Shri Ram Vandana - Bandau Raghupati Karuna Nidhan

"Bandau Raghupati Karuna-Nidhan" is a short vandana (salutation) to Lord Ram by Goswami Tulsidas, commonly given as a pad of the Vinay Patrika, where he places petitions before many deities and then turns to Ram. It is written in the Brajbhasha-Awadhi mix of Tulsidas, in nine rhyming couplets, and every couplet is a string of images for Ram. Its heart is that Ram is not only to be praised but to be used as a refuge against one''s own inner troubles.

Couplet 1: the treasure of compassion. "Bandau Raghupati karuna-nidhan, jate chhutai bhav-bhed gyan" means: I bow to Raghupati, the treasure of compassion, by whose grace the knowledge of worldly difference (bhav-bhed) is loosened. The "difference" here is the feeling of "I" and "mine" that separates one from the Lord and from others.

Couplet 2: the moon of the Raghu line. He is the moon (nisesh, lord of night) that gladdens the night-lotus (kumud) of the Raghu family, and his lotus feet are served by Brahma (Aj) and Mahesh (Shiva). The kumud opens at moonrise, so the image says that the family blossoms in his presence.

Couplet 3: bee and beauty. He is a bee (bhring) on the lotus of his devotees'' hearts, and his body has a loveliness (lavanya) beyond countless Kamadevas (anang). It paints Ram as both beautiful to look at and fond of the hearts that love him.

Couplet 4: sun and fire. He is the midday sun (martand) to the very strong darkness of delusion (moh-tam), and a raging fire (pavak) to the dense forest of ignorance (agyan-gahan). Both images say that knowledge removes what effort alone cannot.

Couplet 5: Agastya and the sea of pride. He is generous like Kumbhaj (Agastya), who in tradition drank the ocean, here the ocean of pride (abhiman-sindhu). He gladdens the gods (sur-ranjan) and removes the burden of the earth (bhanjan bhoomi-bhar), as he did by ending Ravan.

Couplet 6: Garuda and the lion. He is Garuda (pannagari, enemy of snakes) to the serpents of attachment and desire (ragadi-sarpgan), and a lion (mrigpati) to the elephant of lust (kandarp-naag). He is called Murari here, a name usually of Krishna, which shows that the poet sees one Lord in many forms.

Couplet 7: the boat. His lotus feet are a boat (pot) across the ocean of worldly life (bhav-jaladhi), and he is the husband of Janaki (Sita) and a mine of joy (anand-kand). This is the central request: to be carried across.

Couplet 8: Hanuman''s swan. He is the swan (maral) in the pond of Hanuman''s love (see the Hanuman Chalisa), a merciful Kamadhenu cow (kamdhuk go) who gives without wanting anything in return (nishkam). The poet is saying that Ram gives to those who ask and also to those who only love.

Couplet 9: the resting place. He is the tilak (mark) on the forehead of the three worlds, a mine of virtues, and Tulsidas says he is the home of rest (bishram-dham). The vandana ends not on power but on rest, which is the real wish.

The wider message. The hymn moves from bowing, to praise in images, to the actual need: freedom from delusion, pride, lust and attachment. These are matters of faith and a devotional focus. Reading can bring calm, but it is not a treatment for illness or anxiety. Pair it with the Ram Chalisa, Shri Ram Stuti and Sita Chalisa.