Brahma's Hymn: The Revelation of Rama's Divinity

Shloka 1 (yuddha.117.1)

ततो हि दुर्मना रामः श्रुत्वैवम् वदतां गिरः | दध्यौ मुहूर्तं धर्मात्मा बाष्पव्याकुललोचनः ॥ 117.1 ॥

tato hi durmanā rāmaḥ śrutvaivam vadatāṃ giraḥ | dadhyau muhūrtaṃ dharmātmā bāṣpavyākulalocanaḥ || 117.1 ||

Then Rama, righteous-souled, hearing the cries of those who wailed thus, fell into thought for a moment, his eyes brimming with tears.

Shloka 2 (yuddha.117.2)

ततो वैश्रवणो राजा यमश्च पितृभिः सह | सहस्राक्षश्च देवेशो वरुणश्च जलेश्वरः ॥ 117.2 ॥

tato vaiśravaṇo rājā yamaśca pitṛbhiḥ saha | sahasrākṣaśca deveśo varuṇaśca jaleśvaraḥ || 117.2 ||

Then King Vaishravana, and Yama together with the ancestral spirits, and thousand-eyed Indra, lord of the gods, and Varuna, lord of the waters —

Shloka 3 (yuddha.117.3)

षडर्धनयनः श्रीमान् महादेवो वृषध्वजः | कर्ता सर्वस्य लोकस्य ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविदां वरः ॥ 117.3 ॥

ṣaḍardhanayanaḥ śrīmān mahādevo vṛṣadhvajaḥ | kartā sarvasya lokasya brahmā brahmavidāṃ varaḥ || 117.3 ||

and the glorious three-eyed Mahadeva, bearer of the bull-banner, and Brahma, maker of all worlds, foremost among the knowers of Brahman —

Shloka 4 (yuddha.117.4)

एते सर्वे समागम्य विमानैः सूर्यसंनिभैः | आगम्य नगरीं लङ्कामभिजग्मुश्च राघवम् ॥ 117.4 ॥

ete sarve samāgamya vimānaiḥ sūryasaṃnibhaiḥ | āgamya nagarīṃ laṅkāmabhijagmuśca rāghavam || 117.4 ||

all these together, arriving in aerial cars radiant as the sun, came to the city of Lanka and approached Raghava.

Shloka 5 (yuddha.117.5)

ततः सहस्ताभरणान् प्रगृह्य विपुलान् भुजान् | अब्रुवंस्त्रिदशश्रेष्ठा राघवं प्राञ्जलिं स्थितम् ॥ 117.5 ॥

tataḥ sahastābharaṇān pragṛhya vipulān bhujān | abruvaṃstridaśaśreṣṭhā rāghavaṃ prāñjaliṃ sthitam || 117.5 ||

Then, raising their broad, ornament-laden arms, those foremost of the gods spoke to Raghava, who stood there with joined palms —

Shloka 6 (yuddha.117.6)

कर्ता सर्वस्य लोकस्य श्रेष्ठो ज्ञानवतां प्रभुः | उपेक्षसे कथं सीतां पतन्तीं हव्यवाहने | कथं देवगणश्रेष्ठमात्मानं नावबुद्ध्यसे ॥ 117.6 ॥

kartā sarvasya lokasya śreṣṭho jñānavatāṃ prabhuḥ | upekṣase kathaṃ sītāṃ patantīṃ havyavāhane | kathaṃ devagaṇaśreṣṭhamātmānaṃ nāvabuddhyase || 117.6 ||

"O maker of the entire world, foremost lord among the wise — why do you disregard Sita as she falls into the fire? Why, O foremost among the host of gods, do you not recognize yourself?

Shloka 7 (yuddha.117.7)

ऋतधामा वसुः पूर्वं वसूनां च प्रजापतिः | त्रयाणामपि लोकानामादिकर्ता स्वयं प्रभुः ॥ 117.7 ॥

ṛtadhāmā vasuḥ pūrvaṃ vasūnāṃ ca prajāpatiḥ | trayāṇāmapi lokānāmādikartā svayaṃ prabhuḥ || 117.7 ||

In ages past you were Rtadhaman among the Vasus, lord of the Vasus, and the self-existent, primal creator of all three worlds.

Shloka 8 (yuddha.117.8)

रुद्राणामष्टमो रुद्रः साध्यानामपि पञ्चमः | अश्विनौ चापि कर्णौ ते सूर्याचन्द्रामसौ दृशौ ॥ 117.8 ॥

rudrāṇāmaṣṭamo rudraḥ sādhyānāmapi pañcamaḥ | aśvinau cāpi karṇau te sūryācandrāmasau dṛśau || 117.8 ||

You are the eighth among the eleven Rudras, and the fifth among the Sadhyas; the Ashvin twins are your ears, and the sun and moon are your two eyes.

