In Tulsidas’ famous epic RAM CHARIT MANAS, Baal Kand, there is a fascinating epidode of Ahilya, the wife of sage Gautam, who had been converted into a stone due to some unfortunate curse upon her. She was freed from her curse when Lord Ram touched her with his holy feet. This incident is narrated in Baal Kand, from Chaupai line no. 11 that precedes Doha no. 210—to Doha no. 211 As I have already informed my readers, I am preparing a full-blown English version of Ram Charit Manas. My endeavour would be to make it a unique book that will be a Magnum Opus on this epic in the English language. For the time being, I will quote below the entire English text as I have prepared of the above referred text. I could not include the Hindi original in this facebook post because it gets distorted due to FONT problem. However, when my book will be finally ready, it will surely incorporate the original Hindi Text. My esteemed readers are requested earnestly to give me their feedback in any way convenient to them—viz. (i) by posting it on “Contact Us” page of the website < tulsidas-ram-books.weebly >; Or (ii) by emailing me at: < ajaikumarchhawchharia@gmail >; With great THANKS: Ajai Kumar Chhawchharia: Website: < tulsidas-ram-books.weebly > Email: < ajaikumarchhawchharia@gmail > RAM CHARIT MANAS, BAAL KAND = Chaupai line no. 6 that precede Doha no. 210 =After the demons were killed, all the Gods and the sages who were involved in doing fire sacrifices (that were being constantly defiled by the demons) got together to offer their prayers to the Lord who is committed to make the Brahmins free from fear. (6) [Note—The Gods came first to offer their obeisance and prayers to Lord Ram, and they were followed by the sages who did the fire sacrifices. This is because the Gods were exceptionally happy as it was after a very long time that they could find nourishment by way of successful offerings that were made to the sacred fire by the sages. The offerings that are made to the sacred fire of the sacrifice give sustenance to the Gods. The Gods were eternal enemies of the demons. This was one main reason why the demons defiled the fire sacrifices so that the Gods would be starved of food and become weak and unable to oppose them. The sages became enemies of the demons because they performed fire sacrifices in which they offered food to the Gods, something which the demons wanted to stop. These facts are clearly mentioned in Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Doha no. 181 along with its preceding Chaupai line nos. 5-8. Lord Vishnu had earlier promised the Gods, the sages, and Mother Earth that he would take birth as Lord Ram to give protection to them as well as the Brahmins who were being endlessly tormented by the demons. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 1-7 that precede Doha no. 187. Hence, both the Gods and the sages performing fire sacrifices assembled to say their thanks to Lord Ram and Laxman after the demons were eliminated.] Chaupai line no. 7 that precede Doha no. 210 =The king of the Raghu dynasty (i.e. Lord Ram) stayed there for some more days to show grace upon the Brahmins and make them feel fortunate. (7) [Note—The Lord stayed for some more days to ensure that no new attack from the demons are made. He wished to secure the area. The sages harboured doubt that though Marich and Subahu were killed, there was all probability that their king Ravana would order stronger demon force to attack and kill them the next time. So, they must have requested the Lord to stay for some more days to protect them and guard the fire sacrifices. Now, the question arises: why did the demon king Ravana not order an attack on the hermitage again? Well, there are many possibilities. One is that all the commanders whom Ravana may have asked to go and take revenge must have pleaded that they be excused because all of them were terrified about their own safety after having learnt the fate of Marich, Subahu and their army. When Ravana apprehended a virtual mutiny or revolt in the ranks of the demon forces if he insisted and threatened them much, he decided to keep quiet and wait for an opportunity to take revenge himself later on. Another reason may have been that no one might have gathered enough courage to go and inform him directly about the elimination of the demon army at sage Vishwamitra’s hermitage for fear of his own life because the angry Ravana might have killed the informer in a fit of rage. So everyone avoided him. That is why no one came to attack the sages again. According to Adhyatma Ramayan of Veda Vyas, Lord Ram and Laxman stayed at the hermitage for three more days. On the fourth day, sage Vishwamitra asked Lord Ram to accompany him to witness the bow breaking ceremony at Janakpur. