Atri Praises the Forest-Clad Lord as the Eternal Fourth
Aranya Kanda, Chhand 1
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Atri's hymn rises through the hermitage. He bows to the tender lover of devotees, compassionate and gentle, and worships lotus feet that grant the desireless their own true abode. Rama's dark beauty shines intensely before him, lotus eyes fully opened, mighty arms extended, bow, arrows, and quiver borne by the Lord of the three worlds.
He praises the ornament of the solar line, breaker of Shiva's bow, delight of sages and saints, destroyer of the hosts opposed to the gods. Honored by Shiva and served by the deathless ones, Rama is pure consciousness embodied, remover of every fault, Lord of Lakshmi, source of happiness, and refuge of the good, present with Sita and Lakshmana.
Those who worship his feet without envy do not sink in the ocean of becoming, crowded with waves of barren dispute. Atri beholds the one wondrous, desireless, all-pervading Lord, eternal teacher of the world, the fourth beyond waking, dream, and sleep, beloved of devotion and wish-fulfilling tree for his servants. Bowing to Sita's Lord, he asks for devotion to those feet and declares that reverent singers of this praise will reach them.
In Atri's hymn, the traveler seated on forest earth shines as pure consciousness, eternal refuge, and the shore beyond becoming.
Read the passage from the Manas
नमामि भक्त वत्सलं। कृपालु शील कोमलं।। भजामि ते पदांबुजं। अकामिनां स्वधामदं।। निकाम श्याम सुंदरं। भवाम्बुनाथ मंदरं।। प्रफुल्ल कंज लोचनं। मदादि दोष मोचनं।। प्रलंब बाहु विक्रमं। प्रभोऽप्रमेय वैभवं।। निषंग चाप सायकं। धरं त्रिलोक नायकं।। दिनेश वंश मंडनं। महेश चाप खंडनं।। मुनींद्र संत रंजनं। सुरारि वृंद भंजनं।। मनोज वैरि वंदितं। अजादि देव सेवितं।। विशुद्ध बोध विग्रहं। समस्त दूषणापहं।। नमामि इंदिरा पतिं। सुखाकरं सतां गतिं।। भजे सशक्ति सानुजं। शची पतिं प्रियानुजं।। त्वदंघ्रि मूल ये नराः। भजंति हीन मत्सरा।। पतंति नो भवार्णवे। वितर्क वीचि संकुले।। विविक्त वासिनः सदा। भजंति मुक्तये मुदा।। निरस्य इंद्रियादिकं। प्रयांति ते गतिं स्वकं।। तमेकमभ्दुतं प्रभुं। निरीहमीश्वरं विभुं।। जगद्गुरुं च शाश्वतं। तुरीयमेव केवलं।। भजामि भाव वल्लभं। कुयोगिनां सुदुर्लभं।। स्वभक्त कल्प पादपं। समं सुसेव्यमन्वहं।। अनूप रूप भूपतिं। नतोऽहमुर्विजा पतिं।। प्रसीद मे नमामि ते। पदाब्ज भक्ति देहि मे।। पठंति ये स्तवं इदं। नरादरेण ते पदं।। व्रजंति नात्र संशयं। त्वदीय भक्ति संयुता।।
That one is supremely dear to me. And you, dear lady, have all forms of devotion firm! The state that hosts of yogis find hard to reach, that state has become easy for you today. The supreme, matchless fruit of seeing me is that the soul attains its own true nature.