The Devotion of Sasidhvaja And His Previous History

Texts 1-2

Suta Gosvami said: The kings then began to speak to the exalted King Sasidhavaja and his wife, Susanta, in that assembly which included Dharma and Satya-yuga personified.

Texts 3-4

The kings said: You are now the in-laws of Lord Kalki, who is non- different from the Personality of Godhead, Narayana. We are very impressed by the devotional attitude of both of you, and so are the assembled sages, brahmanas, and others. We would like to know how vou became so advanced on the path of devotional service to the Supreme Lord.

Texts 5-6

My dear king, did someone give you instruction regarding the devotional service of the Lord, or is your devotion spontaneous? We simply would like to know how you became such an advanced devotee of the Lord. We know that by hearing this narration, the inhabitants of the three worlds will be purified, because such talks uproot the root cause of material existence.

Text7

King Sasidhvaja said: О kings, please listen attentively as I narrate to you the story of my previous life, and how I came to be a king who is devoted to the Lord.

Text 8

Thousands of years ago, I was born as a meat-eating vulture. My wife, Susanta, was a female vulture living in a nest at the top of a tree in the forest.

Text 9

She would travel from forest to forest and tree to tree, according to her desire. We sustained our lives by eating the rotting, stinking flesh of dead bodies.

Texts 10-11

One day, a cruel hunter saw us and so desired to capture us. For this purpose, he brought his tame vulture. At that time, we were famished and so when we saw the tame vulture, we approached it in the hopes of getting some flesh in chanty.

Text 12

However, the result was that we fell into the trap of the hunter. As soon as he saw us ensnared within his net, the hunter joyfully came running and grabbed me by the neck. We tried our best to defend ourselves with our beaks.

Text 13

Wanting our flesh, the hunter took us to the banks of the Gandaki River, which is as good as the Ganges, and killed us by smashing our heads against a salagrama-sila.

Texts 14-15

Because we had given up our lives while touching a salagrama-sila on the shore of the holy Gandaki River, we were instantly awarded four- armed forms and ascended to Vainkuntha in an effulgent celestial chariot. We resided there for one hundred yuga cycles and then were transferred to Brahmaloka.

Text 16

In Brahmaloka, we resided for five hundred yuga cycles and then descended to Svargaloka, where we resided for four hundred yuga cycles.

Text 17

After residing in the heavenly planets, we were born in this mortal world. I can clearly remember how everything was made possible simply by the mercy of the suldgrdma-sila and Lord Hari.

Text 18

It is astonishing to think how one can remember his past lives after giving up his life on the banks of the River Gandaki. Simply by touching the water of that river, one can feel something extraordinary.

Text 19

When such a wonderful result is obtained by giving up one’s life while touching a salagrama-sila, then what can be said of the result obtained by those who serve Lord Hari with devotion?

Text 20

Thinking in this way, we remained absorbed in the worship of the Supreme Lord, sometimes dancing in ecstasy, sometimes singing the glories of Lord Hari, and sometimes rolling on the ground with a heart overwhelmed by feelings of love of God. In this way, we passed our lives.

Text 21

I had already heard from Brahma that Lord Hari would incarnate as Lord Kalki, to destroy the influence of Kali. I am thus well-aware of His unexcelled prowess.

Text 22-24

Thus, King Sashidhvaja narrated his history in that assembly. He considered himself and his family members to be supremely fortunate as he gave Lord Kalki, the husband of Rama, ten thousand elephants, one hundred thousand horses, six thousands chariots, one hundred young maid servants, and countless valuable jewels.

Text 25

After hearing this description of the king’s previous life, all the members of the assembly were astonished and began to regard him even more highly.

Text 26

Everyone in that assembly began to glorify the Supreme Lord and meditate upon His transcendental form. After some time, they inquired from King Sasidhvaja about the characteristics of pure devotional service.

Text 27

The kings said: What are the characteristics of devotional service to the Lord? Who is a genuine devotee, and what are the prescribed rules and regulations? What does a devotee do, what does he eat, where does he live, and what does he speak about?

Texts 28-29

О king, you aie the knower of everything and so please describe whatever was requested by us.

