Chapter 18 - The Eternal Banyan Tree Emerges

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Jaimini said:

1-2. Then began the holy rite of Sutyā^[1] (i.e. extraction of the Soma juice) as a part of the horse-sacrifice of the king. In that activity, O Brāhmaṇas, all the three worlds came to be like one family. All other sounds were drowned by the sounds of the scriptural passages and hymns that touched the vaults of heaven. The Mantras had the prescribed order (without any deviation). Proper accents were given to all the words.

3. Everything desired was given to the poor people without any restriction. That came to be comparable to the Kalpa tree for actors, dancers and bards.

4-9. In the middle (of the sacrificial site) on the southern seashore near Bilveśvara the royal camp was made for the purpose of taking the valedictory bath. The servants who had been appointed there by the king, O Brāhmaṇas, approached the king with great excitement. They reported to the king with palms joined in reverence:

“O Lord, a great tree was seen on the shore of the great ocean. Its top has sunk deep into the sea waves and the roots continue to float above on the waves. It has the colour of madder throughout. It is marked with conch and discus symbols. It was seen by us floating near the bathing house. It is exceedingly wonderful, it is a tree that has never been seen before. It resembles the sun rising with all his rays. It has rendered the entire foreshore fragrant with its sweet scent. It is not an ordinary tree. It seems to be a celestial tree. Certainly it appears that some god has come in the guise of this tree.”

10. On hearing the words of the employees the king spoke to Nārada: “They say, an excellent tree has been seen. What does it indicate?”

11-13. Nārada laughingly said to the excellent king: “Let the Pūrṇāhuti (final offering of ghee at the end of a sacrifice) be concluded so that the sacrifice may be fruitful. Your good fortune is imminent as you have already seen in the dream. The hair that has dropped down from the body of the cosmic-formed, imperishable Viṣṇu who has been formerly seen in the Śvetadvīpa has assumed the form of a tree. This partial incarnation of the Supreme Lord shall remain (forever) on the earth.

14-17. The Lord, fond of his devotees, has incarnated in that form. Indeed this tree is not man-made. Except you, O excellent king, O tiger among men, no one on the earth can be fortunate enough to have sight of this holy tree. Thanks to your good fortune, O great king, that it will be the guest of the eyes of the people of all the worlds. It is destructive of all sins. Conclude your valedictory bath near the shore of the sea. Celebrate a very great festival with the auspicious thread (tied round your wrist). Install the Lord of Yajñas in the form of the tree on the great Altar here.”

18. After discussing thus both of them, the king as well as Nārada, joyously equipped themselves with all necessary things and went to that place where the lordly tree (was seen).

19-21. On seeing it everyone was extremely delighted. They thought that Brahman itself had come to them. They considered their life fruitful and themselves living-liberated souls of great prosperity.

King Indradyumna too sank in the ocean of nectar. This king, a beloved of the Lord, saw the tree in the same manner as the Lord of the universe whom he saw in the dream, with four branches as four arms. The excellent king thought that his exertion had become fruitful. O Brāhmaṇas, he got rid of his grief caused by the disappearance of the Blue-sapphire Mādhava.

22-27. With tears of joy welling in his eyes the king bowed down again and again to the tree. He brought it up through the Brāhmaṇas as it was tossed about by the waves.

Conch-shells were blown. Kāhāla trumpets were sounded to the accompaniment of Muraja, Dhakkā and Paṭaha drums. Songs were sung. Musical instruments were played. Thousands of people shouted “Victory to you”. Handfuls of sweet-smelling flowers were repeatedly showered from the sky. Vessels of incense fumigated with black aloe-wood were taken round. The tree was fanned with chowries having rods studded with gems and jewels, held and waved by courtesans of great beauty in the prime of their youth. It was rendered splendid by means of flags and banners made of divine silk cloths. It was surrounded by a number of saintly kings, vassal kings, the cavalry and the infantry. It was saluted (and panegyrized) by the bards and eulogized by great sages.

28. The Brāhmaṇas, priests, learned men and scholars well-versed in the Vedas prayed to it. It was attended upon by kings, persons born in the families of Vaiśyas as well as good Śūdras.

29-32. It was eulogized with various hymns from the Vedas, Smṛtis and Purāṇas.

They took that heavenly tree of Viṣṇu that was eulogized, that had been beautified with garlands and sweet scents and that had come to the terrestrial world surrounded (by various things) to the great Altar that had been wonderfully and tastefully decorated with canopies and completely covered without leaving any space in between. At the bidding of Indradyumna they installed it on the Altar. At the instance of Nārada the king worshipped it. The excellent king worshipped it with thousands of offerings and services of divine nature.

At the end of the worship he asked Nārada, the excellent sage:

33-35. “Of what sort shall the idols of Viṣṇu be? Who will carve it?” On hearing that the sage said: “The size is of unimaginable greatness. Who knows his extraordinary activity? Even the creator of all the worlds is in doubt regarding it.”

While Nārada and the king were discussing thus, an unembodied divine speech was heard from the firmament.

36-43a. The speech was heard by all those who were present there with great surprise:

“The Lord is not under the influence of any person. He is beyond the path of discourse and contemplation. He will directly incarnate in the great Altar which shall be kept well-concealed. Let that be covered for the next fifteen days. Let this old carpenter who is present here with weapons (and instruments) in his hands be allowed to go in and let the doors be closed carefully thereafter.

Let there be instrumental music as long as the carving work goes on. If the sound of chiselling or carving is heard it will result in deafness and blindness. He who hears it will go to hell and his line may become extinct.

No one shall enter the place nor peep in. If anyone other than the employee looks in, there is great danger to the king, the realm and the person who looks in. Both of his eyes will become blind.

Hence as long as the idol is completely carved and chiselled no one shall look into the premises. If the work is concluded, the Lord himself shall announce it. Whatever is to be done for the sake of the happiness of all the worlds the Lord himself will announce.”

43b-46. On hearing these words Nārada and others desired to do what had been mentioned by Viṣṇu himself. By that time the carpenter too came there. He said to the king, “With the wood of divine form I shall fashion all those things seen by you in the dream.”

After saying this Lord Nārāyaṇa who himself took the form of the old carpenter for the sake of deceiving (ordinary) men, vanished behind the Altar.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sutyā: This pressing out of Soma is generally done on the last day of the sacrifice and the day therefore came to be called Sutyā.