Divya — The Celestial Plane

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said: O Mother, the sage among demigods, Devarṣi Śrī Nārada, after praising the exalted king, approached the celestial plane of Svarga. There he saw Śrī Viṣṇu in the assembly hall encircled by a host of demigods.

Translation

Śrī Bhagavān was sitting on the back of Śrī Garuḍa, the king of birds. The demigods were offering their homage to Śrī Viṣṇu with various celestial paraphernalia like garlands of charming kalpa-vṛkṣa flowers, scented sandalwood, cloth, ornaments, and amṛta. Exalted sages such as the spiritual master of the demigods, Bṛhaspati, were eulogizing Him. His mother, Aditi-devī, was tenderly cuddling and caressing Him (Śrī Vāmana-deva) out of affection. Bhagavān’s sweet voice was giving joy to all. Siddhas, Vidyādharas, Gandharvas and Apsarās were pleasing Him with various prayers and glorification, while dancing and singing to the accompaniment of musical instruments. Śrī Bhagavān was clearly bestowing upon Indra and his consort Śrī Kīrti-devī staunch fearlessness from all kinds of threats of the daityas, the demoniac sons of Diti. After being offered tāmbūla, He was gracefully accepting and chewing it.

Translation

Devarāja Indra was sitting on His seat near Śrī Bhagavān with such opulence as umbrella, cāmara and fans, and was repeatedly singing His glories. While describing all the favors granted by Bhagavān, tears of great joy were pouring down from his one thousand eyes.

Translation

Afterwards Śrī Viṣṇu proceeded to His own residence while Devarāja Indra followed behind Him. When Indra returned to his assembly hall, Devarṣi Śrī Nārada began to shower him with blessings.

Translation

Śrī Nārada said: O Devarāja, you are the fit recipient of Bhagavān Śrī Viṣṇu’s mercy, because whenever Sūrya, Candramā, Yama and the

Loka-pālas receive your command, then all others such as the eight Vasus obey your orders. What more can we say about this? All sages, including myself, are subservient to you. Even the śrutis offer their glorification unto you as Jagadīśvara, lord of the universe, because you are the bestower of the fruits of pious acts and impious acts.

Translation

Alas, Śrī Nārāyaṇa has become your younger brother, born from the same womb, and thus He is constantly giving you due honor and respect, obeying you as His elder brother.

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said: In this way Śrī Nārada, while glorifying the extensive fortune of Devarāja Indra, began strumming his vīṇā, praising him as the fit recipient of Bhagavān’s divine mercy and dancing.

Translation

Then Indra, the king of the demigods, offered his obeisance to Devarṣi Śrī Nārada and began to softly and modestly speak, “O Gāndharva-kalābhijña, why are you teasing me?”

Translation

Do you not know the elaborate history of Svargaloka, the celestial plane? Haven’t we the demigods, out of fear of the demons, abandoned this heavenly abode many times and fled away?

Translation

Daityarāja Bali achieved the same position of Indra, awarding the full administrative posts such as Sūrya and Candra to the demons. Consequently, by personally swindling us, he took the share of all sacrifices.

Translation

Only after suffering the distress of my mother and father, who performed severe austerities for such a long time, did Bhagavān Śrī Acyuta become pleased. Then again, only as His mere plenary portion did He accept my role as brother.

Translation

Even after accepting my brotherhood, He did not destroy all my enemies. Instead, by deception only, He begged the kingdom from Bali and gave it to me. For us demigods, this is a source of extreme embarassment.

Translation

In the celestial plane there are always various kinds of faults such as envy and rivalry, particularly the sinful act of the killing of a brāhmaṇa, and the omnipresent fear of plummeting down from our present posts. Therefore, where is the happiness of the celestial residents?

Translation

Furthermore, Bhagavān Śrī Upendra particularly displayed His slight of me when He removed the Sudharmā assembly hall and Pārijāta tree from Svarga, and transferred them onto the mortal, earthly planet.

Translation

He spoiled the pūjā in my honor that the gopālas performed for so long. In addition, He engulfed my dearmost and vast Khāṇḍava forest in a great conflagration.

Translation

Previously, when I petitioned Bhagavān to kill Vṛtrāsura, who was devouring the three worlds, He also remained indifferent to me at that time instead of personally coming to my aid. Rather He encouraged me to undertake the task by myself.

Translation

He then disregarded me by divesting all opulence from my Amarāvatī Purī, situated above all other planetary systems, and established His own new and original abode.

Translation

Having become influenced by the strong penance of my parents, and greatly helped by our gurudeva, Bṛhaspatijī, Bhagavān accepts my worship. Otherwise, He swiftly returns to His own imperceptible abode.

