इदं पवित्रं पापघ्नं पुण्यं वेदैश्च सम्मितम् । य: पठेद्रामचरितं सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते ।।1.1.98।।
Meaning
This sacred story of Rama destroys sin, equals the Vedas in merit, and frees from every sin whoever reads it.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| idaṃ | इदं | this | Nominative neuter -- subject |
| pavitraṃ | पवित्रं | purifying / sacred | Nominative neuter -- adjective |
| pāpaghnaṃ | पापघ्नं | sin-destroying | Nominative neuter -- adjective |
| puṇyaṃ | पुण्यं | meritorious | Nominative neuter -- adjective |
| vedaiśca sammitam | वेदैश्च सम्मितम् | equal to the Vedas | Instrumental + adjective |
| yaḥ | यः | whoever | Relative pronoun -- nominative |
| paṭhet | पठेत् | reads / recites | Optative verb |
| rāmacaritaṃ | रामचरितं | Rama's story / deeds | Accusative singular -- object |
| sarvapāpaiḥ | सर्वपापैः | from all sins | Instrumental (ablative sense) |
| pramucyate | प्रमुच्यते | is freed | Passive verb |
Scholar commentary
IIT Kanpur English Commentary
Modern synthesis of traditional Sanskrit commentaries (Desiraju Hanumanta Rao & K.M.K. Murthy)
The closing verses list the benefits Narada promises to anyone who studies the Ramayana: purification, long life, and a place in heaven after death. The commentary specifies how this benefit is described differently by varna in the traditional framing -- a Brahmana gains eloquence, a Kshatriya gains land or kingship, a Vaishya's goods increase two or threefold in value, and even those born to lower station gain higher standing through it.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.1.98 · Bāla Kāṇḍa