Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown PrinceText 2.1.33
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown Prince
Text 2.1.33
तमेवं व्रतसम्पन्नमप्रधृष्यपराक्रमम्।
लोकपालोपमं नाथमकामयत मेदिनी॥
tam evaṁ vrata-sampannam apradhṛṣya-parākramam
lokapālopamaṁ nātham akāmayata medinī
tam = Rāma; evam = who exhibited such qualities; vrata-sampannam = and who was firm in His vow; apradhṛṣya-parākramam = invincible in strength; lokapāla-upamam = and equal to the lokapāla demigods; nātham = as her lord; akāmayata = desired; medinī = the presiding deity of earth.
The presiding deity of earth desired Rāma who exhibited such qualities and who was firm in His vow, invincible in strength and equal to the lokapāla demigods as her lord.
Having pointed out Lord Rāma’s auspicious qualities, the sage Vālmīki now points out that all the worlds represented by earth was attracted to Him.
Śrī Rāmacandra was firm in His vow to award total protection to those who had taken full shelter of Him. His strength was invincible, that is, ever-fresh. Rāma was now fit to become the lord of earth.
Canto 1 had described that Lord Rāma had accomplished His vow [to assist Śrī Viśvāmitra] and that He was accomplished in His pastimes with Sītā-devī (Rāmāyaṇa 1.77.32). He had granted agreeable pleasures to earth by repelling His opponents.
Lokapālopamam indicates that Lord Rāma was Himself the maintainer of all the worlds, that is, He was equipped with all that would lead to all kinds of enjoyment and that Mother Lakṣmī in the form of Sītā was with Him. In other words, Śrī Rāmacandra enjoyed in various ways with His Lakṣmī, Mother Sītā. [Therefore,] the presiding deity of earth also desired Him as her lord. She desired to garland Him as her chosen bridegroom in a svayamvara ceremony.1
1. This is also an indication that the residents of earth wanted Rāma as their king.