Part - 14

The seven Books are the seven beautiful flights of steps, which the soul delights to look upon with the eyes of wisdom; the unqualified and unbounded greatness of Śrī Rāma, which will be presently discussed, represents the unfathomable, depth of this holy water. The glory of Śrī Rāma and Sītā constitutes the nectarean water; the similes represent the soul-ravishing sport of its wavelets. The beautiful Caupāis represent the thick growth of lotus-plants; the various poetic devices constitute the lovely shells that yield beautiful pearls. The other metres, viz., Chandas, Soraṭhās and Dohas, are the cluster of charming many-coloured lotuses. The incomparable sense, the beautiful ideas and the elegant expression represent the pollen, honey and fragrance of those flowers respectively. The virtuous acts mentioned therein are the charming swarms of bees; the references to spiritual enlightenment, dispassion and reason represent the swan. The implications and involutions and the various excellences and styles of poetry are the lovely fishes of various kinds. The four ends of human existence, viz., worldly riches religious merit, enjoyment and liberation, the reasoned exposition of Jñāna (Knowledge of God in His absolute formless aspect) and Vijñāna (Knowledge of qualified Divinity both with and without form), the nine sentiments of poetry, and the references to Japa (the muttering of mystic formulae), austerity, Yoga (contemplative union with God) and detachment from the world-all these represent the charming aquatic creatures of this lake. Eulogies on virtuous men, pious souls and the Name of God-these correspond to water-birds of various kinds. The assemblages of saints referred to herein are the mango groves hemming the lake on all sides and piety has been likened to the vernal season. The exposition of the various types of Devotion and the references to forbearance,compassion and sense-control represent the canopies of creepers. Even so mind- control, the five Yamas or forms of self-restraint (viz., non-violence, truthfulness, non- thieving, continence and non-acquisition of property), the five Niyamas or religious vows (viz., those of external and internal purity, contentment, austerity, study of sacred books or repetition of the Divine Name and self-surrender to God) are the blossoms of these creepers; spiritual enlightenment is their fruit and loving devotion to the feet of Śrī Hari constitutes the sap of this fruit of spiritual enlightenment: so declare the Vedas. The various other episodes forming part of this narrative are the birds of different colours such as the parrot and the cuckoo. (1-8)

• The nine sentiments of poetry are: (1) Śṛṅgāra (the erotic sentiment or the sentiment of love) (2) Hāsya (the humorous sentiment) (3) Karuṇa (the pathetic sentiment) (4) Vīra (the heroic sentiment) (5) Raudra (the sentiment of wrath or fury) (6) Bhayānaka (the sentiment of terror) (7) Bībhatsa (the sentiment of disgust) (8) Śānta (the sentiment of quietism) and (9) Adbhuta (the marvellous sentiment).

Even if anyone makes his way to it undergoing so much hardship, he is forthwith attacked by ague in the shape of drowsiness. Benumbing cold in the shape of stupor overtakes his heart, so that the unhappy soul is deprived of a dip even after reaching there. Finding himself unable to take a plunge into the lake or to drink from it, he returns with a feeling of pride. And if anyone comes to inquire about the lake, he tries to satisfy him by vilifying it. All these obstacles do not, however, deter him whom Śrī Rāma regards with overwhelming kindness. He alone reverently bathes in the lake and thus escapes the threefold agony of the fiercest kind. Those men who cherish ideal devotion to the feet of Śrī Rāma never quit this lake. Let him who would bathe in this lake, brother, diligently practise Satsarga (association with saints). Having seen the said Mānasa lake with the mind’s eye and taken a dip into it, the poet’s intellect got purged of all its dross. The heart was flooded with joy and alacrity and a torrent of love and rapture welled from it. Thence flowed a stream of beautiful poetry, carrying the water of Śrī Rāma’s fair renown. Sarayū is the name of this river, which is the very fountain of pure bliss. The secular view-point and the view-point of the Vedas - there represent its two charming banks. This holy stream, issuing as it does from the beautiful Mānasa lake, uproots in its course all the impurities of the Kali age, whether in the form of tiny blades of grass or of mighty trees. (1-7)

• The three kinds of agony referred to above are: (i) that inflicted by other living beings (ii) that proceeding from natural causes and (iii) that caused by bodily or mental distemper.

The three types of audience are the towns, villages and cities on both the banks; and the congregation of saints is the imcomparable Ayodhyā, which is the fountain of all auspicious blessings. (39)

• The three types of listeners referred to here may be understood to mean (i) liberated souls (ii) seekers of liberation and (iii) sensually-minded men.

The river of Śrī Rāma’s glory is delightful during all the six seasons; it is exceedingly charming and holy at all times. The wedding of Goddess Pārvatī (the daughter of Himavān) with Lord Śiva represents Hemanta or the cold season while the festival connected with the Lord’s advent represents the delightful Śiśira or chilly season. The story of the preparations for Śrī Rāma’s wedding constitutes the vernal season (the king of all seasons), which abounds in joy and felicity; while Śrī Rāma’s departure for the forest constitutes the oppressive hot weather and the tale of His wanderings represents the blazing sun and hot winds. The terrible conflict with the demons represents the rainy season, which constituted a veritable blessing to the paddy crop in the form of gods; while the prosperity attending Śrī Rāma’s reign, His politeness and glory represent the cloudless, delightful and charming autumn. The recital of the virtues of Sītā, the crestjewel of faithful wives, constitutes the excellence of the transparent and incomparable water. And Bharata’s amiability represents its coolness, which is uniform at all times and beyond description. (1-4)

• The months of Mārgaśīrṣa and Pauṣa (corresponding roughly to November and December) constitute the cold season; Māgha and Phālguna (corresponding roughly to January and February) constitute the chilly season; the months of Caitra and Vaiśākha (corresponding roughly to March and April) constitute the vernal season; Jyeṣṭha and Āṣāḍha (corresponding roughly to May and June) constitute the hot weather; Śrāvana and Bhādrapada (corresponding roughly to July and August) constitute the rainy season and Āśvina Kārtika (corresponding roughly to September and October) constitute the autumnal season.