Nama Ramayanam 4

॥ नाम रामायणम् ॥ - Nama Ramayanam

ब्रह्माद्यमरप्रार्थित राम् ॥४॥
Brahmaadya-Amara-Praarthita Raam ||4||

4: I take Refuge in Sri Rama, Whose Lotus Feet is Desired by everyone Beginning with Brahma to gain Immortality.

Shiva tells the story,

Due to always being burdened by Ravana, And his great army of Rakshasa. Goddess Earth took the form of a cow and along with crowds of sages and devas, Reached the land of Brahma who sits on a lotus and cried. And when she told about all her pain to Lord Brahma, And Lord Brahma after deep thought for some time, Came to the conclusion that there is no alternative, Other than going and appealing to Lord of the Vedas, God Vishnu, And after thinking like this Lord Brahma with greatly added sorrow, Took all of them and reached the ocean of milk,, And prayed the Lord along with the devas and sages.

He then prayed the lord with great devotion, Using Purusha Sooktham and was waiting, And at that time he was able to see Lord Vishnu, With lotus like eyes with a shine similar, To ten thousand suns raising on the east.

The God’s form was pretty and could not be seen, Easily even with great Sidha Yogis and which had, Smile like the light of the moon, which had a pretty form, Which resembled the full moon and that God had eyes like lotus flower, Had the colour of blue sapphire, was divine and he had, The very pretty goddess Lakshmi on his chest, And he was like the worshipful rise of God, And he was the God decorated by Sri Vathsam. His lotus like feet where very dear to his devotees, He was like the celebration of the entire world, He was served by the good, he was wearing a crown, Resembling the Meru mountain, and decorated by, Ear studs, pearl necklaces, armlets bangles, belt, ring, And his body was mind bewitching, he was epitome of mercy, And seeing him thus, The Lord Brahma became deliriously happy, And using very pretty and sweet words started praying him thus, “Oh God of divine joy, Oh God of luck, victory, victory.

Oh God whose lotus like feet is extremely difficult to see, Even to the great Sidha Yogis who thirst after salvation, My prayer and salutations to you forever and ever, Oh Lord of all universes, Oh forever pure God, My prayer and salutations to you forever and ever, Oh true wisdom, Oh Joy, oh deathlessness, Oh God without a second and who is one and only one, My prayer and salutations to you forever and ever, Oh Ocean of mercy, Oh Lord of the universe, Who creates, upkeeps and destroys it, salutations, My prayer and salutations to you forever and ever,

One can never get emancipation in this world through, Learning of Vedas, penance or through fire sacrifices, But if we want to get salvation, there is no other method, Except deep devotion to your feet, and the two lotus like feet, Of yours have been seen by me today, due to my luck.

I need to get complete devotion always and forever, To your lotus like feet, Which are daily worshipped with complete devotion, By The great among the sages who are peaceful in nature. Oh God who loves his devotees my prayers.

To the men who are suffering in the wheel of birth and death, And have a worried mind, there is no other medicine except devotion to you, And in my mind I have great pity towards them when I think of their death Oh God who is the treasure house of mercy, Please give me a boon that they think about, Your lotus like feet which are like the baby sun During the time of their death when there is a growing need for, Thinking about your feet, Oh giver of mercy, Salutations, I surrender to you God, Oh consort of Lakshmi, Oh Consort of earth, Oh God who is personification of divine joy, Oh God, victory, victory, Oh divine one, Oh divine soul, Oh God who is the divine Brahmam, victory, Oh God pervaded with divinity, Oh diviner than the divine, Oh God with lotus like eyes, victory, Oh God who blesses, Oh Narayana, Oh Vaikunta, victory. 

When Lord Brahma prayed like this to Lord Vishnu, He sweetly with a great smile in his face, Asked “Why have all of you come, Here at this time as a group and with unity, Please tell me about this. ‘ and hearing this, Lord Brahma made him understand the situation like this, “There is nothing in this world, that is not known to you, But still I will tell you. In all the three words, Sorrow has reached its peak, Oh Lord, Due to Ravana the son of sage Poulasthya, All the three worlds have been completely destroyed, Oh God of universe.”

Alas, Becoming proud due to the strength of boons given to me, Without any kindness he is destroying the entire world, He shook even the guardians of the world, And created different rules in all those places, In the war he tied Lord Indra and created, Only one rule in this world, that Ravanan, Due to that fire sacrifices were stopped, And not only that he also eats, Great yogis and great sages and catches and takes away Virtuous wives and so all good has been destroyed. Oh Lord of the world, it has been earlier decided, That he does not face death from any one else other than man, And so your goodself should himself be born as a man, And should kill that Ravana, Oh treasure of mercy, And I again and again salute you for that, oh enemy of Madhu, I should be able to think about your very tender feet.

