238. ======= The teachings of Ramchritmanasa [ English]=======

1. * बंदउँ नाम राम रघुबर को। हेतु कृसानु भानु हिमकर को॥  

बिधि हरि हरमय बेद प्रान सो। अगुन अनूपम गुन निधान सो॥1॥

Meaning: I bow to the name of Lord Rama, which is the cause of fire, sun, and moon, respectively, as {Ra}, {a}, {M}. The name embodies  Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, and is the soul of the Vedas. It is formless{ Nirguna}, incomparable, and the abode of all virtues.

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*महामंत्र जोइ जपत महेसू। कासीं मुकुति हेतु उपदेसू॥
महिमा जासु जान गनराऊ। प्रथम पूजिअत नाम प्रभाऊ॥2॥

Meaning: The name, {Ram}, is that greater mantra, which Lord Shiva continuously chants and imparts as the instruction for liberation in Kashi. Lord Ganesha knows the glory of this name; it is the power of the name  He is worshipped first.

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* राम नाम मनिदीप धरु जीह देहरीं द्वार।
तुलसी भीतर बाहेरहुँ जौं चाहसि उजिआर॥21॥

Meaning: The great poet Tulsidas says: Place the jewel-lamp of Rama's name at the threshold of your tongue, if you wish for illumination, both inside and out.

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इहाँ संभु अस मन अनुमाना। दच्छसुता कहुँ नहिं कल्याना॥
मोरेहु कहें न संसय जाहीं। बिधि बिपरीत भलाई नाहीं॥3॥

Meaning: When Lord Shiva saw that, despite convincing Goddess Parvati, her doubts were not going away, it meant her fate was against her, and it clearly indicated that there was no good fortune for her. Whatever God decided for her can not be avoided.

Message: if despite convincing, someone does not listen, then it's understood that fate is against him/her.

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=========The Teachings--------

[ Balkand ]

* जदपि मित्र प्रभु पितु गुर गेहा। जाइअ बिनु बोलेहुँ न सँदेहा॥
तदपि बिरोध मान जहँ कोई। तहाँ गएँ कल्यानु न होई॥-भगवान शिव

Meaning: Although one can go to the home of a friend, master, father, and Guru without being invited, yet if there is disrespect in that place, visiting will not bring any welfare.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------मातु पिता गुर प्रभु कै बानी। बिनहिं बिचार करिअ सुभ जानी॥

-भगवान शिव

Meaning: The words of a mother, father, Guru, and the Lord are very precious, so they should be accepted without hesitation and second thought.

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* पारबती पहिं जाइ तुम्ह प्रेम परिच्छा लेहु।
गिरिहि प्रेरि पठएहु भवन दूरि करेहु संदेहु॥77॥-भगवान शिव

Meaning: Lord Shiva commanded the Sapt-rishis to go to Goddess Parvati to put her to the test before getting married, afterwards to go to her father, Himalaya, to tell him to bring his daughter home and dispel her doubts.

Message: Though there was no need to investigate the Goddess Parvati, yet Lord Shiva wanted to forward a message to the youth,"Before getting into married life, conduct a thorough inquiry about your partner."

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गुर कें बचन प्रतीति न जेही। सपनेहुँ सुगम न सुख सिधि तेही--पार्वती जी

Meaning:- Those who do not have faih in the words of Guru, can not attain happiness and success even in their dreams.

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*तदपि करब मैं काजु तुम्हारा। श्रुति कह परम धरम उपकारा॥
पर हित लागि तजइ जो देही। संतत संत प्रसंसहिं तेही॥1॥-कामदेव

Meaning: However I shall do your work; for the Vedas say, " Bonevolence is the highest virtue". The saints ever praise him who lays down his life in the service of others.

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* कुपथ माग रुज ब्याकुल रोगी। बैद न देइ सुनहु मुनि जोगी॥
एहि बिधि हित तुम्हार मैं ठयऊ। कहि अस अंतरहित प्रभु भयऊ॥1॥

Meaning: Lord Vishnu said to Narada, "Don't worry, as a doctor cures after a thorough check-up, even he doesn't hesitate to make an incision in the patient's wound, so I have decided to save you." Saying the Lord Vishnu disappeared.

Message: Have faith in God and accept what he decides for you because He always does good for you.

