Chapter 21 - Tantuka’s firm devotion

[Note: This page represents a summary English translation of the Dvisāhasrī by Ṭembesvāmī, chapter 21.—In the 21^st chapter the pilgrimage of Mt. Śrīśaila, Tantuka’s firm devotion, Nandi’s upliftment and rise of two poets are described.]

21/01-02: Nāmadhāraka spoke: He wants to listen to other narrations of Divine Sports fo the Holy Master.

21/03-21: Siddha spoke: A devotee named Tantuka attends upon Him daily. When his kinsmen ask him for visiting Mt. Śrīśaila, he refuses and says that form him the monastery is Mt. Śrīśaila and the Holy Master (i.e. Śri Nṛsimhasarasvatī) is Lord Śiva. The kinsmen go to Mt. Śrīśaila. The Holy Master asks him the reason for not going. He utters the same. But on Śivarātrī the Holy Master tells that the holy places have their special importance, as they are sanctified by the ascetics and therefore, the worship performed there gives quick result. The Holy Master asks him to hold His wooden shoes and takes him to Mt. Śrīśaila. The Holy Master instructs him to have vision of Lord Mallikārjuna. On the way he meets his kinsmen and tells them about his journey. They are not ready to accept it. Tantuka goes in the temple, but beholds the Holy Master in the Phallus of Lord Mallikārjuna and reports to his Holy Master.

21/22-25: Holy Master spoke: The Lord is one but the Power of the holy places is different. He narrates a historical event about King Vimarṣṇa living in a Bhilla region, the follower of the righteous. Though lascivious, he is a staunch devotee of Lord Śiva. Ond day his queen asks about his devotion to Lord Śiva in spite of his being engrossed in practising unrighteous acts.

21/26-33: The King spoke: He was a dog in his previous birth and was killed by the crowd gathered at the Śiva temple on Śivarātri. (27-28). The king informs his wife about their last birth and the next 07 births^[1] up to they would be Liberated (29-33).

21/34-43:The Holy Master continues. Deities are ever-effective in the holy places. He takes him along and both arrive at the confluence in no time. Meanwhile on the confluence the people not seeing Him return, see Tantuka and ask him the reason of shaving his head (35-36). He informs the miracle (37). They do not believe it. Tantuk’s kinsmen return from Mt. Śrīśaila and the truth is known (38-40). Tantuk enjoys the Bliss by the grace of the Holy Master (41).

21/42-43: Siddha is not able to speak out the total number of the liberated ones blessed by the Holy Master. But the two poets are worth noting. They are liberated through singing His glory (42). They have composed the stories of His glory (43).

21/44-45: Nāmadhāraka spoke: He asks about the two poets.

21/46-59: Siddha spoke: Nandiśarmā afflicted by Encoderma approach-es goddess Candaleśvarī, practises penance, but the goddess instructs him to go to the Holy Master on the confluence of rivers Bhīmā and Amarajā (47-48). On his speaking about the Holy Master just a mortal and on not accepting her instruction the goddess kicks him out (49-50). Nandiśarmā then goes to the Holy Master (51). In spite of his inquiry about the Holy Master no one guides him looking at his Encoderma. But finally he reaches to the hermitage (52-53). The people inform the Holy master about the Brahmin (54). He asks him the reason of coming to a mortal one (55). Nandiśarmā accepts Him to be the Supreme Person worthy of refuge (56-57). He introduces himself (58-59).

21/60-76: Holy Master spoke: His suffering is due to the sin. He instructs him to take bath in the confluence (61). A devotee named Somanātha is asked to explain the purificatory rite and to take him the confluence. Somanātha does so. When Nandiśarmā returns, his body is free from Encoderma except a small spot. Nandiśarmā eulogizes Him and asks for the reason for the small spot which He explains as the result of doubting Him (62-66). Nandiśarmā asks whether He attains the nature of perfection by seeing this spots (67- 68).^[2] When Nandiśarmā attains Brahman through the hymn, he asks how he being unaware of the letters can praise Him (70-73). The Holy Master replies that His words have come out once do not return like the tusks of an elephant (74-75). He must follow His instructtions. The Holy Master puts the ashes in his hand and orders to eulogize (76).

21/77-105: Like the god of speech (gīṣpati) he eulogizes (77-80). He says that the cycle of births and the deaths is caused of sins (81). From the orb of the Moon the soul enters into the plants, transforms in the semen of a man and by the contact of a male becomes an embryo (in a woman). The foetus becomes a small bubble till the 5^th night, the bubble till the 7^th night, a ball of flesh after a fortnight, the head by the end of two months, the neck, etc., by the end of the 3^rd month, the skin by the end 4^th month, the body hair and nails by the end of the 5^th month, the nostrils, mouth as well as eyes by the end of the 6^th month, the movement by the end of 7^th month, the intelligence by the end of the 8^th month and the whole of the body gets developed by the end of the 9^th month. The soul then prays the Lord to uplift (82-87). But as soon as he is born, he forgets all (88). After the birth no one follows the path of righteousness. He wastes half of his life in sleep and the rest in the childhood, etc.(89-93)

Nandiśarmā asks for staunch devotion in Him (94). Nṛsiṃhasarasvatī has incarnated to protect the mankind (95). Nandiśarm’s sins are destroyed by His grace like the heap of grass turns in to ashes by the touch of fire (96-97). Though the Vedas declare Him as ‘not this not this (neti neti),’ He is accessible to one with faith in Him (98). Thus Nandiśarmā eulogizes Him and falls in His holy feet (99). The Holy Master gives a boon to him who later on composes His narratives (100). Another poet named Nṛkeśarī praises his narratives, but censures them as the eulogy of a mortal (101). The Holy Master manifests His form in the phallus of Lord Kallāleśvara (102). In the mental worship of Nṛkeśarī the Holy Master asks him about his deity (103). Nṛkeśarī believes Him to be the Supreme Self, goes to Him and eulogizes. The Holy Master replies him why he eulogizes the mortal one (104-105).

21/106-113: Nṛkeśarī spoke: He prays to forgive and requests to accept him as His disciple (107-108). The Holy Master being pleased instructs him to worship Kallāleśvara (109-111). He accepts him and instructs about the Bliss (112). Thus the two poets become free by composing His glory (113).

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

prāṅme janiḥ kveti tayāha pṛṣṭaḥ prāktvāṃ kāpotīṃ sati cañjumāṃsām|
cillo'hanacchrīmadage śivāgre prāṇārpaṇānme mahiṣīha jātā|| 21/29||
kveto bhavān yāsyāsi cāpyāhaṃ kva śaṃseti pṛṣṭaḥ sa tu sindhudeśe |
rājā bhaviṣyāmyapi sṛñjayotthā matstrā tvamagre'pi kaliṅgajā tvam||21/30||
saurāṣṭrake'haṃ khalu māgadhī tvaṃ gāndharajāvantidaśārṇajau ca|
nṛpo'pyananto'pi yayātijā tvaṃ pāṇḍyo'hamagre'pi vidārbhajā tvaṃ|| 21/31||
smaropamo dhīguṇaśīlaśālyahaṃ vṛtvā tadā tvāṃ ratibhāṃ svayaṃvare|
tvayā saheṣṭvā purudakṣiṇānmakhān samrāṭtayā prāpya sutānasubhogayuk||21/32||
lbdhvātmatattvaṃ ghaṭajācca jīvan-mūkto bhaviṣyāmi saha tvayaivam|
rā'dampatī vai pratijanma bhūtvā muktau bhaviṣyāva iti hyavocat|| 21/33||

[2]:

Vv. 21/67-68 are the direct speech of Nandiśarmā.