Balakanda - Doha 41 to 50

Doha - 41

The story of Bharata, which wards off all calamities is a congregational muttering of sacred formulae carried on at the river bank; while the references to the corruptions of the Kali age and to the evil propensities of wicked sould represent the scum on water as well as the herons and crows living by the riverside.

The river of Sri Rama 's glory is delightful during all the six seasons; it exceedingly charming and holy at all times. The wedding of Goddess Paevati (the daughter of Himavan) with Lord Siva represents Hemanta or the cold season while the festivel connected with Lord Siva represents Hemanta or the cold season while the festival connected with the Lord 's advent represents the delightful Sisira or chilly season. The story of the preparations for Sri Rama 's wedding contisutes the vernal season* (the king of all seasons) , which abounds in joy and felicity ; while Sri Rama's desparture for theforest constitutes the oppressive hot weather and the tale of His wanderings represents the blazing sun and hot winds The teritble blessing to the paddy crop in the form or gods; while the prosperity attending Sri Rama 's reign, His politeness and glory represent the cloudles , delightful and charming autumn. The recital of the virtues of Sita, the crest-jewel of faithful wives , constitutes the excellence of the transparent and incomparable water. And Bharata 's amiabilliy represents its coolness, which is uniform at all times and beyond description.

The way the brothers look at one another, talk with one another meet and love one another, their mirth and their ideal brotherliness-these consitute the sweetness and fragrance of the water.

My intense longing,supplication and humillity represent the not inaconsiderable lightness of this pure and holy water. This marvellous water heals by the mere hearing quenches the thirst of desire and washes the dirt of the mind This water nourishes true love for Sri Rama and drives away all the sins of the Kali age as well as the feeling of self-depreciation resulting thereform. It relieves the fatigue of transmigration, gratifies gratification itself and puts an end to sin , sorrow, indigence and error. It wipes out lust. anger ,pride and infatuation and enhances pure wisdom and dispassion. By reverently bathing in it and drinking from it all traces of sin and remorse are obliterated from the heart . Those who have not washed their heart with this water are wretches that have been duped by age of Kali These creatures, wandering in pursuit of sensuous plasures, will come to grief even as a thirsty deer runs after a mirage mistaking it for real water and returns disappointed.

Having enumerated the virtues of this excellent water to the best of this intellectual capacity and bathed his mind in it, and remembering Goddess Bhavani (Parvati) and Lord Sankara, the poet (Tulasidasa) narrates the beautiful story. Installing in, my heart the lotus feet of the Lord of raghus and thus securing His grace ,I now proceed to relate the charming story of the meeting of the two great sages (Yajnavalkya-and Bharadvaja).

The sage Bharadvaja lives in prayaga; he is extremely devoted to the feet of Sri Rama. A great ascetic and an embodiment of self -restraint, composure of mind and compassion , he is hightly advanced on the spiritual path . In the month of Magha, when the sun enters the sign of Capricorn , everyone visits the chilf of holy places, prayaga. Troops of gods and demons Kinnaras (demigods) and men, all devoutly bathe in the triple stream of the Gana, Yamuna and Sarasvati. They worship the lotus feet of God Vindumadhava (the presiding delity of prayaga); and the touch of the immortal banyan tree sends a thrill into their limbs. That holiest of holy places. At daybreak they all perform their ablutions with religious fervour and then converse together on the virtues of Sri Hari.

They discuss the nature of Brahma (theSupreme Eternal),the precepts of religion and the classification of fundamental entities and expatiate on Devotion to the Lord coupled with spiritual enlightenment and dispassion,

In this way they bathe for the whole month of Magha and then return each to his hermitage. There is a great rejocing every year and having performed their ablutions while the sun stays in Capricorn the hosts of sages disperse. Having barthday on one occasion for the whole period of the sun 's stay in Capricorn when all the great sages had left for their hermitages, Bharadvaja clasped by the feet and detained the supremely wise saint Yajnavalky. He reverently washed the latter's lotus feet and installed him on a most sacred seat. And extolling his fair renown with religious ceremony , Bharadvaja spoke in mild and reverential tones, A grave doubt haunts ceremony, Bharadvaja spoke in mild and reverential tones, A grave doubt hsunts my mind , holy sir! and the whole mystery of the Vedas stands revealed to you . I am afraid and ashamed to utter the doubt; and I lose a great opportunity if keep it back.

The saints lay down the rule , and the Vedas as well as the puranas and sages too loudly proclam, that pure wisdom cannot dawn in the heart, should one keep anything concealed from one's spiritual preceptor".

Remembering this I disclose my folly; dispel it , taking pity on this servant, my lord ! The saints as well as the puranas and the Upanisads too declare that the potency of the name 'Rama' is unlimited , The immortal Lord Siva, who is the fountain of joy and a storehouse of wisdom and goodness, incessantly repeats It. There are four broad divisions of living beings in the world ; such of them as die in the holy city four broad divisions of living beings in the world; such of them as die in the holy city of Kasi (Varanasi) attain to the highest state. The too marks the glory of Sri Rama's Name , O chief of sages; for it is this very Name that Lord Siva mercifully imparts to the dying soul in Kasi . I ask you, my lord , who that Rama is; pray explan to me , O storehouse of compassion One such Rama is the prince of Ayodhya whose exploits are known throughout the world . Infinite was his sorrow due to loss of his wife; and flying into rage he slew Ravana in battle'.