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* तुलसी जसि भवतब्यता तैसी मिलइ सहाइ।
आपुनु आवइ ताहि पहिं ताहि तहाँ लै जाइ॥159(ख)॥

Meaning: As is the destiny, so is the help found. It either comes to him on its own or leads him to it.

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* भरद्वाज सुनु जाहि जब होई बिधाता बाम।
धूरि मेरुसम जनक जम ताहि ब्यालसम दाम॥175॥

Meaning: " O Bhardwaj, Listen! When fate becomes adverse, even dust feels like Mount Meru, a father acts like the terrifying Yama, and a simple rope feels like a poisonous snake.

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[ Ayodhya-Kand]

* काने खोरे कूबरे कुटिल कुचाली जानि।
तिय बिसेषि पुनिचेरि कहि भरतमातु मुसुकानि॥ कैकयी ने मन्थरा से कहा

Meaning: One-eyed, lame, and hunchbacked are often mischievous and crooked, especially if they are women, and furthermore, when they are maid-servants.

Message: Beware of and never trust backbiters. They only spoil your life.

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* सुनु जननी सोइ सुतु बड़भागी। जो पितु मातु बचन अनुरागी॥
तनय मातु पितु तोषनिहारा। दुर्लभ जननि सकल संसारा॥ श्रीराम ने कैकयी से कहा

Meaning: Listen O Mother, that son is truly fortunate who loves and follows the commands of his parents. A son who brings joy to his parents, is rare in this entire world.

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धन्य जनमु जगतीतल तासू। पितहि प्रमोदु चरित सुनि जासू॥
चारि पदारथ करतल ताकें। प्रिय पितु मातु प्रान सम जाकें॥1॥

Meaning: Blessed is the birth on this earth of that person whose character brings joy to his father. To one whom parents are as dear as life, the four goals of life, [ Virtue, Wealth, Pleasure, and Liberation] are always within his grasp.

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* सहज सुहृद गुर स्वामि सिख जो न करइ सिर मानि।
सो पछिताइ अघाइ उर अवसि होइ हित हानि॥ श्री राम ने सीता जी से कहा

Meaning: One who doesn't respectfully accept the advice of a natural well-wisher teacher/Guru, a faithful friend, and a well-wisher master, definitely suffers a great loss and repents his/her folly.

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* धरमु न दूसर सत्य समाना। आगम निगम पुरान बखाना॥

मैं सोइ धरमु सुलभ करि पावा। तजें तिहूँ पुर अपजसु छावा॥श्री राम ने सुमन्त्र से कहा

Meaning: Rama said to Sumantra, " There is no higher religion than truth. Truth is the highest virtue. These are the holy words of the Vedas, scriptures, and puranas. I have easily attained that faithful duty. If I abandon, infamy would spread across the three worlds- Bhoo-loka, Swarg loka, and Antriksha.

Message: "To keep a promise" is the highest Dharma that brings the highest honour to a man of the world in all three Lokas. 

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* जनम मरन सब दुख सुख भोगा। हानि लाभु प्रिय मिलन बियोगा॥
काल करम बस होहिं गोसाईं। बरबस राति दिवस की नाईं॥ सुमन्त्र ने दशरथ से कहा

Sumantra consoled the king Dashratha saying that "Birth and Death,joy and sorrow,gain and loss, meeting and partyng with loved ones-all these, O Lord, we are subject to time and fate and happen involuntarily, just like the cycle of day and night.

 हे राजन-* सुख हरषहिं जड़ दुख बिलखाहीं। दोउ सम धीर धरहिं मन माहीं॥

धीरज धरहु बिबेकु बिचारी। छाड़िअ सोच सकल हितकारी॥4॥

Your majesty, you are the king of virtue. Only fools rejoice in pleasure and weep in sorrow, but the wise remain balanced in both.

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* सुनहु भरत भावी प्रबल बिलखि कहेउ मुनिनाथ।
हानि लाभु जीवनु मरनु जसु अपजसु बिधि हाथ॥वशिष्ठजी ने भरत से कहा

The sage Vashishtha said, " Bharat! Destiny is all- powerful. Loss and gain, life and death, fame and infamy are pre-destined.

