Valmiki Ramayana 2.53.35: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 53, Shloka 35
पञ्चाशत्तमः सर्गः (Sarga 53): Rāma’s Lament, Vigil for Sītā, and Lakṣmaṇa’s Consolation
Setting: a lonely, uninhabited forest (vijana vana), likened to mountain slopesDeepening entry into wilderness during exile
ततस्तु तस्मिन् विजने वने तदा महाबलौ राघववंशवर्धनौ ।
न तौ भयं सम्भ्रममभ्युपेयतु र्यथैव सिंहौ गिरिसानुगोचरौ ॥३५॥
tatastu tasmin vijane vane tadā mahābalau rāghavavaṃśavardhanau |
na tau bhayaṃ sambhramam abhyupeyatur yathaiva siṃhau girisānugocarau ||35||
Kemudian, pada ketika itu di hutan yang sunyi itu, kedua-dua yang maha perkasa, pemelihara kemuliaan keturunan Rāghava, tidak dikuasai takut atau gelisah—bagaikan dua ekor singa yang berkeliaran di lereng gunung.
Sandhi Notes
- sambhramamabhyupēyatuḥ → sambhramam + abhyupeyatuḥ
- yathaiva → yathā + eva
Then the two mighty perpetuators of the Raghu race, who were like two lions dwelling on the slopes of mountains, lived in that lonely forest without fear or hesitation.ityārṣē śrīmadrāmāyaṇē vālmīkīya ādikāvyē ayōdhyākāṇḍē tripañcāśassargaḥ৷৷Thus ends the fiftythird sarga of Ayodhyakanda of the holy Ramayana, the first epic composed by sage Valmiki.
The teaching
Courage rooted in dharma prevents fear from arising even in isolation and uncertainty.
- Ethical theme
- Valor (vīrya) / steadfastness (dhṛti)
For your practice
Meditation on Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa’s abhaya supports inner courage and steadiness; useful for japa with ‘Rāma’ as fear-dispelling nāma.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Vira (heroism), with Adbhuta (wonder)
- Mood
- Dauntless, majestic, steady
Themes
- Dharma
- Maryada
- Itihasa
- Ethics
- Courage
- Kshatriya duty
Fearlessness (abhaya) is a mark of inner grounding; the lion simile externalizes the state of one who is not shaken by changing conditions.
‘Abhaya’ as a spiritual attainment is a recurring śruti theme; here expressed as heroic composure in the wilderness.
- Rama and Lakshmana
- Brothers as co-protectors; shared courage (confident)
- Rama and Forest
- Fearless dwelling in nature through dharma (composed)
- Lakshmana and Forest
- Vigilant protector in wilderness (alert)
Upaniṣadic ‘abhaya’ passages (conceptual); Purāṇic/Itihāsa lion similes for kṣatriya heroes (common topos); Rāmcaritmānas: forest heroism and fearlessness of Rāma-Lakṣmaṇa
Vedic lion imagery as strength/sovereignty metaphor
Araṇyakāṇḍa: repeated demonstrations of fearlessness against rākṣasas; this verse foreshadows later confrontations
Śārdūlavikrīḍita (probable; long vṛtta with leonine cadence)
Commanding
Strong, resonant madhyama-to-tāra with emphatic pauses on ‘siṃhau’
FAQs
Dharma includes inner steadiness: even in exile and uncertainty, the righteous do not allow fear to govern action; composure supports right conduct.
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa are established in the forest setting; the verse summarizes their fearless bearing in the wilderness.
Fearlessness and self-control—strength that expresses itself as calm, not aggression.
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