Vishṇave namah
Trembling in fear and in great anxiety the two doorkeepers fell at the feet of the great sages and implored, “O great saints! We have sinned. You have awarded us the precise punishment for our mistake. May it happen per your wish!
Ridiculing great saints of your stature is a sin. We accept this curse and through this we will pay for our sin. We are now about to fall into a lowly womb and we beg you to heed our small prayer.
O great saints! When we take birth in a lowly womb, this sin of ours will cause infatuation in us and will distance us from thinking about Him, our Lord. We beg you to ensure that it should not happen.”
Evaṁ tadaiva bhagavān aravinda-nābhaḥ Svānāṁ vibudhya sad-atikramam ārya-hṛdyaḥ
Tasmin yayau paramahaṁsa-mahā-munīnām Anveṣaṇīya-caraṇau calayan saha-śrīḥ
The Lord Padmanābha came to know of this mistake committed by His servants. That very instant this Supreme Lord, who resides within the hearts of great saints, came walking to the entrance together with Goddess Lakshmi. During meditation, Paramahamsas and saints who are exponents in Self-knowledge search for the lotus feet of this Lord. On such lotus feet He walked to the entrance!
This Supreme Lord was followed by His attendants who were holding articles used for worship. He arrived at the entrance and made Himself visible to Sanaka and the other Maharishis. The saints felt as if their Samādhi Yoga, which is the final state of Yoga, had taken on a form and was standing before them!
Attendants holding Vinjāmara fans, which were as beautiful as white royal swans, were standing on either side gently fanning Him. On His head they held a white umbrella which was glowing like the full moon. When the auspicious breeze from the Vinjāmara fans touched the umbrella, strings of pearls that adorned its ends moved gently making it appear as if drops of nectar from the gentle moon rays were actually falling upon the Lord.
Lord Srihari is the repository for every noble quality that is sought after by living beings. His smiling pleasant face indicated that He had arrived there not only to bless the saints but also to bless the doorkeepers. Srihari showered His loving glance upon them and through this touched their hearts. They then felt the Lord as residing within their hearts.
Goddess Lakshmi was dazzling brightly on the broad chest of this Lord, who was of bluish-black complexion. It was as if together with Goddess Lakshmi, He was adding loveliness and brilliance to Vaikunṭha, the crown jewel amongst all heavenly planets.
His broad hips were draped elegantly in golden yellow silken clothing. A golden waistband decorated this Pitambara clothing adding to its beauty. The bees that encircled the vanamāla garland, which adorned His neck, were humming melodiously.
Lovely bracelets decorated His wrists. He rested one hand on Garuda, the son of Vinata. In His other hand he playfully held a lotus.
The glitter from the Makara-kundala (crocodile shaped earrings), which decorated His ears, outshone lightning and enhanced the radiance of His cheeks. With a raised nose, His face was glowing. He was wearing a gem studded crown. On His neck and within His four arms, was a long pearl chain. The Kausthuba gem was gleaming on His chest.
His ardent devotees believe that in front of His divine splendor, Goddess Lakshmi who prided Herself as an epitome of beauty and elegance was defeated and Her pride was destroyed. In this way, for the benefit of Rudra, me, Devatas such as yourselves, and for the purposes of worship, He has assumed a form which is of unparalleled splendor.
Even after drinking in His beauty with their eyes for a considerable time, Sanaka and his brothers were not satisfied. Joyfully they bowed and offered obeisance to His lotus feet.
The feet of this lotus-eyed Lord resembled lotuses. His toes resembled the lotus filaments. The wind that carried the fragrance of the lotus feet together with the aroma of the Tulasi leaves, entered into the saints through the medium of their nose. Even though they were totally absorbed in the Self, this fragrance filled their minds with limitless bliss. They experienced horripilation.
The saints lifted their heads and gradually looked up at the lovely lower lip of the Lord and His charming smile which resembled a blossoming jasmine. They then shifted their gaze upwards and observed His beautiful face that was shining like a blue lotus. They were fully satisfied. They now shifted their gaze back to His feet. They observed those lotus feet, nails in which shone like sapphire and rubies.
They now meditated upon the Supreme Lord Narayana who was in front of them. Srihari appeared before these saints in that wonderful form which those human beings, who are desirous of obtaining liberation, retain fixedly in their hearts and contemplate upon.
After all they had come with a deep desire to see Him. They did not desire to observe His ornaments but only to see Him. Hence He too blessed them with such a darshan. He, who will not make himself visible even after endless penance, made himself visible to these great saints, who were his ardent devotees.
Externally it appeared as if He had arrived there upon coming to know of the insult that his doorkeepers had heaped upon those saints. The truth however was that He had come there to bless the saints with His darshan. The eight supernatural powers such as Anima , which are not otherwise easily available, exist inherently in Him!
The saints profusely praised the Supreme Lord who had made himself visible to them. They said, “O Ananta! Although You are seated within every heart, You do not make yourself visible to the wicked. Today You are kind enough to make yourself visible to our eyes.
Our father Brahma, who was born from You, has described to us in detail the secrets contained within Your form. At that moment itself You entered into our hearts through our ear holes. From then on, You have remained fixedly in our intellect, O Lord. Today, You have shown to us Your form, which is composed of the traits of goodness and purity (sattva guna), and have brought us great joy”.
