Beyond Millions of the Wise Stands One Devotee Free from Pride
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 52
Doha 54 · Movement 1 of 2
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Uma builds a ladder of spiritual rarity. Among thousands, one embraces dharma. Among millions of the righteous, one turns from sense pleasure into dispassion. Among millions of the detached, perhaps one attains true knowledge.
Among millions of the knowing, one may become liberated while living. Among thousands of such liberated souls, rare indeed is the realized one merged in Brahman, the mine of every happiness.
Rarer than righteous, detached, knowing, liberated, and Brahman-absorbed is the person devoted to Rama's bhakti and free from pride and maya. Uma looks up this immense ascent and finds Bhushundi seated at its summit in a crow's body. How did he receive this devotion? The question reverses worldly hierarchy. The rarest treasure is not held by the most impressive visible form, but by the heart most completely given to Rama.
At the summit beyond knowledge and liberation sits a crow whose only incomparable wealth is pride-free love for Rama.
Read the passage from the Manas
नर सहस्त्र महँ सुनहु पुरारी। कोउ एक होइ धर्म ब्रतधारी।। धर्मसील कोटिक महँ कोई। बिषय बिमुख बिराग रत होई।। कोटि बिरक्त मध्य श्रुति कहई। सम्यक ग्यान सकृत कोउ लहई।। ग्यानवंत कोटिक महँ कोऊ। जीवनमुक्त सकृत जग सोऊ।। तिन्ह सहस्त्र महुँ सब सुख खानी। दुर्लभ ब्रह्मलीन बिग्यानी।। धर्मसील बिरक्त अरु ग्यानी। जीवनमुक्त ब्रह्मपर प्रानी।। सब ते सो दुर्लभ सुरराया। राम भगति रत गत मद माया।। सो हरिभगति काग किमि पाई। बिस्वनाथ मोहि कहहु बुझाई।।
Listen, O Purari. Among thousands of men, perhaps one takes up the vow of dharma. Among millions devoted to dharma, perhaps one turns away from sense-pleasures and embraces detachment. Among millions of the detached, the scriptures say, perhaps one attains true jnana. Among millions of the wise, perhaps one becomes jivanmukta, liberated while still in this world. Among thousands of those liberated souls, the mine of all happiness, rare indeed is the one merged in Brahman. The dharma-keeper, the detached one, the jnani, the jivanmukta, the one merged in the Supreme. Rarer than all of these, O king of gods, is the one devoted to Rama's bhakti, free from pride and maya. How did that crow attain such bhakti to Hari? O Lord of the universe, please explain this to me.