Ram's Footsteps Make Villages Rival Heaven
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 113
Doha 113 · Movement 1 of 2
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Villages and towns along Ram's route become objects of longing even to celestial cities. What merit established these homes in such an hour? Wherever the sacred feet pass, that ordinary ground surpasses Amaravati, and nearby residents are praised by the dwellers of heaven.
Those who fill their vision with cloud dark Ram beside Sita and Lakshmana become heaps of holy fortune. Lakes and rivers entered by him are honored among divine waters. A tree beneath which he rests receives the admiration of wish fulfilling trees.
The earth herself feels her immeasurable blessing when touched by pollen dust from his lotus feet. Divinity does not make the road irrelevant. It makes each bank, settlement, pool, root, and patch of soil newly capable of sacred distinction through contact with the travelling Lord.
As Ram walks, anonymous dust becomes holier than heaven and roadside trees receive the praise of paradise.
Read the passage from the Manas
जे पुर गाँव बसहिं मग माहीं। तिन्हहि नाग सुर नगर सिहाहीं।। केहि सुकृतीं केहि घरीं बसाए। धन्य पुन्यमय परम सुहाए।। जहँ जहँ राम चरन चलि जाहीं। तिन्ह समान अमरावति नाहीं।। पुन्यपुंज मग निकट निवासी। तिन्हहि सराहहिं सुरपुरबासी।। जे भरि नयन बिलोकहिं रामहि। सीता लखन सहित घनस्यामहि।। जे सर सरित राम अवगाहहिं। तिन्हहि देव सर सरित सराहहिं।। जेहि तरु तर प्रभु बैठहिं जाई। करहिं कलपतरु तासु बड़ाई।। परसि राम पद पदुम परागा। मानति भूमि भूरि निज भागा।।
The cities and villages that nestle along Rama's path fill even the celestial cities of nagas and devas with longing. By what great merit, in what blessed hour, were these homes established? Truly fortunate, brimming with punya, supremely beautiful. Wherever Rama's sacred feet choose to walk, not even Amaravati, the city of Indra, can rival those places. Those who dwell near the path are punyapunj, heaps of holy merit; the very residents of Surapura sing their praises. Those who fill their eyes with the darshana of Rama, dark as a rain cloud, together with Sita and Lakshmana. The lakes and rivers in which Rama bathes are honored even by the divine sarovars and saritaas of the gods. Beneath whichever tree the Prabhu goes to sit, even the kalpataru, the wish-fulfilling tree, bows in praise of it. Touched by the sacred pollen of Rama's lotus feet, the earth herself counts her fortune beyond all measure.