Chapter 5 - Yuga-wise Methods of Worshipping the Lord

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

[Full title: Nature and Fate of non-Devotees: Yuga-wise Methods of Worshipping the Lord]

The King (Nimi) enquired:

1. O sages, foremost among those who have realized the Ātman! What is the condition and fate of those persons who do not mostly adore Lord Hari and whose -desires are still unsatiated and whose minds and senses uncontrolled?

Camasa replied:

2. From the mouth, arms, thighs and feet of the Supreme Person were severally originated the four varṇas (classes of society) along with the Āśramas (Stages in life). According to their predominant characteristic qualities (viz. Sattva, Rajas and Tamas and their combinations), they were distinctly classified as Brāhmaṇa, Kṣattriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra.

3. Out of these, those who do not adore the Supreme Ruler, their direct Originator, either through ignorance or through negligence of that Great Person, lose their present status and fall down into hell.

4. Women, persons from Śūḍra and such other classes (who are denied the opportunity and hence) are away from (the places or chances of) hearing the stories of Hari and also from listening to the songs of the excellent qualities of Hari,^[1] deserve compassion from sages like you. (It behoves you to guide them in the path of Ḍevotion.)

5. But Brāhmaṇas, Kṣattriyas and Vaiśyas, by virtue of their original birth, and second birth through their Upanayana (investiture of the sacred thread) ceremony (become eligible for studies, performance of sacrifices, etc.), stand in the proximity of Lord’s feet. But even they are deluded (to become attached to the fruit of their Karmas) by accepting the Arthavāda (apparent and superficial meaning) of the Vedas.

6. These persons are ignorant of the method of performing Karmas (without getting themselves involved in the fruits of the acts), being conceited fools, they regard, themselves as the learned ones (and hence do not seek guidance of others for the technique of performing Karmas without getting bound by them). These fools being fascinated and impatient by the sweet words of the Vedas (promising happiness in heaven) indulge in sweet talk.

7. Due to the influence of Rajas, they are ruthless in their designs; are lustful and revengeful like serpents. These wicked, conceited hypocrites laugh at the real devotees who are beloved of Hari.

8. Addicted to sexual pleasures, they adore (and cajole) women. Living in houses dominated with craving for conjugal pleasures, they talk to each other of their (present and prospective) achievements (or they wish each other to be blest with wives, children, prosperity). They perform sacrifices without observing the correct procedure or distribution of (adequate) food or giving of (the due) sacrificial fees. They kill animals for personal appetite unmindful of the consequences of such destruction of life.

9. Being elated with the pride of wealth, prosperity, lineage, learning, munificence, personal beauty, physical power and superior aptitude for action, these wicked people get blinded and despise not only righteous devotees beloved of Lord Hari, but also the Supreme Lord Himself.

10. Persons lacking in the wisdom do not care to listen what is explicitly sung in the Vedas about the Supreme Lord—that he is the eternal principle permeating everything like the sky and is the beloved-most Indwelling soul in all embodied beings. They interpret the Vedas suitably as sanctioning their desires (for women, wine, etc.).

11. It is the natural tendency of creatures to indulge in sexual intercourse, and enjoy non-vegetarian food and wine. No injunction for these is necessary from the Veda. The Veda provides a check over this by allowing sexual intercourse with one’s married wife (at the proper time of the period), eat meat at the end of a sacrifice and drink wine during the Sautrāmaṇi sacrifice (but never otherwise). The real intention of the Vedic injunctions (in these matters) is to make a person abstain from, them.

12. The only object of wealth is to bear fruit, viz. dharma. It leads to spiritual knowledge and direct realization of the soul and supreme peace (mokṣa). But people utilise their wealth for the family or personal comfort and fail to take cognisance of the god of death, the formidable and inexorable enemy of their bodies.

13. The smelling of wine (in the Sautrāmaṇi sacrifice) is laid down as its intake (and no drinking of liquor is permitted); a beast is to be (symbolically) offered to the deities (by touching it) in sacrifices, but no killing for meat-eating is allowed; similarly, sexual intercourse (with one’s wife) is to be indulged in for procreation but not for sexual enjoyment. But people do not understand this pure course of their own dharma.

14. But those wicked persons who do not know the real nature of Dharma, and being obstinate and haughty, consider themselves to be righteous and kill beasts without any remorse and are reciprocally eaten by those very beasts in the next world in hell.

15. These godless people hate Lord Hari—their very indwelling self who abides in the bodies of others as well (as their Soul); and fixing their attachment to their mortal body and its relatives (wives, sons, etc.), they fall down deep into hell.

