1876.] F. S. Growse— The Prologue of tie Bdmwyana of Tulsi Dds, 15 



Soratha 4. 

 The son of the Wind, of profound intelligence, like a consuming fire in 

 the forest of vice, in whose heart Rama, equipped with bow and arrows, has 

 established his home. 



Chawpdi. 

 The monkey-lord, the king of bears and demons, Angad and all the 

 monkey host, I throw myself at the benign feet of them all, for though 

 contemptible in appearance they yet found Rama. I worship all his faith- 

 ful servants— whether birds, beasts, gods, men, or demons— all his unselfish 

 adherents. I worship Sukadeva, Sanat-Kumara, Narad, and the other sages 

 of excellent renown, putting my head to the ground and crying, ' My lords, be 

 gracious to your servant.' I propitiate the lotus-feet of Janak's daughter, 

 Janaki, mother of the world, best beloved of the fountain of mercy, by 

 whose grace I may attain to unclouded intelligence. Again in heart, in word 

 and deed, I worship the all-worthy feet of Raghunath, the glance of whose 

 lotus eyes like an arrow from the bow rejoices his votaries by destroying all 

 their misfortunes. 



DoM 22. 

 As a word and its meaning are inseparable, and as a wave cannot be 

 distinguished from the water of which it is composed, the difference being 

 only in the name ; so with Rama and Sita, the refuge of the distressed, 

 whom I adore. 



Chcmpdi. 

 I adore the name of Rama as borne by Raghubar,* the source of all 

 light, whether of the fire, or the sun, or the moon ; substance of the triune god • 

 vital breath of the Veda ; the passionless ; the incomparable ; the source of 

 all good ; the great spell muttered by Mahadev and enjoined by him as 

 necessary to salvation even at Kasi. By confessing its power, Ganes ob- 

 tained the first place among the gods ;f by its power, though he muttered it 

 backwards, the great poet Valmiki attained to purity ; by its repetition 

 after she had heard from Siva that it was equal to a thousand names 



* For there are two other Ramas, besides Rama-chandra ; viz. Parasu-rama and 

 Bala-rama. 



f According to the legend : the gods were disputing among themselves as to which 

 of them should he accounted the first. To settle the matter, Brahma proposed that thev 

 all should race round the world. They started accordingly, each on the animal which 

 he most delighted to ride ; and G-anes heing mounted, as was his custom, on nothing 

 better than a rat, was of course soon left far "behind. In his distress the sage Narad 

 appeared to him and suggested that he should write the word Rama in the dust and 

 pace round that, for in it was virtually included all creation. This he did and returned 

 to Brahma who at once awarded him the prize. 



