Chapter 19 - The Lord Manifests Himself as Wooden Idol

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Jaimini said:

1. Thereafter the king did what the goddess (the ethereal voice) had said: He attended to everything.

2-8. As days passed on, a divine fragrance was experienced. There was a shower of the flowers of Pārijāta that was very rare in the world of human beings. There was the sound of divine music. The songs were very sweet. There was a shower of (tiny drops of) waters of the celestial Gaṅgā, very beautiful and splendid in the form of small drops. The sweet aroma of the ichor of Airāvata and other elephants was experienced. It was unbearable to wild elephants but very pleasing to (other) living beings. All those Devas who had come for the sake of the Yajñas were free from ailments, O Brāhmaṇas. On seeing Hari becoming visible they worshipped him. Just as they worshipped Mādhava before, so also they worshipped the tree of Viṣṇu. In the course of the worship of Devas divine symbols appeared. On the fifteenth day the Lord completed the work. In the manner explained by me before the Lord manifested himself in four forms. It has been described to you before. He was seated in the divine throne along with Bala, Subhadrā and Sudarśana.

Janārdana has conch, discus, iron club and lotus shining in his hands.

9-15. Balabhadra has the shape of a serpent. He holds iron club, mace, discus and lotus. He has seven hoods in the form of an umbrella shining with crowns and also ear-rings.

Subhadrā of charming face, granting boons and immunity from fear (through the positions of her fingers) holds a lotus (in her hand). This is the manifestation of Lakṣmī who has been the embodiment of the consciousness of everyone. Indeed in the course of the incarnation as Kṛṣṇa she was born of the womb of Rohiṇī (?)^[1] and had the forms pf Bala and Bhadrā (i.e. Subhadrā) since she contemplated on the form of Bala. She could not bear even for a moment separation from the Lord of sportful incarnation. There is no difference at all between Kṛṣṇa and Bala.

Since they were born of the same womb, the story in the Purāṇa says that she is the sister of Baladeva. So is the way in which ordinary people also mention it.

This is the case when she has the male form (?). In the female form as Lakṣmī she stays everywhere. By a male name she is Lord Viṣṇu and by a female name she is Kamalālayā (‘lotus-aboded one’). Among Devas, lower animals, human beings etc. there is none greater than they.

16. Who else other than the lotus-eyed Lord can bear the fourteen worlds? Ananta bears them with the tips of his hoods. He is called Bala.

17. His sister Śrī is glorified in the form of his Śakti. The discus Suḍarśana is always present in the hand of Viṣṇu.

18. It is at the tip of the branch and stationed in the middle of the pillar (?). That is the fourth form (of the Lord). Thus the four forms were revealed by him.

19. When the fourfold divine form of the Lord was completed, the ethereal voice said once again for helping the worlds:

20. “Cover these idols completely. Through paints give appropriate colour to everyone of them in an agreeable way.

21-24. Viṣṇu must be dark-coloured like a blue cloud. Bala should be white like a conch or the Moon. The discus Sudarśana should be red. Subhadrā should be tawny-coloured like saffron. She should be beautifully adorned with different ornaments and the curves and contours should be properly depicted.

If these idols are seen as wooden pieces, they are conducive to sin. They should be carefully concealed with cloths, resin-like exudations or bark garments. Hence at the very outset get all these covered with the barks of this very tree by craftsmen who are experts in their respective jobs. Every, year they must be adorned and embellished after removing the previous ones.

25-28. Without the bark-garments and the unguents it is divine and eternal (?)

If anyone were to remove the unguent inadvertently, there will be famine and pestilence in the kingdom. His line of progeny will become extinct. O king, they should not be ever seen by you without a covering. O great king, if they are seen so by ordinary men, they will cause fear. Hence they should be seen in agreeable colours and smeared with many unguents.

By seeing the lotus-eyed Lord in agreeable colour with beauty, grace and elegance, one is liberated from sins accumulated in the course of crores of Kalpas.

