148 - Greatness of Stutasvami

Suta said:

1. Earth was very much wonder-struck on hearing the narration about Gonishkramana.

Earth said:

2. I am very much gratified to hear about the greatness of cows and the greatness of yourself, O Lord.

3. O Lord Narayana, now tell me if there is any place even holier than this.

Varaha said:

4. I am lord Narayana, the resort of all dharma. There is none to rival me and so I am the supreme lord.

5. I tell this shastra to you in pleasure, assuming the form of the boar which is dear to all devotees.

Earth said:

6. “As you tell me more and more about dharma and its cause, I get more and more unbounded joy in my mind.”

7. Hearing these words of Earth, the lord, who is the highest in dharma, and who had taken the form of the boar, told her.

Varaha said:

8. It is befitting of you to say this as you are devoted to me. I shall tell you what you ask for the happiness of the world.

9. There is my holy place called Stutasvami. My presence is there from the Dvaparayuga.

10. I will be born as the son of Vasudeva and Devaki to kill all demons.

11. I will have five disciples then who will be experts in dharma due to my favour. They will be establishing me as the embodiment of dharma.

12. These followers of mine will be Shandilya, Jajali, Kapila, Upasayaka and Bhrugu.

13. There will also be those of pure mind setting examples to others by themselves,

14. And upholding me by their power of knowledge, namely Sankarshana, Vasudeva, Pradyumna and Aniruddha.

15. They will be devoted to me and propagate righteousness.

16. I will give them whatever boons they wish and they will speak to me in their knowledge of self.

17. Where dharma is firm, may there the science of self-knowledge become established. Let this be well known and let this never be false. May the world go on with your favour. 

18. I will then be telling them: O dear disciples, let it be as you please, as you are dear to me.

19. What a good disciple desires will certainly be granted.

20. Then they will tell me dear to all desciples:

21. Just like butter churned out of curds, is the Varaha churned out of all shastras. It is the cream of all knowledge.

22. They will thus proclaim as authoritative what I say and will attain supreme beatitude.

23. This is considered by the devotees as the greatest of all Shastras leading to salvation of all.

24. Listen, O Earth, I shall tell you another thing, namely about the actions to be done.

25. Some people cross this world by knowledge while others engage themselves in actions for the same. Others do this by gifts.

26. Others resort to both knowledge and action, certain others realise me by the power of yoga and yet others by rituals.

27. But all follow dharma and do everything with concentration of mind.

28. This is the great shastra for liberation from samsara propounded for the sake of my devotees.

29. They will propagate this, each according to what appeals to him most and as the sages have demonstrated.

30. Those learned in Shastras along with their disciples will popularise what is suited for the particular Yuga. And by my grace, they will all attain bliss.

31. Those among my disciples who have the fault of rivalry and those who find fault with my shastra, will have rebirth.

32. For those who are caught in rivalry is not the world that is great beyond.

33. Listen, O Earth, I shall tell you another thing in regard to those that follow my path.

34. Even those who are learned, humble and free from many faults, come down if they have this fault of rivalry.

35. Rivalry destroys dharma, it destroys everything. He who has rivalry can never see me.

36-37. There may be those who do numerous good deeds, give gifts, learn Vedas, practice penance, attain knowledge and perform daily rituals. But if they have rivalry they do not see me, but are defiled by Maya.

38. So none should have rivalry which destroys dharma, if salvation is wished for through what I have laid down.

39. Even wise people do not know about this, and many have brought ruin upon themselves by rivalry.

40. I have proclaimed this shastra dear to all devotees in this boar form of mine.

41. Listen now to the wonder that happened at Bhutagiri where there is an iron idol of mine.

42. Some consider it as of iron, others as of bronze, still others as or stone, yet others as of diamond.

43. Although they perform worship to me at the top or bottom and touch me in the middle of the head.

44-45. Those who have preceptors and worship me in Manipuragiri, derive virtues of the preceptors, get freed of all sins and attain beatitude.

46. In that place, on its north, is the tirtha called Panchadruma.

47. He who bathes there after foregoing food five times, delights in the Nandana garden with the Apsara women. 

48. And he who gives up life there fully gratified, gives up Nandana and reaches my world.

49. At a distance of half a yojana on the southern side is the tirtha known as Bhrugukunda.

50. My devotee who takes bath there subdues his senses and is never born again on earth.

51. He delights himself with the Apsarases in the peak of Meru where Dhruva remains.

52. And he who gives up life there, remaining in my service, gives up the world of Dhruva and reaches my world.

53. There is another spot called Manikunda where gems are seen in several places.

54. This is a deep pond and not easily accessible even to Devas.

55. He who bathes there after fasting five times, comes to possess gems and gets the marks of a king.

56. And he who gives up life there, remaining in my service, cuts asunder the bonds of samsara.

57. There is Suguhya on the eastern side at a distance of three kroshas. He who bathes there reaches my world.

58. Then there is Dhutapapa at a distance of five kroshas on the Western side.

59. That is particularly dear to me and I have made it full of emeralds and glowing like gold.

60. He who bathes there after foregoing five meals,

61. Giving up all actions pertaining to the five elements, gets freed of all sins,

62. Reaches the world of Indra, O fair goddess, and delights himself there with Devas.

63. And he who gives up life there, remaining in my service, gives up the world of Indra and reaches my world.

64-65. Know you now about the wonder there. In that Manipura hill the streak of water will not fall on the person who approaches it unless he is cleansed of all sins. When once the sins are rernoved, the streak begins to fall. 

66. Similarly, there is an Ashvattha (Peepal) tree near which only a pure person is able to go and not one who is sinful.

67. On the western side, at a distance of half a yojana is an Amalaka (Gooseberry) tree.

68. By my prowess it yields all desires, but this cannot be known by a sinful man.

69. The devotee who, with full control of the senses and concentration of mind, and fasting for three nights,

70. Goes there at sunrise and at noon or at sunset,

71. With undivided attention and full determination, and procures the Amalaka fruit, gets (his desires fulfilled) in the course of five days in that Bhutagiri.

72. Hearing these words of lord Narayapa, Earth asked again in all humility.

 73-74. “Be pleased to tell me about Stutasvami, the holy spots there and how it got this name”.

Varaha said:

75. O Earth, after killing the enemies of gods and cutting all bonds of samsara, when I was remaining at Manipura in Dvaparayuga,

76. Brahma and other gods began to praise me with mantras.

77-78. Then, O goddess, Narada, Asita, Devala and Parvata who were all deep in my devotion, gave me the name in the Manipura hill as ‘Stutasvami’ (and then the place also got the name).

79. I have thus told you how and why the place got this name, what you asked for the good of the devotees.

80. I have told you about the greatness of Stutagiri where I will be from the beginning of the Dvaparayuga. 

81. All these secrets about Bhutagiri should be listened to by people with attention.

82. Thus have I told you about the greatness of Stuatasvami, what else do you wish to ask?