Passage 1
वन्दे त्वां रामचन्द्रं सकलगुणनिधिं निर्गुणं ब्रह्म पूर्णं सत्यारामं चिदेकं स्वविमलमहसा द्योतमानं समन्तात्। यस्यांशा एव सर्वे वयमिह भुवने ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशमुख्याः सृष्टिस्थित्यन्तलीलाविरचनचतुरा वर्तयन्तीह चक्रम्॥१॥
I bow to you, Rāmacandra: treasury of every quality, attributeless and complete Brahman, delighting in truth, consciousness alone, shining everywhere by your own stainless radiance. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and all of us are merely your portions, skillfully turning the wheel of creation, preservation, and ending.
Passage 2
योऽहं विष्णुः स राम त्वयि परमतमे सच्चिदानन्दसिन्धौ वर्तेयं बिन्दुमात्रं विधिरपि च भवो भास्करो वासवश्च। एतावानेव विष्वग् विलसति महिमा तावकः कोऽपि नित्यं नाभूत्तेन स्मयस्ते विहरसि पशुवद् भूय आभीरदारैः॥२॥
Rāma, I who am Viṣṇu am only a drop within you, the supreme ocean of being, consciousness, and bliss; so too are Brahmā, Śiva, the Sun, and Indra. Your eternal greatness shines everywhere, yet you take no pride in it and sport again like a herdsman with the cowherd women.
Passage 3
एतत्ते रूपमस्मन्नयनविषयतां सच्चिदानन्दमात्रं यातं यातं स्वभाग्यैर्निगमशतशिरोवेदितं नैव किञ्चित्। को जानीते यदेतद्विहरति सरयूतीरभूमीनिकुञ्जे मुग्धैराभीरदारैः पशुगणविभवैर्दुर्लभं वै मुनीनाम्॥३॥
By our good fortune this form of yours, pure being, consciousness, and bliss, has come within our sight, though hundreds of Vedic heads know almost nothing of it. Who understands that this form, inaccessible even to sages, sports in a grove on the Sarayū’s bank with innocent cowherd women and their herds?
Passage 4
लोकालङ्कारसीमा निगमनिगदितो राघवः कौशलेयो कल्याणैकान्तलोकोत्तरविमलगुणः कामकेलीनिधानम्। साक्षाच्चिल्लोकनाथो रसमयविलसद्दिव्यलीलाविलासः प्राणात् प्राणाधिकस्त्वं मम किमपि परं राम सर्वस्वमेव॥४॥
The Vedas proclaim you, Rāghava of Kosala, as the utmost ornament of the worlds: possessor of transcendent stainless virtues wholly devoted to blessedness and treasury of love-play. Lord of the conscious realm, your divine līlā shines with rasa. Rāma, you are dearer to me than life, the transcendent mystery and my entire wealth.
Passage 5
यथैव तेजसां लोके स्वेषां प्राणदो रविः। तथा चैतन्यमात्रस्य भवानेकधनं प्रभो॥५॥
Just as the sun gives life to all lights in the world, you alone, Lord, are the treasure and life of pure consciousness.
Passage 6
शब्दात्मकं ब्रह्म तवैव घोषः श्वासोच्छ्वासो नित्य आकाशरूपः। तेन ब्रह्मा विसृजत्यादिसर्गे लब्ध्वा पूर्णां संविदं सृज्यवर्गे॥६॥
Verbal Brahman is your own resonance, your eternal inhalation and exhalation in the form of space. Receiving complete awareness from it at the first creation, Brahmā sends forth the classes of beings.
Passage 7
इदं च ते रूपमखण्डसौभगं नेत्रोत्सवानन्दकरं जनानाम्। सद्यो निजेच्छाप्रकटं सत्कृपाढ्यं लोकातीतं कालमायाद्यतीतम्॥७॥
This form of yours is indivisibly beautiful, a festival of joy for people’s eyes, manifested instantly by your own will, rich in true grace, beyond the world, time, māyā, and all else.
Passage 8
नादिं न मध्यं तव नावसानमस्माकमाद्यन्तमथापि मध्यम्। त्वमेव भूमन् पुरुषोत्तमेश न वाङ्मनोगोचरतां प्रयासि॥८॥
You have no beginning, middle, or end, though you are our beginning, middle, and end. Infinite Lord and supreme Person, you never enter the reach of speech or mind.
