“The pure-minded saints, who are learned in the Vedas and Puranas, say like this, that only through the favor of the husband of Sita will the miseries within the ocean of suffering go away.” (Dohavali, 136)

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कहहिं बिमलमति संत बेद पुरान बिचारि अस।
द्रवहिं जानकी कंत तब छूटै संसार दुख ॥

kahahiṃ bimalamati saṃta beda purāna bicāri asa।
dravahiṃ jānakī kaṃta taba chūṭai saṃsāra dukha ॥

The recommendation is to be devoted to God the person. The specific reference by Goswami Tulsidas is to Shri Rama, who is the husband of Sita Devi. Any person can say anything. Any person can give a recommendation. Any person can strongly insist, based on their dogmatic allegiance.

For the case of devotion to God in the personal form, the recommendation is from saintly people. They arrived at the conclusion through proper deliberation and consideration. They never followed blindly, and they do not expect others to follow steadily along a certain path without sufficient prior justification.

1. Keeping a pure mind

The Hindi word used by Tulsidas is bimala-mati. This refers to someone who has a clear mind. Free of impurities. The mind is not focused elsewhere, unable to think properly. The saintly people have found the proper place, free of distractions.

They are not necessarily preoccupied on a given day. Attending to this responsibility and that, I have a difficult time focusing. I think that only if certain issues get cleared, removed from the picture, I will then be able to tend to the top priority.

The bimala-mati saints are not after personal sense gratification. They are not looking to improve the material condition. They are not interested in earning a lot of money, assuming high prestige, showing off possessions to others, or leaving a legacy whereby they will be honored for generations to come.

Rather, the bimala-mati saints tend to live a simple life. This allows ample time for high-thinking. From purity in thought, word, and deed, they can consider matters appropriately. They weigh the pros and the cons. They make decisions using intelligence instead of emotion.

2. Reading the Vedas

With a pure mind, the saints read the Vedas. These are the original scriptural works of this world. We use the term ‘original’ to compare time periods in a relative manner. These works of the Sanskrit language are original to us, but they actually have no origin. They are as anadi as the person they glorify, who is the Supreme Lord.

3. Reading the Puranas

The Puranas expand on the Vedas. Since they are of the same category, describing the same subject matter, with the identical ultimate objective, the Puranas can also be considered Vedic literature. They are ancient stories describing Vedic principles put into practice. There are many Puranas, corresponding to different modes of living, and saintly people are familiar with the general concepts.

…

With a pure-mind and conversant with the Vedas and Puranas, saintly people reach the conclusion that there is only one way to end the miseries of a material existence. The miseries extend beyond the boundaries of a single lifetime.

That is to say, all species undergoing birth and death are suffering. Whether it is the tiny ant crawling underneath a rock or a blessed demigod enjoying in the heavenly region, there is the same vulnerability to time and rebirth.

आ-ब्रह्म-भुवनाल् लोकाः
पुनर् आवर्तिनो ऽर्जुन
माम् उपेत्य तु कौन्तेय
पुनर् जन्म न विद्यते

ā-brahma-bhuvanāl lokāḥ
punar āvartino ‘rjuna
mām upetya tu kaunteya
punar janma na vidyate

“From the highest planet in the material world down to the lowest, all are places of misery wherein repeated birth and death take place. But one who attains to My abode, O son of Kunti, never takes birth again.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 8.16)

The way out is easy. Dravahi. Win the favor of the Supreme Lord. Act in such a way that His heart melts. This is the way of devotion. Even if we have impure motives at the start, the process has a purifying effect. The more we associate with the husband of Sita, the more clear our mind becomes. The more we understand the reasoning behind the recommendation.

दैवी ह्य् एषा गुण-मयी
मम माया दुरत्यया
माम् एव ये प्रपद्यन्ते
मायाम् एतां तरन्ति ते

daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī
mama māyā duratyayā
mām eva ye prapadyante
māyām etāṁ taranti te

“This divine energy of Mine, consisting of the three modes of material nature, is difficult to overcome. But those who have surrendered unto Me can easily cross beyond it.” (Lord Krishna, Bhagavad-gita, 7.14)

Though we are suffering in samsara, stuck on the spinning wheel of suffering, we can easily cross beyond with the favor of the one who holds all potency. The recommendation flows from intelligence, and so that devotion is the best decision we could ever make.

In Closing:

Wise counsel to take,
For best decision to make.

That way only one,
After His favor won.

For crossing this ocean vast,
Reliable delivery fast.

After Vedas and Puranas reading,
Towards Sita-Rama proceeding.

Categories: dohavali 121-160, the three

Tags: bhakti, dohavali, hare krishna, poem, poems, poetry, yoga