The Wish Fulfilling Jewel of the Story
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 32
Sortha 32 · Movement 1 of 2
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Ram's story gleams like a chintamani set upon the noble understanding of saints. Its light adorns wisdom and spreads welfare through the world, giving the wealth of liberation, dharma, and the sacred abode. It becomes Guru to knowledge, detachment, and yoga, then physician to the terrible disease of becoming. Love for Sita and Ram is born beneath its care as a child between mother and father.
Where sin, anguish, and grief advance, the story stands as protector in this world and the next. It becomes counsellor, warrior, and king within discerning thought. Against the shoreless ocean of greed it rises with the firmness of the sage Agastya who drank the sea. Against the elephant herds of desire, anger, and Kali's corruption it sends a young lion through the forest of the devotee's mind.
At poverty's door it gathers like a rain cloud heavy with gifts. Before the serpent of the senses it shines as a mighty gem. Sunrays scatter delusion; monsoon rain nourishes the servant's crop; an autumn sky opens for the good poet's flight. The story is wish tree, saintly generosity, the devotee's life wealth, and a swan moving over the Manas of the heart. At last every image enters the same purifying current, bright as fire among the waves of Ganga.
The jewel turns in the saint's hand, and each face reveals another refuge.
Read the passage from the Manas
राम चरित चिंतामनि चारू। संत सुमति तिय सुभग सिंगारू।। जग मंगल गुन ग्राम राम के। दानि मुकुति धन धरम धाम के।। सदगुर ग्यान बिराग जोग के। बिबुध बैद भव भीम रोग के।। जननि जनक सिय राम प्रेम के। बीज सकल ब्रत धरम नेम के।। समन पाप संताप सोक के। प्रिय पालक परलोक लोक के।। सचिव सुभट भूपति बिचार के। कुंभज लोभ उदधि अपार के।। काम कोह कलिमल करिगन के। केहरि सावक जन मन बन के।। अतिथि पूज्य प्रियतम पुरारि के। कामद घन दारिद दवारि के।। मंत्र महामनि बिषय ब्याल के। मेटत कठिन कुअंक भाल के।। हरन मोह तम दिनकर कर से। सेवक सालि पाल जलधर से।। अभिमत दानि देवतरु बर से। सेवत सुलभ सुखद हरि हर से।। सुकबि सरद नभ मन उडगन से। रामभगत जन जीवन धन से।। सकल सुकृत फल भूरि भोग से। जग हित निरुपधि साधु लोग से।। सेवक मन मानस मराल से। पावक गंग तंरग माल से।।
Ram's story is the beautiful chintamani, the wish-fulfilling jewel. It is the lovely ornament adorning the body of saintly wisdom. Ram's cluster of virtues is the welfare of the whole world. He is the giver of the wealth of moksha, of dharma, and of every sacred abode.