← 2.22.19 · Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa 22: Kausalyā’s blessing and amulet

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.22.20

Ayodhyā Kāṇḍa, sarga 22: Kausalyā’s blessing and amulet. She invokes protection, consecrates an herbal amulet and completes the svastyayana before embracing Rāma

In the sequence: she completes the svastyayana (benediction for well-being) and walks around him → Rāma bows at her feet and leaves to speak to Sītā.

2.22.20

tathā tu devyā sa kṛtapradakṣiṇo nipīḍya mātuś caraṇau punaḥ punaḥ
nipīḍya mātuś caraṇau punaḥ punaḥ
jagāma sītānilayaṃ mahāyaśāḥ sa rāghavaḥ prajvalitaḥ svayā śriyā
sa rāghavaḥ prajvalitaḥ svayā śriyā

Thus circumambulated by the queen, that greatly glorious Rāghava, having pressed his mother's feet again and again, went to Sītā's dwelling, ablaze with his own splendor.

Words: tathā tu — and thus; devyā — by the queen; sa — he; kṛtapradakṣiṇo — for whom the circumambulation was made; nipīḍya — having pressed; mātuś caraṇau — his mother's feet; punaḥ punaḥ — again and again; jagāma — went; sītānilayaṃ — to Sītā's dwelling; mahāyaśāḥ — the greatly glorious one; sa rāghavaḥ — that Rāghava; prajvalitaḥ — blazing, radiant; svayā śriyā — with his own splendor

Composed by Maharṣi Vālmīki, the ādikavi of the ādikāvya: the first poet of the first poem. Sanskrit: The Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: Critical Edition, Oriental Institute, Baroda, 1960–1975 (gen. eds. G. H. Bhatt, U. P. Shah); IAST from GRETIL (Göttingen). Translation and word glosses: Claude Opus 4.6–4.7; summaries and sequences: ChatGPT Astra (machine-made). Numbering follows the Critical Edition, not the vulgate (e.g. Gita Press, valmikiramayan.net), so sarga and verse numbers can differ from those editions.