Vinay Patrika: Hymn 162

Raag Sorath

Shri Ram is Moved by the Suffering of Mankind

aaiso ko udaar jag maaheen |

binu seva jo dravaai deenpar raam saris kou naaheen ||1||

jo gati jog biraag jatan kari nahin paavat muni gyaanee |

so gati deit geedh sabree kahan prabhu na bahut jiya jaanee ||2||

jo sampati das sees arap kari raavan siv pahan leenheen |

so sampadaa bibheeshan kahan ati sakuch-sahit hari deenheen ||3||

tulsidaas sab bhaanti sakal sukh jo chaahasi man mero |

taau bhaju raam, kaam sab pooran karaain kripaanidhi tero ||4||

Lord Ramchandra

Who is so generous and instantly moved on seeing the poor & suffering people of this material world, without their serving him? Only Shri Ramchandra is of this calibre and there is none other equivalent to him ||1||

Shri Ram Grants Moksha to Jatayu

Great knowledgeable munis can not attain the *supreme condition even on adopting various means like *yoga and asceticism. Lord Raghunath ji granted that highest state of mukti to a vulture(*Jatayu) and *Shabari and did not consider it a great generosity on His part ||2||

Shri Ram Declares Vibhishan King of Lanka, After Ravana's Death

The wealth which *Ravana had attained by offering all of his ten heads to Lord Shiva; that same opulence was hesitantly given by Shri Ram to Vibhishana ||3||

Hanumanji Does Bhajan of Shri Ram

Tulsidas ji says,” O heart of mine! If you long for all the joys in every possible way, do bhajan or worship Shri Ram. The reservoir of mercy will certainly grant all your wishes ||4||

supreme condition: salvation, or release of the soul from the body and from further rebirth.

yoga: a practice of abstract meditation undertaken to bring the soul into union with the supreme spirit; bodily exercises or disciplines as conducive to the above.

Jatayu: In the Ramayana, Jatayu is the son of Aruna and nephew of Garuda. A demi-god who has the form of a vulture, he was an old friend of Dasharatha. He tries to rescue Sita from Ravana on his way to Lanka. Jatayu fought valiantly with Ravana but was old. As Rama and Lakshmana chance upon the stricken and dying Jatayu in their search for Sita, he informs them of the fight and the southern direction which Ravana had taken.

While Jatayu was wounded Lord Rama arrived and decided that Jatayu get moksha. Lord Rama hit an arrow in the ground so as to summon the seven sacred rivers. Six rivers' waters arrived, one river water failing to obey Lord Rama. Since Lord Rama was himself an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, He forced the Gaya teertha to arrive at the spot. Finally Jatayu was given the waters of seven rivers and He attained moksha.

Shabari: was a hunter's daughter and belonged to the Bhils. The night before her marriage, she saw thousands of goats and sheep were going to be sacrificed for the marriage dinner. Moved, she renounced the world and fled to meet a Master. After days, she met Sage Matanga at the foot of the Mountain Rishyamukha and accepted him as guru. When Matanga was about to die, Shabari now old said that after serving him throughout her life, she wanted to reach the same "abode of peace" which Matanga had. Thereupon, the sage said because of her seva, Lord Rama would give her darshan.

Everyday Shabari would go and pluck berries for Lord Rama. She would pluck a fruit, taste it, and if it was sweet put it in her basket and discard the bitter ones.

Rama went to Shabari's ashram because of her sincere devotion. On seeing Rama, Shabari was ecstatic and offered the fruits she had collected to Rama. Lakshmana was concerned that Shabari had already tasted them and to this Rama said, "nothing could equal these berry fruits, offered with such devotion. You taste them, then alone will you know. Whomsoever offers a fruit, leaf, flower or some water with love, I partake it with great joy.” Pleased with Shabari's devotion, Rama granted her Moksha or liberation.

Ravana : Shiva Tandava Stotram is a hymn of praise that describes Shiva's power and beauty. It was sung by Ravana, the son of Rishi Vishrawas. Both the fourth and fifth quatrains of this hymn conclude with lists of Shiva's epithets as destroyer.

In the final quatrain of the poem, after tiring of rampaging across the Earth, Ravana asks, "When will I be happy?" Because of the intensity of his prayers and ascetic meditation, of which this hymn was an example, Ravana received from Shiva the boon of indestructibility by all powers on heaven and earth — except by a human being. Considering humans to be weak, Ravana abducted the wife of Rama, Lord Vishnu incarnate.

Vibhishana: was pure of mind and heart. From childhood, he spent his time meditating on the name of the Lord. Eventually, Brahma appeared and offered him a boon. Vibhishana wanted to have his mind fixed on the lotus feet of the Lord and have darshan of Lord Vishnu. Finally he was able to give up his wealth and family, and join Rama who was God incarnate.

Ravana exiled him from Lanka and his mother, Kaikesi, advised him to serve Shri Rama, who was assembling an army to conquer Ravana and to recover Sita. Lord Rama accepted Vibhishana's service and anointed him the Lord of Lanka after Ravana's death.