Meditation on the Divine City
3. Ayodhya, his own supreme abode, shines with surpassing beauty. Its mansions are made of gold and jewels and glow with the radiance of precious gems.
मूल पाठ 3 अवधपुरी निज धाम परम अति सुन्दर राजै । हाटक मणिमय सदन नगन की कान्ति विराजै ॥३॥
Context and commentary
Having completed the four-line meditative invocation, the author now begins Sri Sita-Rama Dhyana Manjari.
The title's metaphor is this: meditation upon Sri Sita-Rama is a wish-fulfilling tree; the intellect dependent upon that tree is like a flowering vine; the cluster of its speech is the manjari, its bouquet. The commentary on that bouquet is Makaranda Madhuri, the sweetness of its nectar.
Rama's name, form, play, and abode are all eternal and composed of being, consciousness, and bliss. Each establishes the eternality of the others. The revealed text says, "His name is great glory." If there is a name, a form is necessarily present; where there is a form, its activity and play must be present; and where there is play, there must be an abode that supports it. The poet therefore begins by describing Ayodhya, the supporting ground of meditation upon Rama's form and the accomplished seat of divine power.
"Ayodhya, his own supreme abode, shines with surpassing beauty." Ayodhya is known in a twofold form: one eternal and one manifest for a particular divine occasion. The third form is Ayodhya as inward devotional visualization in the devotee's mind, where the eternal and manifest forms are united.
Avadhabihari likewise has three modes, but the three are one and all three are eternal. Transcendent Ayodhya is established by authoritative scripture. The Ayodhya of divine play upon this earth is established by direct perception. The contemplative Ayodhya, uniting scriptural authority and direct manifestation, is established through the inference born of both. Such is the supremely renowned city of Ayodhya, his own city.
Calling it "his own city" means that all six cities belong to Sri Rama, but Ayodhya belongs to him most intimately. Just as a king owns the country, villages, and cities, yet his royal palace is chiefly his own, so all other sacred cities relate to Sri Ramachandra as regions and villages, while Avadh is like his personal royal palace. Therefore Ayodhya is his own and supreme abode: no abode is dearer to him. As the Manas Ramayana says:
Though all praise Vaikuntha, and the Vedas and Puranas make it known throughout the world, it is not as dear to me as Avadh. Only a rare person understands this secret.
Those rare devotees who worship the rasa of royal sweetness and to whom Avadh is exceedingly dear understand it.
Because Ayodhya belongs to the Supremely Beautiful, she too is supremely beautiful. She "shines": she consists of radiance. Valmiki describes her as twelve kos wide and forty-eight kos long. Her beauty is now described briefly in a way that includes both the city and its royal palace. Hataka means gold. The mansions are made of gold and jewels. Ordinary parts of every house are fashioned from gold and common gems, but priceless stones are set especially in the fronts, doors, windows, battlements, and finials. Their radiance shines forth. This is verse 3.
4. Its lovely painted entrances and gateways are exceedingly charming. Champatara, mandara, and wish-fulfilling trees captivate whoever beholds them.
मूल पाठ 4 पौंरि द्वार अति चारु सुहावन चित्रित सोहै । चम्पतार मन्दार कल्पतरु देखत मोहै ॥४॥
Commentary
The outer court gates are extremely lovely, adorned with enchanting pictures. The first gate, the lion-gate of the outer court, has a very high arched frame of coral and golden doors studded with diamonds. Jeweled elephants stand on either side, with two lions above. It is fashioned with many such beautiful details.
Its auspicious pictures include cows with calves, brahmins, children, women carrying ritual vessels, unmarried girls, celestial nymphs, the sun, moon and other gods, flowering and fruiting celestial trees with swans, peacocks and other birds upon them, and auspicious descents of the Lord. Because these wondrous pictures enchant eye and mind, the gateway shines exceedingly.
The images are of two kinds. Some are inlaid with gold, gems, pearls, and coral; others are painted only in colors. The royal gateway shines in this manner, and so do all the other doors. Before the gate lies a vast and beautiful courtyard planted with rows upon rows of champatara, mandara and other wish-fulfilling trees. When saints behold them, their minds are captivated.
Champatara is the name of a tree no longer commonly known. In some regions, perhaps, champa itself is called champatara; or champa may mean chapatara, the palmyra. Because r and l can function as cognate sounds, tara may refer to tala; mandara then supplies the wordplay. Mandara and the wish-fulfilling tree are trees of heaven. They were directly visible in that age and are now seen by saints with the mind's eye in meditation. This is verse 4.
5. Every mansion is adorned with wondrous pictures and celestial beauty. Luminous rows of pearl-fringed windows look out upon the pathways.
