The Ramcharitmanas 2

by Tulsidas

  Wise and true, and the upholder of righteousness.

  Who but you is capable at this time

  Of resolving this dilemma?’

  (291)

  Hearing the muni’s words, Janak was overcome with love

  And his wisdom and detachment left him.

  Weak with love, he thought to himself,

  ‘In coming here, I have not done well.

  King Dasharath told Ram to go to the forest,

  And then gave the ultimate proof of his love for his dear son.

  But I will now send him from this forest into another,

  And return rejoicing and praising my wisdom!’

  The ascetics, munis and Brahmans heard and saw all this,

  And overpowered by love, grew deeply troubled.

  Considering the moment, the king composed himself,

  And went, with his retinue, to see Bharat.

  Bharat advanced to receive him,

  And offered him the best seat that circumstances allowed.

  ‘Bharat, dear son,’ said the king of Terahuti,

  ‘You know well Raghubir’s nature.

  Ram is true to his word and devoted to his duty,

  And is kind and affectionate to all.

  Constrained by consideration for others, he endures all problems.

  So whatever your command, now let him be told.’

  (292)

  Hearing this, Bharat’s whole body trembled and his eyes filled with tears.

  Gathering all his courage, he said,

  ‘Lord, you are as beloved and revered as our father,

  And our family guru is even more a well-wisher than mother or father.

  And gathered here are Muni Kaushik and other sages, ministers and councillors,

  And today, you yourself, ocean of wisdom, are here.

  I am your son and servant, obedient to your commands—

  Know me as such and tell me what to do, master.

  In this assembly and in this holy place you question me—

  If I stay silent, I will be a sinner, and if I speak, a madman.

  Even so, insignificant though I am, I speak of important matters—

  Forgive me, sire, knowing that providence is against me.

  It is renowned in the Vedas, Shastras and Puranas,

  And the world knows that the dharma of service is difficult.

  Serving a master conflicts with self-interest,

  Enmity is blind, and love unwise.

  So, keeping in mind Ram’s wish, dharma and sacred promise

  And knowing me to be his servant,

  Do as all desire and for the good of all,

  Recognizing their love.’

  (293)

  Hearing Bharat’s words and seeing his conduct,

  The king and all the assembly began to praise him.

  Simple yet profound, soft and sweet, yet resolute and firm,

  His speech was vast in its meaning, though his words were few.

  As the reflection of one’s own face in the mirror cannot be grasped,

  Though the mirror be held in one’s hands—such was the mystery of his extraordinary speech.

  Then the king, with Bharat, Vasishtha and the assembly

  Went to Ram who delights the gods as the moon does the lilies.

  Hearing what had happened, the people all grew restless with worry,

  Like fish made uneasy by the season’s first rain.

  As for the gods, first they saw Vasishtha’s state,

  Then Videh’s extraordinary love,

  And then beheld Bharat, so full of devotion to Ram—

  And the self-interested gods were dismayed and lost heart.

  Seeing everyone filled with love for Ram,

  They were overcome by inconceivable anxiety.

  ‘Ram is ruled by love and humility,’

  Cried the worried king of the gods.

  ‘We must together devise some scheme,

  Or else all will be undone!’

  (294)

  The gods invoked Sharada and, singing her praises, said,

  ‘Goddess, we gods seek refuge in you, protect us!

  Through the use of your maya, alter Bharat’s mind,

  And protect the race of immortals by spreading over them the cool shade of deception.’

  When the wise goddess heard the gods’ appeal,

  She realized that their selfishness had made them dull, and replied,

  ‘You ask me to alter Bharat’s mind!

  Your thousand eyes cannot see Sumeru!

  The maya of Vidhi, Hari and Har is exceedingly potent,

  But even that cannot see into Bharat’s mind—

  And that is the mind you ask me to bewilder?

  Can moonlight steal away the flaming sun?

  Bharat’s heart is the abode of Sita and Ram—

  Can darkness remain there, where shines the sun’s light?’

  Saying this, Sharada returned to Brahma’s realm,

  Leaving the gods as distraught as kok birds in the night.

  The gods, self-seeking and black of heart,

  Plotted together and devised an evil plan.

  Weaving a mighty net of delusion and deceit,

  They spread fear, confusion, sadness and worry.

  (295)

  Having done his evil deed, the king of gods began to think,

  ‘Our purpose, its success or failure, is all in Bharat’s hands!’

  As Janak and the others came up to Raghunath,

  The light of the solar dynasty received them all with honour.

  In keeping with the occasion, the gathering and dharma,

  Vasishtha, priest of the Raghu dynasty, spoke,

  Relating the conversation between Janak and Bharat,

  And Bharat’s beautiful speech.

  ‘Ram, dear son, whatever order you give,

  Everyone will obey—that is my opinion.’

  At this Raghunath folded his hands,

  And spoke words that were truthful, simple and sweet.

