#Ram_Navami
The Marks of the Holy (the Saints):
1. The Lord of all, the dread-dispeller Raghubir,
Speaks thus of virtue's marks to sage and seer.
Hear now, O Muni, the gifts I shall unfold—
These are the virtues that bind me to the good and bold.
Meaning: The Lord of all beings, the mighty Raghubir (Ram, born of the line of King Raghu), the vanquisher of worldly fear, speaks to the sage: "Hear me, O Muni—I shall tell you the virtues of the righteous, those through whom I myself am bound and conquered."
2. Six passions conquered, sinless, free from desire,
Unmoved, uncovetous, pure, abode of peace entire.
Boundless in wisdom, unswayed by craving's call,
Temperate in enjoyment, truthful beyond all.
Learned, poet, yogi, watchful in restraint,
Humble though honored, steadfast, wise in faith's constraint.
Meaning: The righteous one is he who masters the six afflictions of the body; who is guiltless and desireless, immovable in purpose, possessing nothing yet wealthy in spirit, pure and dwelling in peace. Such a one is boundless in knowledge, free from greed, moderate in all pleasures, bound by truth, skilled in learning and wisdom, devoted to spiritual discipline. He is vigilant and self-controlled, honoring all yet free from vanity, steady of mind and supreme in the paths of devotion. (For our body is fleeting. It is born, it persists, it grows, it transforms, it decays, and finally it perishes—these six changes mark all mortal flesh.)
3. The treasure-house of virtue, free from sorrow's weight,
Unburdened by all doubt about my grace and fate.
Who holds my lotus feet more dear than breath itself,
More precious than their body, home, or earthly wealth.
Meaning: The righteous one is a vessel of virtue, released from worldly sorrow, certain of divine grace. He treasures my lotus feet above his own flesh and blood, counts his dwelling and his very body as nothing precious.
4. When hearing his own virtues, he grows meek and still,
Yet kindles joy to witness others' good and skill.
Serene to all alike, cool as the sacred river,
In virtue never wavering, simple in endeavor.
With guileless heart he cherishes each living soul,
And keeps their love and trust as his supreme goal.
Meaning: He shrinks in modesty when his own praise is uttered, yet rejoices abundantly at the virtues of others. He remains calm and serene toward all beings, never abandoning righteousness even in distress. His nature is direct and sincere, and he holds the affection of all hearts in genuine regard.
5. In recitation, austerity, and sacred vow,
In sense-control and discipline, he makes his bow.
With love he holds the guru's, God's, and brahmin's feet,
With faith and pardon, kinship, mercy—gifts complete.
In gladness of the heart, and in my love sincere,
Without pretense or guile, he keeps my path dear.
Meaning: Such a one practices chanting and sacred austerity, observes vows and ritual laws, masters the senses and cultivates discipline. He bears deep reverence for the guru, for God, and for the Brahmin. In him dwell faith, forgiveness, loving-kindness, compassion, and glad-hearted delight. Unmasking all pretense, he loves my feet with perfect sincerity.
(Peace, self-restraint, austerity, purity, forgiveness, and rectitude—knowledge, spiritual wisdom, and faith in the Supreme—these are the works inherent to the Brahmin. ~~ Bhagavad Gita 18:42; Therefore, whosoever performs these actions is worthy of the name Brahmin, regardless of birth. The word 'Brahmin' applies to any person (whether Kshatriya, Shudra, or Vaishya) possessed of these qualities of action.)
6. Renunciation, discernment, humility, wisdom clear,
The truth of Vedas and Puranas held dear.
Pride, vanity, arrogance cast aside,
He stumbles not upon the path of vice, his guide.
Meaning: One who has awakened renunciation, discernment, humility, wisdom, and true understanding of the Vedas and Puranas (inner realization of truth—in the sense of 'lower knowledge'), who never harbors false piety, conceit, or arrogance, and who does not stray even inadvertently into evil ways—
(The Blessed Lord spoke:
O Hero, the restless mind is truly hard to master—
True. Yet through practice and detachment it bows to will.
Bhagavad Gita 6:35 (The Nectar-laden Gita, trans. Vishvadeep Mukhopadhyay)
That is: Whether drawn to an act or not, if it must be done, do it; if it must not be done, cease from it—without consulting the mind's preference. This holds for things, events, and all else besides. Rather than heeding the mind's murmurs, one must continuously train the mind through practice to engage or disengage as need demands. This itself is what is called detachment.)
