Doha - 41
"Listen, dear brother: the numerous merits and demerits are all products of Maya. The greatest merit is that they should cease to exist in one's eye; to discern them is ignorance."
Chaupala
All the three brothers (Bharata, Laksmana and Satrughna) rejoiced to hear these words from the blessed lips of the Lord and their heart overflowed with love. Again and again they showed Him profund revence; there was immense joy in the heart of Hanuman in particular. The Lord of the Raghus then retired to His own palace. In this way He enacted some new sport every day. The sage Narada paid frequent visits and sang Sri Rama's holy exploits After witnessing fresh deeds every day, the sage returned to Brahma's abode and recited the whole story there. Viranci (the Creator)felt overjoyed to hear it and said, "Dear son, hymn His praises again and again" Sanaka and his three brothers extolled Narada: and though absorbed in Brahma (the Infinite), the sages forgot their Samadhi (absorption) on hearing the hymn of praise to the Lord and listened to it with reverence, supremely qualified as they were.
Doha - 42
Even those (like Sanaka and others) who are liberated though embodied and are absorbed in Brahma hear the narrative of Sri Rama even by interrupting their meditation (abstraction). Truly their must be a heart of stone, who take no delight in the stories of Sri Hari.
Chaupala
One day, invited by the Lord of the Raghus, the preceptor (Vasistha)and other leading Brahmanas and all the other citizens assembled (in the royal court). When the preceptor and the other sages and Brahmanas as well as all other gentlemen had taken their seats, the Lord who puts an end to the round of births of His devotees, addressed them in the following words;--"Listen to My words, citizens all: I am not going to say anything out of attachment for you in My heart; I do not ask you to do any thing wrong nor do I make use of My authority. Therefore, listen to Me and act accordingly if you please. He is My servant and he is dearest to Me, who obeys My command. If say anything which is wrong. brethren, be not afraid to correct Me. It is by good fortune that you have securred a human body, which--as declared by all the scriptures--is difficult even for the gods to attain. It is atabernacle suitable for spiritual endeavours gateway to liberation. He who fails to earn a good destiny hereafter even attaining it."
Doha - 43
"He reaps, torture in the other world and beats his head in remorse, wrongly attributing the blame to Time, Fate and God."
Chaupala
"Seasuous enjoyment, brethren is not the be-all and end-all human existence; even heavenly enjoyment is short-lived -and end-all of human existence; even heavenly enjoyment is short-lived and ends in sorrow. The fools who devote their mind to the pleasures of sense even after attaining human birth take poison in exchange for nectar. None will ever speak after attaining human birth take poison in exchange for nectar. None will ever speak well of him who picks up a peppercorn throwing away the philosopher's stone. This immortal soul goes round through eighty-four lakh species of life falling under four broad division. Driven by Maya (My deluding potency)and encompassed by Time, destiny, Nature and phenormenal existence, it ever drifts along. Rarely does God, who loves the Jiva wihout any self-interst, graciously bestow on it a human form, which is a veritable raft whereby it can cross the ocean of mundance exstence, with my grace for a favourable wind and a worthy preceptor for a helmsman to steer this stong bark--a combination which, though difficult to secure, has been made easily available to it."
Doha -44
"The man who, though equipped with all these resources, fails to cross the ocean of metempsychosis is ungrateful and dull-witted and meets the fate of a self-murderer."
Chaupala
"If you seek happiness here as well as hereafger, listen to My words and imprint them deeply in your heart. It it is an easy and pleasant road, brethren, that of devotion to My feet, extolled in the Puranas and Vedas. Gnosis is difficult to attain and beset with numerous obstacles. The path is rugged and there is no solid ground for the mind to rest on. Scarcely one attains it after a hard struggle; yet lacking in Devotion, the man fails to win My love. Devotion is independent and a mine of all blessings; men, however, cannot attain it except through the fellowship of saints. Saints for their part are inaccessible without a stock of merit; communion with the Lord's devotees in any case brings to an end thec cycle of births and deaths. There is only on emeritorious act in this world and no other-to adore the feet of the Brahmanas by thought, word and deed. The sages and gods are propitious to him who guilelessly serves the twice-born (the Brahmanas)"
Doha - 45
"With joined palms I lay before you all another secret doctrine: without adoring Sankara (Lord Siva)man cannot attain devotion to Me."
Chaupala
"Tell Me what paints are involved in treading the path of Devotion: it requires neither Yoga (mind-control), nor sacrifices, nor Japa (muttering of prayers), nor penance, nor fastin. A guileless disposition, a mind free from perversity and absoulute contentment with whatever may be go--this is all that is needed. If he who is called a devotee yet counts upon man, tell me, what faith does he have in Me? What use My dwelling on the subject further: I am won by the conduct of a man as depicted below, brethren. He who has no enmity or quarrel with anyone and is devoid of hope and fear--to such a man all the quarters are ever full of joy. Undertaking nothing (with an intersted motive) without home, whithout home, without pride and without sin, free from wrath, clever and wise, ever loving the company of saints and accounting the enjoyments as well as final beatitude as no more than a balde of grass, tenaciously adhering to the cult of Devotion but avoiding bigory, and giving up all sophistical reasoning--
Doha - 46
"Fond of singing and hearing My praises and devoted to My name, and free from attachment tot he world, arrogance and infatuation--the felicity that such a man enjoys is known to him alone who has become one with God, the embodiment of supreme bliess.""
