The Vedas Sing of the Formless Lord Visible upon a Throne
Uttara Kanda, Chhand 6
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The disguised Vedas acclaim Rama as both with form and beyond form, the matchless crown of kings who entered human birth, broke the world's burden, and burned away its terrible sorrow. Gods, demons, serpents, humans, and all creation wander beneath maya, time, karma, and the gunas, but one merciful glance frees the afflicted from threefold pain.
Their song warns that knowledge swollen with pride cannot replace the devotion that ends bondage. Those who abandon every other hope, become Rama's servants, and repeat his name cross the ocean of becoming without toil. They worship the feet honored by Shiva and Brahma, whose dust delivered the sage's wife, whose nail released the Ganga, and whose marked soles endured forest thorns.
Then the vision expands into the world tree: unseen root, ancient trunk, Vedas and Agamas as bark, branches and countless leaves, bitter and sweet fruits, and the solitary vine of maya clinging through continual growth. Beyond that vast tree is the unborn nondual Brahman known in direct experience. Yet the Vedas choose to sing Rama's visible glory and ask one boon: may every distortion of mind, speech, and action fall away, leaving unwavering love for his feet.
Infinite scripture arrives at the throne and asks not for more knowledge, but for a heart that never leaves Rama's feet.
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जय सगुन निर्गुन रूप रूप अनूप भूप सिरोमने। दसकंधरादि प्रचंड निसिचर प्रबल खल भुज बल हने।। अवतार नर संसार भार बिभंजि दारुन दुख दहे। जय प्रनतपाल दयाल प्रभु संजुक्त सक्ति नमामहे।।1।। तव बिषम माया बस सुरासुर नाग नर अग जग हरे। भव पंथ भ्रमत अमित दिवस निसि काल कर्म गुननि भरे।। जे नाथ करि करुना बिलोके त्रिबिधि दुख ते निर्बहे। भव खेद छेदन दच्छ हम कहुँ रच्छ राम नमामहे।।2।। जे ग्यान मान बिमत्त तव भव हरनि भक्ति न आदरी। ते पाइ सुर दुर्लभ पदादपि परत हम देखत हरी।। बिस्वास करि सब आस परिहरि दास तव जे होइ रहे। जपि नाम तव बिनु श्रम तरहिं भव नाथ सो समरामहे।।3।। जे चरन सिव अज पूज्य रज सुभ परसि मुनिपतिनी तरी। नख निर्गता मुनि बंदिता त्रेलोक पावनि सुरसरी।। ध्वज कुलिस अंकुस कंज जुत बन फिरत कंटक किन लहे। पद कंज द्वंद मुकुंद राम रमेस नित्य भजामहे।।4।। अब्यक्तमूलमनादि तरु त्वच चारि निगमागम भने। षट कंध साखा पंच बीस अनेक पर्न सुमन घने।। फल जुगल बिधि कटु मधुर बेलि अकेलि जेहि आश्रित रहे। पल्लवत फूलत नवल नित संसार बिटप नमामहे।।5।। जे ब्रह्म अजमद्वैतमनुभवगम्य मनपर ध्यावहीं। ते कहहुँ जानहुँ नाथ हम तव सगुन जस नित गावहीं।। करुनायतन प्रभु सदगुनाकर देव यह बर मागहीं। मन बचन कर्म बिकार तजि तव चरन हम अनुरागहीं।।6।।
Glory to you, both with form and beyond form, whose beauty is matchless, O crown of kings. You slew Ravana of ten heads and other fierce, mighty demons by the strength of your arms. Taking birth as a man, you shattered the burden of the world and burned away its terrible sorrows. Glory to you, protector of the humble, compassionate Lord united with your divine power. We bow to you. (1) Under your dread maya, gods, demons, serpents, men, and all moving and unmoving beings are ensnared. They wander the path of birth and death through countless days and nights, bound by time, karma, and the gunas. But those upon whom you cast your merciful glance, O Lord, are freed from the threefold suffering. O Rama, skilled at severing the sorrows of existence, protect us. We bow to you. (2) Those intoxicated with knowledge and pride who scorned your devotion that destroys worldly bondage, even after attaining positions rare for gods, we have seen them fall, O Hari. But those who, placing all trust in you and abandoning every other hope, became your servants, chanting your name, they cross the ocean of existence without toil. O Lord, we remember you. (3) Those feet whose dust is worshipped by Shiva and Brahma, by whose sacred touch the sage's wife was delivered, from whose nail-tip flows the Ganga, praised by sages, who purifies the three worlds: those feet, marked with thunderbolt, goad, and lotus, that wandered the forest and suffered thorns, those two lotus feet of Mukunda, of Rama, of Ramesha, we worship forever. (4) The tree of this world has its unseen root in the Unmanifest, without beginning. Its bark is the four Vedas and the Agamas. Its six trunks are its main branches, five-and-twenty its lesser branches, and its leaves and blossoms are countless. Its twin fruits are sweet and bitter by the Creator's design, and the lone vine of maya clings to it and dwells there. Ever putting forth new leaves and flowers, to this tree of worldly existence we bow. (5) Those who meditate upon you as Brahman, unborn, nondual, known only through direct experience, beyond the mind, what do they know and what can they say? O Lord, we ever sing the praises of your saguna form. O abode of compassion, O Lord, O treasury of holy virtues, O God, we ask this boon: may we, abandoning all waywardness of mind, speech, and deed, be ever devoted to your feet. (6)