Bhakta Sangam

The Life of the world, having heard their reply, returned to the temple and told Rukmini about what had happened. He said, "O Beloved of my life, listen to me. I have returned after inviting the Brahmans, but some of the conservative and proud did not recognize me. They saw the glory of my form and felt delighted. They asked me about my family and occupation, and I told them everything. I spoke to them personally, explaining that I was accompanying the saints and that Nama was my dearest friend. The Brahmans asked me where I was staying, and I told them that I lodged in the temple. They asked me my name, and I informed them that it was Ananta (the infinite One). I provided them with signs by which they could recognize me, but they failed to do so." As the Life of the world spoke, he smiled.

Rukmini said to Krishna, "Those who always have the idea of differences in their minds, along with pride in their own knowledge, will never meet the Saviour of the world. Those who claim that their caste and family are pure and lack repentance in their hearts, how can they ever meet the Holder of the disk (Krishna)? To one with jaundice, the moon appears yellow. Someone suffering from fever finds food bitter. Similarly, those who are proud of their conservative opinions will not find the knowledge of bhakti appealing. Without reverence towards You, they can never see You. By their good fortune, O God of gods, they have found You, the storehouse of Vaikunth. Today, through Nama's good fortune, he has become prosperous."

While the Mother of the universe spoke these words, a very extraordinary event occurred at that moment. All the eight siddhis (personified accomplishments) arrived to prepare the feast. They came to the great door of the temple of their own accord. They made all the necessary arrangements for the feast and sprinkled the ground with water mixed with sandalwood paste according to the rules of the Bhagwat. They raised banners on the tulsi altar, representing the nine forms of bhakti [hearing, reading, calling to mind, washing, outward worship, adoration, service, cultivating friendship, consecration of oneself], making this miracle visible to the eye. They adorned the houses and exclaimed, "Look at the virtuous deeds performed by this servant of Vishnu (Nama), which have filled the One without qualities with love." Everyone was astonished at the sight. They created patterns of pearls and drew decorations with various colored powders. They illuminated the surroundings. In short, an unexpected ceremony was initiated for the beloved bhakta (Nama). There was a loud cry of joy, and sweet musical instruments echoed the happiness. The bhaktas shouted in joy, "Victory, victory!" Then they bathed Nama and performed the mantras and the punyahavachan ceremony according to religious rites. Satyabhama and Rukmini came with their gifts, radiating like lightning in the home of the clouds. Krishna, with His own hands, adorned the servant of Vishnu with limitless garments and ornaments as an expression of His love. Men and women joyfully gazed at the beautiful and joyful sight, sincerely waving lights over the servant of Vishnu. Krishna, whose complexion is as dark as a cloud, honored His servant with His own hands. This Helper of the helpless, this supreme Being, this Ocean of mercy for all the lowly, performed this act. And everyone said to Nama, 'Blessed is your bhakti. The happiness you have attained is unattainable even by Brahmadev.' Meanwhile, the feast had been cooked, and all the Brahmans were invited. They were given seats as they arrived at the great door of the temple.

