Canto 1: Bāla-kāṇḍa (Boyhood)Chapter 18: The Advent of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and ŚatrughnaText 1.18.16
Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 18: The Advent of Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Śatrughna
Text 1.18.16
राज्ञः पुत्रा महात्मानश्चत्वारो जज्ञिरे पृथक्।
गुणवन्तोऽनुरूपाश्च रुच्या प्रोष्ठपदोपमाः॥
rājñaḥ putrā mahātmānaś catvāro jajñire pṛthak
guṇavanto ’nurūpāś ca rucyā proṣṭhapadopamāḥ
rājñaḥ = of the king; putrāḥ = sons; mahā-ātmānaḥ = these great souls; catvāraḥ = the four; jajñire = born; pṛthak = unique; guṇavantaḥ = in qualities; anurūpāḥ = were appropriate to him; ca = also; rucyā = in splendor; proṣṭhapada-upamāḥ = resembled the Bhādrapadā nakṣatra.
The four sons of the king were appropriate to him. Unique in qualities, these great souls also resembled the Bhādrapadā nakṣatra in splendor.
Though one, They were of unique natures. The sacrifice had yielded Daśaratha’s desires. Rāma had a taste for general dharma. Lakṣmaṇa was conscious of His position as a direct servant of Rāma. Bharata had the mentality of being a dependent order-carrier of Rāma while Śatrughna was fixed as a dependent order-carrier of the Lord’s devotee.