How Vishnu turned black

Then Adhya asked Vishnu, caressing him,

"Listen, my son, to one word of mine. Tell me truly: when you went to have the darshan of your father’s feet, you were white. How did you become black?"

Vishnu said to Adhya:

"As soon as you permitted me, I started for the world below to have the darshan of my father’s feet. In my hands I carried Akshat flowers and started walking on the path to the world below. I drew near the Shesh Nag, whose poison’s power slowed me. The power of that poison dwelt within me, and turned me black. At that time I heard one sound, which I will tell you about: it said, 'Vishnu, go back to your mother and tell her the truth. As in Sat Yuga and Treta Yuga, when the fourth path of Dwapar Yuga will come, then you will be incarnated as Krishna. I tell you, all that time you will be avenged. In the Kalindi river you will stick Shesh Nag on a string. Now go back without delay. One who harasses lower ones after becoming higher, gets avenged by me. I will avenge him who harasses others.' Then I came back to you and told the truth to you. I didn’t see my father’s feet and my body became black like the fire of poison. I came back as I grew restless. I didn’t have the darshan of my father’s feet."

Adhya gives Vishnu the Darshan of Light

Hearing this much, his mother was happy; she lifted Vishnu up and sat him in her lap.

Then Adi-Bhavani spoke in this way:

"My dear son, listen to me: you see, my son, now I will make you see your father and will clear up the illusion of your mind. First of all, look with the eye of your intellect, and obey my words with your heart. Understand your mind as the creator: know no one as the creator except the mind. In the heavens and worlds below, only the mind is spread. Mind is unstable and untrue, within a moment he shows limitless frauds. No one can ever see the mind. Call mind the Nirankar and day and night remain happy in its wishes; inverting your attention, look in the void, where light is shining: control your breathing and reach to Gaggan; then contemplate on the path of the sky."

Vishnu did in his mind as his mother had explained.

Hymn

Controlling the breath, he went within the cave and contemplated. A loud sound was made in the sky by a wave of wind. Hearing the sound, his mind became intoxicated and then imagined. With the imagination of his mind, white, yellow, green, and red clouds were seen in the void plane.

Thereafter, Dharam Das, mind showed himself to him. He showed the light – seeing which Vishnu became happy.

Vishnu bowed his head to his mother with humility and dependence:

"Oh my mother, with your grace I have seen the Lord."

Dharam Das humbly asked:

Oh Lord, I am uncertain about this: the woman told him about the contemplating mind – is that how all the Jivas are deluded?

The Satguru said:

Dharam Das, this is the character of Kal and because of it, Vishnu didn’t get the knowledge of Sat Purush. Look at the trick played by the woman: hiding the Nectar, she cleverly gave the poison to her son. There is no difference between Kal and that light seen by Vishnu: after understanding the Truth, stick to the True Religion. This is the character of Kal: whatever is within him, he acts accordingly outside. When a man lights the flame, think about its character: looking at the light, a moth comes near; he understands it as his beloved.

But as soon as he touches it, he is reduced to ashes. Unknowingly he dies for nothing. Kal is like the flame. This cruel Kal leaves no one. He has devoured crores of incarnations of Vishnu. Brahma and Mahesh are also devoured by him – after he troubles them. There are so many problems he causes the Jivas, I could never mention them all: thinking about them, I am frightened. Daily he devours one lakh Jivas – so horrible is this butcher Kal!

Dharam Das said:

Listen, my Lord: one doubt has come into my mind. Ashtangi was created by Sat Purush, and I know how she was created; she was swallowed by Dharam Rai and she came out by the glorious Grace of Sat Purush. But this same Ashtangi committed fraud – turning on Sat Purush she made Yama manifest. She didn’t tell the secret of Sat Purush to her sons; she made them meditate on Kal Niranjan. Why did Ashtangi do this? Why did she leave Sat Purush and befriend Kal?

