॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
Tuesday, 29 November 2022 V.03- King Nabhi wants a son with divine qualities. Bhagavan's grace.
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Nabhi, the eldest son of King Agnidhra, was anointed the next king. His wife was Merudevi, the daughter of Meru.
Desirous of a worthy son and successor like Bhagavan Himself, Nabhi and Merudevi embarked on an elaborate worship of Bhagavan Maha Vishnu.
What could be the components in the worship of Bhagavan to secure His grace?
- Offer of special materials or food articles.
- Worship in a special place.
- Worship at an auspicious time.
- Incantations of special mantras.
- Priestly rituals.
- Generous gifts to priests and Brahmins.
- Self-regulatory practices like fasts and baths.
"Oh most worshippable Bhagavan, although You are complete in Yourself, please, out of Your causeless mercy, accept a little service from us, Your eternal servants. We cannot comprehend Your transcendental form, but we can simply offer our respectful obeisances again and again, as instructed by the Vedic scriptures and Gurus. You are beyond Maya and the three Gunas that bind us. Your name, form and qualities are all transcendental and beyond the grasp of empirical knowledge. Indeed, who can conceive of You? In the material world, we can perceive only material names and qualities. We have no other power than to offer our respectful obeisances and prayers to You, the Supreme Being. The chanting of Your divine qualities will wipe out the sins of all mankind. That is the most auspicious activity for us, and we can thus partially comprehend Your divinity and grace that lord over us."
"Dear Lord, You are easily pleased by our offering only a few Tulsi leaves, water, even twigs and tender grass! Therefore all our elaborate rituals are superfluous."
"Dear Lord, your opulence and self-sufficiency are in stark contrast to our nature filled with constant wants and needs. All our prayers, therefore, turn out to be efforts to secure through Your grace only material rewards!"
तद्यथा बालिशानां स्वयमात्मन: श्रेय: परमविदुषां परमपरमपुरुष प्रकर्षकरुणया स्वमहिमानं चापवर्गाख्यमुपकल्पयिष्यन् स्वयं नापचित एवेतरवदिहोपलक्षित: ॥
T: "Oh Supreme, supreme Lord, by Your Darshan, what immeasurable grace You have bestowed on us ignorant fools without our offering proper worship! The reason is You are complete in Yourself and ready to give rather than take - to bestow even liberation!"
"There are great sages who have overcome bodily attachments and are always immersed in transcendental bliss. Even they are not fortunate to have Your Darshan like this!"
"We may not be able to even recall Your divine attributes and names when the time comes for it - owing to disease, old age, sleepiness, hunger, falls and injuries, and the approaching moment of death. Oh, Lord, so we beg You to give us Your remembrance always!"
"Dear Lord, here is the great King Nabhi, whose ultimate goal in life is to have a son like You. Bhagavan, Nabhi's position is like that of a person approaching a very rich man and begging for a little grain. He is worshipping You for a son, although You can offer him any exalted position, including elevation to the heavenly planets, or even liberation!"
को वा इह तेऽपराजितोऽपराजितया माययानवसितपदव्यानावृतमतिर्विषयविषरयानावृतप्रकृतिरनुपासितमहच्चरण: ॥
T: "Whoever indeed can overcome the unconquerable Maya of Yours, Oh, Lord, and avoid the poison of material wants and desires, unless he worships the feet of saints and great souls who have realised You!?"
Bhagavan Maha Vishnu was very pleased with His devotees present and their sincere submission. He now replied.
"Oh great sages, I am certainly very pleased with your prayers. You are all truthful. You have prayed for the benediction of a son like Me for King Nabhi, but this is very difficult to obtain. Since I am the Supreme Being without a second and since no one is equal to Me, another personality like Me is not possible to find. In any case, because you are all qualified Brahmins, your incantations should not prove untrue. The words of true Brahmins are as efficacious as words from My own mouth."
"I shall create an amsha avatara of Myself and enter the womb of Merudevi, queen of Nabhi."
Thus Bhagavan gave His Darshan to all, including Merudevi, and promised that He would take birth through her, keeping in His mind the added intention of setting an example for all to follow in observingDharma in all aspects of life.
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॥ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ॥
