Chapter Six — Rama and the Soul’s Essential Nature

Dvi-bhujaś cāpa-bhṛc caiva bhaktābhīṣṭa-prapūrakaḥ,
Vaidehī-vallabho nityaṃ kaiśora-vayasi sthitaḥ. (38)

He has two arms and bears bow and arrow. He fulfils every cherished longing of his devotees. He is the beloved of Vaidehi and abides eternally in the freshness of divine adolescence.

Evaṃ-bhūtaś ca jñātavyo Rāmo rājīva-locanaḥ,
Sthūla-sūkṣma-kāraṇato bhinnaḥ kośāc ca pañcakāt,
Jāgrat-svapnādy-avasthānāṃ sākṣī-bhūtas tu sarvadā. (39)

Lotus-eyed Rama is to be known in this manner: eternally distinct from the gross, subtle, and causal bodies and from the five sheaths, he remains the witness of waking, dream, deep sleep, and every other state.

The gross body is formed from twenty-four principles, the subtle body from seventeen, and the causal covering from the most fundamental principles that support destiny, action, and accumulated karma. These are coverings of material nature. Beyond the five sheaths of food, life force, mind, discernment, and conditioned bliss stands the Self of the self, the lotus-eyed Supreme Self Sri Rama.

Cid-ānandamayaṃ nityaṃ divya-vigraha-saṃyutam,
Akhaṇḍaika-rasaṃ caiva kaiśora-vayasi sthitam. (40)

He is eternally composed of consciousness and bliss, possessed of a divine form, one indivisible and unbroken rasa, and forever established in divine adolescence.

Dvi-bhujaṃ sattva-sampannam īśa-sevā-prayojanam,
Prabhor niyāmya-śeṣatvaṃ jñātavyaṃ sva-svarūpakam. (41, continues)

The soul’s own essential form is to be known as two-armed and filled with pure being, having service to the Lord as its sole purpose, governed by the Lord and eternally belonging to him as his dependent servant.