while he was passing overhead the forest through the path of the sky. It could only
happen if Lord Ram himself decides to create a favourable circumstance where it
becomes possible for Shiva to see the Lord somewhere in the open area of the forest.
As we shall read shortly, this indeed happened. Lord Ram obliged Shiva by
appearing on an open stretch of the forest path to enable the latter to see him—refer:
Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 1-3 that precede Doha no. 50 herein
below.]øı0. ⁄UÊflŸ ◊⁄UŸ ◊ŸÈ¡ ∑§⁄U ¡ÊøÊ – ¬ ̋÷È Á’Áœ ’øŸÈ ∑§Ëã„U ø„U ‚ÊøÊH 1H
¡ı¥ Ÿ®„U ¡Ê©°U ⁄U„Uß ¬Á¿UÃÊflÊ – ∑§⁄Uà Á’øÊL§ Ÿ ’ŸÃ ’ŸÊflÊH 2H
caupā’ī.
rāvana marana manuja kara jācā. prabhu bidhi bacanu kīnha caha sācā. 1.
jauṁ nahiṁ jā'um̐ raha'i pachitāvā. karata bicāru na banata banāvā. 2.
[Shiva was lost in thoughts. On the one hand the true identity of Lord Ram had to be
kept a secret, and on the other hand this golden opportunity of having a divine view of
the Lord cannot be allowed to be missed. So, Shiva was thinking as follows—]
‘It was concluded (i.e. decided after close scrutiny and analysis) that the
demon king Ravana could only be killed by a human being, and the Lord wished to
make the words of Vidhi (the creator Brahma), given as a boon (to Ravana), truthful^1.
(This was the reason for Lord Hari becoming a human being in the form of Lord
Ram.) (1)
On the other hand, if I (Shiva) do not go to have a Darshan of my revered Lord
(Sri Ram), then I will regret forever for missing this opportunity.’
Thus, Shiva was on the horns of a great dilemma, not being able to decide
what to do and what not to. (2)
[Note—^1 Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Chaupai line nos. 2-5 that precede
Doha no. 177. Ravana had done severe Tapa, and when Brahma appeared before him
to grant his wishes, Ravana asked that he may not be killed by anyone else except a
human being and a monkey. Brahma had said ‘okay’ with a rider: he told Ravana that
everyone who has been born must die one day, and even he, Brahma, had his life-
span determined before he came into existence. So, if the boon is to be made effective
then Ravana must ask for some exceptions of his choice. Ravana had thought that if
he could conquer the gods, and especially the ‘death god’, on the strength of the boon
of immunity from death as granted by Brahma, then it would be impossible for such
weaklings as humans and monkeys to ever stand against him and harm him. So he
told Brahma that he decided to exempt humans and monkeys from the blanket of
immunity of his death. Lord Vishnu exploited this loophole in the shield of immunity
from death granted by Brahma to Ravana and becacme a human being in the form of
Lord Ram, while the rest of the gods became monkeys to help the Lord successfully
kill Ravana. Refer: Ram Charit Manas, Baal Kand, Doha no. 187 along with its
preceding Chaupai line nos. 1-2, 7-9.]