Shloka 24
शतानन्दोपदेशः
Śatānanda’s Welcome to Rāma and the Prelude to Viśvāmitra’s History
नगराणि सराष्ट्राणि सरितश्च तथा गिरीन्।आश्रमान्क्रमशो राम विचरन्नाजगाम ह।।1.51.22।।वसिष्ठस्याश्रमपदं नानावृक्षसमाकुलम्।नानामृगगणाकीर्णं सिद्धचारणसेवितम्।।1.51.23।।देवदानवगन्धर्वै: किन्नरैरुपशोभितम्।प्रशान्तहरिणाकीर्णं द्विजसङ्घनिषेवितम्।।1.51.24।।ब्रह्मर्षिगणसङ्कीर्णं देवर्षिगणसेवितम्।तपश्चरणसंसिद्धैरग्निकल्पैर्महात्मभि:।।1.51.25।।अब्भक्षैर्वायुभक्षैश्च शीर्णपर्णाशनैस्तथा।फलमूलाशनैर्दान्तैर्जितरोषैर्जितेन्द्रियै:।।1.51.26।।ऋषिभिर्वालखिल्यैश्च जपहोमपरायणै:।अन्यैर्वैखानसैश्चैव समन्तादुपशोभितम्।।1.51.27।।
devadānavagandharvaiḥ kinnarair upaśobhitam |
praśānta-hariṇākīrṇaṁ dvija-saṅgha-niṣevitam || 1.51.24 ||
તે દેવો, દાનવો, ગંધર્વો અને કિન્નરો દ્વારા શોભિત હતું; શાંત, નિર્વિઘ્ન હરિણોથી ભરેલું અને દ્વિજસંઘ—અહીં મુખ્યત્વે પક્ષીઓ—દ્વારા નિષેવિત હતું.
Rama while Viswamitra was wandering about kingdoms, cities, rivers, mountains and hermitages, he gradually reached the ashram of Vasishta. That hermitage afounded in a variety of trees, species of animals, siddhas, charanas, devatas, danavas, gandharvas and kinnaras, multitudes of birds and resting deer. It was inhabited by brahmarshis and devarishis, by sages who had attained perfection through austerities, by those resembling fire in brightness, by the magnanimous and the selfrestrained, by those who had conquered anger and controlled their senses, who was devoted to prayers and offerings of libations. Some of them subsisted on water, some on air. Some lived on fallen leaves, some on fruits and roots. The hermitage looked bedecked with valakhilyas (born from Vala of Brahma ) and vaikhanasas (born from the nails of Brahma).
FAQs
Dharma is suggested through the āśrama as an ordered sacred space where diverse beings coexist without harm; tranquility (praśānta) and reverent attendance (niṣevitam) reflect harmony born of righteousness and disciplined life.
The text is describing the extraordinary environment of Sage Vasiṣṭha’s hermitage as Viśvāmitra and Rāma approach/arrive in the region.
The virtue highlighted is śānti (peacefulness)—seen in the calm deer and the non-violent, sacred atmosphere that true tapas and dharma are said to generate.