Invocation

Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa (The Mānasa lake containing the exploits of Śrī Rāma) Descent Six (Laṅkā-Kāṇḍa) I adore Śrī Rāma, the supreme Deity, the object of worship even of Śiva (the Destroyer of Cupid), the Dispeller of the fear of rebirth, the lion to quell the mad elephant in the form of Death, the Master of Yogīs, attainable through knowledge, the repository of good qualities, unconquerable, attributeless, immutable, beyond the realm of Māyā, the Lord of celestials, intent on killing the evil-doers, the only protector of the Brāhmaṇas, beautiful and dark complexioned as a cloud laden with moisture, who has lotus-like eyes and Supreme Brahma, who appeared in the form of an earthly king. (1) I glorify Śaṅkara, the Lord of Kāśī (the modern Vārāṇasī), the Consort of Pārvatī, the repository of virtues, the Destroyer of Cupid, worthy of all glory, shining like a conchshell and the moon, most handsome of person, clad in a tiger’s skin, decked with dreadful ornaments in the shape of deadly serpents, fond of the Gaṅgā and the moon, the allayer of the sins of the Kali age and the celestial tree yielding the fruit of Blessedness for the mere asking. (2) May Lord Śaṁbhu, the bestower of blessings, who confers on the virtuous even final beatitude, which is so difficult to obtain, and who punishes the evil-doers, be propitious to me. (3)

O my mind, why do you not worship Śrī Rāma, who has the Time (Kāla) for His mighty bow and the various divisions of time such as a Paramāṇu,* a twinkling, a moment, a year, an age and a cycle for His fierce arrows? * The measure of time taken by a sunbeam in passing by an atom of matter. On hearing Ocean’s words, Śrī Rāma called His counsellors and spoke to them thus: “Why delay now? Build the bridge, so that the army may cross over.” “Listen, O Śrī Rāma, Glory of the solar race,” said Jāmbavān with folded hands, “Your name itself, my lord, is a bridge by ascending which men cross over the ocean of mundane existence.