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 11-12. By staying for some more days instead of immediately returning to Ayodhya after having successfully finished the work for which he was brought to the hermitage by sage Vishwamitra, Lord Ram seemed to oblige the sages present there who were very eager to have the Lord in their midst for some more days in order to enjoy his divine and auspicious company. It would have been highly selfish and un-courteous for the sages to have allowed Lord Ram and Laxman to go back from their hermitage immediately after their objective of having the demons killed was accomplished. No good host would do that; it’s against the principles of hospitality. Besides this, the sages had by now realised that Lord Ram was no ordinary prince but some Divine Being, though they might not have been aware of the Lord’s true identity as much as Vishwamitra was. So therefore, they must have requested him to give them the privilege of his company for some more days because no one knows that such a chance would ever come again in their lives or not.] Chaupai line no. 8 that precede Doha no. 210 =During the time the Lord stayed there at the hermitage, the sages (Brahmins; ‘Bipra’) entertained him by narrating many devotional stories* from the Purans (ancient history of the Hindus) though the all-knowing Lord knew them. [This line can be interpreted in another way as follows—‘Out of their devotion and love for the Lord, the sages (Brahmins; ‘Bipra’) narrated many glorious stories from the Purans to him to entertain him though the Lord knew all of them.’] (8) [Note—Some way had to be found to pass time, and so the sages decided to narrate many interesting stories from ancient history that laid stress on devotion and submission for the Lord God. The sages would always talk about things that had some spiritual quotient in it; they would not waste time in worthless chatter or gossip. Lord Ram had obliged the sages by coming all the way from Ayodhya to their hermitage to protect their fire sacrifice. So, now these sages felt that they must do something for him to show their gratitude and thanks to the Lord. For sages and seers the only way to do this is to give a discourse on the scriptures. They selected devotional stories instead of hard-core philosophy because they thought that stories are much more entertaining than philosophy. They had started treating Lord Ram and Laxman as their sons, like the case of sage Vishwamitra. It is said in Adhyatma Ramayan that during this period sage Vishwamitra had affectionately fed Lord Ram sweet fruits and entertained him with stories from the Purans. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse no. 11. Though the Lord knew these stories he still listened to them patiently and politely to oblige the sages and keep them happy. A similar thing has happened when sage Vashistha narrated stories from the Purans and the Vedas. The Lord listened silently and attentively though he knew all of them. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Uttar Kand, Chaupai line no. 2 that precedes Doha no. 26. The actual intent of the sages in telling these stories to the Lord was to express their own devotion and submission for him through the medium of these stories. This is the reason why the Lord heard them politely to indicate to these aged sages that he has got the hint. *Remember: Lord Ram has himself declared that out of the many forms that Bhakti (devotion) takes, the first is to have company or communion with pious people and saints, and the second it to have deep interest in hearing and telling devotional stories related to me. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Aranya Kand, Chaupai line no. 8 that precedes Doha no. 35. Both these conditions are met here—there is a community of sages who pious people, and there is narration and listening of devotional stories. This is why the word “Bhakti” is used first in this verse.] Chaupai line nos. 9-10 that precede Doha no. 210 =Then the sage (Vishwamitra) respectfully explained to the Lord (Sri Ram) that a wonderful and rare event is taking place (at Janakpur), and so let us go and see it. (9) When the Lord of the Raghu’s clan (i.e. Lord Ram) heard of the ‘Dhanush Yagya’ (the bow-breaking ceremony), he gladly accepted the offer to accompany the sage there. (10) [Note—The Lord had stayed in the hermitage for three days, and when he was sure that there was no more threat from the demons, he sought permission from sage Vishwamitra to go back home. It was ‘then’ that the sage told him about the rare competitive event taking place at Janakpur where Lord Shiva’s bow is to be lifted, stringed and broken to determine who is the greatest warrior of that time in the world. It was to be like a modern-day Olympics. All the great kings and princes of the earth would assemble, and each of them would try his strength on the bow. Surely there must be some great trophy reserved for the winner. In all probability the sage did not disclose that this ‘trophy’ would be the marriage of the winner with king Janak’s daughter Sita. Why? Because if Lord Ram would have agreed to accompany the sage upon learning this, it would have meant that the Lord secretly wished to participate in the bow breaking ceremony and took chance at marrying Sita. Or that the Lord accepted to go to Janakpur to attend the ceremony because he secretly wished to see Sita and explore the chances of his marrying her by taking part in the bow-breaking ceremony. The wise sage did not wish the skeptical and suspicious world to get a wrong signal, to unnecessary interpret things wrongly and doubt the immaculate and impeccable noble character of Lord Ram and Laxman. The question arises, how did sage Vishwamitra come to know of the bow-breaking competition at Janakpur? Well, the answer is that when king Janak decided to host the bow-breaking ceremony, he had sent invitation to all the famous people of that time. The hermitage of sage Vishwamitra was not very far from Janakpur, and he was