Chapter summary
पुष्पावटमाहात्म्यम् Puṣpāvaṭa Māhātmyam
The Glory of Puṣpāvaṭa
**The Devotees said:**
Our obeisance to you, O ocean of compassion! From your lotus-mouth, we have heard the supremely purifying glory of Kāñcīpuram. Therefore, O best of Sadgurus, please also recount to us the glory of the sacred places of Lord Vishnu, the foe of Mura, that are situated in this Pallava country. (v.1-2)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Vinatā, the wife of Ariṣṭa, who dearly loved her sons, gave birth to Anūru, the thighless one who became the charioteer of the Sun, and to Garuḍa, the divine vehicle of Lord Vishnu. Aruṇa, in turn, fathered two bird-sons, Sampāti and Jaṭāyu, both of immense strength, divine form, and profound knowledge of all scriptures. (v.3-4)
These two princes, devoted to their father, once flew swiftly towards the sun's chariot, eager to behold him. However, exhausted by the sun's intense heat, they found themselves unable to proceed. Witnessing his brother's distress, Sampāti, filled with fraternal affection, shielded his sibling with his own vast wings. With his wings thus burnt, Sampāti then fell upon the peak of Mahendra mountain, while Jaṭāyu, bewildered, descended into Pañcavaṭī. (v.5-7)
Many days passed in this manner. Jaṭāyu, the foremost among vultures, wandered through the forest, dwelling there, his heart full of affection and concern for his brother. The bird searched everywhere for Sampāti, but finding him nowhere, he was overcome with the sorrow of separation. (v.8-9)
In the meantime, Lord Rāma, accompanied by Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, arrived at Pañcavaṭī during their wanderings in the Daṇḍaka forest. There, Jaṭāyu, the king of birds, beheld the auspicious Rāma and formed a friendship with Him, for he had also been a friend of Daśaratha. Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, honored the great-souled king of vultures with a fatherly sentiment and resided with him in the forest. (v.10-12)
One day, when the Lord of the Raghus had gone elsewhere, deceived by the illusory Mārīca, and Lakṣmaṇa had followed Him, Rāvaṇa, the lord of the Rākṣasas, assumed the guise of a mendicant. He then abducted Janaka's daughter, Sītā, who cried out "O Rāma! O Rāma! O Lakṣmaṇa!" in a sweet voice. Taking Sītā in his aerial chariot, the merciless King Rāvaṇa departed, for he was indeed enslaved by desire for others' wives. (v.13-15)
Hearing Sītā's piteous cry, Jaṭāyu, devoted to dharma, the valiant hero and king of birds, came flying through the sky. He struck Rāvaṇa with his wings, pecked with his beak, and tore with his claws, suddenly engaging the king of Rākṣasas in battle. Leaping up again and again in fury, he struck the night-prowler Rāvaṇa, killed his charioteer and horses, and caused the chariot to fall. Rāvaṇa, bewildered and enraged at the king of birds, quickly struck him down in the battle with his terrible sword. (v.16-19)
Embracing the fallen king of birds, who was old and like a father-in-law to her, the distressed Vaidehī wept, overwhelmed with compassion. Then, having abducted Sītā, Rāvaṇa swiftly went to Laṅkā by the sky-path, as if he himself were the very embodiment of death's noose. (v.20-21)
Having killed the illusory Mārīca, the descendant of Raghu returned to the hermitage. Not seeing the large-eyed Sītā, He was overcome with sorrow. Rāma, along with Lakṣmaṇa, became extremely agitated. He ran from tree to tree, to mountains, and to rivers and streams, searching for Vaidehī and lamenting again and again. On the way, the Lord, seeing the king of vultures, out of compassion, embraced him, and the valiant hero questioned him repeatedly. The great-minded king of birds then recounted the entire story. He offered a benediction (`Maṅgalāśāsana`) to the great-souled Rāghava, reporting that Sītā had been taken by Rāvaṇa. The lord of birds then placed his head on Rāma's lap and gave up his life-breaths. Seeing the bird dead, the foremost among the Raghus wept. Then, making a pyre there and cremating him according to the sacred rites, Rāma, the best of all who know the Vedas, chanted all the appropriate mantras. (v.22-28)
**Śrī Rāma said:**
"The exalted destiny reserved for those who perform sacrifices, that which is for the maintainer of the sacred fire, that which is for those who do not turn back from battle, and that which is for the givers of land— by My permission, O king of vultures, O great-souled one, consecrated by Me, go to those unsurpassed worlds! Depart!" (v.29-30)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Having spoken thus, Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, with eyes full of tears, stood with folded hands, full of devotion, the compassionate Lord. After his vulture's body was cremated, the king of birds attained a divine form and arose, worshipped by the celestial attendants of Lord Vishnu. Ascending a divine chariot, he set off through the sky and joyfully praised Rāma, who stood there with folded hands. (v.31-33)
**Jaṭāyu said:**
Obeisance, obeisance to You, the cause of all, knowable through the Vedānta, the Ancient One, whose form is immutable and who is pure consciousness, the Supreme Self, the sole witness to the universe! (v.34)
In every age, O Lord, for the enhancement of dharma, You take various incarnations. In those respective ways, You manifest diverse kinds of deeds such as this. This incarnation as a mortal is for the instruction of mortals, not merely for the purpose of slaying Rākṣasas. It is as if to teach that a man should remain steadfast in his own dharma, even after experiencing loss and various kinds of suffering. (v.35-36)
Like one bewildered, You are distressed by separation, lamenting for the daughter of the king of Videha in the forest. And yet, You grant me liberation. O Lord, who can truly understand this divine play of Yours? (v.37)
By the glory of chanting Your name, Lord Śiva, whose crest bears the crescent moon, indeed grants liberation to those who die in Kāśī. Since I have been consecrated by You Yourself directly, O dearest kin of my soul, what more is there to say? (v.38)
Your devotees, praising with their words, remembering with their minds, and bowing with their bodies, are never satiated. With tears flowing from their eyes, they dedicate their entire lives to You. Thus, many of Your devotees live in the world, O Lord of the Raghu lineage. I, though a mere bird, am truly fulfilled. My life-breaths, O Lord, are offered to You. (v.39-40)
The virtuous carry this body for the sake of helping others, and they also give it up. If it is offered for Your service, then that indeed yields a great fruit, O Supreme Lord of all gods! (v.41)
Having abandoned this impermanent body today, consecrated by Your hand in Your presence, I have attained the eternal realm, O Rāma. This is surely the greatness of devotion to You. (v.42)
This Puṣpāvaṭa is an exceedingly sacred place, where my bone has been laid by You. Reside here in Your iconic form (`archā-avatāra`) to grant liberation to the people of the Kali age. (v.43)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Having praised thus, the king of birds went to the supreme abode, in the great sacred place of Puṣpāvaṭa, in the very presence of Rāghava. The man who reads with devotion this story of the king of birds and the glory of Puṣpāvaṭa, for him all sins are absolved. By the power of the vulture's benediction, the descendant of Raghu, having killed Rāvaṇa in battle, recovered Vaidehī. This, therefore, is remembered as the supreme sacred place named Puṣpāvaṭa, where the great-souled vulture attained the highest Vaikuṇṭha. (v.44-47)
Thus the sixteenth chapter, named "The Glory of Puṣpāvaṭa," in the Second Volume of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