Translation

Again our Lord quickly returns to accept His worship with arghya water and other paraphernalia offered by me. But when we pray, “O Prabhu, we are your favored recipients…” He cleverly replies, “Until I return, you should worship Brahmā or Śiva, because they are nondifferent from Me. Viṣṇu, Rudra and Pitāmahā (Brahmā) are three demigods in one divine form. Have you forgotten these words from the scriptures?”

Translation

Therefore, His place of residence is uncertain and rarely accessible to even sages like us. Sometimes He is in Vaikuṇṭha, sometimes in Dhruvaloka, and sometimes He resides in the Ocean of Milk in Śvetadvīpa.

Translation

At present Śrī Bhagavān is residing in Dvārakā, but there is no assurety from Him that He will always reside there. Sometimes He lives in the house of the Pāṇḍavas here, and sometimes in Mathurā. Sometimes while in Mathurā, He again stays in Madhu-purī and sometimes in Gokula. While in Gokula, He wanders from one forest to another forest. In this way, His darśana is difficult to attain and exceedingly rare. That being the case, where is His mercy upon us?

Translation

O best of the sons of Brahmā, Śrī Nārada, you should know that your father, Śrī Brahmā, is the actual recipient of Śrī Hari’s mercy. He is directly the son of Bhagavān Śrī Lakṣmī-kānta, the husband of the goddess of fortune.

Translation

In his one day, like me, fourteen Indras, fourteen Manus and all his sons that are born pass away. In this way one day measures a thousand catur-yugas, and similarly are his long nights. Three hundred and sixty such days and nights pass by like this, and his year ends. One hundred such years measure his lifespan.

Translation

He is the creator of all fourteen planetary systems and their guardians, giving them their jurisdiction by protecting and nurturing them, rewarding their actions, and at the approach of night, annihilating them. On that planet the thousand-headed Mahāpuruṣa form is always residing, as His personal form accepts and honors the portions of the sacrifice. In this way he gives divine bliss to all the residents.

Translation

Thus your father Śrī Brahmā, being the recipient of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, is substantiated by thousands of reasons proving this matter. What is the need to say more about this mercy? I am saying here that He is personally Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself. All the śrutis and smṛtis celebrate that he is nondifferent from

Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. O Prabhu, You are much more aware than me or others of the glories of the residents in his abode.

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said: The dignified Śrī Nārada, after hearing the words of Indra, began shouting, “O Indra, sādhu, sādhu!” Having exclaimed these approving bravos, he proceeded swiftly to Brahmaloka. There, he heard from afar the din of many brahmarṣis continuously engaging in ceremonial yajñas.

Translation

Having arrived there, Śrī Nārada saw the Supreme Lord being pleased by all the yajña offerings in His Mahāpuruṣa form. The thousand-headed Bhagavān, the divine form of yajña, was seated along with Lakṣmī. He had his hair matted and rolled up over his head while accepting His sacrificial portions and bestowing bliss upon the yajña priests.

Translation

Afterwards, Śrī Nārada saw the noble Mahāpuruṣa, in order to satisfy the lotus-born Brahmājī, began accepting all the offerings with His thousands of hands and devouring them with His thousands of mouths. Following that, He offered desired boons to the sacrificial priests, and then He departed for His own abode where Śrī Lakṣmī- devī began to massage His lotus feet as He assumed His pastime of divine sleep.

Translation

In the meantime, Śrī Brahmā, on the order of Bhagavān, also engaged his own sons and exalted sages in performing yajñas for the work of creation. Then he proceeded on to his lotus abode for further discussion on how to manage his universal affairs.

Translation

Śrī Brahmā then happily sat on his imperial throne and began to hear and chant the glories of his master Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Tears of joy flowed from his eight eyelids. Going before his father Brahmā, Śrī Nārada saw him lavishly accepting service and offered prostrated obeisances.

Translation

Śrī Nārada said: You are indeed the recipient of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s mercy, because you are also the master of the Prajāpatis and the grandfather of all planetary systems. You alone create the fourteen worlds, maintain them and annihilate them. You are the eternal controller of this brahmāṇḍa and are renowned as Svayambhū, the self-born.

Translation

The Vedas that are entirely born from your four mouths and all the Purāṇas are personally present in your assembly. This assemblage of scriptures are the knowers of all forms of sādhana, as well as all the śāstras that deal with the catur-varga, the fourfold ensemble of dharma, artha, kāma and mokṣa.

Translation

Only saintly persons who are completely faultless, free from arrogance, pride and envy, and who are able to follow actual religion with proper religious practices for one hundred births, can attain your planet.

Translation

There is no other planet superior to or above this Brahmaloka. Even the Vaikuṇṭha-loka of Śrī Nārāyaṇa is within this universe.

