Friday, April 15, 2011

Vinay Patrika: Shri Ram Vandana [64]

Raag Basant


Shri Ram


bandaau raghupati karunaa-nidhaan | jaate chhootaai bhav-bhed-gyaan ||1||

raghubansh-kumud-sukhprad nises | sevat pad-pankaj aj mahes ||2||

nij bhakt-hriday-paathoj-bhring | laavanya bapush agnit anang ||3||

ati prabal moh-tam-maartandd | agyaan-gahan-paavak prachandd ||4||

abhimaan-sindhu-kumbhaj udaar | surranjan,bhanjan bhoomibhaar ||5||

raagaadi-sarpgan-panngaari | kandarp-naag-mrigpati, muraari ||6||

bhav-jaldhi-pot charnaarbind | jaankee-ravan aanand-kand ||7||

hanumant-prem-baapee-maraal | nishkaam kaamdhuk go dayaal ||8||

traailok-tilak, gungahan raam | kah tulsidaas vishraam-dhaam ||9||


Shri Raghunath ji

I pray to Shri Raghunath ji (Lord of the Raghus), a treasury of compassion, so that I am able to discard the worldly consciousness of discrimination ||1||


Shri Ram's Lotus Feet Are Served by Brahma & Shiva

Shri Ram is the one who makes the water-lily of Raghuvanshis blossom like the moon. Whose lotus feet are served by Brahma and Shiva ||2||


Shri Ram Dwells in the Heart of His Bhaktas

The one who resides in the lotus hearts of his bhaktas like the capricious black bee.


Kamdev, the god of Love

Whose bodily charm is equivalent to countless Kamdevs ||3||


Shri Ram is the Blazing Sun who Dispels Delusion

The one who is the sun in devastating the mighty darkness of delusion (esp as to the supposed reality of the world) and is a form of fire for reducing the dense forest of ignorance to ashes ||4||


Sage Agastya

The one who is the generous *Agastya for soaking up the ocean of arrogance. He grants joy to the gods and alleviates the burden of the earth( by crushing demons) ||5||


Shri Ram is Garuda for Devouring the Snakes of Love & Hatred

The one who is Garuda for devouring the snakes of love and hatred, and a lion for killing the elephant of lust; and the one who killed the demon *Mura ||6||


Shri Ram Dallies with Janki ji

Whose lotus feet are the ship which help us cross over the ocean of this mundane world. Such a Shri Ram who romantically dallies with Janki ji, is the one who showers delight ||7||


Shri Ram Delights in Hanuman ji's Love

The one who constantly enjoys himself like a swan in the tank of Hanuman ji's love, and is extremely merciful like the *Kamadhenu for selfless bhaktas ||8||


Goswami Tulsidas

Tulsidas precisely says that the *shiromani of three lokas and a reservoir of virtues, Shri Ramchandra ji is the only site of peace.



Agastya: One story about Agastya goes that once the Kalakeyas (a clan of Asuras) had taken refuge in the Cosmic Ocean, so that it was difficult for the Devas to vanquish them, due to which they went to Sage Agastya for help. After hearing the Devas, the sage drank the entire ocean water and held it within him, until the demons were destroyed.


Mura: Mura was the Asurasputra of sage Kashyap and Danu. When he saw the demons being vanquished by the deities, he did penance to get a boon from Lord Brahma to be able to kill anybody by the mere touch of his hand.


Becoming arrogant Mura challenged the deities, Yakshas and Kinnars to fight him but scared nobody accepted his challenge. He then entered Indra’s capital and challenged him for a duel. Indra was terrified and abandoned heaven. Now, Mura ruled of heaven and invited other demons to join him.


Once, Mura challenged a king named Raghu who was proficient in rituals for a duel. At that time, Raghu was busy performing his Yagya. He admonished Mura by saying- “What are you fighting with the mortals? If you are really that brave then you should defeat Yamaraj.” The arrogant Mura then went to Yama Loka and challenged Yama. Yama was aware of Brahma’s boon and went to take Lord Vishnu’s help. He advised him to send Mura to Vishnu Loka by all means.


Yama returned to his abode where he found Mura waiting for him and asked him to protect him from Lord Vishnu, his former master who lived in Ksheersagar.


When Mura reached Ksheersagar, Lord Vishnu asked him the reason of his arrival. Mura confidently said that he had come to fight him. Lord Vishnu had worked out an excellent plan to kill Mura and said- “If you have come to fight me then why are you trembling with fear and why is your heart beating so fast? I do not fight cowards.” Furious at Lord Vishnu’s words, Mura put his hand on his own chest to convince Lord Vishnu that his heartbeat was normal. The moment he put his hand on his chest, he fell down and finding the moment opportune, Lord Vishnu killed him with the discus.


Kamadhenu: also known as Surabhi, is a divine bovine-goddess described in Hindu mythology as the mother of all cows. She is a miraculous cow of plenty who provides her owner whatever he desires and is often portrayed as the mother of other cattle as well as the eleven Rudras.


shiromani: a jewl worn on the head, one who is supreme

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