Beyond Brahmaloka, Only Two Fingers Remain between the Crow and Rama's Hand
Uttara Kanda, Doha 80
Doha 80 · Movement 2 of 2
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Bhushundi flies as far as Brahmaloka. Worlds stream behind his wings. When he turns in mid-flight, the arm of the child Rama is still there, separated from him by no more than two fingers.
He presses farther, piercing the seven coverings of the cosmic egg. Element after element is crossed until the whole material enclosure lies behind him. No created distance remains unconquered by his flight.
Again he looks, and again the small hand is beside him. Terror replaces amazement. The two-finger interval has remained unchanged across the breadth of creation because it was never a measure within space. Bhushundi's wings can cross a universe, but they cannot move beyond the one in whom every universe appears. The infant reach does not lengthen to pursue him. It is already present wherever distance can arise.
Bhushundi escapes beyond seven cosmic walls and finds that Infinity has followed him without widening the space of two fingers.
Read the passage from the Manas
ब्रह्मलोक लगि गयउँ मैं चितयउँ पाछ उड़ात। जुग अंगुल कर बीच सब राम भुजहि मोहि तात।।79(क)।। सप्ताबरन भेद करि जहाँ लगें गति मोरि। गयउँ तहाँ प्रभु भुज निरखि ब्याकुल भयउँ बहोरि।।79(ख)।।
I flew all the way to Brahmaloka, but when I looked back while flying, O dear one, between Rama's arm and myself there was only a gap of two fingers! Piercing through the seven cosmic coverings, as far as my flight could carry me, I went there, and seeing the Lord's arm still beside me, I became deeply distressed.