The Ramcharitmanas 3

by Tulsidas

  The greatest of the gods, adorned with the imprint of the Brahman’s lotus foot,

  Full of beauty, clad in yellow, lotus-eyed,

  Ever gracious and kind,

  With a bow and iron arrows in his hand, accompanied by a host of monkeys,

  Served by his brother, Lakshman,

  Worthy of worship, Janaki’s lord, the jewel of the Raghu clan,

  Mounted upon the Pushpak—Ram, I adore him.

  (1)

  The lotus feet of Kosala’s king are beautiful and soft,

  Worshipped by Brahma and Mahesh, caressed by Janaki’s lotus hands,

  And ever attended upon by the bees

  That are the hearts of those who meditate upon them.

  (2)

  Bright and lovely as the jasmine, the moon and the conch shell,

  Ambika’s lord, lotus-eyed, ever compassionate,

  Who fulfils the most cherished desires—

  Shankar, the annihilator of Anang, I worship him.

  (3)

  Only one day remained of Ram’s exile,

  And the citizens of Avadh were restless.

  Everywhere, men and women fretted and worried,

  Their bodies worn out with the grief of separation from Ram.

  (0A)

  Then auspicious omens of every kind occurred,

  And the hearts of all became glad.

  The city itself grew beautiful all around,

  As though announcing the Lord’s arrival.

  (0B)

  Kaushalya and the other queen mothers

  Were as full of joy as though

  Expecting to hear any instant

  That the Lord, with Shri and his brother, had arrived.

  (0C)

  Bharat’s right eye and arm

  Twitched again and again.

  Knowing this to be a good sign,

  He rejoiced deeply, but began to worry.

  (0D)

  The end of Ram’s exile had been the hope and support of his life. Now only a day remained,

  And his heart filled with immeasurable grief as he wondered,

  ‘Why has the Lord not returned yet?

  Has he forgotten me, thinking I am dishonest?

  Ah, blessed is Lakshman, and so fortunate,

  True lover of Ram’s lotus feet!

  The Lord knew me to be deceitful and untrue,

  Which is why he did not take me with him.

  Were the Lord to consider my actions,

  There would be no salvation for me even after countless kalpas.

  But the Lord does not consider the faults of his devotees,

  For he is the friend of the wretched, and most sweet-natured.

  I firmly believe in my heart

  That Ram will come, for the omens are favourable.

  But should my life’s breath still remain at the end of his exile,

  Who in this world would be as contemptible as me?

  While Bharat’s heart was thus drowning

  In the ocean of the grief of separation from Ram,

  The Wind’s son in the form of a Brahman

  Arrived like a boat to rescue him.

  (1A)

  Hanuman saw him seated upon a mat of kush grass,

  With his wasted frame and crown of matted hair,

  Repeating ‘Ram, Ram, Raghupati’,

  His lotus eyes streaming with tears.

  (1B)

  Seeing him, Hanuman was overcome with happiness,

  So that his body trembled, and his eyes rained tears of joy.

  His heart full of bliss,

  He spoke words that were like nectar to the ear.

  ‘He whose absence you mourn day and night,

  Unceasingly repeating his list of virtues,

  That ornament of the Raghu clan, the bestower of joy upon his devotees,

  The protector of gods and munis—he has safely returned.

  After vanquishing his enemy in battle, and with the gods singing his glory,

  The Lord is on his way with Sita and Lakshman.’

  Hearing these words, Bharat forgot all his grief,

  Like a thirsty man finding nectar.

  ‘Who are you, friend, and from where have you come,

  You who have spoken such dear words to me?’

  ‘I am the son of the Wind, a monkey,

  And my name is Hanuman, O merciful one.

  I am a servant of the benevolent Raghupati.’

  Hearing this, Bharat rose at once to meet him reverently.

  As he embraced him, he could not contain his love within his heart—

  His body trembled and his eyes overflowed with tears.

  ‘Monkey, upon seeing you, all my sorrows have disappeared,

  For today I have met my beloved Ram in you.’

  Again and again he asked of Ram’s well-being and said,

  ‘What shall I give you, dear brother, in return?

  I have thought and I find there is nothing

  In the world to equal this news you have brought.

  So, dear friend, I can never be free of my debt to you.

  Now tell me of the Lord’s doings.’

  Then Hanumant bowed his head at Bharat’s feet,

  And related to him the whole tale of Raghupati’s deeds.

  ‘Tell me, monkey,’ said Bharat, ‘does the merciful Lord

  Ever remember me as his servant?

  Does the jewel of the Raghu clan

  Ever remember me as his own servant?’

  Hearing Bharat’s meek and gentle words, the monkey

  Quivered with joy and fell at his feet.

  How can he be other than modest, supremely pure

  And an ocean of every virtue, he whose virtues

  Raghubir, the lord of all creation, moving and unmoving,

  Recites with his own lips?

  ‘You are dear as life to Ram, my lord.

  I speak the truth, dear master.’

