|| 9

Chapter Eleven

Character of Rma|| 9.11.1 ||r-uka uvca

bhagavn tmantmna

rma uttama-kalpakai

sarva-devamaya devam

je 'thcryavn makhai

ukadeva Gosvm said: The Supreme Lord, Rmacandra, accepted an crya and performed sacrifices with the best paraphernalia. Thus he worshiped himself, by himself.The Eleventh Chapter describes the sacrifices performed by Rma, his rejection of St, her entrance into the earth, and sending his brothers to conquer the directions.

He worshipped himself by himself means that he worshipped himself by sacrifices which were not different from him, since he is the process and the result of sacrifice.

|| 9.11.2 ||hotre 'dadd dia prc

brahmae daki prabhu

adhvaryave pratc v

uttar smagya sa

Rmacandra gave the east to the hot priest, the south to the brahm priest, the west to the adhvaryu priest, and the north to the udgt priest, the reciter of the Sma Veda. || 9.11.3 ||cryya dadau e

yvat bhs tad-antar

manyamna ida ktsna

brhmao 'rhati nispha

Thereafter, thinking that because brhmaas with no material desires should possess the whole earth, Rmacandra delivered the remaining land between the east, west, north and south to the crya.He thought that the land between the directions, the remaining land, should given to the brhmaas, since the whole earth should go to the brhmaas because they are without desire.|| 9.11.4 ||ity aya tad-alakra-

vsobhym avaeita

tath rjy api vaideh

saumagalyvaeit

After thus giving everything in charity to the brhmaas, Rmacandra retained only his personal garments and ornaments, and similarly the Queen, mother St, was left with only her nose ring and nothing else.Rma gave away all ornaments and clothing except what he was wearing, whereas St gave away even the ornaments she was wearing. Only her nose ornament and bracelet remained.

|| 9.11.5 ||te tu brhmaa-devasya

vtsalya vkya sastutam

prt klinna-dhiyas tasmai

pratyarpyeda babhire

All the brhmaas were very pleased with Rmacandra, who was greatly affectionate to the brhmaas and worthy of praise. Thus, with melted hearts they returned all the property received from him and spoke as follows.

|| 9.11.6 ||apratta nas tvay ki nu

bhagavan bhuvanevara

yan no 'ntar-hdaya viya

tamo hasi sva-roci

O Lord! Master of the entire universe! What have you not given to us? Since you have entered the core of our hearts and dissipated the darkness of our ignorance by your effulgence, what is the use of the earth to us? What did you not give? You gave everything. Since you have entered our hearts, what is the use of the earth to us?

|| 9.11.7 ||namo brahmaya-devya

rmykuha-medhase

uttamaloka-dhuryya

nyasta-darpitghraye

We offer our respects to you, Rma, the most famous among the famous, who favor the brhmaas, who possess eternal intelligence, and who offer your lotus feet to the non-violent devotees. Nyasta-darpitghraye means unto the Lord whose feet are offered to the devotees who have given up violence.

|| 9.11.8 ||kadcil loka-jijsur

gho rtrym alakita

caran vco 'od rmo

bhrym uddiya kasyacit

Once while Lord Rmacandra was walking at night incognito, hiding himself by a disguise, to learn the opinion of the people, he heard a man speaking about his wife, Stdev.

|| 9.11.9 ||nha bibharmi tv dum

asat para-vema-gm

straio hi bibhyt st

rmo nha bhaje puna

Speaking to his unchaste wife, the man said: You have gone to another man's house, and therefore you are unchaste and polluted. I shall not maintain you any more. A henpecked husband like Lord Rma may accept a wife like St, who went to another man's house, but I shall not accept you again.

|| 9.11.10 ||iti lokd bahu-mukhd

durrdhyd asavida

paty bhtena s tyakt

prpt prcetasramam

Fearing ignorant men who gossip and are difficult to control, Rmacandra abandoned St, who then went to the hermitage of Vlmki.Asavisa means ignorant persons. Prcetasa is Vlmki.

|| 9.11.11 ||antarvatny gate kle

yamau s suuve sutau

kuo lava iti khytau

tayo cakre kriy muni

When the time came, the pregnant St gave birth to twin sons, later celebrated as Lava and Kua. The ritualistic ceremonies for their birth were performed by Vlmki.Antarvatn means pregnant.

|| 9.11.12 ||agada citraketu ca

lakmaasytmajau smtau

taka pukala ity st

bharatasya mahpate

O King! Lakmaa had two sons, named Agada and Citraketu, and Bharata also had two sons, named Taka and Pukala.

|| 9.11.13-14 ||subhu rutasena ca

atrughnasya babhvatu

gandharvn koio jaghne

bharato vijaye dim

tadya dhanam nya

sarva rje nyavedayat

atrughna ca madho putra

lavaa nma rkasam

hatv madhuvane cakre

mathur nma vai purm

atrughna had two sons, named Subhu and rutasena. When Lord Bharata went to conquer all directions, he had to kill millions of Gandharvas. Taking all their wealth, he offered it to Rmacandra. atrughna killed a Rkasa named Lavaa, who was the son of Madhu Rkasa. Thus he established in the great forest known as Madhuvana the town known as Mathur.

