The Ultimate Liberator!

For the seekers of knowledge
Can there be a knowledge?
better than
The Knowledge of The Divine, Shri Rama!

The one who liberated
Even the blades of grasses
And all the swarms of ants

Leaving none behind
That ever existed
In the Good City of Ayodhya

And placed them in
An exotic heaven
Created exclusively for them
By the Great Grandshire Brahma!

-Nammazhvaar


Ramayanam is Agriculture
Bhagavatham is Harvest
-Me


The twin-syllable, Rama
When a devotee exalts!
The Birth-Death cycle
It permanently halts

Goodness and Wealth
It everyday brings
Sin and poverty
It cleanses and shrinks

-Kambar


Goodness Honesty Sweetness Simplicity
Gentleness Strength Humility Bravery
Valour Talent Prowess Success
Memory Trustworthiness Heroism Genuinity
Such adorable qualities and so much more
By chanting Rama's name you will score!

-Me

My Lord's Story: Goodness Incarnate

Ramayanam in English poetry.

The Supreme Lord of the Universe was once born on this earth as a Human Being, faced challenges and had His share of pain and pleasure going through both good and bad times like any of us. Like any of us He too, took His turn in laughter and cry.

This humility of The Lord, that makes Him come down to earth and share with us our difficulties to show us a way to handle them is what I admire in Him. This quality of Him, makes me surrender to Him unconditionally and makes me want to sing His Glory on and on and on.

My Lord's Story is an out pour of my devotion that seeps out in gratitude for the pains He took to be a lighthouse for us, to cross the ocean of Samsara.

Links to all the posts have been provided in an order on the right side column.


Sunday, January 8, 2012

The Golden Deer

The Noble Three had slowly returned to a normal life
It was more than a month since the unfortunate strife
The Noble Three thought of those incidents as a nightmare
Lord Rama’s wounds were long healed by Mother Sita’s care

About such encounters with demons, Mother Sita did fear
But, as time went by, Her mind became free and clear
Lord Rama and Lakshman, on Her, always kept an eye
Though no danger was imminent, their alertness was high

Lord Rama took care that Mother Sita’s mind is always light
Gifting flowers and rabbits, He was to Her, as always, a delight
About their parents, relatives, and friends, they talked a lot
Panchavati, to them, became once again a delightful spot

Lakshman at Lord Rama’s behest, for Mother Sita, made a swing
Pushed to and fro by Lord Rama, sitting on it, happily She did sing
At times, The Divine Couple sat together and kicked it to and fro
Their happiness like the waxing moon once again started to grow

Once Mother Sita, in the backyard, was picking up colourful flowers
The Brothers sat in the front discussing various mantras’ powers
The Brothers heard, Mother Sita call them in a delightful cry
They went back to see, what had made, Her spirits so high

They saw a golden deer that was strange and exotic
With golden skin and embedded gems, it was truly artistic
It had a white silky line of hair running on its hunch
On the tips of leaves and select herbs, a little it did munch

Its little tail that was colourful, often it twitched
From one shrub to another, it nonchalantly switched
Often it raised its head sprouting its ears that were swank
From the water collected on the grounds, for its thirst, it drank

As if to touch the ground gently, it placed its hoofs that were white
As if in fear, it blinked with its eyes that were black and bright
With every step, it looked like it was dancing to a rhythmic chime
Its black nose, like well polished granite, was, by beauty, very prime

Its silvery horns were branched and into the air they spread
With gems at the tips, they looked like a crown on its head
The gems embedded throughout its body were of various hues
Matching and contrasting each other, they were a splendid fuse

Catching Lord Rama’s hands, Mother Sita gazed at the deer
On seeing such splendour, Her child like excitement was sheer
Her joy made Lord Rama happy, and He too watched the deer
As if it wanted Them to admire, the deer came closer without fear

“I am bewitched beyond a limit by this wonderful creature
Beauty has been bestowed to it lavishly on every feature
I have never heard about such an animal so ornate in its nature
How would it be, if we could take it home, while we go in future?”

