The Ramcharitmanas 1

by Tulsidas

  ‘Never again, Lord,

  May your maya overwhelm me.’

  (202)

  Hari performed many childlike deeds,

  A source of great joy to his servants.

  As time passed, the four brothers

  Grew bigger, delighting those around them.

  The guru then came to perform the rite of tonsure,

  The Brahmans again received generous gifts and abundant alms.

  The four little princes ran about,

  Engaging in the most enchanting and heart-delighting deeds.

  He who is imperceptible and transcends thought, deed and word,

  That same Lord plays in Dasharath’s courtyard.

  When the king calls him to eat,

  He does not come, refusing to leave the company of other children.

  When Kaushalya goes to fetch him,

  The Lord toddles away as fast as he can.

  He whom the Vedas describe only as ‘Not this’ and of whom even Shiv can find no end

  Is chased and picked up by his mother.

  He comes, his body covered with dust,

  And the king, laughing, takes him upon his lap.

  Even as he eats, his mind is restless,

  And as soon as he gets a chance,

  He runs off again, shrieking,

  His face smeared with curd and rice.

  (203)

  His infant deeds, so innocent and charming,

  Sharada, Shesh, Shambhu and the Vedas all sing;

  Those whose hearts are not captivated by them

  Have been cheated by providence.

  When the brothers had all left their babyhood behind and grown to be young boys,

  Their guru and their father and mother invested them with the sacred threads.

  Raghurai went to his guru’s house to study

  And acquired all knowledge in a very short time.

  That Hari, whose very breath is the four Vedas,

  Should have to study is cause for merriment indeed!

  Accomplished in scholarship, perfect in humility, virtue and good conduct,

  They played at being kings.

  With bow and arrows in their hands, they were exceedingly handsome.

  Seeing their beauty, all creatures, animate and inanimate, were captivated,

  Along whichever road or path the four brothers passed,

  All men and women stopped to stare at them, enraptured.

  To the people of Ayodhya,

  Men and woman, old and young,

  Compassionate and merciful Ram

  Was dearer than their own life’s breath.

  (204)

  Calling his brothers and friends to him and taking them along,

  Ram would go every day to the forest to hunt.

  He would kill only the deer he knew to be most perfect and pure,

  And each day bring and show them to the king.

  The deer slain by Ram’s arrows

  Gave up their bodies and entered the abode of the gods.

  Ram took his meals with his younger brothers and his friends,

  And lived in accordance with the commands of his mother and father.

  Whatever would make the people of the city happy,

  He, the compassionate Lord, would so contrive.

  He would listen to the Vedas and the Puranas with attention

  And himself recite and explain them to his younger brothers.

  Arising at dawn, Raghunath

  Would bow his head to his mother and his father and his guru

  And obtaining their permission would busy himself with the affairs of the city.

  The king, seeing his way of life, rejoiced.

  All-pervading, indivisible, without desire, uncreated,

  Without attributes, name or form—

  For the sake of his devotees he performed

  Incomparable and marvellous deeds of many kinds.

  (205)

  I have sung of all these deeds,

  Now listen with attention to the next part of the tale.

  Vishvamitra, the great and learned muni,

  Lived in the forest, knowing it to be a sacred place.

  Here the muni spent his time in prayer, meditation and the performance of sacrifices.

  But he was greatly afraid of the demons Marich and Subahu—

  Seeing a fire-sacrifice, the night-wandering demons would attack at once,

  And disturb and desecrate it, which would distress the muni.

  Gadhi’s sonlxix was filled with anxiety,

  ‘Without Hari’s help, these wicked night-wanderers cannot be killed.’

  Then the great muni reflected,

  ‘The Lord has descended to relieve the earth of her burdens;

  Let me use this as an excuse to go into his presence

  And humbly ask to bring back the two brothers Ram and Lakshman.

  The Lord who is the abode of knowledge, detachment and all virtues—

  Upon that Lord I will feast my eyes, filling my gaze with his image.’

  Yearning for the Lord in manifold ways,

  He left at once and did not delay on the journey.

  After bathing in the waters of the Sarayu,

  He went to the king’s court.

  (206)

  When the king heard of the muni’s arrival,

  He went to receive him, taking with him a company of Brahmans.

  Prostrating himself before him, he did obeisance to the muni,

  And seated him upon his own throne.

  Reverently washing his feet, he paid him deep homage—

  ‘There is none today as fortunate as I.’

  He served him with many kinds of foods

  That greatly pleased the muni.

  He then placed his four sons at the muni’s feet.

  Seeing Ram, the great sage was overwhelmed,

  And lost himself in the radiant beauty of his face,

  Like a chakor enraptured by the full moon.

  The king, rejoicing in his heart, said,

  ‘O muni, you have never favoured me thus before.

  What is it that brings you here?

  Tell me, so that I may do what you require without delay.’