* अनुचित उचित बिचारु तजि ते पालहिं पितु बैन।

ते भाजन सुख सुजस के बसहिं अमरपति ऐन॥वशिष्ठजी ने भरत से कहा

Meaning: Those who obey their father's commands without considering 'what is proper and improper attain happiness and a good reputation and eventually, reside in Indra-puri, heaven or paradise.

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* बूढ़ु एकु कह सगुन बिचारी। भरतहि मिलिअ न होइहि रारी॥
रामहि भरतु मनावन जाहीं। सगुन कहइ अस बिग्रहु नाहीं॥

Meaning: An old man said, " There is no harm in meeting with Bharat. I hope there will be no dispute. Omen is indicating that there is no resistence. 

* सुनि गुह कहइ नीक कह बूढ़ा। सहसा करि पछिताहिं बिमूढ़ा॥
भरत सुभाउ सीलु बिनु बूझें। बड़ि हित हानि जानि बिनु जूझें॥

Meaning: Hearing the old man Nishadraj Guh said," I think the old man is giving wise advice. Fools rush in where angels fear to tread. Fighting without knowing the reason can cause us a big harm.

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 बचन सुनत सुरगुरु मुसुकाने। सहसनयन बिनु लोचन जाने॥
मायापति सेवक सन माया। करइ त उलटि परइ सुरराया॥1॥

Meaning: Hearing Indra's conspiratorial mind, Dev Guru Brihaspati smiled and thought in his heart that, despite having a thousand eyes, Indra is acting like a blind person who is not seeing 'what Rama is'. He cautioned Indra to always remember that those who dissemble against the servants/ devotees of Rama are 100% backfired.

* जो अपराधु भगत कर करई। राम रोष पावक सो जरई॥

लोकहुँ बेद बिदित इतिहासा। यह महिमा जानहिं दुरबासा॥- देव गुरु बृहस्पति ने इंद्र से कहा

The Guru further said that one who commits a crime against Rama's devotee is consumed by the fire of Rama's wrath. History is deeply ingrained in both the Vedas and folklore. Rishi Durvasa is deeply acquainted with ultimate reality,

करम प्रधान बिस्व करि राखा। जो जस करइ सो तस फलु चाखा॥

"God has made this world governed by actions (Karma); whoever acts in a certain way, tastes the fruits of that action accordingly".

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* अनुचित उचित काजु किछु होऊ। समुझि करिअ भल कह सबु कोऊ।
सहसा करि पाछे पछिताहीं। कहहिं बेद बुध ते बुध नाहीं॥ 

When Laxman suspected that Bharat was coming to fight with them,"a celestial announcement," a divine message, was delivered from heaven. " It is wise to think before plunging to do something, as is also said in the Vedas by learned scholars: "Those who hastily do something without thinking, always repent their folly. 

Message: Think before you leap.

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कसें कनकु मनि पारिखि पाएँ। पुरुष परिखिअहिं समयँ सुभाएँ॥

Mother Kaushalaya said to Bharat," Just as gold is tested by rubbing it on a touchstone, and a gem is tested by a connoisseur, a man's character is judged and proven by his conduct when the right time arrives.

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* गुर पितु मातु स्वामि सिख पालें। चलेहुँ कुमग पग परहिं न खालें॥
अस बिचारि सब सोच बिहाई। पालहु अवध अवधि भरि जाई॥-

Lord Rama advised  Bharat, "By following the instructions (orders) of the Guru, father, mother, and master, even if one walks on the wrong path (kumaarg), they will not fall into a pit. Considering, leave over-thinking and return to Ayodhya. Serve the people till I come back.

Message: It is beneficial to obey Gurus, parents and masters.

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------* मुखिआ मुखु सो चाहिऐ खान पान कहुँ एक।

पालइ पोषइ सकल अँग तुलसी सहित बिबेक॥315॥

Meaning: Lord Rama advised Bharata, "The king/ Head of the state/ Prime Minister should be like the mouth, which is the only one for eating and drinking, but with the wisdom, it nourishes and takes care of all the organs of the body."

Message: The head of the state is just like a father of the people. So it is his duty to take care of his people.

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जासु राज प्रिय प्रजा दुखारी। सो नृपु अवसि नरक अधिकारी॥श्री राम ने लक्ष्मण से कहा

Meaning: Any king or ruler, in whose kingdom his beloved subjects remain unhappy, is undoubtedly destined for hell.

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jai shree Ram-