Bp

 Bhakta pootana was an Indian telugu poet best known for his translation of the Bhagavath purana from Sanskrit to Telugu. He was a Telugu and Sanskrit Scholar.His work, Sri Maha Bhagavatamu, is popularly called as Pothana Bhagavatam in Telugu.

an early age he wrote Bhogini Dhandakam, a poem written in the praise of king Sri Singa Bhoopala's concubine Bhogini. This was his first poetic venture which had the seeds of his great poetic talents. Bhogini Dhandakam is the earliest available Dhandaka (rhapsody which uses the same gana or foot all through) in Telugu.

His second work was Virabhadhra Vijayamu which describes the adventures of Lord Virabhadhra, element of Lord Shiva. The main theme was the destruction of 'Daksha Yagna' performed in the absence of Lord Siva by Daksha Prajapathi.

As a young man, he was a devotee of Lord Siva. Later, Pothana became a devotee of Lord Rama and more interested in salvation. In the view of Pothana, there is no difference between Siva and Vishnu and the same was reflected in his padyam "ChethuLAranga Sivuni Poojimpadeni Nooru Novvanga hari keerthi salupadeeni dhayanu satyamulonuga thalupadeni kaluganetiki thallula kadupuchetu". One early morning during a lunar eclipse, on the banks of river Godavari, Pothana was meditating on Lord Siva. At that auspicious moment, Supreme Lord Rama appeared dressed like a king and requested Pothana to translate Bhagavatam into Telugu (Andhramu) and dedicate it to Him. This inspired him to translate Vyasa's Sanskrit Bhagavatam into Telugu as Sri Maha Bhaagavatamu.

Persecution

The Padma Nayaka king of Rachakonda (in present-day Nalgonda District) wanted Pothana to dedicate ‘Sri Maha Bhagavatam’ to him. The king himself is a scholar and wrote many works including Rudranavasudhakara, a well known Sanskrit drama. But, Pothana refused to obey the king's orders and dedicated the Bhagavatamu to Lord Rama, whom he worshiped with great devotion. It is said that Pothana remarked, ‘It is better to dedicate the work to the supreme Lord Vishnu than dedicate it to the mortal kings.’ He was of opinion that poetry was a divine gift and it should be utilized for salvation by devoting it to the God. It is known that Pothana was patronized by this king in his early career, Pothana dedicated his first great work to this king, the king himself was a scholar, his contemporary reputation was immense. It was common practice for many poets of the time to dedicate their devotional works to God himself and not necessarily to their patron-kings. The poem containing the derision against the "Karanata Kiraata Keechakulu" is a chatuvu (apocryphal) attributed to Pothana with no proof that he actually wrote it. Even if he did, it is unclear who the Karanata villains were, very likely the rulers of Karnaata Samrajyam (the contemporary term for the Vijayanagara empire) who were raiding Rachakonda at the time. The Rachakonda kingdom was under intense turmoil at the time, under attack by the Bahamanis from the west, Karanata (Vijayanagara) empire from the south and the Reddy Rajas from the east. Rachakonda and its king ceased to exist by the mid-15th century, absorbed into the Bahamani kingdom. There is yet another version about his birthplace. He indicated in one stanza that he belonged to 'Ekasila Nagaram', meaning single stone city which was also called as Orukallu later changed to Orugallu (Warangal) in usage, Orukallu meaning single stone.

He was quite fond of using rhythm and repetition of sounds giving a majestic grace to the style of writing. He was very skillful in using Alankaras (figures of speech) like similes and metaphors. Pothana imparted the knowledge of the divine to the Telugu people along with lessons in ethics and politics through Sri Maha Bhagavatamu. He lived for sixty years.

ala vaikuMThapuraMbulO nagarilo nAmUla soudhaMbu dApala......

This is a verse which describes the palace of Lord Vishnu in his divine abode (VAIKUNTHA), at the time the elephant king prayed for the Lord's kindness to deliver him out of the deadly grip of crocodile in a lake.

The story goes that Pothana wrote the first line of the verse, but could not continue (because he did not know how vaikuntha looks!). So he paused the writing at that point, and went to farm (he was a cultivator by profession). When he came back in the evening, he saw the verse completed.

He enquired his daughter about who wrote the other three lines. The daughter replied – "You yourself came in the afternoon and wrote some thing!". So Pothana understood that Lord Sri Rama himself came and completed the verse.

In fact, Pothana himself ascribed in the following poem, the purpose of his writing the Bhagavatam:

పలికెడిది భాగవతమట

పలికించెడి వాడు రామభధృండట నే

పలికిన భవహర మగునట

పలికెద వేరొండు గాథ పలుకగనేల

PalikeDidhi Bhagavatamata

Palikinchedivadu Ramabhadrundata Ne

Palikina Bhavaharamagunata

PalikedaVerondu Gaatha PalukagaNela

Translated it means : "That which is spoken is the Bhagavatam and the one who made me speak/chant this is Lord Rama. The result of chanting this (Bhagavatamata) is ultimate freedom, the Liberation of soul. So, let me sing it, since there is no other story better than this (Bhagavatam)."

This verse is Prahlada's reply to his father asking him to give up glorifying the One he hated bitterly, Sri Hari.

