Maṇi-mañjarī

prathamaḥ sargaḥ

First Canto

śrīmad-hanumad-bhīma-madhvāntargata-rāma-kṛṣṇa-veda-vyāsātmaka lakṣmī-hayagrīvāya namaḥ || 0 ||

Obeisance to Lakṣmī-Hayagrīva and to Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Veda-vyāsa as present within Śrī Madhva, the incarnation of Śrī Hanumān, Bhīma, and their source, the Pavana (Wind God) of Vaikuṇṭha

vande govindām-ānanda-jñāna-deham patim śriyaḥ
śrīmad-ānanda-tīrthārya-vallabham paramakṣaram (1)

I bow unto Govinda, whose body is cognizance and bliss, whose consort is Śrī (Lakṣmī). He is the beloved of the venerable Śrīmad Ānanda-tīrtha and is supreme and indestructible.

sasarjja bhagavānādau trīn-guṇān prakṛteḥ paraḥ
mahat-tattvaṁ tato viṣṇuḥ sṛṣṭavān brahmaṇas-tanum (2)

Bhagavān Viṣṇu first created the three modes of material nature. From these three guṇas, He created the mahat-tattva (“the totality”), the body of Brahmā.

mahat-tattvād-ahaṅkāraṁ sasarjja śiva-vigraham
daivān dehān manaḥ khāni khaṁ ca sa trividhāttataḥ (3)

From the mahat-tattva, He created Śiva’s body, the ahaṅkāra-tattva (“the principle of ego”). Then, from three types of ego, He created the demigods who preside the various senses, He also created the mind, the senses themselves, and the sky. [Bhagavān created mind and the presiding demigods from sāttvika-ahaṅkāra (a sense of identity rooted in the mode of goodness), the ten senses from rājasa-ahaṅkāra, and the five gross elements from tāmasa-ahaṅkāra.]

ākāśād asṛjad vāyuṁ vāyos tejo vyajījanat
tejasaḥ salilaṁ tasmāt pṛthivīm asṛjat vibhuḥ (4)

From that pre-existing sky, He created wind, and from the wind, He created fire, from fire, He created water, and from water, the Earth.

tataḥ kūṭastham asṛjat vidhiṁ brahmāṇḍa-vigraham
tasminstu bhagavān bhūyo bhuvanāni caturdaśa (5)

From the above twenty four tattvas, Bhagavan created Chaturmukha Brahma, who is the patron deity for the whole universe (Brahmanda), consisting of seven upper and seven lower worlds.

tāttvikān atha devān ko vairājaḥ puruṣo ’sṛjat
tathaiva paramān haṁsān sanakādīṁś ca yoginaḥ (6)

Thereafter, the Virāṭa Puruṣa, Brahmā, created the elemental demigods and paramahaṁsa-yogīs, like Sanaka and others.

asurān doṣa-rūpān apy avidyāṁ pāñca-parvaṇīm
varṇāśrama-viśeṣāṁś ca dharma-kḷptiṁ ca so ’sṛjat (7)

Then he created the Asuras, who are the embodiments of doṣa (imperfections), as well as five-fold Māyā, varṇāśrama (caste and station in life), and the rules of dharma.

marīcy atryādayaḥ putrā abhūvan parameṣṭhinaḥ
marīceḥ kaśyapo jajñe vāmanasya pitā baṭoḥ (8)

In sequence, Prajāpati’s sons, like Marīci, Atri, and others took birth. From Marīci was born the greatminded Kaśyapa, father of Vāmanadeva.

prajāḥ sisṛkṣur-vividhā avahat kaśyapo ditim
aditiṁ ca danuṁ kadruṁ kīkasāṁ vinatām api (9)

Desiring to produce progeny, Kaśyapa Ṛṣi married Diti, Aditi, Danu, Kadru, Kīkasā, and Vinatā.

dityāṁ tato ’bhavan daityā adityāñca surāḥ punaḥ
danau tu dānavāḥ kadrvāṁ nāgā nānā viṣolvaṇāḥ (10)