Chaupala
On hearing Sri Rama's nectar-lime words all who (had assembled there)clasped the feet of the All-merciful. "Fountain of mercy! You are father and mother, proceptor and kinsman; You are dearer to us than our own life. Rama, You are our body, wealth and habitat and You are beneficent to us in everyway, relieving as You do the agony of the suppliant. None other than You could give such instruction; for even father and mother are devoted to thier own interest. You two are the only disinterested benefactors in this world--Yourself and Your servant, O Destroyer of the demons; Everyone else in this world has his own interst to serve; no one thinks of other's highest (spiritual) intersts even in a dream, O Lord" The Lord of the Raghus was delightd at heart to hear the words of all, steeped as they were in the nectar of love. On receiving the Lord's permission they returned each to his own residence, repeating on the way the Lord's charming discourse.
Doha - 47
Uma, (continues Lord Siva,) the people of Ayodhya, bothe men and women, were the very picture of blessendness: for the Lord of the Raghus, who was none other than Brahma, the embodiment of truth, intellingence and bliess, ruled there as king.
Chaupala
One day sages vasista called at the palace where the charming and all-blissful Sri Rama was. The Lord of the Raghus received him with great reverence, laved his feet and sipped the water into which they had been washed. "Listen, rama:" said the sage with joined palms, "I make my huymble submission, O Ocean of mercy. Even as I watch Your doings infinite bewilderment possesses my soul. Your immeasurable greatness is beyond the knowldge of the Vedas; how can I describe it, O Almighty Lord? The vocation of a familypriest is very low: the Vedas, Puranas and the Smrti texts equally denounce it. When I would not accept it, Brahma (my father) said to me, "It will redound to your benefit hereafter, my son: Brahma Itself, the supreme Spirit, will appear in human sembllace as a king, the ornament of Rghu's race."
Doha - 48
"Then I thought to myself, (though this very office) I shall attain to Him who is the object of Yogic practices, performance of sacrifices, religious vows and charity. Thus there can be no other vocation like this."
Chaupala
"Japa(muttering of prayers), austere penance, religious observances, Yogic practices, the performance of one's allotted duties, the various pious acts recommended by the Vedas, th cultivation of spiritual enlightenemtn, compassion, self-control, bathing in sacred waters and whatever enlightement, compassion, self-control, bathing in sacred waters and whatever other sacred practices have been advocated by the Vedas and holy men and the recitation and hearing of various Tantra texts, Vedas and Puranas have only one reward, my nay, all spiritual endeavours lead to the same glorious end, viz., unceasing devotion to Your lotus feet. Can dirt be removed by cleasing with dirt? Can anyone obtain butter by churing water? Even so, except by cleasing with the water of loving devotion, O Lord of the Raghus, the impurity accumulated within can never be washed away. He alone is all-wise, he the knower of Truth and he alone learned; he alone is an abode of virtues and possessed of uninterrupted and immediate perception; nay, he is cleaver and endowed with all auspicious attributes, who is devoted to Your lotus-feet."
Doha - 49
"My lord, I would ask one boon; grant it in Your mercy, Rama. may my love Your lotus-feet, O Lord, never flag in the course of my future births."
Chaupala
So saying, the sage Vasistha returned home. The All-merciful was highly pleased with him in His heart of hearts. Sri Rama. the delight of His servants, took with Him Hanuman as well as Bharata and His other two brothers (Laksmana and Satrughna) and the benign Lord then went outside the city and ordered elephants, chariots and horses to be immediately brought before Him. Regarding them with knidness He praised them all and distributed them among the people giving each what on edeserved and what one wished to have. The Lord, who is the reliever of all fatigue, Himself felt tired and retired to a cool mango grove, where Bharata spread his own scarf and the Lord took His seat thereon with all His brothers in attendance. The son of the wind-god tears. (Says Siva,) There is no on so service, O daughter of the mountain-king have been repeatedly extolled by the Lord with His mouth.
Doha - 50
At that time came Narada lute in hand, and began to sing Sri Rama's sweet renown, which always has a fresh charm about it.
Chaupala
"Regard me, O lotus-eyed Lord, O Reliever of anxiety, with a benignant look. Dark of hue as the blue lotus, O Hari, Your are as it were a bee an enjoying the honey of the lotus heart of Lord Siva (the Destroyer of Cupid), shattering the might of the demon hosts, You bring delight to saints and sages and wipe out sins. Beneficent to the Brahmanas as a mass of fresh clounds to a thirsy crop. You are the refuge of the helpless and the befriender of the afflicted. By the might of Your arm You have crushed Earth's enormous burden and ingeniously killed the demons Khara, Dusana and Viradha. Hail, all-blissful Slayer of Ravana, noblest of kings, a moon to the lily-like lion of King Dasaratha. yur fair renown is familiar to the Puranas, vedas and Tantras and is sung in the congregations of gods, sages and saints. Crushing false pride in Your mercy You are clever in every way, O Jewel of the city of Ayodhya. Your very name wipes out the impurities of the Kali age and destroys worldly attachment. Pray, protect the suppliant, O lord of Tulasidasa.""