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Grant Exclusive Devotion

नान्या स्पृहा रघुपते हृदयेऽस्मदीये
सत्यं वदामि च भवानखिलान्तरात्मा ।
भक्तिं प्रयच्छ रघुपुंगव निर्भरां मे
कामादिदोषरहितं कुरु मानसं च ।।
– तुलसीदास् रामायणम्

nānyā spṛhā raghupate hṛdaye’smadīye
satyaṁ vadāmi ca bhavān-akhilāntarātmā |
bhaktiṁ prayaccha raghupuṁgava nirbharāṁ me
kāmādi-doṣa-rahitaṁ kuru mānasaṁ ca ||
– Tulasidas Ramayanam

Translation:

O Lord of the Raghus, no other desire do I entertain any time in my heart. You, being the Inner Self of all, know it well. I am speaking the truth. O best of all the Raghus, grant me such devotion which is exclusive and all-engulfing, making my mind rid of desire and all other taints.

Points for Introspection:

Human life is full of desires. Man is never satisfied and constantly desires one object or another. When the object of desire is somehow achieved, one feels satisfied and happy. But very soon that happiness becomes stale and the desire for a new object arises in the mind making the mind restless and unhappy. The objects of desire may be material objects or anything like name, fame, recognition, appreciation, love, sympathy, good behavior and consideration from others, etc.. As long as these desires are there in the mind one does not become contented or peaceful.

A seeker or devotee should introspect, discriminate and understand that what we should aspire for are not these perishables but something that is Imperishable and eternal. Turning the mind from the worldly objects, a seeker should turn his mind towards God, the Imperishable, Universal Being – the Indweller of all. The devotee should seek God with exclusive devotion. When the mind rests on God in devotion, every other desire fades away, because the devotional reliance brings to the mind supreme bliss. A devotee’s prayer should therefore always be to have exclusive, one-pointed, devotion to God.

In this shloka the devotee is crying out to the Lord in extreme sincerity: “O God, who is the indweller of all, am telling you the truth. I have understood that desires cannot give me peace. But I have one desire in me. May you grant me exclusive devotion at your feet; such devotion by which I will rely on You alone for everything. Also for the devotion to become wholesome and full of reliance, O God, make my mind rid of all other desires and impurities.”

This shloka when chanted repeatedly generates wholesome devotion and complete reliance at the feet of the Lord. Concentrating on the meanings of the words, ‘nirbharaa bhakti’ one is able to get a glimpse of that supreme devotion and reliance. Moreover this shloka gives a compulsion to make an effort to reject the impurities of the mind.

Word Meaning:

न (na) = no; अन्या (anyā) = other (feminine); स्पृहा (spṛhā) = desire; रघुपते (raghupate) = O Lord of the Raghus; हृदये (hṛdaye) = in the heart; अस्मदीये (asmadīye) = my; सत्यं (satyaṁ) = truth; वदामि (vadāmi) = I am speaking; च (ca) = and; भवान् (bhavān) = you; अखिलान्तरात्मा (akhilāntarātmā) = Self of all; भक्तिं (bhaktiṁ) = devotion; प्रयच्छ (prayaccha) = grant, give; रघुपुंगव (raghupuṁgava) = best or hero of all Raghus; निर्भरां (nirbharāṁ) = exclusive and all-engulfing; मे (me) [मह्यम्, mahyam] = unto me; कामादिदोषरहितं (kāmādi-doṣa-rahitaṁ) = rid of desire and other taints; कुरु (kuru) = make; मानसं (mānasaṁ) = mind; च (ca) = and.

अन्वयः
(हे) रघुपते, अस्मदीये हृदये न अन्या स्पृहा (अस्ति) । सत्यं वदामि; च भवान् अखिलान्तरात्मा । (हे) रघुपुंगव, मे निर्भरां भक्तिं प्रयच्छ । मानसं च कामादिदोषरहितं कुरु ।

(he) raghupate, asmadīye hṛdaye na anyā spṛhā (asti). satyaṁ vadāmi; ca bhavān akhilāntarātmā. (he) raghupuṁgava, me nirbharāṁ bhaktiṁ prayaccha. mānasaṁ ca kāmādi-doṣa-rahitaṁ kuru.