Childhood - बालकाण्ड

Original Balkand - Tulsidas - Hindi
In English Rhyme © Munindra Misra 2010

श्लोक

वर्णानामर्थसंघानां रसानां छन्दसामपि ।
मङ्गलानां च कर्त्तारौ वन्दे वाणीविनायकौ ॥ १ ॥
To Saraswati and Ganesh I am praying,
The originators of letters and meaning,
In their reverence I am so stating,
And do call for all their blessings. [1]

भवानीशङ्करौ वन्दे श्रद्धाविश्वासरूपिणौ ।
याभ्यां विना न पश्यन्ति सिद्धाःस्वान्तःस्थमीश्वरम् ॥ २ ॥
To Parvati and Shankar I am praying,
Embodiments of faith and trust symbolizing,
Within but where God be ever dwelling,
Without whom adepts not be perceiving. [2]

वन्दे बोधमयं नित्यं गुरुं शङ्कररूपिणम् ।
यमाश्रितो हि वक्रोऽपि चन्द्रः सर्वत्र वन्द्यते ॥ ३ ॥
To Guru, Sankar's incarnation, I am praying,
The all wise and eternal be incarnating,
Through whom, though crooked in shape seeing,
As Universal and eternally be honoring. [3]

सीतारामगुणग्रामपुण्यारण्यविहारिणौ ।
वन्दे विशुद्धविज्ञानौ कबीश्वरकपीश्वरौ ॥ ४ ॥
To Valmiki and Hanuman I am praying,
Lord of Poets and Monkey King representing,
They of pure intelligence be ever thriving,
With Ram and Sita in holy forest be haunting. [4]

उद्भवस्थितिसंहारकारिणीं क्लेशहारिणीम् ।
सर्वश्रेयस्करीं सीतां नतोऽहं रामवल्लभाम् ॥ ५ ॥
To Sita, Ram's beloved, I be ever bowing,
Cause of creation and preservation being,
And the dissolution of all that be creating,
The destroyer of sorrow, source of all blessings. [5]

यन्मायावशवर्तिं विश्वमखिलं ब्रह्मादिदेवासुरा
यत्सत्वादमृषैव भाति सकलं रज्जौ यथाहेर्भ्रमः ।
यत्पादप्लवमेकमेव हि भवाम्भोधेस्तितीर्षावतां
वन्देऽहं तमशेषकारणपरं रामाख्यमीशं हरिम् ॥ ६ ॥
To Hari, or Ram the Supreme, I am praying,
Whose Maya over universe with Brahma swaying,
Showing light to untruth, as rope to snake being,
His lotus feet - the only boat - for birth-death crossing. [6]

नानापुराणनिगमागमसम्मतं यद्
रामायणे निगदितं क्वचिदन्यतोऽपि ।
स्वान्तःसुखाय तुलसी रघुनाथगाथा\-
भाषानिबन्धमतिमञ्जुलमातनोति ॥ ७ ॥
I, Tulsidas, for my own delight, this I am writing,
In accordance with Purans, the Vedas am stating,
As told elsewhere and in Valmiki's Ramayan saying,
These modern lays of Raghunath I am composing. [7]
* * *

सो॰ जो सुमिरत सिधि होइ गन नायक करिबर बदन ।
करउ अनुग्रह सोइ बुद्धि रासि सुभ गुन सदन ॥ १ ॥
Lord Ganesh, Lord of Shiva's retinue, the store-house of wisdom be,
His thought gets success, good qualities dwell - be gracious to me. 1

मूक होइ बाचाल पंगु चढइ गिरिबर गहन ।
जासु कृपाँ सो दयाल द्रवउ सकल कलि मल दहन ॥ २ ॥
May the Lord, whose grace enables the dumb to speak, merciful be,
Who burns to ash impurities of Kaliyug - be compassionate to me. 2

नील सरोरुह स्याम तरुन अरुन बारिज नयन ।
करउ सो मम उर धाम सदा छीरसागर सयन ॥ ३ ॥
May the dark blue bodied Lord upon the sea of milk resting but be,
Eyes as bright as a budding water-lily - make His dwelling in me. 3

कुंद इंदु सम देह उमा रमन करुना अयन ।
जाहि दीन पर नेह करउ कृपा मर्दन मयन ॥ ४ ॥
Shiva - Kamadeva's destroyer, Parvati's spouce, compassionate be,
His form's colour match jasmine or moon - shower His grace on me. 4

बंदउ गुरु पद कंज कृपा सिंधु नररूप हरि।
महामोह तम पुंज जासु बचन रबि कर निकर॥५॥
The lotus feet of my guru - ocean of grace - Hari in human form be,
His words, floods of sunshine in darkness - in his reverence I be. 5

Lotus feet of my guru in pollen like dust, fragrant, sweet to taste be,
Flavour of love and healing all ailments - in his reverence I but be. 2

This dust - as holy ash on divine Shambhu -  beautiful, auspicious be,
Put on forehead attracts virtues - clears votarist's mind completely. 3

in the process of creating . . . comments/suggestions  are welcome