Valmiki Ramayana 2.54.26: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 54, Shloka 26
भरद्वाजाश्रमप्राप्तिः · Arrival at Bharadvāja’s Hermitage and Counsel toward Citrakūṭa
Spoken by Rama to BharadvajaSetting: Bharadvaja-ashrama region; searching for a more secluded hermitage-site nearby in the forestPlanning the next halt deeper in the wilderness for stable residence
एकान्ते पश्य भगवन्नाश्रमस्थानमुत्तमम् ।
रमेत यत्र वैदेही सुखार्हा जनकात्मजा ॥२६॥
ekānte paśya bhagavann āśramasthānam uttamam |
rameta yatra vaidehī sukhārhā janakātmajā ||26||
गुरुजी, आप कोई ऐसी जगह बताओ जहाँ कोई न हो। वहाँ कोई अच्छा आश्रम का स्थान हो। सीता वहाँ खुश रह सके। जनक की बेटी को सुख मिलना चाहिए।
Sandhi Notes
- भगवन्नाश्रमस्थानम् = भगवन् + आश्रमस्थानम्
- आश्रमस्थानमुत्तमम् = आश्रमस्थानम् + उत्तमम्
O revered one, Janaka's daughter (Sita) deserves comfort. Suggest a solitary and agreeable place for our hermitage where she can enjoy herself.
The teaching
Austerity should be intelligent and compassionate: choose conditions that sustain dharma and protect dependents, especially in vulnerable circumstances.
Duties in tension
- Tapas/renunciant hardship expected in exile
- Duty of care and protection toward Sita (sukha-arhatā)
- Obedience to exile terms while ensuring safety and propriety
- Ethical theme
- Gṛhastha-dharma within āraṇya / anukampā
- How it resolves
- Harmonization (sattvic austerity with compassionate care)
For your practice
Model for householders and renunciants alike: seek ekānta for practice while ensuring the well-being of those entrusted to you; supports dhyāna and ahimsā in lifestyle.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Shanta (peace), with Shringara (love)
- Mood
- Seeking, protective, gentle
Themes
- Dharma
- Grihastha responsibility in exile
- Compassion
- Maryada
- Ethics
True tapas is sāttvika—supporting clarity and compassion; care for another’s well-being is not attachment but dharmic stewardship.
Īśā’s spirit of ‘tena tyaktena bhuñjīthāḥ’—live with renunciation yet with rightful enjoyment/maintenance (conceptual echo).
- Rama and Bharadvaja
- Requesting guidance; sage as spiritual authority and guide (reverent)
- Rama and Sita
- Husband ensuring wife’s comfort in exile (tender-protective)
- Sita and Janaka
- Daughter-father (lineage invoked) (honoring)
Mahābhārata: ideals of ekānta-vāsa and selecting āśrama sites for peace (Vana Parva); Rāmacaritamānasa: Rama’s concern for Sita’s sukha in forest life (Ayodhyākāṇḍa/Aranya episodes)
Āraṇyaka/Smṛti discussions on suitable hermitage locations (water, seclusion, safety)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: subsequent movement toward Citrakuta and forest residences; repeated emphasis on Sita’s welfare
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Commanding
Madhyama (middle register)
FAQs
Dharma includes compassionate duty: even in renunciation, Rāma seeks a setting that protects Sītā’s well-being and dignity.
Rāma asks Bharadvāja to recommend a more secluded, suitable place to establish their hermitage.
Rāma’s protective care (rakṣaṇa-bhāva) and sensitivity—balancing ascetic aims with humane comfort for Sītā.
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