The Ramcharitmanas 2
Page 12
And who holds dear the other devotees of Ram—
Dwell, with Vaidehi, in his heart.
He who renounces caste, community, wealth, faith and fame,
Beloved friends and comfortable home,
And lives holding you alone in his heart—
Live in his heart, Raghurai.
One for whom heaven, hell and liberation from rebirth are equal,
Who sees you everywhere, bearing bow and arrows,
Who is your servant in act, word and thought—
Ram, take up abode in his heart.
One who never desires anything,
And has innate love for you—
Abide without end in his heart,
For it is your very own home.’
(131)
In this way did the great muni show him an abode,
With words full of love that pleased Ram’s heart.
Then the muni said, ‘Listen, lord of the solar line,
I will tell you of an ashram that will be pleasant and comfortable for now.
Make your home on Mount Chitrakut,
For you will have every comfort there.
It is a charming hill with beautiful forests,
Where elephants, lions, deer and birds frolic.
Through the power of her penance, Atri’s wife
Brought there a sacred river, praised in the Puranas.
A stream of the divine Ganga, it is called Mandakini,
A witch who devours all the children of sin.22
Atri and other great munis live there,
Engaged in profound meditation and prayer, punishing their bodies through intense penance.
Go there, Ram, and make all their labour fruitful,
And bestow grandeur and dignity on that noble mountain.’
The great Muni Valmiki praised at length
The boundless glory of Mount Chitrakut,
And the two brothers with Sita
Came there and bathed in its sacred river.
(132)
Raghubar said, ‘Lakshman, this is a good ghat on the river—
So now make arrangements to stay somewhere here.’
Lakshman surveyed the north bank of the Payasvinivi river:
‘A ravine shaped like a bow runs all around it—
The river is its bowstring, the trees and branches its arrows,
And the many wild animals, all the impurities of Kaliyug.
Thus armed, Mount Chitrakut is like a resolute huntsman,
Whose aim never misses and who strikes from the front at close range.’
With these words, Lakshman showed him the site,
And Raghubar, seeing the place, was delighted.
When the gods learnt that Ram’s heart was captivated by the place,
They left for Chitrakut with their chief architect, Vishvakarma.
They all came disguised as Kols and Kirats,
And built lovely dwellings of leaves and grass.
The beauty of these two huts cannot be described—
One was charming and small, one more spacious.
With Lakshman and Janaki, the Lord,
Shone glorious in his charming abode,
Like Madan resplendent in ascetic’s garb,
Accompanied by Rati and Spring.
(133)
Gods, Nagas, Kinnaras and the guardians of the quarters of the world
Came to Chitrakut at that time.
Ram saluted them all,
And the delighted gods took their eyes’ reward.
Raining down flowers, the assembled gods declared,
‘Master, we have found a protector today!’
Humbly, they told him of their intolerable suffering,vii
Then joyfully departed for their own abodes.
Hearing the news that Raghunandan had arrived
To dwell in Chitrakut, ascetics and sages came.
When he saw the rejoicing company of sages approaching,
The moon of the Raghu dynasty prostrated himself before it.
The munis raised Raghubar and clasped him to their hearts,
Giving him their blessings for success.
Seeing the beauty of Sita, Ram and Saumitri,
They considered all their spiritual practices rewarded.
The Lord, paying due homage to the sages,
Bade them farewell,
And they, practising yogic meditation, prayer, sacrifices and penance,
Now lived freely and happily in their own ashrams.
(134)
When the Kols and the Kirats heard the news,
They were overjoyed as though the nine treasures of Kuber had come to their homes.
With leaf-cups filled to the brim with tubers, roots and fruits,
They set off eagerly, like paupers to loot gold.
Those who had already seen the two brothers,
Were questioned by the others along the way.
Telling and hearing of his goodness,
They all came and beheld Raghurai.
Placing their offerings before him, they fell at his feet,
Gazing upon the Lord with profound love.
They stood still where they were, like figures in a painting,
Bodies trembling with joy, eyes overflowing with tears.
Ram, knowing them to be overwhelmed with love,
Spoke sweet words, and honoured them all.
Paying the Lord homage again and again,
They spoke humble words, with folded hands.
‘Master, we have all found a protector,
Now that we have seen your feet, Lord.
It is our good fortune that you came here,
King of Koshal!
(135)
Fortunate are the earth, forests, roads and mountains,
Wherever you have placed your feet, Lord.
Fortunate are the birds and deer that wander in the forest,
Whose births have been fulfilled upon seeing you.
And blessed are we all, together with our families,
That we have looked upon you, filling our eyes with your presence.
You have chosen a good spot to set up your dwelling,
You will be comfortable here in all seasons.
