39 - The Greatness of Vishnu: The Story of Raivata 

Sanaka said: 

1. O leading Brahmana, listen, once again, to the greatness of Parameshthin. It is meritorious and destructive of all sins. It yields worldly pleasures and salvation to men. 

2. Lo! The story of Hari is destructive of sins in the world. It bestows merits upon those who listen to the same or narrate it particularly so to his devotees. 

3. I bow down to those excellent men who rejoice after tasting the exquisite juice of devotion to Hari. Thanks to association with them, a man attains salvation. 

4. Obeisance, obeisance for ever to those men who are absorbed in repeating the names of Hari, irrespective of whether they are of good conduct or evil-minded. 

5. O leading sage, he who wishes to cross the ocean of worldly existence should worship the devotees of the devotees of Hari. 

6. Seen, remembered, worshipped, meditated upon or bowed to, Govinda uplifts people from the ocean of worldly existence which is very difficult to cross. 

7. Salutations for ever to that man who thinks of Hari’s name even while he is sleeping or eating or walking, or standing or sitting or talking. 

8. O how wonderful! Wonderful is the good fortune of those who are engrossed in devotion to Vishnu since salvation which is inaccessible even to the Yogins is as if in their hand (within their reach). 

9. In this context they cite the following mythological anecdote which is destructive of all sins of those who speak about and listen to this. 

10. Formerly, there was a king born of the lunar race. He was known as Jayadhvaja.¹ He was devoted to Narayana. 

1. This Jayadhvaja is a different person from the fifth son (of the same name) of Karttavirya Arjuna and the father of Talajangha and who became the ruler of Avanti, although both of them belonged to the Lunar race (AIHT. p.146). This Vijayadhvaja belonged to the Bhårata clan (see. v.17).

11. He was regularly absorbed in the activities of scrubbing and cleaning in the temple of Vishnu. He used to be engaged in offering lights as well. He sympathised with all living beings. 

12. Once, that king built a temple of Vishnu on the beautiful banks of the river Reva. It consisted of wonderful flowers of various colours. 

13. The leading king was always engaged in sweeping and cleaning in the temple. He was particularly fond of Hari and regularly lighted lamps there. 

14. He was deeply interested in repeating the names of Hari. His mind was always drawn towards Hari. He was engaged in worshipping and bowing to Hari. He was fond of persons devoted to Hari. 

15. His priest was famous by the name of Vītihotra.² On observing the conduct of Jayadhvaja, he was surprised. 

2. P.E. (Puranic Encyclopaedia) p.878 records four Vitihotras but all of them are Kshattriya kings and not Brahmanas.

16. Once Vitihotra who was a master of the Vedas and the ancillaries to Vedas, asked the king who was devoted to Vishnu while he was leisurely seated (somewhere).

Vitihotra said: 

17. O king, the knower of the great Dharma, engaged in devotion to Hari, O leading member of the family of Bharata, you are the most excellent among men endowed with devotion to Vishnu. 

18. You are constantly engaged in sweeping and cleaning as well as in lighting the lamps (in the shrine of Vishnu). Hence, O blessed one, tell me what benefit by this has been known by you. 

19. O gentle Sir, you are always engaged in collecting wicks and oil as well as in cleaning the abode of Vishnu. 

20. There are other activities pleasing to Vishnu. Still, O blessed one, why are you engaged only in these two activities continuously? 

21. O lord of men, if you have any love towards me, tell me the secret of the same which is highly meritorious in every respect and known to you. 

22. On being requested thus by his priest, Jayadhvaja laughingly spoke these words. He bowed down with humility and kept his palms joined in reverence.

Jayadhvaja said: 

23. O leading Brahmana, listen. Thanks to my faculty of remembering previous births, I know what had been performed by me formerly. It is conducive to the surprise of those who listen. 

24. Formerly, in the Svarochisha Manvantara of the Krutayuga, O Brahmana, there was a prominent Brahmana named Raivata. He was a master of the Vedas and the Vedangas. 

25. He used to perform Yajnas on behalf of those who were not eligible for the same. He was a common priest for the whole village. He was a ruthless backbiter. He even sold forbidden goods. 

26. He was abandoned by his kinsmen because he used to perform forbidden rites. Hence, he became indigent and miserable. He became sickly with shattered limbs. 

27. For the purpose of wealth, he was wandering over the Earth. Once the Brahmana was afflicted by Asthma and hiccough. He died on the banks of the Narmada. 

28. O sage, when he died, his wife named Bandhumati became a wayward wanton woman. Hence, she was forsaken by her kinsmen. 

29. I was born of her as a Chandala, popularly known as Dandaketu. I was always engaged in great sins and was a habitual hater of Brahmanas. 

30. I was covetous of other men’s wealth and enamoured of other men’s wives. I killed many creatures. Many cows, Brahmanas, birds and animals were killed by me. 

31. Many huge pieces of gold like the Meru mountain were stolen by me. I was always engaged in drinking liquor. Many times, I had been a highway robber too. 

32-33. I was comparable to the god of death for animals, birds, deer and other creatures. Once I was overwhelmed by lust and was desirous of having sexual intercourse with my wife. On seeing a lonely abode of Vishnu, I entered it in the company of my wife. In order to enjoy my wife during that night, I lay there lustfully. 

34-36. O Brahmana, by my clothes some space in the temple was swept by me. The sins committed by me in the course of so many births as the number of dust particles swept, were quelled immediately. O excellent Brahmana, a lamp had been kept there by me for the sexual intercourse. On account of this also my evil actions were entirely wiped off. When such was the situation, the city guards came there to the temple of Vishnu. 

