Chapter summary
श्रीपरिचारक्षेत्रमाहात्म्यम् Śrī Paricāra Kṣetra Māhātmyam
The Glory of Śrīparicārakṣetra
**The Devotees said:**
O best of Gurus, please enlighten us with the supreme and auspicious glories of the Divya Deśams [108 sacred Vishnu temples revered by the Āḻvārs, the Tamil poet-saints] situated in the holy land of Kerala. (v.1)
**The Sadguru said:**
In Kerala, indeed, there are many sacred sites dedicated to the Lord of all worlds. I shall now briefly narrate their most wondrous glories. (v.2)
In ancient times, a king named Kulaśekhara reigned in Kerala. He was a righteous monarch, a chastiser of the wicked, and a protector of the virtuous. He championed cows and Brahmins, was devoted to truth and dharma, and possessed immense heroism, steadfast resolve, valor, and magnanimity. His anger was reserved for just occasions, he was forgiving, and his generosity flowed like the wish-fulfilling tree. This great soul was a devout worshipper of Vishnu and cherished the service of Vaishnavas. (v.3-5)
One day, that king, accompanied by his army, ministers, and weapons, set out with great eagerness to conquer the world. Having respectfully subdued the kingdoms of Karnataka, Maharashtra, Kalinga, Ghurjara, Anga, Vanga, Utkala, Andhra, Chola, and Pandya, the king swiftly began his return journey to Kerala. Along the way, his excellent horse somehow went astray. (v.6-8)
Searching for his lost steed, the king wandered deep into a forest, dense with numerous trees and creepers, and adorned with various sacred water bodies. (v.9)
There, he discovered Somatīrtha, a holy pond frequented by circles of sages. On its bank, he beheld a Kalpaka tree, and tied to it was his very own horse. Seeing a temple nearby, Kulaśekhara, the devout king, entered to offer worship to Vishnu. (v.10-11)
Within, he saw Vishnu reposing on the serpent-couch, His form divinely dark-hued, holding a conch, discus, and mace in His hands, and His chest marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa. His neck was adorned with the resplendent Kaustubha gem, and He was further beautified by the Vaijayantī garland. Clad in divine yellow silk garments, His lotus-face bore a gentle smile. (v.12-13)
Beholding that God of gods, the king was overcome with joy, his hair standing on end. Out of an intense eagerness for the sight of Krishna, he swiftly ran towards the Lord's presence. (v.14)
At that moment, a great and virtuous lady appeared there, slender as a streak of lightning, her every limb radiating beauty, her eyes like blue lotuses. She was adorned with various jeweled ornaments, wore new silk garments, her feet graced with anklets, and her gait was slow and graceful like a swan. Her lotus-face bore a gentle smile, and she spoke in a sweet voice, her intoxicating eyes intent on the service of Madhusūdana. This lady, resembling a lotus, was seen directly before him. (v.15-17)
Upon seeing King Kulaśekhara, she, her face flushed with modesty, immediately disappeared into the chest of Vishnu. Witnessing this, King Kulaśekhara was utterly astonished. With hands folded in reverence and his body thrilled with horripilation, he stood in awe. (v.18-19)
Just then, the great sage Maudgalya arrived. The king, bowing to him with devotion, inquired about the supreme wonder he had just witnessed. Maudgalya, a veritable treasure of penance, was exceedingly pleased and spoke sweet, comforting words to King Kulaśekhara. (v.20-21)
**Maudgalya said:**
O King, this is Somatīrtha, the destroyer of all sins, teeming with swans and ducks, and made beautiful by groves of lotuses. On its banks, sages rich in penance perform austerities, seeking a direct vision of Vishnu Himself, the great Lord of all worlds. Out of compassion, the Lord Hari resides right here to grant His divine vision to gods, sages, and men alike. (v.22-24)
Indeed, Śrī herself, in her own divine form, performs service (paricaryā) to Vishnu here. Therefore, O King, this holy place is known as Śrīparicārakṣetra. The divinely beautiful woman you saw is undoubtedly Śrī herself, the Mother of the worlds; there is no question. That Lakṣmī resides eternally and inseparably within the Śrīvatsa mark on the Lord's chest. He is Śrīdhara (the bearer of Śrī), Śrīnivāsa (the abode of Śrī), Śrīvatsāṅka (marked with Śrīvatsa), and Śriyaḥpati (the husband of Śrī). (v.25-27)
