Ram Names Sita to Lakshmana
Bala Kanda, Chaupai 228
Doha 231 · Movement 1 of 2
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Ram tells Lakshmana that this is Janaka's daughter, the one for whom the bow sacrifice has been prepared. She has come with companions to worship Gauri, and her radiance illumines the flower garden.
The extraordinary sight has stirred Ram's naturally pure mind, and auspicious limbs tremble. The Creator alone knows every cause. Yet Raghu's lion never allows the mind to step upon a wrong path.
He speaks of rare noble men who never look toward another's wife even in dream, never turn from an enemy in battle, and never refuse a supplicant. The inward movement toward Sita therefore arrives with the clarity of rightful destiny, not concealed transgression.
Ram speaks Sita's name, and the trembling of love stands calmly within dharma.
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AI-created devotional illustration · Chaupai 228
Full8 source units retained; selected representative moment explicitly described.
Source reference and artistic choices
Gita Press code81 undated · PDF pages 228 · printed pages 226. Reader passage: bala-kanda-chaupai-228. Printed numbering may differ.
Source facts
- 1 Rama addresses LAKSHMANA affectionately DEARBROTHER notFATHER: this Janaka'sdaughter for whom BOWSACRIFICECEREMONY held.
- 2 She came with friends to worship GAURI, now radiant in FLOWERGARDEN.
- 3 Her extraordinarybeauty moves HIS NATURALLY PURE MIND.
- 4 Creator knows allcauses; HIS AUSPICIOUS LIMBS THROB, listenbrother.
- 5 MEMBERS of RAGHU LINEAGE naturalmind neverwrongpath, plural not singularlion.
- 6 Rama trusts HIS OWN MIND which neverglanced at ANOTHER'S WIFE EVEN IN DREAMS, not trustunnamedhim.
- 7 Raregreatmen enemies never see theirBACKINBATTLE; otherwives do not enter mind/gaze.
- 8 BEGGARS never hearNO from suchmen; few inworld. Selectedbrotherconversation otherfacts retained no literalbattle/minddiagrams.
Artistic choices
- Actual Rama LEFT bluegrey/LakshmanaRIGHT fairwarmtan youthfulD233 faces/curls foldedfourcornercreamgoldclothcaps separateWHITEUredcenter marks ONEpeacockfeather each whitepinkbudclusters; BOTH yellowcreamgold dhoti/drapes pearlgreenredstone necklaces goldhoops. Numericages/capgeometry/flowerfeathercounts headadornmenttime artist, notliteral lion.
- Actual TWOHEADS4CONNECTEDOWNARMS4DISTINCTOWNHANDS clearseparation: Rama ownRIGHT openpalm explainingtowardbrother ownLEFTgreenleafbowl wholewhitepinkflowers; Lakshmana ownRIGHTchesthand ownLEFTseparateleafbowl wholeflowers. Facesattentive towards eachother mouthmostlyclosed no actualspeechquote/audio certificate. Lowerlegsfeetgearoutcrop notabsent.
- E17 mutedcreamochreoliveagedpaperwash naturalmatte figures whitepinkboughs creamcolumn faintivorypavilion no ornateframe; exactsite/pose/gaze/time artist. Sita/sakhis/Gauri/Janaka offcropnotdenied; source auspiciouslimbthrobbing/mindvirtue not anatomicallyvisible certificate.
An imaginative interpretation, not a historical portrait or documentary evidence.
तात जनकतनया यह सोई। धनुषजग्य जेहि कारन होई।। पूजन गौरि सखीं लै आई। करत प्रकासु फिरइ फुलवाई।। जासु बिलोकि अलोकिक सोभा। सहज पुनीत मोर मनु छोभा।। सो सबु कारन जान बिधाता। फरकहिं सुभद अंग सुनु भ्राता।। रघुबंसिन्ह कर सहज सुभाऊ। मनु कुपंथ पगु धरइ न काऊ।। मोहि अतिसय प्रतीति मन केरी। जेहिं सपनेहुँ परनारि न हेरी।। जिन्ह कै लहहिं न रिपु रन पीठी। नहिं पावहिं परतिय मनु डीठी।। मंगन लहहि न जिन्ह कै नाहीं। ते नरबर थोरे जग माहीं।।
Dear brother, this is Janaka's daughter, the very one for whose sake the bow-sacrifice is being held. She has come with her companions to worship Gauri, and her radiance illumines the flower garden as she moves through it. Beholding her extraordinary beauty, my naturally pure heart has grown restless. The Creator alone knows the full reason. Listen, brother: my auspicious limbs are trembling. It is the inborn nature of the Raghu line that the mind never sets foot on a crooked path. I hold the deepest faith in that heart which has never glanced at another's wife, not even in a dream. Those whose enemies never see their backs in battle, whose eyes and mind never stray toward another's wife, and from whom no supplicant ever departs empty-handed: such noble souls are few in this world.