The verse and its meaning · Sundarkand · Sundarkand — Rama and the Ocean

Kicked Advice, Silent Ocean

Sundarkand 57

की तजि मान अनुज इव, प्रभु-पद-पङ्कज भृङ्ग । होइ कि राम सरानल, खल कुल सहित पतङ्ग ॥५६ । सुनत सभय मन मुख मुसुकाई। कहत दसानन सबहि सुनाई । भूमि परा कर गहत अकासा । लघु तापस कर बाग-बिलासा॥१ । कह सुक नाथ सत्य सब बानी । समुझहु छाड़ि प्रकृति अभिमानी । सुनहु बचन मम परिहरि क्रोधा। नाथ राम सन तजहु बिरोधा ॥२ । अति कोमल रघुबीर सुभाऊ । जदपि अखिल लोक कर राऊ । मिलत कृपा तुम्ह पर प्रभु करिहीं। उर अपराध न एकउ धरिहीं ॥३ । जनक-सुता रघुनाथहि दीजै । एतना कहा मोर प्रभु कीजै । जब तेहि देन कहा बैदेही । चरन प्रहार कीन सठ तेही ॥४ । नाइ चरन सिरु चला सो तहाँ। कृपासिन्धु रघुनायक जहाँ । करि प्रनाम निज कथा सुनाई। राम कृपा आपनि गति पाई ॥५ । रिषि अगस्ति के साप भवानी । राच्छस भयउ रहा मुनि ज्ञानी । बन्दि राम-पद बारहि बारा । मुनि निज आश्रम कहुँ पगु धारा ॥६ । बिनय न मानत जलधि जड़, गये तीनि दिन बीति । बोले राम सकोप तब, भय बिनु होइ न प्रीति ॥५७

Meaning · English

The letter ends: drop pride and, like your younger brother, be a bee at the Lord's lotus feet, or be a moth, with your whole clan, in the fire of Rama's arrows. Afraid inside, smiling outside, Ravana mocks. Shuka urges: drop pride, give Janaki back; gentle Rama forgives. Kicked, Shuka goes to Rama and is freed from Agastya's curse. Three days the dull ocean ignores entreaty; angry Rama says: without fear, no love.

Three Awadhi words carry this passage. Kṛpā is grace or compassion. Birodha is opposition, standing against. Bhaya is fear, and prīti is love. The passage opens with Ravana hearing the letter read. His mind is afraid, but his face smiles, and he announces to the court that the writer is like one fallen on the ground trying to seize the sky. He calls the letter a small ascetic's boastful words. Then Shuka answers him. He says, Lord, all the words of the letter are true; understand this and drop your proud nature. He asks Ravana to give up anger and give up the quarrel with Rama. Rama, he says, is very gentle by nature, though he is lord of every world. When Ravana comes, Rama will be kind and keep no fault against him. So give Sita back. Ravana had just kicked him for saying so. Shuka bowed and went to Rama, told his story, and by Rama's grace reached his true place. Shiva tells Parvati that Agastya's curse had made this wise sage a rakshasa. Freed, he bowed to Rama again and again and went home to his hermitage. Then the doha turns to the ocean. Three days of polite asking brought nothing from the dull sea, and Rama speaks in anger. Many reciters hear this as Rama's verdict on this one stubborn ocean, not a rule for all love.

A neighbour knocks gently on a door three evenings running and gets no answer. On the fourth evening the knock is a fist. Rama's patient asking at the shore is the gentle knock, and his anger is the fist, coming only after courtesy has been spent.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

In this book

• Before: Ravana Laughs at the Letter · Sundarkand 56
• Next: Arrow Strung, Waters Burn · Sundarkand 58
• All of Sundarkand · Ask Krishna about it

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