మందార మకరంద మాధుర్యమునఁ దేలు మధుపంబు వోవునే మదనములకు

నిర్మల మందాకినీ వీచికలఁ దూఁగు రాయంచ సనునె తరంగిణులకు

లలిత రసాలపల్లవ ఖాది యై చొక్కు కోయిల సేరునే కుటజములకు

బూర్ణేందు చంద్రికా స్ఫురిత చకోరక మరుగునే సాంద్ర నీహారములకు

అంబుజోదర దివ్య పాదారవింద

చింతనామృత పానవిశేష మత్త

చిత్త మేరీతి నితరంబు జేరనేర్చు

వినుతగుణశీల! మాటలు వేయునేల?

Approximate translation:

A honeybee reveling in the honey-sweetness of Hibiscus, would he seek grass flowers?

A royal swan swaying in the pure breezes of the Ganges, would he go to the oceans?

A nightingale relishing the juices of smooth young leaflets, will he approach rough leaves?

A chakora bird blossoming in the moonlight of a full moon, would he go to dark places with thick fog?

Minds attention on the lotus-wearer's (God's) divine lotus-feet, a heightened headiness brought on by that nectar-like contemplation

In what way will it learn to seek another? Listen good one, what is the point of discussing (it's obvious)?

Following is the first verse in his Sri Maha Bhagavatam- The book that explains the nature of the God.

This is the beginning Verse of SriMahabhagavatamu

శ్రీకైవల్య పదంబు జేరుటకునై చింతించదన్ లోకర

క్షైకారంభకు భక్తపాలన కళా సంరంభకున్ దానవో

ద్రేకస్థంభకు కేళిలోల విలసద్ద్రుగ్జాల సంభూత నా

నాకంజాత భవాండకుంభకు మహా నందాంగనా డింభకున్

Approximate translation:

I pray for kaivalya (proximity to god) which is the ultimate wealth, to the God (Krishna),

the one who saves all the universe,

the one who has lot of skill or art in taking care of his devotees,

the one who destroys the anger of the evil people (Daanava),

the one who creates all the universes just by his playful sight,

the one who is the son of (Yasoda) wife of Nanda.

Another verse of Pothana

చేతులారంగ శివుని పూజింపడేని

నోరునోవ్వంగ హరి కీర్తి నుడువడేని

దయను సత్యము లోనుగా తలుప డేని

కలుగ నేటికీ తల్లుల కడుపుచేటు.

Approximation translation in English

Persons who do not Worship Lord Shiva with their hands,

praise Lord Vishnu with their Mouth,

do not have Mercy and do not talks truth,

have no meaning to their birth and vow bad name to their mothers.

ఎవ్వనిచే జనించు జగమెవ్వని లోపల నుండు లీనమై ఎవ్వడియందుడిందుపరమేశ్వరుడెవ్వడు మూలకారణం బెవ్వడనాదిమధ్యలయుడెవ్వడు సర్వముతానైనవా డెవ్వడు వానినాత్మభవు ఈశ్వరునినే శరణంబువేడెదన్

Potana was very unique. While other great poets started their works with prayers for God for the welfare of society "లోకకళ్యాణము" or fulfillment of their desires"ఆభీష్టసిద్ధి", Potana asked for deliverance from the cycles of birth and death. "శ్రీకైవల్యపదంబుజేరుటకునై చింతించెదన్." Elsewhere, he stated that the main purpose of human life is not to have another life. "మజ్జననంబున్ సఫలంబుజేసెద పునర్జన్మంబులేకుండగన్."

There is no way to simplify the brilliance of Potana. One has to read and read Bhagavatamu. But Here are a couple of examples of Potana's brilliance. To achieve a desired result, total absorption in what humans do is necessary, including transcendance, like Prahlada's absorption in Narayana.

పానీయంబులుతాగుచున్ కుడుచుచున్ భాషించుచున్ హాస లీ లానిద్రాదులుజేయుచున్ తిరుగుచున్ భాషించుచున్ సంతత శ్రీనారాయణపాదపద్మయుగళీ చింతామృతాస్వాదసం ధానుండైమరచెన్ సురారిసుతుడేతద్విశ్వమున్ భూవరా

Rd

रामधारी सिंह दिनकर हिन्दी साहित्य के प्रमुख हस्ताक्षरों में से एक हैं, उनकी कविताएं ओज का रस भी लिए रहती हैं और श्रृंगार भी। पेश हैं दिनकर की कविताओं की कुछ चुनिंदा पंक्तियां 

श्वानों को मिलता दूध-वस्त्र, भूखे बालक अकुलाते हैं
माँ की हड्डी से चिपक ठिठुर जाड़ों की रात बिताते हैं
युवती के लज्जा वसन बेच जब ब्याज चुकाए जाते हैं
मालिक जब तेल-फुलेलों पर पानी-सा द्रव्य बहाते हैं
पापी महलों का अहंकार देता तब मुझको आमन्त्रण
आग की भीख
आँसू-भरे दृगों में चिनगारियाँ सजा दे
मेरे श्मशान में आ श्रृंगी जरा बजा दे
फिर एक तीर सीनों के आर-पार कर दे
हिमशीत प्राण में फिर अंगार स्वच्छ भर दे