the most famous Kshatriya-turned-Brahmin sage of his time. So it is natural that the king’s messengers must have arrived to invite the sage to the bow ceremony. The sage would never have gone there uninvited. Further, the sage had the mystical power to see future events and developments. He knew that Lord Ram and his other brothers were destined to marry at Janakpur. So instead of making a polite excuse to the invitation of Janak, he accepted it and persuaded Lord Ram to come with him. Ayodhya was far away, and the sage did not think it proper to allow the two young boys to go back unescorted. Suppose we do not take into consideration the fact that Vishwamitra had foresight to see the future course of developments at Janakpur where Lord Ram would break the bow and marry Sita as well as establish himself as an all-time great warrior, then it is logical to assume that he might have guessed that king Janak must have surely invited king Dasrath to the ceremony since he has invited all the great king for the ceremony. In that case, the sage planned, he will hand over Ram and Laxman to their father Dasrath there. Well, this is a possibility. Then he might have motivated Lord Ram to accompany him to Janakpur by telling him that he will be seeing many new fascinating places, and that he would have the chance to witness a wonderful spectacle like the one he had never seen before—the breaking of a formidably strong bow. Like any other young prince of his age, the Lord readily agreed. He also agreed because he felt naturally excited about having a chance to witness a stiff competition, news that would automatically enthuse a brave warrior. The breaking of a huge bow was not an ordinary event, so the Lord enthusiastically agreed to accompany the sage to the venue. All these things must have come into play simultaneously in a greater or lesser degree when sage Vishwamitra ‘explained’ to Lord Ram to come with him to attend the bow-breaking ceremony. How do we know that it was a bow ‘breaking’ ceremony? Well, in ancient times when a great event took place that was attended by rituals and ceremony, and attended by a large number of invited guests, it was called a ‘Yagya’. A special name was assigned to a particular type of Yagya—e.g. the ‘Ashwamedha Yagya’ meant the horse sacrifice where a horse was sacrificed at the end of the ceremonies. So, when this ceremony is called a ‘Dhansuha Yagya’ it clearly implies a ceremony where a bow is to be sacrificed. [‘Dhanusha = a bow; ‘Yagya = sacrifice.] And a bow can only be sacrificed by ‘breaking it into two’ because it would be tantamount to killing it. Another reason for calling this particular ceremony a ‘sacrifice’ is that Janak’s daughter Sita was to be married to the successful contender. Giving away one’s daughter in marriage to the groom is regarded in Hinduism as a ‘Daan’ or a self-less gift. It is called ‘Kanya Daan’. [‘Kanaya’ = a virgin girl; ‘Daan’ = selfless gift or donation.] In Adhyatma Ramayan of Veda Vyas, sage Vishwamitra has told Lord Ram in clear terms that Lord Shiva’s big and wonderful bow is kept with king Janak, and the king would welcome the Lord warmly and show great respect to him. So he must come along with him. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 13-15; Canto 6, verse no. 1. The sage then told Lord Ram that after watching this fascinating event at Janakpur, he can return to Ayodhya straight from there. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 6, verse no. 2. In this Tulsidas’ Ram Charit Manas it is clear that only sage Vishwamitra had gone to Janakpur with Lord Ram and Laxman; there is no mention of any other sage accompanying them. Refer: Chaupai line nos. 1-3 that precede Doha no. 212. This is also evident here in the present Chaupai line no. 10 that precedes Doha no. 210 which we are currently reading. Later on also when they arrive at Janakpur, all narration of the subsequent events there refer only to sage Vishwamitra. Refer for instance, Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 6-8 that precede Doha no. 214; Chaupai line nos. 9-10 that precede Doha no. 239. But in Adhyatma Ramayan of Veda Vyas as well as Valmiki’s Ramayan it is said that a group of sages had accompanied Vishwamitra when he went to Janakpur with Lord Ram and Laxman. Refer: (i) Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse no. 14; and (ii) Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Sarga 31, verse no. 14.] Chaupai line nos. 11-12 that precede Doha no. 210 = On the way, they saw a lonely and unkempt hermitage that appeared to have been abandoned long ago. It had no animals, no birds, no insects, or any other sign of life in it.1 (11) The Lord (Sri Ram) saw a boulder or a slab of stone there, and out of curiosity asked the sage (Vishwamitra) about it. The sage narrated to him the entire story related to this stone boulder or slab.2 (12) [Note—1The surrounding area was full of vibrant forest life—greenery, plants, birds, animals, insects etc. In this pleasant surrounding was this particular forlorn, decrepit and untended place which looked like it was a hermitage long ago. As to the location of this hermitage, Adhyatma Ramayan says it was located on the banks of river Ganges. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse no. 14. According to Valmiki’s Ramayan, it was located within the realm of the king of Janakpur. Refer: Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Sarga/Canto 48, verse no. 11. 