श्रीरामस्तुतिः - भागः २

Seeking pardon from Rama, for a person like me, a crow, is also singing his praise, which has been done completely and excellently by cuckoos like Valmiki (Adikavi)

कूजितं राम! ते सर्वम् आदिकव्यादिकोकिलैः ।

काकोऽहमपि कर्दामि तच्छृत्वा क्षम्यतां प्रभो ।। 11 ।।

--------------------------

This says that Rama himself entered the heart of Vaali, through his arrow that had His name on it.

प्रत्यक्षाऽगोचरश्चक्रे हरिः पुरा हरेर्हृदि ।

स्वनामांकितबाणेन स्वस्यैवानुप्रवेशनम् ।। 12 ।।

By being hidden from the sight, Rama (Hari) made his own entry in the heart (chest) of Vaali (Hari, monkey) through his arrow that had his name!

--------------------------

What is bhakti? I do not know how to explain. But all of us, for at least once in life, would have experienced the following in one situation or other, towards our own Ishta devata. Is that bhakti?

का त्वं भक्ते न जानेऽहं नेत्रं बाष्पे कदापि मे ।

रामेति श्रुतमात्रं च स्तम्भिता वाक् त्वयैव किम्? ।। 13 ।।

का who are त्वं you भक्ते bhakti? न do not जाने know अहं I नेत्रं eye बाष्पे in tears कदापि sometimes मे my रामेति the word Rama श्रुतमात्रं on just hearing च and स्तम्भिता frozen वाक् speech (is) त्वयैव (is this) because of you only? किम् what? (Tell me)

Bhakti! I do not know you are? (I am incapable of knowing you). But sometimes (not always and not often) when I just hear the name 'Rama', my eyes are in tears and am unable to speak anything. Is it because of you? (Please tell).

--------------------------

I always lose the battle with objects of desire. When can I become unassailable? Only when you come and reside in my mind Rama! It then becomes Ayodhya, a city that is unassailable! (by definition as well). Ayodhya means unassailable.

विषयेषु सदा राम! नित्यं यामि पराभवम् ।

मनोभूमिरयोध्या हि भविष्यति कदा प्रभो! ।। 14 ।।

विषयेषु in the sense objects सदा always राम Rama नित्यं daily यामि I attain पराभवम् defeat मनोभूमिः mind kingdom अयोध्या Ayodhya हि indeed भविष्यति will become कदा when प्रभो my Lord

Rama! My Lord! (Tell me) when will my mind become Ayodhya, as I am always losing the battle with sense objects daily! Please conquer it soon!

--------------------------

Rama was an enemy to the Rakashas and the 'not good'. He was a friend to even forest dwellers and also those who took the aerial route! I, an ignorant, surrender unto him!

निशाचराणामसताममित्रं वनेचराणाञ्च सतां सुमित्रम् ।

नभश्चराणां तु शरण्यमेकं तमश्चरो मे सुहितं प्रपद्ये ।। 15 ।।

निशाचराणां of the Rakashas असतां of the bad अमित्रं enemy वनेचराणां of forest dwellers च and सतां of the good सुमित्रम् good friend नभश्चराणां of who take to the sky तु but शरण्यं refuge एकं sole तमश्चरः ignorant मे my सुहितं benefactor प्रपद्ये  I surrender

I, a dweller in tamas, surrender to Him, my only benefactor, who was an enemy to the Rakashas, that were bad (excluding Vibheeshana), who was a good friend of good forest dwellers - Guha and all Rishis. He was the sole refuge to those who fly in the sky (Devas, Jatayu and Vibheeshana ! who took the aerial route to meet Rama)!

--------------------------

By me, by my mind, the rise of Moon called Rama, along with that pleased Sita and other superior kshatriyas (his brothers) that are like stars and others! I mean pattabhishekam.

द्रष्टव्यं क्षत्रनक्षत्रैः परैश्च शीतया तया ।

चिरं तप्तेन चित्तेन रामचन्द्रोदयं मया ।। 16 ।।

द्रष्टव्यं to be seen क्षत्र along with powerful / kshatriyas नक्षत्रैः stars परैः distant / with others च and शीतया cool / pleased तया along with night / Sita चिरं for long तप्तेन afflicted by taapa चित्तेन with concentration / with mind रामचन्द्रोदयं when split - Rama! Candrodayam and when not split the rise of Moon that is Rama! मया by me!

This is an attempt to represent an ordinary and special meaning! Rama! By me, afflicted with heat for long, attentively the moon rise has to be seen, with that cool night, along with far-off excellent stars!

--------------------------

Rama! When are you going to construct the bridge to rescue me from the island called deha (body) where in I am bound by Ravana (mind) who has the ten indriyas as his head! The word mukha has slesha - through or head - 1. mind through the 10 indriyas 2. one who has the ten indriyas has his heads, i.e mind and hence he is Ravana, दशानन.

दशेन्द्रियमुखेनेह मनसा कर्मबन्धनम् ।

देहद्वीपे हि मे राम! कदा ते सेतुबन्धनम् ।। 17 ।।

दशेन्द्रिय ten indriyas मुखेन through (or by mind, also a Ravana) इह here मनसा by mind कर्मबन्धनम् bondage by action or karma देहद्वीपे island that is body हि indeed मे my राम Rama कदा when ते your सेतुबन्धनम् construction of bridge (will commence?)

--------------------------

Surrendering to God, the ultimate principle, is a means for salvation. How does one have faith in His capacity or willingness? Can we test Him? Sugriva was lucky! He tested Rama's strength by asking him to break the seven huge Sala trees! Rama broke them with a single arrow! Sugriva was convinced and then he surrendered! What about me?

अभग्ना राम! वृक्षास्ते कामाद्यनेकसंस्थिताः ।

तथापि शरणं यामि मां स्वराज्येन योजय ।। 18 ।।

Rama! Those many well established trees that are kama and the rest are unbroken! (I am not asking you to break them so as to test you, like Sugriva); even then I surrender unto you - restore me to my original nature (or with your kingdom)!

--------------------------

विष्णो! सर्वावतारेषु कठिनमानुषे धृते ।

मोहनरामरूपे ते चित्तमपहृतं हि मे ।। 19 ।।

विष्णो! Vishnu सर्वावतारेषु of all avataras कठिनमानुषे in difficult human form धृते held मोहनरामरूपे captivating beautiful form ते your चित्तम् mind अपहृतं is carried away हि indeed मे my

Vishnu! Of all your incarnations, I am captivated by the beautiful one in difficult human form!

-------------------------- 

One can meditate upon God in two ways. One is by continuously focussing on God's svarupa through the mind. Other is by reading or listening to the texts like Ramayana wherein vivid description of God's activities are found and one can lose one's self in that. To me, the latter is approachable!

अचले त्वयि हे राम! चले चित्ते तु मे ननु ।

भवति नैव चिन्ता ते त्वां चालयामि याहि माम् ।। 20 ।।

अचले immobile त्वयि you being हे राम! Rama! चले in mobile चित्ते mind मे my ननु indeed भवति is नैव not at all चिन्ता meditation / thought ते your त्वां you चालयामि make you move याहि come on माम् unto me.

Rama! I am unable to meditate upon your immobile form as my mind is always mobile. So I am making you mobile (by reading the Ramayana) so as to have your thoughts; come on! (so that my mind becomes immobile)