Chapter summary
दिव्यदेशवैभवसङ्ग्रहः Divya Deśa Vaibhava Saṅgrahaḥ
A Summary of the Glory of the Divya Desams
**The revered Sadguru said:**
In the hallowed land of Bhārata, revered by gods and demons alike, countless holy places (kṣetras) and sacred waters (tīrthas) are scattered far and wide. To describe all these sanctified sites would be an impossible task for anyone. Therefore, a summary of one hundred and eight such kṣetras is now presented. This compilation of the glory of the Divya Desams [sacred abodes of Vishnu] has been narrated by me, drawing from the various Purāṇas where their greatness was extolled in ancient times. (v.1-3)
A place is designated a "Divya Desam" because it is presided over by the Lord Himself, sung about by the divine Āḻvārs [Vaishnava poet-saints], and celebrated in the sacred Divya Prabandham [their collected works]. (v.4)
Indeed, in this age of Kali, Śrīpati, the Lord of Śrī, ever intent on gracing His devotees, forsakes even Vaikuṇṭha to reside in these Divya Desams. Assuming the form of the Arcāvatāra, His iconic manifestation, Mādhava makes His presence felt in these divine abodes during the Kali age, solely to bestow His boundless grace upon His beloved devotees. (v.5-6)
Who, then, could fully enumerate the immense greatness of these Divya Desams? Only a summary of the most prominent among them is narrated by me. (v.7)
Initially, the glory of Vaikuṇṭha-loka was recounted, followed by the supreme and auspicious splendor of the Ocean of Milk. Thereafter, the narrative turned to the greatness of Badaryāśrama, Śrīkhaṇḍanagara (Sālagrāma), Haridvāra, the sacred Gaṅgā, and the confluence of the Triveṇī Saṅgama. The glory of Vārāṇasī, Gayā, the Naimiṣa forest, and Ayodhyā, where the best of the Raghus was born, was then described. This was followed by the greatness of Mathurā, the birthplace of the best of the Yadus, and of the Yamunā, Gokula, and Vṛndāvana. The narrative continued with the glory of Dvārakā, Prabhāsa, Kurukṣetra, Avantī, Puṣkara, and Jagannāthapurī. Finally, the greatness of Śrī Kūrmakṣetra and Bhadrācala concluded the description of the kṣetras situated in the northern region. (v.8-13)
The greatness of Ahobilam and Veṅkaṭādri has also been narrated. This sacred First Volume, when read, is a destroyer of sins. (v.14)
Subsequently, the glory of the kṣetras situated in Kāñcīpuram was detailed, including the greatness of Gṛdhrasaras, the splendor of Lakṣmīsthāna, the kṣetra named Kiṅgṛha, and then Nīragiri. The narrative continued with the greatness of the Lord with the ever-auspicious form, of the One reclining on the ground by the ocean, of Kairaviṇī, and of Ghaṭikādri. The greatness of Kṛṣṇāraṇya, Ahīndranagara, and Madhurāntapura was also recounted. (v.15-17)
The greatness of Kadambavana and Śvetagiri was then described, along with that of Bāṇakṣetra and Apūpaghaṭa. This was followed by the greatness of Khaṇḍanakṣetra, Parāśaravana, Melanapurī, and Kapisthalapura. The narrative then moved to the greatness of Bhūtapurī and Ādanapura, Kumbhakoṇa, and Śukrapura. The glory of Nandipura and Vyomapurī, the greatness of Vañjulāraṇya, and the splendor of Sārakṣetra were also included. The glory of Kṛṣṇāraṇya, Kṛṣṇamaṅgā, Kṛṣṇapurī, Bālavyāghrapura, Nāgapura, Puṇḍarīka, Śrīmuṣṇa, and Campakāraṇya was then presented. Finally, the greatness of Gosakhakṣetra, the glory of Sugandhivana, the greatness of the twelve kṣetras, and Śrīrāmanagara were recounted. (v.19-24)
The glory of Vyomajyoti and Śvetāraṇya has thus been clearly narrated by me in this Third Volume. Thereafter, the greatness of Śrīraṅgam was narrated in the Fourth. (v.25)
The greatness of Vṛṣabhācala and Goṣṭhīpura, then that of Satyagiri and Rāmasetu, has been narrated. The narrative continued with the greatness of Mohanakṣetra and Dhanvipura, and the glory of the nine kṣetras situated on the banks of the Tāmraparṇī. The greatness of Mahendragiri, Paricārapura, Nimnagānagara, and Anantapura was then described. This was followed by the greatness of Nīradakṣetra, Śrīsūktinagara, Śārdūlapura, and Śrīśoṇādripura. The glory of Nāvāpura, Śrīvallabhapura, Bhṛṅgapura, and Vidvadgoṣṭhīpura was then recounted. Finally, the greatness of Kaṭisthānapura, Vāravelāpura, Yādavādri, and Guruvāyupura was presented. (v.26-31)
This glory of the Divya Desams is the most auspicious of all auspicious things. By merely reading or hearing it, one immediately obtains the fruit of attaining Vaikuṇṭha. One who faithfully reads daily the glory of the Divya Desams attains the merit of pilgrimage, which is purifying even by mere remembrance. Narrating the glory of the Divya Desams bestows long life, health, prosperity, progeny of sons and grandsons, wealth, and grain. The sins committed, whether knowingly or unknowingly, across countless births, are utterly destroyed by recounting the glory of the Divya Desams. Diseases such as consumption, sorrows, calamities, fear, and anxieties are all vanquished by the narration of the Divya Desams' glory. Likewise, a person attains liberation from the ocean of worldly existence simply by hearing with faith, day after day, the glory of the Divya Desams. (v.33-38)
Indeed, in this world enveloped by the darkness of the faults of the Kali age, devotion to Viṣṇu shines forth brilliantly through the potent influence of the Divya Desams. One who repeatedly calls people and guides them to behold the Divya Desams becomes a recipient of the Lord's divine grace. In the Kali age, Keśava grants His divine *darśana* [auspicious sight] in the Divya Desams even to those with impure minds and to the ignorant. The Lord of Vaikuṇṭha, by His very presence in the Divya Desams, bestows all desired fruits and objectives upon His devotees. (v.39-42)
Why do you run here and there, afflicted by various sorrows? Take refuge in a Divya Desam and perform service to the Lord. A person who performs services such as lighting lamps in the Divya Desams attains heavenly bliss and is freed even from the torments of hell. By giving charity according to the prescribed rules to those residing in the Divya Desams, one is certainly freed from all sorrows by the boundless grace of the Lord. (v.43-45)
Auspiciousness to the Divya Desams! Auspiciousness to the God of gods! Auspiciousness to His devotees and auspiciousness to the preceptors! (v.46)
The glory of the Divya Desams has been narrated by Premikendra. May it be victorious as long as the moon and sun exist, and may devotion to Viṣṇu ever increase! (v.47)
Thus ends the thirty-eighth chapter, titled "A Summary of the Glory of the Divya Desams," in the Fifth Volume of "Divya Desa Vaibhavam," composed by Śrī Kṛṣṇapremi Mahāprabhu.
