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In the third sopan of the Ramcharitmanas, Rama bows his head at Atri’s feet and goes on into the forest. He walks ahead, and Lakshmana walks behind him, both in the fine guise of sages. Sita walks between them and shines there, as maya shines between Brahman and the jiva. Rivers and forests, hills and hard passes know their master and give them a fair road. They come to a sage who heard Rama would come while he was going to Brahma’s abode. He has watched the road for him day and night. Farther on come a heap of bones, water in Rama’s eyes, and his arm raised in a vow.
Wherever Rama goes, clouds make shade in the sky. The asura Viradha meets them on the road, and Rama strikes him down as he comes. Sharabhanga gives Rama all his yoga, sacrifice, japa, tapas, and vows, and takes the boon of bhakti. He asks that Rama dwell in his heart, and by Rama’s grace he goes to Vaikuntha. The sages praise Rama. At the bones the sages tell Rama what the night-walkers have done. Then Sutikshna, Agastya’s disciple, runs to meet him, making wishes as he runs. Rama watches him from behind a tree and appears in his heart. The sage sits still in the middle of the road. Raised and held to Rama’s heart, he brings Rama to his hermitage and praises him. Offered a boon, he says he has never asked for one. Rama gives him one, and then he asks for what delights him.
Sharabhanga, Sutikshna, and three travelers
The main figures in this episode
- Rama who walks ahead in the fine guise of a sage and strikes Viradha down as he comes. Sharabhanga’s eyes drink in his face, and the sage asks him to stay. Seeing a heap of bones, he is moved to great pity and asks the sages. At their answer water fills his eyes. He raises his arm and makes his vow to rid the earth of rakshasas. He watches Sutikshna from behind a tree, appears in his heart, and shows him the four-armed form. He raises the fallen sage with his great arms, holds him to his heart, hears his hymn, and gives him a boon.
- Lakshmana who walks behind Rama, in a sage’s guise like him, and comes with him and Sita to where Sharabhanga is.
- Sita who walks between the two brothers and shines there, as maya does between Brahman and the jiva. She comes with them to Sharabhanga, and Sutikshna sees her before him with Rama and Lakshmana when he rises.
- Sharabhanga the chief sage who was going to Brahma’s abode when he heard that Rama would come to the forest. He has watched the road day and night. Giving Rama everything he has done, he takes the boon of bhakti and asks Rama to dwell in his heart. He burns his body in the fire of yoga and goes to Vaikuntha.
- Sutikshna Agastya’s wise disciple, a servant of Rama’s feet in mind, deed, and word, who trusts no other god even in a dream. Hearing of Rama’s coming, he runs, cannot see the road, and dances singing Rama’s virtues. Becoming still, he sits down in the middle of the road. Rising, he falls at Rama’s feet like a staff and brings him to his hermitage. He praises Rama, is given a boon, and asks for the one that delights him.
- Agastya the sage whose disciple Sutikshna is.
- Viradha the asura who meets them on the road and is struck down by Rama as he comes. At once he gains a bright form, and Rama, seeing him sorrowful, sends him to his own abode.
- Parvati to whom Shiva is telling the story. He tells her that Sutikshna’s state, sunk in love, cannot be told.
Rivers and hills give them a road
Bowing his head at the sage’s feet, Rama, master of gods, men, and sages, went to the forest. Rama walked ahead, and Lakshmana walked behind him. Both were in the fine guise of sages, dressed to the full.
Between the two, Sita shone, like maya between Brahman and the jiva. Rivers, forests, hills, and hard passes, knowing their master, gave them a fair road. Wherever Rama went, clouds made shade for him in the sky.
On the road the asura Viradha met them. As he came on, Rama struck him down. At once he gained a bright form. Seeing him sorrowful, Rama sent him to his own abode. Then Rama came, with his beautiful younger brother and Sita, to where the sage Sharabhanga was.
Going to Brahma’s abode, he heard Rama would come
At the sight of Rama’s lotus face, the bees of the chief sage’s eyes drank from it with respect. Most blessed is the birth of Sharabhanga.