29-34. Make them variegated and agreeable, O great king. You will get wonderful objects desired by you. The Lord has manifested himself with a desire to bless you. Since he is pleased with you, he will grant all the four aims of life to all living beings.

On Nīla mountain, about a hundred Hastas (i.e. about 45 Metres) to the north-west of the Kalpa tree (Banyan tree), and on the northern side of Narasiṃha in a large piece of land get a Mansion built. It should be large and firm. It should be a thousand Hastas high (i.e. 450 Metres). There install the Lord.

Formerly when the Lord was on that mountain, a Śabara named Viśvāvasu, an excellent devotee of Viṣṇu, used to worship Mādhava. Your priest became an intimate friend of his on that occasion. Only the descendants of these two should be employed, O great king, in the job of smearing the unguents or adorning the Lord in future festivals.”

35-41a. After speaking this the divine speech ceased.

On hearing what was instructed by it the excellent king became extremely delighted within himself. He unveiled the great Altar. At that time all of them saw Lord Kṛṣṇa, son of Vasudeva, Rāma, Subhadrā and Sudarśana. The Lord was seated on a gem-set throne. All the idols were charming in their features with the unguents smeared and the limbs duly adorned. He saw Lord Kṛṣṇa with a kind and beaming face. The chest was broad and projecting forward. He had long brawny arms capable of uplifting the poor. His eyes resembled full-blown lotuses. There was a gentle smile on the broad lips. By his mere glance he could dispel the mass of sins of those who view him. He was seated in the lotus-posture. He was embellished with divine ornaments. He was surrounded by his own refulgence. Even in that wooden form he was free from impurities. He resembled a blue cloud. He was the destroyer of all distresses.

41b-44. He saw Baladeva with a face giving boisterous laughter. He had extensive circular hoods and eyes rolling on account of (the intake of) liquor. He was the rising king of serpents with a thick and muscular chest. He had a slight depression on his back. He had his body coiled up. He appeared like the peak of Kailāsa with an Arjuna tree in full bloom on its top. He held plough, discus, lotus and iron club. He had a garland of sylvan flowers. He was remarkably resplendent with necklaces, ear-rings, armlets, coronets and crowns.

45-47. He saw in between them Lakṣmī (who was) Subhadrā of gentle form,^[2] the source of origin of all the Devas, the goddess who took the (devotee) across the ocean of sins, whose face was like a full-blown lotus, who held a lotus and gesticulated granting of boons and immunity from fear (by means of her fingers), who was the abode of beauty, grace and charm, who shone splendidly with ornaments and whose body was tawny-coloured like saffron. She appeared like another Lakṣmī in person. She was installed on the left side of Viṣṇu.

48-50. He saw the discus (Sudarśana) that had been made out of tips of the branches. It resembled the rising Sun. It had sharp edges. It was excessively refulgent, O Brāhmaṇas.

On seeing all of them the king became immersed in the ocean of bliss. He was confused as to what he should do. He was not capable of sustaining his own body.

The excellent king stood just like a stump with palms joined in reverence. With the eyes slightly closed he simply shed tears (of joy).

51. The excellent sage spoke to the lord of the earth, with a smile on his face: “That for which you exerted yourself has taken effect now.

52-53. It is evident now, O tiger among kings, that you are the only person fortunate on the earth. See this Lord of the universe with large eyes resembling lotus, Hari, the ocean of blessings unto the devotees, the storehouse of all knowledge. The Yogins of restrained minds strive forever to see him.

54-56. Men see him for a moment with great concentration. That Janārdana has taken up a wooden body and has become directly perceptible, O king, in order to bless you.

Worship this Lord of the earth. Eulogize the ocean of kindness. On being eulogized, O king he will grant you everything that you desire in your mind.”

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

But in Mbh, Ādi. 217 she is Devakī’s daughter.

[2]:

It is not known why the Purāṇa confuses Subhadrā with Lakṣmī. Subhadrā’s sister-wife relation with Kṛṣṇa reminds one of the Rāma-Sītā (sister-wife) relation in the Pali Dasaratha Jātaka.