Chapter summary
सह्यामलकक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यम् Sahyāmalaka Kṣetra Māhātmyam
The Glory of the Sahyāmalaka Kṣetra
**The Devotees said:**
O Sadguru, O ocean of compassion, we are eager to hear. Please recount for us the meritorious, purifying, and auspicious glory of the Kaveri river. (v.1)
**The Sadguru said:**
Having firmly resolved in his mind, "I shall manifest a river in this southern region that is equal to the Bhāgīrathī [Ganga]," the great Lord Kumbhasambhava [Agastya] performed severe austerities on the Sahya mountain. This was the same venerable sage who, by the power of his penance, had previously drunk the entire ocean. (v.2-3)
Once, the lotus-born Brahma, the supreme creator and fount of the Vedas, the four-faced Lord, was traversing the sky, mounted upon his swan. Reaching Haridwar, the creator bathed in the waters of the Ganga. Taking that holy Ganga water in his *kamaṇḍalu* [water-pot], he happened upon the Sahya mountain. (v.4-5)
He beheld the Sahya mountain, dense with various trees, adorned with many waterfalls, and frequented by Siddhas and Gandharvas. It was filled with the hermitages of sages and the temples of gods, resounded with the calls of diverse birds, and was inhabited by many serpents. Lord Brahma saw this mountain, served by sandalwood-scented breezes, strewn with various flowers and fruits, and a delight to the eyes. (v.6-8)
In its midst, he saw a Dhātrī, or Āmalaka, tree, which was indeed a manifestation of the Lord Himself, capable of destroying all sins for mortals merely by its sight. Near this Dhātrī tree, the foremost of the gods beheld a Tulasi plant with fresh blossoms, which was the very form of Mahalakshmi. (v.9-10)
With devotion, he worshipped Him who was in the form of the Āmalaka tree, reverently sprinkling its root with the holy Ganga water. The four-faced Lord worshipped with profound devotion, offering flowers, fruits, sandal-paste, as well as turmeric and *kumkum*. (v.11-12)
From the Dhātrī tree, the Lord of the Worlds, bearing His conch, discus, and mace, and ever intent on bestowing grace upon His devotees, manifested, greatly pleased. Seeing Him, the Lord of all worlds, the lotus-seated Brahma praised Him, his entire body thrilled with horripilation, his eyes moist with tears of love. (v.13-14)
**Brahma said:**
Salutations, salutations to You, O Lord of all worlds! O Śrīnātha, Nārāyaṇa, Vāsudeva! By a stroke of divine grace, O Supreme Self, O ocean of compassionate grace, this vision of You has been granted to me. (v.15)
Bound by their own karma, all beings repeatedly drown in the ocean of worldly existence. With uncontrolled senses, they commit sins, from which countless sorrows arise. (v.16)
Indeed, the water from Your divine feet, O Lord, O Supreme Self, is sufficient to cleanse all sins. Yet, those who lack devotion to You show contempt for the sacred water from Your feet. (v.17)
This very Bhāgīrathī [Ganga], which in ancient times flowed from Your lotus foot during Your Trivikrama incarnation, purifies all beings. Even Shiva, with devotion, holds it upon his head. (v.18)
The saints who are devoted to chanting Your name, O Mukunda, are themselves the most sacred of holy places. By their very sight, they surely remove the sin and suffering born of worldly existence. Holy places attain their sanctity only through the association of the virtuous, O Mukunda. Therefore, O You with beautiful eyes as large as lotus petals, grant me the company of the good. (v.19-20)
**The Sadguru said:**
At that time, the venerable Kumbhasambhava arrived there. The sage beheld both Padmanabha [Vishnu] and Padmabhuva [Brahma]. Kumbhasambhava, after duly bowing to Vishnu and Brahma, prayed with joy, desiring the welfare of the worlds. (v.21-22)
**Agastya said:**
Indeed, through my penance, Hari Himself has manifested in the form of this Dhātrī tree on this holy Sahya mountain. O Brahma, it is surely due to your profound greatness that Hari, the glorious Lord bearing the conch and discus, has been directly beheld, having been worshipped by you with such devotion. (v.23-24)
This is my prayer, O Lord, O Prabhu: Please manifest a river in this southern region that rivals the Ganga. (v.25)
**The Lord said:**
O great sage, welcome! Indeed, it is by your penance that this auspicious and magnificent Āmalaka tree has manifested. I shall reside within it for as long as the moon and sun endure, to bestow grace upon the worlds and to eradicate sins. (v.26-27)
Brahma has worshipped Me with the water of the Ganga. The sacred water that has trickled from My root—that you should collect in your *kamaṇḍalu*. From that sacred water, O ascetic, a great and most holy river, the destroyer of all sins, will soon flow forth. (v.28-29)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus instructed by Padmanabha, the venerable Kumbhasambhava collected the holy water in his *kamaṇḍalu* and proceeded to his hermitage. Brahma, too, having bowed to Padmanabha in the prescribed manner and received His leave, departed with a contented soul to his supreme abode. (v.30-31)
Here ends the eighteenth chapter, titled "The Glory of the Sahyāmalaka Kṣetra," in the Fourth Part of the Divya Desa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus ends Chapter 18, named "Sahyāmalaka Kṣetra Māhātmyam", in Caturtha Bhāge, in the Divya Deśa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
