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A face in a mirror, the mirror in one’s own hand, cannot be grasped. Bharata’s wondrous speech is like that, and Janaka and his company praise it. The gods beg Sarasvati to turn Bharata’s wit with her maya, and she refuses them. The selfish gods, soiled of mind, devise a trick of fear, confusion, dislike, and restlessness. Before the guru and Janaka, Rama swears that whatever order they give is on his head, and all look at Bharata’s face. Bharata asks Rama for his order, and asks for the grace of a command.
In this episode the king and his company praise Bharata’s words, easy and hard, soft, pleasing, and harsh. The king, Bharata, and the sage go to Rama. The gods see Bharata full of bhakti for Rama, and they lose heart. Indra says that Rama is in the power of love and hesitation. Sarasvati tells the gods that with a thousand eyes they do not see Sumeru. Vasishtha tells Rama the talk of Janaka and Bharata. His view, he says, is that all do as Rama orders. The sage and Janaka are embarrassed at Rama’s oath. Bharata holds in his love, and Sarasvati comes from the Manasa to his mouth. He says that he came pushing aside Rama’s words and his father’s, and that Rama took his boldness as love and service. Rama, he says, makes those who come for refuge his own at a single salute. In the great company, he says, he has looked at his fortune: a great slip, and the master’s love. His wish, he says, is service with natural love. Rama seats him near, holding his hand. The gods rain flowers with soiled minds, and Indra wants blessing by killing the dead.
A plea in the assembly, a plot in the sky
The main figures in this episode
- Bharata whose words Janaka and his company praise. He looks at the assembly, which is in the power of hesitation, and holds in his love. He asks Rama, the king, the guru, and the sadhus to forgive what is unfitting in him. He says that he pushed aside Rama’s words and his father’s in the power of delusion. Rama, he says, took that boldness as love and service. He asks for Rama’s order, and says that his wish is to serve his master with natural love. He clasps Rama’s feet.
- Rama to whom the king, Bharata, and the sage come. He honors everyone and hears Vasishtha’s view. He swears by the guru that whatever the guru and Janaka order is on his head. Honoring Bharata with fine speech, he seats him near, holding his hand, and he is slack with love.
- Vasishtha the guru, who goes with Janaka and Bharata to Rama. He speaks words fit to the hour, the company, and dharma. He tells Rama of the talk between Janaka and Bharata, and gives his view that all do as Rama orders. At Rama’s oath he is embarrassed, with Janaka and the assembly.
- Janaka the king of Mithila, who praises Bharata’s words with his company and goes to Rama. At Rama’s oath he is embarrassed. In his mind he praises the great glory of Bharata’s brotherhood and bhakti.
- Sarasvati whom the gods beg to turn Bharata’s wit. Knowing them dull with self-interest, she refuses. The maya of the Creator, the Lord, and Shiva cannot look at Bharata’s wit, she says. She goes to the Creator’s world. When Bharata remembers her in his heart, she comes to his mouth from the Manasa.
- Indra and the gods who, seeing Bharata full of bhakti for Rama, tremble and lose heart. Indra tells the gods to devise a trick together, or the work is undone. The selfish gods make bad counsel and a bad plot. They extol Bharata and rain flowers with soiled minds. Indra, most soiled, wants blessing by killing the dead.
A mirror in the hand, and a face that cannot be grasped
Hearing Bharata’s words and seeing his nature, the king with his company gave praise. The words were easy and hard, soft, pleasing, and harsh. Their meaning was measureless, and their letters very few. As a face in a mirror, with the mirror in one’s own hand, cannot be grasped, so was this wondrous speech. In the commentary’s reading, no one could give any answer.
The king, Bharata, and the sage went with the company to where the moon of the gods’ lilies was. The commentary takes the moon to be Rama. Hearing the news, all the people were distraught with worry. They were as if fish had met new water.