2The presence of a slab or a boulder in the center aroused the curiosity of Lord Ram because it had a certain aura of divinity or holiness about it that attracted his attention. Perhaps it was shaped like some figurine representing some person who had been turned into a stone. Amidst the ruins, this figurine was unexpected. So the Lord was naturally curious to know about its origin. When he asked sage Vishwamitra, the learned and compassionate sage told him the whole pathetic story of how Ahilya, the wife of sage Gautam, had been turned into a stone by a curse. This story is narrated in (i) Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 19-34; and (ii) Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Sarga/Canto 48, verse nos. 14-33. When Lord Ram heard the story, he was full of sympathy for Ahilya because she was not at fault, and whatever sin or error she committed was out of ignorance of the truth and unawareness of the reality. But she had already suffered for her follies more than enough and has done enough of penance to repent for her sins. So therefore she deserves pardon and reprieve. Lord Ram is an epitome of mercy and compassion; he just could not turn his head away and walk on, leaving the poor Ahilya suffer any longer. So naturally he sought to know from the sage how can she be redeemed. The wise sage then told him that when sage Gautam realised that Ahilya was not at fault after learning the truth of how the events unfolded, he had told her that though once the curse is made it cannot be taken back, but however he blesses her that she will find liberation from her cursed stone-like form when she would be touched by the holy dust of the feet of Lord Ram. Refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 31-32. So the Lord decided to put his holy and divine feet on the stone so that Ahilya is freed from her curse. This is narrated below in Doha no. 210 and the following Chanda. It ought to be noted that it was out of his merciful nature that Lord Ram decided to put his foot on the stone—refer Doha no. 211 below. The Lord must have contemplated whether it would be proper and right to touch Ahilya with his foot. Normally this would be improper because she was the wife of a great sage, Gautam. But then the Lord realised that if he acted in a too formal way and tried to make excuses by saying that he cannot put his foot on a sage’s wife, it would be against his vows of providing liberation and deliverance to those who suffer and are waiting for his mercy. There were so many stones on the path on which the Lord walked; did he not touch them? So how does it matter if he touched one other stone if this act helped to provide immense relief to a suffering soul? Then there were other factors in favour of his decision of touching that boulder of stone with his foot. For one, this is what sage Gautam had himself wanted—refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 31-32; Valmiki’s Ramayan, Canto 48, verse nos. 30-32. For another, sage Vishwamitra too wants him to touch the stone to liberate Ahilya—refer: (i) Doha no. 210 below. (ii) Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 35-36; (iii) Valmiki’s Ramayan, Canto 49, verse nos. 11-18. The story of Ahilya in brief is as follows— She was the devout and chaste wife of sage Gautam. According to legend, once it so happened that Indra, the lustful king of Gods, fell prey to the beauty of Ahilya, and attempted to outrage her modesty by assuming the form of her husband while the sage had gone out to the river to attend to his daily chores. When the sage returned, Indra tried to escape from the hermitage, but the sage caught him red-handed. So outraged was the sage that he cursed both his chaste wife Ahilya as well as the culprit Indra. He cursed Ahilya that she would become a stone. But when he found out that Indra, the king of Gods, was the real culprit who had deceitfully cheated his wife of her loyalty towards her husband, and that Ahilya was not to be blamed, the sage cursed Indra vehemently. Gautam realised that Indra had been so overcome with a rage of passion that he forgot all senses of ethics, propriety and probity and had assumed the form of the sage to cheat Ahilya. So the sage had then blessed her that when Lord Vishnu incarnated on the earth as Sri Ram, he would visit her place and would touch her with the holy dust of his feet, at which she will be absolved of her sins and her curse, and will resume her original form and come back to heaven. The sage promised her that after her penances and repentance, when she will be purified by Sri Ram’s holy feet, he will accept her back as his wife. Meanwhile, the sage vehemently cursed Indra that his body would be full of holes representing eyes, as he was so lascivious and promiscuous that he could see nothing but a woman’s vagina, a virtual ‘hole’ in the body, with his lustful eyes, which were also equal to a ‘hole’. So, let him see whatever he wishes with his whole body, and let the world known about his deformed mentality when it watches him with thousands of holes on his body. As a result, Indra’s body became ugly by being perforated with thousands of tiny holes resembling the scars of Chicken Pocks. The story of Ahilya’s liberation is narrated by Goswami Tulsidas in—(a) Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, from