आमर्ष को जगाने वाली शिखा नई दे
अनुभूतियाँ हृदय में दाता, अनलमयी दे
विष का सदा लहू में संचार माँगता हूँ
बेचैन ज़िन्दगी का मैं प्यार माँगता हूँ
आशा का दीपक
चिन्गारी बन गयी लहू की बून्द गिरी जो पग से
चमक रहे पीछे मुड देखो चरण-चिनह जगमग से
शुरू हुई आराध्य भूमि यह क्लांत नहीं रे राही;
और नहीं तो पाँव लगे हैं क्यों पड़ने डगमग से
बाकी होश तभी तक, जब तक जलता तूर नहीं है
थक कर बैठ गये क्या भाई मन्जिल दूर नहीं है
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल
जला अस्थियाँ बारी-बारी
चिटकाई जिनमें चिंगारी,
जो चढ़ गये पुण्यवेदी पर
लिए बिना गर्दन का मोल
कलम, आज उनकी जय बोल
समर शेष है
तिमिर पुत्र ये दस्यु कहीं कोई दुष्काण्ड रचें ना 
सावधान हो खडी देश भर में गाँधी की सेना 
बलि देकर भी बलि! स्नेह का यह मृदु व्रत साधो रे 
मंदिर औ' मस्जिद दोनों पर एक तार बाँधो रे 

समर शेष है, नहीं पाप का भागी केवल व्याध 
जो तटस्थ हैं, समय लिखेगा उनके भी अपराध
रात यों कहने लगा मुझसे गगन का चाँद
रात यों कहने लगा मुझसे गगन का चाँद
आदमी भी क्या अनोखा जीव होता है
उलझनें अपनी बनाकर आप ही फँसता
और फिर बेचैन हो जगता, न सोता है

स्वर्ग के सम्राट को जाकर खबर कर दे
"रोज ही आकाश चढ़ते जा रहे हैं वे
रोकिये, जैसे बने इन स्वप्नवालों को
स्वर्ग की ही ओर बढ़ते आ रहे हैं वे" 

Natkat

  नंद गोपाल के अलग-अलग रूपो की पूजा की जा रही है। लेकिन कृष्ण के साथ सभी राधा की भी पूजा करते हैं। वो राधा जो बाल गोपाल के साथ बड़ी हुईं, उनके साथ खेला, कूदा, रास रचाए, इतना ही नहीं कृष्ण ने सबसे ज्यादा बंसी राधा के कहने पर बजाए। राधा-कृष्ण का प्रेम ऐसा था जिसकी आज भी मिसाल दी जाती है। लेकिन सबसे दिलचस्प बात ये है कि इतने प्रेम के बाद भी कृष्ण राधा की मिलन नहीं हुआ, उनकी शादी नहीं हुई। तो जब शादी नहीं हुई तो कहां बिता राधा का पूरा जिवन, क्यों कृष्ण ने छोड़ दिया राधा का साथ, क्या कृष्ण या राधा को नहीं आई एक-दूसरे की याद, राधा जी की मृत्यु कैसे हुई? शायद आप नहीं जानते होंगे… इसलिए आज हम इस रहस्य की गाथा को आपके साथ साझा कर रहे हैं।

बचपन से साथ रहे राधा-कृष्ण-

जब भी संसार में प्रेम और त्याग की बात होती है, तो सभी की जुबा पर बस एक ही नाम आता है- श्री कृष्ण और राधा। राधा-कृष्ण का प्यार सभी आसक्तियों से परे था। अगर कृष्ण राधा के साथ नहीं होते थे फिर भी एक-दूसरे से जुदा नहीं थे। यही वजह है कि आज भी हम जब भी कृष्ण का नाम लेते हैं तो राधा के नाम के साथ ही लेते हैं... राधा-कृष्ण।

राधा-कृष्ण का बचपन साथ बीता लेकिन एक कृष्ण पहली बार राधा से तब अलग हुए जब मामा कंस ने बलराम और कृष्ण को आमंत्रित किया। तब कृष्ण जी ने कंस का वध कर अपने मांता-पिता को कारागार से रिहा कराया था। लेकिन उसके बाद उन्हें वापस वृंदावन जाने का मौका नहीं मिला।

 

कंस का वध करने के लिए पहली बार अलग हुए-

हालाकि वृंदावन से अलग होते हुए कृष्ण ने राधा से वादा किया था की वो वापस जरूर आएंगे। लेकिन विधि का विधान कुछ और ही था। राधा ने कई सालों तक अपने प्रेम का रास्ता निहारा लेकिन कृष्ण वापस नहीं लौट सके। कहा जाता है कि कुछ सालों बाद राधा का विवाद हो गया। उधर कृष्ण की शादी रुक्मिनी से हो गई। लेकिन दोनों भले ही साथ नहीं रहे, लेकिन उनके पवित्र प्यार आज भी जिंदा है।