|| 9.11.15 ||munau nikipya tanayau

st bhartr vivsit

dhyyant rma-caraau

vivara pravivea ha

Being forsaken by her husband, St entrusted her two sons to the care of Vlmki. Then, meditating upon the lotus feet of Rmacandra, she entered into the earth.Unable to bear the pain of separation from her husband she entered a hole in the earth.

|| 9.11.16 ||tac chrutv bhagavn rmo

rundhann api dhiy uca

smaras tasy gus ts tn

naknod roddhum vara

After hearing the news of mother St's entering the earth, the Supreme Lord Rma, though capable of checking his grief by intelligence, on remembering her good qualities, he could not do so, though he was the Lord.

Though Rma was the Supreme Lord, he could not check his grief, since his nature is to be controlled by prema.

|| 9.11.17 ||str-pu-prasaga etdk

sarvatra trsam-vaha

apvar kim uta

grmyasya gha-cetasa

Such attraction between man and woman is a cause of sasra even for Brahm and others in this life and the next. What to speak of the common people who are attached to their houses?

Others, attached to lust, remember women and sink in sasra. Irregular sandhi in str-pu-prasaga is poetic license. This attachment exists even for Brahm and others, producing sasra (trsam) in this world and the next (sarvatra) since it is material and arises from lust. Trsam-vaha should also be in the genitive case. This is indicated by the word etdk: it appears to be the case of Rma and St also. There is an appearance of material association in their relationship but it is not factual, since their relationship is spiritual and arises from prema. Therefore this statement applies to the devats but not to the Lord. || 9.11.18 ||tata rdhva brahmacarya

dhryann ajuhot prabhu

trayodabda-shasram

agnihotram akhaitam

After mother St entered the earth, Rmacandra observed complete celibacy and performed an uninterrupted sacrifice for thirteen thousand years.Then Rma along with the inhabitants of Ayodhy, performed his disappearance pastime.

|| 9.11.19 ||smarat hdi vinyasya

viddha daaka-kaakai

sva-pda-pallava rma

tma-jyotir agt tata

Rmacandra, whose lotus feet were sometimes pierced by thorns when he lived in Daakraya, placed those lotus feet in the hearts of those who thought of him. Then he entered his own abode. He places his feet pierced by the thorns in the hearts of devotees not situated in Ayodhy. Let them faint, being pierced by thousands of thorns in their hearts. Thus it seems Rma did not have compassion for them. This is an example of vyja-stuti: criticism meant as praise. He attained his own spiritual abode, beyond the material ream, where there is his own light not that of mya.

|| 9.11.20 ||neda yao raghupate sura-ycaytta-

ll-tanor adhika-smya-vimukta-dhmna

rako-vadho jaladhi-bandhanam astra-pgai

ki tasya atru-hanane kapaya sahy

Rmacandra's reputation for having killed Rvaa with showers of arrows at the request of the devats and for having built a bridge over the ocean does not constitute the factual glory of Rma, whose spiritual body is always engaged in various pastimes and who has no equal or superior. He had no need to take help from the monkeys to gain victory over Rvaa.One should taste the astonishing sweetness in his human pastimes, not his display of power. tta-ll-tano means Rma has an eternal form for his pastimes. tta means completely obtained. Killing Rvaa is not to be praised since Rma has power (dhmna) with no equal or superior. What is the use of monkeys helping him? Everything becomes suitable because Rma possesses sweetness in his human pastimes. || 9.11.21 ||yasymala npa-sadasu yao 'dhunpi

gyanty agha-ghnam ayo dig-ibhendra-paam

ta nkapla-vasupla-kira-jua-

pdmbuja raghupati araa prapadye

In the assembly of kings, even today, the sages glorify Rmas spotless fame, which destroys all sin and which spreads in all directions. I surrender to Rma, whose lotus feet are served by the crowns of the devats and earthly kings. This verse describes the excellence of Rma for a surrendering person. Sages like Mrkaeya glorify his spotless fame in the assembly of kings like Yudhihira even today. Paa means reaching. Thus his fame reaches in all directions. His feet are served by the crowns of the devats and earthly kings (vasupla). Another version has juam and raghupate.|| 9.11.22 ||sa yai spo 'bhido v

savio 'nugato 'pi v

kosals te yayu sthna

yatra gacchanti yogina

The inhabitants of Kosala, who touched, saw, sat together with Rma in friendship, and followed after Rma, went to Vaikuha where the devotees go.

