be the foremost of My devotees. Remain in your position of Parameṣṭhya and carry out My command. At the time of the great dissolution, O Vidhi [Brahmā], by My grace alone, you shall attain My abode along with your devotee-attendants. (v.34-35)
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Thus consoled by the all-powerful Viṣṇu, Brahmā consecrated the worshipful, boon-bestowing Viṣṇu on Kariśaila [Hastigiri] according to the Pāñcarātra rites, and then performed the Brahmotsava. For the purpose of Viṣṇu's worship, Aja [Brahmā] established Brāhmaṇas learned in the Vedas, the Śrotriyas, in the streets right there. Pained by separation from the Lord, gazing upon Viṣṇu again and again, he, along with Sarasvatī, attained his position of Parameṣṭhya. By worshipping the boon-bestowing Viṣṇu, who was consecrated by Brahmā himself, men certainly obtain all their desired boons. (v.36-39)
Thus ends the fifth chapter, named "The Glory of Varada," in the Second Part of the "Divyadeśavaibhavam" composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
