The Axe Has Passed, and Rama Now Reveals the Heart That Cuts
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 37
Doha 39 · Movement 1 of 2
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After showing the fragrance of saints, Rama describes the opposing nature. Harmful company brings grief like a parasitic creeper that enters a garden and slowly destroys what grows there. Therefore, he warns, do not enter it even by mistake.
Such hearts burn at another's prosperity and rejoice at another's blame as though treasure has been discovered. Desire, anger, pride, and greed govern them. Mercy is absent, deceit is practiced, and even those who offer help receive causeless hostility in return.
Falsehood enters receiving, giving, eating, and every ordinary exchange. Words may sound sweet as a peacock's call while the hidden appetite remains harsh and the heart hard. The portrait is not given for fascination with evil. It teaches discernment about association, showing how repeated nearness to envy, slander, and crookedness becomes a creeping force within one's own garden.
Rama warns that destructive company enters quietly, like a creeper whose green leaves conceal the garden it is killing.
Read the passage from the Manas
सनहु असंतन्ह केर सुभाऊ। भूलेहुँ संगति करिअ न काऊ।। तिन्ह कर संग सदा दुखदाई। जिमि कलपहि घालइ हरहाई।। खलन्ह हृदयँ अति ताप बिसेषी। जरहिं सदा पर संपति देखी।। जहँ कहुँ निंदा सुनहिं पराई। हरषहिं मनहुँ परी निधि पाई।। काम क्रोध मद लोभ परायन। निर्दय कपटी कुटिल मलायन।। बयरु अकारन सब काहू सों। जो कर हित अनहित ताहू सों।। झूठइ लेना झूठइ देना। झूठइ भोजन झूठ चबेना।। बोलहिं मधुर बचन जिमि मोरा। खाइ महा अति हृदय कठोरा।।
Listen to the nature of the wicked. Never associate with them, not even by mistake. Their companionship always brings sorrow, like the harhaai plant that destroys a whole garden over time. The hearts of the wicked burn with intense jealousy. They are always tormented seeing others' prosperity. Wherever they hear criticism of others, they rejoice as if they have found a buried treasure. They are devoted to kama, krodha, mada and lobha. They are merciless, deceitful, crooked and impure. They bear enmity without cause toward everyone, even toward those who wish them well. False in taking, false in giving, false in eating, false in every morsel. They speak sweet words like the call of a peacock, but devour what is vile, and their hearts are extremely hard.