Shloka 19
सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge
रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरःपद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणः ।सर्वपुष्पमयींदिव्यांशिरसाधारयन् स्रजम् ।।।।जातरूपमयैश्चैवतपनीयविभूषितैः ।आत्मजानांचरत्नानांभूषितोभूषणोत्तमैः ।।।।धातुभिर्मण्डितश्शैलोविविधैर्हिमवानिव ।एकावलीमध्यगतंतरलंपाटलप्रभम् ।।।।विपुलेनोरसा बिभ्रत्कौस्तुभस्य सहोदरम् ।अघूर्णिततरङ्गौघःकालिकानिलसङ्गुलः ।।।।गङ्गासिन्दुप्रधाननाभिरापगाभिस्समावृतः ।देवतानांसरूपाभिर्नानारूपाभिरीश्वरः ।।।।सागरस्समुपक्रम्यपूर्वमाम्नत्यरवीर्यवान् ।अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यंराघवंशरपाणिनम् ।।।।
raktamālyāmbaradharaḥ padmapatranibhekṣaṇaḥ |
sarvapuṣpamayīṃ divyāṃ śirasā dhārayan srajam ||
jātarūpamayaiś caiva tapanīya-vibhūṣitaiḥ |
ātmajānāṃ ca ratnānāṃ bhūṣito bhūṣaṇottamaiḥ ||
dhātubhir maṇḍitaḥ śailo vividhair himavān iva |
ekāvalī-madhyagataṃ taralaṃ pāṭala-prabham ||
vipulenorasā bibhrat kaustubhasya sahodaram |
aghūrṇita-taraṅgaughaḥ kālikānila-saṅgulaḥ ||
gaṅgā-sindhu-pradhānābhir āpagābhis samāvṛtaḥ |
devatānāṃ sarūpābhir nānārūpābhir īśvaraḥ ||
sāgaraḥ samupakramya pūrvam āmnatya aravīryavān |
abravīt prāñjalir vākyaṃ rāghavaṃ śarapāṇinam ||
In roten Girlanden und Gewändern, mit Augen wie Lotusblätter, trug er auf dem Haupt einen wunderbaren, göttlichen Kranz aus allen Blumen. Geschmückt mit strahlendem Gold und den erlesensten Zieraten, besetzt mit aus dem Ozean geborenen Edelsteinen, leuchtete er wie der Himavān, ein Berg, mit vielerlei Mineralien geziert. Auf seiner weiten Brust ruhte, inmitten einer einzigen Perlenkette, ein zitternd schimmernder Anhänger von rosigem Glanz, wie der Zwilling des Kaustubha-Juwels. Um ihn wogten unaufhörliche Wellenmassen, und Winde, dicht von dunklen Wolken; umgeben war er von großen Strömen, voran Gaṅgā und Sindhu, und von himmlischen Wesen in mannigfachen Gestalten. So trat Sāgara zuerst heran, verneigte sich zum Gruß und sprach mit gefalteten Händen zu Rāghava, der den Pfeil bereithielt.
"O Ocean! When your water is dried up to the core by my arrows, huge sand will appear."
FAQs
Dharma is upheld through proper conduct between powers: even a cosmic lord approaches with humility, greeting first and speaking with folded hands. Authority is balanced by courtesy and accountability.
Sāgara manifests in majestic form, accompanied by rivers and divinities, approaches Rāma, offers respectful salutation, and prepares to explain the lawful way forward (the building of a bridge).
Sāgara’s humility and diplomatic righteousness—he acknowledges Rāma’s cause and responds in a manner aligned with maryādā (propriety).