7 - Attainment of Liberation Uttering Gadädhara Hymn

Earth asked:

1. Having heard that Vasu had attamed liberation, what did the great sage Raibhya himself do? O God, I wish to know this.

Varäha replied:

2. Having heard that Vasu had attamed liberation, the great sage Raibhya went to Gayâ, the sacred lake of the manes.

3. There he propitiated the manes offering Pinda. (the lump of rice offered in obsequial ceremonies) in devotion and performed extremely severe penance.

4. Before sage Raibhya performing great penance, there appeared in an-aerial car an exceedingly effulgent Yogin.

5. In the aerial car which was small like a particle of dust, resembling the sun, shone forth a man like an atom.

6. He asked Raibhya: “O sage, with what end in view are you doing penance? ‘Asking this, that man swelled himself into a huge figure touching the sky and earth.

7. He found the aerial car which was resembling the sun, also becoming very big and pervading the abode Vishnu (sky).

8. Then, possessed with great wonder, Raibhya prostrated before him and asked ‘O great yogin, please tell me who you are’. The Man said:

9. “I am Rudra’s younger brother and I am Brahmä’s mind-born child. My name is Sanatkumära and lam living in Janaloka.

10. I have come before you, O sage, out of love for you. O child, you are blessed all times since you increase the race of Brahma.

Raibhya said:

11. Bow to you, O great yogin, be pleased with me. Please shower on me your benevolence, O Yogin, with the body consisting of all the worlds. O great yogin, please tell me what I should do now. Why do you call me the blessed?

Sanatkumära said:

12. O great Brahmin, you are blessed because you, interested in discussions on the Vedas, pleased the manes by hymns, vows, sacrifices and all kinds of Pindas at this Gayä.

13-14. And hear me, O sage! There lived in the city Višhälä another king by name Višhäla, gratified and courageous, ruling over the whole country Višhälä. He, who had destroyed all his enemies, asked the great Brahmins what was to be done to get a son for him. Those benign Brahmins told him: ‘O king, please go to Gayä and propitiate the manes there by giving munificent offerings of rice for getting a son.

15. No doubt, then, you will get a son, O great king, who will be the lord of the earth and a munificent donor.

16-17. When the Brahmins said this, the king of Višhälä was very glad and he went to the sacred lake and in great devotion offered Pindas to the manes in Maghäs (tenth lunar asterism). At that time, he saw before him three persons in white, red and black complexions. He asked them: Why do you look at me intently? I am anxious to know everything. Please tell me”.

The White man said:

18. O Child, I am your father Sita (the white) by name, conduct, race and actions. This is my father, the Red, cruel and prone to do sinful deeds like killing of Brahmins.

19. The other is his father, the Black, and the lord of all who are black of conduct and character. It is by this Black one that a good number of ancient sages were killed.

20. Both these my father, the lord Red, and his father, the Black, died and, O child, went to the hells named Raudra and Avichi and lived there for a long time.

21. As a result of my chaste actions I was led to the seat of Indra (the heaven), one that is rare to be attamed. It is by you, well-versed in Mantras, I am united with these, who were in hell, by the power of offering Pindas in this sacred lake.

22. O destroyer of enemies, you have offered water saying: “I shall propitiate my father, grandfathers and great-grandfathers.

23. By that word, we are united now, O good child, I can undoubtedly go to the world of manes by the power of this sacred water.

24. By offering Pindas here, both these your grandfathers got liberation in spite of their misfortunes and sinful deeds.

25. The power of this sacred water is so great that even a killer of Brahmins can be liberated by his son through the offering of Pindas in this lake.

26. That is why, I, accompanied by both these, have come here to see you. Now I am going.

27-28. For the same reason, O   Raibhya, I am saying that you are blessed. It is very rare to go to Gayä even once and offer Pindas there. You have been always here. What else is to be said, O lord; this is your good luck.

29. Since Näräyana himself was seen here as Gadädhara (holding the mace in his hand), He is installed in this temple in the same form. O best of Brahmins! this sacred lake, therefore, is the most famous.

Varäha said:

30. After saying this, the great yogin (Sanatkumära) disappeared. Raibhya extolled Näräyana in the form of Gadädhara as follows:

Raibhya said:

31. Bow to Gadädhara, who is extolled by gods, who is fore bearing and auspicious, who destroys demons in Višhälä and who destroys, on mere remembrance, the sorrow of the poor and all inauspicious things.

32. Bow to Gadädhara, the primordial Man who is extolled again and again, the ancient, the purified, the great prowessed, the shelter to all, Trivikrama (one having three footsteps in the Vämana incarnation) and who killed demon Kešhin and protected the world.

33. One who prostrates before Gadädhara lives happily— Gadädhara who is wedded to Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) and thus amply rich, who is extolled by sinless kings, who is devoid of sin and has purified feelings and is skilful.

34. One who prostrates before Gadädhara lives happily— Gadädhara who has the feet like lotuses and is worshipped by gods and demons, who wears a bracelet, necklace of pearls, armlet and crown, and has a disc in his hand, and who sleeps in the sea.

35. One who prostrates before Gadädhara lives happily— Gadädhara, the all-pervading, the imperishable, and the great lord who is white in Kruta age, red in Tretä, blue in Dväpara and black like a bee in Kali age.

36. May Gadädhara be victorious—Gadädhara having three forms at a time, who as one born from a seed creates the four-faced Brahma, who in the form of Näräyana creates and. protects the world, and who in the form of Rudra destroys it.

37. It is well known that all beings are formed of three qualities, Sattva, Rajas and Tamas. May Gadädhara possessing all these three in himself provide me with courage in discharging my righteous and spiritual duties.

38. It is the raft of Gadädhara that has protected me who was drowning deep in the ocean of worldly life, terrible with snares of sorrows, and crocodiles of separation (from my relatives).

 39. prostrate before God (Gadädhara) preserving the earth, who being himself the trio of Gods created this world out of his power as in the case of sky, i.e., in Ätman by Ätman, who created fire and water in it and seated himself in the water.

40. May Gadädhara Vishnu provide me with liberation—he who attamed the form of fish and the like to protect gods and others and who is present in all beings in the form of sacrifice.

Varäha said:

41. When the intelligent Raibhya thus extolled Vishnu in great devotion, He clad in yellow-garment, appeared before him in the sky.

42. Then He having a conch, disc and a mace in his hands, sitting on Garuda, said in words lofty like the sound of a cloud.

43. “O great Brahmin-sage Raibhya! I am pleased with your devotion, hymn and by your oblution in this sacred lake. Tell mc what you want”.

Raibhya said: 

44. Be pleased, O great lord Janärdana, to give me the beatitude by which I shall live where Sanaka and others dwell.

God said:

45-46. ‘Let it be so, O Brahmin!’ Saying this, the Lord disappeared. By the grace of God Vishnu, Raibhya became possessed of divine knowledge within a moment. And he attained the world where the great sage Sanaka and others live.

47. One who goes to Gayä and recites this hymn, uttered by Raibhya to Gadädhara Vishnu achieves better fruits than those by offering Pinda.