सम्यग्विद्याव्रतस्नातो यथावत्साङ्गवेदवित्।
ईष्वस्त्रे च पितुः श्रेष्ठो बभूव भरताग्रजः॥
samyag-vidyā-vrata-snāto yathāvat sāṅga-vedavit
iṣv-astre ca pituḥ śreṣṭho babhūva bharatāgrajaḥ
samyak-vidyā-vrata-snātaḥ = He had properly completed His education and performance of vows; yathāvat = factually; sa-aṅga-vedavit = He knew the meaning of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas; iṣu-astre ca = in employing ordinary and mantra-charged arrows; pituḥ = than His father; śreṣṭhaḥ = better; babhūva = was; bharata-agrajaḥ = Bharata’s elder brother.
He had properly completed His education and performance of vows. He factually knew the meaning of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas. Bharata’s elder brother was better than His father in employing ordinary and mantra-charged arrows.
Some properly complete their [prescribed Vedic] education [but not their performance of vows recommended to complement their education]. Others complete their performance of vows, [but not their prescribed education]. Rāma completed both in accordance with the scriptural injunction adhītya snāyāt: “After one completes a study of the Vedas [and their supplements], he should graduate after the bathing ceremony.” Then He graduated.
Apart from studying, He also knew the meaning of the Vedas and the Vedāṅgas; this is the result of studying the Vedas.
That Rāma was better than Daśaratha in archery implies that there were archers inferior to Daśaratha.1
1. Daśaratha was a śabda-vedhī archer even in his youth. More about this later in this Canto.