Doha 22

Śrī Raghunātha, who reigned in Ayodhyā, was the undisputed sovereign of the entire globe girdled by the seven oceans. This lordship (of the entire globe) was nothing great for Him, every pore in whose (Cosmic) body contains myriads of universes. (1) To him who has realized such infinite greatness of the Lord, even this description (viz., to speak of Him as the sovereign of the entire globe) will sound highly belittling. But even those, O king of birds, (continues Kākabhuśuṇḍi) who have realized the greatness of the Lord (as indicated above) have turned round and conceived a fondness for this narrative of the Lord. (2) For the immediate perception of such exploits of the Lord is the reward of knowing His infinite greatness: so declare the greatest of sages that have subdued their senses. The happiness and prosperity of Śrī Rāma’s reign were more than even Śeṣa (the serpent-god) and Sarasvatī (the goddess of learning) could describe. (3) All were generous and all beneficent; men and women alike were devoted to the feet of the Brāhmaṇas. Every husband was pledged to the vow of monogamy and the wives too were devoted to their husband in thought, word and deed. (4)

“Daṇḍa’* was never seen save in the hands of the recluse and ‘Bheda’ too had ceased to exist except for musical notes (सुर) and rhythm (ताल). Even so, the word “Conquer !” was heard only with reference to control of mind throughout the realm of Śrī Rāma. (22) * Our scriptures have recognized four common methods of persuasion, viz., (1) Sāma (argument or expostulation), (2) Dāna (inducement in the shape of gift etc.), (3) Daṇḍa (use of force or corporal punishment) and (4) Bheda (sowing seeds of dissension); it is the last two of the above four methods that are evidently referred to in this context. There is, however, a pun on these words. The word ‘Daṇḍa’ when used with reference to a recluse denotes the staff which he is required to carry as a symbol of self-restraint; and ‘Bheda’ ordinarily means variety. The poet thus seeks to convey through this verse that during Śrī Rāma’s reign such absolute harmony and moral uprightness prevailed throughout the world that the last two methods of persuasion had become entirely obsolete. The word ‘Daṇḍa’ was understood only in the sense of a staff carried by a Saṁnyāsī and the word ‘Bheda’ merely conveyed the variety of notes and cadence displayed in music and dancing. Similarly, since there was no enemy to conquer, the only object to be conquered was the ‘mind’.