The Satguru replied:

Oh Dharam Das, listen to the attributes of woman: I’ll make you understand it all. When there is a girl in the family, she is brought up with many conveniences: her food, clothing and bedding are provided. But everyone regards her as an outsider. Lovingly performing the ceremonies, she is made to depart with her husband. When the daughter goes to her husband’s home, she is dyed in the colours of her husband. She forgets her mother and father: Dharam Das, this is the quality of woman. That is why Adhya also became an alien, and she, the Bhavani, became a part of Kal. That is why she didn’t manifest Sat Purush and showed the form of Kal to Vishnu.

Dharam Das said to Kabir:

Oh, my Lord, I now know the secret. Now tell me what happened beyond this.

Kabir answered Dharam Das: 

The mother destroyed Brahma’s pride and again called her dear son Vishnu:

"Oh Vishnu, you have this blessing: you will be the favourite among the gods. I will work for fulfilling every desire you will have in your heart."

Maya makes Vishnu supreme

"The first son Brahma is reproached, because falsehood and evil deeds were dear to him. Now you are supreme among gods, and everyone will worship you,"

said his mother.

Kabir spoke to Dharam Das:

Thus the mother said those words, full of grace, and made Vishnu the supreme one. Then she went to Mahesh. Looking at her, Mahesh was full of happiness.

Adhya blesses Shiva

Again the mother asked,

"Tell me, my child, you – Shiva – tell me what is in your heart. Ask for whatever you like – mother will give you that. My son, I am determined to give you a boon according to your wish."

Folding both his hands, Shiva said,

"Mother, I’ll do as you order. I ask for this boon only: that my body will never be destroyed! Oh my mother, shower such grace on me that my body may never perish."

Ashtangi said,

"This can never happen; no one can become immortal. But if you practise yoga, and control the breathing, then your body will survive for four yugas. As long as the earth and sky exist your body will never perish."

Dharam Das said:

Explain to me the knowledge. I have gotten all the secrets; now tell me about Brahma. After getting cursed by Adhya, what did Brahma do?

Kabir answered:

When both Vishnu and Mahesh got the boons, they were happy and excited. In their minds they were delighted; whereas Brahma was humiliated.

Dharam Das, I know everything. I will tell it to you one by one. Being cursed, Brahma desperately goes to Vishnu and tells him of his pain; Vishnu consoles him. Brahma became very sad in his mind and went to Vishnu.

Arriving there, he requested Vishnu, saying,

"You are my brother and supreme among gods. Mother is gracious on you, whereas, because of the curse, I am in pain. Oh brother, I am suffering due to my own deeds. How can I blame mother? Oh brother, now do something by which my race may continue, following mother’s words."

Vishnu said,

"Give up the fear of your mind; I will serve you. You are my elder and I am your younger brother. So remove all doubts and worries. Anyone who is my devotee will serve your family too.

I will guarantee this faith in the world: that if you desire the virtues and the fruits of devotion, the yajna and worship done without a Brahmin will not be accepted. Those who will worship the Brahmin will be doing virtuous deeds, and only they will be dear to me. To them alone will I give a place to dwell in my abode."

Kabir spoke to Dharam Das:

Brahma was pleased when Vishnu said that:

"Oh Brother, you have finished my mind’s pain. Now I am happy,"

he said.

Kal’s Manipulation

Dharam Das, look at the scope of what was done by Kal. He has deceived all the world by it. He makes the Jiva forgetful by making her hopeful, and puts her into the troubles of birth after birth. Bali, Harishchandra, Van, Verachan, Kunti’s son and many others were the virtuous renunciate kings. What place did he give to them? All the world, which is under the control of Kal, knows what has happened to them. Everyone knows that they cannot be purified as Kal controls their intellect by his power. Being in the wave of mind, the Jiva has forgotten; and now she doesn’t know how to go back to her own Home.

Dharam Das said:

Listen, my Lord: tell me the story of what happened next. With Your Grace I am now able to recognise the deception of Yama. Now I have definitely put my mind at Your feet. Giving me the Nectar in Shabd form, You have saved me from drowning in this ocean of the world. Now tell me the rest of the story, and explain to me how their curses came to an end.

Gayatri’s Imprecation of Adhya

Kabir said to Dharam Das:

Dharam Das, I will tell this to you, the word of inconceivable knowledge:

When Gayatri accepted the imprecation given by her mother, she herself imprecated her mother:

"You will be the mother of those five, of whom I will be wife. You will conceive a child without the help of man and all the world will know this,"

she said.

