Sarga 23: The Hermitage of Kama
Kama Ashrama
At dawn, Rama and Lakshmana reach the sacred confluence of the Sarayu and Ganga, where Vishvamitra tells how Shiva once burned Kama's body to ash here, making him bodiless (Ananga); the princes rest the night among the sages.
Jump to a shloka · 21 in this sarga
प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां विश्वामित्रो महामुनि:। अभ्यभाषत काकुत्स्थौ शयानौ पर्णसंस्तरे।।1.23.1।।
Meaning
As the night grew bright with dawn, the great sage Vishvamitra spoke to the two scions of Kakutstha lying upon their bed of leaves.
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते। उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम्।।1.23.2।।
Meaning
"Fortunate is Kausalya to have you as her son, O Rama — the eastern dawn is breaking; arise, tigerly man, the morning rites must be performed."
तस्यर्षे: परमोदारं वचश्श्रुत्वा नृपात्मजौ। स्नात्वा कृतोदकौ वीरौ जेपतु: परमं जपम्।।1.23.3।।
Meaning
Hearing the sage's most gracious words, the two heroic princes bathed, offered water, and recited the supreme Gayatri hymn.
कृताह्निकौ महावीर्यौ विश्वामित्रं तपोधनम्। अभिवाद्याभिसंहृष्टौ गमनायाभितस्थतु:।।1.23.4।।
Meaning
Having completed their morning rites, the two greatly valorous ones joyfully bowed to Vishvamitra, rich in austerity, and stood ready to depart.
तौ प्रयातौ महावीर्यौ दिव्यां त्रिपथगां नदीम्। ददृशाते ततस्तत्र सरय्वास्सङ्गमे शुभे।।1.23.5।।
Meaning
As they journeyed on, those two greatly valorous ones beheld the divine, three-course river at its auspicious confluence with the Sarayu.
तत्राश्रमपदं पुण्यमृषीणामग्य्रतेजसाम्। बहुवर्षसहस्राणि तप्यतां परमं तप:।।1.23.6।।
Meaning
There stood a sacred hermitage of sages of surpassing radiance, who for many thousand years had performed the highest austerity.
तं दृष्ट्वा परमप्रीतौ राघवौ पुण्यमाश्रमम्। ऊचतुस्तं महात्मानं विश्वामित्रमिदं वच:।।1.23.7।।
Meaning
Beholding that sacred hermitage with great delight, the two Raghavas spoke these words to the great-souled Vishvamitra.
कस्यायमाश्रम: पुण्य: कोन्वस्मिन्वसते पुमान्। भगवन् श्रोतुमिच्छाव: परं कौतूहलं हि नौ।।1.23.8।।
Meaning
"Whose sacred hermitage is this, and what man dwells within it, O lord? We are most eager to hear."
तयोस्तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा प्रहस्य मुनिपुङ्गव:। अब्रवीच्छ्रूयतां राम यस्यायं पूर्व आश्रम:।।1.23.9।।
Meaning
Hearing their words, the foremost sage smiled and said: "Listen, Rama, to whom this hermitage formerly belonged."
कन्दर्पो मूर्तिमानासीत्काम इत्युच्यते बुधै:। तपस्यन्तमिह स्थाणुं नियमेन समाहितम्।।1.23.10।। कृतोद्वाहं तु देवेशं गच्छन्तं समरुद्गगणम्। धर्षयामास दुर्मेधा हुङ्कृतश्च महात्मना।।1.23.11।।
Meaning
"Kandarpa, embodied, whom the wise call Kama, dared here to assail Shiva, absorbed in disciplined austerity, as he passed by with his followers of Wind-gods, newly wed to the goddess — that foolish one provoked the great-souled lord with his challenge."