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

The Bridge Plan

Sundarkand 60

नाथ नील नल कपि दोउ भाई। लरिकाई रिषि आसिष पाई । तिन्ह के परस किये गिरि भारे । तरिहहि जलधि प्रताप तुम्हारे ॥१ । मैं पुनि उर धरि प्रभु प्रभुताई । करिहउँ बल अनुमान सहाई । एहि बिधि नाथ पयोधि बँधाइय। जेहि यह सुजस लोक तिहुँ गाइय ॥२ । एहि सर मम उत्तर तट बासी । हतहु नाथ खल नर अघ रासी । सुनि कृपाल सागर मन पीरा । तुरतहि हरी राम रनधीरा ॥३ । देखि राम बल पौरुष भारी। हरषि पयोनिधि भयउ सुखारी । सकल चरित कहि प्रभुहि सुनावा । चरन बन्दि पाथोधि सिधावा । निज भवन गवनेउ सिन्धु श्रीरघुपतिहि यह मत भायऊ । यह चरित कलि मलहर जथामति, दास तुलसी गायऊ । सुख भवन संसय समन दवन बिषाद रघुपति गुन गना । तजि सकल आस भरोस गावहि, सुनहि सन्तत सठ मना ॥६ । सकल सुमङ्गल दायक, रघुनायक गुन गान । सादर सुनहिँ ते तरहिँ भव, सिन्धु बिना जलजान ॥६०

Meaning · English

Nala and Nila, blessed by a sage, make mountains float by touch; your glory will carry them. I will help. Loose your arrow on my northern shore. Rama did; the ocean bowed and left. Those who hear Raghupati's praise cross the world-ocean without a boat.

Four words carry it. Pratapa is Rama's glory and might, felt before he lifts a hand. Sujasa is good fame, a name that travels. Agha is sin, and agha rasi a heap of it. Bhava is worldly life, which the last lines call a sea. The ocean answers Rama's question from verse 59 and tells him how to cross. Nala and Nila, two monkey brothers, were blessed by a sage in boyhood, so whatever they touch floats, even a mountain. The ocean says Rama's pratapa will carry those stones. It adds that it will help as far as its own strength allows, so that the bridge spreads Rama's fame through the three worlds. Then it asks for one thing. Let the arrow be loosed on its northern shore, where sinners live. Rama, hearing its pain, shot at once. The ocean, seeing his strength, was glad, told its whole story, bowed at his feet and went home. Then Tulsidas speaks in his own voice. He says he sang this deed as well as he understood it, as a cure for the dirt of the Kali age. Rama's qualities, he says, are a house of happiness that quiets doubt and sorrow. He asks the foolish mind to drop every other hope and trust and listen. The closing doha says that those who listen with respect cross the world-ocean without a boat.

At dusk a child sets a leaf boat on the river with a small lamp in it. There is no oar and no rower. The current takes it across. The listener is the lamp, and Rama's praise is the water that carries it.

अर्थ · हिन्दी

In this book

• Before: The Ocean Yields · Sundarkand 59
• All of Sundarkand · Ask Krishna about it

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