राधा का किसी और से हो गया विवाह-

धार्मिक धर्म ग्रंथों में कृष्ण के वंदावन छोड़ने के बाद से ही राधा का वर्णन कम हो जाता है। राधा जहां पत्नी के तौर पर अपने सारे कर्तव्य पूरे किए वहीं दूसरी तरफ श्रीकृष्ण ने अपने संसारिक कल्याण के लिए कर्तव्य निभाए। रुक्मिनी से विवाह के बाद कृष्ण काफी समय तक द्वारका रहे और प्रजा की रक्षा की इसी वजह से कृष्ण द्वारकाधीश के नाम से लोकप्रिय हुए।

जब द्वारका में कृष्ण से मिली राधा-

लेकिन विधि के विधान को कौन बदल पाया है। एक वक्त ऐसा आया जब राधा एक बार फिर श्री कृष्ण से मिलीं। राधा कृष्ण की नगरी द्वारिका जा पहुंची और वहां उन्होंने कृष्ण की रुक्मिनी और सत्यभामा से विवाह के बारे में सुना लेकिन वह दुखी नहीं हुईं क्योंकि उन्हें पता था उनके कृष्ण ने अपना कर्तव्य निभाया है। राधा के पहुंचने पर जब कृष्ण ने देखा तो दोनों बहुत प्रसन्न हुए। लेकिन उनके पास एक दूसरे का कुशल पूछने के लिए शब्द नहीं था।

कृष्ण को छोड़ कर जाने को मजबूर हो गई राधा-

दोनों संकेतों की भाषा में एक दूसरे से काफी देर तक बातें करते रहे। शास्त्रों में वर्णित है कि राधा जी को कान्हा की नगरी द्वारिका में कोई नहीं पहचानता था। राधा के अनुरोध पर कृष्ण ने उन्हें महल में एक देविका के रूप में नियुक्त किया। राधा दिन भर महल में रहती थीं और महल से जुड़े कार्य देखती थीं। मौका मिलते ही वह कृष्ण के दर्शन कर लेती थीं। लेकिन राधा को वहां वो आध्यात्मिक जुड़ाव नहीं हो पा रहा था। इसलिए वह कृष्ण से दूर जाने पर मजबूर हो गयीं और एक दिन वह महल से चुपके से निकल गयीं।

 

आखिरी समय में राधा से मिलने पहुंचे जब कृष्ण-

राधा निकल तो पड़ी थीं लेकिन उन्हें नहीं पता था कि वह कहां जा रही हैं, लेकिन भगवान श्री कृष्ण भली भांती जानते थे। धीरे-धीरे समय बीता और राधा अपने अंतिम समय में अकेली जीवन गुजार रही थीं। उस वक्त उन्हें भगवान श्री कृष्ण की आवश्यकता पड़ी। राधा किसी भी तरह भगवान कृष्ण को देखना चाहती थीं। भगवान कृष्ण को जैसे ही ये ज्ञात हुआ वह उनकी उनके सामने आ गए।

कृष्ण ने तब तोड़ दी अपनी बांसुरी और उसके बाद नहीं बजाया कभी -

कृष्ण को अपने सामने देखकर राधा प्रसन्न हो गयीं। लेकिन वो राधा का आखिरी समय था अपने प्राण त्याग कर दुनिया को अलविदा कहना था। राधा के अंतिम समय से कृष्ण अच्छी तरह वाकिफ थे उनका मन उदास था फिर भी उन्होंने राधा से कहा कि वह उनसे कुछ मांगे, लेकिन राधा ने मना कर दिया। कृष्ण के दोबारा अनुरोध करने पर राधा ने कहा कि वह आखरी बार उन्हें बांसुरी बजाते देखना चाहती हैं। श्री कृष्ण ने बेहद सुरीली धुन में बांसुरी बजाने लगे। बांसुरी की धुन सुनते-सुनते राधा ने अपने शरीर का त्याग दिया। लेकिन भगवान होते हुए भी राधा के प्राण त्यागते ही भगवान श्री कृष्ण बेहद दुखी हो गए और उन्होंने बांसुरी तोड़कर कोसों दूर फेंक दी। जिस जगह पर राधा ने कृष्ण जी का मरने तक इंतज़ार किया उसे आज ‘राधारानी मंदिर’ के नाम से जाना जाता है। यह मंदिर महाराष्ट्र में है।

v v r

1. Yashoda: She was shown a visual of the entire universe inside baby Krishna’s mouth
2. 100 Kings captured by Jarasandh: When Bhim killed Jarasandh with Krishna’s guidance, these 100 kings were set free and shown the divine ‘Chaturbhuj’ (4 armed form) of Krishna
3. Sage Muchukund: After defeating Kalyavan demon with the help of Sage Muchukund, Krishna showed him ‘Chaturbhuj’ form.
4. Hastinapur sabha: When on a peace mission from the Pandavs to the Kauravs, Sri Krishna displayed his ‘Virat-swarup’, to frighten and convince the sabha members to accept his peace offer.
5. Arjun and Sanjay charioteer: In the Bhagvad Gita he was shown the complete Vishvarup of Krishna.

 

1. Yashoda
   
   Yashoda was the adoptive mother of baby Krishna. Krishna’s biological parents were captive in the jail of King Kansa.
   
   One day, baby Krishna was sitting on the riverbanks as his mother attended to some task in the river. Bored, the baby Krishna started scooping fistful’s of mud into his mouth. When Yashoda saw him, she was shocked and angry. She took the boy home and started washing his mouth.
   
