Sri Rama Charita Manasa - Shri Sita Ram Foundation, USA

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BÅLA-KÅ°NœA *
23
I bow to the lotus feet of the sage (Vålm∂ki) who composed the Råmåyaƒa, which
though containing an account of the demon Khara (a cousin of Råvaƒa), is yet very soft
and charming, and though faultless, is yet full of references to Dµuaƒa (another cousin
of the demon-king Råvaƒa).* I reverence, all the four Vedas, barks as it were on the
ocean of mundane existence, which never dream of weariness in singing the untarnished
glory of ›r∂ Råma, the Chief of Raghus. I greet the dust on the feet of Brahmå (the
Creator), who has evolved the ocean of worldly existence, the birth-place of nectar, the
moon and the cow of plenty in the form of saints, on the one hand, and of poison and
wine in the form of the wicked, on the other.† Making obeisance to the feet of gods, the
Bråhmaƒas, wise men and the deities presiding over the nine planets, I pray to them with
joined palms! Be pleased to accomplish all my fair desires. (14 DóG)
øı0ó¬ÈÁŸ ’¢Œ©°U ‚Ê⁄UŒ ‚È⁄U‚Á⁄UÃÊ – ¡Èª‹ ¬ÈŸËà ◊ŸÙ„U⁄U øÁ⁄UÃÊH
◊îÊŸ ¬ÊŸ ¬Ê¬ „U⁄U ∞∑§Ê – ∑§„Uà ‚ÈŸÃ ∞∑§ „U⁄U •Á’’apple∑§ÊH 1H
ªÈ⁄U Á¬ÃÈ ◊ÊÃÈ ◊„appleU‚ ÷flÊŸË – ¬˝Ÿfl©°U ŒËŸ’¢œÈ ÁŒŸ ŒÊŸËH
‚applefl∑§ SflÊÁ◊ ‚πÊ Á‚ÿ ¬Ë ∑apple§ – Á„Uà ÁŸL§¬Áœ ‚’ Á’Áœ ÃÈ‹‚Ë ∑apple§H 2H
∑§Á‹ Á’‹ÙÁ∑§ ¡ª Á„Uà „U⁄U ÁªÁ⁄U¡Ê– ‚Ê’⁄U ◊¢òÊ ¡Ê‹ Á¡ã„U Á‚Á⁄U¡ÊH
•ŸÁ◊‹ •Êπ⁄U •⁄UÕ Ÿ ¡Ê¬Í – ¬˝ª≈U ¬˝÷Ê©U ◊„appleU‚ ¬˝ÃʬÍH 3H
‚Ù ©U◊apple‚ ◊ÙÁ„U ¬⁄U •ŸÈ∑ͧ‹Ê – ∑§Á⁄U®„U ∑§ÕÊ ◊ÈŒ ◊¢ª‹ ◊Í‹ÊH
‚ÈÁ◊Á⁄U Á‚flÊ Á‚fl ¬Êß ¬‚ʧ – ’⁄UŸ©°U ⁄UÊ◊øÁ⁄Uà Áøà øʧH 4H
÷ÁŸÁà ◊ÙÁ⁄U Á‚fl ∑Χ¬Ê° Á’÷ÊÃË – ‚Á‚ ‚◊Ê¡ Á◊Á‹ ◊Ÿ„UÈ° ‚È⁄UÊÃËH
¡apple ∞Á„U ∑§ÕÁ„U ‚Ÿapple„U ‚◊appleÃÊ – ∑§Á„U„U®„U ‚ÈÁŸ„U®„U ‚◊ÈÁ¤Ê ‚øappleÃÊH 5H
„UÙß„U®„U ⁄UÊ◊ ø⁄UŸ •ŸÈ⁄UÊªË – ∑§Á‹ ◊‹ ⁄UÁ„Uà ‚È◊¢ª‹ ÷ʪËH 6H
Cau.: puni ba≈dau° sårada surasaritå, jugala pun∂ta manohara caritå.
majjana påna påpa hara ekå, kahata sunata eka hara abibekå.1.
gura pitu måtu mahesa bhavån∂, pranavau° d∂naba≈dhu dina dån∂.
sevaka svåmi sakhå siya p∂ ke, hita nirupadhi saba bidhi tulas∂ ke.2.
kali biloki jaga hita hara girijå, såbara ma≈tra jåla jinha sirijå.
anamila åkhara aratha na jåpµu, praga¢a prabhåu mahesa pratåpµu.3.
so umesa mohi para anukµulå, karihiÚ kathå muda ma≈gala mµulå.
sumiri sivå siva påi pasåµu, baranau° råmacarita cita cåµu.4.
bhaniti mori siva kæpå° bibhåt∂, sasi samåja mili manahu° suråt∂.
je ehi kathahi saneha sametå, kahihahiÚ sunihahiÚ samujhi sacetå.5.
hoihahiÚ råma carana anuråg∂, kali mala rahita suma≈gala bhåg∂.6.
* There is a pun on the words ëSakharaí and Dµuaƒa sahitaí in the original, which are capable of a
twofold interpretation ëKharaí and ëDµuaƒaí as proper nouns denote two of Råvaƒaís cousins, whose figure in
the Araƒyak僌a of the great epic poem of Vålm∂ki and lead a military expedition against ›r∂ Råma in order
to avenge themselves of the insult offered to their sister, ›µurpaƒakhå, by Lakmaƒa, ›r∂ Råmaís younger
brother. They are eventually killed by ›r∂ Råma, who proves too strong for the redoubtable demon chiefs.
ëKharaí also means sharp-edged or hard and is thus contrasted with ëSukomalaí (soft). Similarly, ëDµuaƒaí
also means a fault and thus the poet express himself to a contradiction in terms when he calls the Råmåyaƒa
both ëDoarahitaí (faultless) and Dµuaƒasahitaí (full of faults). The contradiction, however, is only verbal in
both cases and constitutes a figure of speech known by the name ëVirodhaí or ëVirodhåbhåsaí.
† This has an indirect reference to the churning of the ocean of milk as described in the Puråƒas, by
the joint labours of gods and demons at the beginning of creation, which yielded beneficent objects like
nectar, the moon and the cow of plenty, on the one hand, and pernicious substances like poison and wine on
the other.