Second Chapter (celestial)

Brahmaji on his vehicle, the swan.

When Devarshi Nârad heard the king speak in this manner, he went to the heavenly planets. There he beheld Lord Vâman surrounded by the devatâs. The celestial beings were serving the Lord with excellent ingredients, and Sri Bhagavân too was spreading bliss all around with His remarkable nectarine speech that was full of ras. Indra, the king of the devatâs was sitting next to Vâmandev and describing the favors that the good Lord had bestowed upon him. While singing His glory Indra was floating in tears. When Bhagavân Vishnu left for his own abode, Sri Nârad approached Indra, blessed him and said, “O King! You alone are the recipient of Sri Krishna-kripâ. You have obtained the vast kingdom of the heavenly planets, the Lord Himself has accepted the position of your younger brother, and respects you as His elder brother. You are indeed very fortunate!”

Indra offered obeisance to the great sage and spoke with embarrassment, “O sage! Do you not know how much this heavenly kingdom is full of troubles? I think you are joking with me. How many times the asuras have attacked us, and we have had to flee from here! The heaven is also contaminated with arrogance, competition, malice etc. Moreover, please don’t think that Lord Vâman has accepted the position of my younger brother due to my devotion. Rather, He has agreed to become a son to my parents because of their immense tapasyâ. It is on their request that He accepts my pujâ, that too, not always. Sometimes He just gives me darshan for a moment and then disappears.

O sage! If you really wish to see the recipient of divine mercy, then please visit your father Brahmâ. Fourteen Indras undergo birth and death in his single day. His one night is also of the same duration. Thus he lives for one hundred years, every day of his life-span comprising of such a day and night. He has created all these worlds. Bhagavân Sahasrasheershâ^[1] Purush Himself appears and accepts his offering, thus making him extremely happy. In fact, you know his greatness more than I do. So what can I say?”

Parikshit said, “Dear mother! When Sri Nârad heard Indra, he exclaimed ‘Very good!’ Then he praised Indra and went to Satyalok. From far he could already hear the chanting of the yagna. Upon reaching there, he saw that Bhagavaan Sahasrasheershâ Purush was present there, accompanied by Laxmiji. He was accepting offerings from Brahmâji and spreading joy all around. When the Lord left for His own abode, Brahmâji sat on his âsan and engaged in hearing and glorifying Sri Krishna’s greatness. He was supremely engrossed and was shedding copious tears. Meanwhile, Nârad went to Brahmâji and said, “Dear father, you are surely the supreme recipient of Sri Hari’s kripâ. You create and nourish this universe. The Vedas and the Purânas that propound the four ultimate goals of living beings and how to achieve them too have risen from your mouths.^[2] Sri Bhagavân is subjugated by your bhakti, and therefore He accepts your offering. O father, why should call you Sri Krishna’s dear one? I think you are That Sri Krishna Himself, and have simply accepted this body to perform the pastimes of creation etc.”

When Brahmâji heard this, he was overcome with anger and kept on repeating “I am His servant! I am His servant!” He told Nârad in a sad voice, “O child, I have been drilling into your head since you were a child that I am not Bhagavân Sri Krishna, and I have backed up my statement with logic and proofs. Surely you remember this?^[3]

Mahâmâyâ, Sri Krishna’s potency creates, nourishes and destroys the worlds. I am mesmerized by her illusory power and pride myself on being the Creator’. I am fearful of death, and so I worship the divine Being. I desire liberation and not bhakti. The Lord too accepts my offering, simply to keep His vow to protect and preach the Vedas. He does not shower any mercy on me.”

Dear Nârad, forget bhakti, I am always full of anxiety, ever since I have offended His lotus feet. That wicked Hiranyakashipu had become powerful due to the boons I have granted to him, and then he had perpetrated violence against Lord Vishnu and the Vaishnavs. The Lord had appeared as Narasimhadev to show compassion to his great devotee Prahlâd. Then he had ordered me, ‘O Brahmâ! Never grant such boons to the wicked asuras.’ Yet, I had granted similar boons to Râvan and his ilk. They too had become arrogant and tormented the Vaishnavs. Sri Bhagavân tolerates offences towards Himself, but never against His devotees. I have been the cause of such offences against the Vaishnavs, hence I am always immersed in guilt.

O Nârad! Just try to remember, how much offence I committed when I stole the cowherd boys and the calves who are Sri Krishna’s dear associates. He is the Lord of Mâyâ, and I dared to show Him my illusory prowess! I have performed such a dastardly act that every time I remember this incident, I hang my head in shame.

O Nârad! Today you are eager to seek out the recipient of divine mercy. Hence, I shall disclose a secret to you. No one is more fortunate than Sriman Mahadev, in this matter. He is intoxicated by drinking the nectar of Sri Krishna’s lotus feet. He verily shakes the universe when he dances in the ecstasy of Sri Krishna-ras. He grants boons to the devatâs such as Indra, and even to me. What’s more, in tattva, he is non-different from Sri Krishna. When the ocean was milk was being churned, there arose a strong venom called Kâlkut, that was so powerful that it could destroy the universe. Then the Lord enabled Shivji to drink this poison, and thus declared his glory to the world.”

Parikshit said, “O Mother! When Nârad heard Brahmâji, he was full of joy, and prepared to leave for Kailash. Brahmâji told his son Nârad, ‘Dear child, Shivalok, that is present outside this universe, is eternal, blissful, and the embodiment of Truth. You too are empowered by bhakti to travel there. Therefore go there and take darshan of the extreme glory of Mahâdev’.

When Narad heard the greatness of Shivji from his father Brahmâ, he started singing “Shiv-Krishna” and left for Shivalok in supreme joy.”

(contd……………….)