Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 22, Shloka 19
सागरप्रशमनम् / The Pacification of the Ocean and the Building of Nala’s Bridge
रक्तमाल्याम्बरधरःपद्मपत्रनिभेक्षणः ।सर्वपुष्पमयींदिव्यांशिरसाधारयन् स्रजम् ।।।।जातरूपमयैश्चैवतपनीयविभूषितैः ।आत्मजानांचरत्नानांभूषितोभूषणोत्तमैः ।।।।धातुभिर्मण्डितश्शैलोविविधैर्हिमवानिव ।एकावलीमध्यगतंतरलंपाटलप्रभम् ।।।।विपुलेनोरसा बिभ्रत्कौस्तुभस्य सहोदरम् ।अघूर्णिततरङ्गौघःकालिकानिलसङ्गुलः ।।।।गङ्गासिन्दुप्रधाननाभिरापगाभिस्समावृतः ।देवतानांसरूपाभिर्नानारूपाभिरीश्वरः ।।।।सागरस्समुपक्रम्यपूर्वमाम्नत्यरवीर्यवान् ।अब्रवीत्प्राञ्जलिर्वाक्यंराघवंशरपाणिनम् ।।।।
raktamālyāmbaradharaḥ padmapatranibhekṣaṇaḥ |
sarvapuṣpamayīṃ divyāṃ śirasā dhārayan srajam ||
jātarūpamayaiś caiva tapanīya-vibhūṣitaiḥ |
ātmajānāṃ ca ratnānāṃ bhūṣito bhūṣaṇottamaiḥ ||
dhātubhir maṇḍitaḥ śailo vividhair himavān iva |
ekāvalī-madhyagataṃ taralaṃ pāṭala-prabham ||
vipulenorasā bibhrat kaustubhasya sahodaram |
aghūrṇita-taraṅgaughaḥ kālikānila-saṅgulaḥ ||
gaṅgā-sindhu-pradhānābhir āpagābhis samāvṛtaḥ |
devatānāṃ sarūpābhir nānārūpābhir īśvaraḥ ||
sāgaraḥ samupakramya pūrvam āmnatya aravīryavān |
abravīt prāñjalir vākyaṃ rāghavaṃ śarapāṇinam ||
Berhiaskan kalung bunga merah dan berselimut jubah merah, bermata laksana kelopak teratai; di atas kepalanya dipikul rangkaian suci yang menakjubkan, terjalin daripada segala jenis bunga. Ia dihiasi emas murni yang berkilau serta perhiasan terbaik bertatah permata lahir dari samudera; gemilang bagaikan Gunung Himavān yang bertabur pelbagai galian. Pada dadanya yang bidang tergantung loket berkilau di tengah kalung mutiara tunggal, bercahaya merah jambu lembut, seakan saudara kepada permata Kaustubha. Di sekelilingnya bergelora himpunan ombak yang tidak henti, diselubungi angin gelap pekat; dilingkari pula oleh sungai-sungai agung seperti Gaṅgā dan Sindhu serta makhluk-makhluk dewa yang beraneka rupa. Maka Sāgara, Penguasa Lautan, mendekat terlebih dahulu, menunduk memberi hormat, lalu dengan tangan terkatup berkata kepada Rāghava yang siap memegang anak panahnya.
"O Ocean! When your water is dried up to the core by my arrows, huge sand will appear."
FAQs
Dharma is upheld through proper conduct between powers: even a cosmic lord approaches with humility, greeting first and speaking with folded hands. Authority is balanced by courtesy and accountability.
Sāgara manifests in majestic form, accompanied by rivers and divinities, approaches Rāma, offers respectful salutation, and prepares to explain the lawful way forward (the building of a bridge).
Sāgara’s humility and diplomatic righteousness—he acknowledges Rāma’s cause and responds in a manner aligned with maryādā (propriety).