← 3.5.20 · Araṇya Kāṇḍa 5: The ṛṣis appeal for protection

Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.5.21

Araṇya Kāṇḍa, sarga 5: The ṛṣis appeal for protection. Tapasvins display the victims of rākṣasa attacks, Rāma promises to defend them and gives his exile a purpose

In the sequence: having assured them of his help, he proceeds with Lakṣmaṇa toward Sutīkṣṇa.

3.5.21

dattvā varaṃ cāpi tapodhanānāṃ dharme dhṛtātmā sahalakṣmaṇena
tapodhanaiś cāpi sahārya vṛttaḥ sutīṣkṇam evābhijagāma vīraḥ

And having granted a boon to the ascetics rich in austerity, the hero, his soul fixed on dharma, together with Lakṣmaṇa and behaving with noble conduct toward the ascetics, went straight on to Sutīkṣṇa.

Words: dattvā — having given; varaṃ — a boon; cāpi — and also; tapodhanānāṃ — to the ascetics rich in austerity; dharme — in dharma; dhṛtātmā — his soul fixed; sahalakṣmaṇena — together with Lakṣmaṇa; tapodhanaiś — with the ascetics; cāpi — and also; sahārya — together, with noble (conduct); vṛttaḥ — conducting himself, of (such) conduct; sutīṣkṇam — Sutīkṣṇa; evābhijagāma — went straight on; vīraḥ — the hero

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.