Balakanda - Doha 11 to 20

Doha - 11

If those pearls are pierced with skill and atrung together on the beautiful therad of Sri Rama 's exploits, and if noble souls wear them in their innocent heart, grace in the form of excessive fondness is result.

Thouse who are born in this terrible age of Kail, who though akin to the crow in their doings have put on the garb of a swan, who tread the evil parth abandoning the track of the Vedas who are embodiments of falsehood and repositories of sins of the Kali age , who are impostors claiming to be devotees of Sri Rama, though slaves of mammon,anger and passion, and who are unscrupulous , and hypocritical and foremost among intriguers-I occupy the first place among them. Were I to recount all my. vices, their tale will assume large dimemsions, and yet I shall not be able to exhaust them. Hence I have mentioned very few. A word should suffice for the wise. Entering into the spirit of my man manifold prayers, none should blame me on hearing this story.Those who will raise objections even then are more stupid blame me on hearing this story. Thousw who will raise objections even then are more stupid and dificient in intellect than myself. I am no poet and have no pretensions to ingenuity; I sing the glories of Sri Rama according to my own lights. My intellect, which wallows in the world ,is a poor match for the unlimited exploits of the Lord of Raghus. Tell me , of what account is cotton in the face of the strong wind before which even mountains like Meru are blown away? Realizing the infinite glory of Sri Rama, my mind feels very diffident in proceefing with this story.

Goddess Sarasvati, Sesa (the thousand-headed serpent-god), the great Lord Siva, Brahma (the Creator), the Agamas (Tantras), the Vedas and the puranas unceasingly sing His virtues, saying not that; not that*.

Though all know the Lord's greatness as such, yet none has refeained from describing it. The Vedas have justified it thus; they have variously sung the glory of remembering the Lord, God, who is one, desireless, formles, nameless and unborn, who is Truth, Consciousness and Bliss, who is supreme effulgence, all-pervading and all -formed-it is He who has performed many deeds assuming a suitable form. That He has done only for the good of His devotees; He is supremely gracious and loving to the suppliant. He is excessively fond of His devotees and treats them as His own; He has never frowned at him to whom He has once shown His favour. The restorer of what has been lost , the befriender of the poor, the Lord of Raghus is a straightforward and powerful master. Knowing thus , the wise sing the glory of Sri Hari and thereby hallow and bring supreme reward to their speech. It is on this strength (the supreme efficacy of remembering the Lord and the potency of His grace) that I shall sing the virtues of the Lord of Raghus, bowing my head to the feet of Sri Rama. Sages have sung the glory of Sri Hari in the past; it will be easy for me to follow that very path.

If kings get bridges constructed over big rivers, which are too broad, even the tiniest ants cross them without exertion.

Reassuring the mind in this way, I shall narrate the charming story of the Lord of Raghus Vyasa and various other top-ranking poets, who have reverently recounted the blessed glory of Sri Hari ,I bow to the lotus feet of them all; let them fulfil all my desires. I make obeisance to the bards of the Kali age, who have sung the multitudinous virtues of the Lord of Raghus. Even thous poets of supreme wisdom who belong to the prakrta or popular class(as opposed to the Samskrta or the cultured class), who have narrated the exploits of Sri Hari in the spoken language, including thouse who have flourished in the past , those who are still living and those who are yet to come , I reverence them, one and all, renouncing all false appearance.Be propitious and grant this boon that my song may be honoured in the assemblage of pious souls. A composition which the wise refuse to honour is fruitless labour which only silly poets undertake, Of glory, and affluence that alone is blessed which, like the celestial rive (Ganga), is conducive to the good of all. The glory of Sri Rama is charming indeed , while my speech is rough. This is something incongruous, I am afraid. By your grace, even this incongruity will turn out well for me; embroidery of silk looks charming even on coarse cloth.

The wise admire only that poetr which is lucid and portrays a spotless character and which even opponents hear with applause forgetting natural animosity. Such poetry is not possible without a refined intellectural power I have poetry is not possible without a refind intellect, and of intellectual power I have very little. Be gracious , therefore so that I may depict the glory of Sri Hari I solocit again. poets and wise wise men, lovel swans sporting in Manasarovara lake of Sri Rama 's exploits! hearing my childlike prayer and recognizing my refined taste, be kindly disposed towards me.