16. Those who have not grasped the correct knowledge of Reality and have crossed the stage of total ignorance (by possessing imperfect knowledge) regard themselves as non- momentary (permanent), and pursue the three objectives of human life (Dharma, Artha and Kāma); such persons (who thus follow a suicidal path) ruin themselves.

17. Such people shrouding their Self in ignorance and with their desires unrequieted, mistake ignorance (i, e. Karma) for knowledge. Being thwarted in acheiving their objects and their hopes and wishes being frustrated by the Time-Spirit they ruin themselves (and suffer misery)^[2].

18. Persons, averse to Lord Vāsudeva, are compelled against their will to abandon their household, children, friends and wealth (property) acquired by them with great efforts and are forced to enter into the dark hell (i.e. ignorance).

The King Nimi said:

19. Be pleased to explain to us now, in which ages (yugas) of what complexion and form and by what names is the Lord known and with what rites of worship he is worshipped by men.

Karabhājana replied:

20. In the ages Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali, Lord Keśava assumes different forms, complexions and names and he is to be worshipped in different ways.

21. In the Kṛta age, the Lord is of fair (white) complexion, has four arms, wears matted locks of hair, is clad in bark-garments and deer-skin; he puts on a sacred thread and carries in his hands a rosary of Rudrākṣa, a staff and a water-jar of gourd.

22. Men of that Age are quiescent by nature; entertain no feeling of enmity, are friendly towards all and look upon all beings as equals. They worship the Deity with penance, meditation, control of mind and the senses.

23. The Lord is addressed with the epithets Haṃsa, Suparṇa, Vaikuṇṭha, Dharma, Lord of Yoga, Amala, Īśvara, Puruṣa Avyakta (the un-manifest) and Paramātman (the Supreme Soul), in that age.

24. In the age called Tretā, he the Lord is red in complexion, has four arms and wears a zone of three cords (round his waist indicating initiation), he has golden. locks of hair. He, being the embodiment of sacrifice as described in the three Vedas, carries in his hand sruk, sruvā (ladles and spoons for offering oblations in the fire and other accessories for performing sacrifices.

25. In that age, righteous men who are the expounders of the Vedas, worship Lord Hari, the embodiment of gods, through (rites prescribed in) the three Vedas,

26. He is then called Viṣṇu, Yajña, Pṛśnigarbha (the son of Pṛśni, the wife of Prajāpati Sutapas), Sarvadeva, Urukrama, Vṛṣākapi, Jayanta and Urugāya.

27. In the Dvāpara age, the Lord is bluish (like the atasī- hemp-flower) in complexion. He wears yellow silken cloth and bears all his original arms (like Sudarśana discus, Kaumodakī mace and others). He is distinguished by his characteristic marks like Śrīvatsa (on his bosom).

28. In that age, people desirous of knowing the Supreme Brahman worship that Supreme Man characterised by the emblem of a sovereign emperor (white umbrella, chouries [chowries?], etc.) with (the rites prescribed both in) the Vedas and Tantra texts.

29. Salutations to Vāsudeva, bow to Saṅkarṣaṇa; obeisance to Pradyumna and Aniruddha, to you O glorious Lord (in the four manifestations or Vyūhas).

30. Hail to the (perfect) sage Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme person, the All-pervading Lord, the Ruler of the Universe, the Indwelling Soul of all created beings.

31. It is in this manner, O Lord of the earth, that they extol the Ruler of the universe. Now listen to me how people worship him with rites prescribed in various Tantric Texts.

32. It is known to all that highly intelligent and discerning people, through sacrifices mostly consisting of chanting his name and extolling his glory, worship that Lord of dark complexion but brilliant (like Sapphire) in lustre. The Lord who is perfect in every limb, beautified with ornaments (like Kaustubha gem and others), equipped with his weapons and missiles (like the discus Sudarśana) and accompanied with his attendants (like Sunanda and others).

33. O Supreme Person! Protector of the votaries (who bow to your feet), I salute your lotus-feet which are even worthy of being meditated upon, which end all the insults and insubordinations (suffered from the members of the family and one’s own sense-organs), bestow all the desired objects, the resort of all sacred places, are praised by god Śiva and Brahmā, an asylum—worthy of taking refuge, annihilate the afflictions of your servants (devotees) and which is a boat for crossing the sea of Saṃsāra.

34. O the most religious-minded King (Nimi), I bow to the lotus-feet which, at the word of his father (Daśaratha), resigned his prosperous kingdom which was covetable even to gods and hence was very difficult to give up, and departed to the forest, and which gave chase to an illusory deer which was desired by his beloved (Sītā)—To those lotus-feet I bow, O exalted Person.

35. In this manner, O King, glorious Lord Hari, who confers all blessings, is worshipped under different names and forms appropriate to the Age (e.g. Kṛta, Tretā) by men belonging to the particular Age.