Sarasvati’s refusal, and the trick of maya
The gods first saw the family guru’s state. Gazing at Janaka’s especial love, they looked at Bharata, full of bhakti for Rama. Trembling, the selfish gods lost heart. They saw everyone full of love for Rama, and they came into the power of a worry beyond reckoning. Indra said with worry, “Rama is in the power of love and hesitation. All together, devise a trick, or the work is undone.”
Remembering Sarasvati, the gods praised her. “Goddess, protect the gods who have come to you for refuge. Turn Bharata’s wit, making your maya. Casting a shadow of guile, keep the race of the gods.”
Hearing the gods’ entreaty, the clever goddess spoke, knowing them dull with self-interest. “You tell me to turn Bharata’s wit. With a thousand eyes you do not see Sumeru. The maya of the Creator, the Lord, and Shiva is very great. Even that cannot look at Bharata’s wit. That wit, you tell me, I am to make foolish. Can moonlight steal the fierce-rayed sun?” The commentary names the three as Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Sarasvati went on. “In Bharata’s heart is the dwelling of Sita and Rama. Is there darkness where the sun gives light?” Saying so, Sarasvati went to the Creator’s world. The gods were distraught, as if chakravakas at night.
The selfish gods, soiled of mind, made bad counsel and a bad plot. They devised a strong trick of maya: fear, confusion, dislike, and restlessness.
Rama’s oath, and all look at Bharata’s face
Having played foul, Indra worried that all the work, done or undone, was in Bharata’s hands. Janaka went to Rama, and Rama honored everyone. Then Vasishtha spoke words fit to the hour, the company, and dharma. He told the talk of Janaka and Bharata, and he told Bharata’s pleasing saying. Vasishtha went on. “Son Rama, as you order, so may all do. This is my view.”
Hearing it and joining both hands, Rama spoke in true, simple, and soft speech. “With you yourself and King Janaka present, my speaking is unseemly in every way. Whatever order you and the king give, I swear by you, truly that is on my head.” Hearing Rama’s oath, the sage and Janaka were embarrassed, with the assembly. All looked at Bharata’s face. No answer could be given.
Patience, discernment, and the swan of speech
Bharata looked at the assembly, which was in the power of hesitation. Holding great patience and seeing the ill hour, Rama’s brother held in his love, as the pot-born sage stopped the growing Vindhya. The commentary names the pot-born sage Agastya. Grief, the golden-eyed one, had carried off the earth of wit, the womb of the world of a host of pure virtues. Bharata’s discernment, the great boar, lifted it up without effort at that hour. The commentary names the golden-eyed one Hiranyaksha.
Making his salute, Bharata joined his hands to all and entreated Rama, the king, the guru, and the sadhus. “Forgive today what is very unfitting in me. With a soft mouth I speak harsh words.” In his heart he remembered handsome Sarasvati. From the Manasa she came to his mouth. The commentary reads the Manasa as the lake of his mind. Bharata’s speech, full of pure discernment, dharma, and policy, was a pleasing swan.
Gazing with the eyes of discernment at the company slack with love, and making his salute, Bharata spoke, remembering Sita and Rama.
Faults that became like ornaments
Bharata went on. “Lord, you are father, mother, friend, guru, and master. You are worthy of worship, the highest well-wisher, the knower within. You are simple, a good master, a treasury of good conduct, a keeper of those who bow, all-knowing, wise, and able. You do good to those who come for refuge. You take up virtues and remove faults and sins. Master, the master’s like is the master. In wronging the master, my like is me.” In the commentary’s reading the line’s last word is treachery to the master.
Bharata went on. “Pushing aside your words, Lord, and my father’s, in the power of delusion, I came here, gathering a company. In the world there are good and bad, high and low, nectar and the immortal state, poison and death. Nowhere in it have I seen or heard of one who wipes out Rama’s order in his mind. That boldness I did in every way, and you, Lord, took it as love and service. By your grace and your goodness, master, you did my good. My faults became like ornaments, and my fair fame is lovely on all four sides.”
