Hanumān’s introduction to Bharata’s question and Śrī Rāma’s discourse on the subject
Dohas
nātha na mōhi saṃdēha kachu sapanēhu sōka na mōha.
kēvala kṛpā tumhārihi kṛpānaṃda saṃdōha..36.. [7-36]
“I have no doubts whatever, my lord, nor have I ever known any dejection or infatuation even in a dream. It is all due to Your grace, O all-merciful and all blissful Lord.”
Chaupais
karau kṛpānidhi ēka ḍhiṭhāī. maiṃ sēvaka tumha jana sukhadāī..
saṃtanha kai mahimā raghurāī. bahu bidhi bēda purānanha gāī.. [7-36-1]
śrīmukha tumha puni kīnhi baḍaāī. tinha para prabhuhi prīti adhikāī..
sunā cahau prabhu tinha kara lacchana. kṛpāsiṃdhu guna gyāna bicacchana.. [7-36-2]
saṃta asaṃta bhēda bilagāī. pranatapāla mōhi kahahu bujhāī..
saṃtanha kē lacchana sunu bhrātā. aganita śruti purāna bikhyātā.. [7-36-3]
saṃta asaṃtanhi kai asi karanī. jimi kuṭhāra caṃdana ācaranī..
kāṭai parasu malaya sunu bhāī. nija guna dēi sugaṃdha basāī.. [7-36-4]
“Yet, O storehouse of compassion, I make bold to make one submission, I being Your servant and You the delight of Your devotees. The glory of the saints, O Lord of the Raghus, has been sung in various ways by the Vedas and Purāṇas. You too have exalted them by Your own graceful mouth and my lord bears great affection for them. I would fain hear, my lord, their distinctive marks, O Ocean of compassion, conspicuous as You are by Your excellences and wisdom. O protector of the suppliant, tell me clearly and severally the distinguishing traits of the good and the wicked.” “Hear, brother, the characteristics of saints, which as told in the Vedas and Purāṇas are innumerable. The conduct of saints and the wicked is analogous to that of sandalwood and the axe. Mark, brother : the axe cuts down a sandal-tree, while the latter in its turn perfumes the axe by imparting its virtue (fragrance) to it.”
Dohas
tātē sura sīsanha caḍhata jaga ballabha śrīkhaṃḍa.
anala dāhi pīṭata ghanahiṃ parasu badana yaha daṃḍa..37.. [7-37]
“For this reason sandalwood (in the form of paste) finds its way to the head of gods (their images) and is loved by the world so much; while the axe has its steel edge heated in the fire and beaten with a hammer as punishment.”
Chaupais
biṣaya alaṃpaṭa sīla gunākara. para dukha dukha sukha sukha dēkhē para..
sama abhūtaripu bimada birāgī. lōbhāmaraṣa haraṣa bhaya tyāgī.. [7-37-1]
kōmalacita dīnanha para dāyā. mana baca krama mama bhagati amāyā..
sabahi mānaprada āpu amānī. bharata prāna sama mama tē prānī.. [7-37-2]
bigata kāma mama nāma parāyana. sāṃti birati binatī muditāyana..
sītalatā saralatā mayatrī. dvija pada prīti dharma janayatrī.. [7-37-3]
ē saba lacchana basahiṃ jāsu ura. jānēhu tāta saṃta saṃtata phura..
sama dama niyama nīti nahiṃ ḍōlahiṃ. paruṣa bacana kabahūom nahiṃ bōlahiṃ.. [7-37-4]
“Saints as a rule have no hankering for the pleasures of sense and are the very mines of amiability and other virtues. They grieve to see others in distress and rejoice at the sight of others’ joy. They are even-minded and look upon none as their enemy. Free from vanity and passion, they are conquerers of greed, anger, joy and fear. Tender of heart and compassionate to the distressed, they cherish guileless devotion to Me in thought, word and deed; and giving honour to all, they are modest themselves. Such souls, Bharata, are dear to Me as life. Having no interested motive of their own they are devoted to My Name and are abodes of tranquillity, dispassion, humility and good humour. Again, know him for all time, dear brother, a genuine saint, whose heart is a home of all such noble qualities as placidity, guilelessness, friendliness and devotion to the feet of the Brāhmaṇas, which is the fountain of all virtues. They never swerve from the control of their mind and senses, religious observances and correct behaviour and never utter a harsh word.”