मूल पाठ 5 भवन भवन चित्राम चित्र की रम्भा सोहै । वनज सुतन की पाँति कान्ति गोवन मग जोहै ॥५॥
Context and commentary
Having described contemplation of the courtyard, the poet now describes further details.
Every building of the royal palace and every building throughout the city contains pictures formed both from color and from gems. The Ramayana likewise says:
In every lovely picture-hall and every house, scenes from Rama's life are painted. Seeing them, even the minds of sages are stolen away.
The images depict the births of the four beloved sons of Raghu, their childhood play, investiture with the sacred thread, study of the Vedas, the slaying of Tataka and Subahu, protection of the sacrifice, Sita's svayamvara and the breaking of the bow, the weddings of the four brothers, their return to Ayodhya and ceremonial welcome, their enjoyments through the six seasons, and other events. They are made so lifelike that sages mistake them for reality and their minds are enchanted.
Painted plantain trees also adorn the walls and doorways of the houses. Those on the walls are formed in colors. At the doors, the trunks are gold, the leaves green gemstones, the flowers red stones, and the unripe fruits green; some ripe fruits shine as yellow gems.
Pearls are the children of oysters born in water. Rows of their radiance adorn the windows. Blue and other gems form the latticed windows, and row upon row of pearl fringes hang within them. The windows are like the eyes of the buildings. Through these eyes the mansions, together with all who dwell in them, appear to gaze upon Sri Sita-Rama. Or the meditator looks through those windows with the eyes of meditation. Gokha is a vernacular form of the Sanskrit gavaksha, "window." This is verse 5.
6. Spotless arches, standards, banners, and flags shine there. It seems that the beauty of all three worlds has gathered in Ayodhya to please Raghubara.
मूल पाठ 6 तोरण केतु पताक ध्वजा तहूँ विमल सुहाई । मनु रघुबर हित करन आय त्रिभुवन छवि छाई ॥६॥
Commentary
Torana means both festive hangings and a secondary outer gateway of pillars, arches, and related construction. These shine there. Standards are of medium size, pennants are smaller, and flags are larger than both. Appropriate festive hangings adorn the fronts of the doors; standards and pennants rise from peaks and battlements; and flags fly from the towers of the principal palaces. They bear marvelous designs of flowering golden kachnar trees set with gems. They shine upon spotless staffs of gold inlaid with jewels.
The poet imagines that the beauty of heaven, earth, and the netherworld has assumed the forms of these standards and flags and spread itself over Ayodhya's houses to serve Sri Raghubara. Ravana had tormented the splendor of the three worlds; when their Lord descended in Ayodhya to destroy him, the beauty of all three worlds came to Ayodhya in order to serve, thinking, "Avadh is exceedingly dear to Sri Raghubara; here he will gladly accept our devotion." This is verse 6.
7. Roads, neighborhoods, and marketplaces, studded with jewels, pour forth light. Darkness cannot remain there; radiance arises of itself.
मूल पाठ 7 वीथी वगर बजार रतन खचि जोति उजासा । रहन न पावै तिमिर सहज ही होत प्रकासा ॥७॥
Commentary
Vithi means a lane, and vagara the quarters and neighborhoods formed by those lanes. Marketplaces, squares, crossings, and royal roads are all studded with the nine kinds of gemstones. The stones illuminate everything with their own light. Even on a dark-moon night no darkness can remain; throughout both halves of the lunar month there is light without any lamp. As the Ramayana says:
Many windows fashioned from jewels shine, and in every house a jewel-lamp blazes.
This is verse 7.
8. Beholding the city's overflowing beauty, the sun's chariot seems to halt at midday. The gods rejoice and shower flowers as they gaze upon Ayodhya's splendor.
मूल पाठ 8 देखि पुरी छवि भरा मध्य के अटकत रथ रवि । हरषहि वरषहि सुमन विबुध जन निरखि पुरी छवि ॥८॥
Context and commentary
Having described in four verses the royal palace, the city's houses, markets, and related features, the poet now conveys their extraordinary beauty.
At midday the sun's chariot seems to stop when he sees Ayodhya filled with such splendor. At that time Lord Dinesha stands before Avadh. Seeing the radiant city and the playground of Sri Kaushala Kishora, the moon of his own solar lineage, the sun remains there in delight with horses and charioteer and afterward moves only very slowly. Goswami Ji says the same:
Beholding Avadh's delight, companies of gods rejoice and shower flowers every day. At midday the sun moves slowly, and so do the moon and the stars.
[From Gitavali 23; the complete song appears in the appendix.]
Seeing the beauty of Sri Raghubara's charming city, Brahma, Indra, and the other gods rejoice greatly and shower pure, fragrant flowers from wish-fulfilling trees. In other words, they worship Avadh, Avadhabihari, and all the inhabitants of Avadh with flowers. This is verse 8.
