Rama Gita From Aranya Kandam of Malayalam Adhyathma Ramayanam.

Rama Gita   From Aranya  Kandam  of Malayalam  Adhyathma   Ramayanam.

By

THunjathu  Ramayanan Ezhuthachan

Translated   in to English by

P.R.Ramachander

   Rama Gita  is the  conversation between Rama  and Lakshmana, in which Rama teaches  several aspects of Philosophy,One such conversatyion occurs in Aranya kanda    Of Adhyathma Ramayana as translated by  Thunjathu ezhuthachan in to Malayalam and  Thulasi das  in to Hindi. Both of them   call this  as Rama Gita  but  majority of scholars  call the sixty two sloka conversation between Rama and Lakshmana  in  the Uthara  Kandam as  Rama Geetha.

   Please  read  the Rama gita  as translated by  THinjathu Ezhthachan,   which has been translated  by me in to English

3.10 Lakshmanopadesam (also called as Rama Gita)

Teaching to Lakshmana

Lakshman oru dinam  yekanthe  Rama devan,

Trukkazhal  koopi vinaanwithanai  chonnan

One day Lakshmana  alone with God Rama,

Saluting his feet told   with great humility.

“Mukthi margathhe   yarul cheyyanam,

Bhakthanam   adiyanodu ajnanam neengum vannam,

Jnana  vijnana   bhakthi vairagya chihnamellam,

Manasanandam varumaru  arul cheytheedenam,

Aarum  ninthiruvadiyozhinjillivayellam,

Nerode yupadesicheeduvaan bhoomandale.”

Sri Raman  athu kettu Lakshmanan  thannodu appol,

Aarudanandamarul cheythithu vazhipole .

“Please   tell me about  the way to salvation,

In such a way  that the ignorance   of this devotee  goes  away,

Please tell me  about the signs  of divine wisdom , scientific knowledge ,

Devotion and  detachment so that my mind would be happy,

For in  this earth  there is no one except you,

Who can tell me with authority  about this.”

Hearing this Sri Rama  with    a rising sensation of joy,

 Told   Lakshmana   in a proper manner.

“Kettalum yengilathu  guhyamam upadesam,

Kettolam thernnu koodum vikalpa bramamellam,

Mumbinaal maya  swaroopathejnan  cholleduvan,

Ambodu pinne jnana sadanam chollamallo.

Vijnana sahithamaam jnanvum cholvan pinne,

Vijnayam mathma sawaroopatheyum cholaamedo ,

Jneyamayulla pramathmanam ariyumbol,

Maya sambanda  bhayamokke neengedumallo .”

Please hear  this teaching  which is a great secret,

As you hear  your  confusion  about  changes will vanish,

First I will tell you about   the form of illusion,

And later  I would tell you  about consequences of divine wisdom,

And later I will tell you about wisdom  with scientific thought,

And I will also tell you how to understand the form  of the soul,

And when you understand the  concept  of the divine  soul,

The fear  about illusion would  go away from you.

“Athmavallatheyulla  dehadhi vasthukkalil,

Atmavennulla bodham  yadonnu jagathraye,

Mayayakunnathu nirnayam athinale  ,

Kaya sambandam aakum samsaram bhavikkunnu,

Undallo  pinne vikshepavarangal yennu,

Randu roopam mayaykennariyuga, soumithre  nee,

Yennathil munnethallo lokathe kalpikunnathu,

Yennariga  athi sthoola sookshma bedangalodum,

Lingadhibrahmanthamaam  avidhya roopamathum,

Sangadhi  doshangale   sambhavi pikkunnathum.”

The belief   in all the three  worlds  that ,

The   parts  of the body   which are  not the soul,

Are the soul  is  most definitely because  of illusion,

And because   of this the life  becomes related  to the body,

And further there is the concept of  “wrong  understanding” and “the  hiding screen”,

Which are  the two forms of illusion,  you understand this Lakshmana,

And the first among these makes the world  appear as true,

Along with   the very many gross  and micro differences,

And it  is spread   as  the form  of negative wisdom ,

Which is spread  from the   body to the Brahmam,

And is the reason  for the problems such as great desire.

