Six Seasons Flow Through the Story
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 42
Doha 42 · Movement 1 of 2
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The river of Ram's fame travels through all six seasons without losing its purity. Winter gathers around the wedding of Shiva and the daughter of the snow mountain, cool and crystalline. The rejoicing at the Lord's birth brings another gentle freshness. Then spring arrives in full splendour for the weddings of Ram and his brothers, filling every direction with colour, fragrance, music, and auspicious movement.
Summer begins when Ram leaves for the forest. The road burns beneath his feet, and the story blows hot as a merciless wind across the travellers. Monsoon darkens into the warfare of night wanderers, thunderous with danger yet carrying deliverance for the gods like rice fields awaiting rain. At last Ram Rajya opens as clear autumn, its sky washed clean, its waters settled, its happiness joined to humility and praise.
Through every change, Sita's spotless virtue remains a pure and incomparable path. Bharat's nature remains cool in every season, an unchanging current no language can adequately describe. Time transforms the landscape of the Leela, but their fidelity does not rise and fall with weather.
The seasons turn around Sita and Bharat, while their purity remains one clear climate.
Read the passage from the Manas
कीरति सरित छहूँ रितु रूरी। समय सुहावनि पावनि भूरी।। हिम हिमसैलसुता सिव ब्याहू। सिसिर सुखद प्रभु जनम उछाहू।। बरनब राम बिबाह समाजू। सो मुद मंगलमय रितुराजू।। ग्रीषम दुसह राम बनगवनू। पंथकथा खर आतप पवनू।। बरषा घोर निसाचर रारी। सुरकुल सालि सुमंगलकारी।। राम राज सुख बिनय बड़ाई। बिसद सुखद सोइ सरद सुहाई।। सती सिरोमनि सिय गुनगाथा। सोइ गुन अमल अनूपम पाथा।। भरत सुभाउ सुसीतलताई। सदा एकरस बरनि न जाई।।
The river of His glory flows lovely through all six seasons, ever timely, ever pure, ever abundant. The wedding of Shiva and Parvati, daughter of Himalaya, is the winter season of this lake: a delightful coolness that refreshes every soul and is celebrated throughout the world.