7. They sing and hear forever of My deeds,
Selflessness their nature, serving others' needs.
O Sage, hear now the virtues of the righteous pure—
Not even the Vedas and Saraswati can procure
Their full account.
Meaning: Whoever constantly recounts and listens to My divine play (the narratives of My manifestation), whose nature is freedom from self-interest and devotion to the welfare of all, O Sage—the virtues of the holy cannot be fully told, for even the Vedas and Saraswati herself lack the power to describe them completely. (Because the greatness of the righteous springs from higher knowledge, it cannot be expounded through ordinary lower knowledge alone.)
8. (Couplet) Those who sing and hear the hallowed praise
Of Rama, foe to Ravana's dark ways,
Gain steadfast love for Rama's sacred feet,
Without detachment, prayer, or yoga's heat.
Meaning: Whoever chants and listens to the pure renown of Ramchandra, the enemy of Ravana, attains firm devotion to Rama's feet without the need for detachment, meditation, or spiritual discipline (faith, longing, perseverance, and practice).
9. A maiden's form is like a candle's flame—
O mind, become no moth to that same.
Cast off desire and restless agitation's call,
Embrace Rama's worship, noble company—that's all.
Meaning: A woman's body is like the flicker of a lamp; O mind, never become a moth drawn to it. Abandoning desire (sensual craving, yearning) and mental turbulence, worship Rama (grow steady through prayer and devotion) and forever keep company with the virtuous. (Associate with the good.)
10. The virtuous and the wicked both shape as they touch—
like the axe and sandalwood in their mutual clutch.
The blade may cut the cedar, yet through that very wound,
sandalwood leaves its fragrance, its sweetness all around.
Meaning: The conduct of the good and the wicked resembles the relationship between the axe and sandalwood. Hear me, brother—as the axe hews the sandalwood, yet sandalwood imparts its own virtue, its fragrance, into the very tool that cuts it. (Even so, though the wicked may cause suffering to the good, something of the good person's nobility becomes absorbed, transmitted into the wicked one.)
11. (Doha) For this, sandalwood dwells beloved by all,
adorning the gods' crowns—yet the axe's fate enthralls:
men burn it in the fire, beat its face again and again—
such is the axe's punishment, the consequence of sin.
Meaning: Because of this, sandalwood is cherished by the world and rests upon the gods' foreheads; but such is the axe's doom—that people burn it in fire and strike its face repeatedly. (This doha is set forth to illustrate the fruits of action, and through them, to inspire human hearts toward righteous deeds.)
12. The virtuous show no excess in wealth's allure,
are vessels brimming with virtue, honor, and pure
conduct—in another's sorrow they grieve, in joy
rejoice, impartial to all, with no enemy to destroy.
Free from pride, indifferent to desire's call,
they abandon greed, anger, exultation, fear—they shed all.
Meaning: The virtuous do not indulge excess in worldly pleasures (they do not wantonly pursue wealth or enjoyment), are treasuries of character and virtue, suffer in others' sorrow and rejoice in others' joy, conduct themselves equally toward all (without partiality or prejudice), harbor no enemies, remain free from pride and live in detachment, and abandon greed, anger, exultation, and fear. (That is, neither greed nor anger, neither joy nor sorrow, neither fear—nothing can shake them.)
(What is pride [abhiman]? Shankaracharya, the avatar of Shiva, speaks in the 104th verse of the 'Viveka-Chudamani': What is our arrogance? 'I am the intellect,' 'I am the doer,' 'I am the enjoyer'—this sense. We identify ourselves with the body as 'I.' Thus, through the senses—the eyes, ears, and so on—the contact with the world seems to be 'mine.' Through the organs of action, whatever we do, we believe 'I' am doing it. In this way, our arrogance becomes fused with the body and the senses. Upon this arrogance or 'I'-sense, the shadow of consciousness—the luminous Self—falls. Therefore, to whatever this 'I'-sense attaches itself, it appears conscious. This is why, though the body, mind, and intellect are inert, they seem conscious. This verse declares: 'Ahamkarah sa vijneyah karta bhokta-abhimani'—understand that this arrogance is the sense of 'I am the doer,' 'I am the enjoyer.')