Lord Rama silently listened to Mother Sita’s desires with a smile
Lakshman tried to speak up his doubts that this could be a guile
“Mother! This deer that glitters may not be really gold
This could be some demon, cunning, deceptive, and bold

I hope You remember Surphanaka who was young and slim
Who later revealed her old body, once Brother Rama behaved grim
This is the nature of all rakshasas; we must not be deceived
A bitter lesson, regarding their nature, we have already received”

On hearing Lakshman speak, Mother Sita’s face fell
The disappointment in Her Heart, tears came out to tell
Thinking deeply for a moment, She accepted with a nod
That the beautiful deer could be the disguise of a fraud

Seeing Mother Sita’s tears, Lord Rama’s heart began to melt
Allowing His Wife to be disappointed, to Him, was great insult
Whether the deer was true or fake
An attempt for Her, He wanted to make

“I’ve decided to go for the deer” Lord Rama said
Smiling at Mother Sita, He turned His head
He asked obedient Lakshman to fetch His bow
The reason for His decision, He explained though

“Lakshman, Sita has desired for the deer
Fulfilling Her wish, to me, is very dear
She has never desired for anything as far as I know
But She has walked difficult paths for Me in a row

I do not want to sit back simply without trying
While, with an unfulfilled desire, Her heart is crying”
On hearing Lord Rama say this, Mother Sita was glad
Yet, She was afraid that something might go bad

“Lord! I know You would do this and more for Me
But this desire of Me is nothing, so let it be
As Lakshman says that deer could be some demon
Such acts by those wicked beings are always common

I do not want a deer, putting our lives at risk
Even a small mistake can make our fortune whisk
So, let the golden deer roam and go its way
The attempt to catch it, please keep at bay”

In His decision, to go for the deer, Lord Rama remained
The reason for sticking to His decision, Lord Rama explained
“Dear! One reason, I think I should go for the deer, is You
The other, is to know the truth behind the deer, which is new

I too think this deer must be some demon’s treason
In that case, to go, I have all the more reason
Why should some asura come here in guise?
Is their strength in the jungle again on rise?

How can we sit back and relax when we think,
Demons are still roaming in our ashram’s brink?
So let me go and try to snatch this deer for You
While Lakshman stays behind and protects You

I will be getting You a gift if this deer is true and rare
You and the deer, in our ashram, will make a beautiful pair
In case I find this deer is a pretense
Then I will kill it for such offense

A whole army, all by myself, did I not take on
So please do not be scared while I am gone
I am protected by mantras, sage Vishwamitra taught
I cannot be, by anyone’s deceit, defeated or caught”

Mother Sita, though worried, felt Lord Rama was right
Lakshman was completely satisfied knowing Lord Rama’s might
Lord Rama received the bow and arrows His brother brought
Kissing His wife good-bye, after the golden deer, He sought

He slowly walked out of the ashram looking for the deer
The deer was loitering amidst shrubs in a space that was clear
Lord Rama rubbed on Himself some herbs as a cover scent
Bending His knees and hiding Himself, towards the deer, He went

He came close to the deer about a distance, four feet
To hug it from behind, He leaped, and the deer took fleet
He was surprised when He thought how the deer could have sensed
While His smell, sound, and presence from it were completely fenced

The deer had run off quite a distance but was very much in sight
Only after Lord Rama went close to it, it again took flight
The deer repeated this act in a cunning way
Lord Rama, far from the ashram, it led astray

Lord Rama observed how the deer hovered within His sight
And how, only when He went close to it, it showed fright
Lord Rama noticed, from the shrubs, it pretended to eat
Leaves were all intact, green, fresh, whole, and neat

Lord Rama also noticed the other animals showing fear
When the golden deer, though very tiny, went to their near
Birds on the trees fluttered above and it took long to settle
Even larger stags ran away from it in spite of their mettle

Stronger and stronger became Lord Rama’s suspicion
So He hid Himself and watched the deer for rendition
The deer, to His surprise, started to search for Him
It traced back the path, through which it led Him

It went past the tree, Lord Rama was hiding
As if in doubt and in hurry, it was striding
Now it was not as relaxed as it was before
Nor did it munch or drink, as it did before

It went through shrubs and bushes tearing them rough
To its gentle appearance, such behaviour was tough
Lord Rama was sure that it was no gentle being
And that it had come there for some evil doing

Lord Rama came out of his hiding and clapped
The deer turned back in the direction and gasped
This time before the flurrying deer could take flight
Lord Rama’s arrows pierced it with the speed of light

