The Boat Moves, Yet the Passenger Accuses the Shore of Motion
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 71
Doha 74 · Movement 1 of 2
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Raghupati's lila bewilders demons and gives joy to devotees. Those whose minds are clouded by sense-objects and desire look upon the Lord's human play and place delusion in him. Bhushundi answers through images drawn from ordinary sight.
A diseased eye calls the moon yellow. One confused about direction declares that the sun has risen in the west. A passenger carried by a moving boat sees the shore glide past and considers himself still. Children spin until the courtyard wheels around them, then argue that the houses are moving and call one another false.
So the mind projects its own condition upon Rama. The Lord is not altered by the defect through which he is seen. Those ruled by maya lodge doubts in the heart and stubbornly assign their ignorance to the one they cannot measure. Bhushundi turns Garuda's question back toward the location of bewilderment: not in Rama, but in the vision that beholds him.
The shore has never moved, the moon has never yellowed, and Rama has never entered the ignorance through which a restless mind sees him.
Read the passage from the Manas
असि रघुपति लीला उरगारी। दनुज बिमोहनि जन सुखकारी।। जे मति मलिन बिषयबस कामी। प्रभु मोह धरहिं इमि स्वामी।। नयन दोष जा कहँ जब होई। पीत बरन ससि कहुँ कह सोई।। जब जेहि दिसि भ्रम होइ खगेसा। सो कह पच्छिम उयउ दिनेसा।। नौकारूढ़ चलत जग देखा। अचल मोह बस आपुहि लेखा।। बालक भ्रमहिं न भ्रमहिं गृहादीं। कहहिं परस्पर मिथ्याबादी।। हरि बिषइक अस मोह बिहंगा। सपनेहुँ नहिं अग्यान प्रसंगा।। मायाबस मतिमंद अभागी। हृदयँ जमनिका बहुबिधि लागी।। ते सठ हठ बस संसय करहीं। निज अग्यान राम पर धरहीं।।
Such is the leela of Raghupati, O Uragari (enemy of serpents), which bewilders the danavas yet brings joy to the devoted. Those whose minds are impure, enslaved by vishaya (sense-objects) and kama, attribute moha to the Lord Himself. When one has a defect of the eyes, he calls the moon yellow in color. When one is confused about direction, O Khagesha, he says the sun has risen in the west. One seated in a moving boat sees the world as moving, yet considers himself still, due to delusion. Children spin around and insist it is the houses that move, calling each other liars. For devotees of Hari, O Bihanga, there is never occasion for ignorance, not even in dreams. The unfortunate ones with dull intellect, bound by Maya, carry various doubts lodged deep in their hearts. Those stubborn fools create doubts and place their own ignorance upon Rama.