The sage said, “Listen, merciful Rama, royal swan of the Manasa lake of Shiva’s mind. I was going to Brahma’s abode. With my ears I heard that Rama would come to the forest. I kept watching the road day and night. Now, at the sight of you, Lord, my breast is cooled. Master, I lack every means. You showed grace, knowing me a humble servant.”
You kept your own vow
Sharabhanga went on. “That is no favor to me at all, lord. You kept your own vow, you who steal your servants’ minds. For this humble one’s good, stay until, leaving the body, I meet you.”
Giving Rama whatever yoga, sacrifice, japa, tapas, and vows he had done, the sage took the boon of bhakti. In this way the sage Sharabhanga, building what the commentary reads as a pyre, sat on it, leaving every attachment from his heart.
The sage said, “With Sita and your younger brother, Lord, your body dark as a blue rain cloud, dwell in my heart without cease, Rama, in your form with qualities.”
The boon of bhakti with difference
So saying, he burned his body with the fire of yoga, and by Rama’s grace he went to Vaikuntha. The sage did not merge into Hari, because he had first taken the boon of bhakti with difference, the bhakti that keeps the devotee distinct from the Lord.
The hosts of rishis, seeing the chief sage’s state, were especially happy in their hearts. All the bands of sages praised Rama. “Victory to the one who does good to those who bow, the root of compassion.”
A heap of bones
Then Rama went on ahead into the forest, and great bands of chief sages went with him. Seeing a heap of bones, Rama was moved to great pity, and he asked the sages.
The sages said, “Knowing it, how do you ask, master? You see all, and you know every heart. Hosts of night-walkers have eaten all the sages.” The commentary adds that these are the bones of those same sages. As Rama heard it, water filled his eyes.
“I will rid the earth of rakshasas.” Raising his arm, Rama made that vow. Going to the hermitages of all the sages, one after another, he gave them happiness. The commentary reads the happiness as that of seeing him and talking with him.
Sutikshna runs, and cannot see the road
The sage Agastya had a wise disciple named Sutikshna, whose love was for the Lord. He was a servant of Rama’s feet in mind, deed, and word, and even in a dream he trusted no other god.
He heard with his ears of Rama’s coming. Making wishes, he ran in haste. “Creator, will Rama, friend of the humble, take pity on a fool like me? Will Rama, my master, with his younger brother, meet me as his own servant? My heart holds no firm trust. In my mind there is neither bhakti, nor dispassion, nor knowledge. I have kept neither the company of the good, nor yoga, japa, or sacrifice, nor a firm love for his lotus feet. The treasure of mercy has one habit. The one who has no other refuge is dear to him.”
In the commentary’s reading he went on in his mind. “Today my eyes will bear fruit, seeing the lotus face of him who frees from becoming.”
The wise sage was sunk in full love. Shiva, telling the story to Parvati, says that state cannot be told.
Neither direction nor road appeared to him. He knew neither who he was nor where he went. Now, turning back, he went on again, and now he danced, singing Rama’s virtues.
Rama behind a tree
The sage had gained unbroken loving bhakti. Rama watched him, hidden behind a tree. Seeing his great love, Rama, who takes away the fear of becoming, appeared in his heart.
The sage, becoming still, sat down in the middle of the road. His body bristled like a jackfruit. Then Rama came near. Seeing his servant’s state, he was delighted in his mind.
Rama tried many ways to wake the sage. He did not wake. He had found the happiness born of meditation. Then Rama hid his king’s form and showed the four-armed form in the sage’s heart.
Then the sage rose distraught, as a great serpent is distraught without its jewel. Seeing dark Rama before him, the home of happiness, with Sita and Lakshmana, the fortunate chief sage, sunk in love, fell like a staff, clinging to his feet. Taking hold of him with his great arms, Rama raised him, and with the highest love he held him to his heart.
Meeting the sage, Rama shone as if a tamala tree were embracing a tree of gold. The sage stood gazing at Rama’s face, as if drawn and set in a picture.