Those made his own at a single salute
Bharata went on. “The greatness of your way and your fine habit is known to the world and sung by the Vedas and the Agamas. The cruel, the crooked, the wicked, the ill-witted, the stained, the low, those without good conduct, the godless, and the fearless came before you for refuge. Hearing it, you made even them your own at a single salute. Seeing their faults, you never brought them to your heart. Hearing their virtues, you told them in the company of sadhus. What master so favors his servant? What master himself arranges all the gear, never in a dream thinking of his own doing, with the worry of the servant’s embarrassment in his own heart?”
“There is no other such master. I say it with arm raised and vow planted. The beast dances, and the parrot is skilled at its lesson. Their virtue and their movement are in the power of the trainer and the teacher. So correcting and honoring your servants, you made them the crest-jewels of the sadhus. Who but the merciful one will keep his titles by force?”
A great slip, and the master’s love
Bharata went on. “From grief, from love, or from a child’s nature, I came, setting the order aside. Even then, looking to his own side, the merciful one took mine as good in every way. I saw your feet, the root of fair blessings, and knew you, master, kind by nature. In the great company I looked at my fortune: a great slip, and the master’s love. Grace and favor to the full, in every limb, the treasure of mercy did all in excess. You kept my cherishing, master, by your own good conduct, nature, and goodness.”
“Master, I have been very bold, leaving aside hesitation before you and the company. Rude or entreating, my speech was as I pleased. You will forgive, lord, knowing my great distress. To a friend, a wise and good master, saying much is a great fault. Please give me your order now, lord. You have set right all of mine.”
The wish to serve, and the grace of a command
Bharata went on. “I swear by the pollen of your lotus feet, Lord, the handsome bound of truth, merit, and happiness. So swearing, I say the wish of my heart, waking, sleeping, and in dream, for service of my master with natural love, leaving self-interest, guile, and the four fruits. There is no service of a good master like his command. Let your servant receive that grace, lord.” The commentary names the four fruits as wealth, dharma, desire, and moksha.
Saying so, Bharata was greatly overcome with love. His body thrilled, and his eyes filled with water. He clasped Rama’s feet in distress. That hour and that love cannot be told. Honoring him with fine speech, Rama seated him near, holding his hand. Hearing Bharata’s entreaty and seeing his nature, the assembly and Rama became slack with love.
The gods rain flowers with soiled minds
Rama, the company of sadhus, the sage, and Janaka were slack with love. In their minds they praised the great glory of Bharata’s brotherhood and bhakti. The gods, extolling Bharata, rained flowers with soiled minds. Hearing it, all the people were distraught and shrank like lotuses at nightfall. The commentary gives this line to Tulsi.
Seeing the men and women of both companies all wretched and humble, Indra, most soiled, wanted blessing by killing the dead.
The held hand
Janaka and his company praised Bharata’s words. Like a face in a mirror held in the hand, the speech could not be grasped. Seeing the family guru’s state, Janaka’s love, and Bharata full of bhakti for Rama, the gods lost heart. Sarasvati refused the gods and left for the Creator’s world. The gods devised their trick: fear, confusion, dislike, and restlessness. Vasishtha gave his view. Rama swore that the order of the guru and the king, whatever it was, would be on his head, and all looked at Bharata’s face.
Bharata held in his love and remembered Sarasvati in his heart. In the power of delusion, he said, he had come against Rama’s words and his father’s, and Rama had taken the boldness as love and service. He told how, at a single salute, Rama made his own those who came for refuge. He asked Rama for his order, and he said that his wish was service with natural love. He clasped Rama’s feet, and holding his hand, Rama seated him near. The gods rained flowers, their minds soiled, and Indra wanted blessing by killing the dead.
The same story, elsewhere: Valmiki’s Ramayana, chapter 10, part 2: Bharata meets Rama at Chitrakuta.
Source: the Gita Press edition of Tulsidas’s Ramcharitmanas, Ayodhyakand, doha 294 to sortha 301, read with Hanuman Prasad Poddar’s Hindi commentary.