Chapter summary
पार्थपुरमाहात्म्यम् Pārtha Pura Māhātmyam
The Glory of Pārthapura
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Arjuna, the great hero, embarked on a pilgrimage to the southern lands, journeying with his retinue. As he wandered, he performed ritual ablutions and offered charity at various sacred waters, devoutly beholding the divine forms in the holy places. Thus, engaging in the company of the good and listening to the ancient Puranic stories, he traversed the earth with a tranquil heart and joyful mind. (v.1-3)
One day, deep within a great forest, Arjuna was severely afflicted by thirst. He wandered here and there, desperately searching for cool water. The forest interior, scorched by the summer heat, offered no respite; ponds, pools, and all other water bodies were utterly dry. Flocks of beasts and birds, likewise tormented by the heat, huddled in the shade of trees, and not even a blade of grass could be seen anywhere. The son of Kuntī, intensely wandering at midday and overcome by thirst, found no excellent water nearby. Extremely distressed, Pārtha, accompanied by his retinue, finally sat down somewhere, dejected and utterly overcome by his parched throat. (v.4-8)
Just then, a boy of dark and beautiful form appeared, clad in yellow garments, majestic, and adorned with a jacket and a turban. Holding a staff in his hand and gently playing a flute, he approached Pārtha and spoke with a sweet smile. (v.9-10)
**The Boy said:**
"Welcome, O King! You are always worthy of my reverence, for a guest is indeed deserving of worship. Who are you, and from where have you come?" (v.11)
**Pārtha said:**
"I am Arjuna, renowned among the Pāṇḍavas, O boy. I have come into this forest interior on a pilgrimage. Today I am afflicted by thirst, and water is nowhere to be found. Therefore, I sit here, greatly distressed and contemplating my plight." (v.12-13)
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Upon hearing this, the boy, holding his staff and performing a little dance, spoke sweet words. (v.14)
**The Boy said:**
"I am a cowherd boy, and I graze cows in this forest. Come, do not grieve, O King! I will show you water. After drinking it with your retinue and eating the fruits found there, and resting in the shade of a tree, you may then resume your journey, O Lord." (v.15-16)
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Having spoken thus, the cowherd boy respectfully led Pārtha along. Going to a certain spot, he struck the ground with his staff. Merely from the striking of the staff, cool and purifying water gushed forth, and Pārtha attained supreme bliss. Bathing there and drinking the water with his retinue, he then ate fruits and, having rested, sought the shade of a tree. (v.17-19)
That boy, the enhancer of supreme bliss, then vanished. Pārtha, searching for him, was filled with great wonder. When Pārtha had fallen asleep there, that same boy, ever-affectionate to His devotees, appeared again in his dream and spoke. (v.20-21)
**Sri Bhagavan said:**
"Know me to be Jagannātha, the Lord of Dvārakā, Achyuta, who has come in the guise of a cowherd boy, O delight of the Kurus! I came to quench your thirst and to give you water. I am your supreme friend, and you are also mine, without a doubt." (v.22-23)
**Sri Sadguru said:**
Rising immediately, Pārtha, eager for the sight of Kṛṣṇa, searched for that boy here and there in the forest interior. There he beheld a most beautiful temple of Kṛṣṇa. Pārtha, the best among the devoted, worshipped that God. (v.24-25)
That water source is called Gaṅgā, always served by the sages. Even today it is seen here, the destroyer of all sorrows. (v.26)
Having worshipped Kṛṣṇa with a joyful and supremely pleased mind, Pārtha, accompanied by his retinue, set forth on his journey. For the devotees who behold the merciful Kṛṣṇa, the charioteer of Pārtha, on the bank of the Vetra-Gaṅgā [Staff-Gaṅgā], their sorrow and sin are utterly destroyed. (v.27-28)
Thus the thirty-fourth chapter, titled "The Glory of Pārthapura," in the Third Volume of the Divyadeśavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
