Fire for Kali, Moonlight for the Saint
Bala Kanda, Sortha 32
Sortha 32 · Movement 2 of 2
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The crooked paths of Kali lie piled like dry timber: false argument, corrupt conduct, deception, arrogance, and hypocrisy. Ram's virtues enter as a fierce fire. The whole heap catches at once, and what had seemed a forest of obstruction collapses into ash.
Then the same story rises into a night sky as the full moon. Its rays fall gently upon everyone. White kumud blossoms open across the water, and the hearts of saints lift like chakor birds nourished by moonlight. The blaze that destroys corruption becomes coolness for the pure listener.
No contradiction divides the two. Grace burns what confines the heart and soothes what turns toward Ram.
Ash cools beside the lake while the night flowers open to Ram's moon.
Read the passage from the Manas
AI-created devotional illustration · Sortha 32
Moonlight over white water lilies evokes the passage’s moon-and-kumud comparison.
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 57 · printed pages 55. Reader passage: bala-kanda-doha-033. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- Rama virtues consume wrong paths, deceit and hypocrisy like fire consuming fuel
- Rama story compared to moon-rays soothing all, especially good people compared to kumud and chakor hearts
Artistic choices
- Select moon/kumud comparison; no literal manifestation, no depiction of wrongdoing or divine fire
- Moon, three white water lilies, lily pads, pond, shores, reflections and colours artistically arranged
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
कुपथ कुतरक कुचालि कलि कपट दंभ पाषंड। दहन राम गुन ग्राम जिमि इंधन अनल प्रचंड।।32(क)।। रामचरित राकेस कर सरिस सुखद सब काहु। सज्जन कुमुद चकोर चित हित बिसेषि बड़ लाहु।।32(ख)।।
The evil paths, false arguments, and wicked conduct of the Kali age, its deceit, arrogance, and hypocrisy, are so much firewood. Ram's cluster of virtues is the fierce fire that burns them all to ash.