Radhekrishna! In the last issue we saw that for the sake of his bhaktha, Pundalika, Bhagavan stayed in Pandarpur in all His ‘sowlabhya’ meaning
simplicity. Anybody who goes there can go near Him and touch. The place where
the Lord asked the gopas to wait is now known as Gopalpuri now.
We can enjoy Panduranga with all our five senses in
Pandarpur. We can see Him, we can hear Him everywhere around, we can taste Him
in the form of prasadam, we can smell Him in the flowers offered to Him, and we
can touch Him with our hands too. The only place where we can enjoy the Lord by
touch! His form is very much bewitching for the eyes.
His lotus feet
seem as if pearls and corals are set around the fingers. The ankles are
beautiful with the golden anklets. The golden peetambara slightly covers the
knee and below. Both His hands are kept on the hip. Some say that His
peetambaram has loosened and He is holding it with both His hands! The wide
chest is decorated with a variety of gold and diamond chains. Tulasi and other
garlands also rest over there in pride. He has a beautiful slender neck. The
lips give out a secret smile. The nose is very long. The lotus eyes look half
closed, half open. The forehead is adorned with a wide gopi tilak which looks
inverted. The golden crown spreads great luster around. Whoever sets his eye on Him will fall in love at the first sight
itself. Such a fascinating deity!
Once a Brahmin
from Paithan was very much devoted to Panduranga. He always kept changing the
name of Panduranga. He once wanted to conduct a yaga. The sasthras say that a
Brahmin should conduct yagas. This
Brahmin roamed around to collect money for the yaga. He reached
Vidyaranyanagaram. He approached the king of the place and asked for help. The
king enquired the Brahmin about Pandaripuram. The Brahmin was very happy to
talk about his Lord. With closed eyes he told the king that Panduranga is a
powerful deity. He has a golden crown with gems studded. The cow Kamadhenu is giving milk for the
Lord. All the thirty three crores devas are doing service (kainkaryam) there.
The temple pillars are made of pure gold. The flooring is of coral. The doors
are made of prescious pearls etc etc. The houses in the street resemble
palaces. It is almost like Vaikunta only. There is no sorrow, hunger or pain.
The king
laughed and said he couldn’t believe a word of what the Brahmin was telling. He
said the golden pillars, coral flooring, pearl doors, golden peeta, palace
like houses etc etc., were all his imagination only and it can never be true.
The Brahmin made a promise that what he said was all true. He was prepared to
show the king the truth now itself. So the king and the Brahmin started for
Pandarpur immediately. Nearing the town the king teased the Brahmin again telling
him if he cannot show the golden temple and palaces he will be beheaded. The
Brahmin silently prayed to Lord Panduranga. “Oh Lord you, as antharyami have
showed me the golden city of Pandarpur and prompted me to tell about it. Now it
is your duty to prove it.” The king
believed that there is no chance of such a place to be present in the earth.
They neared the
Chandrabhaga. The king enquired the Brahmin how far they had to go yet. The
Brahmin said that they have neared. The king got down from the chariot and
looked forward. He was stunned by what he saw. The city was bright like the sun
even from a distance. It was shining with a blinding luster. As he neared he
could see the palaces made of gold. He could see the coral streets also. There
was no need for sunrise at all. He couldn’t take off his eyes. All around it
was full of divinity. The chanting of nama filled the atmosphere. As he neared
the temple he could see what the Brahmin told was true. In the golden temple he
saw the Lord Vital smiling mischievously at him. The king cried out aloud
‘Vital’! The brahmin’s implicit faith showed the king the true form of the
place.
Next moment everything became very normal. It was an
ordinary river with villagers bathing their cows in it. The streets were strewn
with cowdung and other junks. The king realised that it was the greatness of
the Brahmin that gave this great vision. He realised the power of Pandarinath.
He fell down on the feet of the Brahmin.Without this guru could he have dreamt of seeing the glorious Pandarpur?!?! Radhekrishna!
