Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown PrinceText 2.1.44
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Daśaratha Desires to Appoint Rāma as the Crown Prince
Text 2.1.44
आत्मनश्च प्रजानां च श्रेयसे च प्रियेण च।
प्राप्तकालेन धर्मात्मा भक्त्या त्वरितवान्नृपः॥
ātmanaś ca prajānāṁ ca śreyase ca priyeṇa ca
prāpta-kālena dharmātmā bhaktyā tvaritavān nṛpaḥ
ātmanaḥ ca = for his; prajānām = his citizens’; ca = and; śreyase ca = benefit; priyeṇa = happiness; ca = and; prāpta-kālena = since his time [in the form of old age] had arrived; dharma-ātmā = the dhārmika; bhaktyā = lovingly; tvaritavān = expedited [the arrangements for Śrī Rāma’s coronation]; nṛpaḥ = king.
For his and his citizens’ benefit and happiness, the dhārmika king lovingly expedited [the arrangements for Śrī Rāma’s coronation], since his time [in the form of old age] had arrived.
This was the result of Daśaratha’s thought process. Daśaratha was dhārmika, that is, he awarded total protection to the citizens by adhering to dharma.1
Daśaratha, out of love [for Rāma], took advantage of his having attained old age to hurry up Rāma’s coronation as the heir apparent. Prāpta-kālena has another meaning: Daśaratha wanted to perform the coronation immediately because spring had arrived, [and spring is an auspicious time for such an auspicious ceremony].
1. Total protection refers to fulfilling the desires of the citizens and preventing any obstacles from coming about in doing so, [all within the bounds of Vedic dharma].