In His Final Human Birth, Bhushundi Wanders from Sage to Sage Asking to See Rama
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 105
Doha 111 · Movement 1 of 2
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Whatever body Bhushundi receives across gods, humans, and other beings, Rama-bhajan follows. One sorrow never leaves him: memory of the Guru's gentle nature. At last he receives a brahmin body praised as rare even among devas.
As a child he reenacts Raghunayaka's lilas with other children. When his father teaches him, ordinary study brings no delight. Worldly desires have fled, and only attachment to Rama's feet remains. After his parents die, he enters the forests.
Bhushundi bows at every sage's ashrama and asks for the qualities of Rama. He travels freely by Shiva's grace, listening wherever Hari's praise is sung. Desires for wealth, offspring, and reputation vanish, while one longing grows: when will these eyes see Rama's lotus feet? Sages answer that Ishvara pervades every being, but the formless teaching cannot satisfy a heart yearning for the personal Lord.
Freed from every other desire, Bhushundi walks the forests carrying one unanswered hunger: when will his own eyes behold Rama?
Read the passage from the Manas
त्रिजग देव नर जोइ तनु धरउँ। तहँ तहँ राम भजन अनुसरऊँ।। एक सूल मोहि बिसर न काऊ। गुर कर कोमल सील सुभाऊ।। चरम देह द्विज कै मैं पाई। सुर दुर्लभ पुरान श्रुति गाई।। खेलउँ तहूँ बालकन्ह मीला। करउँ सकल रघुनायक लीला।। प्रौढ़ भएँ मोहि पिता पढ़ावा। समझउँ सुनउँ गुनउँ नहिं भावा।। मन ते सकल बासना भागी। केवल राम चरन लय लागी।। कहु खगेस अस कवन अभागी। खरी सेव सुरधेनुहि त्यागी।। प्रेम मगन मोहि कछु न सोहाई। हारेउ पिता पढ़ाइ पढ़ाई।। भए कालबस जब पितु माता। मैं बन गयउँ भजन जनत्राता।। जहँ जहँ बिपिन मुनीस्वर पावउँ। आश्रम जाइ जाइ सिरु नावउँ।। बूझत तिन्हहि राम गुन गाहा। कहहिं सुनउँ हरषित खगनाहा।। सुनत फिरउँ हरि गुन अनुबादा। अब्याहत गति संभु प्रसादा।। छूटी त्रिबिध ईषना गाढ़ी। एक लालसा उर अति बाढ़ी।। राम चरन बारिज जब देखौं। तब निज जन्म सफल करि लेखौं।। जेहि पूँछउँ सोइ मुनि अस कहई। ईस्वर सर्ब भूतमय अहई।। निर्गुन मत नहिं मोहि सोहाई। सगुन ब्रह्म रति उर अधिकाई।।
In whatever body I assumed, among gods, humans, or other beings, I followed the devotion of Rama. One sorrow I can never forget: the gentle and noble nature of my guru. At last I obtained the supreme body of a brahmin, rare even for the gods, as the Puranas and Vedas declare. Even there I played among children, enacting all the divine pastimes of Raghunayaka. When I grew older, my father taught me, but I had no taste for study or learning. All worldly desires fled from my mind. Only love for Rama's feet remained. Tell me, O king of birds, what unfortunate soul would abandon the wish-fulfilling cow for an ordinary beast? Absorbed in divine love, nothing else pleased me. My father gave up trying to educate me. When my parents passed on, I went to the forest to worship the protector of devotees. Wherever I found great sages in the forests, I would go to their ashrams and bow before them. I would ask them of Rama's glorious qualities, and they would speak while I listened with joy, O king of birds. I wandered listening to the praises of Hari's virtues, with unobstructed movement by Shambhu's grace. The three intense desires (for wealth, progeny, and fame) departed from me, but one longing grew ever greater in my heart: when shall I behold Rama's lotus feet? Then I shall count my birth fulfilled. Whomever I asked, every sage said the same: God pervades all beings. The formless doctrine did not please me. Love for the Supreme Brahman with attributes grew ever stronger in my heart.