23 - The Anecdote of Jambavati the consort of Shrikrishna 

Lord Krishna said: 

I. Jambavati, the daughter o1 Soma, in her previous birth became my wife. She became superior to all the ladies. of my harem. 

2-3. When I am deep in love with Lakshmi, my passion for Jambavati subsides. When I am less in love with Lakshmi I have equal passion for all. But among these I have more love for Jambavati. 

Garuda said: 

4. O omniformed lord, what sort of worship was performed by Jambavati that she became superior to all others. 

5. Thus asked by Garuda, lord Krishna, son of Devaki, spoke in a voice resembling the thunder of clouds. 

Lord Krishna said: 

6. Jambavati, the daughter of Soma in her former birth, purified her life as well as her father's by the worship of Vishnu. 

7. She heard the sacred Puranas, bowed to and circumambulated Vishnu who takes men across the ocean of life and death. She kept him ever in her memory. 

8-9. O lord of birds, by hearing the Puranas ceaselessly she and her father became detached from worldly affairs. Wealth, friendship and her previous possessions—elephants, gems, house, etc., she regarded as evanescent. 

10-11. She thought, “all this wealth, friendship, etc., are given and taken back by Hari.” She was not distressed thereby. "The most compassionate lord has taken pity on me to-day”, she said. 

Both she and her father set their heart on Vasudeva with sincere devotion. She became averse to seeking means for her sustenance. She accepted whatever came to her without being sought. 

12. She placed her wealth at the lotus-feet of the lord who takes men across the ocean of suffering. She set her tongue to the praise of Hari. 

13. She applied her hands to the act of sweeping the temple of Vishnu with devotion that removes impurity. She directed her ears to hearing the sacred tale of Hari—the tale that takes one to heaven or effects release. 

14. She set her eyes to seeing the idols of Vishnu-a fact that effaces impurities of body accrued from eternal times. She set her body to the pious embraces of the Vaishnavas, kept herself in their company or busied herself with her body anointing with the fragrant substances that were left after the worship of Hari. 

15. She set her organ of smell to the feet of Hari--the feet which give release from the circle of birth and death. She set her organ of taste to partake the remanents of what had been offered to Hari and were mixed with Tulasi leaves. 

16. She set her feet to traversing the path sacred to Hari, her head to bowing at the feet of lord, her heart and mouth to his praise and service as is the practice among the illustrious devotees of Vishnu. 

17. She directed her intellect to thinking upon the supreme spirit, and her organ of speech to the praise of the lord. 

18. Thus, she placed her life at the feet of the lord, started on pilgrimage with her father, to propitiate lord Vishnu. 

Before she started on pilgrimage she worshipped at first the Brahmanas and the devotees of Vishnu with clothes and ornaments. 

19. Thereafter she made a vow in the presence of the lord. 

20. O lord, so long I remain on pilgrimage, I shall be in Yaugic practice. May you, O lord, favour me with the company of the faithful, not with the company of non-believers. 

21. Let me hear the narrative of Hari. May I not go on pilgrimage with friends, sons, relatives and also with those who start on journey with a set motive or purpose. 

22. Fruitless is the pilgrimage of those who do not carry Salagrama stone with them. 

23. If one goes on pilgrimage on foot let him take the Salagrama stone with himself. Such a person obtains full fruits of his pilgrimage. 

If he wears shoes or protects his feet, he derives the fruit of his pilgrimage less by one fourth. 

24. If he goes on pilgrimage on a vehicle or a horse he derives the fruit of his pilgrimage less by one half. If he goes riding on a bull, he derives the fruit of his pilgrimage less by one-fourth. 

If he subsists on the food provided by another, his pilgrimage is wasted. He derives no fruit of his pilgrimage. 

25. But there is no sin if he accepts food from an ascetic, Vedic Scholar or a high-souled person. 

Having made this vow, she set out on pilgrimage. 

26. She took bath, washed off the ointment and listened to the Puranas. She shared food with her father and together with him set out on journey the next day. She walked the distance of one Kosha, the very next day. 

27. She worshipped and fed the Brahmanas and listened to the story of the lord. Those who perform journey in this way, their journey becomes fruitful. 

28. The noble have declared that pilgrimage without compassion is barren. Similar fate awaits those who do not hear the divine story of lord Hari on their way to a shrine. 

29-30. The same fate awaits those who go on pilgrimage on horse or in other vehicles. 

Slaying a horse (in Ashvamedha) invites sin that can be washed off at the sight of the idol of Vishnu at a sacred shrine. 

31. The sin accruing from the worship of lord without devotion can be wiped off by the repeated uttering of the Vedic mantra for the purpose or by meditating upon Vishnu. Whatever is performed by way of worship without devotion is a sheer waste. Thus say the learned devotees of Vishnu. 

32. Hence, O lord of birds, one should devote oneself to Vishnu, hear his narrative which destroys sins, remember one-self falling at the feet of the lord, thus he should devote himself to the service of the lord. 

33. She proceeded, O lord of birds, together with her father to visit lord Vishnu, the consort of Lakshmi, at the Shesha mountain. She thought of Hari all the way to the shrine. 

34. “When shall I see lord Vishnu of wide chest, adorned with Shrivatsa.¹ When shall I see the lord with lovely belly marked with three folds? 

1. Shrivatsa mark on Lord Vishnu's chest. According to ancient tradition, Sage Bhrugu once struck Mahavishnu, with his feet on the chest. Vishnu bore this mark with pleasure. The mark is designated as Shrivatsa. 

35. When shall I see the lord with the neck resembling a conch and the resting-place for Maharloka. When shall I see the navel of the lord, the resort of the firmament? 

36. When shall I see the face of the lord, the resort of the people of Janas. 

37. When shall I see the head of the lord, the resort of Satya people. When shall I see the hips of the lord, the resort of Bhu people? 

38. When shall I see the thigh of the lord, the resort of Talatala people. 

39. When shall I see the tender knees of the lord, the resort of Sutala people. When shall I see the soles of the lord the resort of Patala people? 

40. Thus pondering, on her way to the shrine, she reached the mountain Shesha where she saw lord Śhesha possessed of one thousand hoods. The mountain abounded in various trees and was inhabited by monkeys. 

41. She said: “I have seen this mountain by my merits accumulated since various births.” 

At the sight of the lord her eyes overflowed with tears. She stood up immediately and bowed to the lord. 

42. One should salute the lord in front of the image and not at the back. She bowed to the lord with the eight organs of her body, placing Salagrama in front. 

43. The devotees of Vishnu should act accordingly. The consort of Lakshmi abides at the peak of the mountain, worshipped or honoured by Lakshmi, Brahma and others. 

44. I shall see the mighty, supreme lord of Lakshmi. I shall attend the mountain and put up my residence at the holy hermitage of Kapila. 

45. Lord Vishnu is here in his visible form and not elsewhere. 

She took bath, dressed her hair and offered rice-balls to the manes at a sacred place. 

46. She gave cows, land, gold, etc., in charity and ascend ed the mountain. 

47-48. She put Salagrama in front and bowed to the lord with devotion. She had traversed one hundred steps before she found herself in front of the lord where sitting comfortably she heard the recital of the Bhagavata and the portion of the Purana which contains the praise of the mountain Venkata.¹

1. Venkata-a sacred mountain in the south.

With full devotion she heard the glory of lord Venkatadri from the honourable preceptor Jaigishavya.