Shloka 9 (yuddha.117.9)

अन्ते चादौ च लोकानां दृश्यसे च परंतप | उपेक्षसे च वैदेहीं मानुषः प्राकृतो यथा ॥ 117.9 ॥

ante cādau ca lokānāṃ dṛśyase ca paraṃtapa | upekṣase ca vaidehīṃ mānuṣaḥ prākṛto yathā || 117.9 ||

You, O scorcher of foes, are seen at the beginning and at the end of all creation — yet like a common mortal you disregard Vaidehi.

Shloka 10 (yuddha.117.10)

इत्युक्तो लोकपालैस्तैः स्वामी लोकस्य राघवः | अब्रवित्त्रिदशश्रेष्ठान् रामो धर्मभृतां वरः ॥ 117.10 ॥

ityukto lokapālaistaiḥ svāmī lokasya rāghavaḥ | abravittridaśaśreṣṭhān rāmo dharmabhṛtāṃ varaḥ || 117.10 ||

Thus addressed by those guardians of the worlds, Raghava, lord of the world and foremost of the upholders of dharma, spoke to those foremost of gods —

Shloka 11 (yuddha.117.11)

आत्मानं मानुषं मन्ये रामं दशरथात्मजम् | सोऽहं यस्य यतश्चाहं भगवंस्तद्ब्रवीतु मे ॥ 117.11 ॥

ātmānaṃ mānuṣaṃ manye rāmaṃ daśarathātmajam | so'haṃ yasya yataścāhaṃ bhagavaṃstadbravītu me || 117.11 ||

"I consider myself only a man — Rama, son of Dasharatha. O Lord, tell me truly who I am, and from whom I have come."

Shloka 12 (yuddha.117.12)

इति ब्रुवाणं काकुत्थ्सं ब्रह्मा ब्रह्मविदां वरः | अब्रवीच्छृणु मे वाक्यं सत्यं सत्यपराक्रम ॥ 117.12 ॥

iti bruvāṇaṃ kākutthsaṃ brahmā brahmavidāṃ varaḥ | abravīcchṛṇu me vākyaṃ satyaṃ satyaparākrama || 117.12 ||

To Kakutstha speaking thus, Brahma, foremost among the knowers of Brahman, replied: "Hear my true words, O you of true valour!

Shloka 13 (yuddha.117.13)

भवान्नारायणो देवः श्रीमांश्चक्रायुधः प्रभुः | एकशृङ्गो वराहस्त्वं भूतभव्यसपत्नजित् ॥ 117.13 ॥

bhavānnārāyaṇo devaḥ śrīmāṃścakrāyudhaḥ prabhuḥ | ekaśṛṅgo varāhastvaṃ bhūtabhavyasapatnajit || 117.13 ||

You yourself are the glorious Lord Narayana, wielder of the discus; you are the single-tusked Boar, conqueror of foes past and future.

Shloka 14 (yuddha.117.14)

अक्षरं ब्रह्म सत्यं च मध्ये चान्ते च राघव | लोकानां त्वं परो धर्मो विष्वक्सेनश्चतुर्भुजः ॥ 117.14 ॥

akṣaraṃ brahma satyaṃ ca madhye cānte ca rāghava | lokānāṃ tvaṃ paro dharmo viṣvaksenaścaturbhujaḥ || 117.14 ||

You, O Raghava, are the imperishable Brahman, the Truth in the beginning, the middle, and the end; you are the supreme dharma of all worlds, the four-armed Vishvaksena.

Shloka 15 (yuddha.117.15)

शार्ङ्गधन्वा हृषीकेशः पुरुषः पुरुषोत्तमः | अजितः खड्गधृग्विष्णुः कृष्णश्चैव महाबलः ॥ 117.15 ॥

śārṅgadhanvā hṛṣīkeśaḥ puruṣaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | ajitaḥ khaḍgadhṛgviṣṇuḥ kṛṣṇaścaiva mahābalaḥ || 117.15 ||

You are the wielder of the Sharnga bow, Hrishikesha, the Cosmic Person, the Supreme Person; you are unconquerable, sword-bearing Vishnu, and mighty Krishna.

Shloka 16 (yuddha.117.16)

सेनानीर्ग्रामणीश्च त्वं बुद्धिस्त्वं क्षमा दमः | प्रभवश्चाप्ययश्च त्वमुपेन्द्रो मधुसूदनः ॥ 117.16 ॥

senānīrgrāmaṇīśca tvaṃ buddhistvaṃ kṣamā damaḥ | prabhavaścāpyayaśca tvamupendro madhusūdanaḥ || 117.16 ||

You are the army's general and the village-headman; you are intellect itself; you are patience and self-restraint; you are origin and dissolution, Upendra, and the slayer of Madhu.

