Chapter summary
व्योमज्योतिमाहात्म्यम् Vyomajyoti Māhātmyam
The Glory of Vyomajyoti (The Light of the Sky)
**The Revered Guru said:**
Agni, Sūrya, Chandra, the Nakṣatras (constellations), and the Grahas (planets) once gathered in the vast sky and engaged in a profound discussion among themselves. (v.1)
**The Constellations said:**
"We, who dwell in the night sky, adorn the world. People behold our forms, like a canopy woven of pearls." (v.2)
**The Planets said:**
"It is we alone who are the arbiters of happiness and sorrow for all beings. By observing our movements, humans come to understand their destiny. Of what avail is mere adornment in a world so deeply afflicted by sorrow? And you, of such faint light, why do you engage in such self-praise?" (v.3-4)
**The Moon said:**
"Vainly do you blame the stars, for women, indeed, are fond of adornment; they know not the world's sorrow, ever immersed in delight. The happiness and sorrow of mortals are entirely dependent on the fruits of their *karma*; the planets are truly powerless to alter this. You merely indicate the fate of men, situated within their birth charts. What great, happiness-bestowing service is rendered to humanity by this? And you, of such faint lustre, why do you engage in self-praise? Behold my light in the sky, showering nectar everywhere!" (v.5-8)
**The Sun said:**
"O Moon, your light is faint, and you wane day by day. Moreover, you are marked with a blemish and afflicted by the curse of your Guru. Behold my light, which shines above all in the three worlds! Before me, you, along with the host of stars, simply vanish. I awaken the worlds and impel them to perform their duties. I am the witness of all worlds, traversing the heavens day after day. The Brāhmaṇas, with concentrated minds, worship me morning and evening. The eternal Shruti declares me to be the one eye of all the worlds. Disregarding me, who am foremost among all the gods, you engage in self-praise—this is undoubtedly a sin. Know, O Nishākara [Maker of the Night], that the light of all the constellations, the planets, and even your own, emanates from me alone, and from no other source. You, O Chandra, are known as the 'Maker of the Night,' and I am called the 'Maker of the Day' (Divākara); even the poets thus speak of the relative difference between us. I alone am the illuminator of all the worlds; without my light, the world is indeed blind, of this there is no doubt." (v.9-16)
**Agni said:**
"O Stars, O Planets, O Moon, and you, O Sūrya! You all shine by my light, of this there is no doubt. I am the third element; I exist at the very time of creation. Only after me were you created in the world by the Self-born (Brahma). I alone illuminate your spheres; I alone stand pervading the entire universe, of this there is no doubt." (v.17-19)
**The Revered Guru said:**
**The Gods said:**
"Who are you, who shine before us with such supreme radiance? O Deva, we have been eclipsed, defeated by your light." (v.23)
**The Deva said:**
"Indeed, there are two lights for men: the inner light and the outer light. The outer light shines only by depending upon the inner light. Of what superior light are the stars, the planets, the sun and the moon, and even fire, without the light of the eye? For one who is devoid of the light of the eye, what is the use of the sun, or the moon, or the stars, or the planets, or even a lamp? In the eye, the power of sight is called 'light.' This power of sight is born from the soul's own light within men. What does a dead body see on earth? What does it hear or smell? What does it eat or know without the light of the soul, alas! Of all lights, this inner light is supreme. It shines everywhere, pervading everything, both within and without. The sun does not illumine It, nor the moon, nor fire. That place, having gone to which they do not return, is My supreme abode. Becoming the indweller Myself, situated in the hearts of living beings, I illuminate everything with My light, which is pure consciousness. When you perceive this lamp of light, made of pure consciousness, within your heart, then the sense of 'I' in the body, home, and so on, is utterly destroyed." (v.24-32)
**The Revered Guru said:**
Having spoken thus, the Great Lord, Vyomajyoti, immediately vanished. Then all the gods themselves attained supreme peace. By reaching this sacred place, Vyomajyoti, and having its vision, even a simple person likewise obtains the vision of true knowledge. Vyomajyoti is the Supreme Brahman, the illuminator of the vision of knowledge. Sages, Siddhas, and even the gods serve it day by day. (v.33-35)
Here ends the thirty-ninth chapter, named "The Glory of Vyomajyoti," in the Third Part of the Divyadesavaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus, while all the gods, driven by a desire to outshine one another, were engaged in self-praise, a magnificent light suddenly manifested. It pervaded everywhere, immeasurable, stretching from the netherworld to the very surface of the sky. Beholding that supreme light, they were filled with immense wonder. Before it, the light of all the gods then vanished. The gods, their own radiance dimmed, questioned that divine being. (v.20-22)
