________________
200
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[AUGUST, 1893.
not all be written (35). Blessed, twice blessed, are his mother and his father. Blessed are they that he is their son, who is a true worshipper of the Lord, whatever he be in form or shape (36). Blessed would be the skin of my body, if it but form the sole of the shoe of him from whose mouth cometh the name of the Lord, even though it be by mistake (37). The lowest of the low is blessed, if he worship the Lord day and night; but what availeth the highest caste, if the Lord's name is not heard therein (38). Behold, how on very high mountains are the dwelling places of sunkes, but on the lowest low lands grow sweet sugarcane and corn and betel (39). Chaupai, Tul'sî saith, I have seen the good men of all nations, but none is equal unto him, who is the single-hearted servant of the Lord, and who night and day at every breath reiterateth his name (40). Let the Holy man be ever so vile by birth or station, still no high-born man is equal unto him. For the one day and night uttereth the Name, while the other ever burneth in the fire of pride (41). Dôkú,-The Servant of the Lord is ever devoted but to the one Name. He careth not for bliss or in this world or hereafter. Ever remaining apart from the world, he is not scorched by the fire of its pains (42).
IV.-Perfect Peace.
Dôhú, The adornment of the night is the moon, the adornment of the day is the sun. The adornment of the servant of the Lord is Faith, and the adornment of that faith is Perfect Knowledge (43). The adornment of this knowledge is Meditation, the adornment of meditation is total Self-surrender to the Lord, and the adornment of self-surrender is pure and spotless Peace (44).
Chaupai,This Peace is altogether pure and spotless, and destroyeth all the troubles mankind endureth. He who can maintain sach peace within his heart ever remaineth in an ocean of rapture (45). The sorrows which are born of the threefold sins, the intolerable hoard of grief begotten of faults committed, - all these are wiped away. Him, who remaineth rapt in Perfect Peace, doth no woe e'er approach to pierce (46). O Tul'si, so cool" is the Holy Man, that ever he remaineth free of earthly cares. The wicked are like serpents, but what can they do unto him, for his every limb hath become a sure medicine1 against their bite (47).
Dôhá,- Very cool is he, and very pure, free from all taint of earthly desire. Count him as free, his whole existence rapt in Peace (48).
Chaupai, In this world, call thou him cool, who never uttereth words of anger from his month, and who, when pierced in front by sharp arrows of words, never feeleth one trace of wrath (49). Dôhá,-Search ye the seven regions, the nine continents, 20 the three worlds," and ye will find no bliss equal to Peace (50). Chaupai,-Where Peace hath been imparted by the True Teacher, there the root of anger is consumed, as if by fire. Earthly lusts and desires fade away, and this is the mark of Peace (51). Peace is a bliss-giving ocean, whose shining actions holy sages have sung. Him, whose body and soul are rapt in it, no fire of self can burn (52).
Doha, In the fire of self, burneth the whole universe, and only the Holy escape, only because that they have Peace (53). Peace is like unto a mighty water, which when a man toucheth he becometh peaceful, and the fire of self consumeth him not, though (the wicked) try with countless efforts (54). His virtues become glorious as the sun, which when the world seeth it marvelleth; but he who hath once become as water, becometh again not as fire (55).
22
-
16 Sin is of three kinds, and it is committed by thought (manasa), by word (vachaka), or by deed (kayaku).
17 The expression "cool" has a peculiar significance in a hot climate like India. The poet describes what con stitutes "coolness" in the following verses.
18 The garala sila is said to be a stone on smelling which a person bitten by a snake recovers.
19 The sapta dripa, Jambu and the others.
20 The nava khanda, Bharata and the others, named from the nine sons of Rishabhadeva.
n Earth, heaven and the world of the departed.
23 Virtues in the sense of "qualities," not "good qualities."