  ‘In your presence and that of the king of Mithila,

  For me to speak will be in every way inappropriate.

  Whatever you and the king command,

  I swear by you, all of us will honour.’

  Hearing Ram’s vow, the muni, King Janak,

  And all the assembly were disconcerted.

  They all looked at Bharat’s face,

  Unable to reply.

  (296)

  When Bharat saw the assembly so overcome by awe,

  Ram’s brother gathered all his courage,

  And, knowing it to be the wrong time, controlled his love

  As the jar-born sage Agastya had stopped the rising Vindhya mountains.58

  Grief, like Kanakalochan, stole the earth of their intellect,

  But from the womb of Bharat’s spotless perfections

  Sprang forth the mighty boar of discernment,

  And effortlessly delivered it that instant.59

  With folded hands, Bharat bowed to everyone,

  And humbly addressed Ram, the king, the guru and the sages.

  ‘Forgive my very unbecoming behaviour today,

  As with tender lips I speak harsh words.’

  He invoked gracious Sharada in his heart,

  And she came from the Manas lake of his heart to grace his lotus mouth.

  Shining with pure wisdom, piety and righteousness,

  Bharat’s speech was a beautiful swan.

  Seeing with the eyes of wisdom

  An assembly made feeble with love,

  Bharat bowed to them all and spoke,

  Invoking Sita and Raghuraj.

  (297)

  ‘Lord, you are father, mother, friend, guru and master,

  The one I revere, my greatest benefactor, knower of my heart.

  Simple and sincere, a gracious master, the abode of goodness,

  Protector of the weak, all-knowing and wise,

  All-powerful benefactor o
f those who seek refuge,

  You appreciate virtue and destroy vice and sin.

  Lord, amongst all masters, you are like you alone,

  And in my hostility to my master, I am like myself alone.

  In delusion’s grip, pushing aside your command and our father’s,

  I came here bringing with me a crowd of men and women.

  In this world there is good and bad, high and low,

  Amrit and immortality, poison and death,

  But I have never heard and nowhere seen

  One who goes against Ram’s command, even in thought.

  Yet, though that is what I have done in every way,

  You, Lord, have taken my effrontery as love and service.

  In your grace and goodness, master,

  You have favoured me

  So that my faults have become like ornaments

  And my bright fame has spread in all directions.

  (298)

  Your ways, your gracious speech and your greatness

  Are known throughout the world and sung in the Vedas and Shastras.

  The cruel, the crooked, the vile, the evil-minded, the disgraced,

  The base, the ill-natured, the godless and the unscrupulous—

  If you hear that they have come to you for refuge

  And have made but one obeisance, you take them as your own.

  You see their faults but never take them to heart,

  And hearing of their virtues, you praise them in the assembly of holy men.

  What other master is so gracious to his servant

  That he himself provides him with every necessity

  And does not, even in a dream, reflect upon his own gracious actions,

  But is always concerned in his heart about embarrassment to his servant?

  There is no other lord like you—

  So I solemnly declare with arms upraised.

  Beasts may dance and parrots cleverly repeat a lesson,

  But their skills depend upon their dancing-master and teacher.

  By thus ever reforming your servants and treating them with honour,

  You make them the crowning jewels of holy men.

  Who else but you, compassionate one,

  So persistently maintains his own great reputation?

  (299)

  Out of grief, love, or mere childishness

  I came here, in defiance of your royal command.

  Yet, compassionate Lord, looking within yourself,

  You think only well of me in every way.

  I behold your feet, root of all well-being,

  And know you, master, as innately benevolent to me.

  In this vast gathering, I see my good fortune—

  That despite my great error, my master loves me.

  You have filled every part of me with kindness and mercy,

  Compassionate Lord, more than I ever deserved,

  And you have loved and cherished me, master,

  In your natural benevolence and goodness.

  Lord, I have been utterly presumptuous,

  Discarding all deference to my master and this assembly,

  Speaking as I have pleased, rudely or humbly.

  Forgive me, divine Lord, knowing my deep distress.

  But it is a great fault to say too much

  To a loving, wise and gracious master.

  So now, Lord, give me your command,

  For you have fulfilled all my wishes.

  (300)

  I swear by the dust of my Lord’s lotus feet,

  The glorious pinnacle of truth, good deeds and happiness,

  And by that oath declare my heart’s desire,

  Whether awake, asleep, or dreaming—

  Service to my master with love that is pure and true,

  Relinquishing self-interest, deceit and life’s four rewards.

  There is no service like obedience to a gracious master,

  And so, Lord, let your servant receive this favour.’

  Saying this, Bharat was utterly overcome by love.

  His body trembled and his eyes filled with tears,

  And deeply agitated, he clasped the Lord’s lotus feet—

  That moment and that love cannot be described.

  The ocean of mercy honoured him with gracious words,

  And, taking his hand, seated him at his side.

