Tulasidas's Vinay Patrika (Humble Petition to Lord Rama)

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!! Sri Rama Jayam !!

 

'Vinaya Patrika' of Sri Tulasidas in it's simplistic sense is a

humble petition filed in the court of Rama-Rajyam. A devotional poem

with a feel of extreme humility waiting for the final verdict from

King Sri Sita-Ramachandra.

 

 

Background of the composition :

 

Once a murderer came on pilgrimage to Varanasi and cried: " For the

love of Rama, give alms to me, a murderer. " Hearing the name of his

beloved Rama, Tulasidas called the man to his house and gave him

consecrated food, and declared him purified. The orthodox brahmins

of the place asked him how the murderer's sin was absolved.

Tulasidas replied: " Read your own scriptures and learn about the

power of the Divine Name. " The brahmins were not satisfied; they

asked for a further proof. They all agreed that if the sacred bull

(Nandi) of the Vishwanatha temple would eat from the hands of the

murderer, they would accept Tulasidas's words. The man was taken to

the temple and the bull did eat from his hands. Tulasi proved that

the sincere repentance made by the devotee was accepted by the Lord.

A new trouble, however, arose: Kali - the embodiment of evil -

threatened to devour Tulasidas. Tulasi prayed to Sri Hanuman who

appeared to him in a dream and advised him to file a petition to Sri

Rama - the Lord of the Universe - to remedy the evil, and that was

the origin of the Vinaya-Patrika.

 

 

GENESIS OF THE PLAINT (a note of sorrow-filled concern)

 

In the divine court of Mahayuga before the bench of Love and

devotion headed by their grace Sri Sita-Ramachandra swami this is

the mercy petition no. 1 in Kaliyuga filed by Saint Tulasidas.

 

The Bench of principal Judges

 

Lord Rama : Presiding Judge

Divine Mother Sita : Co-opted Expert Advisor

Lord Lakshmana : Associate Judge

Lord Bharat : Associate Judge

Lord Shatrughan : Associate Judge

 

Goswami Tulsidas, disciple of Sri Narharyanand, aged about eighty-

five years, resident of Ayodhya, erstwhile capital of Rama-Rajya,

and of Kashi, Abode of Lord Vishwanatha

Sivashankara.

 

The Six Passions together with Nine Manifestations of Vice,

collectively known as the Fifteen Adversaries of Virtue, named

herein under as Defendants & Co-defendants.

 

The Six Passions:

(1) Lust; (2) Wrath; (3) Greed; (4) Inebriation; (5) Attachments;

(6) Ego

- DEFENDANTS

 

The Nine Manifestations of Vice: (1) Violence (2) Falsehood; (3)

Pride; (4) Envy; (5) Strife; (6) Suspicion; (7) Jealousy; (8)

Rivalry; (9)

Covetousness

 

- Co-DEFENDANTS

 

Council for Palintiff : Hanuman (Messenger of Lord Rama)

Counsel for the Defendants : Kaliyuga (The Age of predominance of

vice over virtue)

 

 

SUBMISSION

 

The Plaintiff respectfully submits that: -

 

Because he, the Plaintiff, having resolved to pursue the path of

Devotion in his beloved Lord Rama, and in consequence thereof

Because he, the Plaintiff, proclaimed the Divine Message of the

Lord's Compassionate Mercy and Bounteous Grace being readily

available to the ignorant, the evil doers, and sinners; and because

the Defendant abetted by the Co-Defendants, seeking to establish pre-

eminence of Vice over Virtue in kali-yuga, challenged the Plaintiff

in his resolve and launched an unprovoked attack on him, employing

formidable weapons of Sense Pleasures; and because the Palintiff has

surrendered himself completely, unconditionally and unswervingly, in

steadfast devotion to his Beloved Lord.

 

Wherefore the Plaintiff submits this 'Mercy Petition' in three

parts, comprising:

 

The Invocation, the Preamle of the Plaint, and the (Letter of)

Plaint, which contains his Indicment, Confession of guilt,

Arguments, cases in precedence as evidence of Divine Bounty,

together with his humble Petition for Compassionate mercy, as set

forth in the Articles of the Plaint annexed hereto; and Prayer

repectfully prays, implores and beseeches the Divine Court of Love

to:

 

1. Grant the Palintiff Compassionate Mercy out of the Lord's

Bounteous Grace; and

2. Restrain the Defendants and Co-Defendants, named in this Plaint

as the 'Fifteen adversaries if Virtue' , from the further

persecution of the Plaintiff, to enable him to pursue his solemn

resolve of proclaiming the Fame and Glory of his Beloved.

 

Lord, freely, faithfully and fearlessly as ordained by the

establised Divine Law.

 

Extended at the holy feet of Sri Guruvayurappan.

 

Hare Krishna

Hare Rama