Beneath Four Trees, Bhushundi Makes Every Hour an Offering to Rama
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 55
Doha 57 · Movement 1 of 2
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On that beautiful mountain lives the deathless crow-sage. Even the ending of a kalpa does not destroy him. The qualities and faults fashioned by maya, with delusion, desire, and ignorance, spread across the worlds, yet they do not approach this height. The blue mountain stands within creation like a clear space the world's fever cannot enter.
Bhushundi moves beneath the four great trees according to the rhythm of worship. Under the pipal he becomes still in meditation. Beneath the pakar he performs japa and yajna. In the mango shade he offers mental worship. Under the vast banyan he tells the many-colored deeds of Rama, singing them with reverence and love. Beyond Hari-bhajan, he has no other occupation.
Birds arrive from every direction. Pure-minded swans who dwell beside the lake gather beneath the branches and listen continually. When Shiva beholds this marvel, joy rises suddenly within him. He does not announce the Lord of Kailash. He takes the form of a swan and enters the listening assembly, content to sit among white wings while a crow opens the inexhaustible story of Rama.
On Bhushundi's mountain, every tree becomes an altar and even Shiva comes quietly as a swan to listen.
Read the passage from the Manas
तेहिं गिरि रुचिर बसइ खग सोई। तासु नास कल्पांत न होई।। माया कृत गुन दोष अनेका। मोह मनोज आदि अबिबेका।। रहे ब्यापि समस्त जग माहीं। तेहि गिरि निकट कबहुँ नहिं जाहीं।। तहँ बसि हरिहि भजइ जिमि कागा। सो सुनु उमा सहित अनुरागा।। पीपर तरु तर ध्यान सो धरई। जाप जग्य पाकरि तर करई।। आँब छाहँ कर मानस पूजा। तजि हरि भजनु काजु नहिं दूजा।। बर तर कह हरि कथा प्रसंगा। आवहिं सुनहिं अनेक बिहंगा।। राम चरित बिचीत्र बिधि नाना। प्रेम सहित कर सादर गाना।। सुनहिं सकल मति बिमल मराला। बसहिं निरंतर जे तेहिं ताला।। जब मैं जाइ सो कौतुक देखा। उर उपजा आनंद बिसेषा।।
On that beautiful mountain dwells that bird whose destruction does not occur even at the end of cosmic cycles. Maya creates countless qualities and defects: delusion, desire, and other forms of ignorance. Though these spread throughout the entire world, they never go near that mountain. Listen, Uma, with love, how that crow dwelling there worships Hari. Under the pipal tree he performs meditation. Under the pakar tree he conducts japa and yajna. In the shade of the mango tree he performs manasa-puja. Beyond devotion to Hari, he has no other concern. Under the banyan tree he narrates stories of Hari, where many birds come and listen. He sings the wonderful stories of Rama in various ways, with love and reverence. All the swans with pure intellect who dwell in that grove listen to him always. When I went and saw that marvel, special joy arose in my heart.