365betÓéÀÖ

Rama-caritabdhi-ratna of Nityananda Shastri

by Satya Vrat Shastri | 2005 | 75,230 words

This is the English translation of the Rama-caritabdhi-ratna by Pandit Nityananda Shastri. It is a distinguished Sanskrit Mahakavya (epic poem) that chronicles Lord Rama’s life in fourteen cantos, symbolic of the jewels yielded from the Milk Ocean when churned. His work showcases an extraordinary command of grammar, vocabulary, and rare poetic tech...

Appendix 1 - The jewel of the eulogy of Brahman (Sri Rama)

Warning! Page nr. 470 has not been proofread. Click the page link to verify the generated OCR text with the original PDF.

atha parisistamsah caturmukhamukhasampaditam brahma (srirama ) stavaratnam | pragekena brahmasvarupam nirupayan stauti- tat purnamekamanupadhi ca citsvarupam sad brahma nirmalamamadhyamanadyanantam | vijnanarasimavinasi - sukha- prakasi turyam dasamadhigatairviditam smarami || 1 || atha paramesvarasvarupam nirdisannaha- vande suroraganaraditanum paresam renvasma-ratna kanakadimayam yathadrim | nic pratyayo ya iva karayate karoti yam vyakrtiprakatitam pravidanti vijnah || 2 || tadeva brahmadisvarupena vivecayannaha- bhargastvameva ca caturvadanastvameva govindanama kalayan ghurat tvameva | devadhideva jagatam tritayam tvameva vande krtisthitihrtiprathitam bhavantam || 3 || 406

Warning! Page nr. 471 has not been proofread. Click the page link to verify the generated OCR text with the original PDF.

The jewel of the eulogy of Brahman (Sri Rama) At the start the author praises in one verse (the Lord) describing Him of the form of Brahman: 1. I meditate upon the existential Brahman who is one, is not qualified, is of the form of consciousness, is without blemish, with no middle, beginning and end, who is the repository of knowledge, who shines like the imperishable bliss, whom those who have attained the fourth state know (=have realized). 2. I bow to the Lord of the form of gods, reptiles and men and so on like a mountain made up of dust, stones, jewels and gold, etc., whom the wise declare to be manifesting himself (in the form of different avataras, incarnations) though having no form (vi+akrti) like the suffix nic in grammar (vyakti-grammar) which gives the sense of agent and the causal [kathayati, for instance, means both, says and makes one say]. The same the author explains to be the form of Brahma, etc.: 3. You are Siva, you are Brahma, you are Rama of the Raghu's race who carries the name of Govinda. O Lord of Lords of the worlds, the Trinity is you only. I bow to you who is known through his acts of creation, sustenance and destruction. 407

Warning! Page nr. 472 has not been proofread. Click the page link to verify the generated OCR text with the original PDF.

atha dvabhyam prakrtam ramasvarupam stauti- syantrasmitamrtarasananapurnacandram dhisindhu-marutisamasritapadapadmam | mandasmitasyamithilesasutasametam atha parisistamsah hitva bhavantamayi rama kamasraye'nyam || 4 || dhisnyam sriyam sukhasamrddhiyutam svarajyam yo'pasya bhaktajanaduhkhavinasanaya | yogyamamanyata vanasthitimapyasaukhyam nah ko'sti te saranadastamrte'tra ramam || 5 || ante niskarsakathanenoktamupasamharati- pratyaksam kila yatra tatra lasati brahmetyanakarakam coksam yascaturananah svayamabhud brahmeti sakarakah | daksairyatra vilokyate'pi ca ramaramasthavarnadvayam yatyevaisa jano'pi tatpadamamum brahmeti ramam vidan || 6 || "caturmukhamukhambhoja - rataisa ramasatpadi | ramate yasya hrtpadme sa snayad brahmaniradhau || 7 �" 408

Warning! Page nr. 473 has not been proofread. Click the page link to verify the generated OCR text with the original PDF.

4. If I do not take recourse in you, O Rama, in whom shall I do so, you whose full-moon-like face is dripping the nectar in the form of smile, whose lotus-like feet the sun of wind (Hanumat) takes recourse to, who is the ocean of wisdom (and) who is accompanied with Sita with a smiling face. 5. Who giving up for the purpose of removing the misery of his devotees his kingdom which was the abode of riches and full of happiness and prosperity, took even the stay in the forest with no comfort to be fit for him. Except for that Rama who is there who can provide refuge to us? 6. It is well-known that everywhere Brahman is formless. The same (formless) Brahman became by itself Brahma, the one with form (the four-faced one). The experts see in him the two varnas (letters) [r and m], the same one being described (varna) in the form of Rama and Rama (whose incarnation Sita is), the letters (r and m) being present in the word Brahma [brah m a]; a is included in a itself]. Knowing Rama to be Brahman this world also achieves that status. 7. He can dip in the Brahman-ocean in whose lotus-like heart these bee-like six verses sticking to the lotus-like mouth of Brahman take delight. 409

Let's grow together!

I humbly request your help to keep doing what I do best: provide the world with unbiased sources, definitions and images. Your donation direclty influences the quality and quantity of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual insight the world is exposed to.

Let's make the world a better place together!

Like what you read? Help to become even better: