Vinaya Patrika is a devotional text composed by the 16th-century famous Hindu saint and poet Goswami Tulsidas (c. 1532 – c. 1623). The book is a collection of 279 devotional hymns or bhajans, addressed to various Hindu deities, especially Lord Rama in extreme humility (Vinaya).
The book is a treasure trove of devotional wisdom and has been an inspiration to millions of devotees over the years. In this article, we will take a closer look at the Vinaya Patrika and its significance.
The language of the text is Braj language in which 21 ragas have been used in Vinay Patrika. Vinay Patrika has the posts of Vinay. One of the names of Vinaya Patrika is Ram Vinayavali.
The main rasa of Vinay Patrika is Shantaras and the permanent sense of this rasa is nirved. Vinay Pratika reflects spiritual life.
Vinay Patrika is a collection of 279 stotra songs of Tulsidas. The opening 63 hymns and songs praise Rama with praises of Ganesha, Shiva, Parvati, Ganga, Yamuna, Kashi, Chitrakoot, Hanuman, Sita, and Vindu Madhav, a deity of Vishnu.
All the hymns and verses about the relation of gods and goddesses that come in this part have been praised for their devotion to Rama.
It is clear from this that Tulsidas may have believed in these gods and goddesses, but believed in their use only as long as they could help in the attainment of Ram Bhakti.
Vinaya Patrika is an important work of medieval Hindi Literature and the Bhakti movement.
Background
Goswami Tulsidas was a 16th-century Hindu saint and poet who is best known for his epic poem, the Ramcharitmanas. He was a devotee of Lord Rama and wrote extensively about the life and teachings of the Lord.
The Vinaya Patrika was composed by Tulsidas as a means of expressing his devotion and seeking the blessings of the divine.
It is believed that Tulsidas composed the hymns in the Vinaya Patrika during his stay in Varanasi, which was a center of learning and spirituality at the time.
Origin
According to Swami Yatiswarananda, when Kaal (the embodiment of evil) threatened to devour Tulsidas, he prayed to Lord Hanuman (Lord Mahadev’s avatar) who appeared to him in a dream.
Then Lord Hanuman advised him to file a petition to Rama to remedy the evil, and that was the origin of the Vinaya-Patrika.
Structure
The Vinaya Patrika is divided into seven sections, each dedicated to a specific deity. The first section is dedicated to Lord Rama, the second to Lord Krishna, the third to Goddess Durga, the fourth to Lord Shiva, the fifth to the nine planets or navagrahas, the sixth to various holy places or tirthas, and the seventh to the guru or spiritual teacher. Each section contains hymns that are specific to that particular deity or topic.
Vinaya Patrika has been written as a petition against the six passions—
- Lust
- Wrath
- Greed
- Inebriation
- Attachments
- Ego
Nine vices—
- Violence
- Falsehood
- Pride
- Envy
- Strife
- Suspicion
- Jealousy
- Rivalry
- Covetousness of Kali Yuga
In this, the plaintiff is Tulsidas himself, though he represents the entire humanity. The judges addressed are Lord Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharat, and Shatrughan.
It also comprises popular devotional hymns (Stutis) to various Hindu Gods, like Ganesha, Surya, Devi, Ganga, Hanuman, Sita, Rama, and also the city of Kashi.
The book has now been translated into many other languages, including English (by F. R. Allchin) and Hindi translation (by Gita Press) you can read it at vedicaim.
Vinay Patrika contents
The Vinaya Patrika is a collection of 279 hymns or bhajans, each addressed to a specific deity. The hymns are written in simple Hindi language and are easy to understand for the common person.
The book covers a wide range of topics related to spirituality, including the importance of devotion, the power of prayer, the nature of the divine, and the path to liberation.
In the last three stanzas, by presenting his Vinaya Patrika to Rama, he requests Hanuman, Shatrughna, Bharata, and Lakshmana to approve of their exclusive love for Rama, and upon their approval, Rama accepts Tulsidas’ Vinaya Patrika.
Ramgitavali
In the ‘Vinay Patrika’, in the service of Swami, his humility has been requested in the most compassionate words. In front of the master, he has been called inferior, filthy, and destitute in all respects, so that he, being moved by the ocean of compassion, keeps the slave in the shelter of his feet and has got a relatively small form of ‘Vinay Patrika’, the medium of his birth after birth, whose Only one copy has been received, but this one copy is so valuable and important as no other copy of the poet’s works because the number of life span is of 1666.
