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राम

उत्तरखण्ड · अध्याय 23

Rāma as Supreme Brahman, Cause, Cosmos, and Rasa

Global chapter 484 of 51424 passagesSource PDF pages 339340
Chapter context and opening material

Source: Volume 3, physical PDF pages 339–340 (printed pages 326–327). Structure: Twenty-four continuously numbered Sanskrit passages. Summary: Ātreya asks how the supreme Brahman can be known within Rāma's human form and royal līlā. Rāma answers by identifying himself as the seed, source, material, efficient cause, ritual, gods, language, and entire cosmos. All beings and divine powers subsist within his body and perceive him according to their capacity: as terrible Time, the supreme Person, death and immortality, or the blissful Puruṣottama whose līlā is the ground of rasa. When the phenomenal world subsides into him, he continues to delight through his inner potency.

Passage 1

आत्रेय उवाच— त्वमेव परमं ब्रह्म सदसत्परमव्ययम्। प्रकृतेः परमो दिव्यः पुरुषश्च ततः परम्॥१॥

Ātreya said: You alone are the supreme, imperishable Brahman beyond both being and non-being. You are the divine Person beyond prakṛti, and beyond even that.

Passage 2

अक्षरं ब्रह्म यत्पूर्णं तत्ते धाम परं पदम्। ततोऽपि परमः पूर्णस्त्वमेव पुरुषोत्तमः॥२॥

The full imperishable Brahman is your radiance and supreme abode. Higher and fuller even than that, you alone are Puruṣottama.

Passage 3

त्वत्तः परतरो नान्यः पूर्णानन्दैकविग्रहात्। रसात्मकं त्वत्स्वरूपं रस आनन्द ईरितः॥३॥

Nothing is higher than you, the one embodiment of complete bliss. Your essential form consists of rasa, and rasa is proclaimed to be bliss.

Passage 4

परन्तु मानुषं रूपं राजलीलां च पालयन्। न ज्ञायते परं ब्रह्म पुरुषैः प्राकृतैरिह॥४॥

Yet because you maintain a human form and enact royal līlā, ordinary people here do not recognize you as the supreme Brahman.

Passage 5

केचिद्द्विषन्ति कलयन्ति परं सखाय- मन्ये पितेति च विदन्ति परे सुतेति। कान्तेति केऽपि कलयन्त्यबला जनास्त्वा- मित्थं भवे रमसि मानुषभावमेत्य॥५॥

Some hate you; some regard you as their dearest friend. Others know you as father, others as son, and some women cherish you as beloved. In these ways you delight within the world after assuming a human condition.

Passage 6

तस्य ते रूपमानन्दमात्रं सुन्दरविग्रहम्। नेति नेति पुराविद्भिर्गदितं ब्रह्मणः परम्॥६॥

That beautiful form of yours is nothing but bliss. The ancient knowers described it as “not this, not this,” beyond even Brahman.

Passage 7

कथं ज्ञेयं रामचन्द्र दृष्टादृष्टानुभवात्मकम्। न हि प्राकृतजीवैस्त्वं याथातथ्येन दृश्यसे॥७॥

How, Rāmacandra, can you be known as the reality experienced through both the seen and the unseen? Ordinary embodied beings do not behold you as you truly are.

Passage 8

श्रीराम उवाच— अहं महद् ब्रह्मणि वीक्षणात्मकं बीजं निधायाद्यममोघरूपम्। गर्भं दधाम्यस्य प्रभवस्ततोऽभूच्चराचरस्याखिलभौतिकस्य॥८॥

Śrī Rāma said: I place within the great Brahman the primal, unfailing seed formed of my conscious regard. I impregnate it, and from that arises the whole material creation, moving and unmoving.

Passage 9

ममांशशक्त्या पुरुषः परोऽभून्नारायणः शङ्खगदादिपाणिः। सहस्रमूर्धा पुरुषस्ततोऽभून्नाभिपद्मो भगवान् विरिञ्चिः॥९॥

Through the power of my portion arose the supreme Person Nārāyaṇa, bearing conch, mace, and the other emblems. From him came the thousand-headed Person, and from his navel-lotus came Lord Virinci.

Passage 10

प्रादुरासीत्ततो मेधा वैदिकी ब्रह्मणो हृदि। स जगाद ततो वेदांश्चतुरः प्रणवादिकान्॥१०॥

Vedic intelligence then manifested in Brahmā's heart, and he proclaimed the four Vedas beginning with Praṇava.

