by Tulsidas
And, understanding his great power, was overcome with love.
The Creator thought to himself,
“Poets, scholars and wise men are all under the sway of delusion.
Unbounded is the power of Hari’s maya.
It has teased and troubled me many times,
Though this whole world, moving and unmoving, is of my creation.
No wonder then that it has confused the king of the birds.”
Then said Vidhi in gentle tones,
“The great god Shiv understands Ram’s power.
Vainateya, go to Shankar,
Ask no question of anyone else, my son.
All your doubts will be resolved there.”
Taking Vidhi’s advice, the bird flew on his way.
In impatient haste, the king of the birds
Then came to me.
I was on my way to Kuber’s palace at that time,
Uma, and you had stayed back here on Kailash.
(60)
He reverently bowed his head at my feet,
And then told me his doubts.
On hearing his plea and his gentle tones,
Bhavani, I lovingly said to him,
“You have approached me, Garud, on the road—
How do I instruct you here?
Doubts are fully resolved only
When one spends a long time in the company of the good
Listening to the delightful story of Hari’s doings,
That has been sung by the munis in diverse ways,
And in which—at its beginning, middle and end—
The great god Ram is discussed.
So I will send you to a place where Hari’s story
Is daily told without ceasing. Go there and listen to it, brother.
As you listen to it, all your doubts will disappear,
And you will find great love for Ram’s feet.
Hari’s tale is not heard except in the company of the good,
Without listening to it, delusion is not dispelled,
And without delusion being dispelled,
One cannot find unwavering love for Ram’s feet.
(61)
Without love, Raghupati cannot be found,
Though you practise meditation, perform penance, pursue knowledge, or seek dispassion.
In the north lies a beautiful blue mountain,
Where lives the good-natured crow, Bhushundi.
He is supremely familiar with the path to Ram’s bhakti,
As well as wise, full of good qualities and very old.
He recites Ram’s story unceasingly,
And birds of every kind listen to it with reverence.
Go there and listen to the tale of Hari’s virtues—
Your distress born of delusion will then disappear.”
After I had explained all this to him,
He bowed his head at my feet and went on his way, rejoicing.
The reason, Uma, that I did not instruct him myself,
Was because, by Ram’s grace, I had come to know his secret:
The all-compassionate Ram wished to rid him of pride,
Which he must have, on some occasion, shown.
There was also another reason I did not keep him with me—
A bird understands only another bird’s speech.
The Lord’s maya is powerful, Bhavani—
Who is so wise as not to be captivated by it?
Even Garud, the jewel of devotees and the wise,
And the vehicle of the lord of the three worlds,
Was ensnared by Hari’s maya.
And yet mere mortals are vain enough to think themselves immune!
(62A)
When even Shiv and Viranchi are taken in by it,
Of what account is any other poor creature?
The munis know this in their hearts
When they worship Maya’s Lord.
(62B)
Garud went to the abode of Bhushundi,
That bird of unfettered intellect wholly devoted to Hari.
When he saw the mountain, his heart rejoiced
And delusion, confusion and worry all disappeared.
He bathed in the lake and drank of its water,
And then went to the banyan tree, his heart full of joy.
Ancient birds of all kinds had gathered there
To listen to the beautiful story of Ram’s exploits.
Kak Bhushundi was just about to begin the tale
When Garud arrived.
Seeing the king of the birds approach,
The crow and all the gathering of birds were delighted.
Bhushundi received the king of the birds with great reverence,
And, after welcoming him and asking after his well-being, led him to a seat of honour.
Then, paying him loving homage,
The crow spoke these sweet words—
“Now I am content, O king of the birds
Now that I have seen you, my lord!
Command me, and I am ready to do as you will.
What is the reason for your visit, my king?”
(63A)
“You have ever been the image of contentment,”
Replied the king of the birds in gracious tones,
“For the great god Shiv, with his own mouth,
Has reverently sung your praises.
(63B)
The purpose for which I came, dear father,
Has already been accomplished, and I have also had the privilege of seeing you.
The moment I saw your most holy hermitage,
All my confusion, doubts and misconceptions fled.
Now, sire, narrate to me with all reverence
The most sanctifying story of Ram,
Which is ever pleasing and destroys all sorrow—
This, my lord, is what I earnestly request of you.”
Upon hearing Garud’s gentle request,
Sincere, affectionate, gracious and pious,
Bhushundi’s heart filled with great joy,
And he began to recite the story of Raghupati’s perfections.
First, Bhavani, he explained with great devotion
The aim and intention of Ram’s acts.
