Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.1.2–3Vālmīki to Nārada
The question that begins the epic
को न्वस्मिन् साम्प्रतं लोके गुणवान् कश्च वीर्यवान् ।
धर्मज्ञश्च कृतज्ञश्च सत्यवाक्यो दृढव्रतः ॥
चारित्रेण च को युक्तः सर्वभूतेषु को हितः ।
विद्वान् कः कः समर्थश्च कश्चैकप्रियदर्शनः ॥
ko nv asmin sāmprataṃ loke guṇavān kaś ca vīryavān |
dharmajñaś ca kṛtajñaś ca satya-vākyo dṛḍha-vrataḥ ||
cāritreṇa ca ko yuktaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu ko hitaḥ |
vidvān kaḥ kaḥ samarthaś ca kaś caika-priya-darśanaḥ ||
Word by word
kaḥ nuwho indeed
asmin lokein this world
sāmpratamat present, now
guṇavānpossessed of virtues
kaḥ ca vīryavānand who is valorous
dharmajñaḥknower of dharma
ca kṛtajñaḥand grateful
satya-vākyaḥtruthful in speech
dṛḍha-vrataḥfirm in his vows
cāritreṇa ca yuktaḥendowed with good conduct
kaḥ sarva-bhūteṣu hitaḥwho is the well-wisher of all beings
vidvānlearned
kaḥ samarthaḥwho is capable
ca kaḥ eka-priya-darśanaḥand who is uniquely pleasing to behold
MeaningWho in this world today is virtuous and valiant, knows dharma, is grateful, truthful and firm in his vows? Who is of good conduct, the well-wisher of all beings, learned, capable, and uniquely delightful to see?
ContextThe next two verses complete the list — ātmavān (self-possessed), jita-krodhaḥ (master of anger), dyutimān (radiant), anasūyakaḥ (free of envy), and one whose anger even the gods fear in battle. These sixteen qualities are the table of contents of Rāma’s character; every kāṇḍa shows several of them under pressure.
Philosophical aspectThe epic opens with an ideal, not an event. Vedānta says we become what we contemplate; Vālmīki gives the reader a perfect human being to contemplate. Note the word sāmpratam — “now”: perfection is not a myth of the past but a possibility in every age.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.1.4Vālmīki to Nārada
The last of the sixteen — anger that the gods fear
आत्मवान् को जितक्रोधो द्युतिमान् को ऽनसूयकः ।
कस्य बिभ्यति देवाश्च जातरोषस्य संयुगे ॥
ātmavān ko jita-krodho dyutimān ko 'nasūyakaḥ |
kasya bibhyati devāś ca jāta-roṣasya saṃyuge ||
Word by word
ātmavānself-possessed, master of himself
kaḥwho
jita-krodhaḥhas conquered anger
dyutimānradiant
kaḥ anasūyakaḥwho is free from envy
kasyaof whom
bibhyati devāḥ caeven the gods are afraid
jāta-roṣasyawhen his anger is roused
saṃyugein battle
MeaningWho is self-possessed, who has conquered anger, who is radiant and free from envy? Whose anger, once roused in battle, do even the gods fear?
ContextThe verse that completes Nārada’s sixteen qualities. It joins two things that seem opposite — jita-krodha, one who has conquered anger, and one whose anger the gods fear.
Philosophical aspectMastery of anger is not its absence. The sage-king holds immense force on a leash and lets it out only for dharma. Ātmavān comes first: only one established in the Self can own his anger instead of being owned by it.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.1.8Nārada to Vālmīki
Nārada names the man
इक्ष्वाकुवंशप्रभवो रामो नाम जनैः श्रुतः ।
नियतात्मा महावीर्यो द्युतिमान् धृतिमान् वशी ॥
ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prabhavo rāmo nāma janaiḥ śrutaḥ |
niyatātmā mahā-vīryo dyutimān dhṛtimān vaśī ||
Word by word
ikṣvāku-vaṃśa-prabhavaḥborn in the line of Ikṣvāku
rāmaḥ nāmanamed Rāma
janaiḥ śrutaḥknown to the people
niyata-ātmāof controlled mind
mahā-vīryaḥof great valour
dyutimānradiant
dhṛtimānsteadfast
vaśīmaster of his senses
MeaningBorn in the line of Ikṣvāku, known among the people by the name Rāma — his mind is controlled; he is mighty, radiant, steadfast, and master of his senses.
ContextThe answer to Vālmīki’s question. Nārada’s first words about Rāma are not about his deeds but about his inner discipline.
Philosophical aspectNiyatātmā and vaśī — the controlled mind and the mastered senses — come before valour and radiance. In Vedānta self-mastery is the foundation on which every other virtue stands; it is what the Gītā calls vaśe hi yasyendriyāṇi tasya prajñā pratiṣṭhitā.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.1.17–19Nārada to Vālmīki
Deep as the ocean, firm as the Himālaya
समुद्र इव गाम्भीर्ये धैर्येण हिमवानिव ।
विष्णुना सदृशो वीर्ये सोमवत्प्रियदर्शनः ॥
कालाग्निसदृशः क्रोधे क्षमया पृथिवीसमः ।
धनदेन समस्त्यागे सत्ये धर्म इवापरः ॥
samudra iva gāmbhīrye dhairyeṇa himavān iva |
viṣṇunā sadṛśo vīrye somavat priya-darśanaḥ ||
kālāgni-sadṛśaḥ krodhe kṣamayā pṛthivī-samaḥ |
dhanadena samas tyāge satye dharma ivāparaḥ ||
Word by word
samudraḥ ivalike the ocean
gāmbhīryein depth
dhairyeṇain steadiness
himavān ivalike the Himālaya
viṣṇunā sadṛśaḥequal to Viṣṇu
vīryein valour
somavatlike the moon
priya-darśanaḥdelightful to see
kāla-agni-sadṛśaḥlike the fire of dissolution
krodhein anger
kṣamayāin forbearance
pṛthivī-samaḥequal to the earth
dhanadena samaḥequal to Kubera
tyāgein giving
satyein truth
dharmaḥ iva aparaḥlike a second Dharma
MeaningLike the ocean in depth, like the Himālaya in steadiness, equal to Viṣṇu in valour, delightful to see as the moon; like the fire at the end of time in anger, like the earth in forbearance, like Kubera in giving, and in truth like Dharma himself.
ContextNārada’s portrait, in pairs of images taken from nature and the gods.
Philosophical aspectThe images balance each other: the fire of dissolution and the patience of the earth live in the same person. The ideal is not one virtue pushed to its limit but every virtue in its place — the harmony Vedānta calls sattva.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.2.15Vālmīki, at the death of the krauñca bird
Mā niṣāda — the first verse of poetry
मा निषाद प्रतिष्ठां त्वमगमः शाश्वतीः समाः ।
यत्क्रौञ्चमिथुनादेकमवधीः काममोहितम् ॥
mā niṣāda pratiṣṭhāṃ tvam agamaḥ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ |
yat krauñca-mithunād ekam avadhīḥ kāma-mohitam ||
Word by word
māmay not
niṣādaO hunter
pratiṣṭhāmpeace, a stable place, glory
tvamyou
agamaḥattain
śāśvatīḥ samāḥfor endless years
yatbecause
krauñca-mithunātfrom the pair of krauñca birds
ekamone
avadhīḥyou killed
kāma-mohitamlost in love
MeaningO hunter, may you find no rest for endless years, for you killed one of the pair of krauñca birds while it was lost in love.
ContextThe first śloka: grief (śoka) became verse (śloka). The commentators also read it as a blessing addressed to Rāma: mā-niṣāda — “O dweller with Lakṣmī (Mā)” — “may you be glorious for ever, for you killed one of the pair (Rāvaṇa and Mandodarī), the one deluded by lust.” So the whole Rāmāyaṇa is seeded in its first verse.
Philosophical aspectCompassion is the source of art and of dharma. A heart that can feel the pain of a bird is the heart that can tell the story of God.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.2.36Brahmā to Vālmīki
As long as mountains stand
यावत्स्थास्यन्ति गिरयः सरितश्च महीतले ।
तावद्रामायणकथा लोकेषु प्रचरिष्यति ॥
yāvat sthāsyanti girayaḥ saritaś ca mahī-tale |
tāvad rāmāyaṇa-kathā lokeṣu pracariṣyati ||
Word by word
yāvatas long as
sthāsyantiwill stand
girayaḥthe mountains
saritaḥ caand the rivers
mahī-taleon the face of the earth
tāvatso long
rāmāyaṇa-kathāthe story of the Rāmāyaṇa
lokeṣuin the worlds
pracariṣyatiwill spread, will be told
MeaningAs long as the mountains stand and the rivers flow on the earth, so long will the story of the Rāmāyaṇa be told in the world.
ContextBrahmā’s promise to the poet. Two and a half thousand years later it is still being kept — in Kamban’s Tamil, Tulasīdāsa’s Hindi, Kṛttivāsa’s Bengali, in the Rāmlīlā of every village and the shadow plays of Java and Thailand.
Philosophical aspectWhat is founded on truth and compassion endures; what is founded on power passes. The story outlives every kingdom in it.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.18.8–10the narrator
The birth of Rāma
ततो यज्ञे समाप्ते तु ऋतूनां षट्समत्ययुः ।
ततश्च द्वादशे मासे चैत्रे नावमिके तिथौ ॥
tato yajñe samāpte tu ṛtūnāṃ ṣaṭ samatyayuḥ |
tataś ca dvādaśe māse caitre nāvamike tithau ||
Word by word
tataḥthen
yajñe samāpte tuwhen the sacrifice was completed
ṛtūnām ṣaṭsix seasons
samatyayuḥpassed by
tataḥ caand then
dvādaśe māsein the twelfth month
caitrein Caitra
nāvamike tithauon the ninth lunar day
MeaningWhen the sacrifice was over, six seasons passed; then, in the twelfth month, in Caitra, on the ninth day of the bright fortnight —
ContextThe verses go on to give the horoscope: Punarvasu nakṣatra, five planets exalted, Cancer rising, as Kausalyā gives birth to Rāma, “Jagannātha, honoured by all the worlds”. This is why Śrī Rāma Navamī is celebrated on Caitra śukla navamī.
Philosophical aspectThe infinite consents to be dated. The avatāra enters time and place, takes a birthday, so that human beings may find the divine within ordinary human life.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.18.30–31the narrator
Rāma could not sleep without Lakṣmaṇa
न च तेन विना निद्रां लभते पुरुषोत्तमः ।
मृष्टमन्नमुपानीतमश्नाति न हि तं विना ॥
na ca tena vinā nidrāṃ labhate puruṣottamaḥ |
mṛṣṭam annam upānītam aśnāti na hi taṃ vinā ||
Word by word
na caand not
tena vināwithout him (Lakṣmaṇa)
nidrām labhatedoes he get sleep
puruṣa-uttamaḥthe best of men
mṛṣṭam annamdelicious food
upānītambrought to him
aśnātieats
na hi tam vinānot without him
MeaningThe best of men could not fall asleep without him; nor would he eat the delicious food brought to him without him.
