Chapter summary
श्रीमुष्णक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यम् Śrī Muṣṇa Kṣetra Māhātmyam
The Glory of the Srimushnam Kshetra
**The Sadguru said:**
O foremost among Vaiṣṇavas, on this sacred earth, near Puṇḍarīkapura, lies the magnificent *kṣetra* known as Śrīmuṣṇam. I shall now recount the supreme and auspicious glories of this sacred abode, where Lord Govinda, the sovereign of the earth, sports in His divine form as Varāha, the Boar Incarnation. (v.1-2)
It was here that Dharaṇī, the mother of all humankind, once submerged beneath the waters of the cosmic deluge, was lovingly lifted by the Lord in His Varāha form. Filled with compassion, Kṣamā [the Earth personified] then addressed Him: (v.3)
**Bhūdevī said:**
"How can there be deliverance, O my Lord, for those submerged in the ocean of worldly existence (*saṃsāra*)? O ocean of compassion for all living beings, pray tell me the means!" (v.4)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"He who remembers Me daily, uttering 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,' him shall I uplift from the depths of hell, just as a lotus effortlessly breaks through the water's surface. (v.5) Even at the hour of death, when My devotees lie unconscious and at life's threshold, I reveal My divine form to them and inspire the remembrance of My holy name. By unveiling My true essence, I guide them to the supreme state, personally appearing to bestow upon them ultimate fearlessness. (v.6-7)
"O Medinī [another name for the Earth], know that I reside in various magnificent *kṣetras* as the *Arcāvatāra* [iconic manifestation], visible to the eyes of all humanity. (v.8) The *Vimāna* known as Ādya Raṅgam is celebrated as the destroyer of sins. Śrīmuṣṇam, Veṅkaṭādri, Śālagrāma, Naimiṣa, Totādri, Puṣkara, and the Nara-Nārāyaṇa Āśrama—these eight sacred forms of Mine are self-manifested upon the surface of the earth. (v.9-10) For those who behold them, liberation is assured without a doubt. Indeed, I am the supreme bestower of liberation to all beings deluded by the sorrows of worldly existence." (v.11)
**Bhūdevī said:**
"Among all these self-manifested places, which *kṣetra* is the most excellent and supreme? In which *kṣetra* are You most pleased and most ready to grant boons, O Acyuta? Pray tell me!" (v.12)
**The Supreme Lord said:**
"The magnificent *kṣetra* named Śrīmuṣṇam is supremely dear to Me. There I reside, eternally united with both you, Bhūdevī, and with Śrī [Lakṣmī]. (v.13) When you, the supreme Śrī [prosperity], were submerged in the waters of the deluge, I rescued you (*muṣṇāmi*). Hence, this exalted *kṣetra* became renowned by the name Śrīmuṣṇam. (v.14) Indeed, when you lay submerged in the deluge, Hiraṇyākṣa sought to seize you. After slaying him, I rescued (*muṣṇāmi*) you, the supreme Śrī. (v.15)
"As Bhūvarāha, I reside on the banks of the Nitya Puṣkariṇī, ever pleased beneath the shade of an Aśvattha tree, O beautiful-faced one. (v.16) Those who, even by chance, are blessed with My wondrous sight there, attain My very abode, their worldly desires having been utterly dissolved. (v.17) This sacred place is renowned throughout the world as the great Jhillikāvana [Forest of Crickets]. There, on the banks of the Śveta Nadī [White River], I reside in the Kali Yuga as the supreme bestower of boons. (v.18) Indeed, I am eternally well-pleased on the bank of the Nitya Puṣkariṇī, having assumed the form of a boar to grant all desired fruits to My devoted followers." (v.19)
The Sadguru continued: Hearing these divine words of the Lord, Kṣamā [the Earth], who endures all, desiring to uplift all living beings, became their steadfast support (*Dharaṇī*). (v.20)
**The Bhāgavatas said:**
"O Guru, how did the name Jhillikāvana come to be? Who was this Jhillikā by name? Pray tell us her story today!" (v.21)
**The Sadguru said:**
"The daughter of Hiraṇyākṣa, renowned by the name Jhillikā, performed a great and arduous penance here on the bank of the Śveta Nadī. (v.22) Pleased by her austere devotion, Brahmā, the grandfather of all worlds, compassionately appeared before her and granted her the desired boon. (v.23) She requested a mighty son who would strike terror into the hearts of the gods. Thus, Vidhi [Brahmā] granted her an excellent son named Daṇḍaka. (v.24) Daṇḍaka, ever roaming freely in the Daṇḍaka forest, became merciless and terrible, beginning to devour the sages. (v.25) The sages there became greatly distressed and afflicted, seeking refuge in the ultimate sanctuary, the eternal Lord Viṣṇu. (v.26) After slaying Daṇḍaka, He once again bestowed prosperity upon the Brāhmaṇas. This supreme Śrīmuṣṇam *kṣetra* is situated within that very Daṇḍaka forest. (v.27)
"Thereafter, the Brāhmaṇas, learned in the Vedas and yearning to behold Varāha, performed a Vaiṣṇava sacrifice on the bank of the Nitya Puṣkariṇī. (v.28) Then Viṣṇu Himself, exceedingly beautiful, appeared. The Lord, in His purely spiritual form as a boar, emerged, splitting the earth asunder. (v.29) The gods rained down a shower of flowers and offered fervent praises, while the sages worshipped the eternal Bhūvarāha. (v.30) A mortal who beholds Varāha Hari, the bestower of boons, accompanied by Śrī and Bhū, residing in the Śrīmuṣṇam *kṣetra*, shall never know sorrow." (v.31)
Here ends the twenty-sixth chapter, titled "The Glory of the Śrīmuṣṇam Kṣetra," in the Third Part of the Divyadesavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus ends Chapter 26, named "Śrī Muṣṇa Kṣetra Māhātmyam", in Tṛtīya Bhāge, in the Divya Deśa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
