Chapter Eleven

Character of Rma
|| 9.11.1 ||
r-uka uvca
bhagavn tmantmna
rma uttama-kalpakai
sarva-devamaya devam
je 'thcryavn makhai
ukadeva Gosvm said: The Supreme Lord, Rmacandra,
accepted an crya and performed sacrifices with the best
paraphernalia. Thus he worshiped himself, by himself.
The Eleventh Chapter describes the sacrifices performed by Rma,
his rejection of St, her entrance into the earth, and sending his
brothers to conquer the directions.
He worshipped himself by himself means that he worshipped
himself by sacrifices which were not different from him, since he is
the process and the result of sacrifice.
|| 9.11.2 ||
hotre 'dadd dia prc
brahmae daki prabhu
adhvaryave pratc v
uttar smagya sa
Rmacandra gave the east to the hot priest, the south to
the brahm priest, the west to the adhvaryu priest, and the
north to the udgt priest, the reciter of the Sma Veda.
|| 9.11.3 ||
cryya dadau e
yvat bhs tad-antar
manyamna ida ktsna
brhmao 'rhati nispha
Thereafter, thinking that because brhmaas with no
material desires should possess the whole earth,
Rmacandra delivered the remaining land between the east,
west, north and south to the crya.
He thought that the land between the directions, the remaining
land, should given to the brhmaas, since the whole earth should
go to the brhmaas because they are without desire.
|| 9.11.4 ||

ity aya tad-alakravsobhym avaeita

tath rjy api vaideh
saumagalyvaeit
After thus giving everything in charity to the brhmaas,
Rmacandra retained only his personal garments and
ornaments, and similarly the Queen, mother St, was left
with only her nose ring and nothing else.
Rma gave away all ornaments and clothing except what he was
wearing, whereas St gave away even the ornaments she was
wearing. Only her nose ornament and bracelet remained.
|| 9.11.5 ||
te tu brhmaa-devasya
vtsalya vkya sastutam
prt klinna-dhiyas tasmai
pratyarpyeda babhire
All the brhmaas were very pleased with Rmacandra, who
was greatly affectionate to the brhmaas and worthy of
praise. Thus, with melted hearts they returned all the
property received from him and spoke as follows.
|| 9.11.6 ||
apratta nas tvay ki nu
bhagavan bhuvanevara
yan no 'ntar-hdaya viya
tamo hasi sva-roci
O Lord! Master of the entire universe! What have you not
given to us? Since you have entered the core of our hearts
and dissipated the darkness of our ignorance by your
effulgence, what is the use of the earth to us?
What did you not give? You gave everything. Since you have
entered our hearts, what is the use of the earth to us?
|| 9.11.7 ||
namo brahmaya-devya
rmykuha-medhase
uttamaloka-dhuryya
nyasta-darpitghraye
We offer our respects to you, Rma, the most famous among
the famous, who favor the brhmaas, who possess eternal
intelligence, and who offer your lotus feet to the non-violent
devotees.

Nyasta-darpitghraye means unto the Lord whose feet are

offered to the devotees who have given up violence.
|| 9.11.8 ||
kadcil loka-jijsur
gho rtrym alakita
caran vco 'od rmo
bhrym uddiya kasyacit
Once while Lord Rmacandra was walking at night incognito,
hiding himself by a disguise, to learn the opinion of the
people, he heard a man speaking about his wife, Stdev.
|| 9.11.9 ||
nha bibharmi tv dum
asat para-vema-gm
straio hi bibhyt st
rmo nha bhaje puna
Speaking to his unchaste wife, the man said: You have gone
to another man's house, and therefore you are unchaste and
polluted. I shall not maintain you any more. A henpecked
husband like Lord Rma may accept a wife like St, who
went to another man's house, but I shall not accept you
again.
|| 9.11.10 ||
iti lokd bahu-mukhd
durrdhyd asavida
paty bhtena s tyakt
prpt prcetasramam
Fearing ignorant men who gossip and are difficult to control,
Rmacandra abandoned St, who then went to the
hermitage of Vlmki.
Asavisa means ignorant persons. Prcetasa is Vlmki.
|| 9.11.11 ||
antarvatny gate kle
yamau s suuve sutau
kuo lava iti khytau
tayo cakre kriy muni
When the time came, the pregnant St gave birth to twin
sons, later celebrated as Lava and Kua. The ritualistic
ceremonies for their birth were performed by Vlmki.

