||Sri Ram Jayram Jaya Jaya Ram||

Chapter – 16 – Dhoha – 15

Tulsidas Maharaj speaks “ I shall narrate the conversation between Maharishi Yajjavalkya and Sage Bharadhwaja, let the pious people listen to it with great pleasure.  This beautiful legend was described by Lord Shambhu to Goddess Uma, further it was retold to Kakabhushundi/sage who has the appearance of a crow, was a fervent devotee of supreme Lord Rama, therefore Lord Shambhu decided to narrate it to him, later it was received by Maharishi Yajjavalkya from Kakabhushundi, and it was retold to Sage Bharadhwaja.  The Maharishi Yajjavalkya and Sage Bharadhwaja are Vaktha/speaker and Shrotha/listener respectively, they are highly learned, righteous, have the highest knowledge of supreme Lord as a soul in living beings, they had a thorough knowledge of the numerous incarnations of LordHari. These two Sages had divine powers, are aware of past, present, and future, like the lemon on the palm. Later, this glorious legend came to know to illustrious Rishis and Sages and they took great pleasure in it.  I had the great fortune to listen to this legend from my preceptor in the Sookarakshethra/Soron, U.P. I was too young those days, so I could not understand the real meaning of it, due to my poor intellect. I am a dull person with a poor intellect, soaked in the impurities of the Kali era, how could I understand the highest philosophy in it?”

Tulsidas Maharaj continues “My preceptor repeatedly narrated this legend to me, hence I could understand some of it, I shall try to exemplify the same in my own language/Awadh so that I can get satisfaction out of it. I shall try to incorporate all those information according to my knowledge with the blessings of Lord Hari. The legend of Lord Rama would remove all my misconceptions, desires, hallucinations, and it would work as the ferry to cross the ocean of worldly existence.  It would provide bliss to the intellectuals and pious souls and make them delightful; it removes the impurities of the Kali era. The legend of Rama is like a peacock that crushes the pride of the serpent-like Kali era.  It represents ‘Arani’/wood that ignite fire with the constant friction, it is the divine cow Kamadhenu in the Kali era, it is nectar of immortality/Sanjeevani for the ascetics, it is the nectar-like watercourse on the Earth, it removes the fears and anxieties of worldly existence, and it works as serpent swallows the trepidations like the frog.  Goddess Parvathi who was incarnated to provide welfare for the deities, like the legend of Rama is promising to ascetics and noble souls. Goddess Parvathi destroyed the demons and reinstated righteousness; like that the legend of Rama removes all the impurities like demons in the Jeeva. The legend of Lord Rama initiated as Goddess Rama who was emerged out of the milky ocean, it keeps flowing like watercourse to the hearts of pious souls, it bears all the weight of the Universe like the Mother Earth, it is like sacred river Yamuna that waves off all those emissaries of Lord Yama, it is like sacred Kashi that provides Mukthi to the Jeeva, it is like most beloved shrub Tulsi to Rama, and it is like Hulsi who is my foster mother equivalent to my own mother. The legend of Rama is like the famous river Narmada that originated from the hills of Meghala, which is beloved of Lord Shiva, it is the treasure house of all kinds of Siddhis, happiness, wealth, prosperity, etc. it symbolizes virtues like Devi Adhithi who is the mother of deities, and it is the pinnacle of devotion to the Supreme Lord Rama.  The legend of Rama represents sacred river Mandakini, Chithrakoota represents an innocent heart, and the purest love represents Lord Rama and Sita exploring in the beautiful woods. ”