48 verses
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: The son of Mahārāja Khaṭvāḍga was Dīrghabāhu, and his son was the celebrated Mahārāja Raghu. From Mahārāja Raghu came Aja, and from Aja was born Mahārāja Daśaratha.
The Lord who is Brahman, and whom you saw in the womb, on the request of the devatās, has appeared as a son taking four forms--Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna--as the totality of all forms and their expansions.
Eśaḥ indicates that form which you saw in your mothers womb. Aṁśāṁśena means as the totality of aṁśas and their aṁśas.
O King Parīkṣit! The transcendental activities of Rāmacandra have been described by great saintly persons who have seen the truth, and you have heard again and again about them.
The pastimes of Rāma which Śeṣa and Ganeśa cannot fully describe or record will be glorified in two chapters by this verse.
Rāmacandra, King of Kosala, gave up the kingdom to keep his fathers promise and walked from forest to forest on his lotus feet which were so delicate they could not tolerate the touch of Sitās hand. His fatigue while walking was relieved by Hanumān and Lakṣmaṇa. He created fear in the ocean by moving his eyebrow in anger caused by separation from Sitā due his severing Sūrpaṇakhas nose and ear, and built a bridge over the ocean. May Rāmacandra, who burned the forest of demons, protect us!
He gave up the kingdom to keep the promise of his father (guru), walking from forest to forest by his two feet soft as lotuses. Those feet were so soft that they could not tolerate the touch of Śītas hands, which were most soft. His fatigue from walking on the road was removed by Hanumān or Sugrīva and Lakṣmaṇa. Angered by separation from his dear wife because she was stolen by Rāvaṇa because his sister Sūrpaṇakha had her ear and nose cut off, he instilled fear in the ocean by moving his eyebrow. He burned the forest of demons like Rāvaṇa.
In the arena of the sacrifice performed by Viśvāmitra, Rāmacandra killed best of demons such as Mārīca acting in ignorance in the presence of Lakṣmaṇa.
The pastimes which were summarized are not explained in more detail in two chapters. Niśā-carāḥ means persons who act in ignorance. Nairṛta-puḍgavāḥ means the best of the demons.
jitvānurūpa-guṇa-śīla-vayo 'ḍga-rūpāṁ sītābhidhāṁ śriyam urasy abhilabdhamānām mārge vrajan bhṛgupater vyanayat prarūòhaṁ darpaṁ mahīm akṛta yas trir arāja-bījām
During Sītās selection of a groom, Rāma casually took the bow of Śiva, carried by three hundred men, just as a baby elephant takes a piece of sugar cane, strung it, bent it, and broke it in the middle, amidst the heroes of the world, and having attained Sītā, who had previously gained respect on his chest as Lakṣmī, destroyed the profound pride of Paraśurāma who made the earth vacant of the seed of kings twenty-one times while he traveled on the road.
In the society of heroes of the world, he took the bow of Śiva casually like a piece of sugar cane, carried by three hundred men, strung it, bent it and broke it in the middle. Having obtained Sītā who had previously gained respect on his chest, he extinguished the pride of Paraśurāma, who had destroyed the seed of kings twenty-one times.
Carrying on his head the order of his father, who was bound by a promise and controlled by Kaikeyī, Rāmacandra left behind his kingdom, wealth, friends, well-wishers and residence, and just as a liberated soul joyfully gives up his life airs, he joyfully went to the forest with Sītā.
Pleased with her, the king had previously promised to Kaikeyī that he would give what ever she desired. When Rāma was to be enthroned as the king, she asked that Rāma be banished to the forest and Bharata be made the king. Along with his wife, Rāma carried the order on his head because the King was bound by the ropes of truth to his wife--- the King had to keep his promise to Kaikeyā (straiṇasya). Though the pleasures were difficult to give up by normal persons, Rāma gave up all the pleasures of the kingdom with joy, like a yogī who gives up his life airs with joy.
Rāmacandra disfigured Rāvaṇa's sister, who was polluted with lusty desires, by cutting off her nose and ears. Carrying his invincible bow and arrows in his hand, he also killed her fourteen thousand Rākṣaṣa friends, headed by Khara, Triśira and Dūṣaṇa. While wandering in the forest, he accepted a life of hardship.
