1876.] F. S. Growse— The Prologue to the Bamayana of Tulsi Das. 17 



The mystery of name and form is unspeakable and cannot be told, but 

 delightful to those who have intuition of it ; the name acting as a witness 

 between the material and immaterial forms of the deity, and being a guide 

 and interpreter to both. 



Doha 25, 

 Place the name of Rama as a jewelled lamp at the door of your lips 

 and there will be light, as you will, both inside and out. 



Ghcmp&L 



As his tongue repeats this name, the ascetic wakes to life, his thoughts 

 free from passion and all detached from the world ; he enjoys the incom- 

 parable felicity of God, who is unspeakable, unblemished, without either 

 name or form. Those who would understand mysteries, by repeating this 

 name understand them ; the religious, who repeat this name absorbed in 

 contemplation, become workers of miracles,^ and acquire the power of ren- 

 dering themselves invisible and the like ; those who repeat it when burden- 

 ed with affliction are freed from their troubles and become happy. Thus 

 there are in the world four kinds of Rama-worshippers, all four good, holy 

 and beneficent ; but of these four sages who trust in the name they are the 

 most dear to the Lord who understand his mysteries. His name is great 

 in the four Vedas and in the four ages of the world, but in this fourth age 

 especially there is no other hope. 



Doha 2GL 

 All free from sensual passions and absorbed in devout affection to 

 Kama, the soul disports itself like a fish in the ambrosial lake of his beloved 

 name. 



Ohav/pdi. 



The Supreme may be regarded both as devoid of all qualities and also 

 as the quality of goodness ; in either aspect it is unspeakable, unfathom- 

 able, without beginning and without parallel. To my mind the name is 

 greater than both forms, for by its own might it has brought both under its 

 sway. My friends must not take this as an exaggeration on my part, for I 

 say it confidently and with sincere devotion. The knowledge of the supreme 

 is of two kinds, like fire which is either internal or visible ; each is in itself 

 incomprehensible but is comprehended by means of the name j and there- 



* The miraculous powers that can be acquired by perfect saints, or siddhas, are 

 reckoned as eight in number, and are called aninzd, mahimd y garimdj laghimd, prdpti, 

 prdkdmya y isitwd, and vasittwd. These words denote the faculty: 1st, of becoming 

 infinitely small ; 2nd, of becoming infinitely great ; 3rd, of becoming infinitely heavy ; 

 4th, of becoming infinitely light ; 5th, of obtaining whatever one wishes ; 6th, of doing 

 whatever one wishes ; 7th, of absolute supremacy ; 8th, of absolute subjugation. 

 C 



