Nārada Pampā Saṃvāda
The Nārada Pampā Saṃvāda is a talk between Nārada Maharshi and Bhagavān Rāma on the shore of Pampā Sarovara. It comes at the end of the Araṇya Kāṇḍa of the Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, after all the events of the forest: the carrying away of Sītā and the liberation of Jaṭāyu, Kabandha and Śabarī. Nārada comes to see Rāma in his state of viraha (the pain of separation). He asks why Rāma once broke up his marriage to Viśvamohinī, listens to Rāma’s answer, and then asks Rāma to teach the lakshaṇas (marks) of a sādhu. The talk ends the Araṇya Kāṇḍa on a note of peace.
Setting at Pampā Sarovara
Rāma and Lakshmaṇa had finished their journey through the deep forest, and had liberated Jaṭāyu, Kabandha and Śabarī. They came to Pampā Sarovara, a lake of great natural beauty. It was ringed by campaka, vakula, kadamba and pāṭala trees, and by jackfruit, palāśa and mango trees, and many others. It was full of cakravāka birds, water-cocks, herons, swarms of bees and kalahaṃsa birds. It rang with the calls of many birds and was sweet with the scent of flowers of every colour.
But Rāma’s heart ached with viraha, the pain of being apart from Sītā. The beauty of the forest did not comfort him. It made his longing sharper. He saw pairs of birds and animals moving happily together, and he told Lakshmaṇa of his grief:
“Brother, look at those paired birds. They seem to mock one alone like me, who has lost his beloved. That doe is pointing me out to the golden deer, while she searches with her mate. That male elephant follows his mate everywhere. He teaches me that one should serve wife, śāstra and king at every moment, or they become beyond control.”
So Rāma, taking the part of a man pining for his love, showed the grief of viraha for the good of the world. At the same time he taught Lakshmaṇa how important it is to stay close and to be always watchful in love. Śiva, telling this to Pārvatī, says: “The nirguṇa Bhagavān Rāma, master of all that moves and does not move, he who is jagannātha (master of the universe), showed the grief of separation like an ordinary person. This is his līlā (divine play) for the good of the world.”
After bathing in Pampā, the brothers rested on the bank of the lake in the shade of the trees.
Nārada’s arrival
Nārada Maharshi thought that this was a chance to have darśana of Rāma in his viraha and so receive his grace. He came to Pampā Sarovara. He paid his respects as is the custom, and after the usual greetings he made a request:
“O Dayānidhi (treasure of mercy), O Dāśarathi (son of Daśaratha)! May my devotion to you always shine in my heart like the full moon. O Jagannātha! On that day, when you broke my longing for Viśvamohinī, why did you do it? Please tell me.”
Nārada spoke of the episode in the Bāla Kāṇḍa. There he had fallen in love with a beautiful woman named Viśvamohinī at a svayaṃvara (a gathering where a bride chooses her husband). Through his māyā, Rāma had stopped Nārada from winning her.
Rāma’s answer on strī-māyā
Rāma received the question with kindness and answered:
“O Nārada! As a mother guards her small children, I always guard my devotees. Wise men (jñānīs) rely on their own strength. Devotees rely on my strength. But kāma (desire), krodha (anger) and other drives trouble both alike. That is why even the jñānī follows the bhakti-mārga (the path of devotion) by worshipping me. Among all forms of māyā, O king of munis, the māyā of strī (woman) is the hardest to resist. It is the spring (vasanta) of the forest of the heart, and fills it in countless ways with the scent of desire for the senses. From pāpa (sin), from suffering, from bad qualities, from every fault, the root cause is strī-māyā. It was to guard you from this binding force that I broke up your marriage on that day.”
Nārada was freed from the last trace of the doubt he had carried about that event. He was glad, and he praised Bhagavān Rāma as the supreme and loving protector of his devotees.
Nārada’s question on the marks of a sādhu
Then Nārada asked one more question:
“O Prabhu Rāma! Out of your grace, please tell me the lakshaṇas, the marks, of the sādhu (the true sant).”
Rāma agreed. He gave a full teaching on the Sādhu Lakshaṇa, the qualities of a truly good and holy person. It covers inner mastery, wisdom, character, dealings with others, and the qualities of devotion. At the end he added: “O Nārada! To describe in full the qualities of a sādhu is beyond even Śāradā and Śesha.”
Nārada received this teaching with great joy: “O Prabhu Rāma! I am blessed and thankful to have heard the qualities of your devotees from your own mouth. I am dhanya (fortunate).”
He bowed down to Rāmacandra and left for Brahmaloka.
Closing verse of the Araṇya Kāṇḍa
With Nārada’s departure the Araṇya Kāṇḍa of the Rāmacaritamānasa comes to an end. The closing verse reads:
Iti Śrīmad Rāmacaritamānase, sakala kali-kalūsha vidhvaṃsane — vimala vairāgya sampādana-nāma — tṛtīyaḥ sopānaḥ samāptaḥ.
“Here ends the third step (tṛtīyaḥ sopānaḥ) of the Śrīmad Rāmacaritamānasa, which destroys all the stains of Kali Yuga and gives pure vairāgya (detachment).”
So the Araṇya Kāṇḍa is known as the step of the Rāmāyaṇa that gives vimala vairāgya, spotless renunciation, to the devotee who recites it or hears it with śraddhā (faith).
Sources
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa (Rāmacaritamānas), Araṇya Kāṇḍa
- Tulasī Rāmāyaṇa, Bāla Kāṇḍa (the Viśvamohinī episode, mentioned)