19 - The Episode of Nila

Garuda said: 

1. O lord Krishna, Govinda, you have said that Brahmani and Bharati are superior to Rudra by hundred merits, O best of gods. 

2-3. O lord of gods, I have heard all what Brahma has said of the gods and goddesses ending with Uma, about the amshas of Ananda found missing to the extent of a thousand. 

4-5. O all-pervasive, supreme lord, please tell me your ideas on Knowledge, Bliss, Strength, etc., including Vayu at the last and the proportion of amshas in them reaching a thousand. Considering the views of your predecessors on this topic, you proclaim your judgment, O Govinda, since you are omniscient, O lord. 

Thus, accosted by Garuda, Vasudeva said in reply.

Lord Krishna said: 

6-7. O lord of birds, by the degrees of Ananda present in each, I have explained to you the superiority and inferiority of jnana, bhakti, etc. Brahma has declared that if hundred per cent Ananda is felt, there would be endless gunas. 

8-11. Accordingly, Ananda is thousandfold in jnana, hundredfold in Bhakti, of the same proportion in Bharati, Maruti an 

12-15. Just as the flame of fire hundredfold more powerful than the earthen lamp is not so illuminating as the lamp itself or just as the wide-spread fire is not so refulgent as the Sun, just as the moon, twice as large as the Sun is not so refulgent as the Sun, in the same way, O lord, know the relative gradation of Ananda in jnana, bhakti, etc. I know my qualities, o lord of birds, which are endowed with many specialities and which possess subtle forms. There is nothing which remains unknown to me. 

16. Goddess Lakshmi too knows me in all my incarnations. 

17. She knows my indivisible subtle qualities endowed with many specialities, through Brahma or by my grace. 

18. Goddess Lakshmi knows her own subtle form endowed by special traits. 

19. Brahma too perceives the all-pervading Vasudeva endowed with noble qualities proportionately larger than those of Vayu. Ears do not know the qualities of the lord which are subtle and special. 

20. Except lord Brahma even the gods, until and unless they are released, are ignorant. Brahma and Vayu know their Self and the Supreme Self endowed with special traits. 

21. Sarasvati perceives my special qualities who am a self-born lord but not beyond my form as Krishna constituted of three gunas. 

22. O lord of birds, Shesha and Rudra perceive me stationed in the tamoguna. But they do not know my other gunas and their special traits. O dear, I have told you the truth. 

23. Uma, Suparna and Varuni- the three know me very well as I am stationed (in their heart). But, O lord of birds, my special traits perceived by Rudra are not known to them at any place or time. 

24. O lord of birds, Indra and other gods know me as pervading the Ego; Daksha and other Prajapatis as pervading the intellect. So also, Soma and Surya. 

25-26. Others know me pervading the elements; Others know me as pervading the Cosmic Egg; others as present in the heart of devotees like yourself, others as existing (in the form of Atman) in the heart of all. 

O lord of birds, you should realize me as such. Now hear what I tell you about my six wives. 

27. Rukmini, etc. are my six principal queens. O lord of birds, amongst them Nila was the daughter of Agni in the previous creation. I make no distinction in sexual enjoyment with them. 

28. As a maiden she cherished to wed Krishna (my form), She relished what she conceived in mind. O lord of birds, Agni tried his best to marry her with one of the pitrus. 

29. But the maiden did not agree to any proposal, her mind being extremely set on Krishna. 

30. Then, the fire-god spoke to his daughter. O silly one, why don't you marry? Thereupon, the maiden spoke to her father thus.

O father, in this life, accompanied by all facilities, there. can be no husband without Hari. He alone can be my husband. 

31-33. In this world, there are several women who though married are always widows. Those who do not regard Hari as their husband-Hari who is beginningless, eternal, the quintessence of the universe, beautiful, bestower of liberation and accomplisher of desires-are always widows. 

O father, leaving Krishna, I shall not seek for the hand of any person, though forced by misfortune. He may be only an apparent cause (of producing children). As he is devoid of devotion for the lord, as he is impure, pouring forth impurities from nine doors,¹ emitting bad smell and contemptible, he is not acceptable to me. For such a despicable person I have no love, O my father, when as an option lord Krishna is there.

1. Nine doors-apertures of human body, are nine: two eyes, one mouth, two ears, two nostrils, the organ of excretion and the generating organ.

34. The celestial women abandon their husbands and enjoy intercourse with the lord who stays with them in heaven). As these women find their husbands in the lord, they are honoured by the people. There can be no second thinking in this respect. 

35. If they get husbands devoted to Vishnu, their life becomes fruitful. They can get husbands devoted to Vishnu by the aggregate of merits accumulated in several births. 

36-37. Those who have husbands not devoted to Vishnu should immediately cast off their bodies. If at the time of giving up their bodies they remember lord Vishnu in the form of Krishna as their husband, they do not incur the sin of commit. ting suicide- this is the statement of the Shastras. 

The women should desert their husbands if they are averse to Vishnu. 

38. If they have stored merit accruing from their pious acts performed in previous lives, their husbands can be devoted to Vishnu. 

39. Rare are the devotees of Vishnu in Kali age. Rare is a devotion for the lord. Rare is the narrative of the lord to be heard in the mortal world. Initiation in the cult of Vishnu is rare, very rare. Rare is the company of the devotees of Hari. 

40. Rare is the chance for circumambulating the lord or for homage to Hari. Rare is the means for maintaining his devotees. Rare is the gift of food to them. 

