Ram Calls Bharata the Swan of the Solar Dynasty
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 232
Doha 232 · Movement 1 of 2
Keep this contemplation
Preserve, print, or share
Ram arrays impossibilities before Lakshmana. Darkness might swallow the young sun, clouds dissolve the sky, a hoofprint puddle drown a great elephant, earth abandon forgiveness, or a mosquito's breath carry Mount Meru away before royal pride touches Bharata.
He swears by Dasharatha that no brother equals Bharata in purity and goodness. Then the world appears as milk and water mingled by the Creator, virtue joined everywhere with fault.
Bharata is the swan born upon the lake of the solar dynasty. He draws out the milk of goodness and leaves the water of defect, lighting the world with his fame. Speaking of that character and love, Ram himself becomes immersed in an ocean of affection.
As Ram praises the swan who gathers goodness from a mixed world, the speaker himself disappears into love for Bharata.
Read the passage from the Manas
तिमिरु तरुन तरनिहि मकु गिलई। गगनु मगन मकु मेघहिं मिलई।। गोपद जल बूड़हिं घटजोनी। सहज छमा बरु छाड़ै छोनी।। मसक फूँक मकु मेरु उड़ाई। होइ न नृपमदु भरतहि भाई।। लखन तुम्हार सपथ पितु आना। सुचि सुबंधु नहिं भरत समाना।। सगुन खीरु अवगुन जलु ताता। मिलइ रचइ परपंचु बिधाता।। भरतु हंस रबिबंस तड़ागा। जनमि कीन्ह गुन दोष बिभागा।। गहि गुन पय तजि अवगुन बारी। निज जस जगत कीन्हि उजिआरी।। कहत भरत गुन सीलु सुभाऊ। पेम पयोधि मगन रघुराऊ।।
Let darkness swallow the young sun. Let the sky dissolve into clouds. Let a puddle in a cow's hoofprint drown a great elephant. Let the earth herself abandon her natural forgiveness. Let a mosquito's breath blow Mount Meru away. Even then, royal pride cannot touch our brother Bharata. Lakshmana, I swear by our father: there is no brother as pure and noble as Bharata in all the world. Good qualities are like milk, and faults are like water. The Creator blends them both to fashion this world of appearances. Bharata is the swan born in the royal lake of the Sun Dynasty. From birth, he has known how to separate virtue from fault. Drawing out the milk of goodness and leaving behind the water of shortcomings, he has filled the world with the light of his glory. Speaking of Bharata's virtues, his gentle character, and his noble nature, the Lord of the Raghus became lost in an ocean of love.