Passage 11

शब्दब्रह्ममयी सृष्टिः प्रादुरासीत्तदात्मिका। नामरूपप्रपञ्चोऽभूत्ततोऽतिविपुलः स्फुटः॥११॥

Creation consisting of Śabda-Brahman appeared, formed of that revelation. From it unfolded the vast and manifest expanse of names and forms.

Passage 12

अहं यज्ञः क्रतुरहमहं सूर्याग्निचन्द्रमाः। अहं विद्युदहं वर्षमहं वायुर्घनाशनः॥१२॥

I am sacrifice; I am the sacrificial rite. I am sun, fire, and moon. I am lightning, rain, and the wind that consumes the clouds.

Passage 13

अहं स्वाहा स्वधाकारश्चाहमेव दिवौकसः। अहमेव पितॄणां च गणो धूमाज्यपायिनाम्॥१३॥

I am Svāhā and the invocation Svadhā; I alone am the dwellers in heaven. I am also the hosts of ancestors who receive smoke and clarified butter.

Passage 14

अहं विधिर्नामधेयान्यहं मन्त्रगणः पृथक्। अर्थवादश्चाहमेव प्रयोगोऽहं क्रियात्मकः॥१४॥

I am ritual injunction and every sacred designation; I am each distinct collection of mantras. I am the explanatory praise, the application of the rite, and its embodied action.

Passage 15

अहं विश्वमहं चैव विश्वेशो विश्वकारकः। अहं विश्वस्य संहर्ता कल्पोऽहं प्रतिसर्गकः॥१५॥

I am the universe, its Lord, and its maker. I am the destroyer of the universe, the cosmic age, and the source of each renewed creation.

Passage 16

उपादानं निमित्तं वाप्यहमेव सदा मुने। अक्षरात्मा ह्युपादानं निमित्तं पुरुषोत्तमः॥१६॥

I alone am always both material and efficient cause, sage. In my imperishable aspect I am the material cause, and as Puruṣottama I am the efficient cause.

Passage 17

अक्षरेण ततां सृष्टिं क्रीडयाम्यहमिच्छया। मम देहे ततं विश्वं प्रकृतिः पुरुषस्तथा॥१७॥

By my will I play through the creation pervaded by the Imperishable. The universe extends throughout my body, together with prakṛti and puruṣa.

Passage 18

ब्रह्माद्याः पुरुषांशाश्च शब्दोऽर्थश्च विशेषतः। आदित्या वसवो रुद्रा विश्वेदेवाश्च देवताः॥१८॥

Brahmā and the others are portions of the Person, as in particular are word and meaning, the Ādityas, Vasus, Rudras, Viśvedevas, and all the deities.

Passage 19

एवं मम शरीरान्तः पश्यन्तो दिव्यचक्षुषा। भीषणं मां प्रपश्यन्ति कलिकालं परात्परम्॥१९॥

Beholding in this way within my body through divine sight, some perceive me as the terrifying, all-transcending form of devouring Time.

Passage 20

भीषया चैव वर्तन्ते ममैवाज्ञावशानुगाः। सामन्ता लोकसामन्तास्तथा कल्पायुषः सुराः॥२०॥

From awe they carry out my command. The rulers of worlds and gods whose lives endure for a kalpa all serve as my vassals.

Passage 21

केचित्तु कालरूपं मां पश्यन्ति पुरुषं परे। अमृतं मृत्युमेवापि बिभ्रच्छक्त्या स्वविग्रहे॥२१॥

Some behold me in the form of Time, while others see the supreme Person, who through his power bears both immortality and death within his own form.

Passage 22

अपरे लीलया पूर्णं रसानन्दैकविग्रहम्। पश्यन्ति रसकेलीनामाश्रयं पुरुषोत्तमम्॥२२॥

Others behold Puruṣottama, complete in līlā, the single embodiment of rasa and bliss, and the ground of every play of divine relish.

Passage 23

एवं यथायथं स्वेच्छावशगो लोकलोचनः। मद्भक्तांश्च विशेषेण रमयामि रमामि च॥२३॥

Thus, appearing to the eyes of the world according to each being's disposition, I especially delight my devotees and myself delight with them.

Passage 24

मय्यात्माशमतां याते प्रपञ्चस्य लयो भवेत्। अन्तरङ्गस्य शक्त्यैव तदा ब्रह्मन् रमाम्यहम्॥२४॥

When all selves come to rest in me, the phenomenal world is dissolved. Then, brāhmaṇa, I delight through my inner potency alone.