Chapter CXVIII: Section CXIX

Hearing the lamentations (of the Rakshasas and monkeys) the virtuous-souled Rama, with a poor heart and having his eyes full of tears, engaged in meditation for some time. Thereupon the king Vaisravana, Yama with his progenitors, the thousand-eyed lord of the celestials, Varuna, the lord of water, the three-eyed graceful Mahadeva--the rider of bull, Brahma the creator of the world and the foremost of those conversant with the knowledge of Brahma--all these arriving at the city of Lanka in their cars bright as the rays of the sun, approached Raghava. Thereupon raising up their huge hands, decked with various ornaments and folding them, those foremost of the celestials said unto Raghava--"O lord, thou art the preserver of all the worlds and the foremost of the wise, why dost thou neglect Sita entering into fire? Why dost thou not understand thyself the foremost of the celestials? Thou wert before the Patriarch of all _Vasus_,[476] by the name of Kratadhama. And thou art thyself, O lord, the creator of the three worlds. Thou art the eighth of the _Rudras_[477] and the fifth of the _Sadkyas_;[478] the Acwinis are thy two ears and the sun and the moon are thy eyes. O slayer of enemies, thou appearest at the begining and the end of the creation. Why dost thou neglect Vaidehi like an ordinary man?" Being thus addressed by the deities presiding over quarters, Raghava, the lord of people and the foremost of the pious, spoke unto those leading celestials, saying:--"I know myself to be man--Rama, the son of Dacaratha. Let the great Patriarch tell me, who I am and whence I have come". Thereupon Brahma, the foremost of those conversant with the knowledge of Brahma, spoke unto Kakutstha, who had spoken thus, saying,--"Do thou hear my true words, O thou having truth for thy prowess. O lord, thou art the great and effulgent, Narayana holding discus and mace; thou art the boar having one tusk; thou hast conquered the past, present and future; thou art undecaying and without end, O Raghava; thou art the great virtue of the pious--thou art the propounder of all laws and art four-armed; thou art the holder of bow of time--the subduer of senses--the excellent Purusha (person), unconquerable by sins; thou art Vishnu holding dagger, Krishna and of incomparable strength; thou art the army, the minister--the universe--the understanding, forgiveness and control of passions; thou art the creation and destruction; Upendra and the slayer of (demon) Madhu; thou art the creator of Indra; thou art Mahendra; thou hast a lotus-like navel and thou art the slayer of enemies. The celestials and the great saints style thee as the refuge of those who seek for shelter. Thou art the foremost of _Vedas_ with its thousand branches and hundred regulations. Thou art thyself the creator of the three worlds, O lord. Thou art the refuge of the _Siddhas_[479] and _Sadhyas_, thou art the _Purvaja_,[480] the sacrifice, _Vashatkar_,[481] _Om_[482] and _Paratpara_.[483] No one is conversant with thy birth and destruction--thou art manifest in all creatures--cows and Brahmins--in all quarters, in the sky, in the mountain, and in the river. Thou art gifted with thousand legs, thousand heads and thousand eyes. Thou dost uphold all creatures, the earth and all the mountains. Thou appearest like the great serpent in the water underneath the earth. O Rama, thou dost uphold three creations--the celestials, the Gandharbas and the Danavas. O Rama--I am thy heart, the worshipful Swaraswati (Goddess of learning) is thy tongue and all other celestials, lord, created by Brahma are thy down. The closing of thy eye is the night and the opening is the day. The _Vedas_ are significant of thy desire and the control thereof--none hath got independent existence but thee. The whole universe is thy body, the earth is thy patience, the fire is thy anger--the sun and the moon are thy delight; thou hast got _Sreebatsha_ (a peculiar curl of hair); thou didst before tread the three worlds with thy three foot steps; thou didst get the dreadful Bali bound and make Mahendra king; Sita is Lakshmi and thou art Krishna and Vishnu the Preserver of people. For Ravana's destruction thou hast assumed the human shape. Thou hast accomplished that work of ours, O thou the foremost of the pious. O Rama, Ravana hath been slain. Do thou go up to heaven delighted. Sure is thy godly energy and never goes for nothing thy prowess. O Rama, never is fruitless thy view and the chanting of thy glory. And always successful shall be these persons on earth who shall be devoted unto thee. Those who shall be devoted unto thee at one with _Purana_[484] and the excellent _Purasha_,[485] shall attain all their desires both in this world and the next. Those persons shall never be unsuccessful both in this world and the next who shall chant this theme--excellent, instinct with the knowledge of Brahma and describing the old history.

[476] A kind of demi-god of whom eight are enumerated.

[477] A demi-god--an inferior manifestation of Siva: they are eleven in
number.

[478] An inferior deity or demi-god, one of a class of twelve.

[479] Saints of accomplished piety.

[480] Produced or appearing before creation.

[481] Burnt offering, oblation with fire--from the exclamation used on
the occasion.

[482] _Om_--the first term of the _Mantra_, _Om_ or _Omkara_ is
well-known as a combination of letters invested by Hindu mysticism
with peculiar sanctity.

[483] Greatest of the great.

[484] A class of writings considered sacred by the Hindus.

[485] Great or supreme spirit--_Purasha_ meaning that which abides or is
quiesent in body.