Shloka 17 (yuddha.117.17)

इन्द्रकर्मा महेन्द्रस्त्वं पद्मनाभो रणान्तकृत् | शरण्यं शरणम् च त्वामहुर्दिव्या महर्षयः ॥ 117.17 ॥

indrakarmā mahendrastvaṃ padmanābho raṇāntakṛt | śaraṇyaṃ śaraṇam ca tvāmahurdivyā maharṣayaḥ || 117.17 ||

You perform Indra's deeds and are Mahendra himself, lotus-navelled, the ender of battles; the divine great seers proclaim you the refuge and shelter of all.

Shloka 18 (yuddha.117.18)

सहस्रशृङ्गो वेदात्मा शतशीर्षो महर्षभः ॥ 117.18 ॥

sahasraśṛṅgo vedātmā śataśīrṣo maharṣabhaḥ || 117.18 ||

You are thousand-horned, the very embodiment of the Vedas, hundred-headed, the great Bull.

Shloka 19 (yuddha.117.19)

त्वं त्रयाणां हि लोकानामादिकर्ता स्वयंप्रभुः | सिद्धानामपि साध्यानामाश्रयश्चासि पूर्वजः ॥ 117.19 ॥

tvaṃ trayāṇāṃ hi lokānāmādikartā svayaṃprabhuḥ | siddhānāmapi sādhyānāmāśrayaścāsi pūrvajaḥ || 117.19 ||

You are the self-existent, primal creator of the three worlds; you are the refuge and forebear even of the Siddhas and the Sadhyas.

Shloka 20 (yuddha.117.20)

त्वं यज्ञ्स्त्वं वषट्कारस्त्वमोंकारः परात्परः | प्रभवं निधनं वा ते नो विदुः को भवानिति ॥ 117.20 ॥

tvaṃ yajñstvaṃ vaṣaṭkārastvamoṃkāraḥ parātparaḥ | prabhavaṃ nidhanaṃ vā te no viduḥ ko bhavāniti || 117.20 ||

You are the sacrifice itself, you are the sacred exclamation Vashat, you are the syllable Om, higher than the highest; none know your origin or your end, nor who you truly are.

Shloka 21 (yuddha.117.21)

दृश्यसे सर्वभूतेषु गोषु च ब्राह्मणेषु च | दिक्षु सर्वासु गगने पर्वतेषु नदीषु च ॥ 117.21 ॥

dṛśyase sarvabhūteṣu goṣu ca brāhmaṇeṣu ca | dikṣu sarvāsu gagane parvateṣu nadīṣu ca || 117.21 ||

You are seen in all beings, in cattle and in brahmins; you are present in every direction, in the sky, in the mountains, and in the rivers.

Shloka 22 (yuddha.117.22)

सहस्रचरणः श्रीमान् शतशीर्षः सहस्रदृक् | त्वं धारयसि भूतानि पृथिवीं च सपर्वताम् ॥ 117.22 ॥

sahasracaraṇaḥ śrīmān śataśīrṣaḥ sahasradṛk | tvaṃ dhārayasi bhūtāni pṛthivīṃ ca saparvatām || 117.22 ||

Thousand-footed, glorious, hundred-headed, thousand-eyed, you alone sustain all beings and this earth together with its mountains.

Shloka 23 (yuddha.117.23)

अन्ते पृथिव्याः सलिले दृश्यसे त्वं महोरगः | त्रीन् लोकान् धारयन् राम देवगन्धर्वदानवान् ॥ 117.23 ॥

ante pṛthivyāḥ salile dṛśyase tvaṃ mahoragaḥ | trīn lokān dhārayan rāma devagandharvadānavān || 117.23 ||

O Rama, at the very base of the earth, in the waters, you are seen as the great serpent, upholding the three worlds with their gods, gandharvas, and danavas.

Shloka 24 (yuddha.117.24)

अहं ते हृदयं राम जिह्वा देवी सरस्वती | देवा रोमाणि गात्रेषु ब्रह्मणा निर्मिताः प्रभो ॥ 117.24 ॥

ahaṃ te hṛdayaṃ rāma jihvā devī sarasvatī | devā romāṇi gātreṣu brahmaṇā nirmitāḥ prabho || 117.24 ||

I am your heart, O Rama; the goddess Sarasvati is your tongue; O lord, the gods fashioned by Brahma exist upon your limbs as the very hairs of your body.

