Guru’s appeal to Lord siva for forgiving the wrong; mollification of the curse; continuation of Kākabhuśuṇḍi’s narrative

Dohas

suni binatī sarbagya siva dēkhi bripra anurāgu.

puni maṃdira nabhabānī bhai dvijabara bara māgu..108ka.. [7-108(A)]

jauṃ prasanna prabhu mō para nātha dīna para nēhu.

nija pada bhagati dēi prabhu puni dūsara bara dēhu..108kha.. [7-108(B)]

tava māyā basa jīva jaḍa saṃtata phirai bhulāna.

tēhi para krōdha na karia prabhu kṛpā siṃdhu bhagavāna..108ga.. [7-108(C)]

saṃkara dīnadayāla aba ēhi para hōhu kṛpāla.

sāpa anugraha hōi jēhiṃ nātha thōrēhīṃ kāla..108gha.. [7-108(D)]

The all-wise Śiva heard the Brāhmaṇa’s prayer and saw his devotion. An ethereal voice issued from the temple again: Ask for a boon, O great Brāhmaṇa.” “If, my lord, you are pleased with me and if, my master, You are affectionate to the meek, first bless me with devotion to Your feet and then grant me another boon. Overcome by Your Māyā (delusive power) the stupid Jīva (individual soul) constantly wanders (from one womb to another) in error. Therefore, O all-merciful Lord, be not angry with him. Now be gracious to this creature, O Śaṅkara, compassionate as You are to the humble, so that Your curse may prove a blessing to him not long afterwards.

Chaupais

ēhi kara hōi parama kalyānā. sōi karahu aba kṛpānidhānā..

bipragirā suni parahita sānī. ēvamastu iti bhai nabhabānī.. [7-108(D)-1]

jadapi kīnha ēhiṃ dāruna pāpā. maiṃ puni dīnha kōpa kari sāpā..

tadapi tumhāra sādhutā dēkhī. karihau ēhi para kṛpā bisēṣī.. [7-108(D)-2]

chamāsīla jē para upakārī. tē dvija mōhi priya jathā kharārī..

mōra śrāpa dvija byartha na jāihi. janma sahasa avasya yaha pāihi.. [7-108(D)-3]

janamata marata dusaha dukha hōī. ahi svalpau nahiṃ byāpihi sōī..

kavanēu janma miṭihi nahiṃ gyānā. sunahi sūdra mama bacana pravānā.. [7-108(D)-4]

raghupati purīṃ janma taba bhayaū. puni taiṃ mama sēvāom mana dayaū..

purī prabhāva anugraha mōrēṃ. rāma bhagati upajihi ura tōrēṃ.. [7-108(D)-5]

sunu mama bacana satya aba bhāī. haritōṣana brata dvija sēvakāī..

aba jani karahi bipra apamānā. jānēhu saṃta anaṃta samānā.. [7-108(D)-6]

iṃdra kulisa mama sūla bisālā. kāladaṃḍa hari cakra karālā..

jō inha kara mārā nahiṃ maraī. bipradrōha pāvaka sō jaraī.. [7-108(D)-7]

asa bibēka rākhēhu mana māhīṃ. tumha kahaom jaga durlabha kachu nāhīṃ..

aurau ēka āsiṣā mōrī. apratihata gati hōihi tōrī.. [7-108(D)-8]

“Now do that which may bring him supreme blessedness, O fountain of mercy !” On hearing the Brāhmaṇa’s words, steeped as they were in charity, the heavenly voice replied : “So be it ! Although he has committed a grievous sin and I in My wrath have pronounced a curse on him, yet, realizing your goodness, I shall do him a special favour. O holy Brāhmaṇa, they who are of a forgiving disposition and beneficent are as dear to Me as Śrī Rāma (the Slayer of the demon Khara) Himself. Nonetheless, O Brāhmaṇa, My curse shall not go in vain : this fellow shall surely pass through a thousand incarnations. But the terrible agony involved in each successive birth and death shall not affect him in the least. (Turning to me, the voice continued :) Hear, O Sμudra, my authentic word : in none of your births shall your awareness (of previous existences) leave you. (In the first place) You were born in the capital of Śrī Rāma (the Lord of the Raghus), and besides that you set your heart on My worship. Due to the miraculous power of the holy city and by My grace, devotion to Śrī Rāma shall spring up in your bosom. Now, brother, hear My solemn declaration: a vow to serve the Brāhmaṇas is the surest means of propitiating Śrī Hari. Insult the Brāhmaṇas no more and reckon a saint to be on a par with the infinite Lord Himself. Even he who does not succumb to the stroke of Indra’s thunderbolt, My own mighty trident, the rod of Death and the terrible discus of Śrī Hari, is consumed by the fire of hostility with the Brāhmaṇas. Treasure up this counsel in your heart, and there will be nothing in this world which may be too difficult for you to attain. I bestow one more blessing on you: you shall have unobstructed access everywhere.”

