dēkhata hī ā'ī birudhā'ī. jō taiṁ sapanēhum̐ nāhiṁ bulā'ī. tākē guna kachu kahē na jāhīṁ. sō aba pragaṭa dēkhu tanu māhīṁ. sō pragaṭa tanu jarajara jarābasa, byādhi, sūla satāva'ī. 441 sira-kampa, indriya-sakti pratihata, bacana kāhu na bhāva'ī. gṛhapālahūtēṁ ati nirādara, khāna-pāna na pāva'ī. aisihu dasā na birāga taham̐, tṛṣṇā-taraṅga baṛhāva'ī. 136/8. Verse no. 136/8—[This verse outlines the horrors of old age.] Almost un-announced and un-seen and un-welcomed, the old age has arrived (dēkhata hī ā'ī birudhā'ī), which you had never invited even in your dreams (and which you had never expected would ever bother you during the time you had been young and enjoying the world to the hilt) (jō taiṁ sapanēhum̐ nāhiṁ bulā'ī)! The agonising situation and the miseries of old age are impossible to describe fully as they are so huge and wide in their reach (tākē guna kachu kahē na jāhīṁ). One not need to do so, because you can see yourself the visible effect of old age on your own body itself, and you can witness how it affects you directly (sō aba pragaṭa dēkhu tanu māhīṁ). See its visible effect on your body (sō pragaṭa tanu)—it has become feeble, worn-out, decrepit, decayed and infirm (jarajara). Due to old age (jarābasa), different diseases and countless forms of physical discomfort and pains are tormenting you endlessly (byādhi, sūla satāva'ī), the head is shaking and trembling (like a leaf on a tree) (sira-kampa), and the organs of your body have lost their former abilites and strength, there functions are steadily slowing down (indriya-sakti pratihata). What a pitiable condition it is indeed! No one likes to hear you speak, they all shun you (and everyone turns a deaf ear to your mutterings) (bacana kāhu na bhāva'ī). Even the pet animals (such as your favourite dog) which guards your house has started neglecting and insulting you (gṛhapālahūtēṁ ati nirādara). No one bothers about your meals and drinks so much so that you don’t get enough to eat or drink (khāna-pāna na pāva'ī). [You feel utterly neglected and humiliated; you are subjected to interminable insults and scorn, and you are treated with repugnance and indignity wherever you go by those for whom you had sacrificed all your life and happiness earlier. Even the pet dog is served its meals at the proper feeding time, but no one bothers about you and your hunger. What’s more, you don't even get sufficient to eat or drink.] Inspite of such a pitiful, miserable and horrorful state, you still do not get true renunciation (aisihu dasā na birāga taham̐). Even in this horrible condition, you go on increasing your lust, greed, avarice, passions, desires etc. (tṛṣṇā-taraṅga baṛhāva'ī). [To wit, inspite of being told about your inevitable fate and seeing others suffering in their old age, you are so dumb-witted that still you don’t seem to understand, and you don’t make amends while still there is time for you. Inspite of being aware of the horrors of old age, you contine to fritter away your youthful energy and time in pursuit of this deluding world and its false charms, instead of making efforts to ensure a secure spiritual destiny for yourself.