ContextFrom the description of the four princes’ childhood. Lakṣmaṇa was Rāma’s “second life outside his body” (bahiḥ-prāṇa).
Philosophical aspectThe love between the Lord and the devotee is mutual: Lakṣmaṇa will not leave Rāma, and Rāma cannot rest without Lakṣmaṇa. Bhakti is not a one-way road.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.19.14Viśvāmitra to Daśaratha
“I know who Rāma is”
अहं वेद्मि महात्मानं रामं सत्यपराक्रमम् ।
वसिष्ठो ऽपि महातेजा ये चेमे तपसि स्थिताः ॥
ahaṃ vedmi mahātmānaṃ rāmaṃ satya-parākramam |
vasiṣṭho 'pi mahā-tejā ye ceme tapasi sthitāḥ ||
Word by word
ahamI
vedmiknow
mahātmānamthe great-souled
rāmamRāma
satya-parākramamwhose valour is true, never fails
vasiṣṭhaḥ apiVasiṣṭha also
mahā-tejāḥof great radiance
ye ca imeand these who
tapasi sthitāḥare established in austerity
MeaningI know the great-souled Rāma, whose valour is truth; so does the radiant Vasiṣṭha, and so do all these who are established in tapas.
ContextDaśaratha sees a child; the sages see who Rāma really is. Viśvāmitra’s claim is not on a boy’s strength but on his nature.
Philosophical aspectParents see the body and its age; the guru sees the Self and its potential. Satya-parākrama — valour founded on truth — is the epithet the whole epic proves.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.23.2Viśvāmitra waking Rāma
Kausalyā suprajā Rāma — the first dawn-song
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते ।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम् ॥
kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrvā sandhyā pravartate |
uttiṣṭha nara-śārdūla kartavyaṃ daivam āhnikam ||
Word by word
kausalyā-suprajāO worthy son of Kausalyā
rāmaRāma
pūrvā sandhyāthe eastern twilight, dawn
pravartateis beginning
uttiṣṭhaarise
nara-śārdūlaO tiger among men
kartavyamto be done
daivam āhnikamthe daily sacred duties
MeaningO Rāma, worthy son of Kausalyā, the dawn is breaking. Arise, tiger among men — the day’s sacred duties are waiting.
ContextThese words, spoken by the guru on the bank of the Sarayū, open the Venkaṭeśa Suprabhātam sung in temples every morning. Even God, born as a man, is woken by his teacher and reminded of his duties.
Philosophical aspectEvery morning is an awakening: from sleep into duty, from the small self into purpose. “Uttiṣṭha” — the same call as the Kaṭha Upaniṣad’s “uttiṣṭhata jāgrata” — arise, awake.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.56.23Viśvāmitra (Kauśika), defeated by Vasiṣṭha
“Fie on a warrior’s strength”
धिग्बलं क्षत्रियबलं ब्रह्मतेजोबलं बलम् ।
एकेन ब्रह्मदण्डेन सर्वास्त्राणि हतानि मे ॥
dhig balaṃ kṣatriya-balaṃ brahma-tejo-balaṃ balam |
ekena brahma-daṇḍena sarvāstrāṇi hatāni me ||
Word by word
dhikfie on
balam kṣatriya-balamstrength — a warrior’s strength
brahma-tejaḥ-balamthe strength of spiritual radiance
balamis (true) strength
ekenaby a single
brahma-daṇḍenastaff of a brāhmaṇa
sarva-astrāṇiall weapons
hatāni meof mine are destroyed
MeaningFie on strength — on a warrior’s strength! The strength of spiritual radiance is strength. By one sage’s staff all my weapons have been destroyed.
ContextKing Kauśika’s cry after every divine weapon he hurled at Vasiṣṭha was swallowed by the sage’s staff. It is the turning point of his life: he renounces his kingdom to become a brahmarṣi.
Philosophical aspectOuter power cannot touch inner power. The verse is a seeker’s awakening: the moment one sees that the only strength worth having is the strength of the spirit — and resolves to win it.
Bāla Kāṇḍa 1.73.26–27Janaka to Rāma
Saha-dharma-carī — Janaka gives Sītā
इयं सीता मम सुता सहधर्मचरी तव ।
प्रतीच्छ चैनाम् भद्रं ते पाणिं गृह्णीष्व पाणिना ॥
पतिव्रता महाभागा छायेवानुगता सदा ॥
iyaṃ sītā mama sutā saha-dharma-carī tava |
pratīccha cainām bhadraṃ te pāṇiṃ gṛhṇīṣva pāṇinā ||
pativratā mahā-bhāgā chāyevānugatā sadā ||
Word by word
iyam sītāthis Sītā
mama sutāmy daughter
saha-dharma-carīone who walks with you in dharma
tavayours
pratīccha ca enāmaccept her
bhadram temay good befall you
pāṇim gṛhṇīṣvatake her hand
pāṇināwith your hand
pati-vratādevoted to her husband
mahā-bhāgāgreatly blessed
chāyā ivalike a shadow
anugatā sadāever following
MeaningThis is my daughter Sītā, your partner in dharma. Accept her — may it go well with you — take her hand in yours. Devoted and blessed, she will follow you always, like your shadow.
ContextSpoken as Janaka places Sītā’s hand in Rāma’s. These verses are recited at weddings to this day. “Like a shadow” is fulfilled literally: Sītā insists on following Rāma into exile.
Philosophical aspectMarriage as a shared spiritual path. The shadow cannot be separated from the body; the jīva that truly loves the Lord follows wherever He goes.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.1.10–11the narrator, describing Rāma
How Rāma speaks
स च नित्यं प्रशान्तात्मा मृदुपूर्वं च भाषते ।
उच्यमानो ऽपि परुषं नोत्तरं प्रतिपद्यते ॥
कथञ्चिदुपकारेण कृतेनैकेन तुष्यति ।
न स्मरत्यपकाराणां शतमप्यात्मवत्तया ॥
sa ca nityaṃ praśāntātmā mṛdu-pūrvaṃ ca bhāṣate |
ucyamāno 'pi paruṣaṃ nottaraṃ pratipadyate ||
kathañcid upakāreṇa kṛtenaikena tuṣyati |
na smaraty apakārāṇāṃ śatam apy ātmavattayā ||
Word by word
saḥ caand he
nityamalways
praśānta-ātmāof tranquil mind
mṛdu-pūrvamgently, and first
bhāṣatespeaks
ucyamānaḥ api paruṣameven when spoken to harshly
na uttaram pratipadyatedoes not retort
kathañcitsomehow, even slightly
ekena upakāreṇa kṛtenaby a single kindness done
tuṣyatihe is pleased
na smaratidoes not remember
apakārāṇām śatam apieven a hundred injuries
ātmavattayābecause of his self-possession
MeaningEver tranquil, he speaks gently and speaks first; even when spoken to harshly he does not answer back. He is pleased by a single kindness done to him somehow, and because he is self-possessed he does not remember even a hundred wrongs.
ContextThe poet’s description of Rāma at the start of the Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa — the qualities the citizens love. Mṛdu-pūrvam also means he is the first to speak (pūrva-bhāṣī): he greets others before they greet him.
Philosophical aspectThe cause is given in one word: ātmavattayā — because he rests in the Self. A mind that is full does not need to hit back, and does not keep accounts of injuries. Gratitude and forgiveness are not techniques; they are the natural behaviour of a contented mind.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.18.28–30Rāma to Kaikeyī
Rāmo dvir nābhibhāṣate — Rāma does not speak twice
अहं हि वचनाद्राज्ञः पतेयमपि पावके ।
भक्षयेयं विषं तीक्ष्णं मज्जेयमपि चार्णवे ॥
तद्ब्रूहि वचनं देवि राज्ञो यदभिकाङ्क्षितम् ।
करिष्ये प्रतिजाने च रामो द्विर्नाभिभाषते ॥
ahaṃ hi vacanād rājñaḥ pateyam api pāvake |
bhakṣayeyaṃ viṣaṃ tīkṣṇaṃ majjeyam api cārṇave ||
tad brūhi vacanaṃ devi rājño yad abhikāṅkṣitam |
kariṣye pratijāne ca rāmo dvir nābhibhāṣate ||
Word by word
aham hiI indeed
vacanāt rājñaḥat the king’s word
pateyam api pāvakewould fall even into fire
bhakṣayeyam viṣam tīkṣṇamwould swallow deadly poison
majjeyam api ca arṇavewould even sink into the sea
tat brūhiso tell me
vacanamthe word
deviO queen
rājñaḥ yat abhikāṅkṣitamthat the king desires
kariṣyeI will do it
pratijāne caand I promise
rāmaḥRāma
dviḥtwice
na abhibhāṣatedoes not speak
MeaningAt the king’s word I would fall into fire, swallow deadly poison, or throw myself into the sea. So tell me, O queen, what the king wishes. I will do it — I promise. Rāma does not speak twice.
ContextRāma commits himself before he even knows what is asked. The last pāda has become a proverb: Rāma’s word, once given, is final; he never needs to say a thing a second time, and never takes it back.
Philosophical aspectSatya is not only not lying; it is making one’s word so reliable that it becomes a fact. The person who “does not speak twice” has become one with his speech — vāk and artha united.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.19.20Rāma to Kaikeyī
“Know me to be like the sages”
नाहमर्थपरो देवि लोकमावस्तुमुत्सहे ।
विद्धि मामृषिभिस्तुल्यं केवलं धर्ममास्थितम् ॥
nāham artha-paro devi lokam āvastum utsahe |
viddhi mām ṛṣibhis tulyaṃ kevalaṃ dharmam āsthitam ||
Word by word
na ahamI am not
artha-paraḥdevoted to wealth
deviO queen
lokam āvastumto live in the world (for its sake)
utsahedo I wish
viddhi māmknow me
ṛṣibhiḥ tulyamto be equal to the sages
kevalamsolely
dharmam āsthitamestablished in dharma
MeaningI do not live for wealth, O queen, nor wish to dwell in the world for its own sake. Know me to be like the sages — established in dharma alone.
ContextRāma’s answer to the sentence of exile. The loss of the kingdom does not touch him because the kingdom was never his goal.