9. This noblest city, filled with Sri Raghubara's glory, bestows the highest blessings. All its righteous men and women are wholly devoted to the Lord's fair renown.
मूल पाठ 9 श्री रघुवर जस भरी पुरी वर वर की दायन । धर्मशील नर नारि सबै प्रभु सुजस परायन ॥९॥
Commentary
The city is filled with Sri Raghubara's fame and bestows the noblest boon. Here Sri means both splendor and Sri Janaki. Raghubara's glory, together with her, is the fame of his mighty deeds: the destruction of Tataka and the others, protection of Vishvamitra's sacrifice, breaking Shiva's bow, delighting Janaka's heart, crushing the pride of Parashurama who had conquered the world, marriage with the daughter of Videha, returning to Ayodhya, lovingly increasing his subjects' welfare and enthusiasm, attending to the city's affairs, and all the other deeds told in the Ramayana. Ayodhya is filled with this glory. The minds of children, youths, elders, men, and women cannot contain the abundance of Rama's qualities and fame, so they continually give it voice: day and night they speak, hear, sing, and express approval. Such is the city filled with Raghubara's renown.
It also bestows the highest boon: prosperity, dharma, desire, love-filled devotion to Rama, and finally liberation - dwelling in the divine abode in one's eternal form. As the Ramayana says:
The lovely city gives Rama's abode and is known throughout all worlds as sanctifying. The world's vast multitude of beings born in all four ways do not remain in samsara after leaving the body in Avadh. Knowing the city to be captivating in every way, know it also as the giver of every attainment and the mine of auspiciousness.
The text uses the grammatically compressed form "bestower" to rhyme with "devoted" in the next line; its intended sense is "she who bestows."
The poet next explains what it means for the city to be filled with glory. Its men and women possess dharma as their very disposition. Dharma is of two kinds: the general duties of social and spiritual life, and the special dharma of devotion to the Lord. In the first, every man is devoted to one wife and every woman is faithful to her husband. In the second, love at Sri Rama's feet is natural to them. Therefore all remain completely intent upon the beautiful fame of the Lord Sri Sita-Rama. The next verse depicts this.
10. Wherever one goes, women meet one another while singing Raghubara's deeds. Their voices resemble the cuckoo's call, while their radiant forms flash like lightning.
मूल पाठ 10 गावत रघुबर चरित मिलत जित तित ते भामिनि । स्वर अस कोकिल नाद रूप जनु दमकत दामिनि ॥१०॥
Commentary
Women are encountered singing Sri Raghubara's deeds. Each woman sings Rama's story together with her own circle. Some come from the Sarayu, some go toward it, and they meet on the way. Others approach along the different roads from the royal palace and join on the royal road. Or, within the meditator's contemplative vision, women appear and meet him while singing.
What are they like? Their throats produce voices like the cuckoo's sweet call. The radiance of their forms flashes like lightning, suddenly dazzling the eyes of anyone who looks. It is as though lightning in the form of these radiant women dwells within the cloud of bliss that is Ayodhya. This is verse 10.
11. Who could adequately describe the good fortune of those young women? Seeing them, Shachi, Saraswati, and the mountain-born Parvati feel longing in their hearts.
मूल पाठ 11 तिन जुवतिन को भाग बरनि का पै कहि आवै । सचि सारद नगसुता देखि कै मन ललचावै ॥११॥
Commentary
Sri Agradeva Swami asks: who could find words to describe the fortune of those young women? Which women? Those whom Sri Sita-Rama accept, each according to her proper place, as eternally related to themselves; to whom they grant darshana; and whom they honor appropriately. When the daughters of Janaka and Raghu gaze upon them with their eyes, hear their charming words, and receive their pure, humble speech, Shachi of Indra, Saraswati of Brahma, and Shiva's mountain-born Parvati look upon their fortune and desire in their hearts, "Ah, why were we not born among these women?" This is verse 11.
12. Shruti and smriti proclaim Ayodhya to be the crown and limit of all cities. To meditate upon her brings happiness, and merely uttering her name destroys sin.
मूल पाठ 12 अवध पुरिन को अवधि यही श्रुति स्मृति बरनी । ध्यान धरे सुख करनी नाम उचरत अघ हरनी ॥१२॥
Context and commentary
Having described the good fortune of the city's inhabitants, the poet now explains the city's majesty.
Ayodhya is the avadhi - the summit, boundary, and unsurpassed standard - of all cities. Shruti and smriti declare this very doctrine. Two passages from the Taittiriya branch of the Krishna Yajurveda are offered as revealed authority:
Ayodhya, the city of the gods, has eight circles and nine gates. Within it is a golden treasury, a heavenly world enveloped in light.