Chaupai line no. 11 that precedes Doha no. 210—to Doha 211; (b) Geetawali, Baal Kand, verse nos. 57-60; (c) Janki Mangal, verse nos. 39-40; (d) Adhyatma Ramayan of Veda Vyas, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 19-61; and (e) Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, from Sarga/Canto 48, verse nos. 14-33—to Sarga/Canto 49, verse nos. 1-21.] Doha no. 210 = The sage advised Lord Ram—‘Oh Raghubir (the brave warrior of king Raghu’s dynasty)! The wife of sage Gautam has lived here patiently in the form of a stone due to a curse cast upon her, expecting that one day she will be freed from this curse when the dust of your holy feet will touch her. So she deserves the holy dust of your feet, and so please be merciful upon her and remove the curse from which she has been suffering for so long. (Doha no. 210) [Note—Refer to the detailed note appended to Chaupai line nos. 11-12 above.] Chanda line no. 1-2 that precede Doha no. 211 = As soon as Lord Ram’s holy and divine feet, which are all-purifying and destroyer of all sorrows and miseries, touched the stone, she (Ahilya) revealed herself in her true glorious form that was like a glowing image of Tapa (austerity and penance). (1) When she observed that Raghunayak (Lord Ram, the chief of the Raghu dynasty) was standing in front, she immediately stood up and folded her hands reverentially. (2) [Note—The feet of Lord Ram removed the stubborn affects of the curse. They sort of washed off the curse that had covered Ahilya and made her lifeless as a stone. They purified her soul and freed it from the miserable condition in which it had got trapped since thousand of years. The vow of chastity of Ahilya had been violated by Indra without her knowledge. This had made her ‘impure’. So when she was touched by Lord Ram’s feet which have the power to purify the most impure, she was now ‘purified’. She had been miserable and suffered horribly as a stone. So when Lord Ram touched her with his feet, this misery and suffering also vanished. As soon as the curse was removed, Ahilya could see and feel. It was like she had been in an unconscious state for so long, and had suddenly regained consciousness. Life sprung back into her gross body. Then she slowly opened her eyes and saw a marvelous sight—her redeemer Lord Ram was standing right in front, smiling cheerfully down at her. Overwhelmed with joy and gratitude, she stood up and brought her two hands together, with palms touching each other, as a gesture of extreme reverence and submission for the Lord. Sage Valmiki has described in his Ramayan that inspite of turning into a stone, Ahilya was deemed to be doing a form of Tapa which was so severe that her form glowed like a fire. Perhaps this is the reason which attracted Lord Ram’s attention to her. Refer: Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 49, verse nos. 13-16. She looked like the flame of a fire that is covered with smoke; or like the moon that is obscured by the cloud or fog; or like the sun that is seen in murky water. Therefore, as soon as this curse-like smoke was removed, the flame leapt back to life; as soon as the cloud was removed the moon appeared with all its beauty; and as soon as the sun was seen in clear water, its reflection turned splendorous as the sun in the sky. In Geetawali, Baal Kand, verse nos. 57-60, Tulsidas has wonderfully described the restoration of Ahilya into her original divine form of unmatched beauty and radiance by the touch of Lord Ram’s holy feet.] Chanda line no. 3-4 that precede Doha no. 211 = She was so overwhelmed with love, devotion and gratitude for the Lord that her entire body was thrilled beyond measure, covering it with goose-flesh. She was so dumbfounded and stunned that she could not utter a word. (3) She regarded herself as being extremely fortunate and lucky. She fell at the holy feet of Lord Ram with tears streaming down from both her eyes. (4) [Note—It was the most happy moment in the life of Ahilya. The Supreme Lord was standing right before her eyes, her curse of ages was wiped clean, her torments and miseries vanished, and she was restored to her original radiant divine form as a great sage’s wife. What more could she want or expect. She was overjoyed and ecstatic. She fell at the Lord’s feet to thank him. Tears gushed out of her eyes in sheer joy and happiness. It was a spontaneous emotional reaction which she could not hide. She wanted to thank the Lord, but her throat was chocked and she could not speak anything. She was shaking with emotion and her knees buckled, so she fell at the Lord’s feet to express her surrender and seek the Lord’s blessing as well as forgiveness for all her past mistakes. She also fell at his feet to indicate that she is not able to use words to pray to him or thank him, and is hugely obliged to him. Falling at someone’s feet is a sign of greatest respect and absolute surrender.] Chanda line no. 5-6 that precede Doha no. 211 = Ahilya recovered her poise, became calm, and gathered courage in her heart. She recognized the Lord, and by his grace Bhakti (devotion) sprouted in her.1 (5) She decided to offer prayers to the Lord in a very sweet voice that lacked any kind of pretensions and deceit. She said—‘Oh Lord of the Raghu dynasty (i.e. Lord Ram). Glory to you! Your are accessible only through spiritual knowledge2. (6) [Note—1In the initial phases she was absolutely