Philosophical aspectFreedom from artha and kāma as ends in themselves: the householder with the heart of a ṛṣi. This is the vairāgya that makes renunciation light — he does not give up the crown; it simply falls away.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.19.33the narrator
No change in his mind
न वनं गन्तुकामस्य त्यजतश्च वसुन्धराम् ।
सर्वलोकातिगस्येव लक्ष्यते चित्तविक्रिया ॥
na vanaṃ gantu-kāmasya tyajataś ca vasundharām |
sarva-lokātigasyeva lakṣyate citta-vikriyā ||
Word by word
na lakṣyatewas not seen
vanam gantu-kāmasyaof him who was set to go to the forest
tyajataḥ ca vasundharāmand was giving up the earth
sarva-loka-atigasya ivaas of one who has gone beyond all worlds
citta-vikriyāany disturbance of mind
MeaningAs he prepared to go to the forest and give up the earth, no disturbance could be seen in his mind — as in one who has risen above all the worlds.
ContextVālmīki’s comment as Rāma leaves Kaikeyī’s chamber. Tradition adds: his face on the morning of the coronation and on the morning of the exile was the same.
Philosophical aspectThe sthita-prajña of the Gītā: one established in the Self is not moved by gain or loss. Sarva-lokātiga — gone beyond all worlds — is how the Upaniṣads describe the jīvan-mukta.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.21.40Rāma to Kausalyā
Dharma is supreme
धर्मो हि परमो लोके धर्मे सत्यं प्रतिष्ठितम् ।
धर्मसंश्रितमेतच्च पितुर्वचनमुत्तमम् ॥
dharmo hi paramo loke dharme satyaṃ pratiṣṭhitam |
dharma-saṃśritam etac ca pitur vacanam uttamam ||
Word by word
dharmaḥ hidharma indeed
paramaḥ lokeis supreme in the world
dharmein dharma
satyamtruth
pratiṣṭhitamis established
dharma-saṃśritamrests on dharma
etat caand this
pituḥ vacanamfather’s word
uttamamis supreme (binding)
MeaningDharma is supreme in the world, and truth is established in dharma. This word of my father rests on dharma and is supremely binding.
ContextKausalyā argues that a mother’s word equals a father’s; Rāma does not dismiss her but places both under dharma. The father’s promise binds because it is a promise.
Philosophical aspectSatya and dharma hold each other up: truth is the foundation of right action, and right action is truth lived. A society’s order rests on kept promises.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.25.32Kausalyā to Rāma
A mother’s blessing
यन् मङ्गलं सहस्राक्षे सर्वदेवनमस्कृते ।
वृत्रनाशे समभवत्तत्ते भवतु मङ्गलम् ॥
yan maṅgalaṃ sahasrākṣe sarva-deva-namaskṛte |
vṛtra-nāśe samabhavat tat te bhavatu maṅgalam ||
Word by word
yat maṅgalamthe auspiciousness that
sahasra-akṣein the thousand-eyed (Indra)
sarva-deva-namaskṛteworshipped by all the gods
vṛtra-nāśeat the destruction of Vṛtra
samabhavatarose
tatthat
teto you
bhavatu maṅgalammay it be auspicious
MeaningThe blessing that came to thousand-eyed Indra, worshipped by all the gods, when he destroyed Vṛtra — may that blessing be yours.
ContextFrom Kausalyā’s svasty-ayana — the long series of blessings with which she sends Rāma into exile, once she has accepted that he must go. The series is still recited as a blessing for travellers.
Philosophical aspectLove that has let go becomes blessing. Kausalyā moves from “stay” to “go well”: the shift from attachment to goodwill that every parent, and every seeker, has to make.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.27.6–7Sītā to Rāma
“I will walk ahead of you”
अग्रतस्ते गमिष्यामि मृद्नन्ती कुशकण्टकान् ।
ईर्ष्यारोषौ बहिष्कृत्य भुक्तशेषमिवोदकम् ॥
agratas te gamiṣyāmi mṛdnantī kuśa-kaṇṭakān |
īrṣyā-roṣau bahiṣkṛtya bhukta-śeṣam ivodakam ||
Word by word
agrataḥ tein front of you
gamiṣyāmiI will go
mṛdnantīcrushing
kuśa-kaṇṭakānthe kuśa grass and thorns
īrṣyā-roṣaujealousy and anger
bahiṣkṛtyacasting out
bhukta-śeṣam udakam ivalike water left after a meal
MeaningI will go ahead of you, trampling the thorns and the sharp kuśa grass, casting out every jealousy and resentment like the water left over after a meal.
ContextSītā will not stay behind; she will not even walk behind. Her argument in this sarga is that a wife’s dharma is to share her husband’s lot, and that the forest with Rāma is better than a palace without him.
Philosophical aspectThe devotee does not follow the Lord from a distance; she clears His path. Notice what she promises to throw away first: jealousy and anger, the two feelings that would make the hardship bitter.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.40.9Sumitrā to Lakṣmaṇa
Sumitrā’s blessing — “the forest is Ayodhyā”
रामं दशरथं विद्धि मां विद्धि जनकात्मजाम् ।
अयोध्यामटवीं विद्धि गच्छ तात यथासुखम् ॥
rāmaṃ daśarathaṃ viddhi māṃ viddhi janakātmajām |
ayodhyām aṭavīṃ viddhi gaccha tāta yathā-sukham ||
Word by word
rāmamRāma
daśaratham viddhiknow to be Daśaratha (your father)
mām viddhiknow to be me (your mother)
janaka-ātmajāmJanaka’s daughter, Sītā
ayodhyām viddhiknow to be Ayodhyā
aṭavīmthe forest
gacchago
tātamy child
yathā-sukhamhappily
MeaningLook on Rāma as your father Daśaratha, on Sītā as me, and on the forest as Ayodhyā. Go, my son, and be happy.
ContextSumitrā, the quietest of the three queens, says the wisest thing in the kāṇḍa. Commentators read a second meaning: “Know Rāma to be Viṣṇu (who rests on Garuḍa, daśa-ratha), Sītā to be Lakṣmī (mā), and the forest where they are to be Vaikuṇṭha (a-yodhyā).”
Philosophical aspectHome is not a place but a presence. When the heart is with the Lord, every place is Ayodhyā; when it is not, even Ayodhyā is a forest.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.63.6Daśaratha to Kausalyā
One reaps what one sows
यदाचरति कल्याणि शुभं वा यदि वाशुभम् ।
तदेव लभते भद्रे कर्ता कर्मजमात्मनः ॥
yad ācarati kalyāṇi śubhaṃ vā yadi vāśubham |
tad eva labhate bhadre kartā karma-jam ātmanaḥ ||
Word by word
yat ācaratiwhatever one does
kalyāṇiO auspicious one
śubham vāgood
yadi vā aśubhamor bad
tat evathat alone
labhatereceives
bhadreO gentle lady
kartāthe doer
karma-jamborn of the action
ātmanaḥhis own
MeaningWhatever one does, good or bad, O gentle lady, that alone the doer receives — the fruit born of his own action.
ContextSpoken by the dying king as he tells Kausalyā how he killed the young ascetic by mistake and was cursed to die grieving for his son.
Philosophical aspectThe law of karma in one line. Daśaratha does not blame Kaikeyī, fate or the gods; he sees his own past act returning. Responsibility is the beginning of peace.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.100.19Rāma to Bharata
Small cost, great result — and no delay
कच्चिदर्थं विनिश्चित्य लघुमूलं महोदयम् ।
क्षिप्रमारभसे कर्तुं न दीर्घयसि राघव ॥
kaccid arthaṃ viniścitya laghu-mūlaṃ mahodayam |
kṣipram ārabhase kartuṃ na dīrghayasi rāghava ||
Word by word
kaccitI hope that
artham viniścityahaving decided on a matter
laghu-mūlamof small cost
mahā-udayamof great result
kṣipramquickly
ārabhase kartumyou begin to do it
na dīrghayasiand do not delay
rāghavaO descendant of Raghu
MeaningI hope that, having decided on an undertaking that costs little and yields much, you begin it at once and do not delay, O Rāghava.
ContextOne of the many questions of the “kaccit” sarga, in which Rāma, meeting Bharata in the forest, asks him how the kingdom is governed — a whole manual of administration.
Philosophical aspectViveka in action: weigh means against ends, and once the decision is right, act without procrastination. Dīrgha-sūtratā — dragging things out — is named in the Gītā (18.28) as a mark of tāmasic action.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.105.16Rāma to Bharata
All that rises must fall
सर्वे क्षयान्ता निचयाः पतनान्ताः समुच्छ्रयाः ।
संयोगा विप्रयोगान्ता मरणान्तं च जीवितम् ॥
sarve kṣayāntā nicayāḥ patanāntāḥ samucchrayāḥ |
saṃyogā viprayogāntā maraṇāntaṃ ca jīvitam ||
Word by word
sarveall
nicayāḥaccumulations
kṣaya-antāḥend in loss
samucchrayāḥrisings, elevations
patana-antāḥend in falling
saṃyogāḥunions, meetings
viprayoga-antāḥend in separation
jīvitam caand life
maraṇa-antamends in death
MeaningAll accumulation ends in loss, all rising ends in falling, all meeting ends in parting, and life ends in death.
ContextThe heart of Rāma’s consolation to Bharata at Citrakūṭa after the news of Daśaratha’s death. The verses around it compare the days of life to waves that do not return, and say that we grieve for the dead while we ourselves are dying every day.
Philosophical aspectThe Upaniṣadic insight into anitya — impermanence — taught not as gloom but as the cure for grief. What is in the nature of things is not to be mourned but understood; then the mind is free to do its duty.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.105.21–22Rāma to Bharata
Death walks with us
आत्मानमनुशोच त्वं किमन्यमनुशोचसि ।
आयुस्ते हीयते यस्य स्थितस्य च गतस्य च ॥
सहैव मृत्युर्व्रजति सह मृत्युर्निषीदति ।
गत्वा सुदीर्घमध्वानं सह मृत्युर्निवर्तते ॥
ātmānam anuśoca tvaṃ kim anyam anuśocasi |
āyus te hīyate yasya sthitasya ca gatasya ca ||
sahaiva mṛtyur vrajati saha mṛtyur niṣīdati |
gatvā sudīrgham adhvānaṃ saha mṛtyur nivartate ||
Word by word
ātmānam anuśoca tvamgrieve for yourself
kim anyam anuśocasiwhy grieve for another?
āyuḥ te hīyateyour life is ebbing
yasyayou whose (life)
sthitasya ca gatasya cawhether you stand still or move
saha evatogether with you
mṛtyuḥ vrajatideath walks
saha mṛtyuḥ niṣīdatideath sits down with you
gatvā sudīrgham adhvānamhaving gone a very long way
saha mṛtyuḥ nivartatedeath returns with you
MeaningGrieve for yourself — why grieve for another? Your own life is ebbing away, whether you stand or move. Death walks with us, death sits with us; go as far as we may, death comes back with us.
ContextFrom Rāma’s consolation to Bharata at Citrakūṭa, just before the verse on all that rises falling.
