Valmiki Ramayana 2.98.7: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 98, Shloka 7
चित्रकूटप्रवेशः · Bharata Enters the Forest Toward Chitrakuta
Spoken by BharataSetting: On the route from Ayodhya toward CitrakutaPlaces named: Ayodhya, CitrakutaApproaching Rama’s forest abode
यावन्न चन्द्रसङ्काशं द्रक्ष्यामि शुभमाननम् ।
भ्रातुः पद्मपलाशाक्षं न मे शान्तिर्भविष्यति ॥७॥
yāvan na candrasaṅkāśaṁ drakṣyāmi śubham ānanam |
bhrātuḥ padmapalāśākṣaṁ na me śāntir bhaviṣyati ||7||
Mientras no contemple a mi hermano—su rostro auspicioso, resplandeciente como la luna, y sus ojos como pétalos de loto—no habrá paz para mí.
Sandhi Notes
- यावन्न = यावत् न
- चन्द्रसङ्काशं (समास)
- शुभमाननम् = शुभम् आननम् (m + ā → mā)
- शान्तिर्भविष्यति = शान्तिः भविष्यति
I shall not attain peace until I see my brother, Rama whose auspicious countenance looks radiant as the Moon and whose eyes as lotus-petals.
The teaching
Auspicious qualities (śubha-lakṣaṇa) are not mere beauty; they signify dharmic fitness for rule and become the ground of social and inner peace.
Duties in tension
- Bharata’s role as acting ruler vs. his moral insistence on Rama’s rightful sovereignty
- Public stability vs. personal remorse and need for reconciliation
- Ethical theme
- Rāja-dharma / fraternal duty
- How it resolves
- Darśana-seeking as moral restitution: peace contingent on meeting and honoring the rightful brother
Devotion and practice
Supports bhāvanā (contemplative visualization) of the iṣṭa’s auspicious form to steady the mind; useful in japa-dhyāna as a form-description verse.
- Deity praised
- Rama (as dharmic ideal)
- Form of praise
- Vandana (salutation)
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Karuna (compassion), with Shringara (love)
- Mood
- Tender admiration, aching separation, reverent love
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Brotherhood
- Reverence
- Itihasa
The beloved’s ‘moon/lotus’ imagery mirrors the mind’s movement toward a sattvic ideal that pacifies agitation when truly ‘seen’ (sākṣātkāra).
Lotus imagery resonates with inner purity motifs (puṇḍarīka/lotus-heart symbolism) found across later Upaniṣadic contemplations.
- Bharata and Rama
- Younger brother’s adoration of elder brother’s beauty and virtue (devotional-affectionate)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.98.6, 2.98.8-9 (same refrain and vow-structure); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.1-3.2 (Rama’s serene beauty in forest descriptions, thematic parallel)
Classical kāvya conventions: moon-face and lotus-eyes as markers of auspiciousness (śubha-lakṣaṇa)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Bharata’s repeated insistence that only Rama’s presence restores order and peace
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Grieving
Madhyama-centered, with a luminous lift on “candra-saṅkāśam” and gentle fall on “na me śāntir bhaviṣyati”
FAQs
Dharma as reverent recognition of the righteous: Bharata’s longing is directed toward Rama’s auspiciousness, affirming Rama as the moral center.
In the midst of organizing the search, Bharata describes Rama’s features, revealing intense affection and urgency.
Bhakti-like devotion and loyalty within family duty—Bharata’s mind remains fixed on Rama’s wellbeing and return.
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