shocked and dumbfounded. What had happened was beyond her imagination. This is because after having lived as a stone for thousands of years and remaining submerged in deep meditation during this long time, all her senses had become numb. She was completely unaware of her surroundings. Then suddenly she gained consciousness as if person who had been in coma for a long time suddenly regains his awareness of the world and retrieves his senses and begins to see, feel, hear and move. She was too stunned to react. This is clear from reading line nos. 3-4. But after some time when the first moments of shock and disbelief passed over, she was able to regain her senses and poise. She thought to herself that she must at least offer her thanks to her redeemer and saviour, the Lord whom, she recollected, her husband Gautam had told her about. Gautam had told her that Lord would one day come and touch her stone-like form with the dust of his holy feet, and that then she would be freed from her curse. Refer: (i) Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse nos. 30-32; and (ii) Valmiki Ramayan, Baal Kand, Sarga 48, verse nos. 30-32. So since this has actually happened, Ahilya deduced that the person standing before her must surely be Lord Ram. This is how she ‘recognized’ the Lord. And when a devotee recognizes his beloved Lord, what happens? A huge wave of devotion, love and submission sweeps the person off his or her feet. So, as soon as Ahilya realised that Lord Ram, the Supreme Lord, is standing before her, she was blessed by devotion and love for the Lord in her heart. 2It is significant to say that the Lord is known by spiritual knowledge. Ahilya is referring to the teaching of the Upanishads that stress that in order to have knowledge of Brahm one must have knowledge of the Absolute Truth and Reality through self-knowledge and realisation of the Atma, the soul, which is pure Consciousness residing in one’s own heart, in one’s own inner-self. This knowledge is the true knowledge of Brahm, the cosmic Consciousness and the only Absolute Truth and Reality in creation. Hence, the idea is that the real ‘Ram’, the real Supreme Being who is the redeemer and saviour of the devotee’s soul, the entity that is worthy of adoration and worship is the pure conscious supreme Soul that resides in the physical gross body that was visible to the world in the form of a prince of Ayodhya known as Lord Ram. The ‘physical Ram’ known as the prince of Ayodhya, the son of king Dasrath and a great warrior of the Raghu dynasty, acted like any other human being, so one must not be misled by his worldly deeds and actions to get confused and harbour doubts about the Lord’s divinity and holiness. The ‘actual Ram’ lived hidden behind the external façade of the gross body in the form of an invisible, subtle and sublime entity known as the Supreme Atma, the Supreme Being, who is the redeemer and saviour of the world. This ‘real Ram’ is nothing but pure Consciousness.] Chanda line no. 7-8 that precede Doha no. 211 = Ahilya prayed—‘I am an impure woman, and oh Lord you are the purifier of the whole world.1 You are an enemy of Ravana2 (the demon king) but a friend of all other creatures who are your devotees. (7) Oh Lord with a lotus-like eyes, and a remover of the formidable fear arising from this horrifying world consisting of an endless cycle of birth and death with their attendent horrors3. I have come to seek refuge at your holy feet. Please save me; please protect me. (8) [Note—1As soon as Ahilya recollected her poise, she remembered the events of her past life. This is, as we have seen above in the note appended to line no. 5, the reason why she could recognize Lord Ram. Therefore, she also recollected why she was cursed in the first place; her chastity had been violated. This is the reason why she accepts that she is an impure woman. But immediately she says two things—one, that Lord Ram is the purifier of the world, and two, that she is seeking humble refuge in his feet. In other words, she pleaded with Lord Ram that though it is undeniable that she is impure, but that is the thing of the past. Now since she has come seeking surrender and refuge, the Lord being the purifier of the world is morally bound to wash her clean of her past sins and accept her as his devotee and grant her his fellowship. Remember: This is Lord Ram’s own declaration and vow that no matter how sinful a person is, if he comes to surrender before the Lord with a true heart then the Lord will willingly accept him and forgive all his misdemeanours. The Lord had made this clear in the context of Vibhishan, the brother of Ravana, when the former came to seek refuge with the Lord. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Sundar Kand, Doha no. 43—44. 2In all probability the fact that Lord Ram would kill Ravana when he goes to the forest to fulfill all the works of the Gods, and once this is accomplished, all the creatures would be able to live in peace wherever they lived was known to her. This is because all the great sages of the time knew of these developments—refer: Ram Charit Manas, Ayodhya Kand, Chaupai line nos. 6-8 that precedes Doha no. 285 where it is said that all these future developments had been predicted by sage Yagyawalkya and learned sage’s words cannot go in vain. So Ahilya’s husband, sage Gautam, must surely have known it, and he must have told her this sometimes during their interaction. 