A Bird Must Hear a Bird, and Garuda Is Sent toward Bhushundi
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 60
Doha 63 · Movement 1 of 2
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Neither yoga, penance, knowledge, nor renunciation can attain Raghupati without love. Shiva points north toward the beautiful blue mountain where the virtuous Bhushundi dwells, ancient in years, unwavering in wisdom, and supremely skilled in the path of Rama-bhakti.
There the crow tells Rama's story continually while noble birds listen with reverence. Go, Shiva says, and hear Hari's abundant glory. The sorrow born of delusion will disappear. Garuda bows joyfully and prepares to fly toward a teacher whose species would seem far below the king of birds in worldly rank.
Shiva tells Uma why he offered no further explanation. By Rama's grace he understood the hidden design. If pride had entered Garuda, the compassionate Lord wished to wear it away. Shiva concealed nothing, yet a bird understands the language of a bird. Rama's powerful maya can bewilder any wise being, and grace chooses the precise form of satsang through which that being can become transparent again.
The king of birds is sent to a crow because grace knows the language in which the last shelter of pride will finally listen.
Read the passage from the Manas
मिलहिं न रघुपति बिनु अनुरागा। किएँ जोग तप ग्यान बिरागा।। उत्तर दिसि सुंदर गिरि नीला। तहँ रह काकभुसुंडि सुसीला।। राम भगति पथ परम प्रबीना। ग्यानी गुन गृह बहु कालीना।। राम कथा सो कहइ निरंतर। सादर सुनहिं बिबिध बिहंगबर।। जाइ सुनहु तहँ हरि गुन भूरी। होइहि मोह जनित दुख दूरी।। मैं जब तेहि सब कहा बुझाई। चलेउ हरषि मम पद सिरु नाई।। ताते उमा न मैं समुझावा। रघुपति कृपाँ मरमु मैं पावा।। होइहि कीन्ह कबहुँ अभिमाना। सो खौवै चह कृपानिधाना।। कछु तेहि ते पुनि मैं नहिं राखा। समुझइ खग खगही कै भाषा।। प्रभु माया बलवंत भवानी। जाहि न मोह कवन अस ग्यानी।।
One cannot attain Lord Raghupati without love, even through yoga, penance, knowledge, or renunciation. In the northern direction stands the beautiful blue mountain Neela. There dwells the virtuous Kakbhushundi. He is supremely skilled on the path of Rama-bhakti, a wise sage who has been the abode of virtues for many ages. He narrates the stories of Rama continuously, which various excellent birds listen to with reverence. 'Go there and listen to the abundant glories of Hari. Your delusion-born sorrow will be dispelled.' When I explained all this to him, he departed joyfully, bowing his head at my feet. Therefore, Uma, I did not instruct him further. By Raghupati's grace, I understood the secret. If he had ever shown pride, the compassionate Lord would have humbled him. I concealed nothing from him, for a bird understands the language of birds. The Lord's Maya is powerful, O Bhavani. What wise person is there who is not touched by it?