Part 2: End of Rama’s life

Knowing that Rāma wished to take initiation, Śrī Nemi quickly sent a sage, a Vidyādhara, unequaled among the compassionate. At his side Rāma took initiation and practiced sharp penance, after going to Mt. Tuṅgikā, and Siddhārtha stood guard.

One day Bala entered a city to break a month’s fast and was observed by a townswoman, who was standing at the mouth of the well, accompanied by a small child. Her mind occupied with looking at Rama’s exceeding beauty, she tied the rope around the boy’s neck instead of the water-jar. When she began to throw him in the well, then she was noticed by Bala and he thought, “Shame on my beauty, the cause of evil. Henceforth, I shall not enter cities, villages, et cetera, but shall break fast with alms from wood-gatherers, et cetera in the forest.”

After enlightening the woman, Bala went to that very forest and practiced very difficult penance for a month, et cetera at a time. Food, drink, et cetera were brought by the gatherers of grass, wood, et cetera and the muni broke his fasts, accepting the pure food given by them. The wood-gatherers, et cetera went and told their own kings, “A man with a godlike form practices penance in the forest.” They were frightened at the thought: “Does he practice such penance with the desire for our kingdoms, or does he subdue a charm? We shall go and kill him.” With this thought, they went simultaneously with a full army to the vicinity of Muni Rāma.

Then the god Siddhārtha, always near him, created many lions terrifying to the world. The kings, frightened, went and bowed to Bala and from that time Balabhadra was known as ‘Narasiṃha.’ While he was practicing penance in the forest, many tigers, lions, et cetera, influenced by his excellent sermons, became gentle. Some became laymen, some acquired a leaning toward right-belief; some practiced kāyotsarga; some observed a fast at that time. Turned away from eating meat, they became attendants, like disciples of Muni Rāma in the form of animals.

A certain deer, a relative of Rāma in a former birth, recalling his former births, with a strong desire for emancipation attained, became a constant companion, Always attending Ṛṣi Rāma, the deer roamed the forest and he looked for wood-gatherers, et cetera who had come with food. When he saw them, he went at once to Ṛṣi Rāma standing in meditation and, upsetting his (Rāma’s) feet with his head, he announced givers of alms. At his insistence Rāma abandoned meditation instantly and went for alms with the deer going in advance.

One day carpenters came to that forest for suitable trees and cut down many strong, straight trees. The deer in his roaming saw them and at once told Rāma: and at his insistence the great muni completed his meditation. As they were seated, Ṛṣi Rāma came there, with the deer going in advance, for alms to break a month’s fast. The head of the carpenters, delighted at seeing Rāma, thought: “Oh! here is some sage in the forest, like a wishing-tree. Oh, the beauty! Oh, the splendor! Oh, the tranquillity! Oh, he is some great man! By this muni as a guest, I have accomplished my desire entirely.”

Thinking thus, the carpenter, the ground being touched by his five limbs,^[1] bowing to Ṛṣi Bala, brought him food and drink. Muni Bala thought: “This is some pure-minded layman, eager to give me alms to acquire karma that has heaven as its fruit. If I do not accept the alms, I would make an obstacle to a good status for him. For this reason I accept.”

So reflecting, the Blessed One, an ocean of the milk of compassion, though indifferent to his own body, accepted alms from him. The deer, his face upturned, his eyés diffused with tears, looking at the muni and the wood-cutter, thought: “Oh, the Master, an ocean of compassion, though indifferent to the body, the sole protection of penance, favors the carpenter. Oh! this wood-cutter is fortunate and his birth has great fruit, by whom the Blessed One has been presented with food and drink. But T have little fortune, unable to practice penance and not able to give food. Alas for me contaminated by being an animal.”

As the three continued absorbed in pious meditation in this way, a half-cut tree, struck by a strong wind, fell. The three, struck by the fallen tree, died, and became gods in. the palace Padmottara in Brahmaloka.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

His hands, feet, and forehead.