Chapter 22 - Indradyumna Goes to Brahmā’s Abode along with Nārada

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Jaimini said:

1-4. The king told him:

“O sage, why should the journey be a secret one? Here we have the flower-chariot that has a velocity more than that of the mind. We shall get into it and go. Kindly wait for a short while, when I shall instruct the officers in-charge of the Palace after circumambulating the Lord and then come back, O excellent sage.”

Nārada heard his words and believing in the utterance of the king held him by the hand and entered the great Altar. They repeatedly bowed down to Kṛṣṇa along with Balarāma and Subhadrā. Nārada then requested for permission to go to the world of Brahmā.

5. Indradyumna too circumambulated Had after praying to him mentally, verbally and physically. With great eagerness he bowed down to him with the eight limbs (touching the ground). O Brāhmaṇas, with palms folded in reverence, he requested for permission to go to the world of Brahmā.

6-10. Both of them, the sage and the king, went in the divine vehicle. After circumambulating the Sun that was in the centre of the sky, they went up and up crossing the zone of the Pole Star. They were looked at by Siddhas residing in Janaloka with bent and immediately uplifted faces. They were very joyously conversing mutually.

The conduct of the Lord is conducive to the removal of dirt and purification of the mind. Just as the excellent sage, a living-liberated soul, wandered over all the worlds without his movement obstructed anywhere, so also this resident of the mortal world. Thanks to the favour of Viṣṇu, the king proceeded ahead quickly.

In the whole of the Cosmic Egg there was nothing which could not be attained by him if it could be attained by a devotee of Viṣṇu. Or he would attain salvation. Both of them were honoured and adored by the Siddhas residing in Maharloka.

11-17. Indradyumna did not remember his earthly residence while gradually rising up and seeing (the liberated souls), the sole receptacles of happiness, devoid of Dvandvas (mutually opposed pairs like heat-cold etc.) and having many types of human aims realized at the very time when the desires arose. The only thing that he remembered was the Mansion he built in the land of Karmas on the earth for the propitiation of the Lord. He thought about it as follows: ‘Will it be completed or not? Now that I have come to the world of Brahmā I wonder whether it has been attacked by the enemies. The servants and attendants may have lost interest or respect because of their covetousness of wealth. The artisans and masons may be slow in their jobs even after taking the full amount of wages. As I have come to the abode of Brahmā, they may not complete the construction. Until I return to the earth with the four-faced Lord Brahmā, the Mansion will not be complete, as I am far off. Those who had come here before had not returned to the earth once again. Perhaps the vassal kings of wicked minds are thinking thus. Will the enemies seize my realm?’

While the king was thinking thus with a worried mind, the sage, the storehouse of the past and future knowledge, spoke to him:

18-21. “What do you think, O great king, thus with a distressed mind? The place where we have come to is not one where one should be worried. Agonies and ailments never prevail here; neither death nor old age find a place here. What else then is the cause of misery? O highly fortunate one, you are blessed. You have achieved your objectives because you have come to the world of Brahmā here in your human body itself. You have seen Hari directly. Those who have come here do not worry about various worldly affairs that are fit to be discarded.”

As the eminent sage spoke thus, the king spoke to him:

22-24. “O Brāhmaṇa, I do not worry about the kinsmen and the members of the family of the king. I have started construction of the Mansion of the Lord. Knowing that I have come away here, it is possible that the servants and the attendants do not carry out their tasks further. What has been started by me should be completed certainly, O sage. Thinking of a possibility of obstacles coining in the way, O holy Lord, my mind has become unhappy.” On hearing his words the sage said laughingly:

25-31. “You are on a par with Brahmā. You are not an ordinary king. You have never been offended or assailed by anyone on the earth. What is that which has been performed by your predecessors or by yourself which can cause any loss to creation or sustenance? You have come to the world of Brahmā. Your exploits and reputation spread in the three worlds like the Sun and the Moon. In your affairs the Four-faced Lord renders you assistance. Why should there be any suspicion of obstacles in those affairs, O tiger among king?

(Defective Text) He who is a direct enemy of yours is far off (?) O great king, Śakra who is the lord of the three worlds is seated in the middle of the assembly. Particularly in regard to the Mansion of the Lord of the worlds, O king, which man will even mentally desire (to harm the temple). Let there not be any doubt in you in regard to that.

Look ahead, O king, there is a mass of refulgence with the lustre of a crore of the moons. It generates delight all round like a crore of the oceans of nectar. Know that this mass of refulgence belongs to the abode of Brahmā.”

32-43. Conversing thus they reached the world of Brahmā. Even from afar they heard the sound of recitation of the Vedas issuing from the mouths of Brahminical Sages. The words, the letters and their sequences were clearly audible. Itihāsas, Purāṇas, metres, liturgical texts and songs—all were audible without any mix-up of the sounds or words. They were brilliant and they were heard distinctly. “O tiger among kings, know this as the city of Brahmā. The assembly is seen yonder wheré the Four-faced Grandfather of the worlds is comfortably seated along with the leading Brāhmaṇa Sages. He is attended upon by many living-liberated souls of variegated nature and sound consciousness. Those who come here do not return to the turmoils of the ocean of worldly existence. The word sat is another name of Brahmā. This is his excellent world. Hence it is famous as Satyaloka. There is nothing above it.

Slightly above this and beneath the hemispheroidal lid of the Cosmic Egg is the world of Vaikuṇṭha, O king. It is there that the liberated ones dwell. It is there that Janārdana, the Lord of Yogins, worthy of being contemplated upon by Yogins, himself dwells. Consciousness is his body. The Lord is of the nature of highest bliss. After attaining him they do not return to the path of worldly existence where death prevails. For the sake of his own salvation Brahmā always attends upon him along with the living-liberated ones.

At the end of the tenure of life allotted to him he too resorts to him along with these. He is the creator of the worlds. He assumes the forms of fish, tortoise etc. He is the creator of the worlds, the protector and the annihilator in the form of Rudra.”

Saying thus to Indradyumna he reached the abode of Brahmā. Within a moment he went to the entrance and the Prakoṣṭha (a room near the gate) where Śakra and other Guardians of Quarters stood waiting.

44-48. They were standing there engaged in meditation for a long time. The overlords of Manvantaras were denied entry by the gatekeeper as though they were ordinary people.

On seeing Nārada accompanied by Indradyumna that gatekeeper humbly bowed down to him, bending down his neck: “O holy lord who takes pleasure in wandering over all the fourteen worlds, O master, your father’s assembly does not look nice without you.

Of course, there are Gautama and other excellent sages, Brāhmaṇas, well-versed in the Vedas; still the assembly of Brahmā is not delightful. Though the night may have many stars, yet it is through the Moon that it shines well.”

Praising him thus, he humbly granted him permission to enter.