धर्मात्मनो गुणवतो लोके रामस्य धीमतः।
वृत्तं कथय धीरस्य यथा ते नारदाच्छ्रुतम्॥
dharmātmano guṇavato loke rāmasya dhīmataḥ
vṛttaṁ kathaya dhīrasya yathā te nāradāc chrutam
dharma-ātmanaḥ = who adheres to Vedic dharma; guṇavataḥ = possessing several auspicious qualities; loke = in this world; rāmasya = of Śrī Rāma; dhīmataḥ = and who his learned; vṛttam = the activities [18]; kathaya = describe; dhīrasya = and sober; yathā = in accordance with what; te = you; nāradāt = from Nārada Muni; śrutam = have heard.
In accordance with what you have heard from Nārada Muni, describe the activities of Śrī Rāma who adheres to Vedic dharma, possessing several auspicious qualities in this world, and who is learned and sober.
[18] vṛttaṁ padye caritre (Amara).
[19] kaver alpāpi vāg-vṛttir vidvat-karṇāvataṁsati / nāyako yadi varṇyeta lokottara-guṇottaraḥ.
[20] mahā-kulīnataujjvalyaṁ mahā-bhāgyam udāratā / tejasvitā vidagdhatvaṁ dhārmikatvādayo guṇāḥ.
Having given a general order to him to compose a book on Rāma’s activities, he then ordered him to compose it briefly.1
Rāma, the chief hero of this poem, is described here with four adjectives: dharmātmanaḥ (“who adheres to Vedic dharma”), loke guṇavataḥ (“possessing several auspicious qualities in this world”), dhīmataḥ (“learned”) and dhīrasya (“sober”).
It is known that a poem becomes famous by a description of the qualities of a hero. In this regard, Bhoja states that even a slight outpouring of a poet would decorate the ears of the learned if it describes a hero who is supreme in this world and by qualities [19].
Such a hero would have qualities such as being born in a noble family, brilliant, greatly fortunate, liberal, powerful, skilled and adhering to Vedic dharma [20]. Dharmātmanaḥ indicates that Lord Rāmacandra adheres to Vedic dharma. The very word rāmasya indicates that He is both powerful and brilliant. Dhīmataḥ indicates that He is scholarly. Dhīrasya indicates that He possesses great fortune as the emperor of the entire world. Loke guṇavataḥ indicates that He is liberal and possesses other qualities of a hero. The sage Vālmīki should compose a literature about the activities of Lord Rāma for He possesses such qualities. The word vṛttam here means “activities”: “Describe as you heard from Nārada” indicates that Śrī Vālmīki should briefly describe Lord Rāma’s pastimes.2