Oh, what immense good fortune, O great King! You have been blessed with the vision of both Śrī and Śrīnivāsa, a sight that bestows all prosperity. From this day forth, O great King, your good fortune will surely grow ever greater, having beheld the one marked with the Śrīvatsa. This horse, O King, was brought here by the all-powerful Vishnu in His divine play, with the sole desire to grant you His auspicious vision. Please take it back. (v.28-30)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus addressed, the King of Kerala, with a heart filled with joy, praised Govinda in His deity form with profound love. (v.31)
**Kulaśekhara said:**
Salutations to Nārāyaṇa, whose chest is marked with the Śrīvatsa! Salutations again and again to the Lord of Śrī, the abode of Śrī, the bearer of Śrī. (v.32) Salutations again and again to the eternal, the supremely tranquil, the bestower of all desires, the refuge, the most excellent, the Lord of all. (v.33) Salutations again and again to the gentle one, worshipped by the gods, who roams through all the worlds, who is seated in a comfortable posture, the beautiful one. (v.34) Salutations again and again to the wise one, who has the form of sacred injunctions, who is worshipped by the universe, the creator, the praiseworthy, the form of hymns, Vāmana. (v.35) Salutations again and again to the one worshipped by all people, the bestower of special fruits, who has all people under His control, Keśava. (v.36) Salutations again and again to the one adorned with yellow silk garments, who wears a garland of Tulasī leaves, who bestows the desired fruits upon the assembly of devotees. (v.37) Salutations again and again to Trivikrama, the firm one, to Vishnu, the Supreme Self, whose true form is known through the Vedas, to Mādhava. (v.38) Salutations to You, the eternal, the holy, the one attainable by merit, Śauri, the husband of Lakṣmī and Bhūdevī, Padmanābha. (v.39) Salutations again and again to the wielder of the bow, the wielder of the staff (of justice), the one of good character, of great splendor, of clear syllables, the mantra itself, Govinda. (v.40) Salutations to You, the immovable and also the movable, the one without qualities, of good intellect, the performer of many deeds, Vishnu. (v.41) Salutations again and again to the one who sports in the ocean of cosmic dissolution, the death of Madhu and Kaiṭabha, to Pradyumna, to Aniruddha, the one of pure goodness (Sattva). (v.42) Salutations again and again to the essence, the essence of all, the bestower of all happiness, the one whose banner is Garuḍa, to Hari, the one with a dark-hued body. (v.43) Salutations again and again to the giver of joy, of auspicious fame, of auspicious limbs, the auspicious sun, of auspicious gaze, the God, the beautiful one. (v.44) Salutations again and again to the bestower of prosperity, the blessed one, whose form is truth and bliss, the supporter of the earth, the perfected one, Śrīdhara. (v.45) Salutations again and again to You, the great light, the cause of the world's joy, to Vāsudeva, the peaceful one, the bestower of prosperity. (v.46) Salutations again and again to Viṣvaksena, the pure one, the agent of creation, preservation, and dissolution, who has Brahmā in his navel, who is Rudra, who is Nṛsiṁha. (v.47) Salutations again and again to the bull of brilliance, the life-force, the one attainable by knowledge, the creator, Praṇava (Om), the standard of proof, the giver of life. (v.48) Salutations again and again to the bestower of boons, the hero, who holds the conch in hand, who wields the discus, the unstained one, the solitary one, the Supreme Person (Puruṣa). (v.49) Salutations again and again to Vishnu, who sports on the bank of the Soma-Lakṣmī lake, who is established in the holy place served by Śrī. (v.50)
**The Sadguru said:**
Thus praised, Mahāviṣṇu, marked with the Śrīvatsa, the husband of Śrī, prompted King Kulaśekhara to ask for a boon. The king, filled with joy, chose unwavering devotion. Releasing the horse, he returned to his city with his army, greatly pleased. (v.51-52)
This is that supremely sacred Śrīparicārakṣetra, by merely entering which, the vision of Vishnu is obtained. (v.53)
Thus, in the Divya Desa Vaibhavam, composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu, in the Fifth Part, the twenty-first chapter named 'The Glory of Śrīparicārakṣetra'.