Dohas
niṃdā astuti ubhaya sama mamatā mama pada kaṃja.
tē sajjana mama prānapriya guna maṃdira sukha puṃja..38.. [7-38]
“They who regard both obloquy and praise alike and who claim My lotus feet as their only possession-such saintly souls are dear to Me as life and are veritable abodes of noble qualities and embodiments of bliss.”
Chaupais
sanahu asaṃtanha kēra subhāū. bhūlēhu saṃgati karia na kāū..
tinha kara saṃga sadā dukhadāī. jimi kalapahi ghālai harahāī.. [7-38-1]
khalanha hṛdayaom ati tāpa bisēṣī. jarahiṃ sadā para saṃpati dēkhī..
jahaom kahu niṃdā sunahiṃ parāī. haraṣahiṃ manahu parī nidhi pāī.. [7-38-2]
kāma krōdha mada lōbha parāyana. nirdaya kapaṭī kuṭila malāyana..
bayaru akārana saba kāhū sōṃ. jō kara hita anahita tāhū sōṃ.. [7-38-3]
jhūṭhai lēnā jhūṭhai dēnā. jhūṭhai bhōjana jhūṭha cabēnā..
bōlahiṃ madhura bacana jimi mōrā. khāi mahā ati hṛdaya kaṭhōrā.. [7-38-4]
“Now hear the characteristics of the impious, association with whom should be scrupulously avoided; for their company ever brings woe, even as a wicked cow ruins by her company a cow of noble breed. The heart of the wicked suffers terrible agony; for they ever burn at the sight of others’ prosperity. Wherever they hear others reviled, they feel delighted as though they had stumbled upon a treasure lying on the road. Devoted to sensuality, anger, arrogance and greed, they are merciless, deceitful, crooked and impure. They bear enmity towards all without rhyme or reason; nay, they behave inimically even with those who are actively kind to them. They are false in their dealings (lying is their stock-in-trade); nay, falsehood is their dinner and falsehood their breakfast (whatever they eat is intended to deceive others). They speak honeyed words just like the peacock, that has a stony heart and devours the most venomous snake.”
Dohas
para drōhī para dāra rata para dhana para apabāda.
tē nara pāomvara pāpamaya dēha dharēṃ manujāda..39.. [7-39]
“Malevolent by nature, they enjoy others’ wives and others’ wealth and take delight in slandering others. Such vile and sinful men are demons in human garb.”
Chaupais
lōbhai ōḍhana lōbhai ḍāsana. sistrōdara para jamapura trāsa na..
kāhū kī jauṃ sunahiṃ baḍaāī. svāsa lēhiṃ janu jūḍaī āī.. [7-39-1]
jaba kāhū kai dēkhahiṃ bipatī. sukhī bhaē mānahu jaga nṛpatī..
svāratha rata parivāra birōdhī. laṃpaṭa kāma lōbha ati krōdhī.. [7-39-2]
mātu pitā gura bipra na mānahiṃ. āpu gaē aru ghālahiṃ ānahiṃ..
karahiṃ mōha basa drōha parāvā. saṃta saṃga hari kathā na bhāvā.. [7-39-3]
avaguna siṃdhu maṃdamati kāmī. bēda bidūṣaka paradhana svāmī..
bipra drōha para drōha bisēṣā. daṃbha kapaṭa jiyaom dharēṃ subēṣā.. [7-39-4]
“Greed is their covering and greed their bedding (they wallow in greed; they are ever given up to sexual enjoyment and gluttony and have no fear of punishment in the abode of Yama (the god of death). If they ever hear anyone exalted, they heave a deep sigh as though they had an attack of ague. On the other hand, when they find anyone in distress, they rejoice as though they had attained the sovereignty of the whole world. Devoted to their own selfish interests, they antagonize their kinsfolk, are given up to sensuality and greed and are most irascible. They recognize neither mother nor father nor preceptor nor the Brāhmaṇas; utterly ruined themselves, they bring ruin upon others. Overcome by infatuation they bear malice to others and have no love for communion with saints nor for the stories relating to Śrī Hari. Oceans of vice, dull-witted and lascivious, they revile the Vedas and usurp others’ wealth. Though bearing malice to all, they are enemies of the Brāhmaṇas in particular; and full of hypocrisy and deceit at heart, they outwardly wear a saintly appearance.”