kahi kō sakē mahābhava tērē. janama ēkakē kachuka ganērē. cāri khāni santata avagāhīṁ. ajahum̐ na karu bicāra mana māhīṁ. ajahūm̐ bicāru, bikāra taji, bhaju rāma jana-sukhadāyakaṁ. bhavasindhu dustara jalarathaṁ, bhaju cakradhara suranāyakaṁ. binu hētu karunākara, udāra, apāra-māyā-tāranaṁ. kaivalya-pati, jagapati, ramāpati, prānapati, gatikāranaṁ. 136/9. Verse no. 136/9—Only a few of your troubles and tribulations of this birth that have been causing you so much miseries have been counted and listed above (in verse nos. 136/1-136/8) (janama ēkakē kachuka ganērē). If this is the situation in a single birth, then say who can tell the great stories of your immense sufferings that you had to endure in your numerous previous births (kahi kō sakē mahābhava tērē). You have had to wander in either of the four forms of births that all living beings have to pass through (cāri khāni santata avagāhīṁ) 1 . [ 1 The 4 forms of births are as follows:- (a) ‘Pindaj’—those born from an embryo formed in a mother's womb such as a human being and other animals; (b) ‘Andaj’—those born from an egg outside the womb such as birds; (c) ‘Swadej’— those born by self division of the cell without fertilisation, e.g. the one-celled organisms such as Amoeba; it also means ‘born of perspiration or sweat’ such as lice etc.; and (d) ‘Udbhij’—those born out of a seed, e.g. plants.] Yet you do not think deeply on this aspect in your mind even after undergoing so much sufferings (ajahum̐ na karu bicāra mana māhīṁ). Oh come on, wake up to the realities; even now think over it (ajahūm̐ bicāru) and leave your ignorance and arrogance and all other types of spiritual faults that you have had till now (because its still time for you to make amends for your mistakes) (bikāra taji). [So then, what should you do? Here it is:--] Worship and venerate Lord Sri Ram who gives joy and all types of happiness to his devotees (bhaju rāma jana-sukhadāyakaṁ). The Lord is like a huge and robust ship (jalarathaṁ) as far as crossing of this formidably fierce and difficult ocean of mundane life in this gross perishable world is concerned (bhavasindhu dustara). Therefore, be wise and prudent for your own good, and worship the Lord who bears a discus (bhaju cakradhara) and who is the God of all the Gods (suranāyakaṁ). [To wit, just as it is easy for a person to cross an ocean aboard a ship, it would be very easy and comfortable for you to get over all your worries and miseries associated with this life if you take shelter of Lord Ram and offer your prayers to him, for then the merciful Lord is sure to extend his hand to you to help 443 you out of your problems. The Lord who holds a discus is a reference to Lord Vishnu who had incarnated as Lord Ram.] The Lord shows benevolence, kindness and mercy without any selfish interests, for the Lord is absolutely selfless in his attitude (binu hētu karunākara); he is enormously generous and magnanimous (udāra); he can help overcome the great delusions and ignorance which have overpowered you and clouded your wisdom (apāra-māyā-tāranaṁ). [To wit, if you submit yourself before Lord Ram, then you need not worry about the knowledge of scriptures and the myriad means of attaining liberation and deliverance, for the Lord would take care of your welfare, both the temporal as well as the spiritual.] He is the merciful Lord who grants the supreme and the most exalted state of existence for the soul known as ‘Kaivalya’, literally meaning ‘one of its only kind’, which in practical terms means attainment of spiritual salvation and emancipation to the creature (kaivalya-pati). He is the only Lord God of this entire creation (jagapati). He is the Lord of Laxmi (i.e. of all sorts of prosperity and well-being in this world) (ramāpati). He is the Lord who is the Supreme Soul or the Atma of this creation, and by extension of all the living beings because all have this ‘soul’ in their bodies, and this ‘soul’ is actually the true identity of all living beings (prānapati) 2 . The Lord is a bestower of spiritual bliss, and of liberation and deliverance from all miseries and torments that afflict the creature (gatikāranaṁ). [ 2 The word “prānapati” also means the Lord who is very dear to the life and soul of a creature. In this sense, Lord Ram is the dearest.