Passage 9
त्वं वै विधिर्विष्णुरथापि रुद्रस्त्वं कालपालो निधयस्त्वमेव। त्वं वै दिगीशो विदिगीशस्त्वमेवमारोपमात्रे वितथोऽस्मासु शब्दः॥९॥
You are Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Rudra, the guardian of time, and the treasures. You are the lord of the directions and intermediate directions. The names applied to us are false superimpositions upon you alone.
Passage 10
यद्वाच्यवाचकमयं जगदेतदीश पादस्तवैष सकलो भुवनानि विश्वा। ऊर्ध्वं त्रिपात् पुनरुदैदमृतं तवैव रूपं परं परमहंसगुहायनस्थम्॥१०॥
Lord, this world made of names and their objects—all the realms—is but one quarter of you. Above rises your immortal three-quartered supreme form, hidden in the cave known to the highest swans.
Passage 11
नमस्ते राम रमणीसहस्रसुविलासिने। नीलवैदूर्यवर्णाय सच्चिदानन्दवर्चसे॥११॥
Homage to you, Rāma, who sport beautifully with thousands of women, blue as beryl and radiant with being, consciousness, and bliss.
Passage 12
नमस्ते सहजालक्ष्मीपरमानन्दमन्दिर। अशोकवनकुञ्जान्तःशय्यामन्दिरकेलिने॥१२॥
Homage to you, temple of supreme bliss for Sahajā Lakṣmī, who play within the sleeping pavilion in the aśoka-forest grove.
Passage 13
नमस्ते रामचन्द्राय चिच्चकोरीसुखात्मने। निःश्रेयसामृतौघाय ब्रह्मणे परमात्मने॥१३॥
Homage to Rāmacandra, delight of the cakora bird of consciousness, flood of the nectar of highest good, Brahman and supreme Self.
Passage 14
किमर्थमीशेन यत्नो विधेयः स्मृतो न तत्रैव सुकोशलायाम्। अनुग्रहो वा यदि कश्च स्वकीये विनिर्मितो नाथ यदागतं मुदा॥१४॥
For what purpose should the Lord have to exert himself? Could it not have been accomplished there in beautiful Kosala by grace or a mere act of your own? Yet, Lord, you have come here joyfully.
Passage 15
पुनर्नमोऽस्मै मुहुरेव नाथ तवामुष्मै सच्चिदानन्दधाम्ने। सीताविनोदैकनिकेतनाय श्रीविग्रहायामृतवर्षणाय॥१५॥
Again and again I bow, Lord, to this blessed form of yours—the abode of being, consciousness, and bliss, sole home of play with Sītā, raining nectar. Śrī Rāma said:
Passage 16
तातेनोपासिता यज्ञा अग्नयश्च त्रयीमयाः। अविच्छेदेन यजनं देवानां प्रत्यपद्यत॥१६॥
“My father has tended the sacrificial fires, which embody the three Vedas, and has undertaken uninterrupted worship of the gods.
Passage 17
तस्याग्नित्रितयं विष्णो कुण्डेभ्योऽपगतं इति। भ्रान्त्वा त्रिभुवनं सर्वमत्रान्वेषितुमाययम्॥१७॥
“Viṣṇu, his three fires departed from their hearths. After ranging through all three worlds, I came here to seek them.
Passage 18
अत्र दृष्टाः सभायां ते अग्नयः पितृसेविताः। नेष्यामः प्रणिपत्यैतान् पितुर्मोदाय कोशले॥१८॥
“I have now seen in this assembly those fires my father tended. With due obeisance I shall take them back to Kosala for my father’s joy.” Ādinārāyaṇa said:
Passage 19
एतेऽग्नयस्त्रयो नाथ त्वत्पित्रा समुपासिताः। मया हृताः परीक्षार्थं पूर्णस्य ब्रह्मणस्तव॥१९॥
“Lord, these are the three fires tended by your father. I took them in order to test you, complete Brahman.
Passage 20
नीयतां संप्रति गृहे राम श्रीकोशलापुरे। अग्नयोऽमी त्रयीरूपाः पितुस्तेऽभीष्टदायकाः॥२०॥
“Rāma, take them home now to the splendid city of Kosala. These fires embody the three Vedas and grant your father’s wishes.