The king was very happy to hear these questions, which were all in relation to Lord Hari, and so he tHariked them. Then, with a desire to purity the world with the sound of the holy names of Lord Krishna, the king, having the power to remember his previous lives, began to repeat whatever he had previously heard from Lord Brahma.

Text 30

King Sas’idhvaja said Once, long ago, in the assembly of Lord Brahma, there were many great sages present At that time, the sage Sanaka asked Narada Muni the very questions that you have put before me.

Text 31

I was also present in that assembly of gieat sages and by their mercy, I heard everything that was spoken by them. О you who are capable of removing the sms of the conditioned souls, please listen attentively as I repeat whatever I had heard.

Text 32

Sanaka said- О sage among the demigods, what kind of devotional service to Lord Hari has the power to free one from the cycle of repeated birth and death? What method of devotional service is most praiseworthy? Please speak on this subject, for we are very eager to hear.

Text 33

Narada Muni said, One who desues to engage in the devotional service of the Lord should learn the codes of good conduct after fully surrendering himself at the lotus feet of the spiritual master and carefully controlling his mind and five knowledge-acquiring senses with the help of good intelligence.

Texts 34-36

If the spiritual master is pleased, then it is to be understood that Lord Hari is pleased. By the order of the spiritual master, one should chant the mantra, orn namo svahd. The disciple should worship the lotus feet of Lord Vasudeva by offering Him padya, arghya, acamanlya, snanlya, vasana, and ornaments. All the while, he should meditate on the enchanting form of Lord Vasudeva as it is situated within his heart.

Text 37

A sincere and intelligent devotee should surrender his speech, mind, intelligence, senses, and indeed, his very self at the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord.

Text 38

All of the demigods are considered to be Lord Hari’s bodily limbs. He possesses unlimited transcendental forms having corresponding transcendental names.

Text 39

Lord Krishna is the actual object of service for all living entities. The constitutional position of the spirit souls is that they are the Lord’s eternal servants, being part and parcel of Him. This is the conclusion of those who know the truth, but due to the dense darkness of ignorance, people in general forget this.

Text 40

The relationship between the Lord and His devotees is one of master and servant. Actually, there is nothing that can exist independently of Lord Krishna.

Text 41

The devotees always think of Lord Hari, sing His holy names, and engage in menial service for His satisfaction. By engaging in devotional service in this way, the devotees feel transcendental pleasure.

Text 42

The devotees dance in ecstasy, cry, laugh, and roll on the ground, and while doing so, they completely forget themselves. Pure devotees never discriminate, but rather see everyone equally on the spiritual platform.

Text 43

Such unadulterated devotional service to the Supreme Lord quickly purifies everyone—demigods, demons, and human beings.

Text 44

Bhakti-devi is the Lord’s eternal spiritual potency and she is described in all Vedic literature. She is the embodiment of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva.

Text 45

Persons in the mode of goodness are called devotees, persons in the mode of passion are mad after sense gratification, and persons in the mode of ignorance engage in all kinds of abominable activities.

Text 46

People who cultivate the mode of goodness can raise themselves to the transcendental platform. Those who cultivate the mode of passion become filled with material desires, and those who cultivate the mode of ignorance go to hell.

Text 47

Food that is pure, juicy, and nutritious, and that has been offered to Lord Vishnu, is considered to be in the mode of goodness.

Text 48

Food that is prepared with only the satisfaction of the senses in mind, and which is intended to increase one’s blood and semen, and thus enHarice one’s duration of life, is considered to be in the mode of passion.

Text 49

Food that is bitter, spicy, hot, sour, stale, burnt, dry, or rotten is considered to be in the mode of ignorance. Only people deeply imbedded in the mode of ignorance will relish such food.

Text 50

People in the mode of goodness like to reside in the forest, people in the mode of passion like to reside in a city or village, and people in the mode of ignorance like gambling casinos and brothels.

Text 51

Lord Hari does not award His devotee material comforts, nor does a pure devotee ask anything from the Lord, and yet there are exchanges of love between them at every moment. The dealings of the Lord and His devotees are not like those of materialistic people in this miserable world.

Text 52

After hearing these talks in relation to Lord Hari, the master of everyone, the pure-hearted sage, Sanaka, returned to his abode after sufficiently glorifying Narada Muni.

 

Thus ends the translation of the twenty-fifth chapter of Shri Kalki Purana.

 

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