Ramananda Charitam Vol III Book IX Chp 5 Shlokas 12 - 23
श्रीरामानन्द उवाच
गृहं सर्वं परित्यज्य गङ्गातीरमुपेत्य च |
के यूयं वदत क्षिप्रं किमर्थं रोदनं कृतम् ||
सन्तः परोपकाराय चरन्ति किल भूतले |
दुःखं परिहरिष्यामि युष्माकं यदि मे बलम् ||
जना उचुः
त्वं न जानासि योगीन्द्र महाद्भयमुपस्थितम् |
काशीपुरीं प्रवेक्ष्यन्ति यवनाः क्रूरबुद्धयः ||
ब्राह्मणान् मारयिष्यन्ति हरिष्यन्ति तथा धनम् |
दारांक्ष्च दूषयिष्यन्ति बलात्कारेण वैदिकान् |
चूर्णयिष्यन्ति देवानां मन्दिराणि महायुधैः ||
यावन्म्लेच्छबलं सर्वं नगरीं संप्रवेक्ष्यति |
तावत्सर्वे प्रवेक्ष्यामो जाह्नवीं धर्मरक्षकाः ||
स्वधर्मनाशे संप्राप्ते जीवितेन तु किं फलम् |
स्वधर्मं पालयेद्धीरः प्राणांस्त्यक्त्वापि दुस्त्यजान् ||
श्रीरामानन्द उवाच
भयं नश्यतु सर्वत्र युष्माकं भद्रमस्तु च |
सर्वलोकेक्ष्वरो रामः कृपया पालयिष्यति ||
यद्यस्ति मम विक्ष्वासो जानकीरमणे दृढः |
पालयेत्स हि युष्मांक्ष्च कृपया धर्मवत्सलः ||
यथा पूर्वं जनस्थाने पिशिताशनपीडितान् |
तापसान् पालयामास तथा वः पालयिष्यति ||
युष्माकं दृढविक्ष्वासाद्धर्मे मयि च राघवे |
वदामि करमुद्धृत्य सत्यमेव न संशयः ||
तस्मात्स्वमेव भवनं गत्वा निर्भयमेव हि |
स्त्रीबालवृद्धैः सहिताः कुरुध्वं नामकीर्तनम् ||
Shri Ramananda asked
Who are you? Why have you all come here leaving your home? Why are you all standing here on the bank of the Ganga and crying? Tell me soon. Saints go around the earth only with the intention of helping their fellow beings. I shall do all that is in my capacity to help you.
The people replied
Oh! The greatest of the yogis! Don’t you know that a great danger is awaiting is? The fiendish muslims are going to enter Kashi. They are going to kill the Brahmanas; they are going to loot all our property; they are going to molest our women and kill our children. They are going to fore the Hindus to get converted to Islam. They are going to demolish our temples with the help of the guns. We plan to drown in the holy Ganga and save our dharma before the muslim army enters the town. What is the use of keeping alive when one’s swadharma is at stake? A courageous man should protect swadharma even at the cost of his precious life.
Shri Ramananda said
Let the world be rid of fears. May you all be blessed. Shri Rama, the savior of all the souls in the universe, will protect you all with boundless mercy. If my devotion to Lord Shri Rama is staunch and deep, He who is interested in protecting dharma will definitely save you all with mercy. He will protect you also, as He protected once the saints of Janasthana who were troubled by the rakshasas. You all have unshakable faith in me and Lord Shri Raghava. Hence lifting my hand, I give you this promise that you will be definitely saved. There is no doubt in it. So, shed all fears and all of you return home. Along with the elders, women and the young ones, sing in praise of the Lord and carry on Rama Nama Kirtan.