Antarvatn means pregnant.

|| 9.11.12 ||
agada citraketu ca
lakmaasytmajau smtau
taka pukala ity st
bharatasya mahpate
O King! Lakmaa had two sons, named Agada and
Citraketu, and Bharata also had two sons, named Taka and
Pukala.
|| 9.11.13-14 ||
subhu rutasena ca
atrughnasya babhvatu
gandharvn koio jaghne
bharato vijaye dim
tadya dhanam nya
sarva rje nyavedayat
atrughna ca madho putra
lavaa nma rkasam
hatv madhuvane cakre
mathur nma vai purm
atrughna had two sons, named Subhu and rutasena.
When Lord Bharata went to conquer all directions, he had to
kill millions of Gandharvas. Taking all their wealth, he
offered it to Rmacandra. atrughna killed a Rkasa named
Lavaa, who was the son of Madhu Rkasa. Thus he
established in the great forest known as Madhuvana the
town known as Mathur.
|| 9.11.15 ||
munau nikipya tanayau
st bhartr vivsit
dhyyant rma-caraau
vivara pravivea ha
Being forsaken by her husband, St entrusted her two sons
to the care of Vlmki. Then, meditating upon the lotus feet
of Rmacandra, she entered into the earth.
Unable to bear the pain of separation from her husband she entered
a hole in the earth.
|| 9.11.16 ||
tac chrutv bhagavn rmo
rundhann api dhiy uca
smaras tasy gus ts tn

naknod roddhum vara

After hearing the news of mother St's entering the earth,
the Supreme Lord Rma, though capable of checking his
grief by intelligence, on remembering her good qualities, he
could not do so, though he was the Lord.
Though Rma was the Supreme Lord, he could not check his grief,
since his nature is to be controlled by prema.
|| 9.11.17 ||
str-pu-prasaga etdk
sarvatra trsam-vaha
apvar kim uta
grmyasya gha-cetasa
Such attraction between man and woman is a cause of
sasra even for Brahm and others in this life and the next.
What to speak of the common people who are attached to
their houses?
Others, attached to lust, remember women and sink in sasra.
Irregular sandhi in str-pu-prasaga is poetic license. This
attachment exists even for Brahm and others, producing sasra
(trsam) in this world and the next (sarvatra) since it is material and
arises from lust. Trsam-vaha should also be in the genitive case.
This is indicated by the word etdk: it appears to be the case of
Rma and St also. There is an appearance of material association
in their relationship but it is not factual, since their relationship is
spiritual and arises from prema. Therefore this statement applies to
the devats but not to the Lord.
|| 9.11.18 ||
tata rdhva brahmacarya
dhryann ajuhot prabhu
trayodabda-shasram
agnihotram akhaitam
After mother St entered the earth, Rmacandra observed
complete celibacy and performed an uninterrupted sacrifice
for thirteen thousand years.
Then Rma along with the inhabitants of Ayodhy, performed his
disappearance pastime.
|| 9.11.19 ||
smarat hdi vinyasya
viddha daaka-kaakai