Jnana roopiniyakum  vidhyayathu,

Ananda  prapthi  hetha Bhootha yennarinjalum,

Maya kalpitham paramathmani  viswamedo,

Maya kondallo viswam undennu thonnikkunnu,

Rajju  gandathingale  pannaga  budhi pole  ,

Nischayam vicharikkil yetum onnillayallo ,

Manavanmaaral kana pettathum kelkkayathum,

Manasathingal smarikka pedunnathumellam,

Swapna sannibham vicharikkil  allathu onnallo,

Vibhramam kalanjaalum vikalpamudakenda.

The  learning   which has  the form of divine wisdom,

Which is the second  one , is the cause  for getting joy,

And  the world is being imagined  as a part of the divine soul.

It is the illusion  that makes  world appear  to be true,

Similar  to one seeing a serpent in a piece  of rope,

But  if we properly think nothing of these  is there.

All that  which are  seen or heard and ,

Imagined which is  in the mind  by man ,

Are like   a dream, if you  properly think about it ,

Throw away this disturbance and do not have wrong understanding.

Janma samsara   vruksha moolamayathu deham,

Thanmoolam puthra kalathradhi sambandamellam,

Dehamayathupancha Bhootha  sanchaya  mayam,

Deha sambandam maya vaibhavam vicharichaal,

Indriya dasakavum ahankaravum  budhi,

Manassum chitha moola prakrukruthi yennithellam,

Orthu kandalum orumichu irikkunnathallo.

Kshethramayathudeham yennum undallo namam.

Yenivathingal ninnuveronnu jeevanathum,

Nirnayam paramathma, nischalam niramayan,

Jeevathma  swaroopathe yarinjukolvanulla,

Sadhanangale  kettu kolga soumithre nee.

The root of the tree of birth  and domestic life  is the body.

And due to that arises the relation between son and the wife,

And that body is only a collection of the five elements,

And if we think about  the relation with the body is the greatness of illusion,

And if we think correctly , the ten organs (five mental  and five physical),

The pride  , the  intelligence ,mind, brain and  the basic traits,

Together   is  being termed   as the body.

This  body has  another name , “ field”(temple?),

And  the one which is from all this is the soul,

And definitely the divine soul  is stable and one without  properties,

And Oh Lakshmana, please  hear from me  about that ,

Which   helps  us to understand the form of the soul.

Jeevathmavennum  paramathmavennathum orkill,

Kevalam  paryaya sabdhangal yennarinjalum,

Bedam yethumeyilla  random onnathre noonam.

Bedam undennu parayunnathu  ajnanmaarallo.

Manavum  dambam himsavakrathwam , kamam, krodham,

Manase  vedinju  santhushtanai sada  ka;am,

Anyoksha upadhikalum sahichu sama budhyaa ,

Manyu bhavam akale kalanju  anudinam,

Bhakthi kai kondu guru sevayum cheythunija,

Chitha sudhiyum deha shudhiyum  cheythu kondu,

Nithyavum  sal karmangalkku ilakkam varuthathe  ,

Sathyathe samasrayichu , Ananda   swaroopanai,

Manasa  vachana dehangale yadaikki,

Than manase vishaya soukhyangale chithiyathe ,

Janana  jara marangale chithichu ullil,

Anahangarathwena sama bhavanayodum,

SArva athmavakum yengal uracha manassodum,

Sarvadaa  Rama ramethyam itha  japathodum,

Puthra dararthishu nisnehathwavum cheythu,

SAkthiyum onningalum  koodathe  nirantharam,

Ishanishta prapthikku thulya bhavathodu,

Santhushtanai viviktha shudha sthale vasikkenam.

