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राम

दक्षिणखण्ड · अध्याय 62

Sukhita Meets Guha

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Chapter context and opening material

At the Tamasā, the Pramoda-vana community meets cowherd women who sing Rāma's virtues and recount his night rāsa. Sukhita then reaches the iṅgudī tree where Rāma had stayed and meets Guha. The two devotees praise one another's good fortune, Sukhita affectionately chides Guha for allowing Rāma to fast and sleep on the ground, and the Niṣāda king offers the travelers the foods of his land. The Cowherd Women of the Tamasā

Passage 1

ब्रह्मोवाच— तमसायाः परं कूलं व्रजवासिकुलाकुलम्। श्रीरामगुणसङ्गीतकारिगोपीजनावृतम्॥१॥

Brahmā said: The far bank of the Tamasā was crowded with families of Vraja and surrounded by cowherd women singing Śrī Rāma's virtues.

Passage 2

वीक्ष्य गोपालप्रवराः प्रमोदवनवास्तवः। आनन्दितहृदो जाताः सर्व एव सदारकाः॥२॥

Seeing them, all the eminent cowherds who dwelt in Pramoda-vana, together with their families, became joyful at heart.

Passage 3

अहो अमीषां भाग्यानि तमसातीरवासिनाम्। रामैकतानचित्ता ये विषयेभ्यः पराङ्मुखाः॥३॥

“Ah, how fortunate are these residents of the Tamasā's bank! Their minds are fixed wholly upon Rāma and turned away from sense objects.”

Passage 4

सुखितव्रजवासिन्यो गोपकान्ताः समुत्सुकाः। तमसातीरगोपीभिर्मिलिताः प्रेमवृत्तिभिः॥४॥

The eager cowherd women from Sukhita's Vraja met the cowherd women of the Tamasā's bank, whose very way of life was love.

Passage 5

ताभ्यस्तां कथयामासुः प्रेमलीलां सीतापतेः। रात्रिरासविलासाढ्यामनन्यानुग्रहोद्भवाम्॥५॥

The Tamasā women told them of Sītā's Lord's loving līlā, rich with the delight of the nocturnal rāsa and born from his exclusive grace.

Passage 6

सङ्गम्य ताभिः सुखितस्य गोप्यो रहःकथासंश्रुतिमत्सरा अपि। अतुल्यभाग्योदयदर्शनेन स्वतुल्यभावाः प्रशशंसुरेकदा॥६॥

Upon meeting them, Sukhita's cowherd women at first felt jealous on hearing the secret account. Yet when they saw the rise of such incomparable good fortune, they recognized a love equal to their own and praised those women.

Passage 7

तासां मनःप्रेमनिभालयन्त्यो रमेश्वरानुग्रहमात्रलभ्यम्। फलं च तादृक् सहमुक्तिलाभं सुविस्मिता एव चिरं बभूवुः॥७॥

They beheld the love in those women's hearts, attainable only through the grace of Ramā's Lord, and its fruit—a liberation shared with him—and remained deeply astonished for a long time. At Rāma's Iṅgudī Tree

Passage 8

ततो निषादराजस्य गुहस्य विषये वने। तदिङ्गुदीतरोर्मूलमासाद्य प्रेमकातरः॥८॥

Then, in the forest territory of the Niṣāda king Guha, love-stricken Sukhita reached the foot of that iṅgudī tree.

Passage 9

अवात्सीत् सुखितो गोप आभीरबलसंवृतः। तत्रत्यं चरितं पश्यन् सम्प्रमुग्ध इवाधिकम्॥९॥

Surrounded by his cowherd host, Sukhita stayed there. Seeing the signs of what had occurred at that place, he became utterly entranced.

Passage 10

तत्र तस्य निषादेन्द्रः सङ्गतोऽभूद् गुहाभिधः। श्रीरामभक्तिसम्भूतपुलकाङ्कुरसंवृतः॥१०॥

There the Niṣāda king named Guha came to meet him, his body covered with sprouts of horripilation born from devotion to Śrī Rāma. Guha Praises the People of Vraja

Passage 11

गुह उवाच— अहो भाग्यवतां मौले सुखमास्से प्रमुद्वने। यत्र ते सदने रामः स्वामी मे चिरमावसत्॥११॥

Guha said: “Ah, crown of the fortunate, you dwell happily in Pramuda-vana, where my Lord Rāma lived for a long time in your home.

Passage 12

गोपचूडामणे नित्यं धन्योऽसि धरणीतले। रामवात्सल्यभावैकरसामृतनिधिर्भवान्॥१२॥

“Crest-jewel of cowherds, you are forever blessed upon the earth. You are an ocean of the single nectar-rasa of parental affection for Rāma.

Passage 13

त्वद्गृहे रामचन्द्रोऽश्नन् नवनीतं पयो दधि। तुच्छीकृतमहाभोगः प्रापासाधारणीं मुदम्॥१३॥

“Eating butter, milk, and yogurt in your home, Rāmacandra made great royal enjoyments seem insignificant and attained an extraordinary joy.

Passage 14

दृष्ट्वा तव मनःप्रेम क्षेमदो रामचन्द्रमाः। निबद्धहृदयोऽवात्सीन्नित्यमेव प्रमुद्वने॥१४॥

“Seeing the love within your heart, the welfare-giving moon Rāma bound his heart there and dwelt continually in Pramuda-vana.

