Chapter Four The Story of Gokarna
Chapter Four
The Story of Gokarna
Suta Gosvami continued, "O Saunaka, when the Supreme Lord, who is very dear to His devotees, saw transcendental bhakti manifest within their hearts, He left His abode and appeared in the assembly at Ananda. He wore a garland made of forest flowers, and His bodily hue was just like that of a monsoon cloud. He was dressed in dazzling yellow garments and wore a belt studded with gems. A crown decorated His head and His earrings moved to and fro. He stood in a beautiful threefold-bending form that stole the hearts of everyone. The Kaustubha gem glittered on His chest and His bodily limbs were anointed with sandalwood pulp. His exquisite beautify defeated millions of Cupids. The transcendental Personality of Godhead, who held a flute, then entered the hearts of His devotees. His intimate associates, such as Uddhava, had come there incognito to hear the bhagavata-katha. As the Lord appeared, in all directions could be heard "All glories! All glories!" There was a wonderful flow of bhakti rasa, the sound of conches, and showers of flowers and colored water. The entire assembly completely forgot themselves and their possessions and was fully absorbed in hearing the Shrimad Bhagavatam."
Seeing their deep absorption, Shri Narada said, "O sages, today I have seen the wonderful glory of Saptaha. Even foolish rogues and animals become purified by hearing it. I have no doubt, therefore, that in Kali-yuga, bhagavata-katha is the most powerful process for purifying the heart. O most merciful saintly persons, only to show kindness upon the suffering living entities in the material world have you revealed this wonderful process. Now please narrate histories regarding those who have become purified by performing Saptaha Yajna."1
The Kumaras said, "Those crooked people who always transgress the rules of the scriptures and engage in various types of sinful acts, burning in the fire of anger, and are always given to lust, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.
Those who are outside the varnasrama system, devoid of truth, and troubled by material desires, who always criticise their parents, who are envious, hypocritical and bent on giving misery to others, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.
Those who steal gold, drink liquor, kill brahmanas, and who have sex with the wife of their spiritual master, who is very cruel, merciless, treacherous, immoral, demonic, always prone to cheating and live off the wealth of brahmanas, will be purified by the Saptaha Yajna.
Those who are very obstinate and thus always engage in sinful activities with their body, mind, and speech, who always live on the wealth of others, and whose hearts are very impure will get purified by the Saptaha Yajna.
O Narada, in this context, I will recite a history which simply by hearing one will become free from sin.