36. Noble discerning persons who know the excellences and essentials, appreciate Kali Age in which all the desired ideals in human life are fully accomplished by merely singing the name and deeds of Hari.

37. To persons who are wandering in the cycle of Saṃsāra in this world, there is no higher gain than this^[3] (glorification and singing the name and deeds of the Lord); for it is by virtue of it, that a person attains sublime serenity and the Saṃsāra in his case comes to an end.

38. Persons belonging to the ages like Kṛta and others (Tretā and Dvāpara) wish to be born in the Kali Age, O King. It is certainly in the Kali age alone that persons exclusively devoted to Lord Nārāyaṇa will be born.

39-40. O great King I such (exclusive devotees of Lord Nārāyaṇa) will be born in some place here and there (in Kali age), but a majority of them will be born in the Dravidian lands wherein flow the rivers, the Tāmraparṇī, the Kṛtamālā, the Payasvinī, the sacred-most Kāverī and the western Mahānadī. People who drink water from these rivers become pure in heart and generally turn into votaries of the glorious Lord Vāsudeva, O ruler of men.

41. (With the realisation that Lord Vāsudeva abides everywhere and hence) entertaining no notion of difference (or absolutely giving up all duties prescribed by Śāstraṣ, he, who, with all his heart, seeks resort in Mukunda (Viṣṇu), the shelter of all beings, is under no obligations of gods, sages, creatures, relatives and people, nor is he the servant of any of these. (Hence the performance of the pañca-mahāyajñas which is obligatory for all according to Śāstras, is not applicable to him. He is above the prescriptions and interdictions of the Śāstras).

42. (A devotee stands in no need of expiation for the non-observance of the prescriptions of Dharma). As Lord Hari, the Supreme Ruler, abides in the heart of his devotee who sought shelter at his feet, giving up attachment to his body, etc., (and is not propitiating any other god), the devotee (does not go astray but) if perchance, he commits any sin (due to the force of previous karma), Lord Hari absolves him of all sins.

Nārada said:

43. Thus having listened to the exposition of the course of duties meant for the devotees of the glorious Lord, Nimi, the king of Mithilā, became highly delighted. Accompanied by his family priest, he duly worshipped the nine sages, the sons of Jayantī.

44. Thereupon, immediately all the Siddhas vanished while all people remained merely looking on. The king also practised the duties (the Bhāgavata way of propitiating the Lord) and attained to the highest state (viz. Mokṣa).

45. O highly fortunate Vasudeva! If entertaining no attachment and with devout faith, you follow the Bhāgavata course of conduct, you also will reach the highest goal.

46. The whole world is filled with the fame of you both (Vasudeva and your queen Devakī) as the Supreme Lord Hari is pleased to accept you as his parents (lit. is pleased to be your son).

47. Your soul has been already purified by cherishing parental affection to Kṛṣṇa (as your son) by his sight, embrace, conversation as also by sleeping and sitting with him and by feeding him.

48. If inimical Kings like Śiśupāla, Pauṇḍra, Śālva and others brooded over him with hatred (all the while) while sleeping, sitting, etc. and had their mind transformed, as it was deeply impressed with his gait, graceful activities, glances, etc. and could attain to the semblance of his personality (the Sarūpatā type of liberation), what need be said of those whose mind is deeply attached to him.

49. You should not entertain the notion that Lord Kṛṣṇa is your child; for he is the Supreme Ruler, the soul abiding in all beings, the immutable transcendence who has concealed his Supreme nature by assuming a human form, by the dint of his Māyā potency.

50. In order to annihilate the demonic Kṣattriyas who, being veritable Asuras, were a burden to the earth and for the protection of the good and for conferring liberation from Saṃsāra on them, Lord Kṛṣṇa has descended on the earth, and his glory spreads all over the universe.

Śrī Śuka said:

51. Having listened to this, the highly fortunate Vasudeva and the blessed-most Devakī were extremely astonished and the infatuation (of parental affection to Kṛṣṇa) was dissipated (from their mind).

52. Whoever with a concentrated mind understands and retains in memory the sacred account (of the discourses of nine Siddhas) will shake off the illusion (of Saṃsāra) here and become eligible to attain the Brahma-hood.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Or: are far from i.e. cannot approach those who extol the excellences of the Lord (in Kīrtana).

[2]:

asuryā nāma te lokā andhena tamasā''vṛtāḥ /
tāñs te pretyā'bhigacchanti ye ke cātmahano janāḥ //
  —Īśa. Up.

[3]:

EK. Poetically explains how four types of muktis (liberation), viz. salokatā, samīpatā, sarūpatā and sāyujyatā are attained during the Kīrtana (glorification of Hari’s names and deeds)—EB 5.425-440.