41. Rare is the tantric worship conducted for the lord. Rare is the recitation of his name. Rare is the worship of his devotees. Rare is the dialogue with him. 

42. Rare is the touch of Salagrama stone,² or the sight of the pious Vaishnavas. Rare is the holy touch of the cow or the singing of holy chants. Rare is the noble and good preceptor.

2. A stone emblem of Vishnu. There are about nineteen classes of Salagrama. See P.E. under Salagrama.

43. Rare are the people with faithful wives and worthy sons. Rare is the sight of the lord on the mountain Śhesha. Rare is the sight of Ranganatha¹ on the Kaveri.² Rare is the sight of the Ganges.³

1. Ranganatha-a tutelary deity. 

2. Kaveri--a river, rises in the western ghats, flows south-east through Mysore and falls into the Bay of Bengal. 

3. Ganges-a famous river of Northern India.

44. Rare is the worship of Varadaraja⁴ in Kanchi.⁵ Rare is the sight of Rama's bridge.⁶ Rare is the ability to understand Madhva philosophy.⁷

4. Varadaraja-a tutelary deity.

5. Kanchi-modern Conjeeveram in Madras.

6. Rama's bridge.

7. Madhva philosophy--Unqualified Dualism.

45-46. Rare is the sight of Vishnu on Bhima,⁸ Reva⁹ (Narmada), Gaya¹⁰ or Badari.

8. Bhima--A river in Southern India.

9. Reva--Narmada river.

10. Gaya--a famous city in Bihar, a place of pilgrimage.

On the Shesha mountain, or the holy hermitage of Shrinivasa, the ascetics are very rare on the mortal soil. 

47. At Prayaga,¹¹ rare is the sight of Madhava.

11. Prayaga--a celebrated place of pilgrimage at the confluence of Ganga and Yamuna near Allahabad.

48. Hence, I do not desire a husband other than lord Krishna. Having uttered such words to her father she went to the mountain Shesha. 

49-50. At the sacred place Kapila, she ascended the great mountain. She saw Shrinivasa therein. She paid homage, abstained from food for three days, went to the holy spot the destroyer of sin. In order to secure a worthy husband, she went to a solitary place for meditation. 

51. To the north of it, at the distance of two Kroshas at Mahatala, she commenced a great penance in a solitary pit. 

52. She meditated upon Narayana for one thousand divine years. At the end of this period, she began to praise the lord.

The maiden said: 

53-54. You are my mother, father, husband, friend, son, preceptor, brother, sister and my darling. Throughout this vast universe, O lord, I have been trying to know Reality but have not succeeded in my attempt. Father, mother, etc. are just artificial relations. You are the sole true relation, my lord. 

55. Hence, I shall be your wife. This is my vow, O you of attractive form, I pray, I may not be united with a person I do not desire. 

56. O lord, ward off from my sight the people who have offended you, who have tried to frustrate my desire to become your devotee, who bear malice to their preceptors and your worshippers. 

57. O lord, you ward off my talk with those who hate you. You establish my contact with your lotus feet. Homage to you, O lord who inhabit Shri Shaila¹ and who are the abode of Lakshmi, your loving consort.

1. Shrishaila: A hill to the south of Krishna river.

58. O lord of Lakshmi, the superior and inferior, the primary cause of creation, I have not seen you since long. Of you, the four-armed god, the vision is possible only by the aggregate of merits accumulated in several previous lives. 

59. Polluted by all sorts of sins, O lord, how can I have your vision. O lord of birds, I am your devotee, the devotee of your devotees. O abode of the universe, be pleased with me. 

60. Thus praised, the compassionate lord Varadarāja was pleased by her devotion. He appeared before her and said: 

61. O good lady, express your desire. I have come to you to fulfil the same. 

On hearing the words of Vishnu, her face was brightened with smile. 

62. She spoke to Hari, the abode of Lakshmi and the lord of the universe with great devotion. O lord with a lovely face, may I become your wife. 

63. On hearing her words, the lord spoke to her in gentle words. 

The lord said: 

“O blessed maiden; I shall become your husband when I incarnate as Krishna on earth.” 

64-66. Thus, addressed by the lord, the maiden who was extremely pleased spoke to Hari, the depository of merits, in the joyously faltering voice.

The maiden said: 

May I become your wife when you incarnate on earth as Krishna, on the day previous to our marriage. May I precede other women in enjoying intercourse with you: 

The lord agreed and spoke to her again.

The Lord Said: 

67. Since you as a maiden have sought for my favour which I bestowed upon you, O pretty maid, as a result of it, the other maidens will also reap the fruit of their cherished desire. 

68-69 Thus after bestowing the boon on the maiden the lord disappeared all at once. The maiden gave up her body there and then and was born in the house of Kumbhaka and was called Nila. Kumbhaka was the brother-in-law of Nanda-shobha. 

70-71. He was the first who carried Kavya to the pitrus. He was abiding on the mount Vrushabha, at that time. I went to his house, O best of birds. Being unconquerable, by the boon conferred by lord Shiva, I killed him and was married to Nila. 

72-74. In her second birth, Nila was born as the daughter of Nagnajit, Kavyavaha. In the Svayamvara of Nila, I controlled seven bulls who by the favour of lord Shiva were uncontrollable by gods and mortals. I conquered kings who had assembled at the ceremony. I married her. 

75. Thus Nila was born twice on earth and married to me. I shall now tell you the birth of Bhadra. Please hear the narrative, O lord of birds. 

1. Kavya-oblations meant for Pitrus.