Chapter summary
महेन्द्रगिरिमाहात्म्यम् Mahendra Giri Māhātmyam
The Glory of Mahendra Giri
**The revered Guru said:**
Lord Viṣṇu, in His form as Varāha, desiring to sport with His beloved Dharaṇī [the Earth goddess], ascended the magnificent Mahendra mountain. It was a place dense with diverse trees, fragrant with myriad flowers, charmingly dark with verdant meadows, and enlivened by the delightful calls of countless birds. Cool streams refreshed its slopes, herds of deer roamed freely, Kinnara troupes filled the air with music, and celestial women graced its environs (v.1-3).
Gazing upon the Mahendra mountain and wandering here and there, the Lord mentally conceived and created a sacred hermitage, beautifully encircled by Kuṭaja trees. There, the lotus-petal-eyed One, of exquisite form, sat down with His beloved Kṣamā [the patient Earth] to engage in loving conversation. Placing her gently on His lap and supporting her with His hand, the dark and beautiful Lord joyfully inhaled the fragrance of her head and kissed her (v.4-6).
She, who had once been submerged in the ocean of cosmic dissolution and was lifted by Varāha, was now the very Earth asking for the deliverance of people submerged in the ocean of worldly existence. Having made a firm resolve in her heart, Vasundharā, out of sheer compassion, questioned her husband Viṣṇu, who is ever-affectionate to those who take refuge in Him (v.7-8).
**Bhumi (the Earth) said:**
"O Keśava, ever affectionate to Your devotees, please tell me, out of Your boundless mercy, how the deliverance of beings submerged in the ocean of worldly existence can truly be achieved. For those entangled in this world, afflicted in countless ways and deluded by ignorance, there is indeed no other refuge or resort but You" (v.9-10).
**The Lord said:**
"He who remembers Me daily, chanting 'Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa, Kṛṣṇa,' I lift him up from the depths of hell, just as a lotus effortlessly breaks through the water's surface. For those submerged in the well of worldly existence, there is truly no other way to emerge in this world besides chanting My holy name" (v.11-12).
"There is no restriction of place or time, nor any limitation of caste; the chanting of My name is prescribed for all people as the supreme destroyer of sins. Even a Caṇḍāla or a Kirāta, by chanting My name, is certainly worshipped by sages and purifies the three worlds. Those devoted to sacrifices may falter, and ascetics may also stumble, but by merely chanting the Name, they never falter" (v.13-15).
"In former times, there lived a great-souled Caṇḍāla named Mātaṅga. He was true to his word, firm in his intellect, and always fond of chanting My glories. Each morning, after bathing with faith and chanting My names, he would devoutly wear the Urdhva Puṇḍra [a vertical mark on the forehead] and a Tulasī bead necklace. Taking a vīṇā [a stringed instrument] in his hand, his eyes moist with tears of love, he would play the Kaiśika rāga and sing day after day. Pleased by his singing, I would open My eyes wide and bestow My grace upon him, along with Śrī [Lakṣmī] and you" (v.16-19).
"Once, in the auspicious month of Kārtika, during the bright fortnight, on the sacred Ekādaśī day, this Vaiṣṇava was observing a fast. Keeping a vigil through the night and performing My kīrtan [devotional singing], he set out in the morning to awaken Me at My temple. On his way, a Brahma-rākṣasa [a type of demon, a ghost of a brahmin] seized Mātaṅga. Mātaṅga tried to free himself by making many vows. Though detained by the rākṣasa, Mātaṅga, speaking lovingly, proceeded to My temple, performed My kīrtan, and then, true to his word, returned to that fearsome Brahma-rākṣasa. Seeing that truthful Vaiṣṇava, the Brahma-rākṣasa, after recounting his own story, took refuge in Mātaṅga" (v.20-24).
**The Brahma-rakshasa said:**
"O great-minded one, I was a brahmin known as Somasharmā. Due to a flaw in my performance of a sacrifice, I became a Brahma-rākṣasa. O ocean of mercy, please deliver me by granting me the fruit of the chanting of Hari's name that you performed during the night of Ekādaśī. I take refuge in you, a Vaiṣṇava, a refuge for the helpless and a friend to the distressed. O purifier of the three worlds, please sanctify me by the gift of your merit" (v.25-27).
