by Tulsidas
This is the nature of even ordinary kings—
And know that the king of Koshal is their crown, the jewel upon the crest!
Ram is pleased by love unalloyed.
But who in the world is more dull and poor of intellect than I?
Yet, even this foolish devotee’s passionate love,
Ram, the merciful, entertains—
He, who made rocks and stones into seaworthy ships,
And turned bears and monkeys into wise counsellors.
(28A)
I have become a byword because of my devotion, and everyone says
That Ram has to endure this joke—
That a master like Sita’s Lord has
A servant like Tulsidas!
(28B)
Very great is my presumption, very great my error—
Hearing of my crime, even hell wrinkled its nose in disgust;
Knowing this, I am afraid of my own fear,
But Ram has given my presumption no thought even in dream.
The Lord listened, observed and examined it with a careful eye
And then praised my devotion and my thoughts—
Though they may be ruined in the telling, they are true within,
And Ram is pleased knowing what is in his servant’s heart.
The Lord does not dwell upon the mistakes of his followers,
Instead, he considers a hundred times the intentions of their hearts.
The crime for which Ram, like a hunter, killed Baali—
Sukanth then committed the same offence,
As did Vibhishan the same misdeed;
But Ram did not hold this against them even in dream.35
Rather, he honoured them at his meeting with Bharat,
And praised and commended them in his royal court.
The Lord sat under the tree, the monkeys in the boughs above him,
And he made them equal to him.
Tulsi says that nowhere is there
A master as gracious as Ram.
(29A)
O Ram, your goodness
Is good for everyone,
And, if this be forever true,
It is good for Tulsi too.
(29B)
In this manner, relating my virtues and faults,
And once again bowing my head to all,
I relate Raghubar’s unblemished glory,
Hearing which the filth of Kaliyug is destroyed.
(29C)
The charming story that the sage Jagbalik
Related to the great sage Bharadvaj—
I relate here that same story at length.
Now listen to it, all good people, and rejoice in it.
Shambhu composed this pleasant tale of Ram’s deeds
And then graciously related it to Uma.
Shiv gave the very same tale to Kak Bhushundi,
Knowing him to be a devotee of Ram, and therefore worthy of hearing it.
From him Jagbalik received the tale,
And recited it to Bharadvaj.
These listeners and reciters are of equal virtue,
With equal insight and understanding of Hari’s playful exploits.
Their wisdom comprehends all the three phases of Time, the past, the present and the future,
As plainly as an amla fruit placed on the palm of the hand;
Other wise and intelligent devotees of Hari too
Relate, hear and understand this story in diverse ways.
I heard the story from my guru
At Sukarkhet,
But I did not understand it then because
I was just a boy and quite stupid and unaware.
(30A)
The listeners and reciters of the mysteries of Ram’s story
Are repositories of wisdom—
So how could I, a blockhead and an ignorant fool entrapped
In the iniquities of the age of Kali understand it?
(30B)
Even so, my guru repeated the story again and again,
Till at last I understood it to the extent of my ability;
The same story, I shall now tell in the spoken tongue
So that my heart be awakened to understanding.
With whatever little intelligence and understanding that I have,
I will relate it—with a heart inspired by Hari.
The story that I have to tell vanquishes my doubts, delusions and misconceptions,
And is the boat across the river of this existence.
The story of Ram brings peace to the wise, and delight to everyone,
And destroys the impurities of the age of Kali—
His story is the peacock that kills the serpent that is the Kaliyug,
And the fire stick that kindles the flames of discernment and understanding.
The story of Ram is the wish-yielding cow, Kamdhenu, of the age of Kali;
For the good, it is the life-giving Sanjivani root.
It is a veritable river of nectar upon Earth,
And, the destroyer of fear, it is like the hooded cobra to the toads and frogs of doubt and misapprehension.
It is a veritable Girinandini,xxxiii destroying hell as she annihilated
An army of demons for the benefit of the saints and the gods.
Conceived in the community of sages, it is like the goddess Ramaaxxxiv who was born of the ocean,
And, steady and immovable like the Earth, it carries the weight of the whole world, and forgives it.
Like the sacred river Jamuna, it blackens the faces of the messengers of Jam, the god of death,36
And like the holy city of Kashi, it gives liberation from this existence.
It is as dear to Ram as the sacred tulsi,
And for Tulsidas, it is like his own mother, Hulsi, who holds his well-being in her heart.37
It is as beloved of Shiv as Mount Mekal’s daughter, the holy river Narmada,
The accumulation of all success, well-being and wealth,
And to noble virtues, it is as nurturing as the mother goddess Aditi to the gods.
It is the culmination of love and devotion to Raghubar.
