Valmiki Ramayana 2.94.1-2: Ayodhya Kanda, Sarga 94, Shlokas 1-2
चित्रकूटवर्णनम् (Description of Chitrakūṭa) / Rama Shows Sita Chitrakuta
Setting: CitrakūṭaAfter long residence on the mountain; sharing the landscape
दीर्घकालोषित स्तस्मिन्गिरौ गिरिवनप्रियः ।
वैदेह्याः प्रियमाकाङ्क्षन्स्वं च चित्तं विलोभयन् ॥१॥
अथ दाशरथिश्चित्रं चित्रकूटमदर्शयत् ।
भार्याममरसङ्काश श्शचीमिव पुरन्दरः ॥२॥
dīrghakāloṣitaḥ tasmin girau girivanapriyaḥ |
vaidehyāḥ priyam ākāṅkṣan svaṃ ca cittaṃ vilobhayann ||1||
atha dāśarathiś citraṃ citrakūṭam adarśayat |
bhāryām amarasaṅkāśaḥ śacīm iva purandaraḥ ||2||
ఆ పర్వతంపై దీర్ఘకాలం నివసించిన, గిరి-వనాలను ప్రేమించే దాశరథి రాముడు వైదేహిని ఆనందింపజేయాలని, తన చిత్తాన్నీ రమింపజేయాలని కోరుతూ, దేవసమ కాంతితో తన భార్యకు ఆ అద్భుతమైన చిత్రకూటాన్ని చూపించాడు—పురందరుడు ఇంద్రుడు శచీకి చూపినట్లుగా।
Sandhi Notes
- dīrghakālōṣitaḥ = dīrghakāla-uṣitaḥ
- tasmingirau = tasmin girau
- priyamākāṅkṣan = priyam ākāṅkṣan
- svaṅ ca = svam ca
- cittaṅ = cittam
- vilōbhayan = vilobhayan
- dāśarathiścitraṅ = dāśarathiḥ citram
- citrakūṭamadarśayat = citrakūṭam adarśayat
- amarasaṅkāśaḥ śśacīmiva = amara-saṅkāśaḥ śacīm iva
Rama, resembling the gods, who had been living there for long developed a liking for the mountains and forests. With a desire to please Sita and his own mind, he showed her the wonderful Chitrakuta mountain as Indra did to his wife Sachi.
The teaching
Sharing beauty and maintaining mutual joy strengthens endurance in dharma during hardship.
- Ethical theme
- Gṛhastha-dharma within vanavāsa; sāttvika sukha
For your practice
Seeing the divine in righteous conduct (tejas of dharma); cultivating companionship and gratitude as spiritual supports.
Mood and themes
- Rasa
- Adbhuta (wonder), with Shringara (love)
- Mood
- Radiant, picturesque, uplifting
Themes
- Dharma
- Satya
- Vanavasa
- Marital Harmony
- Nature Description
- Itihasa
The ‘radiant like a god’ simile suggests inner tejas born of dharma; true splendor is not dependent on kingdom but on character.
Tejas imagery recalls Upaniṣadic valuation of inner light (antar-jyotis) as sign of sattva and self-mastery.
- Rama and Sita
- Husband delighting wife; guide and companion (affectionate)
- Rama and Chitrakuta
- Resident appreciating sacred landscape; ‘girivana-priya’ (fond)
- Indra and Shachi
- Divine spouses; exemplar simile (celebratory)
- Rama and Indra
- Poetic comparison elevating Rāma’s radiance and lordliness (admiring)
Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.94.16 (Rāma enamored of the mountain); Vālmīki Rāmāyaṇa 2.95 (further depiction of Citrakūṭa and forest life)
Vedic Indra-Śacī pairing as archetype of divine couple; Purāṇic/Itihāsa convention of comparing ideal human couple to divine spouses
Ayodhyākāṇḍa: Sītā’s choice to accompany Rāma; establishment at Citrakūṭa
Anuṣṭup (śloka)
Narrative
Bright, descriptive; slight elevation on "चित्रं चित्रकूटम्" and cadence on the Indra-Śacī simile
FAQs
Dharma is shown as sustaining righteousness through harmony and care: even in exile, Rāma upholds a balanced household-dharma by nurturing Sītā’s joy and keeping the mind steady through appreciation of the good.
The narration introduces Rāma’s affectionate act of showing Sītā the beauty of Citrakūṭa after they have been living in the forest region.
Rāma’s gentleness and emotional intelligence—he consciously creates consolation and meaning in exile for both Sītā and himself.
Ask anything about this verse
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.
Read Valmiki Ramayana in the Vedapath app
Scan the QR code to open this directly in the app, with word-by-word meanings, Sanskrit recitation where available, and more.
