The story of Śrī Rāma, as depicted in the Rāmāyaṇa, is endlessly inspiring. A dip into any part of the story gives us food for thought and meditation. Over the centuries, many versions of the Rāmāyaṇa have come down to us, starting with Sage Vālmīki’s in Sanskrit, which is said to be historically the oldest. Among the more recent, and probably the most popular, is Śrī Rāma’s story narrated by Goswami Tulsidās (1532-1623) in Awadhi, a dialect of Hindi.
In the Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa of his book Śrī Rāma-carita-mānasa, we read that Rama is on his way to the forest and reaches Vālmīki’s Ashram, introduces himself, tells him how fortunate he is in getting this opportunity not only to obey his father and to make his mother happy, but also to see an ideal person like his brother Bharata become the king of Ayodhyā. Most importantly, Rāma says, his exile also gives him the opportunity to receive darśan and blessings of sages like Vālmīki. He seeks Valmīki’s advice about which place he should stay in the forest.
Valmīki is fully aware of who Rāma truly is. He smiles and says to Rāma: “First tell me where you are not already, so I can tell you where you should go and stay!”
Vālmīki then praises Śrī Rāma:
राम सरूप तुम्हार बचन अगोचर बुद्धिपर ।
अबिगत अकथ अपार “नेति नेति” नित निगम कह ॥
“O Rāma, your true nature is indescribable, beyond understanding and comprehension, and without limits.”
Vālmīki knows that Rāma is playing the role of a human being in order to set an example to us all. He proceeds to tell Rāma where he should stay:
सुनहु राम अब कहौं निकेता । जहाँ बसहु सिय लखन समेता ॥
जिन्ह के श्रवन समुद्र समाना । कथा तुम्हारि सुभग सरि नाना
भरहिँ निरंतर होहिँ न पूरे । तिन्ह के हिय तुम कहुँ गृह रूरे ॥
“O Rāma, I’ll now tell you the place where you can stay with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. There are people who can never hear enough about your life and words, like an ocean which never overflows even when filled continuously by rivers—please make the hearts of such people your home.”
लोचन चातक जिन्ह करि राखे । रहहिँ दरस जलधर अभिलाषे ॥
तिन्ह के हृदय सदन सुखदायक । बसहु बंधु सिय सह रघुनायक ॥
“Please make your blissful home with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa in the hearts of those whose eyes yearn for your vision, like the chātaka bird yearns for rainwater.”
जसु तुम्हार मानस बिमल हंसिनि जीहा जासू ।
मुकुताहल गुनगन चुनइ राम बसहु हिय तासु ॥
“Please stay in the hearts of those who, like a swan playing with pearls in a lake, remain engaged with the magnificent qualities of your mind.”
प्रभु प्रसाद सुचि सुभग सुबासा । सादर जासु लहइ नित नासा ॥
तुम्हहि निवेदित भोजनु करहीं । प्रभु प्रसाद पटु भूषन धरहीं ॥
कर नित करहिं राम पद पूजा । रामभरोस हृदय नहि दूजा ॥
चरन राम तीरथ चलि जाहीं । राम बसहु तिन्ह के मन माहीं ॥
“Please stay in the hearts of those who enjoy the fragrance of flowers after offering them to you, who eat food only after offering it to you, who wear clothes only after offering them to you, whose hands are purified by doing your regular pūjā, whose heart is completely given to you, and whose walking is a pilgrimage to places sanctified by your presence.”
सबु करि मागहिं एकु फलु राम चरन रति होऊ ।
तिन्ह कें मन मंदिर बसहु सिय रघुनंदन दोऊ ॥
“Please stay with Sītā in the shrine-like hearts of those who, after carrying out all their duties, only seek pure devotion to your feet.”
काम कोह मद मान न मोहा । लोभ न छोभ न राग न द्रोहा ॥
जिन्ह कें कपट दंभ नहि माया । तिन्ह कें हृदय बसहु रघुराया ॥
“O king of Raghus, please stay in the hearts of those who are free from lust, anger, arrogance, pride, delusion, greed, envy, attachment, hatred, treachery, hypocrisy, and deceit.”
कहहिं सत्य प्रिय बचन बिचारी । जागत सोवत सरन तुम्हारी ॥
तुम्हहि छाडि गति दूसरि नाहीं । राम बसहु तिन्ह के मन माहीं ॥
“O Rāma, please stay in the hearts of those who think carefully, who speak what is true and what is pleasant, who always, awake or asleep, take refuge in you, and who have no goal other than you.”
स्वामी सखा पितु मातु गुर जिन्हके सब तुम्ह तात ।
मन मंदिर तिन्ह के बसहु सीय सहित दोऊ भ्रात ॥
“May you and your brother, along with Sītā, stay in the shrine-like hearts of those for whom you are everything—master, friend, father, mother, teacher.”
गुन तुम्हार समुझइ निज दोसा । जेहि सब भाँति तुम्हार भरोसा ॥
राम भगत प्रिय लागहिं जेही । तेहि ऊर बसहु सहित बैदेही ॥
“Please stay along with Sītā in the hearts of those who ascribe all their virtues to you and their weaknesses to themselves, who depend on you for everything, and who enjoy the company of your devotees.”
जाति पाँति धनु धरमु बडाई । प्रिय परिवार सदन सुखदाई ॥
सब तजि तुम्हहि रहइ लऊ लाई । तेहि के हृदयँ रहहु रघुराई ॥
“O King of Raghus, please stay in the hearts of those who have given up the pride of caste, race, wealth, spirituality, and attachment to family and home.”
जाहि न चाहिअ कबहूँ कछु तुम्ह सन सहज सनेहु ।
बसहु निरंतर तासु मन सो राऊर निज गेहु ॥
“Please stay forever in the hearts of those who want nothing but spontaneous love for you—for that is your own home.”
We know now what we need to do before God chooses to come and stay in our hearts.