अब्रवीत्सुमहातेजा ब्रह्मा सुरुचिरं वच:। ऋषिस्त्वमसि भद्रं ते स्वार्जितै: कर्मभिश्शुभै:||1.63.2||
Meaning
Exceedingly effulgent Brahma spoke to him, 'You have become a rishi through the selfearned sacred deeds. Fare you well'.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| abravīt su-mahā-tejāḥ | अब्रवीत् सु-महा-तेजाः | said, of very great energy | Verb (imperfect) / Nominative |
| brahmā su-ruciram vacaḥ | ब्रह्मा सु-रुचिरम् वचः | Brahma, a very pleasing word | Nominative / Accusative / Accusative |
| ṛṣiḥ tvam asi bhadram te | ऋषिः त्वम् असि भद्रम् ते | you are a sage — good fortune to you | Nominative / Nominative / Verb (present) / Nominative / Genitive |
| svārjitaiḥ karmabhiḥ śubhaiḥ | स्वार्जितैः कर्मभिः शुभैः | by your own-earned auspicious deeds | Instrumental plural (x2) |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source glosses Brahma's grant here as merely rajarshi, 'kingly sage' rank -- earned through auspicious deeds -- distinguishing it from the higher brahmarshi, 'Absolute sageship,' which is reserved for those who have risen above the negative human traits of greed, anger, lust, and jealousy. This distinction sets up the irony of what follows: Vishvamitra's ambition is precisely brahmarshi rank, yet he is about to fail the very test of lust that the rank requires, when Menaka arrives.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.63.2 · Bāla Kāṇḍa