He disfigured the sister of Rāvaṇa, Sūrpaṇakha, by cutting off her nose and ears, and, holding his bow unendurable by others, killed her friends. Wandering in the forest, he lived in hardship.
O King! Seeing the deer, Mārīca in disguise, send by Rāvaṇa, who was enflamed with desire on hearing about Sītā, Rāma, attracted away from the hermitage by the deers fabulous golden body, killed it with his sharp arrow just as Śiva killed Dakṣa.
Then, seeing Mārīca in the form of a deer sent by Rāvaṇa, who though of stealing her on hearing about her from Sūrpaṇakha, in order to lure Rāma from the hermitage, Rāma, lured far away from the hermitage by the astonishing golden deer, killed Mārīca, just as Śiva killed Dakṣa (kam).
When Sītā was stolen by wolf-like Rāvaṇa in the forest in Rāmas absence, Rāma, feeling separation from his wife like a suffering man, wandered in the forest with his brother, announcing to the world the result of association with women.
When Sītā was stolen by Rāvaṇa (adhamena) who was like a wolf, when others were not looking (asamakṣyam), Rāma experienced separation known as vipralambha from Sītā. Rāma is the āśraya ālambana for śṛṇgāra-rasa. Rāma relished vipralambha or separation as part of rasa, and displayed anubhāvas, sattvika-bhāvas, and sañcāri-bhāvas such as lamentation, fainting and madness. Why did he do this? He showed to material men the unhappy consequence of association with women. It was a show only and not actual. However, persons with spiritual vision know that it is impossible for the Lord who is param brahman, whose mind, intelligence and senses are all spiritual, to experience material suffering. This is against the scripture and is understood by śruti and the discussion on Rāma in the Fifth Canto concerning his form in Kimpuruṣa-varṣa. Rāma-tāpanī Upaniṣad says cinmaye smin mahāviṣṇau jāte dāśarathe harau: Rāma, born to Daśaratha, is the Supreme Lord, completely spiritual.
After performing last rites for Jatāyu who acted on Rāmas behalf, killing the demon Kabandha, making friends with the monkeys, killing Vāli, and understanding where Sītā was from the monkeys, Rāma, whose feet are worshipped by Brahmā and Śiva, went to the shore of the ocean.
Rāma performed rites according to scripture for Jatāyu who was killed fighting Rāvaṇa, while acting for Rāmas cause. He burned Jatāyu as he would his own son. He killed Kabandha who spread his arms to capture Rāma. After killing Vāli and understanding from the monkeys where Sītā was, he (manujaḥ) went to the shore of the ocean.
Simply by his frowning glance cast over the ocean, all the living entities within it, including the crocodiles and sharks, were agitated by fear. Then the personified ocean, stopping its roaring sound out of fear and holding all paraphernalia to worship him on his head, approached the Lord's lotus feet, and spoke as follows.
Though Rāma fasted and waited for three days, the ocean did not come. Then he remembered his powers. The crocodiles and makaras became disturbed by his frowning (vivṛtta) glance manifested through anger. The ocean stopped its sound out of fear. The ocean, bringing arghya and other ingredients of worship, approached his feet.
Being fools, we do not understand you, with fixed form, the original person, controller of the universe. You are the controller of prakṛti, from whose sattva-guṇa arise the devatās, from whose rajoguṇa arise the Prajāpatis and from whose tamoguṇa arise the Rudras.
I am ignorant since I am grossly material and unconscious. Without your punishment I cannot understand you, just as animals do not respect humans if they are not beaten with a stick. But now you understand me. No, none of us can understand since we are under the guṇas. The word yad (from whom) should be added to each phrase. Manyoḥ means from tamas. You are the controller of pradhāna, the guṇas personified.
At your will, cross the ocean. Conquer Rāvaṇa, who made the three worlds cry, who was the urine of his father Viśravā. O hero! Regain your wife. For spreading your fame, construct a bridge here. Approaching that bridge, the great heroes and kings will glorify your fame.