  Bharat embraced him again and again,

  His joy more than his heart could contain.

  (2A)

  Then, bowing his head at Bharat’s feet,

  The monkey returned at once to Ram,

  And told him that all was well.

  The Lord then mounted his chariot and joyfully set forth.

  (2B)

  Rejoicing, Bharat came to Koshal’s city,

  And told his guru, Vasishtha, all the news.

  He then had it known in the palace

  That Raghurai was returning safe and well to the city.

  Upon hearing this, the queen mothers all started up in haste,

  But Bharat reassured them by telling them that the Lord was well.

  When the residents of Ayodhya heard the news,

  Men and women all rushed forth in joy.

  Women set forth with graceful gait,

  Singing as they went, and bearing golden salvers

  Laden with curd, darbh grass, gorochan, fruits, flowers

  And fresh, new sprigs of tulsi, the source of all well-being.

  All rushed out, just as they were,

  Without stopping to bring children or the old with them.

  They asked each other, ‘Brother,

  Have you seen the gracious Raghurai?’

  Knowing that the Lord was coming, the city of Avadh

  Became a treasure house of beauty.

  Pleasing breezes, cool, soft and fragrant, blew,

  And the water of the Sarju flowed clear and pure.

  Joyously, with a heart full of love,

  And accompanied by his guru, his kinsfolk

  His brother, and a crowd of Brahmans,

  Bharat went forth to meet the abode of mercy.

  (3A)

  Many of the women climbed up on to the rooftops

  To look for the chariot in the sky,

  And seeing it they began to joyfully sing

  Songs of celebration in sweet voices.

  (3B)

  The ocean that is the city of
Avadh is swelling with joy

  At the sight of the full moon that is Raghupati,

  Rising to meet him with a great uproar,

  The women its tumultuous waves.

  (3C)

  Meanwhile, Ram, the sun to the lotuses of the Raghu clan,

  Was showing the heart-enchanting city to the monkeys.

  ‘Listen, O monkey-king, king of Lanka and Angad,

  This city is holy and this land beautiful.

  Though all men praise Vaikunth—

  Which is renowned in the Vedas and known to the whole world—

  It is not as dear to me as the city of Avadh.

  Only a few are aware of this.

  This lovely city is my birthplace.

  To its north flows the sanctifying Sarju river,

  By bathing in which men, without effort,

  Find a home near me.1

  Those who live here are very dear to me.

  This city, the abode of bliss, bestows upon them a place in my heaven.’

  The monkeys all rejoiced to hear the Lord’s words,

  ‘Blessed is Avadh to be praised by Ram!’

  When the divine Lord, ocean of compassion,

  Saw all the people coming to meet him,

  He directed the chariot to land near the city.

  Pushpak then came down on the ground.

  (4A)

  Alighting, the Lord said to Pushpak,

  ‘Return now to Kuber.’

  Ordered by Ram, it went away,

  Filled with joy and sorrow both.

  (4B)

  With Bharat came all the people,

  Their bodies thin and wasted with the grief of separation from Raghubir.

  When the Lord saw Vamdev, Vasishtha and the other great munis,

  He threw down his bow and arrows upon the ground,

  And ran, he and his brother Lakshman,

  To clasp their guru’s lotus feet, their bodies trembling with joy.

  Vasishtha, chief of the sages, embraced them and asked after their well-being.

  ‘By your grace,’ they replied, ‘we are all well.’

  Ram, chief of the Raghu dynasty, and upholder of righteousness,

  Greeted all the Brahmans, bowing his head before them.

  Then Bharat clasped the Lord’s lotus feet,

  Worshipped by gods, munis, Shankar and Brahma.

  He lay prostrate upon the ground and refused to get up,

  Till Ram, the ocean of mercy, raised him by force and clasped him to his heart.

  His dark form trembled with emotion,

  And his eyes, like new-blooming lotuses, filled with tears.

  His lotus eyes streamed with tears,

  And his lovely form trembled with emotion.

  Ram, lord of the three worlds,

  Clasped his brother to his heart with deep affection.

  I have no simile or metaphor to describe

  The beauty of the Lord’s meeting with his brother.

  It was as though Love and Desire had assumed bodily form

  And met in an embrace of supreme loveliness.

  When the compassionate Lord asked of his welfare,

  Bharat could reply only with difficulty.

  Listen, Shivaa, Bharat’s joy at that moment was beyond speech or mind,

  It can only be understood by those who experience it.

  ‘Now all is well with me, O king of Koshal,

  For, knowing your servant to be in distress, you have revealed yourself.

  You took me by the hand, O abode of mercy,

  Just as I was drowning in the sea of separation from you.’

  Then the Lord joyfully

  Embraced Shatrughna and held him to his heart,

  And the two brothers, Lakshman and Bharat,

  Embraced each other with supreme love.

  (5)

  Finally, Shatrughna and Lakshman embraced each other.

  Thus ended that intolerable anguish born of separation.

  Then Bharat and his brother Shatrughna bowed their heads

  At Sita’s feet and knew supreme delight.