“Lakshman! My Brother! Help! Help! Help!”
Lord Rama was perplexed to hear the deer yelp
“Sita! My Love! Send Lakshman to Me now”
The deer imitating His voice, He knew not how

As if to answer all His questions
And as if to confirm all His suspicions
In the place of the deer that treacherously ran
There lay, bleeding and half dead, a gigantic man

When He went close and looked at the lying man’s face
Lord Rama identified the person through His memory’s trace
It was Maricha who Lord Rama’s arrow threw afar like a ball
While Lord Rama was protecting sage Vishwamitra’s yagna hall

Lord Rama was very angry and confused about Maricha’s acts
He wanted to collect from Maricha all the plans and facts
Lord Rama realised Maricha was not working alone
He approached Maricha and talked in a demanding tone

“Are you not Maricha who came to disturb My guru’s work?
Now to come here thus, who is the one, who offered you perk?
Already once, you got a chance to live again
Using it properly, some merits, could you not gain?

Why is it that you are bent in spoiling others’ peace?
Relishing what nature offers, why can’t you live in peace?
What have you gained by this act, other than loosing your life?
With people living in recluse, why do you always pick up strife?”

Lord Rama asked those questions in an angry snap
Like shooting His arrows during a fight without a gap
To His surprise, Maricha replied in an apologetic tone
Immense respect towards Lord Rama, by him, was shown

“Forgive me Lord, for, this service to my king I owed
To make my daily provider happy, my gratitude I showed
When my king asked me to trick You, I was completely shaken
For, a lesson about Your amazing might, I have already taken

When I warned my king about Your potent
My king from his way would not repent
For eating his salt and singing Your praise, he did scorn
A death sentence for me, for disobedience, he did warn

I realised my time of death had come too close
A proud death during my service, I happily chose
I know playing the fool with You is nothing but suicide
Yet, to be a good servant to my king, I did so decide

In trying to protect him from You, I have genuinely tried
And now in carrying out his orders, I am fully satisfied
Please do not hate me, for I am just the arrow
I did not act with a grudge to give You sorrow”

Lord Rama was no more angry with the dying man
He realised, the man, as a servant, has did the best he can
Anyway Lord Rama wanted to know who the king was
For that king to hate Him, He wanted to know the cause

“Who is this king, please do tell
The name of his country, please do spell
What are his future plans? Please do say!
Why did he choose this tricky way?”

“Lord! Before rendering answers to Your questions
From my life, I like to give You some visions
To what I have to say, please do listen
Then you tell me, how to end this mission

Lord! We first met while You were a teen
More than twenty long years, it has been
I was flying towards the sage Vishwamitra’s hut
You were facing us, demons, with tremendous gut

The first moment I saw Your hand go to the quiver
The next moment I saw my pals fall in a shiver
Before I could travel a dozen feet
I saw all my men were deplete

Then I was shocked to see Your attention on me
The next moment I felt myself flying to the sea
I realised an arrow delivered from Your bow
Hit me so hard, and I had to involuntarily go

I was stirred, and I was shaken, to the core
Even now I shiver though the incident is of the yore
From then on I chose a pious way of living
Renouncing my anarchic path of misgiving

Since then my king has been feeding me for my hunger
So within the belt of loyalty towards him, I have to linger
Only with this loyalty I tried to protect him from You
But those who give the same advice in his ministry are few

As a person who has given up the sinful way
For the person who fed me, I have to repay
So I came here, and till now, have acted well
Now my king’s name to You, You want me to tell

If I do thus, I will be betraying my king
And such act is very much a sinful thing
All my life, I could not be a very clean slate
I like to be good at the end of my fate

As I am in Your hold, if You hit
My king’s name, in pain, I may spit
But then I will be dying, failing in my duty
From such shameful death, please show me pity

I am at Your mercy, do as You please
Either way at Your feet, my life will cease
For, to the next world, I am on my way
Whether it is heaven or hell, is Your say!”

Saying thus, Maricha ended His plea
Lord Rama decided to leave him free
He silently walked to a nearby lake
And brought back water for Maricha’s sake

Maricha drank water from The Hands of Ram
Maricha in friendship, smiled at Ram
Maricha died at The Feet of Ram!
Finally uttering, “Jai Shri Ram! Jai Jai Shri Ram!!”

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