Rāvaṇa, who made the three worlds cry, was like the urine of Viśravā his father. Approaching that bridge, great heroes and kings will glorify your fame.
After constructing a bridge over the ocean by throwing into the water the peaks of mountains whose trees and other vegetation had been shaken by the hands of great monkeys, with the help of Vibhīṣaṇa, the Lord, along with the monkey soldiers, headed by Sugrīva, Nīla and Hanumān, entered Rāvaṇa's kingdom, Laḍkā, which had previously been burnt by Hanumān.
He built the bridge with mountain peaks, having branches of trees shaken by the hands of monkeys. By the intelligence (dṛśā) of Vibhīṣaṇa, he entered Laḍkā.
The monkey soldiers occupied all the sporting grounds, granaries, treasuries, doors and city gates, assembly houses, palace turrets and even the resting houses of the pigeons. When the city's crossroads, platforms, flags and golden waterpots on its domes were all destroyed, the entire city of Laḍkā appeared like a river disturbed by a herd of elephants.
The citys playgrounds, granaries, treasuries, doors, city gates, assembly houses, turrets (balabhī) and pigeon houses (viṭāḍgkāh) were occupied by the monkeys. The platforms and crossroads (śṛṇgāṭakāḥ) were broken, like a river agitated by elephants.
When Rāvaṇa, the master of the Rākṣasas, saw the disturbances created by the monkey soldiers, he called Nikumbha, Kumbha, Dhūmrākṣa, Durmukha, Surāntaka, Narāntaka and other Rākṣasas, his son Indrajit, Prahasta, Atikāya, Vikampana and finally Kumbhakarṇa and engaged them in fighting.
His son was Indrajit. He called them all in order to fight.
Rāmacandra, surrounded by Lakṣmaṇa and monkey soldiers like Sugrīva, Hanumān, Gandhamāda, Nīla, Aḍgada, Jāmbavān and Panasa, attacked the soldiers of the Rākṣasas, who were equipped with invincible weapons like swords, lances, bows, missiles, spears, pikes, arrows, knives and javelins.
Anvitaḥ means Rāma, surrounded by the others.
Aḍgada and the other commanders of the soldiers of Rāmacandra met enemy troops equipped with elephants, infantry, horses and chariots, whose leader had lost all fortune because of stealing Sītā, and attacked them with trees, mountain peaks, clubs and arrows.
The troops of Rāma, headed by Aḍgada and others met in combat (dvandvam) with the troops and attacked them with trees and mountains. Their leader Rāvaṇa had lost all good fortune because he had stolen Sītā.
Thereafter, when Rāvaṇa, the king of the Rākṣasas, observed that his soldiers had been destroyed, he was extremely angry. He mounted his airplane, and preceded toward Rāmacandra, who sat on the effulgent, heavenly chariot brought by Mātali, the chariot driver of Indra. Then Rāvaṇa struck Lord Rāmacandra with sharp arrows.
Yānakam means a pleasure vehicle or chariot. He attacked Rāma who was shining in an effulgent, heavenly chariot brought by the charioteer of Indra.
Rāmacandra said to Rāvaṇa: You are the stool of a Rākṣaṣa. Like a dog, you kidnapped my wife in my absence. Therefore as Yamarāja punishes sinful men, I, whose attempt never fails, shall today punish you, performer of actions most abominable and shameless.
O stool of a Rākṣaṣa! You are foul because you stole my wife. You are like a dog who enters the house when no one is there and steals ghee. Today, I, like Yamarāja, will give the results of your sin to you who have performed condemned actions.
After thus rebuking Rāvaṇa, Rāmacandra fixed an arrow to his bow and released it. The arrow pierced Rāvaṇa's heart like a thunderbolt and Rāvaṇa fell from his plane, vomiting blood from his ten mouths, just as a pious man falls to earth from the heavenly planets after exhausting his pious activities. Onlookers exclaimed Alas! Alas!
The arrow (saḥ) pierced Rāvaṇas heart. He fell from his airplane like a pious man falls from Svarga after exhausting his pious acts.
Thereafter, thousands of women whose husbands had fallen in the battle, headed by Mandodarī, the wife of Rāvaṇa, came out of Laḍkā. Continuously crying, they approached the dead bodies of Rāvaṇa and the other Rākṣasas.