  The residents of the city rejoiced at the sight of the Lord,

  And all the grief and sorrow arising from his absence came to an end.

  Seeing the people impatient with love,

  The all-merciful Ram, slayer of the demon Khar, created an illusion:

  The gracious Lord appeared at once in countless forms

  And in this way met everyone in the appropriate manner.

  Raghubir looked upon them with compassion,

  And freed all the men and women of sorrow.

  In an instant the divine Lord embraced everyone,

  But Uma, no one understood this mystery.

  In this way, Ram, the abode of courtesy and goodness,

  Made everyone happy and proceeded on his way.

  Kaushalya and the other royal mothers all ran to meet him,

  Like cows that have just given birth rush to meet their calves.

  They rushed to meet him like cows that, driven by force to graze in the forest,

  Have left their new-born calves at home,

  And so hurry back to their village at the end of the day,

  Lowing, with flowing teats.

  The Lord embraced all the royal mothers with deep affection,

  And spoke many sweet words to them.

  Thus their great anguish at separation from him disappeared,

  And in its place, they found immeasurable joy and bliss.

  Sumitra hugged her son,

  Knowing his devotion to Ram’s feet.

  Kaikeyi embraced Ram,

  But felt deeply abashed.

  (6A)

  Lakshman hugged all the royal mothers,

  And rejoiced to receive their blessings.

  Though he embraced Kaikeyi again and again,

  His anger towards her would not leave him.

  (6B)

  Vaidehi met all her mothers-in-law,

  And pleased them greatly by touching their feet.

  They asked about her well-being and blessed her,

  ‘May your state of wedded joy last forever!’

  All the royal mothers gazed at Raghupati’s lotus face,

  But knowing it to be a happy occasion, they checked the tears that rose in their eyes.

  They performed arti with golden salvers,

  And gazed again and again at the Lord’s divine person.

  They showered him with offerings of many kinds,

  Their hearts filled with supreme joy.

  Kaushalya gazed again and again at Raghubir,

  That ocean of mercy, so steadfast in battle,

  And thought to herself each time,

  ‘How did he kill the king of Lanka?

  My two boys are so tender and delicate,

  And the demon warriors strong and mighty!’

  Their mother gazed at the Lord

  With Lakshman and Sita—

  Her heart filled with supreme joy,

  And her body trembled with love.

  (7)

  Vibhishan, king of Lanka, Sugriv, king of the monkeys, Nal, Nil,

  Jamvant, the courteous and handsome Angad,

  And Hanuman and all the other brave monkeys,

  Took on beautiful human forms.

  With great love and reverence, they praised

  Bharat’s love, his courtesy, his penance and vow.

  Seeing the way of life of Ayodhya’s people,

  They praised them for their devotion to the Lord’s feet.

  Then Raghupati called all his friends and allies to him,

  And instructed them to touch the muni’s feet.

  ‘My guru Vasishtha,’ he said, ‘is revered by my whole clan,

  It is by his grace that the demons were slain in battle.’

  He turned to his guru and said, ‘These are all my friends, O muni.

  They were the rafts that took me across the ocean of war.

  The
y staked their lives for my sake,

  And are dearer to me than even Bharat.’

  Hearing the Lord’s words, all became lost in love and wonder.

  Every moment gave birth to some new joy.

  They then bowed their heads

  At Kaushalya’s feet,

  Who, delighted, gave them her blessing, saying,

  ‘You are as dear to me as Raghunath.’

  (8A)

  A rain of flowers fell from the sky

  As Ram, the source of all bliss, made his way to the palace.

  Crowds of men and women climbed on to the city’s rooftops

  To look at him.

  (8B)

  They decorated golden pitchers of many kinds

  And placed them at their doors.

  They hung out bunting and banners,

  And festooned their doorways with festive wreaths of leaves and flowers.

  All the lanes and alleys were washed with fragrant water,

  And many sacred ornamental squares were drawn, all filled in with elephant pearls.

  Every kind of preparation to bring in good fortune was made,

  And drums and kettledrums sounded joyously throughout the city.

  Everywhere, women scattered offerings for good fortune in his path,

  Calling blessings upon him with hearts full of joy.

  Young women with golden arti salvers

  Sang auspicious songs.

  Performing arti, they welcomed him—the remover of all distress,

  And the sun to the cluster of lotuses that is the Raghu clan.

  The Vedas, Shesh and Sharada have praised

  The city’s splendour, its wealth and magnificence.

  But even they were overwhelmed at the spectacle.

  So how can any mortal, Uma, describe its glory?

  The city of Avadh was the lake, the women the water-lilies,

  Drooping in the sun that was their grief at separation from Raghupati.

  But now that sun had set, and the lilies bloomed again

  At the sight of the full moon that was Ram.

  (9A)

  Auspicious omens of every kind occurred

  And drums of celebration sounded in the sky

  As the divine Lord moved towards the palace,

  Giving again a king to the men and women of the city.

  (9B)