Philosophical aspectThe turn from grief to self-enquiry. We mourn the dead as if death had happened to them; it is happening to us every moment. This is the Kaṭha Upaniṣad’s teaching in a single image — the awareness of death that wakes one up to the Self.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.105.26–27Rāma to Bharata
Two logs on the ocean
यथा काष्ठं च काष्ठं च समेयातां महार्णवे ।
समेत्य च व्यपेयातां कालमासाद्य कञ्चन ॥
एवं भार्याश्च पुत्राश्च ज्ञातयश्च वसूनि च ।
समेत्य व्यवधावन्ति ध्रुवो ह्येषां विनाभवः ॥
yathā kāṣṭhaṃ ca kāṣṭhaṃ ca sameyātāṃ mahārṇave |
sametya ca vyapeyātāṃ kālam āsādya kañcana ||
evaṃ bhāryāś ca putrāś ca jñātayaś ca vasūni ca |
sametya vyavadhāvanti dhruvo hy eṣāṃ vinā-bhavaḥ ||
Word by word
yathājust as
kāṣṭham ca kāṣṭham caone log and another
sameyātāmmay meet
mahā-arṇavein the great ocean
sametya caand having met
vyapeyātāmdrift apart
kālam āsādya kañcanaafter some time
evamso too
bhāryāḥ ca putrāḥ cawives and sons
jñātayaḥ ca vasūni carelatives and wealth
sametya vyavadhāvantimeet and run apart
dhruvaḥ hicertain indeed
eṣām vinā-bhavaḥis their separation
MeaningAs two logs meet in the great ocean and, having met, drift apart after a while — so wives, sons, kinsmen and wealth come together and part; their separation is certain.
ContextOne of the most quoted images in Indian literature, from the same discourse at Citrakūṭa. The Mahābhārata and the Purāṇas repeat it.
Philosophical aspectRelationships are real but not permanent; to love without clinging is to remember the ocean. This is vairāgya without coldness: Rāma weeps for his father and in the same breath teaches this verse.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.109.4Rāma to Jābāli
Conduct alone reveals a person
कुलीनमकुलीनं वा वीरं पुरुषमानिनम् ।
चारित्रमेव व्याख्याति शुचिं वा यदि वाशुचिम् ॥
kulīnam akulīnaṃ vā vīraṃ puruṣa-māninam |
cāritram eva vyākhyāti śuciṃ vā yadi vāśucim ||
Word by word
kulīnamone of noble birth
akulīnam vāor of low birth
vīrama hero
puruṣa-māninamor one who only thinks himself a man
cāritram evaconduct alone
vyākhyātireveals
śucim vāwhether pure
yadi vā aśucimor impure
MeaningWhether a man is noble or base, a hero or a mere braggart, pure or impure — his conduct alone reveals it.
ContextRāma’s opening reply to the materialist Jābāli, who urged him to break his word and take the kingdom.
Philosophical aspectCharacter is shown, not claimed. Birth, reputation and self-image prove nothing; what we do under pressure is who we are. The whole Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa illustrates this verse.
Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 2.109.13Rāma to Jābāli
Satyam eveśvaro loke — truth is God in the world
सत्यमेवेश्वरो लोके सत्ये धर्मः सदाश्रितः ।
सत्यमूलानि सर्वाणि सत्यान् नास्ति परं पदम् ॥
satyam eveśvaro loke satye dharmaḥ sadāśritaḥ |
satya-mūlāni sarvāṇi satyān nāsti paraṃ padam ||
Word by word
satyam evatruth alone
īśvaraḥis the Lord
lokein the world
satyein truth
dharmaḥdharma
sadā āśritaḥalways rests
satya-mūlānirooted in truth
sarvāṇiare all things
satyātthan truth
na astithere is not
param padama higher state
MeaningTruth alone is the Lord in this world; dharma always rests on truth. Everything is rooted in truth; there is no state higher than truth.
ContextSome editions read the second pāda as satyaṃ padmā samāśritā — “on truth Lakṣmī (prosperity) rests”. Jābāli has argued that this life is all and a dead father’s promise is nothing — enjoy the kingdom. Rāma rejects the argument with anger and gives the epic’s strongest statement on satya.
Philosophical aspectVedānta’s highest name for Brahman is Satyam. Rāma’s point is also practical: if the king breaks his word, the people learn to break theirs — yathā rājā tathā prajā.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.9.3–4Sītā to Rāma
Three faults born of desire
त्रीण्येव व्यसनान्यत्र कामजानि भवन्त्युत ।
मिथ्यावाक्यं तु परमं तस्माद्गुरुतरावुभौ ॥
परदाराभिगमनं विना वैरं च रौद्रता ।
trīṇy eva vyasanāny atra kāmajāni bhavanty uta |
mithyā-vākyaṃ tu paramaṃ tasmād gurutarāv ubhau ||
para-dārābhigamanaṃ vinā vairaṃ ca raudratā |
Word by word
trīṇi evathree only
vyasanānivices
atrain this world
kāma-jāniborn of desire
bhavanti utathere are
mithyā-vākyam tufalse speech
paramamis the first
tasmāt gurutarau ubhaugraver than that are the other two
para-dāra-abhigamanamapproaching another’s wife
vinā vairamwithout enmity
ca raudratāand violence
MeaningThree vices are born of desire in this world: false speech is the first, and graver than it are the other two — going to another’s wife, and violence without enmity.
ContextSītā, walking into the Daṇḍaka forest, gently warns Rāma: he is free of the first two, but carrying weapons among ascetics may lead him into the third.
Philosophical aspectA compact psychology of desire: it shows itself in speech, in lust and in cruelty. Sītā’s point is subtle — even a good person can drift into violence simply by the company of weapons. Our tools shape our minds.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.10.3Rāma to Sītā
Why a warrior carries a bow
क्षत्रियैर्धार्यते चापो नार्तशब्दो भवेदिति ।
kṣatriyair dhāryate cāpo nārta-śabdo bhaved iti |
Word by word
kṣatriyaiḥby kṣatriyas, warriors
dhāryateis borne
cāpaḥthe bow
na ārta-śabdaḥno cry of the distressed
bhavet itimay there be — so that
MeaningKṣatriyas carry the bow so that no cry of the distressed may be heard.
ContextRāma’s answer to Sītā’s fear that carrying weapons in a forest of ascetics will make him violent. He is quoting the warrior’s creed.
Philosophical aspectPower is justified only by protection. Strength that does not serve the weak is mere force — the difference between Rāma and Rāvaṇa is not strength but its purpose.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.10.18–19Rāma to Sītā
A promise above life
अप्यहं जीवितं जह्यां त्वां वा सीते सलक्ष्मणाम् ।
न तु प्रतिज्ञां संश्रुत्य ब्राह्मणेभ्यो विशेषतः ॥
apy ahaṃ jīvitaṃ jahyāṃ tvāṃ vā sīte sa-lakṣmaṇām |
na tu pratijñāṃ saṃśrutya brāhmaṇebhyo viśeṣataḥ ||
Word by word
api ahamI would even
jīvitam jahyāmgive up my life
tvām vāor you
sīteO Sītā
sa-lakṣmaṇāmtogether with Lakṣmaṇa
na tubut never
pratijñāma promise
saṃśrutyahaving given
brāhmaṇebhyaḥto the brāhmaṇas
viśeṣataḥespecially
MeaningI could give up my life, Sītā, or even you and Lakṣmaṇa — but never a promise once given, especially one given to the sages.
ContextSpoken with tenderness: Rāma first thanks Sītā for her counsel, then explains why he cannot follow it. The verse is often misread out of context; its point is not that Sītā matters less, but that a promise to the defenceless is a promise to dharma itself.
Philosophical aspectPratijñā-pālana — keeping one’s vow — is the backbone of Rāma’s character. Nothing he loves is placed above his word, because his word is what makes him trustworthy to all.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.37.2Mārīca to Rāvaṇa
Pleasant talkers are many
सुलभाः पुरुषा राजन् सततं प्रियवादिनः ।
अप्रियस्य च पथ्यस्य वक्ता श्रोता च दुर्लभः ॥
sulabhāḥ puruṣā rājan satataṃ priya-vādinaḥ |
apriyasya ca pathyasya vaktā śrotā ca durlabhaḥ ||
Word by word
sulabhāḥeasy to find
puruṣāḥare men
rājanO king
satatamalways
priya-vādinaḥwho speak pleasantly
apriyasya ca pathyasyaof what is unpleasant but wholesome
vaktāone who speaks
śrotā caand one who listens
durlabhaḥis hard to find
MeaningO king, people who always say what is pleasant are easy to find. But one who speaks what is unpleasant yet good for you — and one who will listen to it — is rare.
ContextMārīca’s opening words when Rāvaṇa asks him to become the golden deer. Vibhīṣaṇa repeats the same verse to Rāvaṇa in the Yuddha Kāṇḍa.
Philosophical aspectŚreyas and preyas — the good and the pleasant — from the Kaṭha Upaniṣad, applied to counsel. The tragedy of Rāvaṇa is not lack of good advice but lack of a listener.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.37.13Mārīca to Rāvaṇa
Rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ — Rāma is dharma embodied
रामो विग्रहवान् धर्मः साधुः सत्यपराक्रमः ।
राजा सर्वस्य लोकस्य देवानामिव वासवः ॥
rāmo vigrahavān dharmaḥ sādhuḥ satya-parākramaḥ |
rājā sarvasya lokasya devānām iva vāsavaḥ ||
Word by word
rāmaḥRāma
vigrahavānhaving a body, embodied
dharmaḥis dharma
sādhuḥgood, noble
satya-parākramaḥwhose prowess is truth
rājāthe king
sarvasya lokasyaof the whole world
devānām iva vāsavaḥas Indra is of the gods
MeaningRāma is dharma embodied — noble, his valour rooted in truth. He is king of the whole world, as Indra is of the gods.
ContextPraise from an enemy, who had been on the receiving end of Rāma’s arrows twice. It is the single most quoted line about Rāma’s character.
Philosophical aspectDharma is not a set of rules but a way of being; Rāma is what dharma looks like when it walks. The study of his life is therefore the study of dharma.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.47.37Sītā to Rāvaṇa
“You cannot touch me — I am the sun’s light”
त्वं पुनर्जम्बुकः सिंहीं मामिहेच्छसि दुर्लभाम् ।
नाहं शक्या त्वया स्प्रष्टुमादित्यस्य प्रभा यथा ॥
tvaṃ punar jambukaḥ siṃhīṃ mām ihecchasi durlabhām |
nāhaṃ śakyā tvayā spraṣṭum ādityasya prabhā yathā ||
Word by word
tvam punaḥand you
jambukaḥa jackal
siṃhīm māmme, a lioness
iha icchasiwant here
durlabhāmwho is beyond your reach
na aham śakyāI cannot be
tvayā spraṣṭumtouched by you
ādityasya prabhā yathājust as the light of the sun
MeaningYou — a jackal — want me, a lioness, who is beyond your reach. You can no more touch me than you can touch the light of the sun.
