The Ramcharitmanas 2

by Tulsidas

  Steeped in anguish, love, humility and justice,

  The whole assembly grew bewildered and was plunged into grief,

  Like a cluster of lotuses blighted by frost.

  Then, by relating many ancient tales and legends,

  The wise and learned muni comforted Bharat,

  And Raghunandan, moon to the lilies of the sun’s dynasty,

  Spoke words that were fitting and right.

  ‘Dear brother, you distress your heart in vain,

  For know that your soul is subject to the ways of God.

  In my opinion, in all time, past, present and future, and in all the three spheres,

  All the most virtuous and righteous souls are less than you.

  To accuse you of treachery even in one’s heart,

  Would bring ruin in this world and the next.

  Those who blame your mother are fools

  Who have never served their guru or the good.

  All sin and delusion, and the whole burden

  Of misfortune will be destroyed,

  And glory in this world and bliss in the next attained

  By the mere recollection of your name.

  (263)

  By my nature, I speak the truth, and with Shiv as my witness, I say,

  Bharat, this earth continues in your guardianship.

  Dear brother, do not needlessly blame yourself,

  For even upon trying, enmity and love cannot be concealed.

  Birds and beasts venture close to munis,

  But seeing fowlers and huntsmen, they flee.

  Even animals and birds know friend from foe,

  And man is the abode of virtue and wisdom!

  Dear brother, I know you well,

  But what can I do? There is great confusion in my heart.

  The king, to keep his promise, abandoned me,

  And to keep his vow of love, discarded his body.

  To disregard his word would grieve my heart,

  But even more than that, I bow to you.

  Moreover, our guru has given me his command—

  So, whatever you say, I want most certainly to do.

  Therefore, with a happy heart and casting away this diffidence,

  Speak out, and I will do what you wish this very day.’

  Hearing this speech of Raghubar’s, who is ever truthful to his word,

  The gathering grew glad.

  (264)

  But Indra and the other gods grew afraid,

  And worried, ‘Now all our plans will be undone.’

  They could think of no scheme or stratagem,

  So they all turned to Ram in their hearts.

  Then they reflected and said to each other,

  ‘Raghupati is always won over by a devotee’s devotion.’

  Remembering Ambarish and Durvasa,

  The gods and their king became utterly disheartened.

  The gods had endured great distress for many ages,

  Until Prahlad had caused Narharixiii to become manifest.

  Beating their heads, they whispered in each other’s ears,

  ‘This time, the work of the gods is in Bharat’s hands—

  There is no other solution in sight, divine ones.

  Ram acknowledges service done to his faithful servants,

  So, with hearts full of love, let us all invoke Bharat,

  Who has won over Ram by his virtue and goodness.’

  Hearing the decision of the gods, their guru, Brihaspati, declared,

  ‘This is well done and great is your good fortune,

  For the root of all well-being in this world

  Is devotion to Bharat’s feet.

  (265)

  Service of a servant of Sita’s lord

  Is as good as a hundred Kamadhenus.

  Now that devotion to Bharat has entered your hearts,

  Abandon worry, for fate has now accomplished your purpose.

  Behold, lord of the gods, Bharat’s power and influence—

  The lord of the Raghus is utterly subject to his sincere and guileless nature.

  Make still your minds, gods, and do not fear,

  Knowing Bharat to be Ram’s shadow.’

  Hearing the fears of the gods and the advice of their guru,

  The Lord, who pervades all hearts, grew anxious.

  Bharat, believing the whole burden to be on his head,

  Pondered countless ways and means in his mind.

  After much thought he came to the conclusion

  That it was in obeying Ram’s will that his own happiness lay.

  ‘He will break his own vow to fulfil mine—

  So great is his kindness and love.

  Great and immeasurable grace

  Has Sita’s lord shown me in every way.’

  Bowing low, and folding his lotus hands,

  Bharat spoke.

  (266)

  ‘Now, what more can I say or have others say for me, Lord?

  You are an ocean of compassion and pervade all hearts.

  My guru is pleased, my master well-disposed towards me,

  So the imagined anguish of my troubled mind has disappeared.

  My fears were unfounded, my anxiety baseless—

  It is not the sun’s fault, Lord, if one loses one’s way.

  My ill-fortune, my mother’s wickedness,

  The tortuous ways of providence, the cruelty of fate,

  All came together vowing to destroy me.

  But you, protector of suppliants, upheld your vow and protected me.

  This is not a new or novel way for you to act—

  It is well known in the world and in the Vedas, and no secret!

  If the world is hostile, and you, master, alone are favourable,

  Tell me, by whose grace but yours can one’s good be achieved?

  Your nature, divine Lord, is like the celestial Kalpataru,

  Always favourable, and never hostile to anyone.

  When one approaches that tree, recognizing it as such,

  Its shade alone destroys all sorrow,

  And everyone in this world, whether prince or pauper, good or bad,

  Receives his heart’s desire merely upon asking.