Passage 15

अमी आभीरदाराश्च धन्या एव धरातले। सुदुर्लभोऽपि रामेन्दुर्याभिः प्रेम्णा वशीकृतः॥१५॥

“These cowherd women too are truly blessed upon the earth, for through love they have brought the otherwise exceedingly inaccessible moon Rāma under their sway.

Passage 16

इदानीमपि वश्चित्तं मन्ये रामैकगोचरम्। यत्सर्वस्वमुपादाय प्रियमेवानुगच्छथ॥१६॥

“Even now I know your minds have Rāma alone as their object, for you have taken all you possess and follow only your beloved.

Passage 17

युष्माकं विषयाः प्राणा इन्द्रियाणि धनं गृहाः। रामैकताना दृश्यन्ते सुहृद्दारसुतादयः॥१७॥

“Your objects of experience, life-breaths, senses, wealth, homes, friends, wives, children, and everything else are seen to be centered solely upon Rāma.

Passage 18

एवं सर्वात्मना येषामात्मा रामे समर्पितः। तेषामात्मनि रामोऽपि कथं नात्मानमर्पयेत्॥१८॥

“When people have offered their very selves to Rāma so completely, how could Rāma not offer himself to their selves in return?

Passage 19

धन्याः स्थ कृतकृत्याः स्थ यूयं भाग्यवतां वराः। नित्यमात्मप्रदो येषामखिलात्मा रघूद्वहः॥१९॥

“You are blessed, fulfilled, and foremost among the fortunate, for the bearer of Raghu's line, the Self of all, forever gives himself to you.

Passage 20

यूयमेवाभिजानीथ रत्यास्वादं रघूद्वहे। यं प्राप्य शङ्करोऽप्यासीदनन्यविषयस्पृहः॥२०॥

“You alone truly know the relish of love for the bearer of Raghu's line. Upon attaining it, even Śaṅkara desired no other object.

Passage 21

वैकुण्ठादुत्तमं मन्ये सुन्दरं तत्प्रमुद्वनम्। यत्रैव रमा नित्यं सेवते श्रीरघूद्वहम्॥२१॥

“I consider that beautiful Pramuda-vana superior even to Vaikuṇṭha, for there Ramā eternally serves the glorious bearer of Raghu's line.” Sukhita Affectionately Chides Guha

Passage 22

इत्थं स रामभक्तेन संस्तुतः सुखितश्चिरम्। उवाच मधुरां वाचमवलोक्य तदाननम्॥२२॥

Praised at length in this way by Rāma's devotee, Sukhita looked upon Guha's face and spoke sweetly.

Passage 23

अये निषादराज त्वं भाग्यवानसि भूतले। राज्येऽपि निःस्पृहो रामः सम्यग्येनावलोकितः॥२३॥

“O Niṣāda king, you are fortunate upon the earth, for you clearly beheld Rāma, who remains unattached even to sovereignty.

Passage 24

अत्रेङ्गुदीतरोर्मूले वसन् रामस्त्वया न किम्। निर्बन्धेन गृहं नीतः सम्यग् भोगोपभुक्तये॥२४॥

“When Rāma stayed here beneath the iṅgudī tree, why did you not insist on taking him home to enjoy proper comforts?

Passage 25

ननु शृण्मोऽत्र रामेण जलमात्रमुपाशितम्। तत्किमेतादृशं कष्टं प्रियस्य समुपस्थितम्॥२५॥

“We hear that Rāma subsisted here upon water alone. Why was such hardship allowed to befall our beloved?

Passage 26

ननु भूतल एवेह संसुप्तः प्रियया सह। जानीमो नैव केनापि मनःप्रेम्णा निवेदितः॥२६॥

“Did he not sleep here upon the bare ground with his beloved? We can only conclude that no one offered him anything with heartfelt love.

Passage 27

अदत्तमपि योऽस्माकं चोरयत्याहि तं दधि। दीयमानोऽपि विषयस्तस्मै चान्यस्य रोचते॥२७॥

“Why, he steals our yogurt even when we have not offered it! Yet when something is formally given to him, he prefers what belongs to another.

Passage 28

अथवान्यैव मर्यादा रामेणात्रावलम्बिता। तामेवानुसृतो नित्यं तादृगेवात्र चेष्टते॥२८॥

“Or perhaps Rāma has adopted a different rule here. Always following that rule, he behaves in this place accordingly.”

Passage 29

इति प्रेमाप्लुतैर्वाक्यैः सुखितेन्द्रेण भाषितः। विस्मितोऽभूद् गुहो वीक्ष्य तत्प्रेम व्रजवासिनाम्॥२९॥

Addressed by lord Sukhita with these words flooded by love, Guha marveled as he witnessed the Vraja residents' devotion. Guha's Hospitality

Passage 30

ब्रह्मोवाच— स तेभ्यः षड्रसं भोज्यं मत्स्यान् मांसं सुरां तथा। स्वदेशोत्थं नवं वस्तु निषादेन्द्र उपाहरत्॥३०॥

Brahmā said: The Niṣāda king brought them six-flavored food, fish, meat, liquor, and fresh products of his own land.

Passage 31

तं रामभक्तमिति चेतसि संविभाव्य प्रीतान्तरः सुखितगोपपतिर्विशेषात्। अङ्गीचकार तदुपाहृतमन्नराशिं सुस्वादु षड्रसमपीच्य चतुर्विधं सः॥३१॥

Recognizing Guha in his heart as a devotee of Rāma, Sukhita, lord of the cowherds, became especially pleased within. He accepted the mass of food Guha had brought and partook of the delicious, six-flavored, fourfold meal.