Nīla Mādhava Disappears
Before the dāru-mūrti (the wooden form), Bhagavān Vishṇu was present at Purushottama in another form. This was Nīla Mādhava, an image of indranīla stone (deep blue sapphire) of great beauty. This account from the Skanda Mahā Purāṇa tells how Bhagavān Vishṇu withdrew that form just before King Indradyumna came to see it, and what the divine voice told the king.
The time of Nīla Mādhava
Nīla Mādhava was worshipped at the Rohiṇī Kuṇḍa on Nīlācala. Only Viśvāvasu knew of this form. He was a Śabara of Utkala, and he had received the secret worship from his family line. Every day Viśvāvasu did his pūjā at the Rohiṇī Kuṇḍa in complete secrecy and told no one.
Brahmā later explained why this was so. He said, “In the first parārdha of my life, Svāmi was present at Purushottama in the Nīla Mādhava form.”
Vidyāpati’s journey
King Indradyumna sent the brāhmaṇa Vidyāpati to find Nīla Mādhava. In the end Vidyāpati succeeded. He married into Viśvāvasu’s family and used the mustard-seed plan. In this way he reached the Rohiṇī Kuṇḍa and saw the form. Vidyāpati told Indradyumna of the great beauty of the image, and the king longed for darśana. Indradyumna set out for Purushottama with his whole royal company.
The form disappears
When Indradyumna and his company reached Purushottama to see Nīla Mādhava, the form was gone. Golden sand had covered the Rohiṇī Kuṇḍa, and the stone image had vanished completely. It was not hidden. Bhagavān Vishṇu had withdrawn it by his own will.
An aśarīra-vāṇī (a voice with no body) spoke to Indradyumna. It said:
- The Nīla Mādhava form belonged to the first parārdha (half-life) of Brahmā.
- The second parārdha of Brahmā had now begun.
- In the second parārdha, Svāmi had chosen to appear in the form of wood (dāru).
- Indradyumna was told to build a prāsāda (temple) and wait for the dāru-mūrti to appear.
Indradyumna’s grief
Indradyumna was deeply sad that he was denied the darśana he had travelled to get. The divine voice had comforted him with the word that the dāru-mūrti would be greater than the Nīla Mādhava form in its reach and grace. This did not at once ease his grief. Yet he accepted the will of Bhagavān Vishṇu and at once began the task he was given, which was one thousand Aśvamedha yajñas. This shows the quality of his devotion.
Viśvāvasu’s grief at the disappearance is also recorded. He had guarded and worshipped the form in secret for generations. The text, however, centres on Indradyumna’s response.
Brahmā explains
Indradyumna went to Brahmaloka to invite Brahmā to the pratishṭhā (installation). Brahmā explained what had happened. The Nīla Mādhava form served the first parārdha, the first half of Brahmā’s life, a span of cosmic time too great to grasp. Now the second parārdha had begun. A Vaishṇava Kṛtayuga begins with the Svāroroci Manvantara. The dāru form is the right form for this new period. It is even greater than Nīla Mādhava because it gives moksha (liberation) to all beings with no condition.
Sources
- Skanda Mahā Purāṇa, Vaishṇava Khaṇḍa, Purushottama Kshetra Māhātmya, Chapters 7–11, 23