  (267)

  Seeing my guru and my master to be loving in every way,

  My anxiety has vanished, my mind freed from doubt.

  Now, ocean of compassion, do that by which

  You have no worry in your heart, Lord, over this lowly servant.

  A servant who would constrain his master,

  Desiring only his own good, is mean-minded and worthless.

  A servant’s good lies in his master’s service,

  Laying aside all pleasures and wants.

  Your return is in the interest of all, master,

  But in doing your will, lie countless kinds of good,

  For it is the essence of all truth, mundane and sublime,

  The fruit of all good actions, and adorns even salvation.

  Divine Lord, listen to this one prayer of mine,

  And then do whatever may be right—

  I have brought everything that is needed for your consecration—

  Let it all be properly used, Lord, if you are agreeable.

  Send me with our younger brother, Shatrughna, to the forest,

  And returning to Avadh, give the people their king and protector,

  Or send back both our brothers, master,

  And let me accompany you.

  (268)

  Or else, let us three brothers go to the forest,

  While you, Raghurai, return home with Sita.

  Whatever, Lord, may please your heart,

  Ocean of compassion, do only that.

  Divine Lord, you have placed the whole burden on me,

  Though I have no political wisdom, or know the right course of conduct.

  All that I say is motivated by self-interest,

  For the mind of one in anguish lacks discernment.

  The servant who hears
his master’s orders but answers him back,

  Is a sight that even shame is ashamed to look upon.

  Such am I, a bottomless ocean of sin,

  Though my master, from his love for me, praises me as good.

  Now, compassionate Lord, I am happy with the plan

  That will not constrain my master’s heart in any way.

  By my Lord’s feet I swear and sincerely declare

  The only way to ensure the world’s well-being—

  Whatever order our Lord, with a pleased heart

  And without hesitation, may give anyone,

  We must all fully and reverently obey,

  And all this injustice and turmoil will end.’

  (269)

  Hearing Bharat’s pure speech, the gods rejoiced

  And praising his goodness, they rained down flowers.

  The residents of Avadh were overwhelmed by uncertainty,

  Though the ascetics and other forest-dwellers were delighted.

  Hesitant, Raghunath himself remained silent,

  And seeing the Lord’s state, the gathering grew anxious.

  At that very moment messengers from Janak arrived,

  And Muni Vasishtha, hearing of their arrival, sent for them at once.

  Saluting reverently, they looked at Ram,

  And seeing his attire, grew deeply sorrowful.

  The noble muni asked the messengers,

  ‘Tell me, is all well with Videha’s king?’

  At this they grew abashed, and bowed their heads to the ground,

  Then folding their hands, the royal messengers replied,

  ‘Your courteous inquiry, master,

  Is itself a reason for well-being, sire,

  For otherwise, all our happiness left,

  Along with the king of Koshal,

  Who has left the whole world orphaned,

  Especially Mithila and Avadh.

  (270)

  Hearing of the king of Koshal’s death, the residents of Janak’s city

  All became demented with overwhelming grief.

  Anyone who saw Videh at that time,

  Would not think his name to be true.53

  When the lord of men heard of the queen’s evil,

  He could make no sense of it and was as bewildered as a serpent bereft of its jewel.

  Bharat to be king, and Raghubar exiled to the forest!

  The news plunged Mithila’s king into deep distress.

  The king asked his council of wise men and ministers,

  “Think carefully and tell me—what is the right course of action now?”

  Considering the state of turmoil in Avadh and in doubt about both actions,

  No one could say whether he should stay or go.

  The king then composed himself and after deep reflection,

  Sent four clever spies to Avadh, instructing them thus:

  “Find out if Bharat is well-disposed or hostile,

  And come back quickly, without being recognized.”

  The spies went to Avadh, ascertained

  Bharat’s state and observed his actions,

  And when Bharat departed for Chitrakut,

  The four left for Terahuti.

  (271)

  The spies returned and gave an account of Bharat’s actions,

  According to their understanding, in Janak’s court.

  Hearing their report, our guru Shatanand, the king’s household, his ministers, and the king himself

  Grew distraught with love and worry.

  Then, collecting himself and praising Bharat,

  The king summoned his best warriors and army chiefs,

  Appointed sentries to guard his palace, the city and the kingdom,

  And had elephants, horses, chariots and vehicles of many kinds made ready.

  Then, determining an auspicious moment within the hour, he left without delay—

  The lord of the earth did not even rest along the way.

  At dawn this very day, he bathed at Prayag,

  And when the host began to cross the Jamuna,

  Our lord sent us on ahead to gather information.’

  Saying thus, they bowed their heads to the ground.

  Giving them an escort of six or seven Kirat men,

  The great muni immediately sent the messengers back.

  Hearing that Janak was coming,

  The whole party from Avadh was delighted.