The story of Ram is the River Mandakini,
The mind is the beautiful Chitrakut, says Tulsi,
And love is the pleasing forest
Wherein disport Sita and Ram.
(31)
The legend of Ram is the beautiful wish-fulfilling jewel, Chintamani,
The auspicious ornament that adorns the woman that is the wisdom of the saints and sages.
The sum of Ram’s virtues is the bliss of the world,
It is the giver of liberation, riches, virtue and ultimate salvation.
The best, most excellent teacher of wisdom, detachment and spiritual contemplation,
Like the Ashvin twins, the physicians of the gods, it heals the dreadful disease that is this existence.
From it is born devotion to Sita and Ram,
And it is the seed from which springs all faith and holy vows and practices.
It is the destroyer of sin, anguish, distress and sorrow,
Our beloved protector in the next world and this;
It is the learned and distinguished minister to the monarch that is good judgment
And as the rishi Kumbhajxxxv to the boundless ocean of greed.
The exploits of Ram are the young lions in the forest of the people’s minds,
That kill the herd of wild elephants of lust, anger and the filth of Kaliyug;
They are the honoured and beloved guests of Purari,
And the wish-fulfilling, rain-bringing clouds that put out the forest fire of poverty and wretchedness.
They are like protective incantations and talismans against the venomous snake of worldly enjoyment;
They erase the deep and cruel lines of fate upon the forehead,
And destroy the darkness of ignorance like the rays of the sun;
They are the clouds that nourish and nurture the paddy fields that are his devotees.
Ram’s deeds are like the Kalpataru in granting that which is wished for;
Easily accessible to all devotees and granting peace and bliss, they are like Hari and Har;
They are like the stars in the clear autumn sky of the poet’s mind,
And for the devotees of Ram, they are like the riches of life itself.
They are like the abundant enjoyment of the rewards of all good actions,
And like holy men in their sincere and guileless benevolence towards the world.
They are like swans on the Manas lake of the devotee’s heart,
And like the waves on the purifying stream of the River Ganga.
The evil ways, wrong thinking and misdemeanours prevalent in the age of Kali,
The deceit and deception, hypocrisy and false pride, blasphemy and false doctrine—
The sum of Ram’s virtues is a conflagration that destroys these
As a great fire consumes dry wood and kindling.
(32A)
The exploits of Ram are like the beams of the full moon
Giving peace to all,
But they are especially beneficial to good men who are like the water lily that blooms in the moonlight,
And whose hearts are like the chakor that draws nourishment only from moonbeams.
(32B)
The questions that Bhavani asked him,
And the manner and detail in which Shankar answered her—
All of that I will now sing in verse
In a unique and pleasing composition.
Those who have not already heard this tale—
Let them not be astonished by it.
Wise men who hear this sublime and extraordinary story,
Are not surprised by it knowing that
There is no measure of the stories of Ram in this world.
They know with certainty
That Ram has descended to this earth in many forms,
And that the Ramayana, with its hundred crore verses, is boundless.
The deeds of Hari have charmed and entranced across different ages and in many ways,
And have been sung and recited in many forms by many munis and sages.
So hold no doubt or mistrust in your hearts,
But listen with reverence and love.
Ram is infinite, infinite are his virtues,
And immeasurable is the breadth of his story—
So they, whose thoughts are pure and who are given to reflection,
Will not be surprised by anything they hear.
(33)
Banishing all doubt in this manner,
And placing upon my head the dust of my guru’s lotus feet,
I again salute everyone with folded hands
So that no blame may attach to the recitation of my tale.
With reverence now I bow my head to Shiv
And recount the glorious story of Ram’s virtues.
In Samvat sixteen hundred and thirty one,38
I commence this tale, my head at Hari’s feet.
On Tuesday, the ninth day of the sweet spring month of Chait,
In the city of Avadh this story shed its radiance—
The day, the Vedas say, of Ram’s birth,
When the fruit of all pilgrimages is attained here,
When demons, Nagas, birds, men, munis and gods
All come here to adore Raghunayak,
When good people celebrate the great festival of Ram’s birth
And sing in sweet tones of his fame and glory.
Great multitudes of the good and the pious bathe
In the purifying waters of the sacred Sarju river;
They repeat the name of Ram as they meditate upon him,
Holding the image of his dark and beautiful form in their hearts.
(34)
The mere sight and touch of this sacred river, or just bathing in it, or drinking its waters,
Destroys sin, say the Vedas and Puranas;
Its waters are pure and clean, and even Sharada, with her clear mind and shining intelligence,
Cannot describe its immeasurable glory.
This pleasing city of Avadh, which was Ram’s home, grants ultimate salvation through him;
Celebrated in all the worlds, it is the most holy and purifying.