   She told Krishna to open his mouth so she could wash out the dirt. Krishna refused. Finally, when he opened his mouth, Yashoda saw the entire universe inside. She saw the 9 planets, swirling stars and divine visuals. She was mesmerized. But suddenly, the cosmic vision vanished, and all she remembered was her baby having eaten mud.
2. 100 Kings captured by Jarasandh
   
   Later in life, when Krishna grew older and established the island-kingdom of Dvarka, he was the enemy of a powerful Shiva-devotee king named Jarasandh.
   
   Some time later, Krishna motivated his cousin Yudhisthir to cinduct the Rajasuya yagna. However for it’s success, he would have to conquer all of Bharatvarhsa’s kings including Jarasandh.
   
   Krishna, and Yudhisthir’s brothers Bhim and Arjun went to Jarasansh and challenged him. With the guidance of Krishna, Bhim was able to defeat him at a wrestling match, and even kill Jarasandh.
   
   Jarasandh had 100 kings in his captivity, which he intended to sacrifice to Shiva in exchange for the boon of invincibility. Krishna ordered the release of these captured kings and showed them his ‘Chaturbhuj’ form, having 4 arms holding a conch shell, mace, lotus, and Sudarshan chakra discus.
3. Sage Muchukund
   
   Muchukund was a king of the Solar dynasty who helped Lord Indra in defeating the demons in a long battle. Tired, he asked for the boon of resting without being disturbed. Muchukund was given a cave to sleep in and he was blessed to see a vision of God when he awoke.
   
   Krishna knew that the only way to defeat an enemy of his named Kalyavan was not by the use of weapons. Krishna fled the battlefield, and lured Kalyavan into Muchukund’s cave.
   
   Kalyavan thought he saw Krishna sleeping inside the cave, when really it was Muchukund. When Kalyavan kicked Muchukund thinking he was Krishna, the king awoke and the power which had collected inside his eyes (because he had them closed for many centuries while he slept) burnt Kalyavan to ashes.
   
   Explaining the events and who he was, Krishna thanked Muchukund for killing Kalyavan. Then, as promised by the gods, Krishna showed him his divine form— the ‘Chaturbhuj’.
4. Hastinapur Sabha
   
   War was almost declared between the Pandav princes and Kaurav princes of Hastinapur due to a long dispute between them. Krishna, was on the side of the Pandavs due to their righteousness. However to avoid the destruction of a war, he decided to go on a peace mission to Hastinapur, to try and convince the evil Kaurav princes to accept a peace offer.
   
   However, when Krishna presented his arguments in the Hastinapur sabha, no one was able to convince the evil Duryodhan (eldest Kaurav) to compromise. Finally, Duryodhan planned to capture Krishna as a punishment.
   
   In a final attempt to scare Duryodhan from the path of evil, Krishna revealed his cosmic form— the ‘Virat swarup’ in which he contained within him the entire armies of Dvarka, the Pandavs, the gods, the planets, and other celestial bodies. He had thousands of arms and in them various weapons. Krishna even gave sight to the blind king of Hastinapur so that he may witness this cosmic form aswell.
   
   However the stubborn Duryodhan called it a magic trick and ended up dying in the war.
5. Arjun, and Sanjay charioteer in the Bhagavad Gita
   
   This is perhaps the most popular instance.
   
   Just before the war between the Pandav’s and Kauravs, the third Pandav Arjun, who was also a great archer and Krishna’s best friend, asked Krishna (who was Arjun’s charioteer) whether this war was ethical or not.
   
   Krishna revealed the vedic wisdom and philosophy to Arjun trying to convince him to fight the war for justice. Thus dialogue between the two came to be known as the Bhagavad Gita. This dialogue was also overheard by Sanjay, the charioteer of Hastinapur’s king who was given divine sight in order to narrate the war’s events to his king.
   
   During this philosophical discourse, Krishna reveals to Arjun his Vishwarup— his ultimate cosmic form. In this, Arjun sees the entire universe, all its people, gods, weapons, elements as a part of Krishna. Krishna has thousands of arms, thousands of heads and his form is both terrifying and beautiful. Arjun gets frightened and asks Krishna to revert to his normal human form

Comparison.

 The Visvaroopa view.

By bhakta Prahalada.

Arjuna of the Pandava Brothers 

Narada muni.

Where B prahalada expresses pleasure and says he is not afraid though a small child.

 Arjuna on the other hand expresses fear and wants the lord to appear in his four arm form.

Narada mini sees the same Lord in normal human form in various places doing normal chores.

Is this because of the difference in the level of bhakti of the observers?

......

Face to face

 After Hiraṇyakaśipu was killed, the Lord continued to be very angry, and the demigods, headed by Lord Brahmā, could not pacify Him. Even mother Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, the constant companion of Nārāyaṇa, could not dare come before Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva. Then Lord Brahmā asked Prahlāda Mahārāja to go forward and pacify the Lord’s anger. Prahlāda Mahārāja, being confident of the affection of his master, Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, was not afraid at all. He very gravely appeared before the Lord’s lotus feet and offered Him respectful obeisances. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva, being very much affectionate toward Prahlāda Mahārāja, put His hand on Prahlāda’s head, and because of being personally touched by the Lord, Prahlāda Mahārāja immediately achieved brahma-jñāna, spiritual knowledge. Thus he offered his prayers to the Lord in full spiritual knowledge and full devotional ecstasy. The instructions given by Prahlāda Mahārāja in the form of his prayers are as follows.

