Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Vinay Patrika: Hymn 160

Raag Nat


Shri Ram Darbar

maain hari patit-paavan sune |

maain patit tum patit-paavan dou baanak bane ||1||

byaadh ganikaa gaj ajaamil saakhi nigmani bhane |

aaur adham anek taare jaat kaapaai gane ||2||

jaani naam ajaani leenhen narak *surpur mane |

daastulsee saran aayo, raakhiye aapne ||3||


Tulsidas ji Affirms that Shri Ram Purifies the Sinful

O *Hare! I have heard that you are the one who purifies the sinful. Thus I am the sinner and you are the one who purifies one's sins; and so it is a favourable situation for both of us, we are in perfect harmony with each other.(what doubt remains in my becoming pure, as of now?) ||1||


Ajamil Calls out To Narayan

The Vedas are giving evidence that You have made a hunter (Valmiki), ganika (prostitute Pingala),Gajendra and Ajamil plus several other despicable living beings cross over the ocean of this material world. And who can possibly count their number? ||2||


Tulsidas Seeks the Refuge of Shri Ram

Those who have taken your Name knowingly or unknowingly, have been stopped from going to hell or heaven (the paradise of Vishnu). Which means they are liberated (attain salvation) once they cross over the ocean of existence. (Solely by understanding and grasping this truth) Tulsi has also come to seek your refuge, and you make him your own, as of now||3||


Surpur: the world of the gods, the heaven of Indra.Taking the name of the Supreme Lord at the time of one's death has been said to give us mukti or salvation and does not assure our going to paradise (of Vishnu)


Hare: refers to Harati or He who unties the knot material desires in this mundane world.


Valmiki: Some say that Valimiki was a highway robber named Ratnakar who used to rob people after killing them. Once, the robber tried to rob sage Narada who asked him if his family would share the sin he was incurring due to the robbery.The robber asked his family, but none agreed to bear the burden of sin. Dejected, the robber finally understood the truth of life and Narada taught him how to worship God. The robber meditated for many years, so much so that Ant-hills grew around his body.

Sage Narada was adored by Lord Krishna, and employed different ways to bring people nearer to God. He convinced dacoit Ratnakar to chant "Mara, Mara" - the reverse of "Rama, Rama" - helping him evolve enough to get transformed into sage Valmiki.


Ganika: Pingala, the Prostitute: In ancient times, in Videha-Nagari of King Janaka, there lived a prostitute named Pingala.


After experiencing miseries in her profession, she gave up worldly desires and began to think, "Lord Krishna is very dear to my heart, but I have not tried to please Him. Regarding these persons who will die one day – what happiness have they given to me? No happiness at all. They enjoyed my body, I became theirs, and I lost everything. Somehow, by the mercy of Krishna, I have now renounced them, and this renunciation will take me to Krishna."


Pingala then closed the door of her house, lied down to sleep and slept very well. And afterwards she became a great devotee.


Gajendra : was the king of elephants. One hot day, he went to the lake with his family to cool off in its fresh waters. But from within the lake a crocodile attacked and would not let go of him. When the family saw ‘death’ coming close to Gajendra, they abandoned him. Gajendra prayed to Lord Vishnu who came to the aid of Gajendra, who offered a lotus to the god. Vishnu attacked the crocodile and saved His Loved One.


Ajamil: was the son of a devout devotee of Vishnu. But unlike his holy father wasted his time in sinful activities.


One day, his father sent him to the nearby forest to pluck flowers. There a beautiful tribal woman, accompanied by her lover, saw the handsome Ajamil and fell in love with him. Ajamil agreed to marry her and returned home with his bride. Shocked, his father rejected her and Ajamil he threw the old man on the ground and asked him to leave the house. Ajamil's sins increased with the passing years .Ajamil's wife bore him ten sons and the youngest, Narayana was the most loved of them all.


Ajamil slowly became weak and took to his bed. He saw Yama's two messengers by his bedside. Startled, he shouted his son Narayan's name. Lord Vishnu who is called Narayana heard the plea and responded.

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