The hymn, and what the sage asks
Then the sage, steadying his heart, clasped Rama’s feet again and again. Bringing Rama to his own hermitage, he worshiped him in many ways.
The sage said, “Lord, hear my entreaty. In what way shall I praise you? Your glory is measureless, and my wit is small, a firefly’s glow before the sun.”
He bowed without cease to Rama. He praised him as dark of body like a garland of lotuses, crowned with matted hair, in a sage’s cloth. He named the bow and arrow in his hands and the quiver at his waist. He prayed, “May he guard us always.” He called Rama the fire that burns the dense forest of delusion, and the sun to the lotus wood of the saints. He called him the lion to the elephant herds of the rakshasas, and the hawk to the bird of becoming. He bowed to Rama, whose eyes are red lotuses, whose dress is handsome. He praised him as the moon to the chakora of Sita’s eyes, and the young swan in the Manasa lake of Shiva’s heart, broad of chest and arm.
He prayed again, “May he guard us always.” He called Rama the eater of serpents who swallows the serpent of doubt, and the ender of the grief that harsh argument brings. He called him the crusher of becoming, who gladdens the hosts of the gods, a mass of grace. He bowed to Rama, whose form is without qualities and with qualities, uneven and even. He praised him as beyond knowledge, speech, and the senses, matchless, stainless, whole, faultless, and boundless, the crusher of the earth’s burden. He prayed, “May he guard me always.” He called Rama a garden of wish-trees to his devotees, and the threat to anger, greed, pride, and lust. He called him most accomplished, the bridge over the sea of becoming, the banner of the Sun’s line. He praised Rama as the home of strength, the might of whose arms has no equal. He praised the name that crushes the Kali age’s great dirt. He called Rama the armor of dharma, whose host of virtues gives joy. He prayed, “May Rama ever spread my good.”
Sutikshna went on. “Though you are spotless, all-pervading, undying, and dwelling without cease in every heart, still, Rama, with your younger brother and Shri, wanderer in the forest, dwell in my mind.” The commentary reads Shri as Sita.
Sutikshna went on. “Let those who know you as with qualities, without qualities, and the knower of every heart, know you so, master. May Rama, the lord of Kosala, lotus-eyed, make my heart his home. Let not this pride leave me even by mistake, the pride that I am the servant and Rama is my master.”
Hearing the sage’s words, Rama was delighted in his mind. Again, in gladness, he held the chief sage to his heart. “Know me most pleased, sage. Whatever boon you ask, I will give it to you.” The sage said, “I have never asked a boon. I cannot make out what is false and what is true. What seems good to you, Rama, give me that, giver of happiness to your servants.”
Rama gave the boon. “Be a treasure of unbroken bhakti, dispassion, wisdom, and every virtue and knowledge.”
The sage said, “The boon you gave, Lord, I have received. Now give me what delights me. With your younger brother and Sita, Lord, Rama who bears bow and arrow, in the sky of my heart, like the moon, dwell always, desireless.” The commentary reads desireless there as steady.
Tears, an arm raised, and the words of the vow
Rama went ahead and Lakshmana behind, with Sita between them, and the land gave them a road. Viradha came on and was struck down, and in a bright form he was sent to Rama’s own abode. Sharabhanga, who had watched the road day and night, gave Rama all he had done and took the boon of bhakti. He asked Rama to stay and to dwell in his heart. His body burned in the fire of yoga, and he went to Vaikuntha by Rama’s grace. Because of the boon of bhakti with difference, taken first, he did not merge into Hari. At the heap of bones the sages answered Rama, water filled his eyes, and he raised his arm and vowed to rid the earth of rakshasas. Sutikshna ran, could not see the road, and danced. Rama watched him from behind a tree, appeared in his heart, and showed him the four-armed form. The sage fell like a staff and was raised. He praised Rama and was given a boon. Then he asked for what delighted him. It was Rama with bow and arrow, with Lakshmana and Sita, dwelling in the sky of his heart like the moon.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 11: Dandaka, Viradha, and Agastya.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Aranyakand, doha 7 to 11, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.