Translation

Śrī Padmanābha continuously resides within that Vaikuṇṭha in His manifest form as the Bhagavān Mahāpuruṣa. After accepting all the shares of the yajñas and eating them, He bestows the fruits of sacrifices accordingly.

Translation

At the beginning of the kalpa, after searching for a long time inside the lotus stem, you still could not have His darśana. Then after performing severe tapasyā you were able to get a moment’s darśana within your heart.

Translation

Surely you are the most beloved of Śrī Kṛṣṇa—oh, not only the most beloved, but truly that Mahāpuruṣa who assumes various bodies for pastimes.

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said: Śrī Nārada personally saw and heard Brahmā’s glories spoken by Indra in this way. Then offering his prostrated obeisances to Brahmā, he began to sing his vast glories with great devotion.

Translation

After hearing the words of Śrī Nārada, the four-faced Brahmā hastily tried to cover his eight earholes, exclaiming repeatedly, “I am His servant! I am His servant!” Then with great effort he overcame his anger and began to scold his mind-born son for having spoken such lofty praises so unpleasant to his ears.

Translation

Śrī Brahmā said: O Nārada, since your childhood have I not repeatedly explained to you with strong conviction and argument that I am not Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa?

Translation

Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s own potency Mahāmāyā stands at His beck and call like a maidservant. By her inherent qualities she creates, maintains and destroys the world.

Translation

All of us are bewildered and subject to the authority of her power of illusion. So, don’t consider me even minutely a recipient of Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s divine mercy.

Translation

I am holding fast to various distinctions, always bewildered by the agent of māyā, thinking I am guru, lord and grandsire of the world, and that I first appeared from Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus navel. Thinking I am a born ascetic, a true worshipper and so forth defiles my guru-abhimāna. I am especially hankering only for freedom from the fear of mahā-kāla, the great time factor that is overwhelming me with anxiety of the impending destruction of my own planet. Otherwise, the uncertain duties and management of this cosmos always afflict me.

Translation

With the intent for liberation I worship Bhagavān myself and engage all others. Moreover, in which place does Jagadīśvara, the Lord of the universe, exist or not exist?

Translation

Furthermore, He accepts the share of yajñas not as a favor to me but only for officially propagating the Vedas and for showing favor to the Vedic injunctions, because He is the beloved Yajña-mūrti Himself who compiled them .

Translation

O considerate ācārya, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa only knows the tender side of bhakti. He only shows mercy to His devotees and never to disloyal practitioners.

Translation

Devotion to His lotus feet remains afar from me. Until I erase my numerous offenses at His lotus feet, I cannot even imagine possessing any devotion. For example, just as many times He may pardon the offenses of Śrī Śiva, He never pardons mine.

Translation

After receiving a boon from me, the malicious Hiraṇyakaśipu tormented the entire world and harassed the Vaiṣṇavas. Then Bhagavān Śrī Nārāyaṇa appeared in His Nṛsiṁha form and killed him. At that time I became fearful from the darśana of His fierce form and remained aloof along with my family lineage, praising Śrī Bhagavān with various wonderful prayers. Yet Bhagavān did not even affectionately glance at me. Rather the prayers of Śrī Prahlāda pacified him. Later, when Śrī Prahlāda was being officially coronated, I slowly appeared in front of Śrī Bhagavān. He ordered me with grave anger, “O Brahmā, you should never bestow this sort of boon on the demons.” Nevertheless, I again offered boons to malicious demons such as Rāvaṇa. Alas, whose tongue can describe all the vile deeds that Rāvaṇa committed?

Translation

Under my jurisdiction, Indra and all the demigods became bereft of their judgment and blinded by their pride. Indeed, you should be reminded of all the offenses towards Bhagavān Himself. Indra fought with the Lord and poured down a great flood of rains at the time of the Govardhana yajña. Varuṇa abducted gopa- rāja Śrī Nanda, the father of Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Bāṇāsura did not give back all the cows. Yamarāja, the lord of death, had the son of Śrī Krsna’s guru slain at an inappropriate time. Besides this, Kuvera offended our Lord and became an accomplice of the malicious thief, Śaṅkhacūḍa. All the dānavas of Pātāla, along with all the kith and kin of the Kālīya serpent who are attached to great anger and malice are natural Vaiṣṇava offenders.

Translation

Just recently, even I myself, at the time of His sylvan lunch in Śrī Vṛndāvana, stole away His own cowherd boys and calves that were under His care with a vast display of my own illusory energy.

Translation

Consequently, I saw an amazing pastime of Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Bhagavān cheated me by this pastime as a cowherd boy (gopa- bālaka-līlā) because I am so impudent and disrespectful.