3Lord Ram is the supreme Brahm himself personified. As such, he is indeed the supreme liberator of all the creatures from the endless cycle of birth and death.] Chanda line no. 9-10 that precede Doha no. 211 = The sage (Gautam) had done a great favour upon me by cursing me, because it is due to that curse that I am able to have your divine communion and vision today. (9) [Otherwise, where was it ever possible?] It is due to that curse that today I feel myself so fortunate that I can see Lord Hari (Lord Vishnu)1 till my eyes are completely filled with this divine sight. Even Lord Shiva (who is considered as the most enlightened God) has regarded this (vision of Lord Vishnu in the personified form as Lord Ram) the greatest good fortune and the most precious gift for the eye2. (10) [Note—1This shows that Ahilya had realised that Lord Ram is no one else but Lord Vishnu himself personified. Lord Vishnu is the cosmic invisible form of the Supreme Being, and in that form Vishnu is also known as the ‘Viraat Purush’, the colossal, the all-encompassing, the all-pervading cosmic invisible form of the Supreme Being, the form that whose head is the heaven, the body is the sky, and the foot is the earth, the form in which each hair represents a world. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand—(i) Chanda line no. 9 that precedes Doha no. 192; and (ii) Doha no. 201—to Chaupai line no. 2 which precedes Doha no. 202. Mother Kaushalya had the divine vision of Lord Vishnu in all his splendorous form at the time of the Lord’s revelation as Lord Ram—refer: Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto no. 3, verse nos. 16-18. 2Lord Shiva enshrines Lord Ram in his heart. Shiva eternally meditates upon the divine form and holy name “RAM” of the Lord. In fact, out of the thousands of holy names, Lord Shiva had selected this name as the only spiritual formula that cures all spiritual problems for the creature—including giving him liberation from the endless cycle of birth and death. This is the reason why Lord Shiva utters the holy name of Lord Ram into the ears of a dying creature on the banks of river Ganges at Kashi so that the dying can find liberation and deliverance. Shiva’s devotion and love for Lord Ram surpasses all, and therefore the Lord has himself said that if someone wants to have devotion for him and wishes to attain him, then he must first offer his obeisance to Lord Shiva and please him. Even the story of the Ramayan was first conceived or revealed in the heart and mind of Lord Shiva. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand—(i) Chaupai line nos. 3, 8 that precede Doha no. 19; (ii) Chaupai line no. 3 that precedes Doha no. 30; (iii) Chaupai line no. 11 that precedes Doha no. 35; (iv) Chaupai line no. 3 that precedes Doha no. 46; (v) Chaupai line no. 4 that precedes Doha no. 246; Lanka Kand—(vi) from Chaupai line no. 8 that precedes Doha no. 2—to Chaupai line no. 3 that precedes Doha no. 3. There is a wonderful Upanishad named ‘Ram Utttar Tapini Upanishad’ in which the same thing about Lord Shiva’s devotion and faith in Lord Ram is reiterated. Its part of the Atharva Veda. Refer also to Tripura Tapini Upanishad, Canto 4, verse no. 5 where it is said that Lord Shiva provides liberation and deliverance to the soul of a dying man on the banks of river Ganges by uttering Lord Ram’s holy name in his ears.] Chanda line no. 11-12 that precede Doha no. 211 = Oh Lord! I am not erudite or wise (like the great sages and seers), and so I don’t know what to ask you, except for making one request.1 (11) And it is that ‘let my Mana (mind and heart) become a bee that continuously enjoys the divine bliss that comes by sucking at the nectar that effuses from your lotus-like holy feet.2 (12) [Note—1Ahilya told the Lord that she is not much educated and does not know how to offer elaborate worship or prayers to him. She is of a low wisdom and intellect—for had it not been so then why would she have allowed herself to be so easily cheated by Indra in her earlier life which led to her being cursed to become a stone? This logic made Lord Ram speechless! 2Then she continued—‘Oh Lord. In this situation, don’t expect much from me. I can’t recite the hymns of the scriptures to pray to you. But in simple language, what I want is this: let me be your absolute devotee so much so that let my mind and heart remains submerged in your thoughts, and let me lose awareness of everything else in the bliss that I get by fixing my mind and heart in remembering your holy and divine feet which are like lotus. Just like the bee forgets everything else when it sights the open lotus flower and hovers over it and remains oblivious of the world while it sucks the flower’s nectar, let my existence be like this bee—lost in the thoughts of your holy feet and remain blissful in it. I don’t want anything other than this.’ It is to be noted here that normally when someone offered worship to the Lord, he requests what he wants only when the Lord asks him to do so. This is the norm. For instance, when Manu and Satrupa had done Tapa for having a divine vision of Lord Hari, it was only after Lord Vishnu requesting them to ask for something that they expressed their desire to have the Lord as their son. