Ram Geeta

In the ‘Aranyakand’ of ‘Ramcharitmanas’, Lakshman ji humbly asked five questions to Shri Ram.

To pacify Lakshman ji’s curiosity, Shri Ram narrated “Ram Geeta”. In the sutratmka language, the Lord has represented Maya, Jnana, Vairagya, Jiva-Shiva and Bhakti. In “Ram Geeta” the Supreme Lord Shri Ram is seen in the form of Guru.

• ईस्वर जीव भेद प्रभु सकल कहौ समुझाइ।
  जातें होइ चरन रति सोक मोह भ्रम जाइ॥

Meaning:- O Lord! Explain the difference between God and the soul and tell me, so that I may have love at your feet and sorrow, attachment and confusion are destroyed.

• थोरेहि महँ सब कहउँ बुझाई। सुनहु तात मति मन चित लाई॥
  मैं अरु मोर तोर तैं माया। जेहिं बस कीन्हे जीव निकाया॥

Meaning:- (Shri Ramji said-) Oh tat! Let me explain everything in a short time. Listen with your heart, mind and intellect! Me and mine, you and yours – this is Maya, which has subdued all living beings.

• गो गोचर जहँ लगि मन जाई। सो सब माया जानेहु भाई॥
  तेहि कर भेद सुनहु तुम्ह सोऊ। बिद्या अपर अबिद्या दोऊ॥

Meaning:- The objects of the senses and as far as the mind goes, oh brother! To know all of them maya. He also has one knowledge and the other avidya, listen to these two differences.

• एक दुष्ट अतिसय दुखरूपा। जा बस जीव परा भवकूपा॥
  एक रचइ जग गुन बस जाकें। प्रभु प्रेरित नहिं निज बल ताकें॥

Meaning:- One (Avidya) is wicked (defective) and is very sad, due to which the soul is lying in the well of the world, and the one (Vidya) who is possessed of qualities and who creates the world, he is from GOD. Inspired, it has nothing of its own strength.

• ग्यान मान जहँ एकउ नाहीं। देख ब्रह्म समान सब माहीं॥
  कहिअ तात सो परम बिरागी। तृन सम सिद्धि तीनि गुन त्यागी॥

Meaning:- Knowledge is that, where (in which) there is not a single (defect) value etc. Hey tat! He should be called the supreme dispassionate, who has renounced all the accomplishments and the three Gunas like straw.

(In which pride, conceit, violence, apology, crookedness, lack of teacher service, impurity, instability, mind not absorbed, attachment about senses, ego, birth-death-a little-disease in the world of happiness-intellect, woman- Attachment and affection in son’s house, etc., joy and sorrow in the attainment of good and bad, lack of devotion, lack of mind in solitude, love in the company of material men – these should not be eighteen and the condition and principle in eternal spirituality (soul) The meaning of knowledge (knowable through philosophy) is the constant vision of God, that is called knowledge. See Gita Adhyay 13/7 to 11)

• माया ईस न आपु कहुँ जान कहिअ सो जीव।
  बंध मोच्छ प्रद सर्बपर माया प्रेरक सीव॥

Meaning: One who does not know Maya, God and his own nature, he should be called a living entity. The one who (according to karma) gives bondage and salvation, is above all and inspirer of Maya, that is God.

• धर्म तें बिरति जोग तें ग्याना। ग्यान मोच्छप्रद बेद बखाना॥
  जातें बेगि द्रवउँ मैं भाई। सो मम भगति भगत सुखदाई॥

Meaning: – Dharma (behavior) leads to dispassion and yoga leads to knowledge and knowledge is the giver of salvation – this is what the Vedas have described. And oh brother! By which I am soon pleased, it is my devotion which gives happiness to the devotees.

• सो सुतंत्र अवलंब न आना। तेहि आधीन ग्यान बिग्याना॥
  भगति तात अनुपम सुखमूला। मिलइ जो संत होइँ अनुकूला॥

Meaning:- That devotion is independent, it does not have the support (expectation) of any other means (knowledge-science etc.). Knowledge and science are under him. Hey tat! Bhakti is unique and the root of happiness and it is attained only when the saints are favorable (happy).

• भगति कि साधन कहउँ बखानी। सुगम पंथ मोहि पावहिं प्रानी॥
  प्रथमहिं बिप्र चरन अति प्रीती। निज निज कर्म निरत श्रुति रीती॥

Meaning: – Now I will tell in detail the means of devotion – this is the easy path, through which living beings can easily find Me. First of all, there should be a lot of love at the feet of the brahmins and be engaged in one’s own (varnashrama) deeds according to the rituals of the Vedas.

• एहि कर फल पुनि बिषय बिरागा। तब मम धर्म उपज अनुरागा॥
  श्रवनादिक नव भक्ति दृढ़ाहीं। मम लीला रति अति मन माहीं॥

Meaning: The fruit of this, then, will be dispassion from objects. Then (having dispassion) love will arise in my Dharma (Bhagavata Dharma). Then the nine types of devotions like Shravan etc. will be strong and there will be great love in my mind for my pastimes.

• संत चरन पंकज अति प्रेमा। मन क्रम बचन भजन दृढ़ नेमा॥
  गुरु पितु मातु बंधु पति देवा। सब मोहि कहँ जानै दृढ़ सेवा॥

Meaning:- One who has great love at the lotus feet of saints, who has a firm rule of worship in thought, word and deed, and who is firm in knowing and serving me as Guru, father, mother, brother, husband and deity.

• मम गुन गावत पुलक सरीरा। गदगद गिरा नयन बह नीरा॥
  काम आदि मद दंभ न जाकें। तात निरंतर बस मैं ताकें॥

Meaning: While singing my praises, one whose body swells, the speech becomes giddy and water starts flowing from the eyes and in whom there is no lust, pride and conceit etc., O brother! I am always under his control.

• बचन कर्म मन मोरि गति भजनु करहिं निःकाम।
  तिन्ह के हृदय कमल महुँ करउँ सदा बिश्राम॥

Meaning:- I always rest in the lotus heart of those who have my own movement in action, words and mind and who worship Me with selfless devotion.

• भगति जोग सुनि अति सुख पावा। लछिमन प्रभु चरनन्हि सिरु नावा॥
  एहि बिधि कछुक दिन बीती। कहत बिराग ग्यान गुन नीती॥

Meaning:- Hearing this Bhakti Yoga, Lakshmanji got immense pleasure and he bowed his head at the feet of Lord Shri Ramchandraji. In this way some days passed by saying detachment, knowledge, virtue and policy.