To the person who knows that city of Brahman, surrounded by immortality, Brahman and Brahma grant life, fame, and offspring.
Thus it is stated in the Aranyaka. Now testimony from smriti:
Ayodhya is Para Brahman and the Sarayu is the Lord with attributes. The indwelling resident is the Lord of the universe - this I tell you truly. [1]
Avanti is said to be at Vishnu's feet and virtuous Kanchi at his waist; Dvaravati shines at his navel and boon-giving Mayapuri in his heart. Mathura is at the root of his neck, Varanasi at the tip of his nose, and the sages call Ayodhya, the city at his crown, the station of Brahman. [2]
There are a thousand such scriptural and traditional testimonies. Just as the head is the highest limit of all the body's limbs, Sri Ayodhya is like the head above all other cities and worlds.
Kavitta
Virtuous Avanti shines at the Cosmic Person's feet; Kanchi is his waist and Dvaravati blazes at his navel. Maya is in his heart, Mathura at his throat, and Kashi at his nose; thus these six adorn his limbs. The sages call them stations of Brahman, says Rasrangamani, but Avadh reigns upon the head above them all. And upon Avadh's head, like the crowning ornament of pearls, Sarayu, crest-jewel of rivers, attains her splendor.
This kavitta explains the second Sanskrit verse.
Avadh is the very limit and culmination of every city.
Kavitta
She is the culmination of yoga and the culmination of divine enjoyment; no separation exists within her, and she is medicine for the disease of becoming. She is the culmination of knowledge and of meditation upon the Lord, the end of sorrow and an ocean that gives happiness. [1]
She is the culmination of glory and of the rasa of devotion, the culmination of dwelling under Rama's sway, the curd cultured by the ghee of love. Knowing her to be Rama's own form, Rasrangamani dwells in her and serves: Avadh is indeed the culmination of every city.
The revealed passages mean that Ayodhya, city of the radiant gods whose forms are being, consciousness, and bliss, has eight chakras or enclosing circuits and nine gates. She is a power of the Lord that possesses a form like a body. Within her are golden, radiant enclosures called the heavenly world itself, surrounded and pervaded by the light of Brahman. This explains the first passage.
To the person who knows this city of Brahman, enveloped in immortality, Brahman - the Supreme Brahman - and Brahma grant life, fame, and offspring. This is the fruit of merely knowing the city; through worship, one obtains residence there.
This interpretation refers to transcendent Ayodhya. Now a second interpretation is given. This visibly manifest Avadh is the avadhi, the standard and culmination, of every city. Shruti and smriti describe her in this way. Meditation upon her brings happiness, and uttering her names destroys sin. Her names are:
Doha
Victory to Ayodhya and Kaushala; victory to stainless Saketa. Victory to Avadh, Aparajita, and Satya, together with the Sarayu.
Here the oneness of the supremacy of the Lord and his abode is shown. Just as meditation upon Sri Rama, Lord of the abode, bestows unbroken bliss, meditation upon Avadh gives happiness. Just as uttering Rama's names destroys sin, uttering Avadh's names destroys sin. Their shared power to grant liberation is implied, for liberation means the complete cessation of suffering and attainment of supreme happiness. Remembrance of the name destroys both sin and its fruit, suffering; meditation gives the happiness that is liberation. Therefore Ayodhya is the culmination of all cities. This is verse 12.
13. Learned people labor greatly to find a fitting comparison for her qualities, yet every other description falls short. Beside Ayodhya, even the finest other realms seem small.
मूल पाठ 13 करि करि बहुत कलेस कहत उपमा जो गुणिजन । अन्य उक्ति सब अल्प अवधि सम अवधि भले बन ॥१३॥
Context and commentary
The poet now completes the declaration of Ayodhya's supremacy.
People of discernment, poets especially, drive their intelligence to great effort and imagine many comparisons between Avadh and other cities. Yet every statement that proposes some other comparison is too slight and inadequate. Exhausted, they finally say, "Only Avadh herself can be compared with Avadh." That alone makes a fitting comparison; no other is possible. This is the poetic figure called ananvaya, incomparable self-comparison. As it is said:
Finding no comparison anywhere and conceding defeat in the heart, one brings to mind the comparison: only this can be compared with itself.
The Sri Avadha Bindu says likewise:
Song
I offer myself to this beauty of Sri Ayodhya. What is Brahma's realm or even Vaikuntha beside it? What is decaying Kailasa? Those places arise from the three gunas and belong to the three gods; Ayodhya is entirely different from them.
Thus Avadh is without comparison. [The Sri Avadha Bindu, composed by Sri Kashthajihva Swami, is a work worthy of study. - The humble Shatrughna Sharan.] This is verse 13.