Prahlāda said, “I am not proud of being able to offer prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead. I simply take shelter of the mercy of the Lord, for without devotion one cannot appease Him. One cannot please the Supreme Personality of Godhead simply by dint of high parentage or great opulence, learning, austerity, penance or mystic power. Indeed, these are never pleasing to the Supreme Lord, for nothing can please Him but pure devotional service. Even if a nondevotee is a brāhmaṇa qualified with the twelve brahminical symptoms, he cannot be very dear to the Lord, whereas if a person born in a family of dog-eaters is a devotee, the Lord can accept his prayers. The Lord does not need anyone’s prayers, but if a devotee offers his prayers to the Lord, the devotee benefits greatly. Ignorant persons born in low families, therefore, can sincerely offer heartfelt prayers to the Lord, and the Lord will accept them. As soon as one offers his prayers to the Lord, he is immediately situated on the Brahman platform.

Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva appeared for the benefit of all human society, not only for Prahlāda’s personal benefit. The fierce form of Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva may appear most awful to a nondevotee, but to the devotee the Lord is always affectionate as He is in other forms. Conditioned life in the material world is actually extremely fearful; indeed, a devotee is not afraid of anything else. Fear of material existence is due to false ego. Therefore the ultimate goal of life for every living entity is to attain the position of being servant of the servant of the Lord. The miserable condition of the living entities in the material world can be remedied only by the mercy of the Lord. Although there are so-called material protectors like Lord Brahmā and the other demigods, or even one’s own father, they are unable to do anything if one is neglected by the Supreme Personality of Godhead. However, one who has fully taken shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet can be saved from the onslaught of material nature. Therefore every living entity should be unattracted by material so-called happiness and should take shelter of the Lord by all means. That is the mission of human life. To be attracted by sense gratification is simply foolish. Whether one is a devotee of the Lord or is a nondevotee does not depend upon one’s birth in a high or low family. Even Lord Brahmā and the goddess of fortune cannot achieve the full favor of the Lord, whereas a devotee can very easily attain such devotional service. The Lord’s mercy is bestowed equally upon everyone, regardless of whether one is high or low. Because Prahlāda Mahārāja was blessed by Nārada Muni, Prahlāda became a great devotee. The Lord always saves the devotee from impersonalists and voidists. The Lord is present in everyone’s heart as the Supersoul to give the living being protection and all benefits. Thus the Lord acts sometimes as the killer and sometimes as the protector. One should not accuse the Lord for any discrepancies. It is His plan that we see varieties of life within this material world. All of them are ultimately His mercy.

Although the entire cosmic manifestation is nondifferent, the material world is nonetheless different from the spiritual world. Only by the mercy of the Supreme Lord can one understand how the wonderful material nature acts. For example, although Lord Brahmā appeared from the lotus seat that had grown from the abdomen of Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu, he could not understand what to do after his appearance. He was attacked by two demons, Madhu and Kaiṭabha, who took away Vedic knowledge, but the Lord killed them and entrusted to Lord Brahmā the Vedic knowledge. Thus the Lord appears in every millennium in the societies of demigods, human beings, animals, saints and aquatics. All such incarnations are meant to protect the devotees and kill the demons, but this killing and protecting does not reflect any sense of partiality on the part of the Supreme Lord. The conditioned soul is always attracted by the external energy. Therefore he is subjected to lust and greed, and he suffers under the conditions of material nature. The Lord’s causeless mercy toward His devotee is the only means by which to get out of material existence. Anyone engaged in glorifying the Lord’s activities is always unafraid of this material world, whereas one who cannot glorify the Lord in that way is subjected to all lamentation.

Those interested in silently worshiping the Lord in solitary places may be eligible for liberation themselves, but a pure devotee is always aggrieved to see others suffering. Therefore, not caring for his own liberation, he always engages in preaching by glorifying the Lord. Prahlāda Mahārāja, therefore, had tried to deliver his class friends by preaching and had never remained silent. Although being silent, observing austerities and penances, learning the Vedic literature, undergoing ritualistic ceremonies, living in a solitary place and performing japa and transcendental meditation are approved means of liberation, they are meant for nondevotees or for cheaters who want to live at the expense of others. A pure devotee, however, being freed from all such deceptive activities, is able to see the Lord face to face.

The atomic theory of the composition of the cosmic manifestation is not factual. The Lord is the cause of everything, and therefore He is the cause of this creation. One should therefore always engage in devotional service by offering respectful obeisances to the Lord, offering prayers, working for the Lord, worshiping the Lord in the temple, always remembering the Lord and always hearing about His transcendental activities. Without these six kinds of activity, one cannot attain to devotional service.

Prahlāda Mahārāja thus offered his prayers to the Supreme Lord, begging His mercy at every step. Lord Nṛsiṁhadeva was pacified by Prahlāda Mahārāja’s prayers and wanted to give him benedictions by which Prahlāda could procure all kinds of material facilities. Prahlāda Mahārāja, however, was not misled by material facilities. Rather, he wanted to remain always a servant of the servant of the Lord.

