Shloka 8
शबरी-आश्रम-प्रवेशः
Rama and Lakshmana at Sabari’s Hermitage
कच्चित्ते निर्जिता विघ्नाः कच्चित्ते वर्धते तपः।कच्चित्ते नियतः क्रोध आहारश्च तपोधने।।।।
kaccit te nirjitā vighnāḥ kaccit te vardhate tapaḥ | kaccit te niyataḥ krodha āhāraś ca tapodhane ||
“നിന്റെ সাধനയിൽ വന്ന വിഘ്നങ്ങൾ ജയിച്ചോ? നിന്റെ തപസ് ക്രമേണ വർധിക്കുകയാണോ? ഹേ തപോധനേ, ക്രോധവും ആഹാരവാസനയും നിയന്ത്രിതമാണോ?”
Both reached the west bank of lake Pampa and saw the delightful hermitage of Sabari.
FAQs
Dharma as inner discipline: true spiritual life requires conquering obstacles and regulating anger and appetite—self-mastery is treated as a moral achievement, not merely a ritual one.
Rāma, after being received, inquires into Śabarī’s ascetic welfare—her tapas, and her mastery over anger and bodily urges.
Rāma’s compassion and discernment: he honors ascetic life by asking about real ethical progress (control of anger and desire), not superficial markers.