Then he recounted the tale of Narad’s unbounded infatuation,
And of Ravan’s descent to earth as a demon.
Then he sang of the Lord’s incarnation,
And, with great affection, his childhood exploits.
He related the exploits of the Lord as a child
With great delight in his heart,
And then told of the rishi’s coming,
And of Raghubir’s wedding.
(64)
Next, he narrated the circumstances of Ram’s investiture as heir,
Told of the king’s promise, the abrupt end to the coronation celebrations,
The grief of Ayodhya’s citizens at separation from Ram,
And repeated the conversation between Ram and Lakshman.
He told of their leaving for the forest, of the boatman’s devotion,
Their crossing of the divine Ganga, and their halt at Prayag.
He described at length the meeting of Valmiki and Ram,
And the manner in which the Lord then lived in Chitrakut.
He spoke of the minister Sumantra’s return to the city, the king’s death,
Bharat’s return and his great love for Ram,
And how, after performing the king’s last rites, Bharat
And the people went to join the Lord, abode of bliss,
And how, after Raghupati had said all he could to console him,
Bharat took his sandals back with him to the city of Avadh.
He then described Bharat’s way of life, the mischievous behaviour of Indra’s son,
And the meeting between the Lord and Atri.
He told of the slaying of Viradh,
And of how Sarabhang gave up his body.
He described Sutikshna’s devotion,
And then
the Lord’s meeting with Agastya.
(65)
He described the purification of the Dandak forest,
And the Lord’s friendship with the vulture, Jatayu.
He then spoke of how the Lord took up his abode in Panchvati,
And put an end to the fears of all the munis.
Next he spoke of the Lord’s wonderful discourse to Lakshman,
And of how Supnakha was disfigured.
He then described at length the slaying of Khar and Dushan,
And how Ravan came to know all that had happened.
The conversation between Dashkandhar and Marichi,
He then repeated as it had taken place.
Next, he described the abduction of the shadow Sita,
And a little of Lord Raghubir’s sorrow.
He then told how the Lord performed the vulture’s last rites,
Killed Kabandh and bestowed salvation upon Shabari.
Next, he described Raghubir’s grief,
And how he went to the shore of the lake.
He related the conversation between the Lord and Narad,
And the circumstances under which the Lord met Hanuman.
He then spoke of his alliance with Sugriv,
And of his taking Baali’s life.
(66A)
He told of the Lord making the monkey king,
And taking up his abode upon Mount Pravarshana.
He described the season of rains and autumn,
Ram’s wrath and Sugriv’s fear.
(66B)
How the king of the monkeys sent out monkeys,
Who ran in every direction to search for Sita;
How they entered the cave in the ground,
And then how they met Sampati;
How, after hearing all that he had seen, Hanuman
Leapt over the boundless sea;
How the monkey entered Lanka,
And how he later reassured Sita;
How he laid waste the grove, lectured Ravan himself,
Set fire to the city, and leaped over the sea again;
How all the monkeys then went to Raghurai,
And told him of Vaidehi’s well-being;
How Raghubir, with his army,
Went and made camp by the seashore;
How Vibhishan came to meet him,
And how the ocean was subdued—all this the crow related.
He spoke of how the bridge was built, and how the monkey army
Crossed the sea to the opposite side,
And how the valiant son of Baali
Went as an envoy to Ravan.
(67A)
The various battles between the demons and monkeys,
He described in much detail,
And the might and valour and ultimate destruction
Of Kumbhakaran and Meghnad.
(67B)
The killing of the Rakshasa hordes,
The battle between Raghupati and Ravan,
The death of Ravan, Mandodari’s grief,
The enthronement of Vibhishan, the relief of the gods,
Then the meeting of Sita and Raghupati,
And how the gods sang their glory with folded hands,
How after that, the all-merciful Lord ascended the Pushpak
With the monkeys and set forth for Avadh,
And then how Ram arrived at his own city—
The crow sang of all these pure and glorious acts.
He then told of Ram’s investiture as king.
He also described the city and its processes of kingly rule.
That entire story did Bhushundi tell,
Which I have told you, Bhavani.
When the king of the birds had heard the full story of Ram,
His heart filled with joy, and he said,
“All my doubts have disappeared
Upon hearing the full story of Raghupati,
And by your grace, O best of crows,
I have attained love for Ram’s feet.
(68A)
When I saw the Lord bound in battle,
I had grown utterly confused—
Ram is the sum of all bliss and knowledge,
So how could he be in distress?
