Chapter 56 - The Account of the Five (conclusion)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

The lord said:

1-2. Formerly, Śarva (i.e. Śaṅkara), having seen youthful and beautiful women of Gandharvas, Kinnaras and human beings, and with his mind set on them, pretended to be intent on practising penance, and with a spell dragged them far away into the sky.

3. Then the great lord, the conqueror of the god of love, having fashioned a very delightful cottage, sported (there) with them.

4. In the meanwhile, Gaurī’s mind became excited. By means of meditation she saw the lord of the world, sporting with women.

5-7. Knowing his intention she became angry. Then taking the form of Kṣemaṅkarī^[1], she entered (the sky), and saw, far away in a lonely region of the sky, Hara (i.e. Śiva), whose lustre was like that of the god of love, who was in the midst of beautiful women, who, the best man, was bright, who, having again and again embraced the women, was sporting with them, who was kissing them excessively, and who was tormented by the passion of love.

8-10. Seeing this, Kṣemaṅkarī, came down there in front of them. Śarva (i.e. Śaṅkara), annoyed with shame, remained with his face turned away (from Umā). Dragging them (by seizing) their hair, she angrily kicked them by her foot. All the women reached (i.e. fell on) the ground, and suddenly their faces were disfigured. With their bodies scorched by Umā’s, curse they came under the sway of Mlecchas.

11. Those women, widows or with their husbands alive are known as Cāṇḍāla. Even now they would experience the curse given by Umā.

12. Then Umā, having divided her form into a hundred ways, got united with the lord. O brāhmaṇa, thus always know the power of the passion of love.

13-14a. Then after a long time he went with her to the temple on Kailāsa. Therefore, those men, who, on seeing Kṣemaṅkarī, greet her, have wealth, prosperity and grandeur here (i.e. in this world) and in the next world.

14b-15a. (They should pray to her as:) “O you, whose body is reddish with saffron, O you, whose face is fair like the kunda-flower and the moon, O you goddess, who give all auspicious things, O you who bestow happiness, my salutation to you.”

15b. She has similarity with a female meditating sage even though she faces (the devotee) or has her face turned away (from him).

16. He who, on seeing her, does not salute her is defeated in war. One becomes successful in palaces and in (acquiring) knowledge by saluting her.

17. Such is the greatness of the passion of love, that even Bhava (i.e. Śiva) was deluded. Due to his forbearance he became the lord of the gods and the demons.

18-21. In the world there was none and will be none like him. By him, remaining on the bed in the form of the ground after having abandoned a charming woman seated on his lap, are obtained the worlds difficult to be obtained by gods and demons. Thus is the chief among the followers of Viṣṇu, who is worshipped by the hosts of gods and demons, and who gives us before he eats, and himself eats what remains (after being given). When thus a long time passed happily due to his steadiness in practice, he gladly offered his wife (even) before union with her, when he saw me. Having made a twelve-year resolution he assigned the first enjoyment to me.

22. Therefore, to protect his house, I always remain in his house. In the same way he always longs for the natural taste of the fruits of the earth.

23-24. Therefore I described him as the (best) devotee of the other (i.e. all) devotees of Viṣṇu. O brāhmaṇa, he has very much done that which formerly my devotees and gods following my path had not done. Therefore I have given (him) the name ‘All-in-all of the Vaiṣṇavas’.

25. I remain in his house; (even) for a short while I do not go away (from it). Therefore, O brāhmaṇa, I am easily accessible to those who are my devotees.

26-27a. Today (only) I give them my position, the natural cause. O brāhmaṇa, therefore, gentility, sleep, food etc. of us two are the same. So also, O brāhmaṇa, see our unity and intimacy. (There is) no difference (between us).

27b-29a. Then Mūka and others, who desired to go to heaven and who were meritorious, reached well, with their wives and paraphernalia, lord Hari. Even the house-lizards in the vicinity of his house, and also various insects and gods followed them.

Vyāsa said:

29b-32a. In the meanwhile, gods, Siddhas and great sages showered flowers and cried: ‘Well (done), well (done).’ Divine trumpets were sounded in the aeroplanes and forests; and (gods) getting into their respective chariots went to Hari’s city along the path. Seeing that wonder, the brāhmaṇa said to Janārdana (i.e. Viṣṇu): “O killer of Madhu, O lord of gods, advise me.”

The lord said:

32b-34. O child, go to your parents, whose minds are distressed with grief. After having carefully propitiated them, you will soon come to my residence. (Even) in the abode of gods (i.e. heaven), deities like the father and the mother, who always protected their child’s censurable body, along with its fault of ignorance and who always nourished and helped its growth, are not (to be found).

35-36a. Like them none else is there in the three worlds along with the mobile and the immobile. Then all the hosts of gods, full of joy, praising Viṣṇu, went along with the five to the abode of Viṣṇu.

36b-39. (They went to his) charming city, which was (well-)set, which was fashioned by Viśvakarman, which was rich with gems and full of all desired things, which was endowed with the desire-yielding trees etc., which was having golden houses, which was variegated with all (kinds of) gems, which had staircases of diamonds and cat’s-eye gems, and which was endowed with gold etc.,^[2] which was full of songs and sounds of musical instruments, and of all inaccessible places, which was full of the notes of the cuckoo, which was resorted to by Siddhas and Gandharvas, which was full of good men endowed with fine forms, and which was at it were moving in the sky.

40-41. Remaining there (for some time) all went from there, from the place above all the worlds. The brāhmaṇa too went to his parents; having carefully propitiated, he soon went to Viṣṇu along with (the members of) his family. I have narrated this meritorious account of the five to you.

42-45. He who recites or listens to it does not meet with misfortune in this world. He is never tainted with the sin of the murder of a brāhmaṇa etc. By being absorbed in (this) account of the five, a man gets the same fruit as he would get by the gift of a crore of cows. He gets the same fruit by listening to it which one gets by everyday bathing at Puṣkara or in the Ganges. It would quickly destroy bad dreams and would give sound health. It gives good health along with wealth; therefore it should be listened to.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Kṣemaṅkarī—the epithet is self-explanatory: ‘One who brings about well-being.’

[2]:

Svarṇadītoya etc. is not very clear.