Shloka 55
Rāma’s Meeting with Agastya: Gift-Ethics (Dāna) and the Tale of King Śveta
इति संचित्य मनसा राघवस्तमृषिं पुनः । आगमं तस्य दिव्यस्य प्रष्टुं समुपचक्रमे
iti saṃcitya manasā rāghavastamṛṣiṃ punaḥ | āgamaṃ tasya divyasya praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame
So sammelte Rāghava seinen Geist, trat erneut zu jenem ṛṣi und begann ihn nach der göttlichen Āgama zu befragen, der heiligen Lehre, die ihm eigen war.
Narrator (describing Rāghava’s action; direct speech not quoted in this verse)
Concept: Śāstra is approached through mental composure (saṃcita-manas) and humble inquiry; divine āgama is received by reverent seeking, not by force or status.
Application: Before studying or praying, settle the mind; then ask precise questions of a trustworthy teacher/text rather than browsing restlessly.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rāghava, having stilled his breath and gathered his thoughts, steps softly toward an aged ṛṣi seated on kuśa grass. The sage’s palm-leaf manuscripts and a small altar with a lamp suggest the ‘divine āgama’ about to be revealed, while the forest hush feels like a temple.","primary_figures":["Rāghava (Rāma-like prince)","a venerable ṛṣi (sage-teacher)","attendant disciples (optional)"],"setting":"Forest āśrama with kuśa mat, palm-leaf bundles, water pot (kamaṇḍalu), and a small fire/lamplit altar; distant deer and banyan roots.","lighting_mood":"forest dappled","color_palette":["sandalwood beige","leaf green","ochre","lamp-flame gold","indigo shadow"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: Rāghava in royal yet austere attire approaches a seated ṛṣi under a stylized banyan tree; gold leaf halo around the sage, gem-studded ornaments on the prince, rich vermilion and emerald textiles, palm-leaf manuscripts and a small lamp altar rendered with ornate gold detailing, symmetrical devotional composition.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: a quiet Himalayan-forest āśrama scene with delicate brushwork; Rāghava bows slightly while the sage gestures toward palm-leaf āgama texts; cool greens and soft browns, lyrical naturalism, refined faces, distant hills and a thin stream, intimate teacher-student mood.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: bold black outlines and natural pigments; the ṛṣi with large expressive eyes sits on a kuśa mat beside a lamp and manuscripts; Rāghava stands in respectful posture; warm red-yellow-green palette, temple-wall aesthetic, stylized foliage framing the scene.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: devotional forest pavilion with lotus and floral borders; Rāghava approaches the sage as if approaching a sanctum; intricate vines, peacocks at the margins, deep blue background with gold highlights, manuscript bundles and lamp as sacred icons within ornate borderwork."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"meditative","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"slow-meditative","voice_tone":"reverent-soft","sound_elements":["soft temple bell","forest birds","gentle wind in leaves","low fire crackle","brief silence between pādas"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: राघवस्तमृषिं = राघवः + तम् + ऋषिम्; समुपचक्रमे = सम् + उप + चक्रमे (उपसर्ग-संयोग)
FAQs
Rāghava steadies his mind, approaches the sage again, and begins to ask about the sage’s divine Āgama (sacred teaching/tradition).
Āgama here indicates an authoritative sacred teaching or transmitted doctrinal tradition—knowledge received through lineage and meant to be asked about and understood through inquiry.
The verse highlights disciplined inquiry: first collecting the mind (mental composure), then respectfully approaching a teacher, and only then beginning the questioning of sacred knowledge.