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राम

पश्चिमखण्ड · अध्याय 68

Janaka Asks How Parental Love Can Arise

Global chapter 459 of 51416 passagesSource PDF pages 279280
Chapter context and opening material

Source: Volume 3, physical PDF pages 279–280 (printed pages 265–266). Structure: Sixteen continuously numbered Sanskrit verses. Verses 1–9 summarize Janaka's understanding of Sahajā-Rāma as the supreme reality beyond Brahman and the imperishable. Verses 10–13 praise līlā-devotees and ask how parental love can coexist with awareness of Sahajā's sovereignty. Verses 14–16 give Śuka's answer through Sahajā's līlā-serving Māyā. Summary: Janaka tells Śuka that he now understands Sahajā as the complete potency of consciousness and bliss and Sahajā-Rāma as Puruṣottama, beyond the imperishable Brahman. He praises devotees transformed by direct experience of Rāma's līlā but worries that constant awareness of Sahajā's divine sovereignty will prevent the parental love required to experience her as his daughter. Śuka explains that Sahajā's own supreme Māyā serves her līlā by concealing that majesty, granting Janaka daughter-love beyond even the rasa of Brahman and fulfilling Rāma's grace.

Passage 1

जनक उवाच— तव प्रसादान्मुनिवर्य तत्त्वं ज्ञातं मया सहजायाः परं यत्। इयं चिदानन्दघनासनातनी पूर्णा कला योगविदामगोचरा॥१॥

Janaka said: By your grace, foremost sage, I have understood the supreme truth of Sahajā. She is eternal, a solid mass of consciousness and bliss, the complete divine potency beyond the reach of knowers of yoga.

Passage 2

ब्रह्मतत्त्वं परं यत्तदक्षरं परमं पदम्। सर्ववेदान्तवाक्यानां स्थानमेकं निरूपितम्॥२॥

That supreme reality of Brahman—the imperishable, the highest state—has been described as the single foundation of all the declarations of Vedānta.

Passage 3

समासव्यासयोगेन शब्दब्रह्म प्रतिष्ठितम्। यत्र दिक्कालसम्बन्धरहिते परमात्मनि॥३॥

In brief and in detail, the word-Brahman is established in that supreme Self, which is free from every relation to direction and time.

Passage 4

तदेव सर्वभूतानामन्तर्यामितया स्थितम्। अवतारकलानां च स्रोतसामिव तत्सरः॥४॥

That itself abides as the inner controller of all beings and as the lake from which the streams of avatāra potencies flow.

Passage 5

अनवद्यं पदं पूर्णं मायासम्बन्धवर्जितम्। प्रकृतिं पुरुषं चापि यदतीत्य व्यवस्थितम्॥५॥

It is the flawless, complete state, free from all relation to Māyā and established beyond both Prakṛti and Puruṣa.

Passage 6

पूर्णं चिदानन्दमयं नभश्च यदयोगीश्वराणां धिषणाभिरस्पृशम्। सर्वेक्षसाम्येन युतं निरन्तरं क्षरातिगं च प्रतियोगिशून्यम्॥६॥

It is the full sky made of consciousness and bliss, untouched by the intellects of even the lords of yoga, perpetually endowed with equal vision toward all, beyond the perishable, and without any counterpart. Source note: The edition prints the compact sequence यदयोगीश्वराणाम्. It is retained and understood contextually as introducing “even the lords of yoga.”

Passage 7

ततः परं तत्पुरुषोत्तमाख्यं परं तत्त्वं सहजारामशब्दितम्। अर्वाग् यतो ब्रह्म यदक्षरं तद्दीपस्य यद्वच्च विभा प्रसृत्वरी॥७॥

Beyond that is the supreme reality called Puruṣottama and designated Sahajā-Rāma. Brahman and the imperishable stand below it, as spreading radiance stands in relation to its lamp.

Passage 8

इति त्वदाख्यातगिरां मुनीन्द्र सर्वस्वमेतन्मया न्यबोधि। अतोऽहमग्रेतनयोगसंविदां संशीलनादस्मि सुमन्थरादरः॥८॥

Thus, lord of sages, I have understood the whole essence of the words you declared. Through cultivating awareness of this foremost yoga, my reverence has become deeply settled.

