Shloka 16
ततः प्रतिष्ठितो राज्ये रामो नृपतिसत्तम: । वरं मया याचितो5सौ रामो राजीवलोचन:,तत्पश्चात् धर्मात्मा, भक्तिमान् तथा भक्तों और सेवकोंपर स्नेह रखनेवाले राक्षसराज विभीषणको लंकाके राज्यपर अभिषिक्त किया और खोयी हुई वैदिकी श्रुतिकी भाँति अपनी पत्नीका वहाँसे उद्धार करके महायशस्वी रघुनन्दन श्रीराम अपनी उस साध्वी पत्नीके साथ ही बड़ी उतावलीके साथ अपनी अयोध्यापुरीमें लौट आये। इसके बाद शत्रुओंको भी वशमें करनेवाले नृपश्रेष्ठ भगवान् श्रीराम अवधके राज्यसिंहासनपर आसीन हो उस अजेय अयोध्यापुरीमें रहने लगे। उस समय मैंने कमलनयन श्रीरामसे यह वर माँगा कि “शत्रुसूदन! जबतक आपकी यह कथा संसारमें प्रचलित रहे तबतक मैं अवश्य जीवित रहूँ"। भगवानने “तथास्तु” कहकर मेरी यह प्रार्थना स्वीकार कर ली
tataḥ pratiṣṭhito rājye rāmo nṛpatisattamaḥ | varaṃ mayā yācito 'sau rāmo rājīvalocanaḥ |
Then Rāma, the foremost of kings, became firmly established in his sovereignty. At that time I (Vaiśampāyana) asked a boon of that lotus-eyed Rāma: that as long as his sacred story continues to be current in the world, I too should surely remain alive. Rāma accepted this prayer, saying, “So be it.” The passage recalls Rāma’s righteous restoration of order—installing Vibhīṣaṇa on Laṅkā’s throne, rescuing Sītā, and returning to Ayodhyā—framing kingship as dharma-guided rule sustained by devotion and truthful remembrance.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights dharma-centered kingship and the power of sacred remembrance: a righteous ruler becomes established through virtue, and the continuity of a noble story (kathā) is treated as a living moral force worthy of a boon.
After Rāma is established on the throne, Vaiśampāyana asks him for a boon—to remain alive as long as Rāma’s story is told in the world—and Rāma grants it with “tathāstu,” set against the broader recollection of Vibhīṣaṇa’s coronation, Sītā’s recovery, and the return to Ayodhyā.