From Diti were born the Daityas, from Aditi the Devatās, from Danu the Dānavas, and from Kadru were born various species of venomous serpents.

kīkasāyāṁ yātudhānā vinatāyāntu pakṣiṇaḥ
mahāvīryāḥ sutā āsan kaśyapasya mahātmanaḥ (11)

From Kīkasā were born the mighty Rākṣasas, and from Vinatā were born the all great and powerful birds.

mānavānāṁ pitā jajña ādityāt kaśyapātmajāt
manur-nāma mahā-prājña etan-manvantareśvaraḥ (12)

From Sūryadeva, who was the son of Kaśyapa, was born Vaivasvata Manu, the father of all mankind and presiding ruler of the current Manvantara.

tasya ghrāṇād abhūc-chrī-mān-ikṣvākuḥ kṣuvato manoḥ
tapas-taptvā viriñcāt sa lebhe raṅgeśvaraṁ harim (13)

When Vaivasvata Manu sneezed, Śrīmān Ikṣvāku appeared from his nose. That Ikṣvāku performed austerities and received a boon from Brahmā, whereby he attained Raṅganātha Śrī Hari.

vikukṣiḥ sama-bhūttasya purañjaya purogamāḥ
tad anvaye vyajāyanta śūrā rājarṣayaḥ pare (14)

Ikṣvāku had a son named Vikukṣi. In the dynasty of that Vikukṣi, many valiant warriors and sagely kings (Rājaṛṣis), led by Purañjaya (Kakutstha).

tasmin vaṁśe daśaratho babhūvātyanta bhāgyavān
so ’rcana vaimānikaṁ viṣṇuṁ rarakṣa mahatīṁ mahīm (15)

In that same dynasty, one very fortunate personality named Daśaratha took birth. He worshipped Vaimānika (“of a celestial airplane”) Viṣṇu and thereby maintained the vast Earth.

tasmin kāle surāḥ sarve mahā-rākṣasa-pīḍitāḥ
dugdhābdhi-śāyinaṁ viṣṇuṁ śaraṇyaṁ śaraṇaṁ yayuḥ (16)

During the reign of King Daśaratha, the demigods began to be tormented by the Rākṣasas, so they took shelter of Kṣirodaśāyī Śrī Viṣṇu who sleeps in the Ocean of Milk.

ta ādiṣṭāḥ śriyaḥ-patyā jajñire kṣiti-maṇḍale
śākhā-mṛgādi-bhāvena hanumān māruto ’bhavat (17)

Thereafter, on the order of Ramāpati (Śrī Nārāyaṇa), they took birth as Vānaras on the Earth. Among them, Vāyu incarnated as Hanumān.

abhayāya satāṁ hatyai rākṣasānāṁ tato hariḥ
rāma-nāmā daśarathāt kauśalyāyām-ajāyata (18)

In this way, to dispel the fear of saintly persons and destroy the Rākṣasas, Bhagavān Śrī Hari took birth as the son of the great soul Daśaratha, from the womb of Śrīmatī Kauśalya Devī.

tato lakṣmaṇa-śatrughnau sumitrāyāṁ babhūvatuḥ
kaikeyyāṁ bharato jajñe sadā śubharato nṛpāt (19)

Lakṣmaṇa and Śatrughna were born from Sumitrā, and from Kaikeyī was born Bharata, who was always absorbed in pious activities.

abhya-varddhanta samyañcaḥ kumārāḥ sukumārakāḥ
caturbhiś-caturaiḥ putraiḥ pitā’rthair iva nirbabhau (20)

Those four beautiful boys gradually began to grow up, thus surrounding their father Daśaratha with sheer splendor, like that of the catur-varga (the four attainments of human life).

viśvāmitras-tato yajña-vighnato rākṣaseśvarān
nihantum-anayan-nāthaṁ rāma-devaṁ sa-lakṣmaṇam (21)

Then, one day, the great ascetic Viśvamitra took Śrī Bhagavān Rāmacandra and Lakṣmaṇa to his āśrama to slay the leader of the Rākṣasas.