We will serve you in every way,
Chasing away elephants, lions, snakes and tigers.
These dense forests, mountains, caves and caverns, Lord—
We have explored every step of them all.
We will take you hunting to various spots,
And show you the lakes and streams and waterfalls.
We and our families are your servants,
Lord, so do not hesitate to command us.’
He whom the Vedas cannot describe, nor the hearts of munis comprehend,
That same Lord, the abode of compassion,
Listened to the words of the Kirats
As a father to the words of his children.
(136)
It is only love that Ram holds dear—
Know this, those who wish to know.
Then Ram pleased all the forest-dwellers,
Speaking sweet words filled with love.
He bade them farewell, and they, bowing their heads, departed,
And relating and listening to the Lord’s perfections, returned home.
In this manner, the two brothers and Sita
Lived in the forest, pleasing gods and sages.
From the moment that Raghunayak came to live there,
The forest became a source of abundance and happiness.
Trees of many kinds flowered and bore fruit,
And pretty, twisting vines formed charming canopies.
As graceful and beautiful as the divine Kalpataru,
They seemed to have come there abandoning the forest of the gods.
Swarms of honeybees sweetly hummed,
While pleasing breezes, soft, cool and fragrant, blew.
Blue-throats, sweet-voiced kokils, parrots,
Chataks, ch
akwas and chakors—
Various kinds of wild birds called,
Pleasing the ear and captivating the heart.
(137)
Elephants, lions, monkeys, boars and kurang deer,
Abandoning enmity, wandered together.
Seeing Ram’s beauty as he roamed the forest, hunting,
The herds of animals felt special delight.
All the divine forests anywhere in the world,
Grew envious looking upon Ram’s forest.
The divine Ganga, the Sarasvati, the sun’s daughter Jamuna,
Mekal’s daughter Narmada, and blessed Godavari,
All the lakes and seas, and all the various streams and mighty rivers,
Praised the River Mandakini.
Udayagiri, Astagiri, Kailash,
Mandar, Meru, all the abodes of the gods,
Snow-clad Himalaya, and all the mountains that exist,
Sang the glory of Chitrakut.
The Vindhya range was delighted and could not contain its happiness23
For having achieved such great renown without effort.
‘The birds and animals of Chitrakut,
Its vines, trees and grasses,
Are all blessed and full of merit!’
So proclaimed the gods day and night.
(138)
Beholding Raghubar, those who had eyes
Received their birth’s reward and became free of sorrow.
Touching the dust of his feet, the inanimate beings rejoiced
And became entitled to the supreme state.
That forest and hill, naturally pleasing
And exceedingly auspicious, purified even the pure.
How may the glory of that place described,
Where the ocean of bliss made his home?
Renouncing the Ocean of Milk, abandoning Ayodhya,
There where Sita, Lakshman and Ram came and dwelt—
The beauty of that forest cannot be told,
Even by a hundred thousand thousand-headed serpent kings.
So how, then, can I describe it?
Can a turtle living in a pond raise up Mount Mandar?
Lakshman served Ram in act, thought and speech—
His goodness and love cannot be described.
Gazing every moment upon Sita and Ram’s feet,
Knowing their love for him,
Not even in his dreams did Lakshman miss
His brothers, mother, father and home.
(139)
With Ram, Sita lived happily,
Forgetting city, family and home.
Gazing every moment upon the moon of her beloved’s face,
She was as joyful as a young chakori.
Seeing her lord’s love for her daily increasing,
She lived in joy, like a kok in daytime.
Sita’s heart was so in love with Ram’s feet,
That the forest seemed as dear as a thousand Avadhs.
The hut of leaves was dear in the company of her dearest.
Kurang deer and birds were her beloved family,
The great munis and their wives were like her parents-in-law,
And her diet of tubers, roots and fruits was like amrit.
With her lord, a pretty mat of leaves and grass
Was as comfortable as a hundred of Kamdev’s beds.
But could she whose mere glance confers the guardianship of the celestial quarters,
Ever be deluded and enticed by sensual delights?
When, upon merely remembering Ram, his devotees discard
Worldly pleasures like blades of grass,
It is not surprising that Sita, Ram’s beloved and the world’s mother,
Gave up all comforts.
(140)
Raghunath would do and say
Whatever made Sita and Lakshman happy.
He would relate ancient legends and stories,
To which Lakshman and Sita would listen with great delight.
Whenever Ram remembered Avadh,
His eyes would fill with tears.
Thinking of his mother and father, his kinsfolk and his brothers,
Of Bharat’s love, goodness and devotion,
The compassionate Lord would grow sorrowful,
But then would take courage, reflecting that times were unpropitious.
