Valmiki Ramayana 1.18.53: Bala Kanda, Sarga 18, Shloka 53
पुत्रजन्मोत्सवः · Birth of the Princes and Viśvāmitra’s Arrival
Bālakāṇḍa 18
Spoken by Dasharatha to ViśvāmitraSetting: Mithilā (Janaka’s court)
पूर्वं राजर्षिशब्देन तपसा द्योतितप्रभः ।
ब्रह्मर्षित्वमनुप्राप्तः पूज्योऽसि बहुधा मया ॥५३॥
pūrvaṃ rājarṣiśabdena tapasā dyotitaprabhaḥ |
brahmarṣitvam anuprāptaḥ pūjyo 'si bahudhā mayā ||53||
पहले तुम राजर्षि थे, राजा जैसे रिशि। तुमने इतना तप किया कि तुम्हारी चमक दिखने लगी। अब तुम ब्रह्मर्षि बन गए हो, सबसे बड़े रिशि। इसलिए मैं तुम्हे बहुत तरीके से पूजा करूँगा।
Sandhi Notes
- यत्प्रार्थितम् → यत् + प्रार्थितम्
- कार्यमागमनम् → कार्यम् + आगमनम्
- इच्छाम्यनुगृहीतोऽहम् → इच्छामि + अनुगृहीतः + अहम्
Earlier you were rajarshi, a warrior sage. By your austerities you have obtained the brilliance that lends radiance even to the Sun and the Moon you have gained the status of a brahmrshi. In several ways you are worthy of my worship.
The teaching
Spiritual rank is recognized by tapas and conduct; honoring realized sages is itself dharmic and elevating.
- Ethical theme
- Guru-sevā / satkāra (honoring the worthy)
Devotion and practice
Cultivates humility and reverence toward tapasvins and teachers; supports bhakti toward the guru as a conduit of dharma.
- Form of praise
- Vandana (salutation)
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder), with Shanta (peace)
- Mood
- Reverent, uplifting, awe-struck
Themes
- Dharma
- Tapas
- Spiritual Attainment
- Maryada
- Ethics
Tejas born of tapas as inner purity (śuddhi) revealing higher adhikāra; honoring the knower as honoring Brahman (jñānī-pūjā).
Taittirīya Upaniṣad: "ācārya devo bhava" (teacher as divine) as a cultural-ethical echo in treating the sage as worship-worthy.
- Rama and Vishvamitra
- Disciple-to-guru reverence; royal host honoring ascetic (reverential)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 1.18.54-57 (continuation of reverence and request); Mahābhārata, Vana Parva (Viśvāmitra narratives; tapas leading to brahmarṣi status)
Upaniṣadic/Smṛti ethic of honoring the teacher and the holy (ācārya-deva, atithi-deva)
Bālakāṇḍa: Viśvāmitra’s tapas and status repeatedly acknowledged; later episodes where Rāma serves the sage’s purpose (Tāṭakā-vadha, yajña-rakṣā).
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Solemn
Madhyama (middle register)
FAQs
True greatness is earned through tapas and self-discipline; society (and kings) should honor realized spiritual attainment.
Daśaratha praises Viśvāmitra’s spiritual evolution—from rājaṛṣi to brahmarṣi—and expresses veneration.
Respect for tapas and spiritual authority—Daśaratha recognizes merit rather than mere birth or power.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
