The Sandalwood Gives Fragrance to the Axe That Cuts It
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 35
Doha 37 · Movement 1 of 2
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Bharata makes one bold request. Vedas, Puranas, and Rama's own blessed mouth have praised the saints, and Rama's love for them is immense. Bharata asks to hear their marks and to understand clearly the difference between saintly and harmful conduct.
Rama begins with an image held in wood and iron. The action of a saint toward one who harms is like the conduct of sandalwood toward an axe.
The blade enters the fragrant trunk and cuts it. The sandalwood does not learn the axe's violence. It gives its own fragrance to the metal that wounds it until the destroyer carries the perfume of what it has struck. Saintliness is not mere inability to resist. It is fidelity to one's deepest nature even in contact with injury, a goodness so abundant that harm leaves bearing its gift.
The saint does not become an axe when struck, but makes even the cutting edge smell of sandalwood.
Read the passage from the Manas
करउँ कृपानिधि एक ढिठाई। मैं सेवक तुम्ह जन सुखदाई।। संतन्ह कै महिमा रघुराई। बहु बिधि बेद पुरानन्ह गाई।। श्रीमुख तुम्ह पुनि कीन्हि बड़ाई। तिन्ह पर प्रभुहि प्रीति अधिकाई।। सुना चहउँ प्रभु तिन्ह कर लच्छन। कृपासिंधु गुन ग्यान बिचच्छन।। संत असंत भेद बिलगाई। प्रनतपाल मोहि कहहु बुझाई।। संतन्ह के लच्छन सुनु भ्राता। अगनित श्रुति पुरान बिख्याता।। संत असंतन्हि कै असि करनी। जिमि कुठार चंदन आचरनी।। काटइ परसु मलय सुनु भाई। निज गुन देइ सुगंध बसाई।।
O treasure of compassion, I make one bold request. I am your servant and you are the giver of joy to devotees. O Raghurai, the glory of saints has been sung in many ways by the Vedas and Puranas. From your blessed mouth too you have greatly praised them, and the Lord has abundant love for them. I wish to hear their characteristics, O Lord. You are an ocean of grace, virtue, knowledge and wisdom. O protector of the humble, explain to me clearly the distinction between saints and the wicked. Listen, brother, to the characteristics of saints, which are described in countless scriptures and Puranas. The conduct of saints toward the wicked is like that of the axe toward sandalwood. The axe cuts the Malaya sandalwood, listen brother, but the sandalwood gives its own fragrance in return.