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राम
Leela Scene

The Dark and Fair Brothers Enter Janakpur

Bala Kanda, Chaupai 216

Doha 219 · Movement 1 of 2

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Ram and Lakshmana bow at Vishwamitra's lotus feet and enter the city. A group of boys gathers around them, while every passing eye and mind is seized by the extraordinary sight.

Yellow garments fall from ornamented waists, and bows and arrows grace their hands. Fragrant sandalwood anoints the dark and fair bodies. Lion like necks rise above broad arms, and jewel necklaces shine upon their chests.

Golden lotus eyes and moonlike faces remove the three kinds of suffering. Flower earrings brighten their ears, glances steal hearts, and arched brows with tilaka marks appear drawn by perfect artistry. Their walk becomes a moving festival of form.

Dark cloud and fair moon walk together through Janakpur in yellow silk.

Read the passage from the Manas
Rama and Lakshmana on their city visit, in yellow garments with waist quivers and bows and arrows in their hands.

AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 216

All8units source-read; selectedbrotherscitytourgear units3-5

Source reference and artistic choices

Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 218, 219 · printed pages 216, 217. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-216. Printed numbering may differ.

Source facts

  • BOTHBROTHERS bowMUNILOTUSFEET thenSETFORTH worldeyesdelight; CHILDREN seeBROTHERSbeauty captivatedEYEs/MIND FOLLOWTHEM notbeautifulchildrengroupasobjectadoredbyothers.
  • YELLOWGARMENTS securedWAISTQUIVERS, beautifulBOWS/ARROWS inHANDS notwaistjewelsasreplacement/backquiveronly. BodiesappropriateSANDALWOODSTRIPES/lines dark/fairpair; LIONLIKEshoulders STRONGARMS beautifulNAGAMANI necklaces.
  • EyesbeautifulREDLOTUSlike localHindi लालकमल comparisonnotgoldenIRISoractualredIRIScertificate, MOONfaces removethreeSUFFERINGS figurative. GOLDEARFLOWERS/ornaments bright lovelyglancescrookedeyebrows separateforeheadTILAKLINES; glancesstealhearts notinventedMANAATICHOREquote. Full8retained selectedgearportrait children/MUNIbownotdepicted/offcropnotdenied; no literalmoonhead/lionhead/hearttheft.

Artistic choices

  • CurrentD221 youthfulBLUEGREYRama andFAIRwarmtanLakshmana faces/curls/caps/WHITEUandWHITEUredcenter unchanged artistage15/14 nothistoricalcertificate. THISsourceBOTHYELLOWgarments, LakshmanaorangechangedYELLOW explicitपीत source strongerthanearlierartistcolor. CreamgoldfourcornerCAPS adjacentDoha219context source-local notfourdotTILAK.
  • Own2headsfourarms/fourhands eachONEBOWandONEARROW lowered notaiming, ONEWAISTQUIVEReach tiedbelt outerhips arrowtopsclear no backquiver substituted. Smallcreamsandalwoodupperarmlines bodytone intact; NAGAMANI representedartistjewelnecklaces pearls/greenredstones Lakshmanawoodbeadsreplacedbyjewels explicitsourcehere notauthenticatedserpent-derivedmaterial. Exacthands/caps/fabric/gemcut/quivercolor speciesclockfloorplanartist.
  • ActualRamaquiverimageLEFTouterhip andLakshmanaquiverimageLEFTinnerhip bothtiedWAISTcases notbackquivers; hiphandednesssourceunspecifiedartist despitepromptouterhip. BothYELLOWdhoti/creamgold drapes bothpearl/greenredstone necklaces replacingearlierLakshmanawoodbeads, smallcreamupperarmsandalwoodlines. Originalinnerhandsambiguousoverlap fullrawarchiveddraft9 beforetargetededit; finalseparatesLakshmanasfairinnerhand grippingownarrow beforeOWNdhoti, Ramaownarrowgrayhand distinct; bothbowsouterhands andfacecapstyle preserved.

An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.

मुनि पद कमल बंदि दोउ भ्राता। चले लोक लोचन सुख दाता।। बालक बृंदि देखि अति सोभा। लगे संग लोचन मनु लोभा।। पीत बसन परिकर कटि भाथा। चारु चाप सर सोहत हाथा।। तन अनुहरत सुचंदन खोरी। स्यामल गौर मनोहर जोरी।। केहरि कंधर बाहु बिसाला। उर अति रुचिर नागमनि माला।। सुभग सोन सरसीरुह लोचन। बदन मयंक तापत्रय मोचन।। कानन्हि कनक फूल छबि देहीं। चितवत चितहि चोरि जनु लेहीं।। चितवनि चारु भृकुटि बर बाँकी। तिलक रेखा सोभा जनु चाँकी।।

Bowing at the sage's lotus feet (muni pada kamala), the two brothers set forth, givers of delight to the eyes of all the world. Boyish in age, one dark of limb, one fair, both surpassingly beautiful, they stole every heart they passed.