Passage 9

विहाय कर्माणि च तत्त्वसंविदां परिश्रमोक्ताश्च हिता उपासाः। श्रीश्रितोऽस्मि सर्वस्य फलं स्वरूपतः प्रमाणमेकं सहजारामसंस्थम्॥९॥

Abandoning ritual actions and the beneficial disciplines prescribed with effort by knowers of truth, I have taken refuge in Śrī—the one self-evident measure of every fruit, established in Sahajā-Rāma.

Passage 10

धन्यास्ते भक्तिभावेनिजहृदि सहसा रामलीलानुभावे हृष्यन्तो मुक्त्यतीते पथि परमतमानन्दपूर्णे प्रतिष्ठाः। रोमाञ्चस्वेदसंस्तम्भनयनजलोद्भावकम्पादियुक्ता मुक्ताः संसारदुःखैरहमिह सततं दासदासोऽस्मि तेषाम्॥१०॥

Blessed are those who, through devotion in their own hearts, thrill at the experience of Rāma's līlā and stand upon the path beyond liberation, filled with the highest bliss. Endowed with horripilation, perspiration, stillness, tears, trembling, and the other transformations, they are free from the sorrows of saṃsāra. Here and always I am the servant of their servants.

Passage 11

येषां रामे सहजासङ्गयुक्ते श्रीमत्प्रमोदाटविवासहृष्टे। नित्यं मनः प्रेमसमाधिमग्नं तेऽपि धन्या यूयमेते मुनीन्द्राः॥११॥

Those whose minds are always immersed in the samādhi of love for Rāma, united with Sahajā and delighted to dwell in glorious Pramodavana, are blessed—and so are all of you, O foremost sages.

Passage 12

इमां चिदानन्दकलां स्वयंभुवं स्वरूपतः श्रीसहजात्मिकामहम्। विज्ञाय पूर्णेश्वरतागुणाङ्कितां धियं किमु स्नेहपथे निवेशये॥१२॥

Having understood this self-existent potency of consciousness and bliss as Śrī Sahajā herself, marked by the quality of complete sovereignty, how can I direct my mind onto the path of parental affection?

Passage 13

ऐश्वर्यमस्याः स्मरतः प्रतिक्षणं कथं नु वात्सल्यरसो भविष्यति। इत्यस्मि चिन्ताकुलितोऽधुना मुने त्वयोपदिष्टे निभृते प्रेममार्गे॥१३॥

While remembering her sovereignty at every moment, how can the rasa of parental love arise? Thus I am troubled by anxiety now, sage, upon the secret path of love taught by you.

Passage 14

श्रीशुक उवाच— अस्याः काचित् परामाया या लीलाङ्गोपयोगिनी। तयैव विस्मृतेश्वर्यवात्सल्येन भविष्यसि॥१४॥

Śrī Śuka said: She possesses a certain supreme Māyā that serves as an instrument of līlā. Through that very power you will forget her sovereignty and enter parental affection.

Passage 15

पुत्रीस्नेहमयीं बुद्धिं प्राप्य ब्रह्मरसातिगाम्। लीलानुभवसानन्दः कृतकृत्यो भविष्यसि॥१५॥

Having obtained an understanding filled with love for a daughter and surpassing even the rasa of Brahman, you will experience the līlā with bliss and become completely fulfilled.

Passage 16

अनुग्रहो मयीशस्य रामस्य परमात्मनः। यल्लीलानुभवं दातुमुद्यतोऽसौ भवादृशे॥१६॥ This is the grace of Lord Rāma, the supreme Self, who is ready to grant the experience of līlā to one such as you. **इति श्रीमदादिरामायणे ब्रह्मभुशुण्डसंवादे पश्चिमखण्डे भरतलक्ष्मणीये सीताजन्मोत्सवे श्रीशुकजनकसंवादेऽष्टषष्टितमोऽध्यायः॥६८॥

** Thus ends Chapter Sixty-eight in the dialogue of Śrī Śuka and Janaka during the celebration of Sītā's birth, in the Bharata-Lakṣmaṇa section of the Paścima-khaṇḍa of the glorious Ādi Rāmāyaṇa, in the dialogue of Brahmā and Bhuśuṇḍa.