Dohas
aisē adhama manuja khala kṛtajuga trētā nāhiṃ.
dvāpara kachuka bṛṃda bahu hōihahiṃ kalijuga māhiṃ..40.. [7-40]
“Such vile and wicked men are absent in the Satya and Tretā Yugas; a sprinkling of them will appear in Dvāpara, while multitudes of them will crop forth in the Kali age.” (40)
Chaupais
para hita sarisa dharma nahiṃ bhāī. para pīḍaā sama nahiṃ adhamāī..
nirnaya sakala purāna bēda kara. kahēu tāta jānahiṃ kōbida nara.. [7-40-1]
nara sarīra dhari jē para pīrā. karahiṃ tē sahahiṃ mahā bhava bhīrā..
karahiṃ mōha basa nara agha nānā. svāratha rata paralōka nasānā.. [7-40-2]
kālarūpa tinha kahaom maiṃ bhrātā. subha aru asubha karma phala dātā..
asa bicāri jē parama sayānē. bhajahiṃ mōhi saṃsṛta dukha jānē.. [7-40-3]
tyāgahiṃ karma subhāsubha dāyaka. bhajahiṃ mōhi sura nara muni nāyaka..
saṃta asaṃtanha kē guna bhāṣē. tē na parahiṃ bhava jinha lakhi rākhē.. [7-40-4]
Brother, there is no virtue like benevolence, and no meanness like oppressing others. I have declared to you, dear brother, the verdict of all the Vedas and Purāṇas; the wise also know it. They who inflict pain on others even after attaining the human body have to suffer the terrible pangs of birth and death. Dominated by infatuation and devoted to their selfish interest men commit various sins and thereby ruin their prospects in the next world. Figuring as Yama (the god of death) for their sake, brother, I dispense the fruit of their good and evil actions. Realizing this, those who are supremely clever adore Me, knowing the cycle of births and deaths as full of pain. They renounce actions which yield good or evil results and take refuge in Me, the lord of gods, men and sages. Thus I have told you the characteristics of saints and vile men. They who have fully comprehended them are no more subjected to the process of transmigration.
Dohas
sunahu tāta māyā kṛta guna aru dōṣa anēka.
guna yaha ubhaya na dēkhiahiṃ dēkhia sō abibēka..41.. [7-41]
“Listen, dear brother: the numerous merits and demerits are all products of Māyā. The greatest merit is that they should cease to exist in one’s eye; to discern them is ignorance.”
Chaupais
śrīmukha bacana sunata saba bhāī. haraṣē prēma na hṛdayaom samāī..
karahiṃ binaya ati bārahiṃ bārā. hanūmāna hiyaom haraṣa apārā.. [7-41-1]
puni raghupati nija maṃdira gaē. ēhi bidhi carita karata nita naē..
bāra bāra nārada muni āvahiṃ. carita punīta rāma kē gāvahiṃ.. [7-41-2]
nita nava carana dēkhi muni jāhīṃ. brahmalōka saba kathā kahāhīṃ..
suni biraṃci atisaya sukha mānahiṃ. puni puni tāta karahu guna gānahiṃ.. [7-41-3]
sanakādika nāradahi sarāhahiṃ. jadyapi brahma nirata muni āhahiṃ..
suni guna gāna samādhi bisārī.. sādara sunahiṃ parama adhikārī.. [7-41-4]
All the three brothers (Bharata, Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna) rejoiced to hear these words from the blessed lips of the Lord and their heart overflowed with love. Again and again they showed Him profound reverence; there was immence joy in the heart of Hanumān in particular. The Lord of the Raghus then retired to His own palace. In this way He enacted some new sport everyday. The sage Nārada paid frequent visits and sang Śrī Rāma’s holy exploits. After witnessing fresh deeds everyday,the sage returned to Brahmā’s abode and recited the whole story there. Virañci (the Creator) felt overjoyed to hear it and said, “Dear son, hymn His praises again and again.” Sanaka and his three brothers extolled Nārada : and, though absorbed in Brahma (the Infinite), the sages forgot their Samādhi (absorption) on hearing the hymn of praise to the Lord and listened to it with reverence, supremely qualified as they were.
Dohas
jīvanamukta brahmapara carita sunahiṃ taji dhyāna.
jē hari kathāom na karahiṃ rati tinha kē hiya pāṣāna..42.. [7-42]
Even those (like Sanaka and others) who are liberated though embodied and are absorbed in Brahma hear the narrative of Śrī Rāma even by interrupting their meditation (abstraction). Truly theirs must be a heart of stone, who take no delight in the stories of Śrī Hari