Mandodarī was the wife of Rāvaṇa.
Striking their breasts in affliction, the miserable women embraced their husbands who had been killed by the arrows of Lakṣmaṇa and cried piteously.
O my lord, O Rāvaṇa who made others cry! We are all vanquished. Without you, who will be the protector of Laḍkā, defeated by the enemy?
O greatly fortunate one! Under the influence of lust, you could not understand the influence of mother Sītā, which has brought about this condition.
O pleasure of the Rākṣaṣa dynasty, because of you the state of Laḍkā and also we ourselves now have no protector. By your deeds you have made your body fit to be eaten by vultures and your soul fit to go to hell.
You have made your body food to be eaten by vultures, and your soul fit for experiencing hell.
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Vibhīṣaṇa, with the approval from Rāmacandra, performed the prescribed funeral ceremonies for his family members with oblations to the Pitṛs.
Sāmparāyikam means death rites.
Thereafter, Lord Rāmacandra saw Sītā sitting in a small cottage beneath a śiṁśapa tree in a forest of Aśoka trees. She was thin, aggrieved because of separation from Rāma.
Seeing his dear wife in misery, Rāmacandra was very compassionate. When Rāmacandra came before her, her face blossomed like a lotus in joy.
After giving Vibhīṣaṇa the power to rule the Rākṣasa population of Laḍkā for the duration of one kalpa, Lord Rāmacandra placed Sītā on an airplane and then ascended the plane with Sugrīva and Lakṣmaṇa, along with Hanumān. The period for his living in the forest having ended, the Lord returned to Ayodhyā.
Putting Sītā on the airplane, Rāma ascended with the two brothers, Sugrīva and Lakṣmaṇa. Hanumad yutaḥ means with Hanumān.
He was showered with flowers by the devatās on the way and praised by persons like Brahmā in joy.
Rāmacandra heard that, in his absence, his brother Bharata was eating barley cooked in the urine of a cow, covering his body with the bark of trees, wearing matted locks of hair, and lying on a mattress of kuśa. The most merciful Lord lamented this.
Go-mūtra-yāvakam means barley cooked in cow urine.
nandigrāmāt sva-śibirād gīta-vāditra-niḥsvanaiḥ brahma-ghoṣeṇa ca muhuḥ paṭhadbhir brahmavādibhiḥ
svarṇa-kakṣa-patākābhir
haimaiś citra-dhvajai rathaiḥ
sad-aśvai rukma-sannāhair
bhaṭaiḥ puraṭa-varmabhiḥ
śreṇībhir vāra-mukhyābhir
bhṛtyaiś caiva padānugaiḥ
pārameṣṭhyāny upādāya
paṇyāny uccāvacāni ca
pādayor nyapatat premṇā
praklinna-hṛdayekṣaṇaḥ
When Bharata understood that Rāmacandra was returning to the capital, Ayodhyā, he immediately took upon his head Rāmacandra's wooden shoes and came out from his camp at Nandigrāma with ministers, priests and citizens.
With the sound of instruments, brāhmaṇas loudly chanting Vedic hymns, with a procession of chariots decorated by flags with golden embroidery and by other flags of various sizes and patterns, drawn by beautiful horses with harnesses of golden rope, with soldiers bedecked with golden armor, with servants walking on foot, and beautiful women, bearing valuable umbrellas, whisks, and other paraphernalia befitting a royal reception, Bharata, his heart softened in ecstasy and his eyes full of tears, fell at the feet of Rāmacandra.
Sva-śivairāt means from his military camp. He was accompanied by brāhmaṇas chanting of the Vedas loudly, along with instrumental music. The chariots had flags whose edges were embellished with gold. The soldiers had gold armor. They carried item like umbrellas and cāmaras, symbols of royalty. Panyāni means valuable.
rāmo lakṣmaṇa-sītābhyāṁ viprebhyo ye 'rha-sattamāḥ tebhyaḥ svayaṁ namaścakre prajābhiś ca namaskṛtaḥ
After placing the wooden shoes before Rāmacandra, Bharata stood with folded hands, his eyes full of tears, and Rāmacandra bathed Bharata with tears while embracing him with both arms for a long time. Accompanied by Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, Rāmacandra then offered his respectful obeisances unto the learned brāhmaṇas, who were most respectable. The citizens of Ayodhyā offered their respectful obeisances unto the Lord.