raghupati-bhagati sulabha, sukhakārī. sō trayatāpa-sōka-bhaya-hārī. binu satasaṅga bhagati nahiṁ hō'ī. tē taba milaiṁ dravai jaba sō'ī. jaba dravai dīnadayālu rāghava, sādhu-saṅgati pā'iyē. jēhi darasa-parasa-samāgamādika pāparāsi nasā'iyē. 444 jinakē milē dukha-sukha samāna, amānatādika guna bhayē. mada-mōha lōbha-biṣāda-krōdha subōdhatēṁ sahajahiṁ gayē. 136/10. Verse no. 136/10—Devotion and affection (bhagati) for Lord Raghupati (Sri Ram) is easy and simple to have, and it gives immense bliss, joy and happiness to the creature (raghupati-bhagati sulabha, sukhakārī). They eliminate the fear of the three types of sorrows that torment a creature1 ; they are an eliminator of all sorts of worries, miseries and fears that make the creature suffer (sō trayatāpa-sōka-bhaya-hārī). [1 The three types of sorrows that cause problems for a creature are called the “Traitaps”. They are described in verse no. 17, stanza no. 2, and verse no. 81, stanza no. 1 of this Book ‘Vinai Patrika’.] But that devotion and affection for the Lord that is known as ‘Bhakti’ cannot be had without a communion with and the company of saints and pious souls (binu satasaṅga bhagati nahiṁ hō'ī), and these saints and pious souls are met only by the grace and blessings of Lord Sri Ram, only when the Lord wishes it to be so by being gracious upon the selected devotee (tē taba milaiṁ dravai jaba sō'ī). Indeed it is true that company of saintly people is possible only when Lord Ram feels merciful for the creature and blesses him with this boon (jaba dravai dīnadayālu rāghava, sādhu-saṅgati pā'iyē) 2 . [ 2 To wit, when Lord Sri Ram shows grace and mercy upon the creature then only is communion and contacts with saints possible for him. The glory, importance and virtue of saints and pious people has been elucidated and enumerated in other books of Tulsidas also, viz. (i) Ram Charit Manas, Uttar Kand, from Chaupai line no. 5 that precedes Doha no. 37—to Chaupai line no. 8 that precedes Doha no. 41; (ii) Dohawali, verse nos. 375—378, 381; and (iii) Vairagya Sandipani, verse nos. 8—42.] By the touch, the sight, the company and the commuion of those saintly souls, all the accumulated sins, evils, vices and faults of the creature (jēhi darasa-parasasamāgamādika) are completely uprooted and destroyed (pāparāsi nasā'iyē). By this contact with saints, one learns the values and importance of the virtues of dispassion and detachment, and to treat alike both the sorrows and the joys of life (jinakē milē dukha-sukha samāna). One also learns the virtues of practicing equanimity and renunciation in one’s life, and is motivated to develop these qualities in himself by seeing the example of these saints and holy souls (amānatādika guna bhayē). Forsooth, the company of saints helps one to become wise and enlighted so much so that he inculcates many good and saintly virtues and noble qualities in himself (subōdhatēṁ). The positive effect of this is that many negativities that are inherently present in a person, such as ego, arrogance and haughtiness (“Mada”), delusions, attractions and attachments (“Moha”), greed and yearings (“Lobha”), feeling perplexed, grieved and sorrowful (“Vishad”), and anger (“Krodha”), all gradually go away on their own without making much effort to eliminate them (mada-mōha lōbha-biṣāda-krōdha sahajahiṁ gayē).
