The Gāthā of Rāma (Brahma Purāṇa)

Rāma Gāthā · rāma gāthā, “the song sung of Rāma”

The Gāthā of Rāma is the song that the knowers of the Purāṇa, whose tattva-jñāna is fixed on Śrī Rāma, sing of his greatness: his form, his reign of ten thousand years, the unceasing sound of the Vedas in his kingdom, his hundred yajñas, and his going from Ayodhyā to svarga. It is given in the Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 213, where Vyāsa, at the munis’ request, tells the avatāras of Bhagavān Vishṇu as Caturmukha Brahmā told them, and closes his telling of the Rāma avatāra with this gāthā.

The setting

In the twenty-fourth Tretā yuga, with Viśvāmitra at the forefront, Kamalāksha, Bhagavān Vishṇu, took avatāra as the son of Daśaratha. Making himself fourfold and shining like Sūrya, he became famous as Rāma, come for the grace of the world, the restraint of the rākshasas and the growth of dharma. With Lakshmaṇa following him he dwelt fourteen years in the forest and performed tapas, and Mahālakshmī followed her husband as Sītā. In Janasthāna he set right the work of the devas; finding the trace of Sītā, he slew Rāvaṇa, whom no deva, asura, yaksha, rākshasa or nāga could slay, root and all, with his ministers and armies. For Sugrīva he slew Vāli; Lavaṇa, son of Madhu, was slain in Madhuvana; Mārīca and Subāhu, who spoiled the munis’ yajñas, fell by him, and Virādha and Kabandha, gandharvas under a śāpa. Viśvāmitra gave him unfailing astras; at Janaka‘s yajña he lifted the bow of Śiva in play and broke it; and he performed ten aśvamedhas.

While Rāma ruled there was no theft and no widow’s grief; there was no fear from wind, water or fire; elders never performed the last rites of their children; each varṇa kept to its dharma; wives and husbands were true to each other; people lived many thousands of years with thousands of sons, free of disease; Rāma alone was the supporter and protector, and he set devas, ṛshis and humans in harmony on earth.

The gāthā

The knowers of the Purāṇa sing:

  1. Rāma was dusky of body, with red-cornered eyes, a radiant, beaming face, arms reaching to his knees and a gracious countenance, a great hero.
  2. That Rāma ruled the kingdom for ten thousand years.
  3. In his realm the sound of the Ṛg, Yajur and Sāma Vedas and the twang of the bowstring never ceased.
  4. The cry “Give! Eat!” was heard without pause.
  5. Endowed with sattva and every good quality, Rāma shone by his own tejas alone; Rāmacandra outshone the moon and the sun.
  6. He performed a hundred pure kratus with full and excellent dakshiṇā.
  7. Leaving Ayodhyā, the mighty Rāghava went to svarga.
  8. The delight of the Ikshvāku clan, the son of Daśaratha, having slain Rāvaṇa with his host, attained svarga.

The phalaśruti of the account

At the close of the chapter Vyāsa gives the phala of the whole account of the avatāras: by praising this account of Vishṇu, the guru of the whole world, the pitṛs are well pleased; and one who hears it with folded hands, the play of the yoga-māyā of Yogīśvareśvara, is freed from all pāpas and by the grace of Bhagavān Vishṇu quickly gains rich understanding and abundant enjoyments.

Source: Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 213

Sources

  • Brahma Purāṇa, Chapter 213