Surrender
Goswami Tulsidas presents surrender through Vibhishan, who comes to Shri Ram and places himself under His protection. Surrender gives our dependence a clear direction. We seek the Lord's shelter and become willing to follow Him. For example, a learner struggling with a difficult passage must accept a teacher's correction before practice can improve. Asking for help while rejecting every instruction leaves the difficulty unchanged. Similarly, when we turn to Shri Ram, let us also examine which attachments prevent us from following dharma.
पद कमल धोइ चढ़ाइ नाव न नाथ उतराई चहौं। मोहि राम राउरि आन दसरथ सपथ सब साची कहौं॥ बरु तीर मारहुँ लखनु पै जब लगि न पाय पखारिहौं। तब लगि न तुलसीदास नाथ कृपाल पारु उतारिहौं॥
“I will let you aboard the boat only when I have laved your lotus feet; I seek no toll from you. I swear by you, O Śrī Rāma, as well as by King Daśaratha, that what I tell you is all true. Let Lakṣmaṇa shoot me with his arrows, if he will; but until I have laved your feet I will not, O gracious lord of Tulasīdāsa, ferry you across.”
Ayodhya Kand, Doha 100जाति हीन अघ जन्म महि मुक्त कीन्हि असि नारि। महामंद मन सुख चहसि ऐसे प्रभुहि बिसारि॥३६॥
The Lord conferred final beatitude even on a woman who was not only an outcaste but the very breeding ground of sin; you seek happiness, my most foolish mind, forsaking such a Lord! (36)
Aranya Kand, Doha 36प्रनतपाल रघुनायक करुना सिंधु खरारि। गएँ सरन प्रभु राखिहैं तव अपराध बिसारि॥२२॥
“Lord Śrī Rāma, the Slayer of Khara, is a protector of the suppliant and an ocean of compassion. Forgetting your offences, He will give you shelter if you but surrender to Him for protection. (22)
Sunderkand, Doha 22श्रवन सुजसु सुनि आयउँ प्रभु भंजन भव भीर। त्राहि त्राहि आरति हरन सरन सुखद रघुबीर॥४५॥
“Having heard with my own ears of Your fair renown, I have come to You with the belief that You, my lord, dissipate the fear of rebirth. Save me, save me, O Śrī Raghuvīra, reliever of distress, delighter of those who take refuge in you.” (45)
Sunderkand, Doha 45बचन कर्म मन मोरि गति भजनु करहिं निःकाम। तिन्ह के हृदय कमल महुँ करउँ सदा बिश्राम॥१६॥
“Nay, I ever repose in the lotus heart of those who depend on Me in thought, word and deed and who worship Me in a disinterested (selfless) way.” (16)
Aranya Kand, Doha 16कहि कथा सकल बिलोकि हरि मुख हृदयँ पद पंकज धरे। तजि जोग पावक देह हरि पद लीन भइ जहँ नहिं फिरे॥ नर बिबिध कर्म अधर्म बहु मत सोकप्रद सब त्यागहू। बिस्वास करि कह दास तुलसी राम पद अनुरागहू॥
After telling the whole story she gazed on the Lord’s countenance and with her heart full of devotion for His lotus feet, and consigning her body to the fire of Yoga, she entered Śrī Hari’s state wherefrom there is no return. Says Tulasīdāsa, “O men, abandon your varied activities, sins and diverse creeds, which all lead to sorrow, and with genuine faith, be devoted to the feet of Śrī Rāma.”
Aranya Kand, Doha 36जरउ सो संपति सदन सुखु सुहृद मातु पितु भाइ। सनमुख होत जो राम पद करै न सहस सहाइ॥१८५॥
“Perish that property, house, happiness, friend, father, mother or brother, who does not gladly help one in surrendering at Śrī Rāma’s feet!” (185)
Ayodhya Kand, Doha 185अस प्रभु दीनबंधु हरि कारन रहित दयाल। तुलसिदास सठ तेहि भजु छाड़ि कपट जंजाल॥२११॥
The Lord Śrī Hari is such a great friend of the humble and compassionate beyond one’s deserts. Adore Him, O foolish mind, giving up all deceit and wily wrangling, says Tulasīdāsa. (211) [PAUSE 7 FOR A THIRTY-DAY RECITATION]
Bal Kand, Doha 211राम चरन दृढ़ प्रीति करि बालि कीन्ह तनु त्याग। सुमन माल जिमि कंठ ते गिरत न जानइ नाग॥१०॥
Intensifying his devotion to Śrī Rāma’s feet Bāli dropped his body as easily even as an elephant little knows the falling of a wreath of flowers from its neck. (10)
Kishkindha Kand, Doha 10सो अनन्य जाकें असि मति न टरइ हनुमंत। मैं सेवक सचराचर रूप स्वामि भगवंत॥३॥
“And he alone, Hanumān, is exclusively devoted to Me, who is steadfast in his conviction that he is the servant and that the whole world, both animate and inanimate creation, is the manifestation of the Lord, his master.” (3)
Kishkindha Kand, Doha 3सरनागत कहुँ जे तजहिं निज अनहित अनुमानि। ते नर पावँर पापमय तिन्हहि बिलोकत हानि॥४३॥
“Those people who forsake a suppliant, apprehending evil from him, are vile and sinful; their very sight is abominable. (43)
Sunderkand, Doha 43सबरी गीध सुसेवकनि सुगति दीन्हि रघुनाथ। नाम उधारे अमित खल बेद बिदित गुन गाथ॥२४॥
Śrī Raghunātha conferred immortality only on faithful servants like Śabarī (the celebrated Bhīla woman) and the vulture, Jaṭāyu⁴, while His Name has delivered innumerable wretches; the tale of Its virtues is well-known in the Vedas. (24) 4. For the accounts of Śabarī and Jaṭāyū see Araṇyakāṇḍa 33. 3 to 36 and 28. 4 to 32 respectively.
Bal Kand, Doha 24
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