ContextSītā’s answer when Rāvaṇa, having dropped his ascetic’s disguise, asks her to be his queen. She is alone and he is about to seize her; she does not plead.
Philosophical aspectThe same image she will use again in Laṅkā (5.21.15): she is the sun’s light, inseparable from Rāma. Purity is not fragility; the jīva that knows its source cannot be possessed.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.47.45Sītā to Rāvaṇa
The difference between Rāma and you
यदन्तरं सिंहशृगालयोर्वने
यदन्तरं स्यन्दनिकासमुद्रयोः ।
सुराग्र्यसौवीरकयोर्यदन्तरं
तदन्तरं दाशरथेस्तवैव च ॥
yad antaraṃ siṃha-śṛgālayor vane
yad antaraṃ syandanikā-samudrayoḥ |
surāgrya-sauvīrakayor yad antaraṃ
tad antaraṃ dāśarathes tavaiva ca ||
Word by word
yat antaramthe difference that is
siṃha-śṛgālayoḥ vanebetween a lion and a jackal in the forest
syandanikā-samudrayoḥbetween a trickle and the ocean
sura-agrya-sauvīrakayoḥbetween the finest nectar and sour gruel
tat antaramthat is the difference
dāśaratheḥ tava eva cabetween Rāma and you
MeaningAs a lion differs from a jackal in the forest, as the ocean from a trickle, as the finest nectar from sour gruel — so does Daśaratha’s son differ from you.
ContextFrom Sītā’s defiance of Rāvaṇa at the hermitage, in a longer metre (upajāti) that rises with her anger.
Philosophical aspectDiscrimination (viveka) between the real and the counterfeit: the ego, however magnificent, is a jackal beside the Self. Sītā is never deceived about the difference, even while being carried away.
Araṇya Kāṇḍa 3.50.8Jaṭāyu to Rāvaṇa
Protect another’s wife as your own
न तत्समाचरेद्धीरो यत्परो ऽस्य विगर्हयेत् ।
यथात्मनस्तथान्येषां दारा रक्ष्या विमर्शनात् ॥
na tat samācared dhīro yat paro 'sya vigarhayet |
yathātmanas tathānyeṣāṃ dārā rakṣyā vimarśanāt ||
Word by word
na tat samācaretone should not do that
dhīraḥthe wise
yat paraḥ asya vigarhayetwhich another would condemn in him
yathā ātmanaḥas one’s own
tathā anyeṣāmso those of others
dārāḥ rakṣyāḥwives are to be protected
vimarśanātfrom violation
MeaningThe wise do nothing that others would condemn. As one’s own wife must be protected from violation, so must the wives of others.
ContextThe old vulture’s warning to Rāvaṇa before he attacks him — “I am old and unarmed, but while I live you shall not take her.”
Philosophical aspectThe golden rule in its oldest form: treat others as you would have yours treated. Jaṭāyu, a bird, teaches dharma to the learned king of Laṅkā — wisdom is not a matter of species or learning but of seeing others as oneself.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.3.28–29Rāma to Lakṣmaṇa
Rāma on Hanumān’s speech
नानृग्वेदविनीतस्य नायजुर्वेदधारिणः ।
नासामवेदविदुषः शक्यमेवं विभाषितुम् ॥
नूनं व्याकरणं कृत्स्नमनेन बहुधा श्रुतम् ।
बहु व्याहरतानेन न किञ्चिदपशब्दितम् ॥
nānṛg-veda-vinītasya nāyajur-veda-dhāriṇaḥ |
nāsāma-veda-viduṣaḥ śakyam evaṃ vibhāṣitum ||
nūnaṃ vyākaraṇaṃ kṛtsnam anena bahudhā śrutam |
bahu vyāharatānena na kiñcid apaśabditam ||
Word by word
na an-ṛg-veda-vinītasyanot for one untrained in the Ṛgveda
na a-yajur-veda-dhāriṇaḥnor one who has not mastered the Yajurveda
na a-sāma-veda-viduṣaḥnor one who does not know the Sāmaveda
śakyamis it possible
evam vibhāṣitumto speak like this
nūnamsurely
vyākaraṇam kṛtsnamthe whole of grammar
anenaby him
bahudhā śrutamhas been learnt in many ways
bahu vyāharatā anenathough he has spoken much
na kiñcit apaśabditamnot one word was wrong
MeaningNo one untrained in the Ṛg, not versed in the Yajur, not learned in the Sāma Veda could speak like this. Surely he has studied the whole of grammar many times — he has said much, and not a single word is faulty.
ContextRāma goes on to praise Hanumān’s voice, his calm face and the measured flow of his words. This is the first impression Hanumān makes — through speech.
Philosophical aspectSpeech reveals the mind. Clarity, correctness and calm in words come from clarity and calm within. The epic’s great servant is first of all a great scholar.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.6.22–23Lakṣmaṇa to Rāma
“I know only her anklets”
नाहं जानामि केयूरे नाहं जानामि कुण्डले ।
नूपुरे त्वभिजानामि नित्यं पादाभिवन्दनात् ॥
nāhaṃ jānāmi keyūre nāhaṃ jānāmi kuṇḍale |
nūpure tv abhijānāmi nityaṃ pādābhivandanāt ||
Word by word
na aham jānāmiI do not know
keyūrethe two armlets
kuṇḍalethe two earrings
nūpure tubut the anklets
abhijānāmiI recognise
nityamdaily
pāda-abhivandanātfrom bowing at her feet
MeaningI do not know the armlets, nor do I know the earrings; but the anklets I recognise, from bowing at her feet every day.
ContextAsked to identify Sītā’s jewels, Lakṣmaṇa can recognise only those she wore on her feet. In fourteen years he never raised his eyes to her face.
Philosophical aspectReverence is a discipline of the eyes as much as the heart. Lakṣmaṇa is the model of a mind that sees the divine in the other and keeps the right distance — brahmacarya as respect.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.8.9Sugrīva to Rāma
What friends give up for each other
धनत्यागः सुखत्यागो देशत्यागो ऽपि वानघ ।
वयस्यार्थे प्रवर्तन्ते स्नेहं दृष्ट्वा तथाविधम् ॥
dhana-tyāgaḥ sukha-tyāgo deśa-tyāgo 'pi vānagha |
vayasyārthe pravartante snehaṃ dṛṣṭvā tathā-vidham ||
Word by word
dhana-tyāgaḥgiving up wealth
sukha-tyāgaḥgiving up comfort
deśa-tyāgaḥ api vāeven giving up one’s homeland
anaghaO sinless one
vayasya-arthefor a friend’s sake
pravartantepeople undertake
sneham dṛṣṭvāseeing affection
tathā-vidhamof that kind
MeaningO sinless one, for a friend’s sake people give up wealth, comfort, even their homeland — when they see affection of that kind.
ContextSugrīva, newly bound to Rāma by the vow before the fire, speaks of what true friendship asks.
Philosophical aspectFriendship as tyāga — giving up. The measure of a bond is what one will let go of for it. Rāma will give up a great deal of his reputation for this friend.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.8.21Rāma to Sugrīva
A friend helps; an enemy harms
उपकारफलं मित्रमपकारो ऽरिलक्षणम् ।
अद्यैव तं वधिष्यामि तव भार्यापहारिणम् ॥
upakāra-phalaṃ mitram apakāro 'ri-lakṣaṇam |
adyaiva taṃ vadhiṣyāmi tava bhāryāpahāriṇam ||
Word by word
upakāra-phalamwhose fruit is help
mitramis a friend
apakāraḥharm
ari-lakṣaṇamis the mark of an enemy
adya evathis very day
tam vadhiṣyāmiI will kill him
tava bhāryā-apahāriṇamwho has taken away your wife
MeaningThe fruit of friendship is help; harm is the mark of an enemy. This very day I will kill the one who took away your wife.
ContextRāma’s pledge to Sugrīva after hearing his story. He is himself a man whose wife has been taken.
Philosophical aspectFriendship is known by its fruit, not its words. Rāma’s promise is immediate and concrete — the same quality of word that took him into exile.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.18.18–19Rāma to Vāli
Why Vāli was punished
तदेतत्कारणं पश्य यदर्थं त्वं मया हतः ।
भ्रातुर्वर्तसि भार्यायां त्यक्त्वा धर्मं सनातनम् ॥
अस्य त्वं धरमाणस्य सुग्रीवस्य महात्मनः ।
रुमायां वर्तसे कामात्स्नुषायां पापकर्मकृत् ॥
tad etat kāraṇaṃ paśya yad-arthaṃ tvaṃ mayā hataḥ |
bhrātur vartasi bhāryāyāṃ tyaktvā dharmaṃ sanātanam ||
asya tvaṃ dharamāṇasya sugrīvasya mahātmanaḥ |
rumāyāṃ vartase kāmāt snuṣāyāṃ pāpa-karma-kṛt ||
Word by word
tat etat kāraṇam paśyasee the reason
yat-arthamfor which
tvam mayā hataḥyou were struck down by me
bhrātuḥ bhāryāyām vartasiyou live with your brother’s wife
tyaktvāabandoning
dharmam sanātanamthe eternal dharma
asya dharamāṇasyawhile this one is alive
sugrīvasya mahātmanaḥof the great-souled Sugrīva
rumāyāmwith Rumā
vartase kāmātyou live out of lust
snuṣāyāmwho is like a daughter-in-law
pāpa-karma-kṛtO doer of sin
MeaningHere is the reason I struck you down: abandoning eternal dharma, you live with your brother’s wife. While the great-souled Sugrīva lives, you, doer of evil, live out of lust with Rumā, who should be to you as a daughter-in-law.
ContextPart of Rāma’s long reply to Vāli’s accusations (4.17). He also argues that Bharata rules the earth and he acts as his agent, and that kings may strike wrongdoers as hunters strike game.
Philosophical aspectThe epic does not ask us to accept the answer blindly; it gives both sides at length. What it insists on is that the crime against a brother’s wife — the very crime Rāvaṇa commits against Rāma — is the deepest violation of dharma, and that the king must act against it.
Kiṣkindhā Kāṇḍa 4.30.81 (repeated by Lakṣmaṇa, 4.34.18)Rāma’s message to Sugrīva
“The path Vāli took is not closed”
न स सङ्कुचितः पन्था येन वाली हतो गतः ।
समये तिष्ठ सुग्रीव मा वालिपथमन्वगाः ॥
na sa saṅkucitaḥ panthā yena vālī hato gataḥ |
samaye tiṣṭha sugrīva mā vāli-patham anvagāḥ ||
Word by word
na saḥ saṅkucitaḥit has not narrowed
panthāḥthe path
yenaby which
vālī hataḥ gataḥthe slain Vāli went
samaye tiṣṭhakeep to your agreement
sugrīvaO Sugrīva
mādo not
vāli-patham anvagāḥfollow Vāli’s path
MeaningThe path by which Vāli went when he was slain has not grown narrow. Keep to your agreement, Sugrīva — do not follow Vāli’s path.
