Shloka 7
षष्ठस्सर्गः — तपस्विरक्षणे राजधर्मोपदेशः
Sarga 6: The Sages’ Appeal and Instruction on Royal Duty
अभिगम्य च धर्मज्ञा रामं धर्मभृतां वरम्।ऊचुः परमधर्मज्ञमृषिसङ्घास्समाहिताः।।।।
abhigamya ca dharmajñā rāmaṁ dharmabhṛtāṁ varam |
ūcuḥ paramadharmajñam ṛṣisaṅghāḥ samāhitāḥ || 3.6.7 ||
ധർമ്മജ്ഞനായ രാമനെ—ധർമ്മധാരികളിൽ ശ്രേഷ്ഠനെ—സമീപിച്ച്, സമാഹിതരായ ഋഷിസംഘങ്ങൾ പരമധർമ്മജ്ഞനോടു ഇങ്ങനെ പറഞ്ഞു.
Vaikhanasas, Valakhilyas, sages who continuously wash their bodies, Marichakas Asmakuttas sages who live on leaves only, those who have teeth like mortar, Unmajjakas, those who use limbs as their bed, those who practise penance without using a bed, those who do penance in the open, unmindful of rain or Sun or wind, those who live on water only, those who penance under the open sky, those who carry on penance on high places like the mountaintop, those who recline on bare ground only, those who observe fast as a part of religious tradition, those selfrestrained men, those who mutter sacred mantras, those who constantly perform penance and those who stand under the blazing Sun in summer placing fire on four sides while performing penanceall these types of sages met Rama in the hermitage of Sarabhanga.
FAQs
Dharma is treated as knowable and embody-able: the sages recognize Rāma as both practitioner (dharmabhṛt) and authority (dharmajña).
Sages arrive at Śarabhaṅga’s hermitage and begin speaking to Rāma, initiating a formal address of praise and counsel.
Rāma’s virtue: being ‘foremost among dharma-bearers’—a model of righteous conduct and discernment.