No Poet Can Carry the Weight of the Brothers' Meeting
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 241
Doha 241 · Movement 1 of 2
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The meeting exceeds deed, mind, and speech. Both brothers are filled with perfect love until mind, intellect, awareness, and the sense of I fall away.
A poet depends upon meaning and word as a dancer depends upon rhythm, yet no comparison gives the mind a path into Bharata and Raghubir's affection. Even Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva cannot enter its depth.
Tulsi asks whether a slender thread made for a falcon could bear an elephant's weight. Heaven itself trembles before the embrace. Brihaspati awakens the frightened gods, who finally understand enough to shower flowers and praise what they cannot describe. Language serves by bowing at the edge.
The brothers meet where mind and I disappear, leaving poetry like a slender thread beneath the weight of an elephant.
Read the passage from the Manas
मिलनि प्रीति किमि जाइ बखानी। कबिकुल अगम करम मन बानी।। परम पेम पूरन दोउ भाई। मन बुधि चित अहमिति बिसराई।। कहहु सुपेम प्रगट को करई। केहि छाया कबि मति अनुसरई।। कबिहि अरथ आखर बलु साँचा। अनुहरि ताल गतिहि नटु नाचा।। अगम सनेह भरत रघुबर को। जहँ न जाइ मनु बिधि हरि हर को।। सो मैं कुमति कहौं केहि भाँती। बाज सुराग कि गाँडर ताँती।। मिलनि बिलोकि भरत रघुबर की। सुरगन सभय धकधकी धरकी।। समुझाए सुरगुरु जड़ जागे। बरषि प्रसून प्रसंसन लागे।।
How can the love of their meeting be told? It lies beyond the reach of all poets, beyond deed, mind, and speech. Both brothers were brimming with supreme, perfect love. Mind, intellect, awareness, and the sense of 'I' all fell away. Tell me, who can make such pure love visible? What likeness can a poet's understanding follow? A poet draws true strength from meaning and word, just as a dancer moves to rhythm and beat. The love between Bharata and the Lord of the Raghus is fathomless. Even the minds of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva cannot venture there. How then shall I, poor in wit, describe it? Can a slender falcon-thread bear the weight of an elephant? Watching the meeting of Bharata and the Lord of the Raghus, the hosts of gods trembled and their hearts pounded with awe. The Guru of the gods set them right, and those dull ones awakened. Then they rained down blossoms and began to sing praise.