13. With a tender heart, compassion for the afflicted,
their mind, speech, and action by my worship unskinned—
bestowing honor on all, themselves without pride,
such a soul, dear Bharat, is my life's own bride.
Hold such a being as near as Bharat holds his breathing.
Meaning: One whose heart is tender, who shows compassion to the humble, whose mind, speech, and action hold sincere and unfeigned devotion to me, who honors all yet holds themselves in no esteem—O Bharat, such a person is as dear to me as the very breath of life.
14. Beyond desire, devoted to my name alone,
dwelling in peace, restraint, humility fully grown,
in gladness and generosity, coolness, forthright ways,
friendship and regard for all—the dharma that displays.
Meaning: He (the person) is free of desire and finds peace in uttering and hearing My name; he is the dwelling place of peace, indifference (to worldly attachments and sensual pleasures), humility and joy; and any true brahmin delights to see at his feet the qualities of coolness, simplicity, compassion and righteousness. (That is, a genuine brahmin regards with affection the virtues of such a person.)
15. Those signs which dwell within his heart,
Know him, dear one, a saint in every part..
Restraint within, restraint without, discipline and virtue—
He never falters, never speaks a word of harshness true..
Meaning: Dear one, whoever shows these signs flowering in his heart—know him always to be a saintly soul. He who never transgresses self-mastery (the restraint of inner faculties and the quieting of desire), self-control (the restraint of outer faculties and self-discipline), discipline and moral law, who never speaks a harsh word,
16. To whom both blame and praise alike are one, attachment only to My lotus feet,
Such a noble soul is dearer than life—a temple of virtue, a treasury of bliss complete..
Meaning: He to whom both blame and praise are equal (whom neither praise nor blame can shake), and who holds My lotus feet with steadfast devotion—that embodiment of virtue, that vessel of joy, is dearer to me than life itself.
17. The saintly bear their suffering for others' sake,
While the wretched bring grief wherever they partake..
Compassionate sages like dust and trees stand firm,
Bearing calamity for others' good—great lessons to discern..
Meaning: The noble endure suffering for the welfare of others, while the unfortunate and wicked become the cause of others' suffering. The merciful saint, like the dust of the earth and the tree of the forest, bears grave calamity ceaselessly for the good of others. (Just as the humble dust witnesses countless storms, and the tree stands unmoved despite all violence—so too the saint.)
18. By great fortune comes the company of the good,
And without effort, the breaking of worldly bondage understood..
The path of saints leads to liberation's door, the path of the lustful binds to birth's endless lore—
Thus speak the holy ones, the wise, the learned learned of yore, the scriptures and sacred texts of lore..
Meaning: It is by great fortune alone that one finds the company of the virtuous, and through it, without any struggle, the bonds of worldly existence are severed. (One's mind becomes unburdened, one attains spiritual liberation.) The saints, poets and scholars declare that the Vedas, Puranas and other noble texts teach this truth: the company of the saintly bestows liberation (awakens singular devotion to the Divine), while the company of the lustful—those consumed by desire and craving—brings only torment and suffering. (Those whose hearts overflow with sensual longing keep one in a state of perpetual torment through their company.)
A few words on satsang (the company of virtuous souls, fellowship with the good):
1. All your doubts will be dissolved,
When long you keep the company of the pure resolved..
There you will hear the sweet discourse of the Lord,
In manifold ways sung by the great ascetics, word by word..
In which dwell the beginning, middle and end,
The Lord presented as Rama, the Divine—on this all texts commend..
Meaning: When you keep the company of the wise for a long time, all your doubts will dissolve. (Through association with the good, we come to know of virtuous qualities from their experience, and by acting accordingly, many uncertainties fall away from the heart.) In such righteous company, you must hear the sweet discourse of God; the sages have sung of it in manifold ways, and throughout its beginning, middle, and end, the only Lord, God Ramachandra, is proclaimed. (Through knowledge of God's qualities and attributes, we find the path to drawing near to God, to Consciousness itself. At the start of that path, in its midst, and at its end, stands but one God, one Brahman. The Upanishads too emphasize the study of sacred scriptures as the means to attaining knowledge of Brahman.)
2. Where the discourse of Hari flows eternal, brother,
Go there and listen, I tell you.
By listening, all doubt shall depart,
And deep love for Rama's feet shall bloom.
Leave a Reply