DASAKOM 22

STANZA 1

ONCE A PIOUS BRAHMIN CALLED AJAAMILA,

LOOKING AFTER HIS FAMILY AS HOUSEHOLDER,

WHILE HE WAS IN THE FOREST, COLLECTING WOOD AT HIS TEACHER'S REQUEST,

MET A SHAMELESSLY PLAYFUL PROMISCUOUS GIRL,

WITH WHOM HE FELL IN LOVE

STANZA 2

THOUGH NOT EASILY TEMPTED,

BECAUSE OF INFATUATION WITH HER,

LIVING HAPPILY WITH HER, AS AN OUTCASTE,

HAD A SON

WITH A SIMILAR NAME AS YOURS

STANZA 3

WHEN HE SAW,

WHILE ON HIS DEATHBED,

THREE FEROCIOUS-LOOKING SOLDIERS OF YAMA, THE GOD OF DEATH,

HE CALLED ON HIS SON FOR HELP

STANZA 4

WHEN HE UTTERED, THOUGH NOT DELIBERATELY,

THE NAME NAARAAYANA,

 IT BROUGHT, BY ITS SAVING POWER,

YOUR SOLDIERS, HANDSOME, WITH WEAPONS IN THEIR FOUR ARMS

STANZA 5

SEEING THEM DRAGGING HIM

WITH A ROPE TIED ON HIM,

THEY STOPPED SAYING, “LEAVE HIM ",

WHEN THEY GAVE A LIST OF HIS SINS

STANZA 6

YOUR SERVANTS THEN SAID,

“WHY PUNIISH ONE WHO HAS GIVEN COMPENSATION?

DONT YOU KNOW WHAT

THAT IS, YOU WISE MEN?

STANZA 7

THEY ADDED “ALL RITUALS PRESCRIBED BY SCRIPTURES AND CONVENTION,

MAY CLEANSE ONE OF SINS,

BUT WILL NOT CHANGE NATURAL IMPULSES

WHILE DEVOTION TO YOU REMOVES THEM BOTH”

STANZA 8

FURTHER THEY SAID,

"HE HAS DONE PENANCE FOR ALL HIS SINS,

HAS HE NOT UTTERED GOD VISHNU'S NAME,

EVEN THOUGH IT WAS ONLY IN FEAR?

STANZA 9

THEY SAID," RECITAL OF GOD'S NAME REMOVES ALL SINS,

NOT NATURAL IMPULSES, BUT GOD'S NAME,

EVEN IF UNKNOWINGLY UTTERED,

PULLS OUT BOTH FROM THE VERY ROOTS, AT ONCE"

STANZA 10

AFTER YAMA'S SOLDIERS, TIPPED OFF, WENT AWAY,

AND YOUR SOLDIERS TOO DISAPPEARED,

HE LIVED FOR SOME TIME, AS YOUR DEVOTEE

AND WHEN TIME CAME, BECAME ONE WITH YOU

STANZA 11

YAMA, WHEN INFORMED BY HIS SOLDIERS,

BECAME ANXIOUS, AND TOLD THEM,

TO AVOID YOUR DEVOTEES

PLEASE SAVE ME FROM ILLNESSES, I PRAY