Dohas

suni siva bacana haraṣi gura ēvamastu iti bhāṣi.

mōhi prabōdhi gayau gṛha saṃbhu carana ura rākhi..109ka.. [7-109(A)]

prērita kāla bidhi giri jāi bhayau maiṃ byāla.

puni prayāsa binu sō tanu jajēu gaēom kachu kāla..109kha.. [7-109(B)]

jōi tanu dharau tajau puni anāyāsa harijāna.

jimi nūtana paṭa pahirai nara pariharai purāna..109ga.. [7-109(C)]

sivaom rākhī śruti nīti aru maiṃ nahiṃ pāvā klēsa.

ēhi bidhi dharēu bibidha tanu gyāna na gayau khagēsa..109gha.. [7-109(D)]

The Guru rejoiced to hear the word of Lord Śiva (as conveyed through the ethereal voice) and cried ‘Amen!’ And after admonishing me he returned home, with the image of Lord Śambhu’s feet impressed upon his heart. Driven by my fate I went to the Vindhya mountains and was (on giving up the ghost) reborn as a serpent and again, when sometime had elapsed, I easily dropped that form. Whatever form I assumed, O mount of Śrī Hari, dropped again with utmost ease, even as a man would cast off worn-out clothes and put on a new set. Lord Śiva vindicated the Vedic law, while I was spared the agony (involved in the rounds of birth and death). In this way, O lord of the winged creatures, I assumed various forms; but my understanding never left me.

Chaupais

trijaga dēva nara jōi tanu dharau. tahaom tahaom rāma bhajana anusaraūom..

ēka sūla mōhi bisara na kāū. gura kara kōmala sīla subhāū.. [7-109(D)-1]

carama dēha dvija kai maiṃ pāī. sura durlabha purāna śruti gāī..

khēlau tahūom bālakanha mīlā. karau sakala raghunāyaka līlā.. [7-109(D)-2]

prauḍha bhaēom mōhi pitā paḍhaāvā. samajhau sunau gunau nahiṃ bhāvā..

mana tē sakala bāsanā bhāgī. kēvala rāma carana laya lāgī.. [7-109(D)-3]

kahu khagēsa asa kavana abhāgī. kharī sēva suradhēnuhi tyāgī..

prēma magana mōhi kachu na sōhāī. hārēu pitā paḍhaāi paḍhaāī.. [7-109(D)-4]

bhaē kālabasa jaba pitu mātā. maiṃ bana gayau bhajana janatrātā..

jahaom jahaom bipina munīsvara pāvau. āśrama jāi jāi siru nāvau.. [7-109(D)-5]

būjhata tinhahi rāma guna gāhā. kahahiṃ sunau haraṣita khaganāhā..

sunata phirau hari guna anubādā. abyāhata gati saṃbhu prasādā.. [7-109(D)-6]

chūṭī tribidha īṣanā gāḍhaī. ēka lālasā ura ati bāḍhaī..

rāma carana bārija jaba dēkhauṃ. taba nija janma saphala kari lēkhauṃ.. [7-109(D)-7]

jēhi pūomchau sōi muni asa kahaī. īsvara sarba bhūtamaya ahaī..

nirguna mata nahiṃ mōhi sōhāī. saguna brahma rati ura adhikāī.. [7-109(D)-8]

Whatever form I assumed, whether of an irrational being, god or man, I continued to adore Śrī Rāma even in that form. Yet one thing ever stung my conscience: my Guru’s mild and amiable disposition I could never forget. The last body I got was that of a Brāhmaṇa, which the Vedas and Purāṇas declare as difficult even for the gods to attain. Even in that incarnation whenever I joined the other boys for play, I would enact all the pastimes of Śrī Rāma (the Lord of the Raghus) alone. As I grew up my father gave me lessons (in secular subjects). I tried to understand things, listened to the lessons and reflected on them; yet they failed to attract my mind. All worldly cravings left my soul; I was solely absorbed in the thought of Śrī Rāma’s feet. Tell me, O lord of the feathered creation: is there anyone so wretched as to give up a cow of plenty and tend a she-ass? Overwhelmed with love I had no charm left for anything and my father was tried of coaching me. When both my father and mother died, I withdrew to the forest in order to worship the Protector of His servants. In the forest wherever I met any great sage I visited his hermitage and bowed my head to him. I would ask them to recount Śrī Rāma’svirtues and listened with delight to what they told me. O lord of the winged creatures ! In this way I went about listening to the recital of Śrī Hari’s praises. By Śambhu’s grace my movements were unchecked everywhere. The three types of ardent seeking (viz., those for progeny, wealth and fame) left me and one solitary longing grew to inordinate proportions in my heart. “I shall deem the object of my birth accomplished only when I behold Śrī Rāma’s lotus-feet,” I said to myself. Every sage I interrogated observed, “God represents the totality of created beings.” But the view which holds God as impersonal did not find favour with me and the love I bore in my heart for the embodied Brahma grew from more to more.