  ‘Hosts of demons trouble and harass me,

  So I come to you, king, to ask of you a favour—

  Give me Raghunath and his younger brother

  To slay the night-wandering demons and protect me.

  Give them, king, with a glad heart,

  Abandon attachment and ignorance.

  Honour and fame will come to you, sire,

  And to them, great good fortune.’

  (207)

  When the king heard these most unwelcome words,

  His heart trembled and the radiance of his countenance dimmed.

  ‘In my old age, I have begotten four sons—

  O Brahman, you have uttered these words without due reflection.

  Ask me for land, cows, wealth, or treasure,

  And I will give you everything I possess this very moment with great joy.

  Nothing is more precious than one’s body and one’s life—

  Even these, O muni, I will give in the blink of an eye.

  But all my sons are as dear to me as life,

  And Ram, I cannot ever give him up, sire.

  The demons of the night are fierce and cruel—

  And my beautiful sons are so young and tender!’

  Hearing the king’s words steeped in love,

  The wise muni rejoiced in his heart.

  Then Vasishtha reassured the king in many ways,

  And dispelled his doubts and fears.

  With great affection he called his two sons,

  And clasping them to his heart, he gave them much advice.

  ‘My two sons, lord, are my life,

  But now, muni, you and you alone are their father.’

  The king handed his sons over to the rishi,

  Blessing them again and again.
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br />   The Lord then went to his mother’s palace,

  And after bowing his head at her feet, departed.

  (208A)

  Lions amongst men, the two heroes set off joyfully

  To rid the muni of his fear—

  Oceans of compassion, resolute and of steadfast mind,

  The Creators of the whole world.

  (208B)

  Ram’s eyes are as bright as the dawn, he is broad-chested, with long arms,

  His body is dark-hued as a blue lotus or a tamal tree,

  Around his waist is fastened a yellow cloth and a beautiful quiver,

  And in his two hands, he holds a handsome bow and arrows.

  One dark, the other fair-complexioned, the two brothers were handsome and pleasing.

  In them Vishvamitra had acquired every virtue and good quality—

  ‘I can see that the Lord favours Brahmans,

  For upon my request the Supreme God has left his own father.’

  Along the way, the muni pointed out the destruction of the forest on either side—

  Hearing them, Taraka rushed out at them in rage.

  With a single arrow Hari took her life,

  But recognizing her as one in distress, bestowed upon her his own divine state.

  Then the rishi, acknowledging Ram as his Lord

  And though knowing him to be the repository of all knowledge, gave to him such knowledge

  As protected him from hunger and thirst,

  And endowed him with unequalled bodily strength and glowing power.

  Bestowing upon him every kind of weapon,

  He brought the Lord to his own hermitage.

  There, with great devotion, he served him a meal of tubers, roots, and fruits

  Recognizing in him his benefactor.

  (209)

  At dawn, Raghurai said to the muni,

  ‘Go perform your fire-sacrifice without fear.’

  At this, all the munis began to prepare the sacrifice,

  While Ram himself remained to guard the offerings.

  Hearing this, the night-wandering demon Marich,

  Enemy of sages, rushed in with his troops.

  Ram shot him with a blunt arrow,

  That threw him across the ocean seven yojans wide.

  He then slew the Rakshasa Subahu with an arrow of fire,

  And his younger brother destroyed the army of night-wandering demons.

  Thus, by killing the demons, he rendered the twice-born free of fear,

  And hosts of gods and munis sang hymns of praise to him.

  There, for a few days more, Raghurai

  Remained and graced the Brahmans with his presence.

  Devoutly, the Brahmans related to him many stories from the Puranas,

  Even though the Lord already knew them.

  Then the muni said with great respect,

  ‘There is to be held a ceremony, Lord, that you should come and see.’

  Hearing of the ceremony of the bow, the lord of the Raghu clan

  Gladly went with the great muni.

  Along the way, an ashram came into sight—

  Neither birds, nor deer, nor any animals or living creatures were near it.

  The Lord, seeing a strange slab of stone, asked the muni about it,

  And the muni related to him the whole extraordinary tale.

  ‘Gautam’s wife, Ahalya, under the influence of a curse,

  Was turned into an unmoving block of stone.

  She longs for the dust of your lotus feet—

  Have mercy on her, Raghubir.’

  (210)

  Touched by his holy feet that destroy all sorrow,

  Ahalya appeared, penance personified.

  Beholding Raghunayak, who gives joy to the faithful,

  She stood before him with folded hands—

  Overcome by love, her body trembling with joy,

  She could find no words to say.

  She of great good fortune fell at his feet,

  With tears streaming from her eyes.

  Steadying her heart, she recognized the Lord—

  Her faith was renewed by Raghupati’s grace.

  In words pure and free of guile, she began praising him,

  ‘Hail, Raghurai, attainable through wisdom!

  I am an impure woman, Lord, and you, who are Ravan’s foe,

  Purify the whole world and bestow bliss upon the faithful.

