Mandodari Maps the Universe Across the Body of Rama
Lanka Kanda, Chaupai 15
Doha 16 · Movement 1 of 2
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Rama's feet descend into Patala and his head reaches Brahma's realm. Every other world rests along his limbs. A movement of his brows becomes terrible Time, the suns become his eyes, and masses of cloud gather as his hair.
The Ashvini twins form his nostrils. Night and day pass as his innumerable blinks. Ten directions listen as his ears, wind moves as breath, and the Vedas sound as his speech. Greed shapes his lips, Yama his fearful teeth, Maya his laughter, and the guardians of the quarters his arms.
Fire is his mouth and the lord of waters his tongue. Creation, preservation, and dissolution are his movement. The eighteen Puranas stand as rows of hair, mountains as bones, rivers as veins, ocean as belly, and the depths below as his lower being. The universe already fills Rama, Mandodari says. What further image is needed?
Ravana prepares to fight a man while Mandodari shows him the worlds breathing inside that man's form.
Read the passage from the Manas
पद पाताल सीस अज धामा। अपर लोक अँग अँग बिश्रामा।। भृकुटि बिलास भयंकर काला। नयन दिवाकर कच घन माला।। जासु घ्रान अस्विनीकुमारा। निसि अरु दिवस निमेष अपारा।। श्रवन दिसा दस बेद बखानी। मारुत स्वास निगम निज बानी।। अधर लोभ जम दसन कराला। माया हास बाहु दिगपाला।। आनन अनल अंबुपति जीहा। उतपति पालन प्रलय समीहा।। रोम राजि अष्टादस भारा। अस्थि सैल सरिता नस जारा।। उदर उदधि अधगो जातना। जगमय प्रभु का बहु कलपना।।
His feet rest in Patala, and his head reaches the abode of Brahma. All the other worlds find rest in his limbs. The play of his eyebrows creates the fearsome Kala. His eyes are the sun and his hair the masses of clouds. The Ashvini Kumaras are his nostrils. The endless moments of night and day are his blinking. The ten directions are his ears, as the Vedas declare. The wind is his breath and the sacred scriptures his own speech. Desire forms his lips, Yama his terrible teeth. Maya is his laughter and the dikpalas his arms. Agni is his face and the lord of the ocean his tongue. Creation, preservation, and dissolution are his play. The countless hairs of his body are the eighteen Puranas. Mountains are his bones and rivers his flowing veins. The ocean is his belly and the netherworld his depth. O Prabhu who pervades the universe, what need is there for more?