Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

Knowing every bower as Rama’s own, they regard the world as no more than a dream.
They behold Sitapati throughout the world and look upon every living being with an equal heart.
To beings born from womb, egg, and every other source, they cause no pain through thought, word, or deed.
Their coming brings no elation and their departure no sorrow; they regard even Brahmaloka as grass.

Whether someone be king or pauper, if not a rasika they renounce both alike.
They take their daily food from rasikas and direct their minds toward alms from none but rasikas.
They keep a single patched cloak upon the body, like the lovely embodiment of detachment.
A tulsi garland hangs upon the neck, marking the exclusive swan-like form of devotion.

With their own hands they apply a tilak of stainless sandal paste and a yellow dot of turmeric honoured by the world.
Upon the heads of saints the small crown-like mark shines, beautified with delicate lines.
Bow and arrows are stamped upon the heart, while the footprints of Raghunayak mark the limbs.
They retain a single-threaded garment dyed yellow and keep body and speech devoted to Raghubir.

They accept the six-syllabled Rama mantra into the ear and transmit only this authoritative instruction.
Compassionate, patient, renouncing, and endowed with discrimination,
They absorb the mind into their own consciousness and observe the single vow of Rama’s rāsa.

With loincloth at the waist and water pot in hand, they wander the beautiful bowers of Pramodavana.
Uttering the words of Nṛtya Rāghava, they cause rāsa-rasikatā to surge within the heart.
Keeping the scripture of Rama’s rāsa within the mind, they hear and recite it, increasing love.
With mind, action, and speech, supremely wise, they meditate upon rāsa day and night.

With speech they recite songs of rāsa; with the mind they sustain contemplation of rāsa.
With the body they arrange the adornments of rāsa and, beholding Sita-Rama’s form, give themselves in sacrifice.

In Vikrama eighteen hundred and four, on the sweet third lunar day of the bright spring fortnight,
Nṛtya Rāghava Milana came into being, the seed from which all rasa arises.

When knowledge becomes vision, detachment the sun, and devotion the seeing eye,
Then, says Ramsakhe, one meets Raghupati and happiness arises within one’s own heart.

Elsewhere the exclusive rasika remains immersed in happiness, yet sees nothing apart from Rama’s form.
Attachment to that beauty remains within the mind, and not for a moment or blink is one separated from Raghava.
Seeing any beautiful man or woman brings the pain of separation from Rama with tremendous force.
A handsome prince riding in splendour awakens an overwhelming meditation upon Rama’s beauty.

Hearing the cuckoo call or beholding peacocks dance gently,
Ramsakhe’s mind is seized by the desire to meet Rama and behold his beauty.