Margins of this copy ‘Ra. Gee.’ The signs are written and the name of the composition has been given in a verse at the end, so it is certain that the name of this form of ‘Vinay Patrika’ was ‘Ramgitavali’.
The text is of only 176 songs, out of which some verses have become inaccessible due to the fragmentation of the copy, out of all the verses received in full or in part, there are five such verses, which are in the ‘Vinay Patrika’ form of the composition. They are not found together in the present ‘Gitavali’ and in the context of ‘Gitavali’ are not found elsewhere in the copy of his ‘Padavali Ramayana’ text.
It is known from this that in the text of ‘Ram Geetavali’ there were more than 171 verses of the present ‘Vinay Patrika’, 108 or more verses were later merged into it to form ‘Vinay Patrika’, and at that time these five or more The verses, which are now in the ‘Gitavali’, were placed therein at a more appropriate time for the Geetavali.
Padavali Ramayana
This form of ‘Padavali Ramayana’ is not the last three verses of the present ‘Vinay Patrika’ form of composition, in which Vinaya Patrika is presented and accepted in the court of Rama.
At the end of it comes the current ‘Vinay Patrika’ hymns 39 and 40, which are praises to Bharata and Shatrughna. It is evident from this that the idea of giving this song collection the form of ‘Vinay Patrika’ has also been conceived and probably at the same time, the post regarding the presentation and acceptance of Vinay Patrika in the court of Rama has been written in it.
Scheduling
Apart from the above-mentioned first 63 and last 3 Stotra-verses of ‘Vinay Patrika’, no clear sequence is targeted in the rest and hence they are not found divided into any headings. It is in a way impossible to say in what order they must have been composed.
We can say with this much certainty that the hymns and verses compiled in the text ‘Ram Geetavali’ are from earlier, their composition number was done before 1666, and the rest of the verses are probably after those hymns.
This much and more can be said with certainty that the form of ‘Vinay Patrika’ is also given to the poet, just as ‘Ram Geetavali’ form was given to him because dozens of copies of ‘Vinay Patrika’ were received and one of them also.
There are no such verses in which any hymns or verses are different or their sequence is also different, then some verses of ‘Ram Geetavali’ must have been composed even before ‘Ramcharit Manas’, it is known from this that in one of his verses, which are now ‘ Placed at the end of ‘Gitavali’, the meeting of Parashurama and Rama takes place after their departure from Mithila with Sita towards Ayodhya, and this form of the story is found only in the earlier works of the poet’s ‘Ramcharit Manas‘.
Therefore it can be said with certainty that the hymns of ‘Vinay Patrika’ have been composed in a very elaborate half and hence they present an introduction to a very large part of the poet’s spiritual life.
Lyric literature
Self-revealing Gita – The second composition of ‘Vinay Patrika’ in literature is not in Hindi literature and some critics have said that it should also be counted in the world’s best self-revealing Gita literature.
In its verses, there is an exhortation to draw the mind from the side of the world and place itself at the feet of the Lord, so here on the one hand the immateriality of the world and its falsehood have been rendered, on the other hand, it has also been explained that the other is more important than Rama. is not the owner.
In these episodes, the modesty of Rama has been widely praised and the mind has often been preached to repentance, describing the remembrance of his name as the best means of attaining his affection.
In some verses, in the service of the lord, in the most compassionate words, his humility has been requested. In front of the master, he has been called inferior, filthy, and destitute in all respects, so that he, being moved by the ocean of compassion, keeps the slave in the shelter of his feet, and his life-long life is completed.
Along with this, to remind him of the generosity of Swami, his “Asharan sharan virudavali” has also been presented in front of him often.
Sometimes the petitioner gets tired of asking, when he sees a feeling of disregard towards the owner but does not lose hope, feeling the lack in himself.
In some verses, very impressive pictures of the repentance of life have been presented, and the crookedness of the mind and the senses are strongly condemned, but again and again, efforts have been made to put it in the path of the love of the Lord. In the end, the devotee is successful in his efforts and his lord Rama accepts his prayer.
Uncertainty of design
In these verses, there is a very complete history of deciding the many steps from the first stage of dispassion to the attainment of God’s grace. The only drawback is that the order of composition of these verses is not fixed nor do we know which verse has been composed under which circumstances.
