Every Sacred Practice Ripens into Devotion to Hari
Uttara Kanda, Chaupai 121
Doha 126ख · Movement 1 of 2
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Shiva looks upon the history he has narrated to Bhavani. Hearing it attentively breaks the bonds of becoming, cleanses faults born in mind, speech, and action, and plants love for Rama's lotus feet. The story stands like a wish-fulfilling tree bending toward every sincere listener.
Around it, the whole landscape of sadhana gathers: pilgrimages, yoga, detachment, knowledge, duty, vows, charity, restraint, japa, tapas, sacrifice, compassion for beings, service to Guru and the learned, education, humility, and discernment. Each path brings its own discipline and beauty.
Then all their separate streams meet. Whatever practices the Vedas describe, Shiva says, their fruit is devotion to Hari. The orchard of spiritual life bears one final sweetness. Yet even this Raghunatha-bhakti, sung through scripture and sought through effort, is received only by rare souls through Rama's grace. The teaching protects both practice and surrender: nothing sincere is wasted, and nothing can turn its own labor into the gift of love without the Lord.
Every sacred road enters the same orchard, where Rama's grace ripens all striving into the fruit of devotion.
Read the passage from the Manas
कहेउँ परम पुनीत इतिहासा। सुनत श्रवन छूटहिं भव पासा।। प्रनत कल्पतरु करुना पुंजा। उपजइ प्रीति राम पद कंजा।। मन क्रम बचन जनित अघ जाई। सुनहिं जे कथा श्रवन मन लाई।। तीर्थाटन साधन समुदाई। जोग बिराग ग्यान निपुनाई।। नाना कर्म धर्म ब्रत दाना। संजम दम जप तप मख नाना।। भूत दया द्विज गुर सेवकाई। बिद्या बिनय बिबेक बड़ाई।। जहँ लगि साधन बेद बखानी। सब कर फल हरि भगति भवानी।। सो रघुनाथ भगति श्रुति गाई। राम कृपाँ काहूँ एक पाई।।
I have narrated this supremely sacred history, hearing which the bonds of worldly existence are broken. It is a wish-fulfilling tree for the devoted, an embodiment of compassion, generating love for Rama's lotus feet. The sins born of mind, action, and speech are destroyed for those who listen to this story with attentive ears and heart. Pilgrimage to holy places, the multitude of spiritual practices, mastery in yoga, detachment, and knowledge, various karmas, religious duties, vows, and charity, self-control, restraint, japa, tapas, and many yajnas, compassion toward all beings, service to brahmins and the guru, learning, humility, and the glory of viveka: whatever spiritual practices the Vedas describe, O Bhavani, the fruit of them all is devotion to Hari. That devotion to Raghunatha which the scriptures have sung, rare ones receive by Rama's grace alone.