In the Ram Charit Maanas, Tulsidas composes a set of introductory verses. These verses are at the start of each "kaanda". They are in Sanskrit, unlike the main-body of the text, which is of course in Avadhi, a dialect close to Hindi.
Our focus is mainly on these Sanskrit verses. The verses don't exactly talk about the content of the kaanda following these verses. They are essentially free-style- with the verses dedicated to Gods like Shiva, Saraswati, Ganesha and others.
One such verse talks about Lord Shiva in the Ram Charit Maanas. It says:
vande bodhamayam nityam gurum shankara rupinam
yam aashritohi vakropi chandra sarvatra vandyatey
It says...I bow down to my guru, who is saakshaat Lord Shankara Himself. And what is His nature? He is bodhamayam- of the nature of "consciousness", He is nitya, eternal. And what is the specialty of Lord Shankara? Tulsidas says- Shankara is so great that even if something is "defective", when it becomes associated with Him, the defect itself becomes an ornament! As an example, Tulsidas takes the moon. The poet says- the moon is vakra, crooked. Typically, the cresent moon adorns Shiva's head, as opposed to a full-moon. The "vakratvam" can be attributed to the crescent-nature of the moon, to the waning of the moon and to a moon which is pocked with craters! Such a moon, with so many obvious defects, Tulsidas says, becomes an object of admiration (sarvatra vandyatey) because of its association with the Lord.
We are reminded of a few aside points that the poet must have kept in mind. We have the expression- "manaso devata chandramaa" -that is, the presiding deity of the "mind" is the "moon". Between the lunar-moon and the lunatic-mind, there is a connection! That being the case, the moon in this verse, can very well be taken as our mind. And how is our mind? Vakra! Crooked! In fact, we use expressions like "vakra buddhi" and "kurukku-buddhi (in Tamil) for the crooked mind.
Essentially, what Tulsidas wants to say is- our crooked mind, when it is dedicated to Shiva (yam aashrito hi), even this mind, with its innate defects, will have an added glory, an added vibhuti and will become an object of admiration (sarvatra vandyatey)!
Interestingly, Tulsidas uses the expression "vakropi" (vakra api)...."even though crooked" in the above verse. It reminds us of other texts. The Shiva Mahimna Stotra is a popular text especially in North India. It is composed by Pushpadanta and predates Tulsidas by several centuries. In that text, we come across a similar phrase "vikaaropi" (vikaara api), "even though defective/unsightly/ugly". This expression is used in one of the verses (verse 14) which describes Lord Shiva's glory as follows- Shiva's throat was discolored upon swallowing the haalaa-hala poison. But the beauty is, even the discoloration has become an ornament for him- "vikaaropi shlaaghya", Pushpadanta says.
It is not coincidental that Tulsidas uses "vakropi" and Pushpadanta has used "vikaaropi"- both so similar in sound and meaning. It is evident that between these two verses, across texts, there is a consistency in theme. Tulsidas wants us to do the homework and connect the dots between these two verses, by leaving this suggestion in his verse.
It's as if- any defect, whether natural (as in Shiva's throat) or adorned (as in the defective moon on His head), the mere association, converts even defects into an ornament! That is His glory, His mahima!
Our focus is mainly on these Sanskrit verses. The verses don't exactly talk about the content of the kaanda following these verses. They are essentially free-style- with the verses dedicated to Gods like Shiva, Saraswati, Ganesha and others.
One such verse talks about Lord Shiva in the Ram Charit Maanas. It says:
vande bodhamayam nityam gurum shankara rupinam
yam aashritohi vakropi chandra sarvatra vandyatey
It says...I bow down to my guru, who is saakshaat Lord Shankara Himself. And what is His nature? He is bodhamayam- of the nature of "consciousness", He is nitya, eternal. And what is the specialty of Lord Shankara? Tulsidas says- Shankara is so great that even if something is "defective", when it becomes associated with Him, the defect itself becomes an ornament! As an example, Tulsidas takes the moon. The poet says- the moon is vakra, crooked. Typically, the cresent moon adorns Shiva's head, as opposed to a full-moon. The "vakratvam" can be attributed to the crescent-nature of the moon, to the waning of the moon and to a moon which is pocked with craters! Such a moon, with so many obvious defects, Tulsidas says, becomes an object of admiration (sarvatra vandyatey) because of its association with the Lord.
We are reminded of a few aside points that the poet must have kept in mind. We have the expression- "manaso devata chandramaa" -that is, the presiding deity of the "mind" is the "moon". Between the lunar-moon and the lunatic-mind, there is a connection! That being the case, the moon in this verse, can very well be taken as our mind. And how is our mind? Vakra! Crooked! In fact, we use expressions like "vakra buddhi" and "kurukku-buddhi (in Tamil) for the crooked mind.
Essentially, what Tulsidas wants to say is- our crooked mind, when it is dedicated to Shiva (yam aashrito hi), even this mind, with its innate defects, will have an added glory, an added vibhuti and will become an object of admiration (sarvatra vandyatey)!
Interestingly, Tulsidas uses the expression "vakropi" (vakra api)...."even though crooked" in the above verse. It reminds us of other texts. The Shiva Mahimna Stotra is a popular text especially in North India. It is composed by Pushpadanta and predates Tulsidas by several centuries. In that text, we come across a similar phrase "vikaaropi" (vikaara api), "even though defective/unsightly/ugly". This expression is used in one of the verses (verse 14) which describes Lord Shiva's glory as follows- Shiva's throat was discolored upon swallowing the haalaa-hala poison. But the beauty is, even the discoloration has become an ornament for him- "vikaaropi shlaaghya", Pushpadanta says.
It is not coincidental that Tulsidas uses "vakropi" and Pushpadanta has used "vikaaropi"- both so similar in sound and meaning. It is evident that between these two verses, across texts, there is a consistency in theme. Tulsidas wants us to do the homework and connect the dots between these two verses, by leaving this suggestion in his verse.
It's as if- any defect, whether natural (as in Shiva's throat) or adorned (as in the defective moon on His head), the mere association, converts even defects into an ornament! That is His glory, His mahima!
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