sva-pda-pallava rma
tma-jyotir agt tata
Rmacandra, whose lotus feet were sometimes pierced by
thorns when he lived in Daakraya, placed those lotus
feet in the hearts of those who thought of him. Then he
entered his own abode.
He places his feet pierced by the thorns in the hearts of devotees
not situated in Ayodhy. Let them faint, being pierced by
thousands of thorns in their hearts. Thus it seems Rma did not
have compassion for them. This is an example of vyja-stuti:
criticism meant as praise. He attained his own spiritual abode,
beyond the material ream, where there is his own light not that of
mya.
|| 9.11.20 ||
neda yao raghupate sura-ycayttall-tanor adhika-smya-vimukta-dhmna
rako-vadho jaladhi-bandhanam astra-pgai
ki tasya atru-hanane kapaya sahy
Rmacandra's reputation for having killed Rvaa with
showers of arrows at the request of the devats and for
having built a bridge over the ocean does not constitute the
factual glory of Rma, whose spiritual body is always
engaged in various pastimes and who has no equal or
superior. He had no need to take help from the monkeys to
gain victory over Rvaa.
One should taste the astonishing sweetness in his human pastimes,
not his display of power. tta-ll-tano means Rma has an
eternal form for his pastimes. tta means completely obtained.
Killing Rvaa is not to be praised since Rma has power (dhmna)
with no equal or superior. What is the use of monkeys helping him?
Everything becomes suitable because Rma possesses sweetness in
his human pastimes.
|| 9.11.21 ||
yasymala npa-sadasu yao 'dhunpi
gyanty agha-ghnam ayo dig-ibhendra-paam
ta nkapla-vasupla-kira-juapdmbuja raghupati araa prapadye
In the assembly of kings, even today, the sages glorify
Rmas spotless fame, which destroys all sin and which
spreads in all directions. I surrender to Rma, whose lotus
feet are served by the crowns of the devats and earthly
kings.

This verse describes the excellence of Rma for a surrendering

person. Sages like Mrkaeya glorify his spotless fame in the
assembly of kings like Yudhihira even today. Paa means
reaching. Thus his fame reaches in all directions. His feet are
served by the crowns of the devats and earthly kings (vasupla).
Another version has juam and raghupate.
|| 9.11.22 ||
sa yai spo 'bhido v
savio 'nugato 'pi v
kosals te yayu sthna
yatra gacchanti yogina
The inhabitants of Kosala, who touched, saw, sat together
with Rma in friendship, and followed after Rma, went to
Vaikuha where the devotees go.
Savia means sitting or lying together out of friendship. The
inhabitants of Kosala attained Vaikuha, where the bhakti-yogs
go.
|| 9.11.23 ||
puruo rma-carita
ravaair upadhrayan
nasya-paro rjan
karma-bandhair vimucyate
O King! Anyone who hears with the ears the narrations
concerning the characteristics of Rmacandra's pastimes
will be freed from envy and be liberated from the bondage
of karma.
masya-para means without cruelty, without envy.
|| 9.11.24 ||
r-rjovca
katha sa bhagavn rmo
bhrtn v svayam tmana
tasmin v te 'nvavartanta
praj paur ca vare
Mahrja Parkit said: How did the Lord conduct himself,
and how did he behave in relationship with his brothers,
who were expansions of his own self? And how did his
brothers and the inhabitants of Ayodhy treat him?

How did he act with his own brothers? How did he act? How did his
brothers and the citizens act towards him? There are three
questions.
|| 9.11.25 ||
r-bdaryair uvca
athdiad dig-vijaye
bhrts tri-bhuvanevara
tmna darayan svn
purm aikata snuga
ukadeva Gosvm said Rmacandra, lord of the three
worlds, ordered his younger brothers to go out and conquer
the entire world, while he personally remained in the capital
to give audience to all the citizens and supervise the city
with his other assistants.
He ordered his brothers to conquer the world. His brothers gave up
his personal association and followed his order. That was their
conduct towards him. Rma out of affection to his brothers gave
them dominion over those lands. That was his conduct towards
them. His conduct towards his relatives and the citizens was letting
them see him directly and glancing on them with mercy. He
supervised the city. That was his own conduct.
|| 9.11.26 ||
sikta-mrg gandhodai
kari mada-karai
svmina prptam lokya
matt v sutarm iva
When the citizens saw the Lord personally on the streets of
Ayodhy which were sprinkled with perfumed water and
juice from rutting elephants, they thought that the land had
become perfect.
This describes the city that Rma inspected. Sutarm mattm iva
means everything is perfect. Va indicates a conjecture. Another
version has vsitagm iva: the land was flourishing like a cow in
heat.
|| 9.11.27 ||
prsda-gopura-sabhcaitya-deva-ghdiu
vinyasta-hema-kalaai
patkbhi ca maitm
The place was decorated with golden pots and flags placed
in the palaces, the palace gates, the assembly houses, the

