Chapter summary
वरगुणक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यम् Varaguṇa Kṣetra Māhātmyam
The Greatness of the Sacred Place of Varaguṇa
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
In ancient times, on the banks of the sacred Kaveri, there was a city named Dharmapura. There resided a king, Viśvasakha, whose heart was ever absorbed in meditation upon Vishnu. He was a monarch true to his word, munificent in his giving, a devoted patron of Brahmins, and a steadfast protector of Dharma. Honored by all, this king ruled the earth with wisdom and grace (v.1-2).
One day, by divine providence, the revered sage Sanatkumāra arrived in Dharmapura. King Viśvasakha, along with his queen, received the sage with profound hospitality, honoring him according to all prescribed rites. Humbly, with folded hands, the king bowed before that great-souled sage and addressed him (v.3-4).
**The King said:**
"Welcome, O best of sages! I am truly blessed by your sight. Today, my ancestors are satisfied, and my family deities are pleased beyond measure. For it is only at the culmination of many births, when the fruits of past merits ripen, that one is granted the company of saints, surely by the grace of the Lord Himself" (v.5-6).
"A gift offered in a holy place yields a hundredfold merit. Therefore, O bull among sages, pray tell me of such a supreme holy place. Going there, I wish to worship Brahmins who are masters of the Vedas and thereby obtain the boundless grace of Vāsudeva. For whatever is given by men at the right time, in the right place, and to a worthy recipient, that alone truly bears fruit for the pleasure of Lord Hari" (v.7-9).
**Sanatkumāra said:**
"O bull among kings, there is a sacred place named Varaguṇa, situated near Śrīvaikuṇṭham, on the banks of the river Tāmraparṇī. It is a place of sublime beauty, adorned with diverse trees and teeming with various birds. Sanctified by many sacred waters and worshipped by countless sages, it is crowded with herds of many animals and offers refuge to all kinds of beings. Lush with abundant waters, it is a truly beautiful sight, verdant and dark green with fresh grass" (v.10-12).
"In that very place, there once lived a cruel Kirāta, a tribal hunter who subsisted by catching and selling fish, intent only on his own gain. One day, as he stood on the riverbank, eager to net his catch, he was bitten by a black serpent and met his end in that forest. His body, fallen in the wilderness, became food for vultures. Yet, to the astonishment of all, the gods carried him to heaven in a divine celestial chariot!" (v.13-15).
"Witnessing this marvel, O King, I posed a question to the celestial beings: 'What merit has this man performed, that he is being taken to heaven?' They replied, 'O sage, he performed the donation of food in this holy *tirtha*. Therefore, he is being taken to heaven.' I pressed further, 'But this Kirāta was most sinful, cruel, and lived by fishing. How could he have performed any food donation in this forest?'" (v.16-18).
"When I asked thus, O king, all the gods revealed to me a wondrous sight: the dead body there, being eaten by vultures. The impure corpse of that evil-souled one, given even by chance to unworthy vultures in that holy place, suddenly became a meritorious act that bestowed the worlds of the pious. If such an accidental offering yields such fruit, what then to say of something given with conscious intent and devotion?" (v.19-21).
"Therefore, O king, in that best of sacred places, for the pleasure of the one who wears a forest garland [Vishnu], give gifts to Brahmins learned in the Vedas. That gift alone is truly fruitful which is placed in a worthy recipient, in a holy place that destroys all sins and grants the fruit of all merits" (v.22-23).
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Thus instructed by the foremost of sages, the great king Viśvasakha, accompanied by his relatives, journeyed to that sacred place called Varaguṇa. After bathing in the purifying waters of the river Tāmraparṇī and performing his *sandhyā* rituals, he established an *agrahāra* [a settlement for Brahmins] and bestowed it upon them. The king generously gave to the Brahmins fields, houses, clothes, gold, and whatever they desired, along with pure food of many excellent qualities (v.24-26).
Lord Hari, Śrīdhara, in His form as Vijayāsana (seated in victory), was greatly pleased by the king's unwavering faith and devotion. He granted the king a divine vision of Himself, bearing the conch, discus, and mace. His chest was marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa, His neck adorned with the brilliant Kaustubha gem, and His eyes were as beautiful as lotuses. Seeing that Lord of Kamalā [Lakshmi], the best of kings praised Dāmodara, the ocean of mercy, the God of gods, Janārdana (v.27-29).
**The King said:**
"Salutations to You, the Supreme Person, Nārāyaṇa, whose fame is pure and meritorious. By merely chanting and hearing Your name, even heretics, sinners, and all others are purified. By You alone was this entire universe created; this whole world is Yours, and so am I. You alone are the giver, the gift, and the recipient, and You are the very fruit of that merit" (v.30-31).
"For those who do not know the spiritual truth established in the Vedānta, O one of infinite abode, all prescribed action is indeed in vain, as desire-motivated action yields only impermanent results. But the pious deeds performed by the wise for Your pleasure, having abandoned the desire for fruits, by Your command lead to the purification of the mind and the cessation of endless sins" (v.32-33).
"Gods, demons, humans, Vidyādharas, Kinnaras, Rākṣasas, and all others—all of them, by performing desire-motivated actions, become deluded and wander endlessly in the forest of worldly existence. O Supreme Self, from Brahmā down to a worm, everything earned by *karma* is wondrously transient. Therefore, abandoning the fruit of action, I perform meritorious deeds here solely for Your pleasure" (v.34-35).
"Whatever I do with my body, speech, mind, senses, intellect, or self, or by the inherent tendencies of my nature—all of it I offer to the Supreme Nārāyaṇa. Who am I to offer the fruits of my actions? You, whose glory is without equal or superior, make me perform the action and are pleased by the offering of its fruit" (v.36-37).
"This knowledge was given by You alone; therefore, I know, and I am free from pride. I am of serene mind, O consort of Ramā! Protect me, Your servant, O Mukunda! I am not established in righteousness, nor in charity, nor in truth, nor in yoga. I am destitute and have no other refuge, O Murāri. I surrender to You alone, O Lord" (v.38-39).
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
To the king who had thus surrendered himself completely, the Lord Vijayāsana, greatly pleased, spoke sweet words with a gentle, smiling expression (v.40).
**The Lord said:**
"O King, I am pleased by the many good deeds you have performed for My sake. Therefore, I have become visible to you. Dwelling eternally in this sacred place, I shall grant to the righteous and great-souled devotees the unfailing fruit, the supreme abode" (v.41-42).
**Śrī Sadguru said:**
Having spoken thus to the king, the Lord Vijayāsana immediately entered the holy temple built by the king. This great and holy place, worshipped by the Pandya king, is the divine Varaguṇa, the bestower of desired boons (v.43-44).
In ancient times, a certain Pandya king, by serving Vijayāsana, obtained a great hero as his son, named Varaguṇa. Thus, worshipped also by the Pandya king named Varaguṇa, the divine Lord Vijayāsana became greatly pleased. Whoever serves Mahavishnu, the husband of Śrī, in this sacred place, surely obtains a good son, just as the Pandya king did in the past (v.45-47).
Thus ends the twelfth chapter, titled 'The Greatness of the Sacred Place of Varaguṇa', in the Fifth Part of the 'Divyadeśavaibhavam' composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