Realisation of True ‘Self’
sēvata sādhu dvaita-bhaya bhāgai. śrīraghubīra-carana laya lāgai. dēha-janita bikāra saba tyāgai. taba phiri nija svarūpa anurāgai. anurāga sō nija rūpa jō jagatēṁ bilacchana dēkhiyē. santōṣa, sama, sītala sadā dama, dēhavanta na lēkhiyē. niramala, nirāmaya, ēkarasa, tēhi haraṣa-sōka na byāpa'ī. trailōka-pāvana sō sadā jākī dasā aisī bha'ī. 136/11. Verse no. 136/11—By serving such wise saints, one gets freedom from the fears (and the doubts) arising from the philosophy of ‘Dwaitya’ (the dual nature of existence; whether what one experiences in this world is true or false; the sense of mine and yours; this life and the life hereafter; the mortality of life vis-à-vis the eternity of the soul; etc) (sēvata sādhu dvaita-bhaya bhāgai) 1 . [1 When the creature becomes wise, enlightened and self-realised as a reward of his contact with learned saints, he begins to understand that the essence of life is not what is seen and observed by the sense organs of perception of the body in the form of the gross mundane external world of material sense objects, but it is something very subtle and sublime in the form of the ‘Atma’ which is pure consciousness. This Atma is the ‘true self’ of the creature, and it is an universal entity. This Atma lives in all living beings as their individual self at the microcosmic level of existence, and as the Supreme Atma or the Parmatma at the macrocosmic level of existence. Further, this Atma of the individual is a manifestation of the cosmic Atma reprersented by Lord Ram. This being the case, the wise aspirant sees his Lord all around him. With the omnipresence of his Lord who is ready to give him protection, where is the cause of fear from any quarter? The Atma is not a gross visible thing like the body for it is subtle and invisible by its nature; it is eternal and imperishable unlike the body which is subject to decay and death. This realisation eliminates the sense of duality in creation and brings about uniformity. The thus-realised creature begins to see the same Lord in the form of the ‘consciousness’ or the ‘Atma’ everywhere, in all the creatures, in the animate as well 446 as the inanimate, in the cosmic form of Nature and its vast canvas of beauty, in the outside as well as the inside of all that is visible or invisible. This universal view of existence and the sense of uniformity in its true essence removes fears of death and life, fears of the future vis-à-vis the present. One has no enemies or friends, for all the creatures are one and the same for him. Obviously, this view removes all cause of malice and ill-will, and this paves the way for spread of the virtues of love and brotherhood all around. In this scenario, there is no fear from any quarter. Again, when a wise creature realises that the ‘Atma’ is his true identity and it is pure consciousness that is universal, immortal and transcendental, then all fears of death are erased. These ideas are elaborated below in the following stanzas.] The benefit of this development is that one begins to focus his attention on the holy feet of Lord Ram, the Lord God (śrīraghubīra-carana laya lāgai). All the faults and problems associated with the gross body and the equally gross world are easily done away with (dēha-janita bikāra saba tyāgai), and the aspirant begins to learn to experience the bliss associated with one’s Atma that is one’s true self and pure consciousness (taba phiri nija svarūpa anurāgai). Indeed, when the wise and enlightened person realises the greatness, the majesty and the divinity of his true form (bilacchana dēkhiyē) as being the ‘pure consciousness’ that is distinct and separate from his gross body, he begins to love and adore it and develop affection for it (anurāga sō nija rūpa jō jagatēṁ). [As soon as this reality dawns upon him, he begins to remain indifferent to the gross body but pays special attention to his Atma.] The condition of a person who attains this wonderful state of existence wherein he has acquainted himself with the pure conscious Atma residing within his own self, i.e. when he has become ‘self realised’, is unique, fantastically wonderful, most eclectic and worthy of laurels to say the least (bilacchana dēkhiyē). Having contentedness, equanimity, evenness, fortitude, forebearance, calmness, serenity, self-control of the sense organs, peace of mind, heart and demeanours—all become a part of his character, his nature and his life (santōṣa, sama, sītala sadā dama). He lives in a transcendental state of existence so much so that he begins to see that his physical body that is perishable and gross as well as subject to so many pains and miseries is not his ‘true self’, and that ‘his true identity’ is an entity known as the Atma that is pure consciousness