As Bharata's Body Fades, the Inner Sky Fills with Rama
Ayodhya Kanda, Chaupai 325
Doha 325 · Movement 1 of 2
Keep this contemplation
Preserve, print, or share
Day after day Bharata's body grows thinner. Strength, outward brilliance, and the beauty of his face diminish beneath austerity. Yet within him the vow of Rama's love is drunk ever new, dharma gathers like a victorious army, and the mind remains stainless while the visible frame recedes.
The poet opens an autumn sky inside Bharata's heart. As waters clear and lotuses unfold, self-mastery, control of the senses, discipline, sacred observance, and worship appear like constellations. Unshaken faith holds its place like the Pole Star, and remembrance of the Lord stretches luminous as the celestial river.
Above them shines the flawless, changeless moon of Rama's love with its whole radiant company. Bharata's conduct, understanding, actions, devotion, detachment, virtues, and pure glory fill the night beyond measure. Every poet approaches and hesitates. Even Shesha and Ganesha cannot carry speech to the boundary of this splendor.
Nandigram sees an ascetic growing frail, while heaven sees Rama's moon filling the limitless sky of his heart.
Read the passage from the Manas
देह दिनहुँ दिन दूबरि होई। घटइ तेजु बलु मुखछबि सोई।। नित नव राम प्रेम पनु पीना। बढ़त धरम दलु मनु न मलीना।। जिमि जलु निघटत सरद प्रकासे। बिलसत बेतस बनज बिकासे।। सम दम संजम नियम उपासा। नखत भरत हिय बिमल अकासा।। ध्रुव बिस्वास अवधि राका सी। स्वामि सुरति सुरबीथि बिकासी।। राम पेम बिधु अचल अदोषा। सहित समाज सोह नित चोखा।। भरत रहनि समुझनि करतूती। भगति बिरति गुन बिमल बिभूती।। बरनत सकल सुकचि सकुचाहीं। सेस गनेस गिरा गमु नाहीं।।
Day by day his body grew thinner, and his outward radiance, strength, and the beauty of his face diminished. Yet each day he drank anew the rich wine of love for Rama. The army of dharma within him grew stronger, and his mind remained utterly pure. Just as water grows clear and luminous in the autumn light, revealing lotuses blooming in their full splendour. Self-mastery (shama), sense-control (dama), discipline (sanyama), sacred vows (niyama), and worship (upasana) shone like stars in the spotless sky of Bharata's heart. His unwavering faith stood like the Pole Star (Dhruva), and his constant remembrance of the Lord spread across his inner sky like the radiant Milky Way. The moon of Rama's love, changeless and without blemish, shone each night with all its attendant splendour. Bharata's way of living, his understanding, his every deed; his devotion, his detachment, his virtues: these were the pure and sacred ornaments of his being. All poets grow hesitant when they try to describe these glories. Even Shesha and Ganesha find that words cannot reach there.