ContextWhen Sugrīva, restored to his kingdom, forgets his promise through four months of rain and pleasure, Rāma sends Lakṣmaṇa with this message.
Philosophical aspectGratitude forgotten in comfort is the commonest fault. The Lord’s patience is real, and so is his firmness: a promise made to him is a promise to dharma.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.1.39Hanumān, before the leap
“Like an arrow loosed by Rāma”
यथा राघवनिर्मुक्तः शरः श्वसनविक्रमः ।
गच्छेत्तद्वद्गमिष्यामि लङ्कां रावणपालिताम् ॥
yathā rāghava-nirmuktaḥ śaraḥ śvasana-vikramaḥ |
gacchet tadvad gamiṣyāmi laṅkāṃ rāvaṇa-pālitām ||
Word by word
yathājust as
rāghava-nirmuktaḥreleased by Rāma
śaraḥan arrow
śvasana-vikramaḥwith the speed of the wind
gacchetwould go
tadvatso
gamiṣyāmishall I go
laṅkāmto Laṅkā
rāvaṇa-pālitāmruled by Rāvaṇa
MeaningAs an arrow loosed by Rāma flies with the speed of the wind, so shall I go to Laṅkā, ruled by Rāvaṇa.
ContextHanumān’s words to the monkeys as he prepares to leap from Mount Mahendra.
Philosophical aspectThe devotee does not see himself as the doer; he is the arrow, Rāma is the archer. This is the Gītā’s nimitta-mātram bhava — be only an instrument — and it is why he cannot fail.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.1.198the beings of the sky, praising Hanumān
The four secrets of success
यस्य त्वेतानि चत्वारि वानरेन्द्र यथा तव ।
धृतिर्दृष्टिर्मतिर्दाक्ष्यं स कर्मसु न सीदति ॥
yasya tv etāni catvāri vānarendra yathā tava |
dhṛtir dṛṣṭir matir dākṣyaṃ sa karmasu na sīdati ||
Word by word
yasya tuhe in whom
etāni catvārithese four
vānara-indraO best of monkeys
yathā tavaas in you
dhṛtiḥsteadiness, fortitude
dṛṣṭiḥvision, foresight
matiḥintelligence
dākṣyamskill, dexterity
saḥhe
karmasuin his undertakings
na sīdatidoes not fail
MeaningO best of monkeys, one who has these four, as you do — steadiness, vision, intelligence and skill — never fails in what he undertakes.
ContextSpoken after Hanumān destroys Siṃhikā from within. (Numbering follows the southern recension; some editions place it a few verses earlier.)
Philosophical aspectA complete psychology of action: dhṛti holds the will, dṛṣṭi sees the goal and the obstacles, mati decides, dākṣya executes. Remove any one and effort fails.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.12.10Hanumān to himself
Anirvedaḥ śriyo mūlam — never give up
अनिर्वेदः श्रियो मूलमनिर्वेदः परं सुखम् ।
अनिर्वेदो हि सततं सर्वार्थेषु प्रवर्तकः ॥
anirvedaḥ śriyo mūlam anirvedaḥ paraṃ sukham |
anirvedo hi satataṃ sarvārtheṣu pravartakaḥ ||
Word by word
anirvedaḥnon-despondency, not giving up
śriyaḥ mūlamis the root of success
param sukhamthe highest happiness
anirvedaḥ hinot giving up indeed
satatamalways
sarva-artheṣuin all undertakings
pravartakaḥis what drives one on
MeaningNot giving up is the root of success; not giving up is the highest happiness. It is not giving up that always drives one on in every undertaking.
ContextAt his lowest point, having searched all Laṅkā in vain and thinking of death, Hanumān pulls himself back with this verse — and then sees the Aśoka grove.
Philosophical aspectNirveda is the collapse of the will; anirveda is its recovery. In Vedānta, nirveda in the sense of disenchantment with the world is good (Muṇḍaka 1.2.12), but despondency in the face of a duty is not. The verse is the epic’s mantra for every seeker in a dark hour.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.16.27Hanumān, to himself
Hanumān sees Sītā — and understands Rāma
दुष्करं कुरुते रामो हीनो यदनया प्रभुः ।
धारयत्यात्मनो देहं न दुःखेनावसीदति ॥
duṣkaraṃ kurute rāmo hīno yad anayā prabhuḥ |
dhārayaty ātmano dehaṃ na duḥkhenāvasīdati ||
Word by word
duṣkarama hard thing
kurute rāmaḥRāma is doing
hīnaḥ yat anayāin that, deprived of her
prabhuḥthe lord
dhārayatihe sustains
ātmanaḥ dehamhis own body
na duḥkhena avasīdatiand does not collapse in grief
MeaningRāma is doing something very hard: deprived of her, the lord still keeps himself alive and does not sink under his grief.
ContextHanumān’s thought on first seeing Sītā in the Aśoka grove — her beauty and goodness make him understand the depth of Rāma’s loss.
Philosophical aspectTo bear grief and go on doing one’s duty is a greater feat than any battle. Hanumān sees Rāma’s endurance as part of his greatness.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.21.15Sītā to Rāvaṇa
“As light belongs to the sun”
अशक्या लोभयितुं नाहमैश्वर्येण धनेन वा ।
अनन्या राघवेणाहं भास्करेण प्रभा यथा ॥
aśakyā lobhayituṃ nāham aiśvaryeṇa dhanena vā |
ananyā rāghaveṇāhaṃ bhāskareṇa prabhā yathā ||
Word by word
aśakyānot possible
lobhayitumto be tempted
na ahamI am not
aiśvaryeṇaby power
dhanena vāor by wealth
ananyānot other, inseparable
rāghaveṇafrom Rāma
ahamI
bhāskareṇafrom the sun
prabhā yathāas light
MeaningI cannot be tempted by power or by wealth. I am not separate from Rāma, as light is not separate from the sun.
ContextSītā’s answer to Rāvaṇa in the Aśoka grove, spoken across a blade of grass she places between them.
Philosophical aspectAnanyā — “not other”. This is the language of Vedānta: the relationship of the jīva to the Lord as of light to its source. What is one with the sun cannot be bought by a lamp.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.21.16Sītā to Rāvaṇa
“How could I rest on another’s arm?”
उपधाय भुजं तस्य लोकनाथस्य सत्कृतम् ।
कथं नामोपधास्यामि भुजमन्यस्य कस्यचित् ॥
upadhāya bhujaṃ tasya loka-nāthasya satkṛtam |
kathaṃ nāmopadhāsyāmi bhujam anyasya kasyacit ||
Word by word
upadhāyahaving used as a pillow
bhujamthe arm
tasya loka-nāthasyaof that lord of the world
satkṛtamhonoured
katham nāmahow indeed
upadhāsyāmishall I use as a pillow
bhujam anyasya kasyacitthe arm of anyone else
MeaningHaving rested my head on the honoured arm of that lord of the world, how could I ever rest it on the arm of anyone else?
ContextThe verse after “ananyā rāghaveṇāham”, in Sītā’s reply to Rāvaṇa in the Aśoka grove.
Philosophical aspectOne who has known the higher cannot be satisfied by the lower. The Gītā says the taste (rasa) itself falls away when the Supreme is seen (2.59); Sītā’s refusal is not effort but the natural result of having known Rāma.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.34.6Sītā, on receiving Rāma’s ring
Joy comes to the one who lives
कल्याणी बत गाथेयं लौकिकी प्रतिभाति मे ।
एति जीवन्तमानन्दो नरं वर्षशतादपि ॥
kalyāṇī bata gātheyaṃ laukikī pratibhāti me |
eti jīvantam ānando naraṃ varṣa-śatād api ||
Word by word
kalyāṇī batahow auspicious, how true
gāthā iyam laukikīthis popular saying
pratibhāti meseems to me
eticomes
jīvantam naramto a person who lives
ānandaḥjoy
varṣa-śatāt apieven after a hundred years
MeaningHow true this old saying seems to me now: joy comes to one who stays alive, even after a hundred years.
ContextSītā, who an hour earlier was thinking of ending her life, receives Rāma’s ring and quotes a folk proverb.
Philosophical aspectA verse against despair, the twin of Hanumān’s anirveda. Life itself is the condition for grace; to endure is to keep the door open.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.42.33Hanumān, in the Aśoka grove
Jayaty atibalo rāmaḥ — Hanumān’s victory cry
जयत्यतिबलो रामो लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः ।
राजा जयति सुग्रीवो राघवेणाभिपालितः ॥
jayaty atibalo rāmo lakṣmaṇaś ca mahābalaḥ |
rājā jayati sugrīvo rāghaveṇābhipālitaḥ ||
Word by word
jayativictory to
ati-balaḥ rāmaḥRāma of surpassing strength
lakṣmaṇaḥ ca mahā-balaḥand to mighty Lakṣmaṇa
rājā jayati sugrīvaḥvictory to King Sugrīva
rāghaveṇa abhipālitaḥprotected by Rāma
MeaningVictory to Rāma of surpassing strength, and to mighty Lakṣmaṇa! Victory to King Sugrīva, protected by Rāma!
ContextHanumān’s roar as he lays waste the Aśoka grove, just before “dāso’haṃ kosalendrasya”. The two verses together are chanted as a prayer for courage.
Philosophical aspectBefore naming himself, Hanumān names his Lord and his king. Victory is announced for others — the mark of one who works without ego.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.42.34Hanumān, announcing himself in Laṅkā
Dāso’haṃ kosalendrasya — I am Rāma’s servant
दासो ऽहं कोसलेन्द्रस्य रामस्याक्लिष्टकर्मणः ।
हनुमान् शत्रुसैन्यानां निहन्ता मारुतात्मजः ॥
dāso 'haṃ kosalendrasya rāmasyākliṣṭa-karmaṇaḥ |
hanumān śatru-sainyānāṃ nihantā mārutātmajaḥ ||
Word by word
dāsaḥ ahamI am the servant
kosala-indrasyaof the lord of Kosala
rāmasyaof Rāma
akliṣṭa-karmaṇaḥwhose deeds are effortless
hanumānHanumān
śatru-sainyānāmof the enemy’s armies
nihantāthe destroyer
māruta-ātmajaḥson of the Wind
MeaningI am the servant of Rāma, lord of Kosala, whose deeds are done without effort. I am Hanumān, son of the Wind, destroyer of enemy armies.
ContextHanumān’s war-cry after destroying the Aśoka grove. Notice the order: first “servant of Rāma”, only then his own name and power.
Philosophical aspectDāsya-bhakti — the devotion of the servant. Identity placed in God gives fearlessness; the ego that serves is the ego that is free.
