Shloka 2.99.18
चित्रकूटप्राप्तिः — Bharata Reaches Chitrakuta and Beholds Rama
एवं संविलपं स्तस्मिन्वने दशरथात्मजः।ददर्श महतीं पुण्यां पर्णशालां मनोरमाम्।।2.99.18।।सालतालाश्वकर्णानां पर्णैर्बहुभिरावृताम्।विशालां मृदुभिस्तीर्णां कुशैर्वेदिमिवाध्वरे।।2.99.19।।शक्रायुधनिकाशैश्च कार्मुकैर्भारसाधनैः।रुक्मपृष्ठैर्महासारै श्शोभितां शत्रुबाधकैः।।2.99.20।।अर्क रश्मि प्रतीकाशैर्घोरैस्तूणीगतैश्शरैः।शोभितां दीप्तवदनै स्सर्पैर्भोगवतीमिव।।2.99.21।।महारजतवासोभ्यामसिभ्यां च विराजिताम्।रुक्मबिन्दुविचित्राभ्यां चर्मभ्यां चापि शोभिताम्।।2.99.22।।गोधाङ्गुळित्रैरासक्तैश्चित्रैः काञ्चनभूषितैः।अरिसंघैरनाधृष्यां मृगै स्सिंहगुहा मिव।।2.99.23।।
evaṁ saṅvilapan tasmin vane daśarathātmajaḥ |
dadarśa mahatīṁ puṇyāṁ parṇaśālāṁ manoramām ||2.99.18||
sāla-tālāśvakarṇānāṁ parṇair bahubhir āvṛtām |
viśālāṁ mṛdubhis tīrṇāṁ kuśair vedim ivādhvare ||2.99.19||
śakrāyudha-nikāśaiś ca kārmukair bhāra-sādhanaiḥ |
rukma-pṛṣṭhair mahā-sāraiḥ śśobhitāṁ śatru-bādhakaiḥ ||2.99.20||
arka-raśmi-pratīkāśair ghorais tūṇī-gataiḥ śaraiḥ |
śobhitāṁ dīpta-vadanaiḥ sarpair bhogavatīm iva ||2.99.21||
mahā-rajata-vāsobhyām asibhyāṁ ca virājitām |
rukma-bindu-vicitrābhyāṁ carmabhyāṁ cāpi śobhitām ||2.99.22||
godhāṅguḷitrair āsaktaiś citraiḥ kāñcana-bhūṣitaiḥ |
ari-saṅghair anādhṛṣyāṁ mṛgaiḥ siṁha-guhām iva ||2.99.23||
While lamenting thus in that forest, Daśaratha’s son (Bharata) beheld a large, sacred, and delightful leaf-hut, thickly covered with many leaves of śāla, tāla, and aśvakarṇa trees—spacious, and strewn with soft kuśa grass like an altar in a sacrifice. It was adorned with mighty bows, gold-backed and enemy-subduing, like Indra’s thunderbolt; and with dreadful arrows stored in quivers, radiant as the sun’s rays, like blazing-hooded serpents that illumine Bhogavatī. It shone with two swords in bright silver scabbards, and with shields of varied hues speckled with golden drops. There hung finger-guards of iguana-skin, ornate and gold-decorated. Against hordes of foes it was unassailable—like a lion’s cave to deer.
Lamenting in this way Bharata beheld in that forest an excellent, sacred and enchanting hut covered with a lot of leaves of sala, palmyra and aswakarna trees like a sacrificial altar spread with soft kusa grass. Gold-plated bows that resembled the thunderbolt of Indra, powerful and capable of achieving great targets and oppressing the enemies, adorned the hut. Arrows glittering like the rays of the Sun, were dreadful, with blazing heads and stored in quivers adorned it like the hooded serpents illumining the city of Bhogavati (in the nether world). A pair of swords in scabbards made of excellent silver, two shields of different colours with golden spots, finger-guards made of skin of iguana decorated with gold were hanging there. It was impregnable to enemy hordes like the cave of a lion to the deer.
Dharma is portrayed as harmonizing ascetic simplicity with righteous protection: the hut is sacred and altar-like, yet equipped to restrain adharma—showing that purity and preparedness can coexist.
As Bharata nears Rāma’s forest dwelling, the narration describes the impressive leaf-hut and its martial and ritual-like features, signaling both sanctity and vigilance.
Rāma’s balanced virtue: living simply like an ascetic while remaining capable of defending dharma—suggested by the presence of formidable weapons in a sacred setting.