The citizens of Ayodhyā, upon seeing their King return after a long absence, showered him with flower garlands, waved their upper cloths, and danced in great jubilation.
Uttarāḥ kosalāḥ means the citizens of Ayodhyā. They waved their upper cloths and danced.
dhanur-niṣaḍgāñ chatrughnaḥ sītā tīrtha-kamaṇòalum abibhrad aḍgadaḥ khaògaṁ haimaṁ carmarkṣa-rāṇ nṛpa
O King! Bharata carried Lord Rāmacandra's wooden shoes, Sugrīva and Vibhīṣaṇa carried a whisk and an excellent fan, Hanumān carried a white umbrella, Śatrughna carried a bow and two quivers, and Sītādevī carried a pot filled with water from holy places. Aḍgada carried a sword, and Jāmbavān, King of the bears, carried a golden shield.
This verse describes how they entered the city of Ayodhyā. Bharata was in front, carrying the shoes. Vibhīṣaṇa and Sugrīva were on the sides, carrying cāmara and fan. Hanumān followed behind holding an umbrella.
O King Parīkṣit! As the Lord sat on his airplane of flowers, praised by women by reciters, he appeared like the moon with the stars and planets.
gurūn vayasyāvarajān pūjitaḥ pratyapūjayat vaidehī lakṣmaṇaś caiva yathāvat samupeyatuḥ
Having been welcomed by Bharata, Rāmacandra entered the city of Ayodhyā in the midst of a festival. When he entered the palace, he offered obeisances to all the mothers, including Kaikeyī and his own mother, Kauśalyā. He also offered obeisances to the spiritual preceptors, such as Vasiṣṭha. Friends of his own age and younger friends worshiped him. Lakṣmaṇa and mother Sītā also offered suitable respects.
Guru-patnīḥ means Kaikeyi and others. Svātaram means Kauśalyā. He offered respects to his gurus also. He was worshipped by those of his own age and those younger. Lakṣmaṇa and Sītā offered suitable respects as well by bowing down.
Upon seeing their sons, the mothers of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna immediately arose, like unconscious bodies returning to consciousness. The mothers placed their sons on their laps and bathed them with tears, thus relieving themselves of the grief of long separation.
The family priest Vasiṣṭha had Rāmacandra cleanly shaved of his matted locks. Then, with the cooperation of the elderly members of the family, he performed the bathing ceremony for Rāmacandra with the water of the four seas and with other substances, just as it was performed for King Indra.
Rāmacandra, fully bathed and his head clean-shaven, dressed himself nicely and was decorated with a garland and ornaments. Thus he shone brightly, surrounded by his brothers and wife, who were similarly dressed and ornamented.
Being pleased by the full surrender of Bharata, Rāmacandra then accepted the throne of the state. He cared for the citizens exactly like a father, and the citizens, engaged in their occupational duties of varṇa and āśrama, accepted him as their father.
Rāmacandra became King during Tretā-yuga,1 but the age was like Satya-yuga since Rāma was knowledgeable of dharma and gave happiness to all beings.
O best of the Bharata dynasty! During the reign of Rāmacandra the forests, the rivers, the hills and mountains, the states, the seven islands and the seven seas were all favorable in supplying the necessities of life for all living beings.
When Rāmacandra, Supreme Lord, was the king of this world, all bodily and mental suffering, disease, old age, debility, lamentation, distress, fear and fatigue and death were completely absent, if so desired.
Rāmacandra, a pure king of saintly character, with a vow of accepting only one wife, taught good behavior for householders by his personal activities.
By her character and her love and service, by submissiveness, shyness and fear, understanding the love of her husband, Sītā attracted the mind of the Lord.
Thus ends the commentary on the Tenth Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Tenth Chapter, Śukadeva makes all men drink the nectar of Rāmas birth, actions and qualities.