(68B)
When I saw his ways so close to those of mortal man,
Great doubt arose in my heart.
Now I regard that confusion as a favour,
Which the compassionate Lord bestowed upon me in his grace.
He alone who has been maddened by the intense heat of the sun
Can understand the blessing of the shade of a tree.
So had I not become so utterly bewildered and confused,
How should I have met you, Father,
And how heard the enchanting story of Hari,
Which you have recited so wonderfully and in such detail?
The Shastras, the Vedas and the Puranas all declare,
And the Siddhas and sages agree without doubt,
That only those upon whom Ram glances with favour
Ever find the company of true saints.
By Ram’s favour, I have seen you,
And by your grace, all my doubts have disappeared.”
On hearing the words of the king of the birds,
So full of humility and love,
The crow was overcome with joy, so that
His body trembled and his eyes filled with tears.
(69A)
Uma, virtuous men, upon finding a listener
Who is intelligent, courteous,
Fond of pious tales, and a devotee of Hari,
Reveal to him hidden mysteries.
(69B)
Then replied Kak Bhushundi,
Who had no little affection for the king of the birds,
“My lord, you are in every way entitled to my respect,
As the receptacle of Raghunayak’s grace.
You had no doubts, no confusion nor illusion,
But in your grace, have done me a favour.
It was only a pretext, O king of the birds—
In sending you to me as overcome by delusion, Raghupati has done me great honour.
Yet there is nothing surprising, sire,
In that confusion of which you told me, lord of the birds.
Of Narad, Shiv, Brahma, Sanak and his brothers—
All great munis able to discourse on the essence of the soul—
Who has not been blinded by delusion,
Of whom has love not made a fool,
Who has not been maddened by desire,
And whose heart has not been consumed by wrath?
Is there any sage, ascetic, or hero,
Any poet, any learned or accomplished man
In this world
Whom greed has not mortified?
(70A)
Is there anyone whom the love of wealth has not made crooked,
Whom power has not made deaf,
Or whom the glance of a doe-eyed woman
Has not smitten like an arrow?
(70B)
Who has not been afflicted by the fever caused by the three gunas,
Or been untouched by pride and arrogance?
Whom has the fever of youth not made delirious,
And whose glory not been ruined by self-interest?
Who has not been stained by envy,
Or shaken by the fierce winds of grief?
Whom has the serpent of worry not bitten,
And who in this world is unaffected by maya?
Who is there so resolute that his body has not been wasted by longings
Like a piece of wood eaten away by insects?
Whose mind has not been sullied
By the threefold desires—for a son, for wealth and for worldly recognition?
All these make up Maya’s army,
Powerful, and infinite in number.
Even Shiv and four-faced Brahma are afraid of her legions—
So of what account are other beings?
Maya’s formidable
army
Is spread over the whole world.
Lust and its companions are its commanders,
Deception, Trickery and Hypocrisy its warriors.
(71A)
This same Maya is Raghubir’s servant maid.
Though once understood, she is seen to be a delusion,
She cannot be dispersed without Ram’s favour.
My lord, I swear to this.
(71B)
This Maya, who makes the whole world dance to her tune,
And whose doings no one can understand,
Is herself set dancing with her attendants, like a dancer with her troupe,
By the play of the Lord’s eyebrows.
Ram is the aggregation of truth, knowledge and bliss,
The uncreated, the embodiment of wisdom, the abode of strength and beauty,
The all-pervading, the permeable, the indivisible, the unending,
The complete, the supreme God of unfailing power,
Without attributes, beyond speech and the senses,
All-seeing, above reproach, invincible,
Indifferent, without form, without attachment,
Eternal, without passion, the accumulation of joy,
Transcending Nature, all-powerful, dwelling in every heart,
The actionless, passionless, imperishable Absolute.
In him, delusion can find no cause—
Can darkness ever face the sun?
For the sake of his devotees,
The divine Lord, Ram, became incarnate as a king,
And performed deeds supremely holy
In the manner of an ordinary man,
(72A)
Like some actor upon a stage,
Who assumes numerous disguises
And plays different characters,
While himself remaining the same.
(72B)
Such is Raghupati’s marvellous sport, Uragari.
It bewilders the demons and delights his devotees.
Those dull of mind, absorbed in the pleasures of the senses,
Attribute delusion to the Lord, my master,
Like as when a man whose eyesight is faulty
Says the moon is yellow in colour,
Or when one confused about the points of the compass
Declares that the sun rises in the west,
Or when a man in a boat sees the world moving,
But mistakenly believes that he is standing still.