Valmiki Ramayana 2.54.43: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 54, Shloka 43
भरद्वाजाश्रमप्राप्तिः · Arrival at Bharadvāja’s Hermitage and Counsel toward Citrakūṭa
Spoken by Bharadvaja to RamaSetting: Approach to Citrakūṭa region (described as vasudhādhara-giri)Places named: Citrakūṭa (implied by immediate narrative context)Arrival/selection of dwelling-place
प्रहृष्टकोयष्टिककोकिलस्वनैर्विनादितं तं वसुधाधरं शिवम् ।
मृगैश्च मत्तैर्बहुभिश्च कुञ्जरैः सुरम्यमासाद्य समावसाश्रमम् ॥४३॥
prahṛṣṭa-koyaṣṭika-kokila-svanair vināditaṃ taṃ vasudhādharaṃ śivam |
mṛgaiś ca mattair bahubhiś ca kuñjaraiḥ suramyam āsādya samāvasa āśramam ||43||
वहाँ पहाड़ी पर कोयल और पक्षी की आवाज़ें सुनाई देती हैं। हिरन और हाथी वहाँ घूमते हैं। यह जगह बहुत अच्छी है। वहाँ जाकके आश्रम बना के रहो।
Sandhi Notes
- prahṛṣṭakōyaṣṭikakōkilasvanair → prahṛṣṭa-kōyaṣṭika-kōkila-svanaiḥ
- vināditaṅ taṅ → vināditam tam (anusvāra before dental)
- suramyamāsādya → suramyam āsādya
- samāvasa āśramam kept as separate words (imperative + object)
The auspicious mountain (Chaitrakuta) resounds with the note of cheerful lapwings and cuckoos. Intoxicated elephants and deer move about in the enchanting mountain. There you may settle down in a hermitage.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē catuḥpañcāśa ssargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the fiftyfourth sarga in Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
The teaching
Choose a dwelling that supports tapas and non-violence—where nature’s harmony steadies the heart.
- Ethical theme
- Āśrama-dharma / environmental harmony
For your practice
Meditation on a sattvic place (deśa-śuddhi) as aid to japa and dhyāna; the ‘śivam’ epithet supports maṅgala-bhāvanā.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder), with Shanta (peace)
- Mood
- Auspicious, verdant, resonant
Themes
- Dharma
- Itihasa
- Ashrama-life
- Nature
- Maryada
- Satya
The ‘earth-bearer’ mountain as steadiness (dhṛti) and support—like the Self as adhāra; the quieting of mind in a sattvic habitat.
Muṇḍaka’s imagery of higher knowledge sought in forest hermitages; also the ideal of araṇya as locus for brahmavidyā.
- Rama and Sita
- Shared dwelling in hermitage (protective)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.56.1-2.56.20 (Citrakūṭa-varṇana); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 3.15 (Pañcavaṭī selection and description)
Purāṇic topos of tīrtha/āśrama on auspicious mountains (general)
Ayodhyākāṇḍa guidance by Bharadvāja leading to Citrakūṭa settlement (2.54-2.56)
Anuṣṭup (with extended descriptive cadence)
Narrative
Slightly elevated, bright udatta on ‘śivam’ and bird-call compounds
FAQs
Dharma is the choice of a life conducive to restraint and spiritual practice: settling in an āśrama in an auspicious place supports truthful living (satya), self-control, and non-attachment during exile.
The sage completes his description of Citrakūṭa’s beauty and explicitly instructs Rama to reach it and reside in a hermitage.
Commitment to disciplined living—Rama is guided toward an environment where royal power is set aside and dharmic simplicity is practiced.
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