which is eternal, blissful, subtle and sublime (dēhavanta na lēkhiyē). The result of this realisation is that the person automatically becomes pure and holy, and is freed from all worldly taints which are like a moral disease for him (niramala, nirāmaya). He becomes steady in his belief of oneness of his soul with the cosmic Soul, as well as the fact that the truth and reality in this world is always the same inspite of the external diversity that is visible, and this attitude makes him calm, uniform and unruffled; he develops the virtues of equanimity and fortitude (ēkarasa). Inculcation of these grand virtues ensures that joys and sorrows do not move him or affect him at all; he remains unruffled, still and calm under both (tēhi haraṣa-sōka na byāpa'ī). 447 [To wit, he is neither excited nor depressed; he treats all circumstances with exceptional poise and dispassion. Nothing is too good for him to excite him, nor too bad to depress him. He is now free from all the imaginary pains and miseries that had been tormenting him till now as these were all related to his gross physical body, and not to the Atma. Thereafter, such a self-realised person never suffers from any misery and sorrow that are so common in this world, but rather lives in a perpetual state of blissfulness, happiness and joy.] A person who attains this eclectic and transcendental state of existence marked by eternal blissfulness, tranquillity and equanimity and other such majestic virtues as enumerated herein above (jākī dasā aisī bha'ī), is the one who can purify the whole world by showing it the correct path that leads to contentedness and happiness (trailōka-pāvana sō sadā) (because he knows the path and how to walk on it to reach one’s goal in life; he is the proper guide for others)
jō tēhi pantha calai mana lā'ī. tau hari kāhē na hōhiṁ sahā'ī. jō māraga śruti-sādhu dikhāvai. tēhi patha calata sabai sukha pāvai. pāvai sadā sukha hari-kṛpā, sansāra-āsā taji rahai. sapanēhum̐ nahīṁ sukha dvaita-darasana, bāta kōṭika kō kahai. dvija, dēva, guru, hari, santa binu sansāra-pāra na pā'iyē. yaha jāni tulasīdāsa trāsaharana ramāpati gā'iyē. 136/12. Verse no. 136/12—Say, why will the Lord God not help those who walk on this noble path (jō tēhi pantha calai mana lā'ī; tau hari kāhē na hōhiṁ sahā'ī), the path which has been shown by the Vedas (scriptures) and endorsed by holy saints (jō māraga śruti-sādhu dikhāvai), for it leads one and all to obtain all types of happiness, peace, joy and contentedness (tēhi patha calata sabai sukha pāvai). The ‘Sadhak’ (aspirant; seeker) who walks on this path always feels happy and cheerful because he is blessed by the Lord God himself (pāvai sadā sukha harikṛpā), and therefore he does not have to depend upon the world for anything he wants. So he stops expecting anything from the mundane world, for all his needs are now taken care of by the Lord (sansāra-āsā taji rahai) 1 . [ 1 By the grace of God, such a seeker attains eternal and abiding bliss, and he realises that the bliss and happiness that he obtains by this method are sustainable and 448 true in nature as compared to their false, transient and impermanent nature as obtained from the world. Thus, he stops pursuing the sense objects of the world in his quest for peace, happiness, joy and pleasures, but turns inwards to his ‘pure conscious self’ to seek them. A wise man becomes ‘self-realised’ and experiences the ultimate bliss and joy that comes with the understanding that his ‘true self’ is not the gross body but the pure consciousness that is within his own inner-self in the form of his blissful Atma, that the world is perishable while his self is eternal, and that all the pleasures and comforts that this perishable world seems to offer to him are not only limited to the gross body which is also perishable like the world but are impermanent and transient as well as the root of grief and pain in the long run.] There are countless things to say and equally countless arguments for and against a proposition, but why bother about them (bāta kōṭika kō kahai). One thing is for sure—if one sees ‘Dwaitya’ (a sense of duality) in this world, then no matter what anyone says or preaches, true happiness and peace will always elude the creature; one can never expect to have abiding peace, bliss, happiness and contentedness even in one's dreams if one is misled by this idea (sapanēhum̐ nahīṁ sukha dvaitadarasana) 2 . [ 2 If a person sees his true self, which is pure consciousness, as being distinct from the Supreme Self which is known as cosmic Consciousness that is all-pervading and universal in nature, if he sees distinction between mine and yours, me and he etc., then he can never ever find peace in this world. To wit, real happiness, true peace and bliss that