I bow to the lotus feet of the sage (Valmiki) who composed the Ramayana, which though containing an accont of the demon Khara (a cousin of Ravana), is yet very soft and charming ,and though faultless, is yet full of references to Dusana (another cousin of the demon-king Ravana)*. I reverence, all the four Vedas, barks as it were on the ocean of mundane existence, which never dream of weariness in singing the untarnished glory of Sri Rama, the Chief of Raghus . I greet the dust on the feet of Brahma (the Creator), who has evolved the occean of Raghus. I greet the dust on the feet of Brahma (the Creator), who has evoved the ocean of worldly existence, the birth place of nectar, the moon and the cow of plenty in the form of saints, on the one hand and of poison and wine in the form of the wicked, on the other Making obeisance to the feet of gods, the Brahmanas ,wise men and the delities presiding over the nine planets, I pray to them with joined papms! Be palms! Be pleased to accomplish all my fair desires.

Again , I bow to goddess Sarasvati and the celestial river Ganga, bothe of whom are holy and perform agreeable roles. The one (Ganga) wipes away sin through immersion and draught; the other (Sarasvati) dispels ignorance through the recital and hearing of her glory. I adore the great Lord Siva and His consort Goddess Bhavani (parvati), my preceptors and parents, friends of the forlorn and ever given to charity, servants, masters and frinds of Sita s Lord, and true benefactors of Tulasidasa in everyway . Seeing the prevalence of the Kali age Hara and Girija (Siva and parvati) evolved a string of spells in the tongue of savages,incoherent syllables which yield no interpretation and require no repetition , but whose efficacy is patent, revealing Siva's glory. That Lord of Uma (parvati), favourable as He is me, shall make this story of mine a source of blessings and joy. Thus invoking Lord Siva and His Consort, Siva (parvati), and obtaining Their favour, I relate the exploits of Sri Rama with a heart full of ardour. By Siva grace my composition will shed its lustre even as a night shines in conjunction with the moon and the stars. Those who will fondly and intelligently recite or hear this story with attention will develop devotion to the feet of Sri Rama and , purged of the impurities of Kail , will obtain choice blessings.

If Hara and Gauri (Lord Siva and parvati) are really propitious to me, even in dream, let all that I have said in glorification of this poetry of mine, written in a popular dialect, come out true.

I reverence the exceedingly holy city of Ayodhya (Sri Rama's birth-place) and the river Sarayu (flowing beside it), which wipes out the sins of the Kali age. Again, I bow to the men and women of the city, who enjoy the affection of the Lord in no small degree. Even though they were damned as a result of the heap of sins incurred by the calumniators of Sita (who were instrumental in bringing about Her lifelong exile ) , they were lodged in a heavenly abode, having been divested of sorrow. I greet Kausalya (the eldest queen of king Dasaratha ) whose glory stands diffiused throughout the world . She is the eastern horizon whence arose the lovely moon in the shape of the Lord of Raghus, who affords delight to the entire universe and is blighting as frost to lotuses in the form of the wicked. Recognizing king Dasaratha together with all his consorts as incarnations of merit and fair blessings , I make obeisance to them in thought , word and deed. Knowing me as a servant of your son, be gracious to me. The father and mothers of Sri Rama are the very perfection of glory, by creating whom even Brahma (the Creator) has exlted himself.

I adore the King of Ayodhya, who cherished such true love for the feet of Sri Rama that he gave up his dear life as a mere straw the moment the Lord, who is compassionate to poor, parted from him .

I make obeisance to king Janaka, along with his family, who bore hidden affection for the feet of Sri Rama. Even though he had veiled it under the cloak of asceticism and luxury, it broke out the moment he saw Sri Rama. Of Sri Rama's brothers, I bow, first of all, to the feet of Bharata, whose self-discipline and religious austerity beggar description and whose mind thirsts for the lotus feet of Sri Rama like a bee and never leaves their side. I reverence the lotus feet of Sri Rama like a bee and nevar leaves their side. I reverence the louts feet of Laksmana - cool and charming and a source of delight to the devotee-whose renowm served as a staff for the spotiess flag of Sri Ram 's glory. He is no other than the thousand-headed serpent-god, Sesa, the cause (support) of the unoverse, who came down to dispel the fear of the earth, may that son of Sumitra, an ocean of benevolence and a mine of virtues, be ever propitious to me. I adore the louts feet of Satrughna (lit,the slayer of his foes), who is valiant yet amiable in disposition, and a constant companion of Bharata. I supplicate Hanuman, the great hero, whose glory has been extolled by Sri Rama Himself.

I greet Hanuman, the son of the wind-god, an embodiment of wisdom, who is fire as it were for the forest of the wicked,and in the abode of whose heart resides Sri Rama, equipped with a bow and arrows.

