Shloka 15
Śrī Rāmacandra-avatāra — Vow, Exile, Laṅkā-vijaya, and Rāma-rājya
Concise Bhāgavata Account
कामं प्रयाहि जहि विश्रवसोऽवमेहं त्रैलोक्यरावणमवाप्नुहि वीर पत्नीम् । बध्नीहि सेतुमिह ते यशसो वितत्यै गायन्ति दिग्विजयिनो यमुपेत्य भूपा: ॥ १५ ॥
kāmaṁ prayāhi jahi viśravaso ’vamehaṁ trailokya-rāvaṇam avāpnuhi vīra patnīm badhnīhi setum iha te yaśaso vitatyai gāyanti dig-vijayino yam upetya bhūpāḥ
Wahai Tuhanku, gunakanlah airku menurut kehendak-Mu. Seberangilah dan pergilah ke tempat Rāvaṇa, pengacau tiga alam, putera Viśravā yang tercela; bunuhlah dia dan perolehlah kembali Sītādevī. Airku tidak menghalang perjalanan ke Laṅkā, namun demi menyebarkan kemuliaan rohani-Mu, dirikanlah sebuah jambatan; raja-raja dan wira pada masa depan akan memuji perbuatan agung ini.
It is said that a son and urine emanate from the same source — the genitals. When a son is a devotee or a great learned person, the seminal discharge for begetting a son is successful, but if the son is unqualified and brings no glory to his family, he is no better than urine. Here Rāvaṇa is compared to urine because he was a cause of disturbances to the three worlds. Thus the ocean personified wanted him killed by Lord Rāmacandra.
FAQs
This verse explicitly instructs constructing the Setu so Rama’s righteous fame and mission to defeat Ravana and recover Sita are accomplished and remembered by future kings.
Ravana, though born in the line of the sage Vishrava, acted against dharma through arrogance and violence; therefore he is described as a stain upon his noble ancestry.
Act decisively against wrongdoing, protect the innocent, and let one’s work be grounded in dharma—seeking duty and service over ego and personal gain.