**The Lord said:**
"My devotee Mātaṅga, seeing the Brahma-rākṣasa who had surrendered to him, out of compassion immediately gave him a small portion of the fruit of his singing. By the power of My kīrtan and by the mere sight of My devotee, the Brahma-rākṣasa was freed from the sin of the flawed sacrifice" (v.28-29).
"By merely chanting My name, My devotee who is dedicated to Me, even if running with eyes closed, will neither stumble nor fall here. Therefore, the glory of singing My praise is indeed beyond the reach of words, by which even the Caṇḍāla Mātaṅga brought Me under his control" (v.30-31).
"O Kṣamā [Earth], with My mind captivated by the music of Mātaṅga's vīṇā, I, the one of perfect beauty, sport here with you. That man who, while his mind is steady, his body is healthy, and the bodily humours are in balance, remembers Me, the Cosmic Form, the Unborn—that devotee of Mine, when he is dying and resembles a piece of wood or stone, I remember him and lead him to the supreme state" (v.32-34).
"There is no other path to cross the ocean of worldly existence in this terrible age of Kali, except for the chanting of My name. O Sarvamsahā [all-enduring one], residing always in this sacred place with you, I endure (sarvam sahe) all the unbearable offenses of people in the Kali age" (v.35-36).
**The revered Guru said:**
Thus spoke Lord Viṣṇu, the embodiment of perfect beauty, the ocean of mercy, and the one ever-intent on protecting His devotees, to Ratnagarbhā [the Earth] (v.37). Once, Śiva came there from the peak of Kailāsa. Seeing the beautiful Viṣṇu, he praised Him with folded hands (v.38).
**Shiva said:**
"Salutations, salutations to You, O Supreme Person, the one full of beauty, the ancient one, worshipped by the gods headed by Mahendra, and by the brāhmaṇas here on Mahendra mountain. I always bear on my head the Gaṅgā, which is the nectar from Your lotus feet. By the singing of Your name, O lotus-eyed one, I grant liberation to those who die in Kāśī" (v.39-40).
"Constantly meditating upon Your divine form, beautiful with the lustre of a great sapphire, I have acquired a blue radiance; for that reason, O Mādhava, they call me Nīlakaṇṭha [the blue-throated one]. Your Māyā, which is composed of the three *guṇas* and is famous in the Vedas as 'Vaiṣṇavī', has assumed the role of my wife and serves me always under the name Umā" (v.41-42).
"My son, Gaṇeśvara, by writing Your very name on the ground here and circumambulating it by my command, became worthy of worship by all people forever. The essence of Vaiṣṇava dharma was previously taught by me to Kumāra, who received it with respect. With Your help, he then killed the valiant demon named Tāraka in battle" (v.43-44).
"I have been worshipped by You in many places, of Your own free will, again and again. Yet, I feel no pride; I always remember only You in my heart. When seekers of liberation approached me in the past and asked for the path to salvation, O lotus-eyed one, I determined and declared You, saying, 'Hari alone is to be meditated upon by you'" (v.45-46).
"I myself desire the state of being a Vaiṣṇava. You alone are the Lord, O abode of the universe. Nevertheless, by Your command, people worship me as the Lord, observing vows dedicated to me. Yet, some who are averse to me, with deluded minds, criticize me. They call me a tāmasic deity. Tell me, O Vāmana, is this Your wish?" (v.47-48).
**The Lord said:**
"Do not grieve, O Mahādeva. I know your heart. Unfortunate humans, due to their past misdeeds, indeed criticize. Indeed, I reside eternally in your heart, O Śaṅkara. You are I, and I am you; there is no difference between us" (v.49-50).
"Even those devotees of Mine who are foolish and endowed with a sense of difference, by hating you, O Śaṅkara, commit an offense against Me alone. Therefore, remain always by My side in this sacred place. By My command, receive the worship performed by devotees, equal to My own" (v.51-52).
**The revered Guru said:**
Thus consoled, Śambhu, residing with Viṣṇu, is worshipped here, ever-present at Hari's side. Those people who enter this supreme sacred place will certainly become worthy of worship in Vaikuṇṭha, equal to Viṣṇu (v.53-54).
Here ends the twentieth chapter, titled "The Glory of Mahendra Giri," in the Fifth Part of the "Divya Desa Vaibhavam," composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
Thus ends Chapter 20, named "Mahendra Giri Māhātmyam", in Pañcama Bhāge, in the Divya Deśa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