The living beings in this world, generated by four modes of birth, are countless in number—
Those who give up their bodies in Avadh, never again enter the cycle of rebirth.
Knowing this city to be pleasing to the heart in every way,
Bestowing all success, and a treasure-house of bliss,
I begin composing here this sacred story,
Which will destroy all lust, pride and deceit in those who hear it.
It is called Ramcharitmanas, ‘The Sacred Manas Lake of Ram’s Exploits’,
And listening to it, the hearer finds peace and rest.
The mind is an elephant caught in a burning forest of sensuality and lust—
It finds rescue and relief by plunging into this lake.
Ramcharitmanas is the delight of the munis;
Composed by Shambhu, it is pleasing and purifying.
It subdues the three kinds of sin, sorrow and poverty,39
And destroys the misdemeanours, impurities and evil of the age of Kali.
Mahesh composed it and kept it within his heart,
Till, finding an auspicious moment, he told it to his wife, Shivaa—
That is why, having seen it within his own heart, and rejoicing in it,
Har gave it the excellent name of Ramcharitmanas.
It is that same delightful and pleasing story that I relate here—
Listen to it with reverence, good people, giving it all your attention.
The Manas, what it is like, how it came to be,
And how its fame spread across the world—
I will now relate these circumstances,
Remembering Uma and Brishketu.xxxvi
(35)
Inspiration, by Shambhu’s grace, gladdened the mind
Of Tulsi, the poet of this Ramcharitmanas.
He has made his composition as pleasing to the heart as his wit allows—
Listen to it carefully, good people, improving and correcting it.
Wisdom and intellect are the land, and within it the heart a deep place,
The Vedas and Puranas are the ocean, and the sages the clouds
That rain down the pure water of Ram’s fame and glory
In sweet, heart-delighting and bliss-yielding showers.
Their detailed narration of his wondrous acts when in embodied form
Is the purity of this rainwater, destroying dirt and filth,
While love and devotion that defy description,
Are its sweetness and refreshing coolness.
This rain is beneficial for the paddy fields of good actions,
And is life itself for Ram’s devotees.
This purifying water falls upon the earth of intelligence and understanding,
And collecting, flows through the pleasing channels of the ears
To fill the beautiful lake of the heart and become still—
It remains there a long time, tranquil, cool, sweet and pleasing.
The four exceedingly wondrous and excellent conversations,
That have been contrived in wisdom and composed with reflection,
Are the four heart-enchanting ghats
Of this sacred, purifying and pleasing lake.
(36)
The seven books that make up this work are its charming flights of stairs
Which, when seen with the eyes of wisdom, delight the mind.
Raghupati’s majesty is formless, unqualified, unbounded—
Which, when narrated, is the fathomless depth of its clear water.
The glory of Ram and Sita is its nectar-like water,
The similes are the heart-captivating playfulness of its waves,
The elegant chaupais are its densely-growing waterlilies,
And the poetic devices, lustrous shells bearing precious pearls.
The lyrical chhands, sorthas and elegant dohas40
Are pleasing clusters of many-coloured lotuses,
While incomparable meaning, pleasing emotions and elegant language
Are their pollen, honey and fragrance.
The multitude of good actions is the softly buzzing swarm of black bees,
Wisdom, detachment and thoughtful reflection are the swans,
While allusion, wordplay, and the various verse forms
Are the many kinds of enchanting fish.
The four ends of existence—wealth, virtue, pleasure and the freedom from rebirth,
The considered and thoughtful reflections on spiritual and worldly knowledge,
The nine poetic sentiments, the repetition of his name, and the many references to penance, spiritual contemplation and detachment from the world—
All these are the water creatures in this beautiful lake.
The songs in praise of the pious, the good, and Ram’s name—
These are like rare and wonderful waterbirds.
The assembly of saints and holy men is the mango grove that surrounds this lake,
While their faith and belief may be compared to spring.
The many and diverse explanations of devotion,
Forgiveness, compassion and temperance are a canopy of vines and creepers;
Equanimity, self-restraint, and religious vows are flowers, wisdom their fruit,
And love for Hari’s feet, the juice of these fruits—so it has been said in the Vedas.
And all the many other stories and anecdotes in this tale—
They are the parrots, the koels and birds of many hues.
The pleasure and delight derived from this tale are as a garden, grove, or wood
Where birds of happiness sport and play;
The heart is the gardener who waters it with tears of love
From his beautiful eyes.
(37)
Those who recite this account of his exploits with care
Are the alert and watchful guardians of this lake;
And the men and women who forever listen to it with reverence
Are noble gods, rightful masters of this Manas.
The base and evil, interested only in the sensual and the worldly, are like storks and crows,
Unfortunates who do not go near this lake,
For here there are no snails, frogs or water-scum