is eternal and abiding lies in becoming self-realised in the oneness of the ‘individual’s self’ and the ‘supreme Self’ known as the Lord God or Brahm. And what is this ‘self’? It is ‘pure consciousness’ both at the individual level and the universal level of existence. This realisation immediately creates a bond of kinship between the creature and the Lord God for the truth of both is the same ‘consciousness’. All living beings have their own independent bodies, but their true self, the essence of their being, the factor that defines them as a ‘living entity’ as opposed to a non-living thing is not their bodies but the pure consciousness that resides in these bodies. Though the physical bodies may be different but the basic factor that defines all living beings, i.e. the pure consciousness, is the one and the same in all. Hence, there is no cause and locus-standi for the concept of ‘duality’ to ever disturb the peace of mind of an enlightened person in this world. In the context of the devotee and the Lord God, therefore, a self-realised and enlightened devotee understands that the Lord God whom he worships and adores does not live away from him, but that the Lord resides in his own inner-self as his ‘Atma’ or ‘pure consciousness’. The essence and the truth of the devotee and the Lord God is the same non-dual entity known as ‘Consciousness’. This immediately removes the distance and the distinction between the devotee and his Lord God—and the former begins to feel one with the Lord himself. He has nowhere to go to seek his Lord, for the Lord resides in his own self! This realisation is the pinnacle of enlightenment and spiritual wisdom; it is the source of abiding bliss and eternal joy because this consciousness is eternal and imperishable as opposed to the gross physical body. 449 To wit and in all sooth, this understanding, this wisdom and realisation is equivalent to crossing this seemingly endless ocean symbolised by this mundane, gross and perishable world that is actually like an ocean of endless miseries, pain, grief and torments for the creature. The world no longer instills any kind of fear in the heart of the creature; the world no longer tempts the creature with its false charms and allurements of comfort, happiness and joy; the world does not bother the creature. The creature becomes neutral to it—both to its charms as well as to its sorrows. He now realises that the happiness and joy that he gets from the gross world are of no consequence as they are temporary and shallow, and they are dimmed by the intensity and depth of the happiness and joy that is got by realising the presence of the pure consciousness inside one’s own self because it stands for the presence of the Supreme Lord God, who is a fount of eternal peace and bliss, within one’s own self. Similarly, the wisened creature also realises that all the sorrows and pains of the gross world, as well as its joys and comforts, are all not only transient but also limited to the gross organs of the equally gross body. Since the ‘true self’ is not this gross body, rather it is the pure conscious Atma that resides within this body, therefore nothing of the external gross world really matters to a wise creature anymore. He has literally side-stepped and skipped the puddle of the world, preventing himself from getting dirty and any slush and filth getting stuck to him!] It is important to understand that one cannot cross this ocean represented by this world without the help of one’s elders, the gods, teacher, the deity one reveres and adores, saints and holy men etc. (because they are one’s true and selfless trusted friend, and they know the path one ought to follow to reach this goal) (dvija, dēva, guru, hari, santa binu sansāra-pāra na pā'iyē). Tulsidas says that after understanding all these things, one should sing the divine glories of Lord Ramapati (i.e. Sri Ram) (yaha jāni tulasīdāsa -- ramāpati gā'iyē), the Lord who removes all sufferings, miseries and torments of his devotees (trāsaharana) 3 . [ 3 The devotee worships and adores Lord Ram, the cosmic Lord who is also the Lord of Rama, the goddess of prosperity and well-being, with the hope that he too would find eternal peace and rest for himself like those saints and wise people, that he too would be able to overcome the miseries associated with this world like them, and that he too would be able to attain liberation, deliverance, emancipation and salvation for his soul in due course of time like done by pious souls. The word ‘Ramāpati’ refers to Lord Vishnu, the Lord God and the divine husband of goddess Laxmi who is also known as Rama. Lord Vishnu had manifested himself as Lord Sri Ram whom Tulsidas adores as his Lord God
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