Seeing this, Sita and Lakshman would grow distressed too,
As a man’s shadow behaves like him.
Perceiving the state of his beloved and his brother, Raghunandan,
Who is steadfast, merciful and as soothing as sandalwood paste to his devotees’ hearts,
Would begin to relate some sacred stories,
Listening to which Lakshman and Sita would find consolation.
Ram, with Lakshman and Sita,
Was as resplendent in that hut of leaves
As Basav, king of the gods, dwelling in Amarpur
With Shachi and Jayant.24
(141)
The Lord looked after Sita and Lakshman
As eyelids protect the eyes,
While Lakshman served Sita and Raghubir
As an unenlightened man indulges his own body.
In this manner, the Lord lived contentedly in the forest,
The benefactor of birds, beasts, gods and ascetics.
I have told of Ram’s lovely journey to the forest—
Now listen how Sumantra returned to Avadh.
When the Nishad chief returned after escorting the Lord,
He saw the minister with the chariot.
Beholding Sumantra distraught with grief,
The anguish that Guha felt is impossible to describe.
Crying ‘Ram! Ram! Sita! Lakshman!’
Sumantra fell to the ground, utterly overcome,
While the horses looked towards the south and whinnied,
As frantic as birds that have lost their wings.
They would neither graze, nor drink water,
Their eyes shed copious tears.
All the Nishads grew distressed,
Seeing Raghubar’s horses.
(142)
Then, composing himself, the Nishad chief said,
‘Now, Sumantra, abandon grief,
You are a learned man, one who knows the supreme truth.
So steady yourself, knowing that fate has turned its face away.’
Relating various stories in gentle tones,
He firmly took the minister to his chariot and seated him.
But, weak with grief, Sumantra could not drive it,
For separation from Raghubar was a sharp pain in his heart.
The horses reared and bucked and would not move,
As though wild beasts from the forest had been yoked to the chariot.
They would fall and stumble, or turn to look behind,
Distressed by the sharp grief of separation from Ram.
If anyone mentioned Ram, Lakshman, or Vaidehi,
They would neigh and whinny and look affectionately at him.
The state of the horses in their grief for Ram cannot be described—
They were as distraught as cobras bereft of their crest-jewels.
Seeing the minister and the horses,
The Nishad was overcome with grief.
He then summoned four of his best men,
And sent them with the charioteer.
(143)
Guha returned after seeing off the charioteer—
His grief at the parting is impossible to describe.
The Nishad men drove the chariot towards Avadh,
Though, every moment, they too were immersed in sorrow.
Sumantra, miserable and distraught with grief, thought,
‘Shame upon a life without Raghubir!
This wretched body will not survive forever,
So why did it not win glory by dying when it parted from Raghubir?
These breaths of mine have become vessels of disgrace and sin,
So why do they not just leave?
&n
bsp; Ah, my dull and stupid soul missed its chance,
And even now my heart does not break in two!’
Wringing his hands and beating his head, he lamented
Like a miser who has lost his hoard of treasure;
Or like a hero, armed for war, proclaims himself a valiant warrior,
Sets off to fight, but then flees the field of battle.
As though a Brahman, discerning and learned in the Vedas,
Respected by the virtuous and high-born,
Was tricked into drinking—
Such was the minister’s remorse.
(144)
As though a woman of good family, virtuous and wise,
Whose husband is her god in deed, thought and speech,
But who, in the grip of destiny, is forced to leave her lord—
Such was the terrible anguish that burned in the minister’s heart.
His eyes were full of tears, his sight grew dim,
His ears could not hear, his mind was distracted with grief,
And his lips and mouth had grown dry.
But his life-breath, held back by the closed doors of the term of Ram’s exile, did not depart.25
His face had lost all colour and was impossible to look upon,
As though he had killed his father and mother.
The great weariness of loss filled his heart,
He was like a sinner on his way to Jam’s domain.
He could find no words, but inwardly grieved,
‘When I reach Avadh, what will I see?
Whoever sees this empty chariot, without Ram,
Will shrink from even looking at me.
When the distraught men and women of the city,
Run to question me,
I will answer them all,
Hardening my heart like adamant.
(145)
When the sad and grieving mothers question me—
Dear God! What shall I say to them?
When Lakshman’s mother questions me,
What happy message can I give her?
When Ram’s mother comes running,
Like a cow that has just given birth thinking of her new-born calf,
And questions me, I will reply,
“They have gone into the forest—Ram, Lakshman, Vaidehi.”
Whoever questions me, I will give them this same reply—
This is the joy that will be mine when I reach Avadh.
And when the king, wretched with grief,