Savia means sitting or lying together out of friendship. The inhabitants of Kosala attained Vaikuha, where the bhakti-yogs go.|| 9.11.23 ||puruo rma-carita

ravaair upadhrayan

nasya-paro rjan

karma-bandhair vimucyate

O King! Anyone who hears with the ears the narrations concerning the characteristics of Rmacandra's pastimes will be freed from envy and be liberated from the bondage of karma.masya-para means without cruelty, without envy.

|| 9.11.24 ||r-rjovca

katha sa bhagavn rmo

bhrtn v svayam tmana

tasmin v te 'nvavartanta

praj paur ca vare

Mahrja Parkit said: How did the Lord conduct himself, and how did he behave in relationship with his brothers, who were expansions of his own self? And how did his brothers and the inhabitants of Ayodhy treat him?How did he act with his own brothers? How did he act? How did his brothers and the citizens act towards him? There are three questions.

|| 9.11.25 ||r-bdaryair uvca

athdiad dig-vijaye

bhrts tri-bhuvanevara

tmna darayan svn

purm aikata snuga

ukadeva Gosvm said Rmacandra, lord of the three worlds, ordered his younger brothers to go out and conquer the entire world, while he personally remained in the capital to give audience to all the citizens and supervise the city with his other assistants.He ordered his brothers to conquer the world. His brothers gave up his personal association and followed his order. That was their conduct towards him. Rma out of affection to his brothers gave them dominion over those lands. That was his conduct towards them. His conduct towards his relatives and the citizens was letting them see him directly and glancing on them with mercy. He supervised the city. That was his own conduct.

|| 9.11.26 ||sikta-mrg gandhodai

kari mada-karai

svmina prptam lokya

matt v sutarm iva

When the citizens saw the Lord personally on the streets of Ayodhy which were sprinkled with perfumed water and juice from rutting elephants, they thought that the land had become perfect.This describes the city that Rma inspected. Sutarm mattm iva means everything is perfect. Va indicates a conjecture. Another version has vsitagm iva: the land was flourishing like a cow in heat.|| 9.11.27 ||prsda-gopura-sabh-

caitya-deva-ghdiu

vinyasta-hema-kalaai

patkbhi ca maitm

The place was decorated with golden pots and flags placed in the palaces, the palace gates, the assembly houses, the platforms for meeting places, the temples and all such places.

|| 9.11.28 ||pgai savntai rambhbhi

paikbhi suvsasm

darair aukai sragbhi

kta-kautuka-toram

The city was decorated with excellent cloth and with betel nut trees and banana trees with fruits, and it had gates covered with cloth, mirrors and garlands.

|| 9.11.29 ||tam upeyus tatra tatra

paur arhaa-paya

io yuyujur deva

phm prk tvayoddhtm

Wherever Rmacandra visited, the people approached him with paraphernalia of worship and gave the Lord blessings. "O Lord! As you rescued the earth from the bottom of the sea in your incarnation as a boar, may you now maintain it."This verse describes the conduct of the citizens to Rma. In the form of Varha, previously you delivered the earth.

|| 9.11.30 ||tata praj vkya pati cirgata

didkayotsa-gh striyo nar

ruhya harmyy aravinda-locanam

atpta-netr kusumair avkiran

Not having seen the Lord for a long time, the citizens, both men and women, eager to see him, left their homes and got up on the roofs of the palaces. Being incompletely satiated with seeing the face of the lotus-eyed Rmacandra, they showered flowers upon him.

|| 9.11.31-34 ||atha pravia sva-gha

jua svai prva-rjabhi

anantkhila-kohyam

anarghyoruparicchadam

vidrumodumbara-dvrair

vaidrya-stambha-paktibhi

sthalair mrakatai svacchair

bhrjat-sphaika-bhittibhi

citra-sragbhi paikbhir

vso-mai-gaukai

mukt-phalai cid-ullsai

knta-kmopapattibhi

dhpa-dpai surabhibhir

maita pupa-maanai

str-pumbhi sura-sakair

jua bhaa-bhaai

Thereafter, Lord Rmacandra entered the palace used by his forefathers, furnished with various treasures and furniture, with coral thresholds, rows of cats eye columns, walls of emerald and clear, sparkling crystal, colorful garlands, flags, bright with the rays emanating from gems and cloth, with pearls, lamps and fragrant incense, and celestial men and women decorated with flowers, whose bodies glorified their ornaments, all of which fulfilled ones desires, since they were spiritual.

How did Rma conduct himself? The answer is now repeated, but described in detail. The palace had doors with thresholds made of coral. All the phrases are connected with the word decorated in verse 34. It was bright with the rays from the cloth and jewels. All the objects fulfilled all ones desires since they were spiritual (cit-ullsai). Cit-ullsai modifies all objects in the list.|| 9.11.35 ||tasmin sa bhagavn rma

snigdhay priyayeay

reme svrma-dhrm

abha stay kila

Rmacandra, the Supreme Lord, chief of self-controlled, resided in that palace with his dear, pleasing wife St.

|| 9.11.36 ||bubhuje ca yath-kla

kmn dharmam apayan

vara-pgn bahn nm

abhidhytghri-pallava

Without transgressing the religious principles, Rmacandra, whose lotus feet are worshiped by devotees in meditation, enjoyed desired objects as long as he wanted.

Nm means by men.Thus ends the commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of the Ninth Canto of the Bhgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous cryas.