Nevertheless, in the form in which we have received them, they give a very authentic fact and vivid introduction of Tulsidas’s sadhana and therefore they collectively deserve as much importance in their compositions as any other of theirs.
Significance
The Vinaya Patrika is an important devotional text in the Hindu tradition and is held in high esteem by millions of devotees around the world.
The book is considered to be a means of seeking the blessings of the divine and is often used as a tool for meditation and contemplation.
The hymns in the Vinaya Patrika are filled with devotion and love and convey the message that the ultimate goal of life is to attain union with the divine.
Summary
In the first verse, the poet Tulsidas says that there is no one in the world as merciful as Shri Ram, he showers his merciful grace on the afflicted even without service. The poet says that even great sages do not get the blessings that Jatayu and Shabari got even from yoga and penance.
Ravana had to offer his ten heads to get the blessings of God. Vibhishana got the same grace without any sacrifice. So oh mind! You worship Rama. Ram is grace. He will fulfill all our wishes. For example, Rama gave the kingdom of Lanka to Vibhishana and Paramgati to Shabari and Jatayu.
In the second verse, the poet Tulsi Das is saying that a person who does not have a love for Shri Ram is like an enemy and such a person should be abandoned. The poet says that Prahlad abandoned his father, Bharata his mother, and Vibhishana his brother.
King Bali was abandoned by his guru and his husband by the gopikas of Braj because he did not have affection for Shri Ram. The poet says that just as the eyes do not look beautiful without the use of kajal, in the same way, life is impossible without the love of Shri Ram. The poet says that the person who has affection for Shri Ram, his life will be happy.
Meaning/interpretation
ऐसो कौ उदार जग माहीं।
बिनु सेवा जो द्रवे दीन पर,राम सरस कोउ नाहि॥
जो गति जोग बिराग जतन करि नहिं पावत मुनि ज्ञानी।
सो गति देत गीध सबरी कहँ प्रभु न बहुत जिय जानी॥
जो संपति दस सीस अरप करि रावण सिव पहँ लीन्हीं।
सो संपदा विभीषण कहँ अति सकुच सहित हरि दीन्हीं॥
तुलसीदास सब भांति सकल सुख जो चाहसि मन मेरो।
तो भजु राम काम सब पूरन करहि कृपानिधि तेरो॥
Meaning
Tulsidasji says that there is no one else in the world as generous as Lord Rama. There is no one other than Ram who can show compassion to the afflicted without any service.
The speed which the sages of knowledge could not achieve even after doing yoga and dispassion and many efforts, that speed Ram gave to Jatayu and Shabari and did not consider that favor as a big thing in his mind.
The wealth which Ravana had obtained from Shiva by offering his ten heads, was given to Vibhishana by Rama without any hesitation. Tulsidas says that all kinds of pleasures that my mind desires will be attained by the grace of Rama. That’s mind! You worship Rama. Ram is Kripa Nidhi, He will fulfill all our wishes.
जाके प्रिय न राम बैदेही।
तजिये ताहि कोटि बैरी सम, जदपि प्रेम सनेही ।।1।।
तज्यो पिता प्रहलाद, विभीषण बंधु, भरत महतारी।
बलि गुरु तज्यो कंत ब्रज-बनित्नहिं, भए मुद-मंगलकारी।।2।।
नाते नेह रामके मनियत सुह्र्द सुसेब्य जहां लौं।
अंजन कहा आंखि जेहि फूटै ,बहुतक कहौं कहाँ लौं ।।3।
तुलसी सो सब भांति परम हित पूज्य प्रानते प्यारे।
जासों होय सनेह राम–पद, एतो मतो हमारो
Meaning
Tulsidas Ji says that one who is not dear to Sita-Ram, no matter how dear he is to himself, should leave it like a big enemy. The poet proves with many examples that Prahlad had abandoned his father Hiranakashyap, Vibhishana his brother Ravana, Bharata his mother, King Bali his guru, and the women of Braj abandoned their husbands in the love of Krishna. All of them left their loved ones and only their welfare happened.
Tulsidas further says what is the benefit of applying such spectacles in the eye so that the eye bursts.
Tulsidas believes that due to which there is love at the feet of the Lord, he is in every way beneficial, venerable, and dear to his life.