  O lotus-eyed one, who destroys the fear of this existence,

  Save me, save me, I come to you seeking shelter.

  The muni, in cursing me, has done me great good,

  I take it as the greatest favour,

  For I can look upon Hari who frees us from this existence, and fill my eyes with his image,

  The ultimate blessing, as Shankar knows.

  I have only one request, Lord, simple as I am,

  And do not ask any other boon—

  May the bee of my heart always sip

  The nectar of love from the pollen of your lotus feet.

  The feet from which springs the most holy and sacred river Ganga

  Which Shiv bears upon his head,

  Those same lotus feet which eternal Brahma adores—

  The compassionate Hari has placed them upon my head.’

  In this way, falling again and again at Hari’s feet,

  Gautam’s wife departed—

  Having obtained the boon most pleasing to her heart,

  She left for her husband’s abode full of bliss.

  Such is Lord Hari, friend of the humble,

  Who is compassionate without cause.

  O Tulsidas, you blockhead, abandon deceit and worldly entanglements

  And worship him alone!

  (211)

  Ram and Lakshman went on their way with the muni

  To where flowed the world-purifying Ganga.

  Vishvamitra, Gadhi’s son, related the story

  Of the manner in which the divine river had descended to earth.68

  Then the Lord bathed in the Ganga with the rishis,

  And the Brahmans, gods of the earth, received many gifts.

  Joyfully he continued on his way, accompanied by the company of munis,

  And quickly drew near Videha’s capital, Mithila.

  When Ram beheld the city’s pleasing splendour,

  He and his younger brother were delighted.

  There were many ponds, wells, streams and rivers,

  With water as sweet as nectar and jewelled steps of precious stones.

  Bees, drunk on nectar, softly hummed

  And many-coloured birds sweetly called;

  Wildflowers of many tints and hues bloomed in the woods

  And cool, soft and fragrant breezes pleased and soothed.

  Flower gardens, orchards and woods,

  Home to innumerable birds

  And full of flowers and fruit and fresh green leaves,

  Adorned the city on all four sides.

  (212)

  The beauty of this city cannot be described,

  And wherever one goes within it, the heart is captivated.

  Its splendid markets had handsome pavilions studded with jewels

  As gorgeous as though Brahma had decorated them with his own hand.

  Rich merchants, all prominent men and as wealthy as Kuber himself,

  Sat displaying goods and merchandise of various kinds.

  The handsome market squares lined with shops and the pretty lanes and alleyways

  Were constantly sprinkled with fragrant water.

  The houses were all prosperous and pleasing,

  Brightly painted in many colours as though Rati’s lord himself had been the painter.

  The men and women of the city were all handsome, true and of saintly dispositions

  As well as virtuous, learned and accomplished.

  As for King Janak’s incomparable residence—

  The lavish grandeur of that palace was such that even the gods were astounded by
it.

  The mind was overcome with awe, looking at its ramparts,

  Which seemed to hold within them the splendour of all the worlds.

  A dazzling white palace hung with curtains of gold,

  Embroidered with jewels in varied designs—

  It was the beautiful palace where Sita lived—

  How can its splendour be described?

  (213)

  At its majestic gates, all with adamantine doors,

  Thronged vassal princes, tumblers, dancers, jugglers, bards and minstrels.

  There stood vast stables,

  At all times crowded with a confusion of horses, elephants and chariots.

  The many champion warriors, ministers and army chiefs

  All had mansions of a style and splendour similar to the king’s palace.

  Outside the city, by lakes and streams, and all about,

  Were encamped a great many kings and princes.

  Seeing a beautiful mango grove

  That was safe and pleasant and in every way agreeable,

  Muni Kaushiklxx remarked, ‘I like this place,

  Let us stay here, O wise Raghubir.’

  ‘Very well, lord,’ replied Ram, the abode of compassion,

  And made camp there with the company of munis.

  ‘The great Muni Vishvamitra has come!’—

  The news soon reached the king of Mithila.

  Taking with him his honest and loyal ministers,

  Several warriors and noble Brahmans, his guru Shatanand and his kinsmen,

  The delighted king went forth

  To meet the king of munis.

  (214)

  The king paid him homage, placing his forehead on the sage’s feet.

  The great muni, pleased, gave him his blessings.

  The king then reverently saluted all the company of Brahmans,

  Joyfully recognizing his great good fortune.

  Asking after his well-being again and again

  Vishvamitra led the king to a seat.

  Just then the two brothers,

  Who had gone to see the flower garden, arrived.

  One dark, the other fair-complexioned, the two young boys of tender years,

  Delighted all eyes and stole the hearts of the whole world.

  All stood up when Raghupati came,

  And Vishvamitra seated him by his side.

  Everyone was charmed and delighted upon seeing the two brothers—

  Their eyes filled with tears, and they trembled with joy.