Passage 1
आत्रेय उवाच— नमो नमस्ते पुरुषात्मने विभो तस्यापि धौरेयमथो नमाम्यहम्। तस्याश्रयं चापि भवन्तमीश्वरं स्तवैः सुकल्पैर्वचनेश्च पौरुषैः॥१॥
Ātreya said: Homage, repeated homage to you, all-pervading Soul of the Person. I bow to you as the foremost even beyond him, as his ground and sovereign Lord, with well-fashioned hymns and words of praise.
Passage 2
धन्योऽस्म्यहं नाथ तवात्यनुग्रहाद्धन्या कृपा ते करुणार्णवस्य। यया स्वरूपं तव रामचन्द्र द्रष्टास्म्यहं ब्रह्मशिवाद्यदृश्यम्॥२॥
Blessed am I, Lord, through your surpassing favor; blessed is the grace of you who are an ocean of compassion. Through it, Rāmacandra, I have become a beholder of your essential form, unseen even by Brahmā, Śiva, and the other gods.
Passage 3
अहो विचित्रं भगवंस्तवेदृशं स्वरूपमद्धा परितः प्रकाशते। अवाङ्मनोगोचरमिच्छयैव ते प्रमोदलीलाधिप दृश्यतां गतम्॥३॥
How wondrous, Lord—this form of yours shines manifestly on every side. Beyond the reach of speech and mind, it has become visible solely by your will, sovereign of the Pramoda līlā.
Passage 4
अमी सहस्रार्कमरीचिभासो वर्षन्ति पीयूषमहो दृशोर्मे। न चेदृशी कापि पुरा परा मे दृष्टा प्रभा तेन विचित्रितोऽस्मि॥४॥
These forms, radiant as the rays of a thousand suns, pour nectar upon my eyes. Never before have I seen any higher splendor like this; therefore I stand amazed.
Passage 5
अमी प्रभो ते बहवोऽवताराः शरीरतो राम समुल्लसन्ति। अनन्ततां तेन तवाप्रमेय प्रत्येमि लीलारसरञ्जितस्य॥५॥
Lord Rāma, these many incarnations shine forth from your body. Through them I recognize the infinity of you, immeasurable one, adorned by the rasa of divine play.
Passage 6
रामप्रमोदविपिनाय नमो नमस्ते रत्नाद्रये च सरयूपुलिनावनीभ्यः। त्वद्रासकेलिसविलाससमस्तगोपीभूषामणिक्वणितकुञ्जदरीगुहाभ्यः॥६॥
Homage, repeated homage to Rāma's Pramoda forest, to Ratnādri, and to the lands along the Sarayū's bank; homage to the bowers, ravines, and caves that ring with the jeweled ornaments of all the gopīs sporting in your rāsa play.
Passage 7
किं मे तपः किं विज्ञानं का भक्तिः पदयोस्तव। केवलं करुणा राम त्वदीया साधनं मम॥७॥
What austerity have I, what realization, what devotion to your feet? Rāma, your compassion alone has been my means.
Passage 8
किं ते विधेयमथ न ह्यतिरिक्तमीश पूर्णस्य पूर्णशुभदानसदाकरस्य। किं तु प्रपत्तिमनयोः पदपद्मयोस्ते भक्त्या प्रणम्य जगदीश सकृत्करोमि॥८॥
What could be done for you, Lord? Nothing can be added to the complete one, the perpetual source of every perfect blessing. I can only bow with devotion and once make surrender at these two lotus feet of yours, Lord of the world.
Passage 9
कैवल्यदाननिरतस्य तव स्वभावो भक्तिप्रदानविषये विरलोऽस्ति राम। ब्रह्मादिकेष्वसुलभा फलवृन्दभूमा सा वै कृपा रघुपते मयि तेऽवतीर्णा॥९॥
Rāma, your nature is ever intent on giving liberation, but exceedingly rare when it comes to giving devotion. That grace of yours—an abundance of every fruit inaccessible even to Brahmā and the others—has descended upon me, Lord of Raghu's line.
Passage 10
किं रावणाद्यसुरकोटिजयेन राम त्वद्वीर्यवृद्धिममराः परितो गृणन्ति। यस्याक्षरं परमधाम पदं चकास्ति यस्यांशभाज इतरे परपूरुषौघाः॥१०॥
Why, Rāma, do the immortals proclaim on every side that your valor was magnified by victory over Rāvaṇa and crores of demons? Akṣara, the supreme radiance, shines as your station, while the other hosts of transcendent Persons merely share in your portions.