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Doha no. 148—to Doha no. 149. But in the case of Ahilya, she has asked Lord Ram what she wants even before the Lord asked her to do so. That is why she says that she is not wise and intelligent, and therefore the Lord must forgive her for being unable to observe formalities! She comes straight to the point, without wasting any time, lest some more mischief is created by someone. She is very apprehensive after her bad past experience where her innocence was exploited by Indra.] Chanda line no. 13-14 that precede Doha no. 211 = The holy feet (of Lord Vishnu) from which the holiest of rivers known as ‘the River of Gods’ (‘Sur-Saritaa’; river ‘Gangaa’ or river Ganges) had emerged, and which was accepted by Lord Shiva with great respect when he decided to honour it by giving it a place on his head,1 (13) I am so privileged and honoured today to have the same divine feet that is also worshipped by Brahma (the creator of the world) being placed on my own head. Oh the most merciful Lord, you have been exceptionally kind, merciful and gracious upon me today.’ (14) [Note—1The story of the origin of the holy river Ganges is narrated in Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran, Skandha 5, Canto 17, verse nos. 1-9. After its origin, tt was contained in the Kamandalu (water pot) of Brahma, the creator. This is said in Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran, Skandha 8, Canto 21, verse no. 4. Then, its acceptance on the head of Lord Shiva where it was locked in the mat of thick hairs on the Lord’s head is narrated in Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 42, verse nos. 23-25, and Canto 43, verse no. 1. Briefly, the story is this: When Lord Vishnu had incarnated as Lord Vaaman, the dwarf mendicant, to crush the haughtiness of king Bali and prevent him from declaring himself the emperor of the entire universe, the Lord had expended his left foot so much that its toe nail had ruptured the outer shell of the galaxy, creating a hole. The inter-galactic river flowing outside the known galaxy, gushed in through this hole to fill the whole space in the heaven. This river is known as the River of Gods or river Gangaa. This is the origin of the river in its celestial form. Refer: Smd. Bhagwat, 5/17/1-9. When Lord Vaaman’s feet were being washed as part of the ritual to honour the guest Brahmin by king Vaaman, Brahma the creator had collected this water in his Kamandalu (water pot) because it was very holy. Refer. Smd. Bhagwat, 8/21/4. Later on, when king Bhagirath had done severe Tapa (penance) to bring this holy river on the earth so that his ancestors who lay dead due to the curse of sage Kapil could be revived, Brahma told him that he must first prepare Lord Shiva to accept river Ganges on his head because when the river descends from heaven upon earth, it will do so with such tremendous force that the earth would not be able to bear it and would split into two. So Bhagirath did Tapa to please Lord Shiva who agreed to accept the cascading river on the lock of hairs on his head. Then he will gradually allow to let it down upon the plains is a stream that lacks the force by which the river falls thousands of miles from heaven. Refer: Valmiki Ramayan, 1/42/23-25, and 1/43/1.] Chanda line no. 15-16 that precede Doha no. 211 = In this way, the wife of sage Gautam fell at the feet of Lord Hari (Ram) repeatedly. (15) After having received the blessings that she had cherished (and thereby feeling fully contented), she then cheerfully went back to the hermitage of her husband, sage Gautam. (16) [Note—What did she want? She wanted eternal devotion for Lord Ram and love for the Lord’s holy feet; she wanted her mind and heart to remain engrossed in the memory and thoughts of the Lord’s holy feet. Refer line no. 12. Then she fearlessly went back to her husband, sage Gautam, because he had also personally told her that after her curse is removed by the touch of Lord Ram’s holy feet she could come back to him. Refer: Valmiki’s Ramayan, Baal Kand, Sarga 48, verse no. 32; and Adhyatma Ramayan, Baal Kand, Canto 5, verse no. 32.] Doha no. 211 = Lord (Ram) is such a merciful and compassionate one that he shows grace and kindness selflessly, without expecting any thing in return. Tulsidas addresses his himself and says—‘Oh my foolish and stubborn self (which is a reference to the ‘Mana’, the mind and the heart)1! You must abandon all sorts of pretensions, conceit and deceit as well delusions and worldly entanglements, and instead inculcate steady and profound love and devotion for Lord Ram who is so kind, magnanimous, benevolent, gracious and merciful.’ (Doha no. 211) [Note—1There are several instances in Ram Charit Manas where Tulsidas addresses his own self and calls his Mana stupid and stubborn because it would take interest in the mortal and perishable world which never gives peace, instead of focusing its attention on Lord Ram and developing devotion for the Lord as it would give it eternal peace and bliss. Refer: Ram Charit Manas—(i) Sundar Kand, Chanda line no. 4 that precedes Doha no. 60; (ii) Uttar Kand, Chanda line no. 1 that precedes Doha no. 130. Oftentimes he has also called himself stupid because he does not develop strong devotion for Lord Ram who is eager to fulfill all his wishes—Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, line no. 1 of Doha no. 28 Ka.]
Posted on: Sat, 19 Jul 2014 17:22:18 +0000
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