Vidyapati noticed some peculiar behaviour of his
host. Visvavasu would go out every day around noon and would return back to the
house scented with fragrances of sandalwood, camphor and musk. Vidyapati asked
his wife about this and she informed him that his father would go daily to
worship Nila Madhava. Lalita had been told by her father not to tell anyone
about Nila Madhava, but she had overstepped that order by telling her husband.
Vidyapati repeatedly requested to see Nila Madhava. Finally Visvavasu bound
Vidyapati's eyes and took him to see Nila Madhava. Visyapati secretly carried
some mustard seeds in his cloth and he dropped them onto the path as he was
walking. When he reached Nila Madhava, the blind fold was removed and Vidyapati
saw Nila Madhava. Visvavasu went out to collect some forest flowers to worship
and Vidyapati stayed near the Deity. During this time a crow fell off the
branch of a tree into a nearby lake and drowned. It immediately took a four
armed Vaikuntha form and started back to the spiritual world. Vidyapati then
climbed up onto the tree and was about to jump into the lake. A voice came from
the sky and said "Since you have seen Nila Madhava, you should inform King
Indradyumna."
Visvavasu returned and started his daily worship
of Nila Madhava. Suddenly the Lord spoke to him and said, "I have accepted
for many days the simple forest flowers and roots offered to me by you. Now I
desire the royal worship offered to me in devotion by King Indradymna."
Visvavasu felt cheated by his son-in-law, therefore, he bound him up and kept
in his house. After repeatedly being requested by his daughter he let him go.
The brahmana then went to King Indradyumna and
told him about his discovery. By following the mustard seeds, which had grown
into small plants, they were able to follow the path to Nila Madhava. When they
reached the spot, they could not find him. King Indradyumna had the village
besieged and arrested Visvavasu. Suddendly a voice came from the sky, "
Release this sabara. On top of Nila hill you should construct a temple. There I
will manifest as Daru-brahman (the Absolute Truth manifested in a wooden form).
You will not see me as Nila Madhava.
The King constructed a temple. The King wanted
Lord Brahma to consecrate the temple. So he traveled to Brahmaloka and waited
there for him. During this time the temple became covered by sand. While he was
gone, first Suradeva and then Galamadhava became king of the area. King
Galamadhava uncovered the temple from the sand. Shortly afterwards, King
Indradyumna return from Brahma's abode.Indradyumna claimed that he had built
the temple and Galamadhava also claimed the same thing. There was an old crow
in the near by banyan tree who was constantly singing the glories of Lord Rama.
The crow had seen the construction of the temple and said that Indradyumna had
build the temple and that Galamadhava had just uncovered it. Because he had not
told the truth Galamadhava was ordered by Brahma to live outside the temple
compound on the western side of Indradyumna Sarovara lake.
Indradyumna then asked Lord Brahma to consecrate
the temple and the surrounding area, which was called Sri Ksetra and gives the
highest type of liberation. Lord Brahma told him that Sri Ksetra is manifested
by the Supreme Lord's internal potency and that the Supreme Lord manifests
Himself. Therefore he could not install the Lord here, but Lord Jagannath and his
abode are eternally situated in the material world. He said he would install
the flag on the temple and that anyone who sees this flag and offers prostrated
obeisance would easily be liberated.
After a while King Indradyumna became frustrated
with not seeing Nila Madhava. He decided to lay on a bed of Kusa grass and to
fast until death. Lord Jagannath came to him in a dream and told him I shall
come floating from the sea in my wooden form as Daru-brahman at the place
called Bakimuhan.
The King went to this place and saw a huge piece
of wood which had the marks of a conch, club, disc and lotus on it. Many men
and elephants tried to move Daru-brahman, but they could not move Him. That
night Lord Jagannatha spoke to Indradyumna in a dream and told him to bring
Visvavasu, who used to serve Nila Madhava and bring a golden chariot in front
of Daru-brahman. The king did this and Daru-brahman easily was placed onto the
chariot.
Lord Brahma then performed a sacrifice and
established a Diety of Narasimhadeva on the raised platform of the sacrifice
arena. It is said that the Deity of Narasimha in the present temple compound,
that is on the western side of the Mukti-Mandapa, is the original Narasimha
Deity.
King Indradyumna had the best sculptors come to
carve the Deity of Lord Jagannath from Daru-brahman. As soon as they started
their chisels broke to pieces. The Supreme Lord Himself came in Disguise as an
old artist who called Himself Ananta Maharana (According to the Narada Purana,
Visvakarma, the architect of the demigods carved the Deities by the desire of
Lord Vishu, who took the form of an old brahmana). He said that if he was able
to work behind closed doors for 21 days then the deities could be carved. The
old sculptor then took Daru-brahman into the temple and the doors were closed.
After 14 days passed, the king could not hear any sounds of the artist's tools
and he became fully anxious. The king then personally opened the door of the
temple by force.
The King did not see the sculptor, but instead he
saw the three forms of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Lord Balarama. Their
fingers and toes were unfinished. Thinking himself a great offender the king
decided to give up his life. He then laid on a bed of kusa grass and began to
fast. Lord Jagannath appeared to him in a dream. He told the king that He is
eternally situated here in Nilacala in the form of Lord Jagannath as
Daru-brahman. In the material world, I descended in 24 Deity incarnations along
with my abode. I have no material hands and feet, but with my transcendental
senses I accept all the items offered by My devotees. The fact that you broke
your promise is part of the pastime for me to manifest in the form of
Jagannath. Those devotees whose eyes are smeared with the salve of love will
always see Me as Symasundara, holding a flute.
The King prayed to Lord Jagannath that those in
the family of the sculptor who manifested your form will continue to assist in
constructing the three carts. He also told him that the descendants of
Visvavasu, who served Me as Nila Madhava, should generations after generations
serve Me. They shall be called as dayitas. The descendants of Vidyapati born
from his brahmana wife should perform the Deity worship to me. The descendants
born from his sabari wife, Lalita, should cook My food. They shall be knows as
suyaras.
King Indradyumna then requested Lord Jagannath,
that the doors of the temple should be closed only 3 hours a day. The King also
requested that he would not have any decendants, so that no one in the future
would claim the temple of Lord Jagannath as their own property.
It is said in the Narada Purana (Uttara Khanda
52.123), that the Supreme Lord Narayana told Lakshmi Devi: "In that
great abode known as Purusottama-ksetra, which is rarely achieved among all the
three worlds, the Kesava Deity, who was fashioned by the Supreme Lord Himself
is situated. If men simply see that Deity, they are easily able to come to My
abode."
No comments:
Post a Comment