Respecting the form

 S'rî Uddhava said: 'Can You please explain the ritual yoga [kriyâ-yoga] of the service unto You as a deity, oh Master? Who is of that worship, in respect of what form is one of worship and in what manner are You worshiped then, oh Master of the Sâtvatas The sages Nârada, Bhagavân Vyâsa and my preceptor the son of Angirâ [Brihaspati] repeatedly say that for the welfare of men there is nothing as conducive. The words about this that emanated from Your lotus mouth were spoken by the great unborn Lord [Brahmâ] unto his sons headed by Bhrigu and by the great Lord S'iva speaking to the goddess [Pârvatî, This [service to Your deity form] is approved by all classes and spiritual orders of society and is, I think, most beneficial for women and the working class oh Magnanimous One. Oh Lotus-eyed Lord, please, oh Controller of All Controllers in the Universe, speak to Your bhakta - who is so very attached - about this means of liberation from the bondage of karma.'

The Supreme Lord said: 'The number of [karma-kânda] prescriptions for worshiping deities is endless Uddhava, let Me in brief explain it nicely one step at a time.  One should worship Me as one desires following one of the three kinds of sacrifice according to the Vedas, the explanatory literatures [tantras like the Pañcarâtra] or a combination of them. Now hear from Me how a person, who according to the for him specific Vedic precepts [*] achieved the status of a second birth, should worship Me with faith and devotion.  He must, connected in bhakti, free from ulterior motives ['honestly'] with the necessary paraphernalia worship Me, his worshipable guru, as being present in a deity, a sacrificial area, a fire, in the [position of the] sun, in water or in the twice-born heart itself For purification he should first bathe and brush his teeth and next purify himself with both types of [Vedic and tantric] mantras while applying clay and such. To be freed from his karma, he perfectly convinced should engage in My ritual worship [pûjâ] and thereto perform duties as prescribed in the Vedas with worship and such [like expressing the Gâyatrî-mantra] at the three junctures of the day [dawn, noon and sunset].

There are eight types of forms with which one remembers Me: in stone, wood, metal, smearable substances [like clay], being painted, in sand, in jewels and as an image kept in the mind. Of the two kinds of individual temple deities that are moved and not moved, the installed deity oh Uddhava, is in His worship not brought forward (âvâdana) and taken away again (udvâsa).  Not being installed one has these options, but when assigned a fixed place the following two possibilities are found: not being of a smearable substance [or being painted or made of  wood] He is washed, in all other cases He is cleansed without water.  There is the worship of My different deities with excellent paraphernalia, there is the worship of a devotee free from material desire using whatever that is readily available and there is the worship in the heart in a mental respect [by love only]. 