Sundara Kāṇḍa 5.55.3–4Hanumān, after burning Laṅkā
Blessed are those who check their anger
धन्यास्ते पुरुषश्रेष्ठा ये बुद्ध्या कोपमुत्थितम् ।
निरुन्धन्ति महात्मानो दीप्तमग्निमिवाम्भसा ॥
क्रुद्धः पापं न कुर्यात्कः क्रुद्धो हन्याद्गुरूनपि ।
क्रुद्धः परुषया वाचा नरः साधूनधिक्षिपेत् ॥
dhanyās te puruṣa-śreṣṭhā ye buddhyā kopam utthitam |
nirundhanti mahātmāno dīptam agnim ivāmbhasā ||
kruddhaḥ pāpaṃ na kuryāt kaḥ kruddho hanyād gurūn api |
kruddhaḥ paruṣayā vācā naraḥ sādhūn adhikṣipet ||
Word by word
dhanyāḥ teblessed are they
puruṣa-śreṣṭhāḥthe best of men
ye buddhyāwho by understanding
kopam utthitamanger that has arisen
nirundhantirestrain
mahā-ātmānaḥgreat souls
dīptam agnim iva ambhasāas a blazing fire with water
kruddhaḥan angry man
pāpam na kuryāt kaḥwhat sin would he not commit?
hanyāt gurūn apihe might kill even his elders
paruṣayā vācāwith harsh words
sādhūn adhikṣipethe might insult the good
MeaningBlessed are those great souls, the best of men, who with understanding hold back anger as it rises, as one puts out a blazing fire with water. What sin would an angry man not commit? In anger one may kill even one’s elders, and insult the good with harsh words.
ContextHaving set Laṅkā on fire, Hanumān is suddenly struck with fear that Sītā may have burned, and reproaches himself for acting in anger. He then finds her safe.
Philosophical aspectEven the greatest devotee examines his own anger. Buddhi — the discriminating intellect — is the water for the fire of krodha. The Gītā’s ladder of fall (2.63) ends in “buddhi-nāśāt praṇaśyati”; here buddhi saves.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.1.13Rāma, of Hanumān
The embrace that is all he can give
एष सर्वस्वभूतस्तु परिष्वङ्गो हनूमतः ।
मया कालमिमं प्राप्य दत्तस्तस्य महात्मनः ॥
eṣa sarvasva-bhūtas tu pariṣvaṅgo hanūmataḥ |
mayā kālam imaṃ prāpya dattas tasya mahātmanaḥ ||
Word by word
eṣaḥthis
sarvasva-bhūtaḥ tuwhich is my all
pariṣvaṅgaḥembrace
hanūmataḥto Hanumān
mayāby me
kālam imam prāpyaat this time
dattaḥis given
tasya mahātmanaḥto that great soul
MeaningThis embrace — all that I have — I give now to the great-souled Hanumān.
ContextRāma, an exile with nothing to give, says he cannot repay Hanumān’s service, and embraces him.
Philosophical aspectIn bhakti the highest reward is not a gift but the Giver. The Lord gives Himself to the one who gave himself.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.18.3Rāma to Sugrīva
A friend is not abandoned
मित्रभावेन सम्प्राप्तं न त्यजेयं कथञ्चन ।
दोषो यद्यपि तस्य स्यात्सतामेतदगर्हितम् ॥
mitra-bhāvena samprāptaṃ na tyajeyaṃ kathañcana |
doṣo yady api tasya syāt satām etad agarhitam ||
Word by word
mitra-bhāvenain friendship
samprāptamone who has come
na tyajeyamI would not abandon
kathañcanain any way
doṣaḥ yadi apieven if a fault
tasya syātwere his
satāmfor the good
etat agarhitamthis is not blameworthy
MeaningOne who comes to me in friendship I will never abandon, even if he has faults; the good do not condemn this.
ContextRāma’s first response when Sugrīva and others argue that Vibhīṣaṇa should be rejected as a possible spy.
Philosophical aspectAcceptance before perfection. The Lord receives us as we are; transformation follows, not precedes, acceptance.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.18.33–34Rāma to Sugrīva
Sakṛd eva prapannāya — the vow of refuge
सकृदेव प्रपन्नाय तवास्मीति च याचते ।
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो ददाम्येतद्व्रतं मम ॥
आनयैनं हरिश्रेष्ठ दत्तो ऽस्याभयं मया ।
विभीषणो वा सुग्रीव यदि वा रावणः स्वयम् ॥
sakṛd eva prapannāya tavāsmīti ca yācate |
abhayaṃ sarva-bhūtebhyo dadāmy etad vrataṃ mama ||
ānayainaṃ hari-śreṣṭha datto 'syābhayaṃ mayā |
vibhīṣaṇo vā sugrīva yadi vā rāvaṇaḥ svayam ||
Word by word
sakṛt evaeven once
prapannāyato one who has taken refuge
tava asmi iti casaying “I am yours”
yācateto one who asks
abhayamfearlessness, protection
sarva-bhūtebhyaḥfrom all beings
dadāmiI give
etat vratam mamathis is my vow
ānaya enambring him
hari-śreṣṭhaO best of monkeys
dattaḥ asya abhayam mayāI have given him protection
vibhīṣaṇaḥ vāwhether he be Vibhīṣaṇa
yadi vā rāvaṇaḥ svayamor Rāvaṇa himself
MeaningTo anyone who comes to me even once and asks, saying “I am yours”, I give freedom from fear from all beings — this is my vow. Bring him, best of monkeys; I have given him protection — whether he is Vibhīṣaṇa, Sugrīva, or Rāvaṇa himself.
ContextCalled the Rāma-carama-śloka (Rāma’s ultimate verse) in the Śrīvaiṣṇava tradition, the counterpart of the Gītā’s carama-śloka (18.66). It closes the debate over Vibhīṣaṇa.
Philosophical aspectŚaraṇāgati — surrender — is complete in one sincere act (sakṛt). Its two parts are named: prapatti (coming to Him) and the confession tava asmi (“I am yours”). The Lord’s response is abhaya — not wealth or power, but freedom from fear, which is liberation itself.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.21.14–15Rāma to Lakṣmaṇa, at the shore
Virtues mistaken for weakness
प्रशमश्च क्षमा चैव आर्जवं प्रियवादिता ।
असामर्थ्यं फलन्त्येते निर्गुणेषु सतां गुणाः ॥
praśamaś ca kṣamā caiva ārjavaṃ priya-vāditā |
asāmarthyaṃ phalanty ete nirguṇeṣu satāṃ guṇāḥ ||
Word by word
praśamaḥ cacalmness
kṣamā ca evaand forbearance
ārjavamstraightforwardness
priya-vāditāgentle speech
asāmarthyam phalantibear the fruit of (seeming) incapacity
etethese
nirguṇeṣuamong the ungracious
satām guṇāḥvirtues of the good
MeaningCalmness, forbearance, straightforwardness and gentle speech — these virtues of the good, among those without virtue, are taken for weakness.
ContextAfter three days of prayer the Ocean has not answered. Rāma, his eyes reddening, says this to Lakṣmaṇa and takes up his bow.
Philosophical aspectGentleness must know when it is being exploited. The ideal is not passivity but the right response to each situation — and Rāma’s anger, once it has done its work, is laid down at once.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.63.5Kumbhakarṇa to Rāvaṇa
Doing first what should come later
यः पश्चात्पूर्वकार्याणि कुर्यादैश्वर्यमास्थितः ।
पूर्वं चोत्तरकार्याणि न स वेद नयानयौ ॥
yaḥ paścāt pūrva-kāryāṇi kuryād aiśvaryam āsthitaḥ |
pūrvaṃ cottara-kāryāṇi na sa veda nayānayau ||
Word by word
yaḥone who
paścātafterwards
pūrva-kāryāṇiwhat should be done first
kuryātdoes
aiśvaryam āsthitaḥestablished in power
pūrvam caand first
uttara-kāryāṇiwhat should be done later
na saḥ vedahe does not know
naya-anayaugood policy from bad
MeaningA ruler who does afterwards what should be done first, and first what should come later, does not know good policy from bad.
ContextWoken in the middle of the war, Kumbhakarṇa tells his brother plainly that he acted first (abducting Sītā) and is consulting only now — then promises to fight for him anyway.
Philosophical aspectReflection before action, not after. Kumbhakarṇa sees the truth clearly and still chooses loyalty over dharma — knowledge that does not govern the will is the tragedy of the whole house of Rāvaṇa.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.90.71 (6.91.73 in some editions)Lakṣmaṇa, loosing the arrow at Indrajit
Lakṣmaṇa’s oath of truth
धर्मात्मा सत्यसन्धश्च रामो दाशरथिर्यदि ।
पौरुषे चाप्रतिद्वन्द्वस्तदैनं जहि रावणिम् ॥
dharmātmā satya-sandhaś ca rāmo dāśarathir yadi |
pauruṣe cāpratidvandvas tadainaṃ jahi rāvaṇim ||
Word by word
dharma-ātmādevoted to dharma
satya-sandhaḥ caand true to his word
rāmaḥ dāśarathiḥRāma, son of Daśaratha
yadiif
pauruṣein valour
ca apratidvandvaḥand unrivalled
tadāthen
enam jahislay this
rāvaṇimson of Rāvaṇa
MeaningIf Rāma, son of Daśaratha, is devoted to dharma, true to his word and unrivalled in valour — then, arrow, slay this son of Rāvaṇa.
ContextLakṣmaṇa’s satya-kriyā, an “act of truth”: the power of a truth is invoked to make something happen. The arrow cuts off Indrajit’s head.
Philosophical aspectTruth as power. Lakṣmaṇa stakes the outcome not on his own skill but on Rāma’s character. A life of truth becomes a force in the world.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.101.15 (vulgate; not in the critical edition)Rāma over the fallen Lakṣmaṇa
No land where a brother can be found
देशे देशे कलत्राणि देशे देशे च बान्धवाः ।
तं तु देशं न पश्यामि यत्र भ्राता सहोदरः ॥
deśe deśe kalatrāṇi deśe deśe ca bāndhavāḥ |
taṃ tu deśaṃ na paśyāmi yatra bhrātā sahodaraḥ ||
Word by word
deśe deśein land after land
kalatrāṇiwives
ca bāndhavāḥand kinsmen (may be found)
tam tu deśambut that land
na paśyāmiI do not see
yatrawhere
bhrātā sahodaraḥa brother born of the same womb (may be found)
MeaningWives may be found in every land, and kinsmen in every land; but I see no land where a brother born of the same mother can be found.
ContextPart of Rāma’s lament when Lakṣmaṇa falls to Rāvaṇa’s spear. The verse is in the popular (vulgate) text and widely quoted, but not in the critical edition.