  But Raghunandan himself felt greatly embarrassed,

  And Indra, lord of the gods, was overwhelmed with worry.

  (272)

  Perverse Kaikeyi was tormented by remorse,

  But to whom could she speak, and whom could she blame?

  Men and women rejoiced when they realized

  That they could now stay a few days longer.

  In this way, that day was spent.

  At daybreak next morning, all began their morning ablutions,

  And after bathing, the men and women performed their morning worship

  Of Ganpati, Gauri, Tripurari and Tamari.xiv

  They then paid homage to the feet of Ramaa’s lover,

  And with folded hands and outspread anchals, pleaded,

  ‘Let Ram be our king, and Janaki our queen,

  And their capital, Avadh, become the pinnacle of joy,

  Thriving and prospering with its people once again.

  Let Ram make Bharat his heir-apparent.

  Immersing all in this nectar of joy,

  God, give us all the reward of our existence in this world.

  With the help of his guru, council of ministers, and brothers,

  Let Ram rule over the city,

  And let us die in Avadh while Ram is still king!’

  Thus did everyone plead.

  (273)

  Hearing the love-filled words of the people of Ayodhya,

  Learned munis scorned their own asceticism and detachment.

  In this way, completing their daily worship, the citizens of Avadh

  Paid homage to Ram, their bodies trembling with joy.

  Of high, low and middle estate, men and women

  All obtained a sight of him, each according to their own inclination.

  He honoured them all with careful attention,

  And all praised him as the abode of compassion.

  ‘From childhood it has been said of Raghubar,

  That recognizing love, he upholds what is right.

  An ocean of goodness and restraint is Raghurao,

  With his beautiful face,54 bright eyes, and artless disposition.’

  Lovingly recounting the sum of Ram’s virtues,

  All began to praise their own good fortune,

  ‘Few in this world are as full of merit as we,

  Whom Ram recognizes and accepts as his own!’

  All were thus immersed in love,

  When they heard that the king of Mithila approached.

  The sun to the lotuses of the solar dynasty,

  Together with that whole assembly, rose in confused haste.

  (274)

  With his brothers, his minister, his guru and the people of Ayodhya,

  Raghunath went forth to receive the king.

  The moment the lord of the Janak dynasty saw Kamadgiri, that noble hill,

  He made obeisance to it and abandoned his chariot to walk.

  In their longing and eagerness to see Ram,

  No one felt even the slightest fatigue or distress from the journey.

  Their minds were with Raghubar and Vaidehi,

  And how can a body without a mind know pain or pleasure?

  Janak with his entourage approached, walking

  As if intoxicated with love.

  Seeing them draw near, all were filled with love,

  And began to reverently greet each other.

  Janak made obeisance at the feet of Vasishtha and the munis from Ayodhya,

  And Raghunandan paid homage to Shatanand and the rishis from Mithila.

  Ram and his bro
thers then greeted the king,

  And escorted him and his retinue to their hermitage.

  Their ashram was an ocean filled

  With the pure water of tranquillity,

  Into which Raghunath led

  Janak’s host, a river of tender despair.

  (275)

  The river overflowed its banks of wisdom and detachment,

  As words of grief that were its tributary streams and torrents flowed into it.

  Sighs and lamentations were the wind and waves

  That uprooted the great trees of fortitude along its shore.

  Terrible anguish was its swift current,

  And fear and delusion its countless eddies and whirlpools.

  The learned were the ferrymen, and wisdom their great boat,

  But even they could not row across it, for they could not gauge the river’s depth.

  The poor Kols and Kirats who roam the forest

  Were like wayfarers, dazed and disheartened upon seeing it,

  And when it met the ocean that was the ashram,

  It was as though that great ocean surged up in turmoil.

  Both royal retinues were distraught with grief,

  And lost all wisdom, fortitude and restraint.

  Praising the dead king’s majesty, virtue and goodness,

  They plunged into an ocean of sorrow, weeping.

  Immersed in an ocean of sorrow, deeply distraught,

  Women and men lamented in their anguish.

  All angrily blamed fate, and asked,

  ‘What has perverse providence done?’

  Gods, Siddhas, ascetics, yogis

  And munis beheld Videh’s condition,

  And, says Tulsi, not one amongst them was capable

  Of crossing that river of his love.

  Everywhere, in countless ways,

  Great munis consoled the people with wise advice,

  And Vasishtha said to Videh,

  ‘Take courage, lord of men!’

  (276)

  The sun of whose wisdom destroys the night of rebirth,

  And the bright rays of whose words make the lotuses that are the munis, bloom—

  Can delusion or attachment even come near him?

  This grief was the splendour of his love for Sita and Ram!

  Those engaged in worldly pursuits, those seeking spiritual truth, and the wise who have attained perfection—

  These are the three types of living beings in this world, say the Vedas.