 With a deity [in the temple] customary bathing and decorating is most appreciated Uddhava, for a holy place that is an exercise of respect in mantras [tattva-vinyâsa] and for fire oblations [of sesame, barley etc.] drenched in ghee are considered best. With the sun that is a meditation in âsanas [see Sûrya-namskar] and with water offerings of water and such are most suitable. Offerings presented with faith by a devotee of Mine are most dear to Me, even if it is just a bit of water. And what to say of an offering [by devotees] of foodstuffs, flowers, lamps, fragrances and incense  An offer [by contrast] that, even if it is very rich, is made by a non-devotee will not satisfy Me  Cleansed, having collected the necessary items, having arranged the seat with blades [of kus'a grass] pointing to the east and sitting down facing the east or the north or else directly facing the deity, he should then be of worship . After having assigned mantras to his own body and also having done this to My form, he should clean My Deity with his hand and properly prepare the sprinkling vessel and the sacred pot. With the water of the vessel sprinkling the area of the deity, the utensils and his own body, he next should prepare three vessels with water and arrange for the necessary auspicious items as far as available [like flowers, grains, blades of grass, sesame seeds etc., With the mantras for the heart [hridayâya namah], the head [s'îrase svâhâ] and the tuft of hair [s'ikhâyai vashath] the worshiper should purify the three vessels of water for His feet [pâdya], His hands [arghya], and His mouth [âcamana], and do the same with the Gâyatrî.  He should meditate on the Original Individuality of all Expansions, the very subtle transcendental form of Mine that, within his body that was fully purified by air and fire, is situated on the lotus of the heart and by perfected souls is experienced in the end vibration of the Pranava  With that [meditated form] by his own realization conceived, he, of worship within his body and fully being absorbed in thought of Me, should invite Me within the deity - and all that is respected along with it -  by touching My limbs with mantras [nyâsa] and thereupon honor Me [externally by performing puja]. After first having imagined My seat decorated with the nine s'aktis and the [deities of] dharma etc. as an effulgent eight-petaled lotus with saffron filaments in its whorl, he should offer to Me the pâdya, arghya and âcamana water and other items of worship to be perfect with the two [of enjoyment and liberation] in respect of both the Vedas and the tantras. One after the other he next must honor My disc-weapon [the Sudars'ana cakra], conch [the Pâñcajanya], club [the Kaumodaki] and arrows and bow [the S'arnga], My [Balarâma items of the] plow and pestle [hala and mushala], My gem [the Kaustubha], garland [the Vaijayantî] and chest mark curl of white hairs [the S'rîvatsa]. [He also honors] Garuda, Nanda, Sunanda, Pracanda and Canda, Mahâbala, Bala, Kumuda and Kumudekshana [My carrier bird and eight associates]. Durgâ, Vinâyaka [Ganes'a], Vyâsa, Vishvaksena the spiritual masters and the demigods - each in their own place facing the deity - should be worshiped with the sprinkling of water and other rituals Every day [the deity] should be bathed, as far as the means permit, using different kinds of water scented with sandalwood, us'îra root, camphor, kunkuma and aguru. Also hymns should be chanted such as the ones from a section of the Vedas known as Svarna-gharma, the incantation called Mahâpurusha, the Purusha-sûkta [from the Rig Veda] and songs from the Sâma Veda like the Râjana and others. My devotee should lovingly decorate Me with clothing, a sacred thread, ornaments, marks of tilaka, garlands and [apply] fragrant oils, the way it is enjoined. The worshiper should with faith present to Me pâdya and âcamana water, fragrances and flowers, whole grains, incense, lamps and other items.  According to his means he should make offerings of foodstuffs like candy, sweet rice, ghee, rice flour cake [s'ashkulî], sweet cakes [âpûpa], sweet rice flour dumplings with coconut [modaka], spicy sweet wheat cake of ghee and milk [samyâva], yogurt and vegetable soups. On special days or else every day [the deity] should be offered a massage with ointment, a mirror, an eucalyptus stick for cleaning the teeth, a bath, food to be chewed and not to be chewed, as also song and dance. In a sacrificial area set up as prescribed he should, wearing a girdle, using a fire pit and an elevation for sacrificing, by hand build and bring to a blaze a fire that is equally piled up. Spreading [kus'a grass, mats] and then sprinkling and ceremonially [anvâdhâna] placing wood in the fire according to the rules, he should, having arranged for the âcamana water, sprinkle the items to offer and meditate on Me as residing in the fire. Meditating in worship of Me as being brilliant with a color of molten gold, with My conch, disc, club and lotus, My four arms and peacefulness; My garment with the color of the filaments of a lotus, shining helmet, bracelets, belt, the ornaments on My arms, the S'rîvatsa on My chest, the effulgent Kaustubha and a flower garland; throwing pieces of wood soaked in ghee into the fire and in the course of the arghya ritual making the two offerings of sprinkling ghee [in two ways called Âghâras] and [two different] oblations of ghee [called Âjyabhâgas], a learned person should, with root mantras and the [sixteen lines of the] Purusha-sûkta hymn, offer the oblations into the fire for Yamarâja and the other demigods called Swishthikrit in due order using a mantra for each Thus having been of worship he should bow to offer obeisances unto My associates and next present offerings chanting the basic mantra for the deity in question, thereby remembering Nârâyana as the Original Self of the Absolute Truth. After having offered âcamana water and giving the remnants of the food to Vishvaksena, he should present to Me prepared betel nut with fragrant substances for the mouth He should [next] for some time become absorbed in celebration by listening himself and make others listen to My stories, by acting out My transcendental activities and by dancing, chanting loudly and singing along with others With prayers from the Purânas, with large or small prayers from other ancient scriptures, with prayers written by others [see bhajans] and prayers from more common sources, he should prostrate himself, pay his obeisances and say: 'Oh Lord, please show Your mercy [prasîda bhagavan].' Placing his head at My feet with his palms brought together [he may say a prayer like:] 'Oh Lord, please protect this surrendered soul who in this material ocean is afraid of being devoured by death [prapannam pâhi mâm îs'a, bhîtam mrityu-grahârnavat, Praying thus he should put the remnants granted by Me to his head and do this prayer once more - when the deity respectfully is to be bidden farewell - to give the light [of the deity] a place within the light [of his heart .
 Whenever one develops faith in Me, in whatever deity form or other manifestation, one should for that form be of worship since I, the Original Soul of All, am situated within My own form as also in all living beings  By thus being of worship with the [ritual] processes of acting in yoga as described in the Vedas and more specialized texts, a person will, in both this life and the next, by My grace achieve the perfection he desired. In order to properly establish My deity the devotee should build a strong temple and maintain beautiful flower gardens [that provide flowers] for daily pûjâ, festivals and yearly occasions. In order to assure the continuance of the daily worship and the special occasions, he donates land, shops, cities and villages and will achieve an opulence equal to Mine. Installing a deity one attains the entire earth, building a temple one attains the three worlds and performing pûjâ and likewise services one attains the realm of Brahmâ, but when one does all of these three one will attain a quality [a transcendental integrity] equal to Mine. He who free from ulterior motives worships Me thus, will by bhakti yoga unite his consciousness in devotion and attain Me The one who destroys [or steals away] the service [and/or the goods] delivered to the gods and the brahmins by oneself or by others, is a stool-eating worm bound to take birth for a hundred million years The perpetrator [of that kind of offense] as also his accomplice, the one who instigated it and the one who approved it, all will have to share the karmic consequences in the life that follows over and over [depending the degree of the damage done].'