To worship the Brahmans, Krishna Himself sat among them, just as when the gods gather in the heavens and say to one another, 'We have been deceived. These bhaktas of Vishnu have taken away our joy. We may drink good nectar, but we miss the nectar of love. It is like experiencing the deliverance called Salokata [living in the same place as the Deity] but missing the deliverance called Sayujuata [absorption into the Deity]. Or it is like missing the blessing of a studied poetic composition while being intimate with it. It is like failing to perform occasional religious duties while being diligent in regular ones. Or it is like obtaining the means to fulfill a desire but losing the means to acquire a desireless mind, which was attainable. It is like visiting all the sacred bathing places on the surface of the earth but failing to serve one's mother. It is like serving the inferior deities while the possible worship of Vishnu ceases. It is like inviting Brahmans for a feast but turning away uninvited guests. Thus, sitting in the place of the gods, we have lost the love of bhakti." Thus, the gods conversed with one another in the sky. In the meantime, Krishna seated the Brahmans at the great door of the temple to worship them. He placed broad seats adorned with golden designs and jewels for the Brahmans to sit on. Then, the Husband of Rukmini washed the feet of the Brahmans with His own hands. The Life of the world wiped their feet with His yellow robe and affectionately drew them to His heart. He touched their great toes with His eyes and seated the Brahmans in their proper line. In His love, the Lord of the heaven Vaikunth drank the holy water used to wash their feet and rejoiced in the act. He applied a paste made of eight different perfumes to their feet, adorned their necks with tulsi garlands, and marked their foreheads with musk-paste. The Lord of Vaikunth (Krishna) worshipped them with love. He waved incense made of ten different kinds before them and lit lamps in a plate adorned with jewels. In His love, He arranged golden plates before them and the noble Rukmini served them with four kinds of divine food. Then, calling Nama, the offerings to the gods were made through him. The bhaktas shouted aloud, "Victory, victory! The Husband of Rukmini is enjoying this feast." Saying this, they made offerings to the five vital airs (pran, apan, ryan, udan, saman). The chief Actor, God Himself, became the Fulfiller, the Enjoyer, and the Cause for others to act, so there was nothing lacking in all that the heart could desire. In the feast of the sun, darkness had no place. When listening to the singing of Saraswati, drowsiness could not touch anyone. If the ocean is married, there is no need to worry about water. In the hot season, the moon does not require a fan. If a touchstone is placed on an iron anvil, there is no need to gild the anvil. One does not fall ill when living in Indra's heaven. If someone searches for doubts in the perfect book, the Dnyaneshwari, they will not find any. Similarly, in the feast hosted by Nama, nothing was lacking. The Husband of Rukmini frequently prayed, and as the Brahmans listened to His sweet voice, they were filled with happiness. They said, "With every morsel, one should take the name of God. In this way, a person's eating will result in happiness." Thus, in the feast, the minds of all became filled with joy. The Life of the world Himself provided water for the Brahmans to wash their hands. After seating the Brahmans in their places, He offered them pansupari made of thirteen ingredients. At that moment, it seemed as if loving desire itself assumed a concrete form. One could say that, by the good fortune of Vishnu, it became visible and came to visit Nama. In its love, joy was enticed by Intelligence (God Himself). Then, with folded palms, the Holder of the Sharang bow (Krishna) said to the Brahmans, "I feel as though I want to receive your blessings (in the form of dinner) in your presence. This is what I would love to do. Therefore, I request the Swamis to sit quietly for a moment. After I have finished dining, I will quickly distribute the monetary gifts. Accept them with contented minds and then depart for your homes." Shri Krishna thought to Himself, "If I were to place the monetary gifts in their hands before the feast ends, they would not remain sitting here but would leave without saying goodbye. Just as relatives do not leave a marriage festival until the marriage gifts have been given, or beggars are not satisfied until they receive their charity. With this thought in mind, Shri Krishna said to the Brahmans, 'Through Nama, I have been able to serve you. You are the incarnate Vedas, worthy of worship by Brahmadev and others. Look upon Me with the eye of mercy. Take care of Me, O noble Brahmans.'" As Krishna spoke, it seemed to the Brahmans that His voice was nectar. Rejoicing in their minds, they were filled with happiness. The earth gods (Brahmans) replied, "You have worked very hard, and while you have been worshipping the Brahmans, your own meal has been delayed. You did everything Yourself, and it was very successful. Even if we were to search for any deficiency, we would never find one. Today we have witnessed something new. When we observe the Swami's unique reverence, humility, and respect towards us, they seem beyond comparison." Then the learned Brahmans, well-versed in the four Vedas, repeated the great mantras over the rice and threw it on Krishna's head as their blessing. "May you be victorious forever, may you be our protector, and may you reside in the home of the universe until the end of the ages." Krishna took rice in His yellow garment and sprinkled it on Nama's head, saying, "May this love remain forever in your heart."