When Lord Brahma told him like this, Lord Vishnu with lotus eyes smiled and told him like this, “With a pure heart, in olden times, Kasyapa Prajapathi served me, For some time wishing to get a son, and I am happily, Fulfilling his wish and I am going to do it now.”

Kasyapa became a king called Dasaradha,. In a place which is in earth, Of Brahma, And kasyapa’s wife Adhithi became Dasaratha;’’s wife kousalya, And I would be born as a son to them, And there would be brother’s for me, And in the divine form, the goddess of universe, who is my friend, Who is the Goddess Yoga Maya would enter the house of Janaka, As the death to the clan of Rakshasas, not being born to any mother, The devas should be born in the world as monkey warriors, For the sake of reducing the burden of Goddess earth,” Told Lord Vishnu, and when the Lord of Vedas disappeared, Lord Brahma saluted him with great devotion.

At the time the worries of all devas came to an end, And facing the direction where the primeval lord disappeared, Bereft of all sorrow in the mind and with great love there, Fell on the ground and saluted the Lord. After giving great hope with words of solace to the Goddess earth, Lord Brahma addressed the devas and told.

“The enemy of asuras, the treasure of mercy, the consort of Lakshmi, Would take an incarnation of a great human being, In the clan of the Sun God, in the city of Ayodhya, And all of you who are devas also should one thing. For the sake of helping Lord Vishnu as servants to him, You all should be born in the earth and also, Fight with great heroes of the army of Rakshasas. Without delay You should become monkeys, And occupy all forests, hills, mouth of caves and on all trees.”

After telling to Indra and other devas, about the order, Of his Lord, he became happy and immediately, Went to his Sathya loka and Goddess earth became, Free of all her worries and became contended and happy.

Then Indra and all other great devas, Took the form of monkeys for, The sake of helping Lord Vishnu in the human form, And with very fast valour on mountains and trees, Along with a body which is equal to a mountain, And where those great monkeys lived happily, In earth and waited for the appearance of Lord Vishnu.

(From Adhyatma Ramayana)

तत्र त्वम् मानुषो भूत्वा प्रवृद्धम् लोक कण्टकम् || १-१५-२१
अवध्यम् दैवतैः विष्णो समरे जहि रावणम् |

tatra tvaṃ mānuṣo bhūtvā pravṛddhaṃ lokakaṇṭakam .
avadhyaṃ daivatairviṣṇo samare jahi rāvaṇam .

"Oh! Vishnu, on your taking birth as human through the wives of Dasharatha you eliminate Ravana in war, who has become exacerbating and thorny to all worlds, and who is otherwise not eliminable for gods. [1-15-21b, 22a]

स हि देवान् स गन्धर्वान् सिद्धान् च ऋषि सत्तमान् || १-१५-२२राक्षसो रावणो मूर्खो वीर्य उद्रेकेण बाधते | 

"He that preposterous demon Ravana with his invigorated doggedness is torturing gods along with eminent saints, gandharva-s, and siddha-s. [1-15-22b, 23a]

ऋषयः च ततः तेन गन्धर्वा अप्सरसः तथा || १-१५-२३क्रीडयन्तो नन्दन वने रैउद्रेण विनिपातिताः |

"He that furious one with his insolence is knocking down sages from their celestial abodes, and like that he is knocking down the gandharva-s and apsara celestials too from the heavenly gardens Nandana, where they will be taking delight. [1-15-23b, 24a]

वधार्थम् वयम् आयाताः तस्य वै मुनिभिः सह || १-१५-२४सिद्ध गन्धर्व यक्षाः च ततः त्वाम् श्ररणम् गताः |

vadhaartham vayam aayaataaH tasya vai munibhiH saha || 1-15-24siddha gandharva yaxaaH ca tataH tvaam shraraNam gataaH |

"We the celestial beings like siddha-s, gandharva-s, yaksha-s along with sages have actually come for his elimination, and thereby we seek shelter in you. [1-15-24b, 25a]

त्वम् गतिः परमा देव सर्वेषाम् नः परंतपः || १-१५-२५वधाय देव शतॄणाम् नृणाम् लोके मनः कुरु |

tvam gatiH paramaa deva sarveShaam naH paraMtapaH || 1-15-25vadhaaya deva shatR^INaam nR^iNaam loke manaH kuru |

"Oh, enemy tormentor, oh, Vishnu, you are the ultimate recourse for all us in eliminating enemies of divinity, hence you make up your mind to take birth in human world." The gods appealed to Vishnu that way. [1-15-25b, 26a]

( Slokas from Valmiki Ramayana )

Om Sri Ramaya namah.