Chapter summary
बालव्याघ्रपुरमाहात्म्यम् Bālavyāghra Pura Māhātmyam
The Glory of Bālavyāghrapura
**The Sadguru said:**
In ancient times, the great sage Vyāghrapāda, foremost among the wise, undertook a most severe penance, accompanied by Patañjali. Sustaining himself on dried leaves and air, he endured the summer amidst five fires and the winter submerged in ice. Throughout this arduous practice, he constantly chanted the five-syllabled mantra, wholly devoted to the meditation of Shiva, his heart yearning to witness Shiva's Tāṇḍava dance during the sacred Pradosha time [the twilight period, especially auspicious for Shiva worship]. Pleased by their profound devotion, Bhagavān Parameśvara, the Supreme Lord, revealed His divine form and spoke with a gentle voice. (v.1-4)
**Rudra said:**
"O noble Vyāghrapāda," Rudra declared, "I am pleased by your intense penance. I, who am easily accessible to My devotees, shall grant your boon. If you wish to behold My divine Tāṇḍava dance, then proceed to Puṇḍarīkapura, accompanied by Patañjali. There, on a full moon day, which also falls on a Thursday under the Puṣya constellation, you shall witness My dance in the evening, O noble one." (v.5-7)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus instructed, Vyāghrapāda, along with Patañjali, bowed reverently to Īśvara and journeyed to Puṇḍarīkapura. On the bank of the Puṇḍarīka lake, he worshipped the Lord of the Worlds, the lotus-eyed Acyuta, who lay reclining upon the serpent. The great sage, accompanied by Patañjali, remained there, eagerly awaiting the dance of Umāpati, the Lord of beings (Paśupati). (v.8-10)
As evening descended, Mahādeva, the three-eyed one, arrived. His form was adorned with matted locks, His throat bore the blue mark, and His body was smeared with sacred ash. Resembling pure crystal, the Lord was bedecked with serpents, wore a tiger skin, and was served by revered sages like Vyāsa. The wielder of the trident, the bearer of the skull, the very death of Death, Maheśvara, then performed the divine Tāṇḍava dance, accompanied by Goddess Kālikā. (v.11-13)
Nandikeśvara sweetly played the *mṛdaṅga* drum, Caṇḍeśa struck the bronze cymbals, and Nārada played the *vīṇā*. The Gandharvas, Kinnaras, sages, Devas, and Asuras all watched with profound joy, praising Shiva's magnificent Tāṇḍava. When Śambhu's dance concluded, they received His grace and swiftly returned to their own abodes, their hearts filled with the memory of Shiva's divine performance. (v.14-16)
Vyāghrapāda, having worshipped Śambhu according to the prescribed rites, then prayed to Giriśa, the Lord of the mountains, saying, "Grant me liberation." Thereupon, Gaṅgādhara, the god who bears the Gaṅgā, out of compassion for the great sage, spoke a clear statement, perfectly in accordance with the meaning of all scriptures. (v.17-18)
**Rudra said:**
"O Yogi," Rudra began, "without knowledge of the Self (Ātman), liberation is certainly not attained by worldly beings here, not even in countless births. Devas, ancestors, Siddhas, sages, and yogis, being devoid of Self-knowledge, continue to wander in the ocean of worldly existence. Universal sovereignty, the celestial realms, and even the position of Brahmā are obtained through action (*karma*), but liberation is achieved solely through the knowledge of one's true nature (*svarūpa*)." (v.19-21)
"That which is acquired by action is dependent on action and is therefore perishable. By knowing the true nature of the Self, one attains eternal happiness. The Self is not the body, nor the vital airs, nor the mind, nor the intellect; it is of the nature of pure consciousness alone, devoid of the six modifications [birth, existence, growth, change, decay, death]. It is self-luminous and all-pervading; know that to be Me. That eternally free nature is your own true form, O great sage. The body is indeed perishable, destined to become worms, filth, or ash. But that true form is eternal, supreme, and of the nature of existence-consciousness-bliss (*saccidānanda*)." (v.22-25)
"Therefore, by forgetting the body and knowing one's own true form of pure consciousness, liberation is attained instantly, O best of sages. I am indeed the lord of all knowledge, there is no doubt. One should seek knowledge from Me, but one should desire liberation from Janārdana." (v.26-27)
"The insurmountable Māyā of Vishnu sets the world in motion. Surely, by His grace alone, it leaves the soul and withdraws. Knowledge, when covered by Māyā, does not shine, O ascetic, just as the sun covered by a cloud. This holds true even for the wise. Therefore, taking refuge in Govinda, conquer this insurmountable Māyā. Only then will you know that liberation is within your grasp." (v.28-30)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus instructed, Vyāghrapāda, accompanied by Patañjali, wandered here and there until he discovered a hermitage. On the bank of the Ananta lake, he also beheld the hermitage of Kaṇva. There, he worshipped the eternal god, Vishnu. Constantly meditating on Hari in his heart through the eight-limbed yoga, he, who was desirous of liberation, dwelt there joyfully with the sage Patañjali. (v.31-33)
At that very moment, Lord Vishnu granted a divine vision, appearing in the form of a child on a swing, with charming, unsteady glances. He was holding His beautiful lotus-foot with His lotus-hand and placing it in His lotus-mouth, lying in the form of an infant. (v.34-35)
Seeing this enchanting form, Vyāghrapāda prostrated with profound love and praised Krishna, the God of gods, Janārdana, in countless ways. By the grace of that very Vishnu, the deluding Māyā, composed of the three *guṇas*, quickly abandoned the sage. When the entire delusion of worldly existence had ceased, the great sage instantly attained liberation through the knowledge of his true nature alone. (v.36-38)
This most sacred place of Vyāghrapāda's liberation is renowned throughout the three worlds by the name Bālavyāghrapura [The City of the Child and the Tiger]. Here, by the mere sight and worship of Vishnu, all the sorrows of men's worldly existence are utterly destroyed; there is no doubt. Liberation is surely attained by worldly people here, within Bālavyāghrapura, by the mere sight of Hari. (v.39-41)
Thus, the twenty-fourth chapter, named 'The Glory of Bālavyāghrapura', in the Third Part of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
