मध्येन मुदितं स्फीतं रम्योद्यानसमाकुलम्।
राज्यं भोग्यं नरेन्द्राणां ययौ धृतिमतां वरः॥
madhyena muditaṁ sphītaṁ ramyodyāna-samākulam
rājyaṁ bhogyaṁ narendrāṇāṁ yayau dhṛtimatāṁ varaḥ
madhyena = right through; muditam = it was happy; sphītam = extensive; ramya-udyāna-samākulam = and crowded with pleasant gardens; rājyam = His kingdom; bhogyam = that was enjoyable; nara-indrāṇām = for kings; yayau = passed; dhṛtimatām = of the sober; varaḥ = the best.
The best of the sober passed right through His kingdom that was enjoyable for kings. It was happy, extensive and crowded with pleasant gardens.
1 As Śrīla Prabhupāda notes in his writings and more so in his recorded conversations, the actual standard of material enjoyment is that based on agrarian self-sufficiency which is sustainable. Though many in the modern world think that to endeavor to move to such a life is impractical, if not impossible, a number of erudite scientists and thinkers have analyzed the consumeristic civilization of today and urged thinking human beings to re-examine their axiomatic acceptance of technological innovation and development as a way to tangibly improve their lot.
Dhṛtimatāṁ varaḥ (“the best of the sober”) indicates the astonishment of the sage Vālmīki about Rāma’s renunciation while traveling through His kingdom even though it was enjoyable.1