Philosophical aspectNot a judgment on wives but a cry of grief: some bonds are given by birth and shared suffering and cannot be replaced. Lakṣmaṇa is the one who gave up everything to follow.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.105.3 (6.107.3 in some editions)Agastya to Rāma
Āditya-hṛdaya — the secret in the heart
राम राम महाबाहो शृणु गुह्यं सनातनम् ।
येन सर्वानरीन् वत्स समरे विजयिष्यसि ॥
rāma rāma mahā-bāho śṛṇu guhyaṃ sanātanam |
yena sarvān arīn vatsa samare vijayiṣyasi ||
Word by word
rāma rāmaO Rāma, Rāma
mahā-bāhomighty-armed one
śṛṇuhear
guhyamthe secret
sanātanameternal
yenaby which
sarvān arīnall enemies
vatsamy child
samarein battle
vijayiṣyasiyou will conquer
MeaningRāma, mighty-armed Rāma, listen to this eternal secret, my child, by which you will conquer all your enemies in battle.
ContextAgastya’s introduction to the Āditya-hṛdaya, the hymn to the Sun recited by Rāma before the final duel. It is chanted daily by many to this day.
Philosophical aspectĀditya-hṛdaya means both “the heart of the Sun” and “the Sun in the heart” — the light of consciousness within. Victory over the ego comes from that inner light, not from more arrows.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.105.4Agastya to Rāma
The Āditya-hṛdaya — holy, victorious, eternal
आदित्यहृदयं पुण्यं सर्वशत्रुविनाशनम् ।
जयावहं जपेन् नित्यमक्षय्यं परमं शिवम् ॥
āditya-hṛdayaṃ puṇyaṃ sarva-śatru-vināśanam |
jayāvahaṃ japen nityam akṣayyaṃ paramaṃ śivam ||
Word by word
āditya-hṛdayamthe Heart of the Sun
puṇyamholy
sarva-śatru-vināśanamdestroyer of all enemies
jaya-āvahambringer of victory
japet nityamone should recite it always
akṣayyamimperishable
paramam śivamsupremely auspicious
MeaningThe Āditya-hṛdaya is holy, destroys all enemies and brings victory; recite it always — it is imperishable and supremely auspicious.
ContextThe second verse of Agastya’s teaching on the battlefield, after “rāma rāma mahābāho”.
Philosophical aspectThe enemies it destroys are, inwardly, the six — desire, anger, greed, delusion, pride and envy. The light in the heart is the one weapon against which the ego’s heads do not grow back.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.109.25 (6.112.26 in some editions)Rāma to Vibhīṣaṇa
Maraṇāntāni vairāṇi — enmity ends with death
मरणान्तानि वैराणि निर्वृत्तं नः प्रयोजनम् ।
क्रियतामस्य संस्कारो ममाप्येष यथा तव ॥
maraṇāntāni vairāṇi nirvṛttaṃ naḥ prayojanam |
kriyatām asya saṃskāro mamāpy eṣa yathā tava ||
Word by word
maraṇa-antāniend with death
vairāṇienmities
nirvṛttamis accomplished
naḥ prayojanamour purpose
kriyatāmlet be performed
asya saṃskāraḥhis funeral rites
mama api eṣaḥhe is mine too
yathā tavaas he is yours
MeaningEnmity ends with death. Our purpose is fulfilled. Let his funeral rites be performed — he is mine as much as he is yours.
ContextVibhīṣaṇa hesitates to cremate the brother who wronged everyone. Rāma insists on full honours for the fallen enemy.
Philosophical aspectWe oppose the wrong, not the person. When adharma is ended, the being who carried it is again simply a soul to be honoured. This is the end of hatred.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.111.18Mandodarī, lamenting Rāvaṇa
Conquered by the senses he once conquered
इन्द्रियाणि पुरा जित्वा जितं त्रिभुवनं त्वया ।
स्मरद्भिरिव तद्वैरमिन्द्रियैरेव निर्जितः ॥
indriyāṇi purā jitvā jitaṃ tribhuvanaṃ tvayā |
smaradbhir iva tad vairam indriyair eva nirjitaḥ ||
Word by word
indriyāṇithe senses
purā jitvāhaving once conquered
jitam tri-bhuvanam tvayāyou conquered the three worlds
smaradbhiḥ ivaas if remembering
tat vairamthat enmity
indriyaiḥ evaby the senses themselves
nirjitaḥyou have been conquered
MeaningOnce you conquered your senses, and so conquered the three worlds. Now the senses, as if remembering that old enmity, have conquered you.
ContextFrom Mandodarī’s lament over Rāvaṇa’s body. His power came from the tapas of his youth; his fall from lust in his age.
Philosophical aspectThe deepest verse on Rāvaṇa. Self-control won him everything; its loss took everything away. The senses are never finally defeated — they wait. Vigilance is lifelong.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.113.45–46 (6.116.44 in some editions)Sītā to Hanumān
Who has never erred?
पापानां वा शुभानां वा वधार्हाणामथापि वा ।
कार्यं कारुण्यमार्येण न कश्चिन् नापराध्यति ॥
pāpānāṃ vā śubhānāṃ vā vadhārhāṇām athāpi vā |
kāryaṃ kāruṇyam āryeṇa na kaścin nāparādhyati ||
Word by word
pāpānām vāto the sinful
śubhānām vāor to the good
vadha-arhāṇām atha api vāor even to those who deserve death
kāryamshould be shown
kāruṇyamcompassion
āryeṇaby the noble
na kaścitthere is no one
na aparādhyatiwho does not err
MeaningTo the sinful and the good, even to those who deserve death, the noble should show compassion — for there is no one who never does wrong.
ContextHanumān asks Sītā’s permission to kill the rākṣasīs who tormented her for ten months. She refuses: they were under orders; and she tells him the story of the bear and the tiger.
Philosophical aspectThe victim forgives first. Sītā, who suffered most, has the most compassion — the mark of the Divine Mother. Śrīvaiṣṇavas see in this verse why the Mother is approached before the Lord.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.117.11 (6.120.11 in some editions)Rāma to Brahmā and the gods
“I think of myself as a man”
आत्मानं मानुषं मन्ये रामं दशरथात्मजम् ।
सो ऽहं यश्च यतश्चाहं भगवांस्तद्ब्रवीतु मे ॥
ātmānaṃ mānuṣaṃ manye rāmaṃ daśarathātmajam |
so 'haṃ yaś ca yataś cāhaṃ bhagavāṃs tad bravītu me ||
Word by word
ātmānammyself
mānuṣam manyeI consider a man
rāmamRāma
daśaratha-ātmajamson of Daśaratha
saḥ ahamthat I am
yaḥ caand who I am
yataḥ ca ahamand where I come from
bhagavānthe Lord
tat bravītu melet him tell me that
MeaningI think of myself as a man — Rāma, son of Daśaratha. Who I really am and where I come from, let the Lord tell me.
ContextAfter Sītā’s ordeal the gods tell Rāma that he is Nārāyaṇa. This is his answer; Brahmā then sings his divinity.
Philosophical aspectThe avatāra lives entirely within his human role. That is what makes him an example: a god we could not imitate; a man we can. Philosophically, it is also the stance of every seeker — “who am I?” is a question to be answered by the Lord (the guru, the śāstra), not assumed.
Yuddha Kāṇḍa 6.128.99–100the narrator
Rāma-rājya
न पर्यदेवन् विधवा न च व्यालकृतं भयम् ।
न व्याधिजं भयं वापि रामे राज्यं प्रशासति ॥
निर्दस्युरभवल्लोको नानर्थः कञ्चिदस्पृशत् ।
na paryadevan vidhavā na ca vyāla-kṛtaṃ bhayam |
na vyādhijaṃ bhayaṃ vāpi rāme rājyaṃ praśāsati ||
nirdasyur abhaval loko nānarthaḥ kañcid aspṛśat |
Word by word
na paryadevandid not lament
vidhavāḥwidows
na ca vyāla-kṛtam bhayamnor was there fear of wild beasts
na vyādhi-jam bhayam vā apinor fear born of disease
rāme rājyam praśāsatiwhile Rāma ruled the kingdom
nirdasyuḥ abhavat lokaḥthe world was free of robbers
na anarthaḥ kañcit aspṛśatno misfortune touched anyone
MeaningWhile Rāma ruled, no widow lamented, there was no fear of wild beasts or of disease; the world was free of thieves, and no misfortune touched anyone.
ContextFrom the description of Rāma’s reign at the end of the Yuddha Kāṇḍa (the original ending of the epic in many scholars’ view).
Philosophical aspectRāma-rājya is not a utopia of wealth but of security and dharma: people do their own duty, the ruler serves, and fear disappears. Inwardly it is the mind ruled by the Self — free of fear.
Uttara Kāṇḍa 7.40.17 (7.39.16 in some editions)Hanumān to Rāma
As long as the story is told
यावद्रामकथा वीर चरिष्यति महीतले ।
तावच्छरीरे वत्स्यन्तु प्राणा मम न संशयः ॥
yāvad rāma-kathā vīra cariṣyati mahī-tale |
tāvac charīre vatsyantu prāṇā mama na saṃśayaḥ ||
Word by word
yāvatas long as
rāma-kathāthe story of Rāma
vīraO hero
cariṣyatiwill be current
mahī-taleon earth
tāvatso long
śarīrein this body
vatsyantumay remain
prāṇāḥ mamamy life-breaths
na saṃśayaḥwithout doubt
MeaningAs long as the story of Rāma is told on earth, O hero, so long may my life remain in this body.
ContextHanumān’s only request when Rāma offers him a boon at the farewell of the allies. Rāma grants it.
Philosophical aspectThe devotee asks not for liberation but for the chance to keep hearing about the Lord. In the bhakti tradition this is the highest wish: to be where His name is sung. Hence the belief that Hanumān is present wherever the Rāmāyaṇa is recited.
Uttara Kāṇḍa 7.97.14–16Sītā, before the assembly
Sītā’s last word
यथाहं राघवादन्यं मनसापि न चिन्तये ।
तथा मे माधवी देवी विवरं दातुमर्हति ॥
yathāhaṃ rāghavād anyaṃ manasāpi na cintaye |
tathā me mādhavī devī vivaraṃ dātum arhati ||
Word by word
yathāas surely as
ahamI
rāghavāt anyamanyone other than Rāma
manasā apieven in my mind
na cintayedo not think of
tathāso
meto me
mādhavī devīthe goddess Earth
vivaraman opening
dātum arhatimay she grant
MeaningAs surely as I have never, even in my mind, thought of anyone but Rāma, so may the goddess Earth open and receive me.
ContextSītā’s only words at the assembly. Two more verses follow in the same form — by her devotion in word, mind and deed — and the Earth opens.
Philosophical aspectAn act of truth (satya-kriyā), like Lakṣmaṇa’s arrow — but used not to prove herself to the world, which she has given up, but to leave it. Purity of mind is the last test and the last freedom.