Translation

Although I am such an offender, still I received great fortune by being allowed to go to His beloved Vrajabhūmi. There, I became so sat­ isfied simply by having darśana of His lotus face and soft, natural smile.

Translation

However, fearing I may commit some kind of offense again by staying too long in Vrajabhūmi, I returned. O Nārada, how much more can I tell of my misfortune? It is enough.

Translation

However, Śrī Mahādeva is the true object of Śrī Viṣṇu’s mercy, because he is renowned as the friend of Śrī Bhagavān. Thus I do not see anyone comparable to him as being the true recipient of the divine mercy of Bhagavān within this universe.

Translation

He is always mad from relishing sweet nectar from Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s lotus feet, disregarding priceless opulence and pleasures such as dharma and artha, seeing them as inconsequential. He ridicules materialists like me by garlanding himself with dhatūra flowers, arka-patta and asthi, and wandering about as a nagna-baba who smears ashes all over his naked torso. Because he carries Śrī Gaṅgā that originates from the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa on his own head, he

dances in rapture and makes the entire world tremble.

Translation

By the grace of Śrī Kṛṣṇa he is capable of bestowing coveted mukti, the freedom from mundane obligations, upon demigod dignitaries like me—what’s more, even his consort Śrī Pārvatī can also do this.

Translation

Oh, the saintly residents of Śivaloka are also all liberated! By the mercy of Śrī Śiva, so many persons have become liberated souls as well as devotees of Kṛṣṇa.

Translation

Seeing Śrī Śiva as separate from Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa is a serious defect. One who commits an offense to Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself can be tolerated, but it is never possible to tolerate an offender to Śrī Śiva.

Translation

Once, Śrī Śiva bestowed boons on the Maya dāṇava Tripurādhīśvara, who was the subduer of the three worlds, and at other times to Vṛkāsura and other demons. They caused him great anxiety as they became mad after receiving their boons. At those times Śrī Kṛṣṇa protected him from the critical danger of such demons, and He relieved him from his anxiety and crisis by pleasing him with His sweet, nectarean words. Being subjugated by the pure devotion of Śrī Śiva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally worships him as His intimate devotee (antaraṅga-bhakta), because of the glories of his profound depths of realization.

Translation

At the the Ocean of Milk when nectar was churned from it, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Himself was directly present. At that time, the Prajāpatis worshipped the beloved life and soul of Gaurī. Śiva then became famous by drinking that terrible poison, becoming renowned as Nīlakaṇṭha, the dark, blue-throated one. Is it not clear how Śrī Kṛṣṇa greatly sanctified Śrī Śiva by such glorious ceremonies?

Translation

O sage, all the Purāṇas sing of Śrī Hari’s mercy on Śrī Śiva. You know this too. I am only reminding you.

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said, “O Putra-vatsale! O affectionate mother!” Having heard this, Śrī Nārada offered obeisance to his guru and became eager to go to Śrī Śivaloka. Seeing this, Śrī Brahmā began to speak again to his son, Śrī Nārada.

Translation

Śrī Brahmā said: In previous times, Kuvera charmed and subju­ gated Śrī Rudra through his devotion and worship. For this reason, Śrī Umāpati Mahādeva resides in the northeast corner of Kailāsa Mountain within this brahmāṇḍa, as one of the directional guardians (dik-pālas) with his family relations and ascetic opulence.

Translation

Just as Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa becomes subordinate to the devotion of servants like mine and thus remains in Satyaloka or Svarga, Śrī Mahādeva similarly resides on Mount Kailāsa performing his pastimes accordingly and with an opulent and majestic sparsity.

Translation

Now, please hear as I speak from the viewpoint of the Vāyu Purāṇa. Beyond the seven external layers and coverings of this brahmāṇḍa, such as the Earth, Śrī Śivaloka exists. It is eternal, blissful and thoroughly real. Only the best of all servitors achieve that planet.

Translation

On that planet Śrī Mahādeva resides, surrounded by his similar dignitaries and glorious associates who are adorned with regal opulences like umbrellas, camaras and fine garments. There he worships Śrī Saṅkarṣana-deva, who is nondifferent from himself. He is worshipping Śrī Saṅkarṣana as his iṣṭa-deva there, spreading his wonderful glories that are impossible to describe.

Translation

O Nārada, therefore go to that place because of your pure devotion to Śrī Śiva. Go to Śivaloka, accept his shelter and see the grace of Śrī Kṛṣṇa upon him.

Translation

Śrī Parīkṣit said: O mother, in this way, after receiving instructions from Śrī Brahmā, Śrī Nārada proceeded to Śivaloka, ecstaticly singing the names of Śiva and Kṛṣṇa.