Shloka 99
The Origin of the Daṇḍaka Forest and Rāma’s Dharma-Judgment
Vulture vs. Owl
उलूकस्त्वब्रवीद्रामं पादपैरुपशोभिता । यदैव पृथिवी राजंस्तदाप्रभृति मे गृहं
ulūkastvabravīdrāmaṃ pādapairupaśobhitā | yadaiva pṛthivī rājaṃstadāprabhṛti me gṛhaṃ
Da sprach Ulūka zu Rāma: «O König, seit die Erde mit Bäumen geschmückt ist, seit eben jener Zeit ist dies mein Zuhause.»
Ulūka
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Type: forest
Sandhi Resolution Notes: उलूकस्त्वब्रवीद्रामं = उलूकः + तु + अब्रवीत् + रामम् (विसर्ग-लोप, त्-सन्धि); पादपैरुपशोभिता = पादपैः + उपशोभिता; राजंस्तदाप्रभृति = राजन् + तदा-प्रभृति (न् + त → ंस्)
FAQs
It presents trees (pādapa) as natural ornaments of the earth, implying that a flourishing, tree-filled world is a defining feature of the inhabited and ordered creation.
It marks a direct speech statement (abravīt) where Ulūka addresses Rāma as “O king,” grounding the narrative in a conversational setting typical of Purāṇic instruction and storytelling.
The line encourages reverence for the natural world: trees are tied to belonging and continuity, suggesting that protecting the tree-adorned earth is aligned with sustaining life and rightful dwelling.