Valmiki Ramayana 2.52.74: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 52, Shloka 74
गङ्गातरणम्, सुमन्त्र-प्रतिनिवर्तनम्, जटाधारणम्
Crossing the Gaṅgā; Sumantra’s Return; Adoption of Ascetic Signs
Addressed to LakshmanaSetting: Gaṅgā riverbank (Gaṅgātīra)Places named: GaṅgāCrossing from Śṛṅgaverapura region toward the southern bank en route to Citrakūṭa
स तु दृष्ट्वा नदीतीरे नावमिक्ष्वाकुनन्दनः ।
तितीर्षुः शीघ्रगां गङ्गामिदं लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत् ॥७४॥
sa tu dṛṣṭvā nadītīre nāvam ikṣvākunandanaḥ |
titīrṣuḥ śīghragāṃ gaṅgām idaṃ lakṣmaṇam abravīt ||74||
राम ने नदी के किनारे एक नाव देखी। वो गंगा पार करना चाहते थे। उन्होंने लक्ष्मण को बोला।
Sandhi Notes
- नदीतीरे = नदी + तीरे
- नावमिक्ष्वाकुनन्दनः = नावम् + इक्ष्वाकुनन्दनः
- गङ्गामिदम् = गङ्गाम् + इदम्
- लक्ष्मणमब्रवीत् = लक्ष्मणम् + अब्रवीत्
Seeing the boat on the river bank and intending to cross the swiftly flowing Ganga, Rama, descendant of the Iksvakus said to Lakshmana:
The teaching
Even in exile, dharmic action proceeds with attentiveness to place, timing, and proper means—seeking lawful passage rather than force.
- Ethical theme
- Yātrā-dharma (conduct during journey)
For your practice
Mindful transitions: before major steps, pause, observe, and proceed with reverence toward sacred spaces (tīrtha-bhāva).
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)
- Mood
- Purposeful, riverine, anticipatory
Themes
- Dharma
- Journey
- Itihasa
- Maryada
- Protection
The boat as upāya for crossing the stream of saṃsāra; the tīrtha as a point of inner purification before undertaking tapas-like exile.
Nāva imagery resonates with later Upaniṣadic/Smṛti motifs of crossing beyond fear; the sacred river as a locus of pāvana (purification) before a dharmic undertaking.
- Rama and Lakshmana
- Elder_brother_to_younger_brother; leadership_in_exile (calm, directive)
- Rama and Ganga
- Reverential_encounter_with_sacred_river; intent_to_cross (reverent, focus)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.52.75-78 (immediate sequence); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.50-51 (meeting with Guha; approach to Gaṅgā)
Tīrtha-crossing motifs in Itihāsa-Purāṇa (e.g., Mahābhārata tīrtha-yātrā passages)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: exile journey logistics and river crossings (Gaṅgā/Yamunā sequences)
Anuṣṭup
Narrative
Madhyama-gati, śānta-udātta emphasis on Gaṅgā
FAQs
Dharma here is prudent action: before undertaking a risky crossing, Rāma coordinates carefully with Lakṣmaṇa to ensure safety.
Rāma reaches the Gaṅgā, sees the prepared boat, and gives instructions to Lakṣmaṇa for boarding and crossing.
Forethought and protective care—Rāma plans the crossing with attention to the wellbeing of his companions.
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