“Thinking like this, one of sober mind, abandon sophistry and all doubts and worship Shri Rama, who is beautiful, merciful, and the giver of happiness.” (Dohavali, 134)

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अस बिचारि मतिधीर तजि कुतर्क संसय सकल।
भजहु राम रघुबीर करुनाकर सुंदर सुखद ॥

asa bicāri matidhīra taji kutarka saṃsaya sakala।
bhajahu rāma raghubīra karunākara suṃdara sukhada ॥

Goswami Tulsidas readily acknowledges the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. There is a healthy appreciation for what the Divine Being is capable of. Whatever limits we can conceive, He goes beyond. Whatever we think to be impossible, He can make happen.

In a series of verses in his Dohavali, Tulsidas reviews some of the abilities and attributes of God in the visual manifestation of Shri Rama. For instance, what we know of as time can be compared to the bow held in Rama’s hand. The different arrows are like the different units of time, which strike as weapons to defeat whatever plans the atheists may draw up.

एतां दृष्टिमवष्टभ्य नष्टात्मानोऽल्पबुद्धय: ।
प्रभवन्त्युग्रकर्माण: क्षयाय जगतोऽहिता: ॥

etāṁ dṛṣṭim avaṣṭabhya
naṣṭātmāno ’lpa-buddhayaḥ
prabhavanty ugra-karmāṇaḥ
kṣayāya jagato ’hitāḥ

“Following such conclusions, the demoniac, who are lost to themselves and who have no intelligence, engage in unbeneficial, horrible works meant to destroy the world.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 16.9)

Rama is so powerful that He can make rocks float on the surface of the ocean. He can give life to the lifeless. He can take life away from that which otherwise shows signs of vibrancy and extending viability.

For these reasons and more, it would make sense to have a little fear. To be afraid of God is not the worst thing, considering the other possible direction. At the same time, to have the complete picture, we should know that there is actually nothing to fear.

The recommendation is for devotion. Be devoted to Rama. Chant His holy names. Offer worship to Him. Think of Him. Remember Him. Work exclusively for His pleasure. Make Him the primary interest.

The devotion will flow naturally when we consider the attributes on the positive side. In other words, the same person who the atheist might view with terror and consternation, the devoted soul is attached to in a loving relationship so close that not even the arrows of time can deal a blow.

1. Karunakara

This Sanskrit word translates to “maker of mercy.” We have similar words to describe the sun, like dinakara and divakara. The sun is the maker of the day. It is so powerful that it dissipates darkness. As His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains, when darkness and light are together, darkness does not stand a chance.

The Absolute Truth is the ocean of mercy precisely because He forgives any amount of time in forgetfulness. When our children run outside to play in the cold without putting on a jacket, we might admonish them a little more if they get sick later on.

“See, I told you so. You should have listened to me. You never listen. You think I am just bothering you. Actually, I have your best interests in mind. Always.”

Rama would have the most justification to behave in this way, as only He can remember the many past births that we spent in forgetfulness, turning away from Him, choosing instead the shelter of maya.

श्री-भगवान् उवाच
बहूनि मे व्यतीतानि
जन्मानि तव चार्जुन
तान्य् अहं वेद सर्वाणि
न त्वं वेत्थ परन्तप

śrī-bhagavān uvāca
bahūni me vyatītāni
janmāni tava cārjuna
tāny ahaṁ veda sarvāṇi
na tvaṁ vettha parantapa

“The Blessed Lord said: Many, many births both you and I have passed. I can remember all of them, but you cannot, O subduer of the enemy!” (Bhagavad-gita, 4.5)

He is an ocean of mercy because there is always the opportunity to return. No one is forever condemned. They always have the Supreme Lord with them through the expansion of Supersoul. In this way, we come to understand that atheism is merely forgetfulness. No one is ever separated from God.

2. Sundara

Rama is not an old and angry man. He is not vengeful. He is not spiteful. To hold a grudge is a sign of weakness. To be easily offended is to not understand human nature and the conflicts that arise from pursuing desires.

If we worship Shri Rama, there is nothing missing in the process. There is beauty, beyond anything which we could imagine. More than the vision of flowers blossoming in spring. More than the breathtaking sunrise. More than the autumn leaves of various colors.

3. Sukhada

That devotion to Rama will provide happiness. The sukha will not be in short supply. If we come across a large sum of money, we might turn miserly. If we know the secret to earning wealth, we might not be so quick to share the formula with others.

With the sukha that results from worshiping Rama, there is no shortage. There is no reason to be miserly. Rather, we wish for everyone else to experience the same. We hope that young and old, rich and poor, man and woman, and happy and sad find this way of life that is transcendental light, for which there is sufficient justification.

In Closing:

To stay fearful told,
Image of angry and old.

And ready for revenge to take,
When sinful life to make.

But actually most merciful is He,
Of indescribable beauty to see.

Rama pleasure giving at every turn,
The wise to His shelter return.

Categories: dohavali 121-160, the three

Tags: dohavali, god, hare krishna, hinduism, poem, poems, poetry, religion