  Hearing Bharat’s humble entreaty and seeing his noble nature,

  The gathering and Raghurao grew weak with love.

  Raghurao grew weak with love, as did the gathering of holy men,

  Muni Vasishtha, and the king of Mithila,

  And in their hearts, all praised the glorious greatness

  Of Bharat’s devotion and love for his brother.

  Even the gods praised Bharat, though their hearts were anxious,

  And rained down flowers.

  Hearing Bharat’s words, says Tulsi, all the people were deeply troubled—

  And shrank into themselves like lotuses upon the coming of night.

  Seeing every man and woman in both royal parties

  Miserable and wretched,

  Black-hearted Maghvanxv still sought his own well-being

  By slaying those already dead.

  (301)

  The king of the gods is the very extreme of deceit and villainy,

  To him is dear another’s loss and his own gain.

  Pakripu’sxvi ways are like those of a crow—

  Crafty, malicious, trusting no one.

  First he made a vicious plot, then gathering together deceit,

  Heaped worry and apprehension on everyone’s head.

  His divine maya deluded all the people,

  But they never wavered in their love for Ram.

  In the grip of fear and anxiety, their minds were unsteady—

  One moment they yearned for the forest, one moment for their homes.

  The people were distressed by this dilemma, their state of mind as turbulent

  As the water where a river meets the sea.

  In two minds, they could not find peace or comfort anywhere,

  Nor did they tell each other their secret thoughts.

  Seeing their state, the abode of compassion smiled to himself and said,

  ‘A dog, Maghvan, and a youth are all the same!’

  Except for Bharat, Janak, the munis,

  The ministers and the enlightened sadhus,

  Everyone, according to their predisposition,

  Was affected by Indra’s divine maya.

  (302)

  The ocean of compassion saw his people in distress

  Due to their love for him and Indra’s powerful trickery.

  The assembly, king, guru, Brahmans, ministers—

  The minds of all were spellbound by Bharat’s devotion.

  Still as painted figures, they gazed upon Ram,

  Diffidently uttering words they seemed to have learnt by rote.

  Bharat’s love, courtesy, humility and greatness

  Are pleasing to hear, but difficult to describe.

  Observing the smallest particle of his devotion,

  The sages and Mithila’s king became immersed in love,

  So how, then, can Tulsi describe his majesty?

  His devotion and nobility cause sublime thoughts to spring up in the poet’s heart.

  But realizing the smallness of its own thoughts, and the immensity of Bharat’s glory,

  The poet’s mind hesitates, mindful of the dignity of all poets.

  Enraptured by his perfections, yet unable to describe them,

  The state of the poet’s mind is like a child’s inarticulate speech.

  Bharat’s spotless fame is the unblemished moon,

  And the poet’s mind, a young chakori,

  Gazing unblinking upon it as it rises

  In the clear sky of a devotee’s heart.

  (303)

  Even the Vedas do not understand Bharat’s noble nature,

  So poets, forgive the falteri
ng of my meagre intellect.

  Telling and hearing of Bharat’s true and faithful nature,

  Who does not become enamoured of the feet of Sita and Ram?

  If love for Ram is still not easily attained

  Even by remembering Bharat, one is most unfortunate!

  Seeing everyone’s state, and the condition of his servant’s heart,

  Compassionate and all-wise Ram,

  Steadfast upholder of dharma, resolute, adept in statecraft,

  Ocean of truth, love, goodness and bliss—

  Having considered place, time, circumstance and those gathered there,

  Raghuraj, protector of love and righteousness,

  Spoke words that arose from the depths of his heart,

  Beneficial in their result and like the moon’s nectar to hear.

  ‘Dear brother, Bharat, you are the upholder of duty and righteousness,

  Learned in custom and the Vedas, and wise in love.

  In your purity of action, word and thought,

  You, brother, are like you alone.

  Yet, in this assembly of our elders, and in these adverse times,

  How may a younger brother’s virtues be told?

  (304)

  You know, dear brother, the customs of the solar line,

  The renown and love of our father, who was ever true to his word,

  The gravity of this occasion, the dignity of this assembly and of our revered elders,

  And the hearts of our friends, our enemies and those who are neutral.

  You alone know the imperative duty of all,

  And the dharma that is best for you and me.

  I have complete faith in you,

  Yet, given these circumstances, I speak.

  Dear brother, in the absence of our father, our interests

  Are protected by the grace of our family guru.

  Otherwise, with our subjects, household and family,

  We would all have been ruined.

  If the sun, lord of day, should set before it is time,

  Tell me, who in this world would not suffer?

  Providence has caused just such a calamity, dearest brother,

  But the muni and Mithila’s king have saved us all.

  All the affairs of state, our honour, name, virtue,

  Land, wealth and houses,

  All will be protected by our guru’s authority,

  And all will be well in the end.