Shloka 25 (yuddha.117.25)

निमेषस्ते स्मृता रात्रिरुन्मेषो दिवसस्तथा | संस्कारास्त्वभवन्वेदा नैतदस्ति त्वया विना ॥ 117.25 ॥

nimeṣaste smṛtā rātrirunmeṣo divasastathā | saṃskārāstvabhavanvedā naitadasti tvayā vinā || 117.25 ||

The closing of your eyes is remembered as night, and their opening as day; the Vedas became your sacred rites — without you, none of this exists.

Shloka 26 (yuddha.117.26)

जगत्सर्वं शरीरं ते स्थैर्यं ते वसुधातलम् | अग्निः कोपः प्रसादस्ते सोमः श्रीवत्सलक्षणः ॥ 117.26 ॥

jagatsarvaṃ śarīraṃ te sthairyaṃ te vasudhātalam | agniḥ kopaḥ prasādaste somaḥ śrīvatsalakṣaṇaḥ || 117.26 ||

The whole universe is your body; the earth is your steadfastness; fire is your wrath; the moon, marked with the Shrivatsa sign, is your grace.

Shloka 27 (yuddha.117.27)

त्वया लोकास्त्रयः क्रान्ताः पुरा स्वैर्विक्रमैस्त्रिभिः | महेन्द्रश्च कृतो राजा बलिं बद्ध्वा सुदारुणम् ॥ 117.27 ॥

tvayā lokāstrayaḥ krāntāḥ purā svairvikramaistribhiḥ | mahendraśca kṛto rājā baliṃ baddhvā sudāruṇam || 117.27 ||

In ages past, you alone traversed the three worlds with your own three strides of might, and having bound the fearsome Bali, made Indra king.

Shloka 28 (yuddha.117.28)

सीता लक्ष्मीर्भवान् विष्णुर्देवः कृष्णः प्रजापतिः | वधार्थं रावणस्येह प्रविष्टो मानुषीं तनुम् ॥ 117.28 ॥

sītā lakṣmīrbhavān viṣṇurdevaḥ kṛṣṇaḥ prajāpatiḥ | vadhārthaṃ rāvaṇasyeha praviṣṭo mānuṣīṃ tanum || 117.28 ||

Sita is Lakshmi herself, and you are Vishnu; the divine Krishna, lord of creatures, has entered a human body here for the sole purpose of destroying Ravana.

Shloka 29 (yuddha.117.29)

तदिदं नस्त्वया कार्यं कृतं धर्मभृतां वर | निहतो रावणो राम प्रहृष्टो दिवमाक्रम ॥ 117.29 ॥

tadidaṃ nastvayā kāryaṃ kṛtaṃ dharmabhṛtāṃ vara | nihato rāvaṇo rāma prahṛṣṭo divamākrama || 117.29 ||

O best among the upholders of dharma, this task of ours has now been fulfilled by you; Ravana lies slain, O Rama — rejoicing, now ascend to your divine abode.

Shloka 30 (yuddha.117.30)

अमोघं देव वीर्यं ते न ते मोघाः पराक्रमाः | अमोघं दर्शनं राम अमोघस्तव संस्तवः ॥ 117.30 ॥

amoghaṃ deva vīryaṃ te na te moghāḥ parākramāḥ | amoghaṃ darśanaṃ rāma amoghastava saṃstavaḥ || 117.30 ||

O god, your valour is unfailing; your exploits are never in vain; O Rama, unfailing is the sight of you, and unfailing too is praise offered to you.

Shloka 31 (yuddha.117.31)

अमोघास्ते भविष्यन्ति भक्तिमन्तो नरा भुवि ॥ 117.31 ॥

amoghāste bhaviṣyanti bhaktimanto narā bhuvi || 117.31 ||

Those men on this earth who hold devotion to you shall never be without fruit,

Shloka 32 (yuddha.117.32)

ये त्वां देवम् ध्रुवं भक्ताः पुराणं पुरुषोत्तमम् | प्राप्नुवन्ति सदा कामानिह लोके पात्र च ॥ 117.32 ॥

ye tvāṃ devam dhruvaṃ bhaktāḥ purāṇaṃ puruṣottamam | prāpnuvanti sadā kāmāniha loke pātra ca || 117.32 ||

those who remain ever devoted to you as the eternal, ancient Supreme Person always attain their desires, both in this world and in the next.

Shloka 33 (yuddha.117.33)

इममार्षम् स्तवं दिव्यमितिहासं पुरातनम् | ये नराः कीर्तयिष्यन्ति नास्ति तेषां पराभवः ॥ 117.33 ॥

imamārṣam stavaṃ divyamitihāsaṃ purātanam | ye narāḥ kīrtayiṣyanti nāsti teṣāṃ parābhavaḥ || 117.33 ||

Those men who shall recite this divine, ancient hymn-history, uttered by the seers, shall never know defeat."