Doha - 31
When the sun of Sri Rama's glory illumines the heart of an individual, the qualities enumerated in the end grow while those mentioned in the beginning die away.
Chaupala
One day. Sri Rama and his brothers, accompanied by His most favourite Hanuman, went to see a beautiful grove, where the trees were all blossoming and had put on fresh leaves. finding it a good opportunity the sage Sanaka and his three brothers (Sanandana, Sanatana and Sanatkumara)arrived there. They were all embodiments of spiritual glow, adorned with amiabilityu and other noble qualities and constantly absorbed in the escstasy of union with Brahma; though infants to all appearance, they are aeons old. The sages looked upon all with the same eye and were above all diversity; it seemed as if the four Vedas had each assumed a bodily form. they had no covering on their body except the quarters; and their only hobby was to hear the recital of Sri Rama's explits whever it was carried on. Sanka and his brothers, O Bhavani, (continues Lord Siva.) had stayed in the hermitage of the enlightened sage Agastya and the noble sage had narrated to them many a story relating to Sri Rama, which are productive of wisdom in the same way as the friction of two pieces of wood produces fire.
Doha - 32
Sri Rama saw the sages approaching and gladly prostrated Himself before them. And After enquiry about their health etc., the Lord spread His own yellow scarf for them the squat on.
Chaupala
All His three brothers (Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna) then prostrated themselves along with Hanuman and everyone felt very happy. The sages were beside themselves with rapture on beholding the incomparable beauty of Sri Rama (the Lord of the Raghus). They remained gazing with unwinking eyes on the Lord, who is the abode of comeliness and brings about release from worldly exstence and has a swarthy form and lotus-eyes. The Lord in His turn bowed His head with joined palms. When the Hero Raghu's line perceived their condition, His eyes too streamed with tears and every hair on His body stood on its end. Taking them by the hand, the Lord seated them and addresseed them in most chrming words: "Lister, great sages: I am indeed blessed today. By your very sight all one's are wiped out. By extreme good luck one is able to secure the company of saints; for through such communion the chain of births and deaths is broken without the least exertion.
Doha - 33
"Communion with sains is the road to emancipation, while that of the sensualist paves the way for transmigration: so declare the saints themselves, the men of wisdom and the learned, as well as the Vedas, Puranas and others scriptures."
Chaupala
The four sages were all rejoiced to hear the Lord's words and with every every hair on their body standing erect they proceeded to hymn His praises: "Glory to the Almighty Lord, who is infinite, immutable and sinless, who is one as well as many and all-gracious! Glory to the Lord who is beyond the modes of Prakti! Glory, glory to the Ocean of goodness, the Abode of bliss, handsome and most urbane in manners. Glory to Indira's (Lakmi's) Spouse! Glory to the Supporter of the earth, peerless, unborn and dateless, amine of elegance. A storehouse of wisdom that Your are, you are free from pride and yet bestow honour on others: the Vedas and Puranas sing Your sanctifying glory. Knower of Truth, You acknowledge the services of Your devotees and destroy their ignorance. Untainted by Maya, You bear numberless names and are yet beyond all. You are manifest as all, pervade all and dwell in the heart of all; therefore, protect us every moment. Break asunder the bonds in the form of pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold, joy and sorrow. etc.) adversity and mundane existence. and abiding in our heart, O Rama, eradicate our sensuality and vanity.
Doha - 34
"You are supreme bliss personified and the abode of mercy and fulfil the desire of Your devotees' heart. Pray, grant me the boon of unceasing love and devotion (to Your feet), O graceful Rama.
Chaupala
"Bestow on us, O Lord of the Raghus, that most sanctifyijg devotion which destroys the threefold agony and the turmoils of transmigration. A celestial cow and a wish-yielding tree to satisfy the desires of the suppliant, be propitious, my lord, and grant this boon. A veritable jar-born sage (Agastya) to suck up the ocean of mundane bestow all blessings on them. Put an end to the terrible sufferings caused by the mind and diffuse even-mindedness in us, O befriender of the meek. O banisher of hope (of gratifying oneself through self-indulgenece), fear, jealousy etc. and propagator of humility, right judgment and dispassion, crest-jewel of earthly kings, and ornament of the globe, grant us devotion to Your feet, which serves as a boat to take one across the river of mindane exstence. A swan that You are, constantly residing in the Manasa lake of the sages' mind, Your lotus feet are adored even by Brahma and Lord Sankara. Glory of Raghu's race, custodian of the Vedic laws, devourer of time, destiny, Prakrti (Primordial Nature) and the three Gunas You are both the boatman and the boat to take Your devotees across the ocean of metempsychosis and the stealer of all vices, the lord of Tulasidasa, the jewel of the three spheres."
Doha - 35
Having thus extolled the Lord agan, and again, Sanaka and his three brothers lovingly bowed their head and, having obtained their most cherished boon, returned to Brahma's abode.