The lord of monkeys (Sugriva), the chief of bears(jambavan), the king of demons (Vibhisana) and the host of monkeys beginning with Angada, I revarence the charming feet of all, who attained Sri Rama even though born in the lowest species. As many worshippers there are of the feet of Raghupati (the Lord of Raghus), including birds, beasts gods, human beings and demons, I adore the louts feet of them all who are disinterested sevants of Sri Rama Suka, Sanaka and others (viz; Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara), sage Narada and all other eminent sages who are devotees of God and proficient in the spiritual lore, I make obeisance to all, placing my head on the ground; he gracious, to me,O Lords of ascetics knowing me as your servant janki daughter of janaka and mother of the universe and the most beloved consort of Sri Rama, the Fountain of Mercy, I seek to propitiate the most beloved consort of Sri Rama, the Fountain of Mercy, I seek to propitiate the pair of Her louts feet, so that by Her grace I may be blessed with a refined intellect . Again, I adore, in thought, world and deed the louts feet of the all-warthy Lord of Raghus, who has lotus-like eyes and wields a bow and arrows and who relieves the distress, of His devotees and affords delight to them.

I reverence the feet of Sita and Rama, who though stated to be different are yet identical just like a world and its meaning or like water and the waves on its surface, and to whom the afficted are most dear.

I greet the name 'Rama' of the chief of Raghus*, which is composed of seed-letters representing the fire-god, the sun-god and the moon-god (viz; Ra, A and Ma respectively). It is the same as Brahma (the creative aspect of God), Visnu (His preservative aspect) and Siva (His disintegrating aspect), and the vital breath of the Vedas; It is unqualified, peerless and a mine of virtues. It is the great spell which Lord Mahesvara mutters and which imparted by Him at Kasi (the modern Varanasi) leads to emancipation Its glory is known to Lord Ganesa, who is worshipped before all others as a concession to the Name . The oldest poet (Valmilki) is acquainted with the glory of the Name, inasmuch as he attained to purity by repeating It in the reverse order*. Hearing the verdict of Lord Siva that the name is as good as a thousand other names of God , Goddess Bhavani (parvati) dined with Her consort after uttering It only once-Noticing such partiality of Her heart for the Name , Hara (Lord Siva) made that lady , who was the ornament of Her sex, the ornament of His own person (i.e; made Her a part of His own being by assigning to Her the left half of His body). Siva knows full well the power of the Name,due to which deadly poison served the purpose of nectar to Him.

Devotion to the Lord of Raghus is, as it were, the rainy season and the noble devotees, says Tulasidasa, repredent the paddy crop; while the two charming syllables of the name Rama stand for the two months of Sravana and Bhadrapada (corresponding roughly to july and August).

Both the letter-sounds are sweet and attractive ; they are the two eyes, as it were, of the Alphabet and the very life of the devotee. Easy to ramember and delightful to one and all they bring gain here and provide sustenance hereafter. They are most delightful to utter, hear and remember and are dear as Rama and Laksmana to Tulasidasa. When treated separately , the two letters lose their harmony(i.e; are differently pronoynced, bear diverse meaning in the form of seed -letters and as such yield different results); whereas they are naturally allied even as Brahma (the Cosmic Spirit) and jiva (the individual soul) good brothers like the divine sages Nara and Narayana ,they are sustainers of the universe and redeemers of the devotee in pariticular. They are beautiful ornaments for the ears of the fair damsel in the form of Bakti (Devotion) and stand as the spolets sun and moon for the good of the world . They are like the taste and the gratifying quality of nectar in the form emancipation, and are supporters of the globe like the divince Tortosie* and the serpent-god Sesa. Again, they are like bees for the beautiful louts in the shape of the devotee's mind and are the very like of Hari (Sri Krsna) and Haladhara (Balarama, who wieled a plough as a weapon) for Yasoda (Their forster-mother, the wife of Nanda) in the shape of the tongue.

Lo! the two letters (and) forming part of the name of Raghuvara (the Chief of the Raghu) crown all the letters of the Alphabet , the one spreading like an umbrella and the other resting as a crest-jewel , O Tulasidasa.

The name and the object named, though similar in significance, are allied as master and servant one to the other . (That is to say, even though there is complete identity between God and His name, the former closely follows the latter even as a servant follows his master. The Lord appears in person at the very mention of His Name ). Name snf form are the two attributes of God; both of them are ineffable and beginningless and can be rightly understood only by means of good intelligence . It is presumptuous on one's party to declare as to which is superior or inferior. Hearing the distinctive merits of both , pious souls will judge for themselves. Forms are found to be subordinate to the name ; without the name you cannot come to the knowledge of a form. Typical forms cannot be identified even if they be in your hand, without knowing their flashes on the name is remembered even without seeing the form the latter flashes on the mind with a special liking for it . The myatery of name and form is a tale which cannot be told; though delightful to comprehend, it cannot be described in words. Between the unqualified Absolute and qualified Divinity, the Name is a good intermediary; it is a clever interpreter revealing the truth of both.