37. They caught hold of her and me saying “Here is an adulterer” and killed us. After killing us both, the city guards returned. 

38. Immediately the emissaries of Vishnu came there. All of them had four arms. They were wearing crowns and earrings. They were bedecked in garlands of sylvan flowers. 

39. Directed by those sinless emissaries of Vishnu, we both entered a divine aerial car, equipped with all means of enjoyment. 

40. We ourselves assumed divine forms and went to Vishnuloka. O excellent Brahmana, we stayed there for a period of a hundred Kalpas of Brahma and more. 

41. For a similar period, we stayed in the heaven too, equipped with all divine pleasures. Then by turns we lived on the Earth as well as in the Deva regions. 

42. As a result of that meritorious activity I was born as a scion of the family of Yadus. For the same reason my riches never dwindle and my kingdom is devoid of thorns (i.e., enemies and other turbulence). 

43. O Brahmana, after doing something for my own enjoyment, such welfare has been attained by me. I do not know the extent of the benefit and merit of those good men who perform these things with devotion. 

44. Hence, O excellent one, with great devotion I endeavour to fulfil my duties of sweeping the floor and lighting the lamps, since I have the faculty of remembering the previous birth. 

45. He who worships the lord of the universe with single- minded attention and absence of desire (for any fruit there from) becomes free from all sins and goes to the greatest region. 

46. I have attained this much of prosperity after performing the holy rites helplessly. What then will not be attained by quiescent and devout persons by worshipping perfectly?”. 

47. On hearing the words of the king, the excellent Brahmana Vitihotra was infinitely contented. He became absorbed in the worship of Hari. 

48. Hence, listen, O Chief of Brahmanas! The unchanging lord Narayana is the bestower of salvation to those who worship him with or without perfect knowledge. 

49. All the kinsmen are casual and unsteady; wealth is never permanent. God of death is continuously near at hand. Hence, Dharma (religious and pious acts) must be accumulated. 

50. It is the ignorant people who in their extreme arrogance, are vainglorious. Even the body is near (in the very shadow of) dangers. What needs be spoken about riches, etc. 

51. Pure devotion unto Janardana, the God of gods, will be generated only in those people who have accumulated merit during the course of thousands of crores of previous births. 

52. The ablution in the Ganga is easily accessible; so also, is the worship of guests; all the Yajnas too can be easily performed but devotion towards Vishnu is very difficult to obtain. 

53-54. The service to the Tulasi plant is difficult to get; intimate contact with the saintly people is also inaccessible; but the merciful nature towards all living beings may be easy to some. But contact with the good, service to the Tulasi plant and devotion towards Hari-everything is difficult to get. 

55. A sensible man should not waste it in vain, after attaining the rare birth as a human being. He should worship the Lord of the universe. This is essential, O excellent Brahmana. 

56. If any man wishes to cross the impassable ocean of worldly existence, let him be devoted to Hari. This is the only panacea. 

57. O brother, seek the support of Govinda. O beloved one, do not delay. The city of Krutānta (God of death) is seen nearby. 

58. O leading Brahmana, if you wish to attain liberation, worship Narayana, the source of the origin of the universe, the cause of the cause of all. 

59. Undoubtedly only those noble-souled ones who have resorted to the Lord, the support of all, the source of origin of all, the immanent soul of all, have attained their goal in life. 

60. Those who worship Mahä-Vişhņu, the destroyer of the distress of those who bow down to him, are worthy of being saluted, worshipped and especially bowed to. 

61. Those devotees of Vishnu who worship the Supreme Lord without any specific desire, go to the abode of Hari along with twenty-one generations of his family. 

62. Only he becomes the beloved favourite of the Lord- he who gives water or fruit to a noble-souled devotee of Vishnu, who is devoid of any desire. 

63. Those who render service to the devotees of Vishnu go to Vishnu’s world and stay there till the final dissolution of all living beings takes places. ⁴

3. Obviously the story of Jayadhvaja or rather that of a sinful bastard Chandāla called Dandaketu who swept a part of a temple of Vishnu and lit up a lamp for sexual intercourse, was absolved of all sins by that unintended meritorious service to god Vishnu and after enjoying heavenly life was born as King Jayadhvaja with the woman of his previous birth as a legitimate queen, is a creation of the author of the NP., as it has no basis in any Vedic or Puranic work. The NP. wants to emphasize the covetable fruit of the slightest unintentional service of Lord Vishnu (vide v. 48, 55, 56-61).

4. VV 63 ff. describe the importance of services rendered to the devotees of Vishnu and the sanctity of the Tulasi plant and of Salagrama stone. 

64. Only those can purify the universe with the dust of their feet who worship Hari and Hari’s devotees, without any specific desire (in return). 

65. If anyone devoted to the worship of the Lord stays in a house, Devas as well as Śhri Hari also stay there. 

66. O Brahmana, welfare and happiness increase day by day in that house where Tulasi is planted and worshipped. 

67. Evil planets, goblins, Vetalas, etc., do not harass anyone in that place where Keshava stays in the form of Salagrama stone. 

68. That spot is a holy centre, that place is a penance grove, where the Salagrama stone stands, since lord Madhusudana is present there. 

69. O celestial sage, know that house to be devoid of auspiciousness and on a par with the cremation ground, if there is no worship of the Salagrama stone. 

70. The Puranas, Nyaya (texts), Mimamsa (texts), Dharma Shastras, Vedas along with their Angas-all these are glorified as the form of Vishnu. 

71. The persons who circumambulates Vishnu four times with devotion, goes to the highest abode that quells all Karmans.