Chaupala
When Sanaka and his brothers had left for Brahma's abode, the brothers (Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna) bowed their head at Sri Rama's feet; but being too modest themselves to interrogate the Lord, they all looked at the son of the wind-god. They wished to hear from the Lord's own mouth something which would eradicate all the misconception. The Lord, however, who regulates the intrnal feelings of all, camee to know everything and enquired: "Tell me, Hanuman, what is the matter?" Hanuman replied with joined palms, "Listen, O lord, commpassionate as You are to the meek, Bharata, my lord, wishes to ask somethings; but he is too diffident at heart to put the question. ""Hanuman, you know my disposition. Has there ever been any secrecy between Bharata and myself?" On hearing the Lord's words Bhrata clasped His feet. "Listen, my lord, reliever of the suppliant's agony:-
Doha - 36
"I have no doubts whatever, my lord, nor have I ever known any dejection or infatuation even in a dream. It is all due Your grace, O All-merciful and all-blissful Lord."
Chaupala
"Yet, O storehouse of compassion, I make bold to make one submission, I being Your servant and You the delight of Your devotees. The glory of the saints, O Lord of the Raghus. has been sung in various ways by the Vedas and Purans. You too have exalted them by Your own graceful mouth and my lord bears great affection for them I would fain hear, my lord, their distinctive marks, O Ocean of compassion, conspicuous as You are by Your excellences and wisdom. O protector of the suppliant, tell me clearly and severally the distinguishing traits of the good and the wicked." Hear, brother, the characteriswtics of saints, which as told in the Vedas and Puranas are innumerable. The conduct of saints and the wicked is analogous to that of sandal wood and the axe. Mark, brother: the axe cuts down a sandal-tree, while the latter in its turn perfumes the axe by imparting its virtue (fragrance)to it.
Doha - 37
"For this reason sandal-wood(in the form of paste)finds its way to the head of gods (their images)and is loved by the the world so much; while the axe has its steel edge heated in the fire and beaten with a hammer as punishment."
Chaupala
"Saints a rule have no hankering for the pleasures of sense and are the very mines of amiability and other virtues. They grieve to see others in distress and rejoice at the sight of other's They are even-minded and look upon none as their enemy. Free from vanity and passion. they are conqueres of greed, anger, joy and fear Tender of heart and compassionate to the distressed, they cherish guileles devotion to Me in thought, word and deed; and giving honour to all, they are modest themselves. Such souls, Bharata, are dear to Me as life. Having no interested motive of their own they are devoted to My Name and are abodes of tranquility, dispassion, humility and good humour. Again, know him for all time, dear brother, a genuine saint, whose heart is a home of all such noble qualities as placidity, guilelessness, friendliness and devotion to the feet of the Brahmanas, which is the fountain of all virtues. They never swerve from the control of their mind and senses, religious observances and correct behaviour and never utter a harsh word.
Doha - 38
"They who regard both obloguy and praise alike and who claim My lotus feet as their only possession--such saintly souls are dear to Me as life and are vertable abodes of noble qualities and embodiments of bliss."
Chaupala
"Now hear the characteristics of the impious, association with whom should be scrupulously avoided; for their company every brings woe, even as a wicked cow ruins by her comnpany a cow of noble breed. The heart of the wicked suffers terrible agony: for they ever burn at the sight of others' prosperity. Wherever they hear others reviled, they feel delightedas though they had stumbled upon a treasure lying on the road. Devoted to sensuality, anger, arrogance and greed, they are merciless, deceitful, crooked and impur. They bear enmity towards all without thyme or reason; nay, they behave inimically even with those who are actively kind to them. They are false in their dealings (lying is their stock-in-trade); nay, falsehood is their dinner and falsehood their breakfast (whatever they eat is intended to deveive others). they speak honeyed words just like the peacock, that has a stony heart and devours the most venomous snake.
Doha - 39
"Malevolent by nature they enjoy others' wives and others' wealth and take delight in slandering others. Such vile and sinful men are demons in human garb.
Chaupala
"Greed is their covering and greed their bedding (they wallow in greed; they are ever given up to sexual enjoyment and gluttony and have no fear of punishment in the abode of Yama (the god of death). If they ever hear anyone exalted, they heave a deep sigh as though they had an attack of ague. On the other hand, when they find anyone in distress, they rejoice as though they had attained the sovereignty of the whole world. Devoted to their own selfish interests, they antagonize neither mother not father nor preceptor nor the Brahmanas; utterly ruined themselves, they bring ruin upon others; Overcom by infatuation they bear malice to others and have no love for communion with saints nor for the stories relating to Sri Hari. Oceans of vice, dull-witted and lascivious, they revile the Vedas and usurp others' others' welth. though bearing malice to all, they are enmies of the Brahmans in particular; and full of hypicrisy and deceit at heart, they outwardly wear a saintly appearance.
Doha - 40
"Such vile and wicked men are absent in the Satya and Treta Yugas; a sprikling of them will appear in Dvapara, while multitudes of them will crop forth in the Kali age."
Chaupala
"Brothers, there is no virtue like benevolence, and no meanness like oppressihng others. I have declared to you, dear brother, the verdict of all the Vedas and Puranas; the wise also know it. They who inflict pain on others even after attaining the human body have to suffer the terrible pangs of birth and death. dominated by infatuation and devoted to their selfish interest men commit various sins and thereby ruin their prospects in the next world. figuring as Yama (the god of death) for their sake, brother, I dispense the fruit of their good and evil actions. Realizing this, those who are supremely cleaver adore Me, Knowing the cycle of births and deaths as full of pain. They renounce actions which yield good or evil results and take refuge in Me, the lord of gods, men and sages. Thus I have told you the characteristics of saints and vile men. They who have fully comprehended them are no more subjected to the proces of transmigration.