Rama-Vasishtha Dialogue and the Visit to the Grove
A profound spiritual dialogue takes place between Rama and Sage Vasishtha. Afterwards, Rama goes with his brothers to the grove, where an atmosphere of gentle affection unfolds.
Uttar Kand · Episode 10 / 21
Episode Text
एक बार बसिष्ट मुनि आए। जहाँ राम सुखधाम सुहाए॥ अति आदर रघुनायक कीन्हा। पद पखारि पादोदक लीन्हा॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
eka bāra basiṣṭha muni āe। jahāṃ rāma sukha dhāma suhāe॥ ati ādara raghunāyaka kīnhā। pada pakhāri pādodaka līnhā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Once the sage Vashishtha came to the place where Rama, the beautiful abode of bliss, was dwelling. Lord Raghunath honored him with great reverence, washed his feet, and received the sanctified foot-water.
राम सुनहु मुनि कह कर जोरी। कृपासिंधु बिनती कछु मोरी॥ देखि देखि आचरन तुम्हारा। होत मोह मम हृदयँ अपारा॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
rāma sunahu muni kaha kara jorī। kṛpāsindhu binatī kachu morī॥ dekhi dekhi ācaraṇa tumhārā। hota moha mama hṛdayaṃ apārā॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
The sage, with joined palms, said: “Listen, Rama, O ocean of mercy! I have a small request. Seeing your conduct again and again, my heart becomes filled with immense wonder and bewilderment.”
महिमा अमिति बेद नहिं जाना। मैं केहि भाँति कहउँ भगवाना॥ उपरोहित्य कर्म अति मंदा। बेद पुरान सुमृति कर निंदा॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mahimā amiti beda nahiṃ jānā। maiṃ kehi bhāṃti kahauṃ bhagavānā॥ uparohitya karma ati mandā। beda purāna sumṛti kara nindā॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
O Lord, your greatness is immeasurable; even the Vedas do not know it. Then how can I possibly speak of it? The work of a priest is very humble. The Vedas, Puranas, and Smritis all condemn it.
जब न लेउँ मैं तब बिधि मोही। कहा लाभ आगें सुत तोही॥ परमातमा ब्रह्म नर रूपा। होइहि रघुकुल भूषन भूपा॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
jaba na leuṃ maiṃ taba bidhi mohī। kahā lābha āgeṃ suta tohī॥ paramātmā brahma nara rūpā। hoihi raghukula bhūṣana bhūpā॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
When I had not taken it up, Brahma told me: “O son, from this you will gain great benefit in the future. The Supreme Brahman himself will assume human form and become the ornament of the Raghu dynasty, a king.”
तब मैं हृदयँ बिचारा जोग जग्य ब्रत दान। जा कहुँ करिअ सो पैहउँ धर्म न एहि सम आन॥ ४८ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
taba maiṃ hṛdayaṃ bichārā joga jagya brata dāna। jā kahuṃ karia so paihauṃ dharma na ehi sama āna॥ 48 ॥
Meaning:
Then I reflected in my heart: that being for whose sake yoga, sacrifice, vows, and charity are performed—I shall attain him through this very work; indeed, there is no other dharma equal to this.
जप तप नियम जोग निज धर्मा। श्रुति संभव नाना सुभ कर्मा॥ ग्यान दया दम तीरथ मज्जन। जहँ लगि धर्म कहत श्रुति सज्जन॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
japa tapa niyama joga nija dharmā। śruti sambhava nānā subha karmā॥ gyāna dayā dama tīratha majjana। jahaṃ lagi dharma kahata śruti sajjana॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Japa, austerity, discipline, yoga, one’s own duties of life, the many auspicious acts enjoined by the Vedas, knowledge, compassion, self-control, bathing at holy places—whatever the Vedas and the saints declare to be dharma—
आगम निगम पुरान अनेका। पढ़े सुने कर फल प्रभु एका॥ तव पद पंकज प्रीति निरंतर। सब साधन कर यह फल सुंदर॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
āgama nigama purāna anekā। paṛhe sune kara phala prabhu ekā॥ tava pada paṃkaja prīti nirantara। saba sādhana kara yaha phala sundara॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
[And] O Lord, the supreme fruit of studying and hearing many scriptures, Vedas, and Puranas is one and the same: and the beautiful fruit of all spiritual practices is that there may be constant love for your lotus feet.