platforms for meeting places, the temples and all such

places.
|| 9.11.28 ||
pgai savntai rambhbhi
paikbhi suvsasm
darair aukai sragbhi
kta-kautuka-toram
The city was decorated with excellent cloth and with betel
nut trees and banana trees with fruits, and it had gates
covered with cloth, mirrors and garlands.
|| 9.11.29 ||
tam upeyus tatra tatra
paur arhaa-paya
io yuyujur deva
phm prk tvayoddhtm
Wherever Rmacandra visited, the people approached him
with paraphernalia of worship and gave the Lord blessings.
"O Lord! As you rescued the earth from the bottom of the
sea in your incarnation as a boar, may you now maintain it."
This verse describes the conduct of the citizens to Rma. In the
form of Varha, previously you delivered the earth.
|| 9.11.30 ||
tata praj vkya pati cirgata
didkayotsa-gh striyo nar
ruhya harmyy aravinda-locanam
atpta-netr kusumair avkiran
Not having seen the Lord for a long time, the citizens, both
men and women, eager to see him, left their homes and got
up on the roofs of the palaces. Being incompletely satiated
with seeing the face of the lotus-eyed Rmacandra, they
showered flowers upon him.
|| 9.11.31-34 ||
atha pravia sva-gha
jua svai prva-rjabhi
anantkhila-kohyam
anarghyoruparicchadam
vidrumodumbara-dvrair
vaidrya-stambha-paktibhi
sthalair mrakatai svacchair
bhrjat-sphaika-bhittibhi

citra-sragbhi paikbhir
vso-mai-gaukai
mukt-phalai cid-ullsai
knta-kmopapattibhi
dhpa-dpai surabhibhir
maita pupa-maanai
str-pumbhi sura-sakair
jua bhaa-bhaai
Thereafter, Lord Rmacandra entered the palace used by his
forefathers, furnished with various treasures and furniture,
with coral thresholds, rows of cats eye columns, walls of
emerald and clear, sparkling crystal, colorful garlands, flags,
bright with the rays emanating from gems and cloth, with
pearls, lamps and fragrant incense, and celestial men and
women decorated with flowers, whose bodies glorified their
ornaments, all of which fulfilled ones desires, since they
were spiritual.
How did Rma conduct himself? The answer is now repeated, but
described in detail. The palace had doors with thresholds made of
coral. All the phrases are connected with the word decorated in
verse 34. It was bright with the rays from the cloth and jewels. All
the objects fulfilled all ones desires since they were spiritual (citullsai). Cit-ullsai modifies all objects in the list.
|| 9.11.35 ||
tasmin sa bhagavn rma
snigdhay priyayeay
reme svrma-dhrm
abha stay kila
Rmacandra, the Supreme Lord, chief of self-controlled,
resided in that palace with his dear, pleasing wife St.
|| 9.11.36 ||
bubhuje ca yath-kla
kmn dharmam apayan
vara-pgn bahn nm
abhidhytghri-pallava
Without transgressing the religious principles, Rmacandra,
whose lotus feet are worshiped by devotees in meditation,
enjoyed desired objects as long as he wanted.
Nm means by men.

Thus ends the commentary on the Eleventh Chapter of the Ninth

Canto of the Bhgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in
accordance with the previous cryas.