Puṇḍarīka and Vaikuṇṭha

Puṇḍarīka was a young brāhmaṇa who gave up his home, his family and all his wealth to cross the ocean of worldly existence. He served Bhagavān Vishṇu with the eight-syllable mantra at the holy place Sālagrāma, learned the highest knowledge from Nārada, and was taken by Bhagavān Vishṇu to Vaikuṇṭha. The account is in Chapter 80 of the Uttara Khaṇḍa of the Padma Mahā Purāṇa.

The frame of the account

Mahādeva tells Pārvatī the talk that took place between Bhīshma and Yudhishṭhira. Yudhishṭhira had asked Bhīshma what is the highest act for a noble person. Bhīshma answered with the story of Puṇḍarīka. He said it shows “the great secret which releases from worldly existence.”

Puṇḍarīka and his renunciation

Puṇḍarīka was a brāhmaṇa in the brahmacarya stage of life (the student stage). He was young and very learned, and he always lived under the guidance of his teachers. He had won over his senses and his anger, and he was devoted to the sandhyā prayers. He knew the Vedas, the Vedāṅgas and all the holy texts. Morning and evening he made offerings into the fire with sacred fuel, and he always meditated on Bhagavān Vishṇu.

One day a wish rose in this able man to cross the ocean of worldly existence completely. He left behind, like blades of grass, his mother, father, brothers, friends, relatives, maternal uncles and kinsmen. He also left his large property: wealth, grain and costly fields where every kind of crop grew. He began a life of full renunciation. He ate only vegetables, roots and fruits.

The pilgrimage

Puṇḍarīka wandered in order through the great rivers and holy places of Bhārata. He went to the Gaṅgā, Yamunā, Gomatī, Gandikā, Śatadru, Payoshṇī, Sarasvatī, Prayāga, Narmadā and the great river Śoṇa. He also visited Prabhāsa, the holy places on the Vindhya and the Himālaya, and the āśramas of Naimisha, Pushkara, Kurukshetra and Govardhana. He did all this in the proper way and at the proper times.

Arrival at Sālagrāma

Led by the marks left by his earlier acts, Puṇḍarīka came to Sālagrāma. This is a very old holy place, visited by ṛshis who know the truth. It is made beautiful by the śālagrāma stones, which carry the mark of the disc of Bhagavān Vishṇu. The text calls it “charming, solitary, extensive” and a place that “always pleases Vishṇu.”

There Puṇḍarīka bathed in the holy lake Devahrada on the Sarasvatī, in the pools Jātismarya and Cakrakuṇḍa, and at the places on the Cakranādi. The tīrthas (holy places) made his mind pure, and it became still. He decided to stay at Sālagrāma alone.

He lived there for a long time. Pleasure and pain did not touch him. He kept his senses under control, ate vegetables, roots and fruits, and looked on all things with an equal eye. He practised the whole of Yoga: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma and dhāraṇā, and reached deep samādhi. By restraint, by self-checking and by constant thought, he pleased Bhagavān Vishṇu with the rites taught in the Vedas, the Vedāṅgas and the Purāṇas, and he became pure.

Nārada’s visit

Bhagavān Vishṇu, whose eyes are long like lotuses, was pleased. He said to Nārada: “I am pleased with this wise one.” Nārada shines like the Sun and is the one home of all the Vedas. He went to Sālagrāma.

Puṇḍarīka saw a being of wonderful form coming near. He was bright, wore a lovely dress, held a vīṇā and was marked with a circle of victory. Puṇḍarīka wondered whether this was Sūrya, Agni, Indra or Varuṇa. He joined his palms, bowed with a glad mind and asked: “Who are you? Where have you come from? It is very hard to see someone like you here.”

Nārada answered: “I am Nārada. I have come here to see a strong devotee of Vishṇu like you. A devotee of Bhagavān Vishṇu, whether an excellent brāhmaṇa or even a caṇḍāla, makes pure those who by chance remember him, honour him or worship him. I am the servant of Vāsudeva, the deva of devas, who holds the Sāraṅga bow.”

Nārada’s teaching

Nārada then gave Puṇḍarīka the highest knowledge. It is what Brahmā himself taught to the devas and ṛshis in earlier times. Its heart is this.

