Chapter summary
वीक्षारण्यमाहात्म्यम् Vīkṣāraṇya Māhātmyam
The Glory of Vīkṣāraṇya
Once, as this great yogi was engaged in a puraścaryā ritual [a preparatory spiritual practice involving intense repetition of a mantra], an elderly Vaiṣṇava [devotee of Viṣṇu] arrived. The sage, with deep reverence and devotion, welcomed the Brāhmaṇa guest who had come precisely at the time of the Vaiśvadeva offering [a daily ritual of offering to the gods and ancestors], honouring him with sweet rice pudding (paramānna). Having been thus worshipped by the sage Śālihotra, that excellent Brāhmaṇa, seeking respite, spoke these gentle words. (v.4-6)
**The Brāhmaṇa said:**
"O great sage Śālihotra, you have indeed honoured me well. I am weary from my pilgrimage and wish to rest here. Please, O sage, direct me to a place where I may lie down—a spot that is silent, free from distractions, pure, and conducive to peaceful repose." (v.7-8)
**Śālihotra said:**
"Ah, Brāhmaṇa, you are advanced in years and fatigued by your pilgrimage. Rest joyfully, O Vipra [a term for a Brāhmaṇa], in this very home of mine." (v.9)
**The Brāhmaṇa said:**
"What is a home? What is a home, O wise Śālihotra? Tell me, shall I lie down inside or outside to relieve my weariness?" (v.10)
**Śālihotra said:**
"Go inside, O fortunate one, and take your rest, O knower of the Vedas. After I complete my rituals, I too shall come to my home." (v.11)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Thus instructed by the yogi Śālihotra, the aged Brāhmaṇa entered the house and lay there, his eyes gently closed. Swiftly completing his own rituals, the great sage Śālihotra returned to his home and there beheld the Lord Himself, Vīrarāghava [the Heroic Rāghava], reclining within. (v.12-13)
The Lord was dark as a blue lotus petal, adorned in yellow garments. His arms extended gracefully down to His knees, and His hip-region was broad and majestic. He lay upon the couch of Śeṣa [the divine serpent, often depicted as Viṣṇu's resting place], His eyes softly closed, engaged in yogic sleep [a state of conscious repose], a vision difficult to attain even for the most accomplished yogis. His chest bore the auspicious Śrīvatsa mark [a curl of hair on Viṣṇu's chest], and His neck was graced by the glorious Kaustubha gem. He was further adorned with a resplendent crown, necklaces, bracelets, armlets, and other divine ornaments. Seeing Govinda—Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva, with eyes as wide and beautiful as lotus petals—the sage rejoiced immensely and, with folded hands, began to offer his praises. (v.14-17)
**Śālihotra said:**
"You alone existed even before creation; therefore, we know You as the Primal Person (Puruṣa). Salutations, again and again, to You, the Supreme Lord, the sole cause of the universe's creation, sustenance, and dissolution. Having first fashioned various bodies (puras), You, O Lord, entered them as the Indweller (Puruṣa). In this way, O Lord of the heart, You reside in the very core of all beings. How then can I presume to offer You a home here? (v.18-19)
"You alone are the true friend in this tree of the body, dwelling equally with the individual soul (jīva), who is the sole enjoyer of the fruits of karma. You are the witness, the one with an equal eye, the beautiful bird (Suparṇa) who, without partaking of the fruits, remains the Supreme Person (Puruṣottama). O Vāsudeva, You who pervade everything, tell me, is there any place devoid of Your presence? How then, O Mukunda, can I give You a dwelling place other than my own heart, which is already Your eternal abode? (v.20-21)
"You shine eternally within my heart, yet I, a fool deluded by Your Māyā [divine illusion], do not perceive it. 'Reside in my very mind,' thus I implore, and therefore I offer it to You. O Viṣṇu, be pleased!" (v.22)
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Praying thus to Viṣṇu, his eyes brimming with tears, the great sage Śālihotra stood in joyful silence. From that time onwards, Hari has remained ever-present there. And that sacred place became renowned as "Kiṅgṛham" (meaning "What-house?"), a bestower of happiness. By beholding Vīrarāghava, the imperishable Lord of Kiṅgṛha, in Vīkṣāṭavī [another name for Vīkṣāraṇya], one is freed from all sorrows and sins. (v.23-25)
Thus ends the eighteenth chapter, titled "The Glory of Vīkṣāraṇya," in the Second Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
