Canto 2: Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa ()Chapter 16: Rāma Passes Through the Grand Road to Meet DaśarathaText 2.16.24
Canto 2 -
Ayodhyā-kāṇḍa
Chapter 16: Rāma Passes Through the Grand Road to Meet Daśaratha
Text 2.16.24
पूर्वां दिशं वज्रधरो दक्षिणां पातु ते यमः।
वरुणः पश्चिमामाशां धनेशस्तूत्तरां दिशम्॥
pūrvāṁ diśaṁ vajradharo dakṣiṇāṁ pātu te yamaḥ
varuṇaḥ paścimām āśāṁ dhaneśas tūttarāṁ diśam
pūrvām diśam = in the east vajradharaḥ = Indra; dakṣiṇām = in the south; pātu = may protect; te = You; yamaḥ = Yama; varuṇaḥ = Varuṇa; paścimām āśām = in the west; dhaneśaḥ tu = and Kuvera; uttarām diśam = in the north.
May Indra protect You in the east, Yama in the south, Varuṇa in the west and Kuvera in the north.
1 These are prayers of benediction which are verbally utterable by a superior according to the principles of the Varṇāśrama system.
All of this is part of Sītā-devī’s prayers for Rāma’s welfare. Because these are about her husband’s welfare, she did not verbally utter these prayers.1