Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown PrinceText 2.1.15
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown Prince
Text 2.1.15
सानुक्रोशो जितक्रोधो ब्राह्मणप्रतिपूजकः।
दीनानुकंपी धर्मज्ञो नित्यं प्रग्रहवाञ्शुचिः॥
sānukrośo jita-krodho brāhmaṇa-pratipūjakaḥ
dīnānukampī dharmajño nityaṁ pragravāñ śuciḥ
sa-anukrośaḥ = He was compassionate 5; jita-krodhaḥ = of controlled anger; brāhmaṇa-pratipūjakaḥ = a worshipper of those in knowledge of the Vedas; dīna-anukampī = especially merciful to the fallen; dharmajñaḥ = a knower of general and specific dharma; nityam = always; pragrahavān = regulated in His vows; śuciḥ = and pure in financial dealings.
He was compassionate, of controlled anger, a worshipper of those in knowledge of the Vedas, especially merciful to the fallen, a knower of general and specific dharma, always regulated in His vows and pure in financial dealings.
Rāma was compassionate, that is, unable to tolerate others’ miseries. The word brāhmaṇa here is derived from the word brahman which refers to the Vedas. Lord Rāma would stand up to respectfully receive those who were in Vedic knowledge. He was especially merciful to the fallen, that is, He would bestow charity with honor and so on upon the fallen wherever they were. He was always regulated in His vow as He would state later on:
sakṛd eva prapannāya tavāsmīti ca yācate
abhayaṁ sarva-bhūtebhyo dadāmy etad vratam mama
“It is My vow to all creatures that if one only once seriously surrenders unto Me, saying ‘My dear Lord, from this day I am Yours,’ and prays to Me for courage, I shall immediately award courage to that person, and he will always remain safe from that time on.” (Rāmāyaṇa 6.18.33)
Lord Rāmacandra was also śuciḥ, that is, He did not hanker after other’s wealth as enjoined in Manu-smṛti (5.106) as follows:
yo ’rthe śuciḥ sa hi śucir
na mṛd-vāri-śuciḥ śuciḥ
“He who is pure in his dealings with money, not the one who is pure by using earth and water, is indeed pure.”1
1. “Earth” refers to that which can be perceived by all the five knowledge-aquiring senses, that is, matter in its solid state. “Water” refers to that which can be perceived by four knowledge-aquiring senses, that is, matter in its liquid state. This is clear from the Third Canto of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam. In the modern world, we wash our bodies with “earth” and “water” by using solid or liquid soap and water. Apart from this, even in today’s world, there are people who cleanse themselves using mud and water.