If we think about the soul of the being and the divine soul,

Please   understand  that they are only   alternate   words,

They do not have any difference   and both are   same,

And those who tell that  there is difference  are ignorant people,

Forsaking egoism, pride , causing sorrow to others ,

Wrong thoughts, passion and anger completely from the mind,

Living with contentment always , tolerating jibes from other sources,

With tolerance ,  throw away  the comparison with others ,

Daily  having devotion to god ., serving    one’s guru,

Doing real cleanliness  of our mind and body,

Without discontinuing hospitality to others,

Depending only on truth, becoming personification of joy,

Controlling   the mind  , the body and the words,

Never thinking  in the mind  body pleasures,

Thinking about birth death  and old age  ,

Without pride in the mind, with equal treatment of others,

With a  mind   firmly placed  in me , who is the universal soul,

With  always  engaged in  chanting   the name  of  Rama, Rama 

With   no particular   attachment to son and the wife,

Without particular  attachment to anything,

With always having same  emotions to get things which we like  or dislike,

And with  contentment we should live   in a  lonely , clean place.

Prakrutha janangalumai vasikkarathu  ottum,

Yekanthe pramathma  Jnana thalparanai,

Vedantha  vakhyarthangal avalokanam cheythu,

Vaideeka  karmangalum  athmani samarpichal,

Jnanavum  akatharil  urachu  chamanjidum,

Manase vikalpangal yethume yundakola.

We should  never  live   with vulgar people,

We have to live alone  with interest in getting divine wisdom,

And read and  understand  the meaning  of words of philosophy,

And dedicate   all priestly   rituals to the soul,

 Then divine wisdom will get firm in our mind ,

And there would not be any confusion in the mind.

Athma vakunnathu yenthennundokel athum yengil,

Athmavalaalo  deha , prana budhya ahankaram,

Manasadhikal onnum ivathin  ninnu mele,

Manamillatha  paramathmavu thane vere,

Nilpithu chidathmavu shudham avyaktham  budham,

Thal padathmaa  jnan iha thwal padarthavum aayi,

Jnanam kondenne vazhipole  kandarinjidaam,

Jnanam akunnathu yenne  kattunna vasthu thanne.

Now here   about   what is the soul,

It is not me, nor my body, nor my soul ,

Nor  my wisdom , nor my pride, nor my mind,

And is something about all these,

And is very different from the  measure less   divine  soul,

I who am pure , not comprehensible and who  knows all

Am  standing here  is the divine soul ,

And your soul  using   your  assets can understand ,

Me by use  of divine wisdom  by  trials  for,

Wisdom is certainly the thing that  shows me.

Jnanam undakunnathu Vijnanam kondu thanne,

Jnanithennu  arivinnu sdanamakayale,

Sarvathra paripoornan athmavu  chidanandam,

SArva sathwanthar gathan aparichedhyanallo.

Divine wisdom comes through scientific enquiry,

And so it leads    you to the conclusion,

That I am that ,  which is the complete soul,

One with divine joy , one who is within all  beings ,

And  one   who cannot  be understood as this or that.

Yekan  advayan  paran avyayan  jaganmayan,

Yogesan ajan akhiladaran  niradharan,

Nithya  Sathya Jnana  aadhi lakshanan , brahmathmakan,

Budhyupadhikalil  verittavan mayamayan,

Jnanam kondupagamyanyoginaam yekathmanam,

Jnanam acharya sasthrougha upadesa ikhya jnanam,

Aathmanorevam  jeeva parayor moola vidhyaa,

Aathmani karya  karanangalum koodi chernnu ,

Layicheedumbol  ullor avathayallo mukthi,

Layathodasu verittiruppathu athmavonne.

One who is alone , one who does not have two ,

One  who is divine , one who does not change , one who is everywhere ,

The God of Yoga , one who was not born ,

One who carries    everything, One who does not carry anything,

One  who can be recognized by perennial true  wisdom,

One who is the soul of Brahmam , one who is separate ,

From  the instruments   like intelligence ,

One who is pervaded  by illusion ,

One who can be understood by divine  knowledge,

One who can be understood by yogis who have merged  their soul,

When  the knowledge churned out  from  wisdom  of Gurus   and Sasthras ,

Which tells about  the unity  of the soul and the divine soul reaches you,

Then the basic primeval knowledge  that is within you merges ,

With the action and cause  and becomes one  with the Divine soul,

And this state of merging  is known as   salvation,

And that  which stands out of this merger  is the soul only.