Vishṇu is the twenty-fifth Purusha, the ātmā (soul) of all beings, the highest and oldest master. He creates, keeps and destroys the world. He holds up everything and needs no support. He is full, has no parts, and is both fine and coarse. All dharma, all yajñas, the Vedas and the whole world are given wholly to Vishṇu. Brahmā, Rudra and all the guardians of the worlds are His tools.

The way to please Him is not through many vows or many hymns. The one mantra Oṃ namo Nārāyaṇāya gives every wished-for thing. A wandering ascetic in rags and matted hair, and a person who wears ornaments, are the same: no outer mark decides moksha. Only devotion to Vishṇu decides it. Nārada named Prahlāda, Bharata, Ambarīsha and others who reached the home of Vishṇu through the highest devotion.

Bhagavān Vishṇu appears

Nārada left. Puṇḍarīka kept his mind on Bhagavān Vishṇu. He went on repeating “Oṃ namo Nārāyaṇāya” and meditating with the words “O Soul of the universe, be pleased with me.” He placed Govinda, “of the nature of nectar,” in the lotus of his heart. He stayed on at Sālagrāma, alone and free of all ownership, and even in dreams he saw nothing but Vishṇu.

By the grace of Bhagavān Vishṇu, the deva of devas, his pāpa (sin) went away. The marks left by his many births took a single root in him. The place and its animals changed. Lions, tigers and other fierce beasts gave up their enmity and moved peacefully near him. The water of the lakes was clear. The seasons were full of pure strength. The breezes were soft to the touch. The trees were heavy with flowers and fruit. All of nature became kind to this pure devotee.

Then Bhagavān Vishṇu, who loves His devotees, appeared before Puṇḍarīka. He was dark in colour, with large lotus eyes and a face like the round moon. He held a conch, a disc and a mace. He wore a yellow cloth and was decorated with Śrīvatsa, Kaustubha and a garland of forest flowers. His crown and earrings shone. With Him came Indra and the devas, siddhas, gandharvas, excellent ṛshis, yakshas, nāgas and celestial nymphs holding cāmara fans.

The praise and the vara

Puṇḍarīka knew Bhagavān Vishṇu. He bowed with folded palms and praised Him:

“Salutation to you, O Vishṇu, unstrained, eternal, qualityless, and noble, the only eye of the world. You are the master of all beings and have no master yourself. You are Govinda, Garuḍa-bannered, who destroys fear and affliction by favouring beings. Everything is full of you. You have created the world and are different from it. O you whose navel produced the lotus — salutation. Salutation to the mighty soul known from all the Upanishads. O destroyer of Kaitabha, O master of all devas, you alone are the cause of everything. Be pleased, O you living in my heart and holding a conch, a disc, and a mace.”

Bhagavān Vishṇu is called Padmanābha, Trivikrama and Vishṇu in the account. He spoke in a deep voice: “O child, O very wise Puṇḍarīka, I am pleased with you. Ask for a vara (a boon). I shall give you whatever you have in your mind.”

Puṇḍarīka answered, overcome: “What a great gap there is between you, who always wish the good of all, and me, of a wicked mind. O Mādhava, O master of devas, order what is good for me.”

The ascent to Vaikuṇṭha

Bhagavān Vishṇu was very pleased. He said: “May you be happy. O you of a good vow, come with me. You help others and you are an eternal ātmā. You will always be with me.”

When Bhagavān Vishṇu said this, drums sounded in the sky and a shower of flowers fell. Brahmā and the other devas said “Good, good.” Siddhas, gandharvas and kinnaras sang. Bhagavān Vishṇu then took Puṇḍarīka with Him, mounted Garuḍa, and set out for Vaikuṇṭha while all people saluted Him. The three worlds rejoiced.

The teaching

Bhīshma ended with these words to Yudhishṭhira: “O best king, you too, full of devotion to Vishṇu, setting your heart and soul on him, engaged in doing good to his devotees, resort to him after having duly worshipped him.”

The account teaches that a king who performs hundreds of horse yajñas and Vājapeya yajñas cannot reach Bhagavān Vishṇu if he is turned away from Him. But one who has said “Hari” even once is already ready for moksha.

Sources

• Padma Mahā Purāṇa, Uttara Khaṇḍa, Chapter 80