छूटइ मल कि मलहि के धोएँ। घृत कि पाव कोइ बारि बिलोएँ॥ प्रेम भगति जल बिनु रघुराई। अभिअंतर मल कबहुँ न जाई॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
chūṭai mala ki malahī ke dhoeṃ। ghṛta ki pāva koi bāri biloeṃ॥ prema bhagati jala binu raghurāī। abhiantara mala kabahuṃ na jāī॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
Can dirt be removed by washing dirt? Can anyone obtain ghee by churning water? Likewise, O Raghunath, without the pure water of love and devotion, the impurity within the heart is never removed.
सोइ सर्बग्य तग्य सोइ पंडित। सोइ गुन गृह बिग्यान अखंडित॥ दच्छ सकल लच्छन जुत सोई। जाकें पद सरोज रति होई॥ ४ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
soi sarbagya tagya soi paṇḍita। soi guna gṛha bigyāna akhaṇḍita॥ dachcha sakala lachchana juta soī। jākeṃ pada saroja rati hoī॥ 4 ॥
Meaning:
He alone is omniscient; he alone is a knower of truth and a scholar; he alone is a treasury of virtues and an undivided knower of wisdom. He alone is skillful and endowed with every auspicious mark, whose love rests in your lotus feet.
नाथ एक बर मागउँ राम कृपा करि देहु। जन्म जन्म प्रभु पद कमल कबहुँ घटै जनि नेहु॥ ४९ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
nātha eka bara māgauṃ rāma kṛpā kari dehu। janma janma prabhu pada kamala kabahuṃ ghaṭai jani nehu॥ 49 ॥
Meaning:
O Lord, O Rama, I ask of you one boon—please grant it in your grace. May my love for the Lord’s lotus feet never diminish, birth after birth.
अस कहि मुनि बसिष्ट गृह आए। कृपासिंधु के मन अति भाए॥ हनूमान भरतादिक भ्राता। संग लिए सेवक सुखदाता॥ १ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
asa kahi muni basiṣṭha gṛha āe। kṛpāsindhu ke mana ati bhāe॥ hanūmāna bharatādika bhrātā। saṃga lie sevaka sukhadātā॥ 1 ॥
Meaning:
Saying this, the sage Vashishtha returned home. He was greatly pleasing to the mind of the ocean of compassion, Rama. Thereafter, the Lord who gives joy to his servants took Hanuman, Bharata, and the other brothers along with him.
पुनि कृपाल पुर बाहेर गए। गज रथ तुरग मगावत भए॥ देखि कृपा करि सकल सराहे। दिए उचित जिन्ह जिन्ह तेइ चाहे॥ २ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
puni kṛpāla pura bāhera gae। gaja ratha turaga magāvata bhae॥ dekhi kṛpā kari sakala sarāhe। die ucita jinha jinha tei chāhe॥ 2 ॥
Meaning:
Then the compassionate Lord Rama went outside the city and had elephants, chariots, and horses brought. Seeing them, he praised everything graciously and gave each thing suitably to whoever desired it.
हरन सकल श्रम प्रभु श्रम पाई। गए जहाँ सीतल अवँराई॥ भरत दीन्ह निज बसन डसाई। बैठे प्रभु सेवहिं सब भाई॥ ३ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
harana sakala śrama prabhu śrama pāī। gae jahāṃ sītala avaṃrāī॥ bharata dīnha nija basana ḍasāī। baiṭhe prabhu sevahiṃ saba bhāī॥ 3 ॥
Meaning:
The Lord who removes all weariness from the world himself felt tired in the process [of distributing elephants, horses, and so on], and went to a cool mango grove to rest. There Bharata spread out his own cloth; the Lord sat upon it, and all the brothers began to serve him.
मारुतसुत तब मारुत करई। पुलक बपुष लोचन जल भरई॥ हनूमान सम नहिं बड़भागी। नहिं कोउ राम चरन अनुरागी॥ गिरिजा जासु प्रीति सेवकाई। बार बार प्रभु निज मुख गाई॥ ४-५ ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
mārutasuta taba māruta karai। pulaka bapuṣa locana jala bharai॥ hanūmāna sama nahiṃ baṛabhāgī। nahiṃ kou rāma carana anurāgī॥ girijā jāsu prīti sevakāī। bāra bāra prabhu nija mukha gāī॥ 4-5 ॥
Meaning:
At that time, the son of the Wind god, Hanuman, began fanning them with a palm-leaf fan. His body thrilled with joy, and his eyes filled with tears. [Shiva said:] O Girija, there is none as fortunate as Hanuman, nor anyone so devoted to Rama’s feet; the Lord himself has repeatedly praised his love and service with his own sacred lips.