Srimad Bhagavatam – day 354
Maharishi Nārada continues to initiate King Chitraketu,
“Namo vijñāna-mātrāya paramānanda-mūrtaye
Ātmārāmāya śāntāya nivṛtta-dvaita-dṛṣṭaye
I offer obeisance to the Supreme Lord who is a repository of entire Supreme Knowledge, who is a personification of pure ultimate bliss, who is eternally at peace and who does not have feelings of differentiation.
O Lord, by granting the experience of supreme bliss, which is Your inherent form, You have driven away feelings of like-dislike that arise out of illusion. Although You are beyond the limitations of space, You remain as the Lord of the senses. To You, who manifest as this world, I offer obeisance.
Speech (vak) and mind collectively try to merge into the Supreme Lord who is beyond name and form but fail completely. To that Supreme Lord who is beyond name and form I offer obeisance.
The Supreme Lord is non-dual. Pure consciousness is His form. He is beyond cause and effect. May such Supreme Lord eternally protect us!
This universe emerges from the Supreme Lord, exists within Him and ultimately merges into Him. Just as mud inherently exists in pots and other utensils created from it, the Supreme Lord inherently pervades the universe created by Him. I offer obeisance to such Supreme Lord.
Akin to space, the Supreme Lord pervades everything within and outside. He is beyond the understanding of mind, intellect and the organs of perception. He is beyond the reach of the organs of action. To such Lord I offer obeisance.
Iron obtains the ability to burn other objects only when it has been burnt red-hot. Likewise, body, senses, life-force, mind and intellect obtain the ability to duly complete their tasks purely because they are powered by the Lord’s illumination. This Pure Consciousness remains favorable towards the body and senses. It remains a witness to the actions performed by them during waking and other states.
Oṃ namo bhagavate mahā-puruṣāya mahānubhāvāya mahā-vibhūti-pataye sakala-sātvata-parivṛḍha-nikara-kara-kamala-kuḍmala-upalālita-caraṇāravinda-yugala parama-parameṣṭhin namas te.
I offer obeisance to the Supreme Lord Puruśottama who is of great renown and who is the Lord of all supreme manifestations. O Lord of all beings! Hordes of supreme devotees fold their lotus-like hands before You. With cupped hands, which resemble lotus buds, they serve Your lotus feet. O Supreme Lord, please accept my obeisance”.
Having thus initiated King Chitraketu, Maharishi Nārada left for Brahmaloka together with Maharishi Angirasa. With absolute concentration, for 7 continuous nights and days King Chitraketu chanted this mantra into which he was initiated. During this period he sustained purely on water.
Due to the power of this mantra he became the ruler of the Vidyadhara world (loka). Due to the power of the mantra, a significant purity was visible in his mental activities. Shortly thereafter, he obtained shelter under the lotus feet of Adiśeṣa, the Lord of all Lords. He was blessed with the vision of Lord Adiśeṣa, who was being worshipped by hordes of eminent saints.
Lord Adiśeṣa illumined brightly with this tender body that resembled white lotus filament. He was decked in black clothing. He was glowing with his glittering crown, armlets, waist belt, and shining earrings. With reddish eyes and charming face, He looked pleasant.
Due to this divine darshan, Chitraketu was freed from all his sins. His mind was rendered totally pure and calm. He remained silent. His eyes were brimming with tears of joy. His body horripilated.
With overflowing love and devotion, he prostrated before Lord Sankarśana, the Supreme Lord of the universe. With tears of joy that were freely flowing from his eyes, he washed the lotus feet of the Lord, who is of supreme renown. Words failed to come from him as His voice was choked. For a very long time Chitraketu remained silent, unable to even praise the Lord.
He then controlled his mind and obtained back the ability to speak. Lord Sankarśana is the father of the universe. He illumines in the form which has been defined by the path of devotion. Controlling his senses Chitraketu said,
“O undefeatable Lord! Noble persons who have conquered their mind through their devotion conquer You and keep You under their sway. You too keep them completely under Your control. You are that compassionate Lord who offers yourself completely to those who are filled with selfless devotion devoid of any desires.
Creation, sustenance, dissolution as well as all other activities are purely Your transcendental pastimes. Hiranyagarbha and other Prajapatis who create this universe are Your partial incarnations. Due to feelings of differentiations they wastefully compete amongst themselves.
You are the beginning, middle and end of every object in the creation, right from the infinitesimal atom up to the cosmic intelligence (mahat). However, neither do You have any beginning nor any end. That which consistently exists through beginning and end is said to exist in the middle phase. Just as ornament is illusory while gold is real, this world is illusory while You are real.
This entire cosmos is enveloped by the 7 elements viz., earth, water, fire, wind, space, cosmic intelligence (mahat), egoism (ahamkara), each of which is greater than the previous element by 10 times. Crores of such universes exist like infinitesimal atoms in You. For this reason You are adored as Ananta.
O Lord, human beings who are thirsty for sensory pleasures are comparable to animals. Forgetting about You, they glorify smaller gods such as Indra and others. Just as kingly luxuries disappear when the king is destroyed, luxuries granted by these Devatas disappear when the Devatas disappear”.
Aniruddhāya namah