Is it this very, Rama , my lord or some one else whose name the Slayer of the demon Tripura ,Siva , ever repeats? You are an embodiment of truth and omniscient; so ponder well and give me your considered reply'.

Tell me in detail my master, the story whereby my overwhelming perplexity may be overcome Yajnavalkya smillingly said , ''The glory of the Lord of Raghus is already known to you. You are a devotee of Rama in thought, world and deed; I have come to known to your ingenuity. You wish to hear an account of the hidden virtues of Rama; that is why you have questioned me as if you were quite ignorant Listen, then, with devout attention, my child , while I narrate the beautiful story of Rama. Appalling ignorance is the gigantic demon Mahisasura (so -called beause he was endowed with the form of a buffalo); while the narrative of Rama is the dread Kalika* (who made short work of the demon ). The story of Rama. is like the moonbeams that are drunk in by Cakora birad in the form of saints. A similar doubt was expressed by no less a personage than Bhavani (Goddess parvati) , and the great God Siva than expounded the matter in detail'.

I shall repeat now to the best of my lights the between Uma (Goddess Parvati) and Sambhu (Lord Siva). Hear, O sage, the time and the occasion of this dialogue; your gloom will be lified.

Once upon a time, in the age of Treta, Lord Siva called on the jar-born sage Agastya. His consort, Goddess Sati Mother of the universe, accompanied Him . The sage worshipped Him knowing Him to be the universal lord. The great sage naeeated at length the story of Rama and Lord Mahesa listened to it with extreme delight. The sage then inquired about Devotion to Hari and Sambhu discoursed on it finding in the sage a fit recipient . Thus narrating and hearing the table of Sri Rama 's virtues, the Lord of Kailasa (Siva) spent some days there. Finally ,asking leave of this sage , the Slayer of the demon Tripura, Sankara, proceeded to His home (Mount Kailasa) with Daksa 's daughter (Sati). During those very days, with a view to relieving the burden of the earth Sri Hari had descended in the line of king Raghu. Renouncing His right to the Throne at the world of His father (Dasaratha), the immortal, Lord was wandering in the Dandaka forest in the garb of an ascetic.

Lord Hara (Siva) kept pondering as He went. How can I obtain a sight of Him The Lord has bodied Himself forth secretly; and if visit Him everyone will know who He is. In Sankara 's heart there was a great tumult; Sati however, had no inkling of this secret. His mind says Tulasidasa, apprehended lest the secret might be disclosed while the temption of obtaning a sight of the Lord made His eyes wistful.

Ravana (the demon king of Lanka) had sought from Brahma the boon of dearth at the hands of a human foe; and the Lord would have the words of Brahma come true. If I do not go to meet Him , I shall ever regret it Siva pondered. but found no solution to the puzzie . The Lord was thus lost in a reverie . Meanwhile the vile Ravana (who had no less than ten heads) took with him the demon Marica , who forthwith assumed the illusory form of a deer. The fool (Ravana) carried off king Videha's daughter (Sita) by fraud; the Lord's real might was not known to him. Having killed the antelope Sri Hari returned with His brother (Laksmana); and His eyes were filled with tears when He saw the empty hermitage. The Lord of Raghus felt distressed at the loss like a mortal man, and the two brothers roamed about in the woods search of Her. He who knows neither union nor separation showed unmistakeable sings of grief born of separation.

`Exceedingly myaterious are the ways of the Lord of suppremely wise alone can comprehend them. The dull-witted in their height of folly imagine something quite diffreent.

On that very occasion Sambhu saw Rama and excessive joy of an extraordinary type welled up in His heart. He fasred His eyes on that Ocenan of Beautry ; but He did not disclose up in His indentity as He knew it was no appropriate occasion for the same. The Destroyer of Cupid Siva, passed on exclaimming Golry to the Redeemer of the universe, who is all -merciful Lord was repeatedly thrilled with joy. Siva went Sati beheld Sambhu in this state, a grave doubt arose in Her mind Sankara is a Lord of the universe Himself and deserves universal adoration; gods, men and sages all bow their head to Him. Yet He made obeisance to this princ, referring to him as the Supreme Being who is all Truth, Consciousness and Bliss. He was enraptured to be behold his beauty and felt an upsurge of emotion in His heart, which He is unable to control even to this moment !

The Supreme Eternal, which is all-pervading, unbegotten, without parts, free from desire, beyond Maya and beyond all distinction and which not even the Vedas can comprehend-can It assume the shape of a man?

Even Visnu Who takes a human from for the sake of gods, is omniscient like the Slayer of Tripura, Siva Can He wander in search of His Consort like an ignorant man- He who is a repository of knowledage the lord of Sri (the goddess of prosperity) and the slayer of demons ? The worlds of Sambhu too cannot be false. Everyone knows that He is all -wise Thus Her mind was filled with an interminable series of doibts; Her heart could not be pacified by any means . Although Bhavani (Goddes Parvati) did not open Her lips, Lord Hara, who is the inner controller of all , came to know everything. Look here, Sati ,the woman is foremost is foremost in you; youshould never harbour such a doubt in your mind . He is no other than Rama the Hero of Raghu's race My beloved Deity, whose story was sung by the jar born sage Agastya, faith in whom was the subject of the talk gave to him and whom illumined sages ever wait upon.