So both of them suffered the reaction of the cursed. At the appointed time both of them came in the human body.

Description of the following World’s Creation

After all these happenings the world was created. This time eighty-four lakhs bodies and four kinds of creation were formed.

First mother created the egg-born and Brahma created the womb-born; Vishnu created the moisture-born and Mahesh undertook the creation of the seed-born. Then the creation of bodies started. Know him who creates the body.

In this way four kinds of creation were spread in all four directions. Oh Dharam Das, now you know the story of creating the four kinds of life. Keep it in your mind.

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Illustration: 

Stick Shesh Nag on a string: One of Krishna’s best-known acts is his victory of the thousand-headed serpent, that is here equated with Shesh Nag.

The Mystery of Death (First Edition, 1968) –
I. Nothing dies in Nature,
by Kirpal Singh, 1894–1974

Trick played by the woman: That is, she allows Vishnu’s mistaken identification of Sat Purush with Kal to continue, and does not inform him of the existence of the True Sat Purush even though she knows of Him.

Crores: Crore is a scale unit of the Indian number system. One crore is equivalent to 10 millions. (1 crore = 100 lakhs; see the following subsection 'Lakh'.)

Lakh: Lakh is a scale unit of the Indian number system and is equivalent to 100,000. Since in this number system there is no word for 'million' – the next unit in size is 'crore' (see the subsection 'Crores' above) –, for numbers between 100,000 and ten millions the term 'lakhs' is used too. So for example, in the Indian method of counting 3 millions equal 30 lakhs.

A part of Kal: So, as a physical father gives away his daughter to her husband, in the same way Sat Purush directed Adhya to 'develop' together with Kal. As a wife it is her duty to be loyal to her husband so that she has to pay deference to him and has to play along in his game – in a sense.

On the other hand: even though she has to be loyal, this does not automatically include all bad deeds. Although she is obligated to configure the lower creation, there was no need for her to become corrupt and to claim Kal to be Sat Purush.

The following story may serve for further explanation: Once Guru Nanak went on a journey. He stayed the night at a guesthouse whose innkeeper often killed guests who passed the night there. He wanted to kill Guru Nanak too, but Guru Nanak enlightened him about the Truth and the karmic consequences of such a deed. At first the innkeeper did not believe what Guru Nanak had told him and replied that the matter with the karmic consequences could not be right because his family was happy. Thereupon, Guru Nanak offered to let Himself bind by him with a rope, whereupon the innkeeper should go home to ask his wife if she agreed with his deeds.

So it happened. When the innkeeper came back he apologised to Guru Nanak and unbound Him since his wife had explained to him that she took the money because she was his wife, but she did not agree with his deeds and, therefore, she had nothing to do with the karmic reactions.

Control the breathing: This refers to the yogic practice of Kumbhak – retention of the breath.

More detailed information on the different yoga practices can be found in the book 'The Crown of Life,' by Kirpal Singh, 1894–1974.

Four yugas: One time-cycle or Maha Yuga – the Sat Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapar Yuga and Kali Yuga in succession.

I will serve you: Here Vishnu guarantees the Brahmins’ indispensability for the Vaishnavite Hindu ritual and their reputation among the worshippers of Vishnu. Although he modifies Adhya’s curse in a wordly way, he cannot avoid its effects after all.

At bottom that is a typical alleviative act, as it is accomplished in families in order to maintain a false harmony.

The only True Harmony is to rest in the Sound Current. On the contrary the false harmony is one of the paths of Kal, as it is explained in the subchapter 'The Attributes of the four Messengers – The Characteristics of Vijay Doot.'

Yajna: Vedic ritual, during which sacrificial offerings are placed in a fire to please the gods or to reach the fulfilment of wishes.

When Gayatri accepted the imprecation: Sawan Singh said that one should never allow a feeling of revenge to come into one’s heart.

The world was created: The creation of the lower worlds, which had began aeons ago, has been completed at last and the basic life-forms are established.

Eighty-four lakhs bodies: See the illustration 'Eighty-four lakhs of species' in the subchapter 'Adhya orders her three Sons to create the Universe.'