Fruits of the meditation and the poet's humility
71. Whoever holds this meditation within the heart makes human embodiment truly fruitful. Shiva, four-faced Brahma, and all the other gods bow at these feet.
मूल पाठ 71 यही ध्यान उर धरे स्वयं तन सुफल करैवा । भव चतुरानन आदि चरण बंदैं सब देवा ॥७१॥
Commentary
Having described meditation upon the entire divine family, the poet now praises its fruit in five verses. In five further verses he will express his humility and complete the book.
Whoever holds this meditation, and no other, within the lotus of the heart makes the body fruitful by one's own effort. The individual soul, together with the indwelling Brahman, is the seed from which the tree of the body has grown. The fruit of that tree is this full-limbed meditation upon Sri Sita-Rama.
If someone asks why this meditation in particular should be held, the poet answers that Bhava, Mahadeva, four-faced Brahma, and all the other gods meditate upon Sri Sita-Rama and bow at these very feet. They also bow to anyone who holds this meditation. Therefore one should hold it.
72. Rasika devotees meditate every day upon this supreme vision of the Divine Couple. Without the heart of a rasika, no one can attain this meditation even in a dream.
मूल पाठ 72 यह दंपति वर ध्यान रसिक जन नित प्रति ध्यावैं । रसिक बिना यह ध्यान और सपनेहुँ नहि पावैं ॥७२॥
Commentary
Having invoked Shiva and the other gods as witnesses, the poet now invokes rasika saints. Rasika devotees meditate daily upon this supreme meditation of the Divine Couple: highest among all meditations, uniting majesty and royal sweetness, supported by shruti and shastra, adorned by the contemplative realization of rasika saints, and including Sri Sita-Rama's entire family. Without the loving heart of a rasika, dry people cannot attain this meditation, the very form of Brahman's rasa, even in a dream.
73. Rasika devotees become steeped in this stainless stream of immortal nectar. To them, dry knowledge, yogic discipline, and austerity seem no more than husks to be cast away.
मूल पाठ 73 अमल अमृत रस धार रसिक जन यहि रस पागैं । तिनहि को नीरस ज्ञान जोग तप छोई लागैं ॥७३॥
Commentary
This meditation is a stream carrying immortal rasa free from the impurity of maya. The Divine Couple are a fathomless pool of stainless, immortal nectar. Their exquisitely sweet smiles, rasa-filled gracious glances, and other gestures are the flowing currents of that nectar. Rasika devotees become soaked and ripened in this stream; their inner faculties are transformed into meditation itself.
To such a person, knowledge that merely identifies individual self and Supreme Self, yoga that seeks seedless empty absorption, and austerity that torments the body for heavenly pleasure all appear tasteless, like discarded sugarcane fiber devoid of the rasa of loving devotion to Sri Rama. The implication is that those who relish knowledge, yoga, and austerity without the rasa of Rama-bhajana are like animals chewing sugarcane husks. As the couplet says:
Whoever desires liberation without worshiping Ramachandra, although learned, is like a horned animal without a tail.
74. Hearing this sacred account, the distilled essence of holiness, removes sin from the ears and heart. This supremely auspicious meditation bestows bliss upon the saints.
मूल पाठ 74 परम सार यह चरित सुनत श्रवणन अघहारी । ध्यान परम कल्याण संत जन आनंदकारी ॥७४॥
Commentary
This account in the form of a description of meditation is the very essence of supreme purity. When saints hear it through the ears, it removes every sin. When they actively meditate upon it, it gives the highest welfare, liberation filled with rasa. Both hearing and meditation bestow supreme bliss upon the saints.
75. Do not speak of it to those whose minds are muddied by the mire of crookedness. This radiant garland of jewels will be worn by the purest rasika devotees.
मूल पाठ 75 तिनहैं भूलि जनि कहो कुटिलता पंक मलिन मन । यह उज्ज्वल मणिमाल पहिरिहैं परम रसिक जन ॥७५॥
Commentary
Sri Agra Swami instructs his followers: do not speak of this, even by mistake, to people whose minds have been soiled by the mud of crookedness. The Dhyana Manjari will not please them, for it is a garland of radiant, spotless jewels. Those with impure minds are not qualified for it. Its proper recipients are the highest rasika devotees, pure worshipers of Sri Sita-Rama. "Make them wear it" means "let them hear it": they will wear and preserve it around the neck of their pure understanding.
76. Who has wisdom great enough to describe the form of the Lord of the universe? What light can a tiny firefly display beside the sun?