Passage 21
जानाति कस्ते माहात्म्यं वेदानामपि दुर्गमम्। तवैव कृपया नाथ विज्ञेयं शुभजन्मभिः॥२१॥
“Who can know your greatness, inaccessible even to the Vedas? Lord, it is known by blessed souls only through your own grace.”
Passage 22
एवं प्रसादितो रामः पुरुषेणादिविष्णुना। नमन्तं तं विसृज्याग्नीन् पुरस्कृत्य त्रयीमयान्॥२२॥
Thus honored by the primal Person Viṣṇu, Rāma dismissed him as he bowed and placed the three Veda-formed fires before himself.
Passage 23
रथोपस्थमुपाविश्य मुहुर्मुक्तात्मभिः स्तुतः। वैमानिकगणैर्भूयः स्तूयमानः पदे पदे॥२३॥
He mounted the chariot, repeatedly praised by liberated souls and again at every stage by hosts of celestial travelers.
Passage 24
अक्षरस्यान्तमत्येत्य निस्तीर्य विरजां पुनः। कृत्वा च तमसः पारं चक्रज्योतिर्विभेदिनः॥२४॥
Passing beyond the limit of the imperishable realm, recrossing the Virajā, and crossing the darkness pierced by the light of his discus,
Passage 25
लोकालोकमतिक्रम्य रथवेगेन तत्क्षणात्। आजगाम जवाद् रामः साकेतनगरीं प्रति॥२५॥
Rāma sped across Mount Lokāloka and, through the chariot’s speed, immediately returned toward the city of Sāketa.
Passage 26
अग्नित्रयं पुरोधाय सानुजो रथरंहसा। अयोध्यानयनानन्दवर्धकः पुनरागतः॥२६॥
Placing the three fires before him and accompanied by his brother, he returned swiftly by chariot, increasing the joy of Ayodhyā’s eyes.
Passage 27
आगते रथशार्दूले अग्नीनादाय भूपतिः। अतिप्रीतमना भूत्वा रामं भूयोऽभ्यनन्दयत्॥२७॥
When the tiger among chariot-warriors arrived, the king received the fires and, greatly pleased at heart, congratulated Rāma again.
Passage 28
अग्नीन् कुण्डेषु संस्थाप्य विधिवत् पुनराहितान्। सायं प्रातरुपासीनः पूर्णार्थो नृपतेरभूत्॥२८॥
The fires were duly reinstalled in their hearths. By tending them morning and evening, the king fulfilled his purpose.
Passage 29
इत्थं स्थितो यौवराज्ये नन्दयन् भुवनत्रयम्। कोशलाधिपतेश्चित्तं विशेषेण ननन्द सः॥२९॥
Thus established as heir-apparent and delighting the three worlds, Rāma especially delighted the heart of Kosala’s lord.
Passage 30
यौवराज्ये स्थिते रामे बह्व्यः शरदो ययुः। श्रीमज्जनकजापूर्णतारुण्यमदपोषिकाः॥३०॥
Many autumns passed while Rāma held the heir-apparency, nourishing the splendid daughter of Janaka’s full and youthful joy.
Passage 31
प्रजानेत्रोत्सवो भूयान् प्रबभूव दिने दिने। श्रीरामचन्द्रपूर्णेन्दुदर्शनामृतवर्षणात्॥३१॥
Day after day he became an ever-greater festival for his subjects’ eyes, as the full moon of Śrī Rāmacandra’s presence rained nectar. Thus ends Chapter Ninety-one, called “Viṣṇu’s praise and Rāma’s recovery of the Vaikuṇṭha fires,” in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍi in the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa. Source note This chapter is transcribed directly from printed pages 374–378 of the 1975 Pūrva-khaṇḍa witness (source leaves 505–509). The scan controls the text. The first fifteen passages are Ādinārāyaṇa’s praise, verses 16–18 are Rāma’s reply, and verses 19–21 are Ādinārāyaṇa’s explanation. The edition records a longer variant after verse 29 that repeats material already printed in Chapter 90; because it is explicitly marked as an additional reading rather than main text, it is not silently inserted into the numbered root sequence.