Auspicious Invocation
At the opening of the Lanka Kanda, Tulsidas invokes the Guru, the divine, and the holy Name. This prayerful beginning sets a sacred tone for the canto.
Lanka Kand · Episode 1 / 37
Episode Text
रामं कामारिसेव्यं भवभयहरणं कालमत्तेभसिंहं योगीन्द्रं ज्ञानगम्यं गुणनिधिमजितं निर्गुणं निर्विकारम्। मायातीतं सुरेशं खलवधनिरतं ब्रह्मवृन्दैकदेवं वन्दे कन्दावदातं सरसिजनयनं देवमुर्वीशरूपम्॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāmaṃ kāmārisevyaṃ bhavabhayaharaṇaṃ kālamattebhasiṃhaṃ yogīndraṃ jñānagamyaṃ guṇanidhimajitaṃ nirguṇaṃ nirvikāram। māyātītaṃ sureśaṃ khalavadhanirataṃ brahmavṛndaikadevaṃ vande kandāvadātaṃ sarasijanayanaṃ devamurvīśarūpam॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Rama, who is worshipped by Shiva, who removes the fear of worldly existence and death, who is like a lion to the intoxicated elephant of Time, the lord of yogis, attainable through knowledge, a treasury of virtues, unconquerable, beyond qualities, changeless, beyond illusion, lord of the gods, ever intent on destroying the wicked, the one deity of the company of Brahmans, dark and beautiful like a rain-cloud, lotus-eyed, and appearing as the ruler of the earth.
शंखेन्द्वाभमतीवसुन्दरतनुं शार्दूलचर्माम्बरं कालव्यालकरालभूषणधरं गंगाशशांकप्रियम्। काशीशं कलिकल्मषौघशमनं कल्याणकल्पद्रुमं नौमीड्यं गिरिजापतिं गुणनिधिं कन्दर्पहं शंकरम्॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
śaṅkhendvābhamatīvasundaratanuṃ śārdūlacarmāmbaraṃ kālavyālakarālabhūṣaṇadharaṃ gaṅgāśaśāṅkapriyam। kāśīśaṃ kalikalmaṣaughaśamanaṃ kalyāṇakalpadrumaṃ naumīḍyaṃ girijāpatiṃ guṇanidhiṃ kandarpahaṃ śaṅkaram॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
I bow to Shankara, whose body is exceedingly beautiful like conch and moonlight, who wears tiger skin as garments, who bears ornaments of fierce serpents like Death himself, who is dear to Ganga and the moon, lord of Kashi, destroyer of the host of sins in the Kali Yuga, the wish-fulfilling tree of welfare, the revered husband of Girija, treasury of virtues, and destroyer of Kama.
यो ददाति सतां शम्भुः कैवल्यमपि दुर्लभम्। खलानां दण्डकृद्योऽसौ शंकरः शं तनोतु मे॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yo dadāti satāṃ śambhuḥ kaivalyamapi durlabham। khalānāṃ daṇḍakṛdyo'sau śaṅkaraḥ śaṃ tanotu me॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
May Shambhu, who grants even the rare kaivalya to the good and who punishes the wicked, bestow welfare upon me.