Chapter Eight: Literature of the Rasika Tradition in Hindi

Vaidehī-sahitaṃ sura-druma-tale haime mahā-maṇḍape,
Madhye puṣpakam āsane maṇimaye vīrāsane saṃsthitam;
Agre vācayati Prabhañjana-sute tattvaṃ munīndraiḥ paraṃ,
Vyākhyātaṃ Bharatādibhiḥ parivṛtaṃ Rāmaṃ bhaje śyāmalam.

I worship dark-hued Rama, seated with Vaidehi beneath the celestial tree in the great golden pavilion, in its centre upon a flower-like jewelled throne and established in the heroic posture. Before him, the son of the Wind recites the supreme truth taught by the foremost sages, while Bharata and the others surround him.

Sri Rama, the playful connoisseur of the colours of rasa, then lies down to sleep. At his left, the beloved of the king of rasikas also lies down. Sri Bhakti and Bhakta begin to serve the feet of both divine forms.

Thereafter, seeing the lotus eyes of the Divine Couple sealed by sleep, Sri Bhakti-parānurakti and her entire company hold the beauty of the gracious Couple within their minds. Stepping softly outside, they close the doors.

The whole company then takes its place in the surrounding chamber of the sleeping apartment and begins to sing the Divine Couple’s fame in subdued voices and in Rāga Vihāga.

After meditating and reaching Sri Sita-Ramachandra in the dream state, the service-loving practitioner also offers full prostration at Sri Bhakti’s lotus feet, lies down below her toward the south, and in a dream reaches Sri Sita-Ramachandra’s presence. There the practitioner becomes immersed in the ocean of bliss.