aṭavyāṁ tāṭakāṁ hatvā sa siddhāśramam eyivān
vidhūya yajña-vighnāṁś ca videha-viṣayaṁ yayau (22)

On the way, in the dense forest, Rāma slew the demoness Tāḍakā, before proceeding to the sage’s hermitage, Siddhāśrama. There He eradicated all impediments to the sage’s yajñas and journeyed onward to the Kingdom of Videha.

rājādyaiḥ pūjitaḥ so ’tha vibhajya dhanur-aiśvaram
jānakīm alabhīṣtoccaiḥ stūyamānaḥ sureśvaraiḥ (23)

Honored by the kings there, Śrī Rāmacandra broke Śiva’s bow and attained Śrī Jānakī Devī as His wife. At that time, the demigods loudly praised Śrī Rāmacandra.

gacchan devyā sahayodhyāṁ sa-vaśiṣṭhaḥ sahānujaḥ
kavi-kāvya-yuta-jyotsnā-kānta-vat sa vyarocata (24)

As Śrī Rāmacandra returned to Ayodhyā with Sītā at His side and accompanied by Vaśiṣtha and Lakṣmaṇa, He looked like the moon with its own radiance at its side and flanked by Jupiter and Venus.

praviśya nagarīṁ tatra pravandya pitaraṁ tathā
mātṛś ca pūjitaḥ sarvaiḥ sa reme sukha-cittanuḥ (25)

Entering the city [of Ayodhyā], He offered His respects at the feet of His overjoyed father and mothers, accepted the worship of the citizens, and began to enjoy supreme happiness.

rāma-rājyābhiṣekāya dadhre daśaratho manaḥ
nijaghne satu kaikeyyā mat-suto gāma-vediti (26)

When King Daśaratha wished to coronate Śrī Rāmacandra, Queen Kaikeyī slew him with the arrow-like words, “My son Bharata will be king!”

rāma-devas tadā sītā lakṣmaṇābhyāṁ samanvitaḥ
vanaṁ prati yayau nighnann aśeṣan api rākṣasān (27)

Lord Rāma then, along with Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa, went to the forest and there annihilated many Rākṣasas.

dhvasta-karṇāṁ vighoṇāñca kārayāmāsa rākṣasīm
laṅkeśa-bhaginīṁ rāmo lakṣmaṇenānujanmanā (28)

Via His younger brother, Lakṣmaṇa, He cut off the nose and ears of Śurpaṇakhā, the sister of the King of Laṅkā, Rāvaṇa.

rāma-vipra-kṛtaḥ kruvyāt prati-karma-cikīrṣayā
ājagāma sahānīkaḥ kharo dūṣaṇa-saṁyutaḥ (29)

Thus insulted by Rāmacandra, the Rākṣasa general Duṣaṇa arrived to inflict revenge with many soldiers and the powerful Rākṣasa Khara.

tān jaghān ramānātho rāmo rājīva-locanaḥ
līlayaiva parānandaḥ sura-kāryārtha-siddhaye (30)

The embodiment of supreme bliss, the Lord of Sītā, Śrī Rāma, then very easily slew all those demons to fulfill the wishes of the demigods.

rāmaḥ purastāt parato ’pi rāmo
rāmaḥ paraṁ dikṣu vidikṣu rāmaḥ
rāmair-anantair iti viśvarūpo
nighnan-narātīn virarāja rāmaḥ (31)

During the battle, innumerable forms of Rāma appeared—in front of them, behind them, and in every direction. Thus, slaying the demons, Viśvarūpa Bhagavān Śrī Rāmacandra looked very beautiful.

iti śrīmat kavi-kula-tilaka śrīmat-trivikrama-paṇḍitācārya-suta śrīman nārāyaṇa-paṇḍitācārya-viracitāyāṁ maṇi-mañjaryāṁ prathamaḥ sargaḥ

Thus ends the first chapter of Maṇi-mañjarī, written by Śrīman Nārāyaṇa Paṇḍitācārya, son of Śrīman Trivikrama Paṇḍitācārya