Passage 11
परात्परस्त्वमसि राम परोपरेशो साकेतराज्यपदभासितपूर्णलीलः। श्रीलोचनान्तसुखलालितवक्त्रपद्मलोलालकावलिविनिर्जितकोटिकामः॥११॥
You are higher than the highest, Rāma, sovereign of all that is higher and lower, your complete līlā shining in the royal realm of Sāketa. The lotus of your face is caressed by Śrī's joyous sidelong glance, and its swaying curls conquer crores of Love-gods.
Passage 12
त्वत्कोमलाङ्घ्रिकमलप्रभवैः परागैः पूर्णं विलिप्ततनुरञ्जुलिशोणभौभिः। धन्यो जनो रसिकराजशिरोमणिः स यो वै सदैव तव रूपविलोककारी॥१२॥
Blessed is that person, the crest-jewel among kings of rasikas, who always beholds your form—his whole body anointed with pollen born from your tender lotus feet and suffused with lovely crimson radiance. Source note: The edition prints the dense expression पूर्णं विलिप्ततनुरञ्जुलिशोणभौभिः. Its clear governing image—an entire body colored by the pollen and ruddy splendor of Rāma's lotus feet—is translated without silently replacing the visible reading.
Passage 13
यस्येदृशस्य तव राम रसालशीला लीलाललामललनाः पशुवृत्तयोऽपि। नित्यं जयन्ति सर्वोपरि वर्तमानाः नामैव ते भुवनभूषण मञ्जुलाढ्यम्॥१३॥
Rāma, the crowning maidens of your nectar-filled līlā, though they assume the ways of cowherd folk, eternally triumph and abide above all. Your charming name alone is the ornament of the worlds.
Passage 14
रूपं पुनर्नयनदुर्लभमप्सराणां धन्या इमे वत जनास्तव भक्तमुख्याः। साकेतवासिमनुजाश्च मुहुर्गृणन्ति किं ते स्तुतिनिगममानसराजहंस॥१४॥
Your form is difficult even for the eyes of the apsarases to attain. Blessed indeed are these foremost devotees of yours and the human residents of Sāketa who praise you again and again. Yet what praise can equal you, royal swan upon the mind-lake of revelation?
Passage 15
किं तेऽर्चनं विविधभोगरसोत्सवाढ्यं यद्दर्शनेन करुणासुलभेन राम। स्वानन्दसिन्धुलहरीषु विश्रामितावद् राम प्रपन्नजनकामदपारिजात॥१५॥
What worship can I offer you, Rāma, when your vision—easily granted through compassion—is itself rich with manifold delights, rasa, and festival? Let me rest now in the waves of your own ocean of bliss, Rāma, wish-fulfilling pārijāta of those who surrender.
Passage 16
लीलारसं तव निभाल्य विमोहितोऽस्मि नातः परं प्रिय कदापि पुनः सहिष्ये। श्रीमत्पदाम्बुजवियोगमसह्यदुःखं या कापि राम तव दिव्यसखी भवेयम्॥१६॥
Beholding the rasa of your līlā, I am utterly enchanted. Beloved, never again could I bear the intolerable pain of separation from your glorious lotus feet. Rāma, may I become any one at all among your divine companions.
Passage 17
इच्छामि ते विरहजं भयमद्य मोक्तुं नो चेदतीव विरहानलतापतप्तः। स्थास्यामि किं नु करुणारसवारिराशे ……………… ॥१७॥
Today I wish to cast off the fear born of separation from you. Otherwise, scorched exceedingly by separation's fire, how could I remain, O ocean of the nectar of compassion? [The rest of the passage is absent in the printed edition.] Source note: After करुणारसवारिराशे, the source itself prints a long dotted lacuna before marker 17. No missing words have been conjectured or supplied.
Passage 18
इत्थं स्तुत्वा पुनः स्तुत्वा पादयोश्च पुनः पुनः। निपत्य च निपत्यासौ वाष्पधाराभिषेचितः॥१८॥
Praising him thus and praising him yet again, Ātreya fell repeatedly at his feet, bathed by streams of tears.
Passage 19
पुनः पुनः समुत्थाय ववन्दे देवतोत्तमम्। रूपसंहरणार्थाय प्रार्थयामास भौतवत्॥१९॥
Rising again and again, he bowed to the highest of the gods and, as one overcome with fear, begged him to withdraw that form. Source note: The terminal word is visibly printed भौतवत्. The English follows its narrative function—Ātreya has just declared himself unable to bear the vision and asks Rāma to withdraw it—without silently rewriting the Sanskrit.