Jnana vijnana vairagyathodu sahithamaam,

Anandamayitulla  kaivalya swaroopam

Ithulla vanname  paravaanum itharivanum,

Ullam nallunarvorilla aarum jagathingal,

Madbhakthi illathavarkku  yethrayum durlabham kel,

Madbhakthi kondu thanne  kaivalyam varum thanum,

Nethram mundennakilum  kanmathinnundu pani ,

Rathriyil thande  padam deepamundennakile ,

Nerulla   vazhiyarinjeetaavitha vanname ,

Sri Rama bhakthiyundakile   kanai varu.

The form of salvation  which is a divine joy,

Exists  along with divine wisdom  , scientific enquiry  and detachment,

It can be only told as such because  there are ,

None in the world  who can understand or tell about it.

Please hear  , salvation  is very difficult to attain by  those who do not have  devotion to me,

And definitely salvation will come  through devotion to me,

When it is dark at night , even if  you have  eyes,

You will not be able to see  and need  a light for it,

And like this , people  cannot  know the straight path to  salvation,

And  can see  it only  if they have  devotion to Rama.

Bhakthannu nannai prakasikkum atmavu noonam,

Bhathikku kanaum yenthennu kettalum nee,

Mad bhakthamaraodulla  nithya sangama mathum,

Mad bhakthanmare kanivode  devikkunnathum,

Yekadasyadhi  vruthanushtanangalum punar-

Akulamenniye sadichu kolkayum  Adha,

Mal kadha pada  sravanangal  cheykayum mudhaa,

Mal guna namangale keerthichu  kollugayum,

SAntham ithamengil varthikkum janangalkku oru antharam,

Varathu oru  bhakthiyum undai varum.

Bhakthi vardhichal pinnemathonnum varenda,

Athillathauthamothamanmarai ullavar  allo,

Bhkthi yukthannuvijnana Jnana vairagyangal ,

Sadhya sambhavicheedum mennal mukthiyum varum.

Mukthi margam thavaka prasnanu sara  vassal,

Ukthamayathu ninakennale  darikke nee ,

Vakthvyamalla noonan yethrayum guhyam  mama,

Bhakthanmarkkozhinju  upadesichidaruthallo ,

Bhakthan yennakil avan chodicheelennakilum,

Vakthavyam avanodu  viswasam varikayaal,

Bhakthi viswasa shuddha  yukthanaam marthyannithu,

Nithyamai padam cheygil ajnanam akannu pom ,

Bhakthi samyukthanmaaram yogeendramaarkku noonam,

Hastha samsthithayallo mukthiyennarinjalum.

Always  the soul of a devotee  shines well,

And please hear from  me the reason for devotion,

The daily interaction with   my devotees,

And   serving  my devotes with  tender emotion,

And observing   penances   like   Ekadasi,

Which are  to be  again and again observed without sorrow,

And Worship  or  salutation or  meditation  or  service,

Or Giving   good food  to those Brahmins who worship the fire,

Or reading and or  hearing  my   stories,

Or praising me by telling my good names,

And  those people who do all these things,

Will have   incomparable  devotion towards me.

 If devotion increases there is no need for any other thing,

For they are   best among the   good people .

To those having devotion, though , they would  go through,

Divine wisdom scientific temper   and detachment,

They  would   also attain salvation,

The  way to salvation in answer to your question,

You  would get it through me , understand this.

What I told  should not be told  to others and is also a secret,

And it should not be told to any one except my devotees.

Though a devotee  does not ask this,

It has been told because  of my faith in him,

To that man who reads this  daily with devotion, faith and interest,

The lack of wisdom will completely go away from him,

And to the king of Yogis  who are blessed   with devotion,

Salvation will definitely  be within their reach.