Shloka 3.35.37

मारीचाश्रमगमनम् (Ravana’s Journey to Maricha’s Hermitage)

Devanagari script

तं तु गत्वा परं पारं समुद्रस्य नदीपतेः।ददर्शाश्रममेकान्ते रम्ये पुण्ये वनान्तरे।।।।

Transliteration

taṁ tu gatvā paraṁ pāraṁ samudrasya nadīpateḥ | dadarśāśramam ekānte ramye puṇye vanāntare ||

Translation

Having gone to the far shore of the ocean—the lord of rivers—he saw a hermitage, secluded, beautiful, and sacred, deep within the forest.

Context

Ravana crossed over to the other side of the sea, the lord of rivers, and beheld a hermitage in a beautiful, secluded, sacred place in the middle of the forest.

Characters & Entities

• समुद्र (Samudra)
• आश्रम (Āśrama)

FAQs

What is the ethical significance of describing the hermitage as 'puṇya' (sacred) and 'ekānta' (secluded)?

In the Ramayana, a hermitage represents a dharmic space devoted to truth, restraint, and spiritual practice; calling it sacred and secluded highlights it as a protected moral refuge that ought to be approached with reverence and non-violence.

How does this verse connect to the Ramayana’s themes of Dharma and Satya?

By marking the āśrama as a holy place within the wilderness, the verse contrasts dharmic order and truth-centered living with the disruptive intentions of those who trespass upon such sanctuaries, reinforcing the duty to honor and protect righteous spaces.