Passage 20
आत्रेय उवाच— दृष्टं परं स्वरूपं ते श्रीराम करुणानिधे। अतः परं चक्षुषी मे द्रष्टुमेतन्न शक्नुतः॥२०॥
Ātreya said: I have seen your supreme essential form, Śrī Rāma, treasure of compassion. My two eyes can no longer bear to behold it.
Passage 21
कोटिसूर्यप्रभाधारचाकचक्यप्रभासुरे। चरणाङ्गुष्ठनखरे मीलतो मम चक्षुषी॥२१॥
Before the dazzling blaze that bears the radiance of crores of suns—even in the nail of your great toe—my two eyes close.
Passage 22
तस्मादिदं संहर नाथ पूर्ववत्तदेव मे दर्शय राम रूपम्। शान्तं स्वसाकेतपुरीगृहस्थं प्रमोदलीलारसरञ्जितं च॥२२॥
Therefore withdraw this form, Lord, and show me again your former form, Rāma: peaceful, dwelling at home in your own city of Sāketa, and suffused with the rasa of Pramoda līlā.
Passage 23
श्रीराम उवाच— मा मेरिदं करुणया मम दृष्ट्वास्त्वं रूपं व्यतीतगुणसंसृतिकालमायम्। नातः परं तव मुने भविता प्रवाहो मन्नित्यधामनि पुनः सततं रमेथाः॥२३॥
Śrī Rāma said: Through my compassion you have beheld this form of mine, beyond the guṇas, transmigration, Time, and māyā. From now onward, sage, the stream of becoming will no longer be yours; may you delight perpetually in my eternal abode. Source note: The passage opens with the difficult printed sequence मा मेरिदं. Because its exact syntax is uncertain, the English translates only the unambiguous promise carried by the remainder of the passage and does not invent a replacement reading.
Passage 24
ब्रह्मोवाच— इत्युक्त्वा देवदेवेशो रामस्त्रैलोक्यसुन्दरः। तथैवासीद् प्रथमवत् स्वर्णसिंहासनस्थितः॥२४॥
Brahmā said: Having spoken thus, Rāma—the Lord of the gods and beauty of the three worlds—appeared again as before, seated upon his golden throne.
Passage 25
य एतां रामचन्द्रेण गीतामात्रेयसन्निधौ। संहितां पठते मर्त्यस्तं देवः कृपयेत् स्वयम्॥२५॥
The mortal who reads this Gītā, set forth by Rāmacandra in Ātreya's presence, will be graced by the Lord himself.
Passage 26
दुर्वाससंश्च संवादं रामस्य च प्रभोरिमम्। योऽधीयीत द्विजः प्राज्ञः स ज्ञानी भवति ध्रुवम्॥२६॥
The wise twice-born person who studies this dialogue of Lord Rāma with Durvāsas surely becomes a knower of truth.
Passage 27
भक्तिमान् भक्तिवृद्धिं च लभते नात्र संशयः। तथा कर्मफलं दिव्यं सद्योः प्राप्नोति मानुषः॥२७॥
A devotee gains an increase of devotion—of this there is no doubt—and a human being immediately obtains the divine fruit of sacred action. Source note: The source prints सद्योः where the sentence plainly uses the adverbial sense “immediately.” The photographed reading is preserved while the syntax is rendered directly.
Passage 28
धर्मार्थकाममोक्षार्थी पुरुषार्थांस्तथा लभेत्। विस्तृतोऽष्टादशाध्यायैः प्रबन्धोऽयं महामखः॥२८॥
One who seeks dharma, prosperity, desire, or liberation obtains those human aims. This composition, a great sacrifice, extends through eighteen chapters.
Passage 29
नैतत्प्रकाश्यमप्राज्ञे रामभक्तिविवर्जिते। शास्त्रं श्रीरामगीताख्यं दिव्यं सर्वोपरि स्थितम्॥२९॥
This is not to be disclosed to one who is undiscerning and devoid of devotion to Rāma. The divine scripture called the Śrī Rāma Gītā stands above all.
Passage 30
पठनीयं प्रयत्नेन श्रीरामभक्तिमिच्छता। परब्रह्मणि सर्वेशे सर्वोपास्यशिरोमणौ॥३०॥
It should be read with diligence by one who desires devotion to Śrī Rāma—the supreme Brahman, Lord of all, and crest-jewel of all who are worshiped.