मूल पाठ 76 जगत ईश को रूप वर्णि कहि कवन अधिक मति । कहा अल्प खद्योत भानु के निकट करै द्युति ॥७६॥
Commentary
The poet now expresses spiritual poverty and humility. The form of Sri Sita-Rama, Lord of the universe, lies beyond mind and speech. Who in this world could possess intelligence great enough to describe it in words? What comparison is there between the sun-like form of the universal Lord and the firefly-like intelligence of an individual soul? A tiny firefly can display no radiance beside the sun; likewise the creature's intelligence cannot describe the Lord's form.
77. How could the chataka bird hold all the rainwater in its little beak? Yet it receives a few drops in its mouth and, with those, finds complete joy.
मूल पाठ 77 कहाँ चातक की शक्ति अखिल जल चोंच समावै । कछुक बूँद मुख परै ताहि लै आनंद पावै ॥७७॥
Commentary
If the form of the Lord of the universe cannot enter description and meditation, why attempt to describe it? The poet answers: how could a chataka bird have the power to hold in its beak all the rain poured by the cloud under the star Svati? Yet it receives a few drops in its mouth and rejoices in them. Likewise a soul has no power to contain the whole splendor within its intelligence; but if even a faint spray or reflection of that beauty enters the mind, the soul rejoices and becomes fulfilled.
78. I listened to the method taught by the Agamas and received whatever meaning delighted my heart. According to my understanding, I have described and shared this auspicious meditation.
मूल पाठ 78 सुनि आगम विधि अर्थ कछुक जो मनहि सुहायो । यह मंगलकर ध्यान यथामति वर्णि सुनायो ॥७८॥
Commentary
The Agamas are the Tantric Samhitas, such as the Sundari Tantra and Agastya Samhita. The poet heard from Sri Guru and the saints the method of meditation taught there. Whatever meaning of those Agama texts delighted him, combining the way of scripture, the Guru's word, and his own settled realization, he described according to his capacity and related to those who desire meditation. It is a meditation rooted in auspiciousness and a bringer of auspiciousness to people.
79. By the grace of Sri Guru and the saints, this resident of the palace gatehouse revealed the secret. He disclosed it for the sake of rasika devotees.
मूल पाठ 79 श्री गुरु संत अनुग्रह ते अस गोपुरवासी । रसिक जनन हित करन रहसि यह ताहि प्रकासी ॥७९॥
Commentary
Who has described and related it? The poet, Sri Kripanidhi Ji, names in the manner of a witness both his contemplative identity and his bodily identity. By the grace of Sri Guru and the saints he became "such a resident of the palace gatehouse." What does "such" mean? Precisely what has been described from "Ayodhya, his own supreme abode, shines with surpassing beauty" onward.
In the divine Avadh of eternal contemplative realization, he became a resident of the gopura, the special entry gate of Sri Sita-Rama's principal palace, through the grace of Sri Guru and the saints. That resident of the gatehouse revealed and openly described this secret and supremely sweet meditation upon eternal Avadh so that rasika devotees might establish its bhavana.
80. Merely hearing the name Dhyana Manjari increases joy within the heart. Agra, servant of Sri Raghubara, sings it with a delighted mind.
मूल पाठ 80 ध्यानमंजरी नाम सुनत मन मोद बढ़ावै । श्री रघुवर को दास मुदित मन अग्र सो गावै ॥८०॥
Root-text colophon
Thus is completed Sri Sita-Rama Dhyana Manjari, composed by Sri Agradas, follower at the feet of Payahari Sri Krishnadas, who took refuge at the feet of Sri Anantananda in the lineage of Sri Swami Ramananda.
May it be offered to Sri Sita and Rama.
Commentary
The name of this secret teaching is Sri Sita-Rama Dhyana Manjari. Merely hearing it increases joy in the hearts of saints; what then need be said of actually holding its meditation?
"Agra" means the one whose delighted mind sings of Sri Raghubara together with Sri Janaki, and who is their servant. The intention is that Sri Raghubara will certainly make anyone who becomes his servant rejoice. As Sri Goswami Ji says:
Tulsi is joyful because King Rama has become his own.
And:
Blessed is Tulsi's fortune, for he has become the Lord's servant.
[And similar lines in the Gitavali.]
The reason for saying "servant" is that all individual selves are eternally servants of the Supreme Self, Sri Raghubara. As the verse says:
All selves are by their very nature servants of the Supreme Self. Those who possess no other defining characteristic remain forever bound; in service is liberation.
The dharma of a servant is service and attendance. This alone is life's support, both in the inward contemplative state and in the state of direct realization.
Hari. Om. That is truth. Salutations to the blessed Ramachandra.