मेघश्यामं महाबाहुं स्थिरसत्त्वं दृढव्रतम्।
कदा द्रक्ष्यामहे रामं जगतः शोकनाशनम्॥
megha-śyāmaṁ mahā-bāhuṁ sthira-sattvaṁ dṛḍha-vratam
kadā drakṣyāmahe rāmaṁ jagataḥ śoka-nāśanam
megha-śyāmam = He is like a dark cloud; mahā-bāhum = His arms are mighty; sthira-sattvam = He is firm in His decisions 2; dṛḍha-vratam = [and] He firmly adheres to His vows; kadā = when; drakṣyāmahe = will we see; rāmam = Rāma; jagataḥ śoka-nāśanam = the destroyer of the world’s distress.
Will we see Rāma, the destroyer of the world’s distress? He is like a dark cloud. His arms are mighty. He is firm in His decisions [and] He firmly adheres to His vows.
1 He is not personally and selfishly affected out of jealosy and so on.
2 We will notice this in the section of the Rāmāyaṇa in Canto 6 that describes Vibhīṣaṇa’s surrender unto Lord Śrī Rāma’s lotus feet. According to Śrī Rāmānujācārya’s followers, this is the most important section in the Rāmāyaṇa.
3 This translation is adapted from Prabhupāda’s translation to fit the commentary. The commentary explicitly quotes only this portion. The remaining has been added to provide clarity.
Megha-śyāmam (“He is like a dark cloud”) indicates that one cannot give up [relishing] His beauty even from a distance just as a person tormented by the heat [cannot give up being] in the rain. It also indicates that He takes away all of [His devotees’] sufferings just by showing Himself [to them].
Mahā-bāhum. [In text 4.3.15, Hanumān will] describe that the arms of the Lord were long and well-rounded: āyatāś ca suvṛttāś ca. Rāma was both magnanimous to allow [everyone] to relish His beauty and competent in granting them [the ability to] relish His beauty. This is similar to the statement:
rāmam indīvara-śyāmaṁ sarva-śatru-nibarhaṇam
paśyāmo yauvarājyasthaṁ tava rājottamātmajam
“O best of kings, we want to see your son Rāma who is as beautiful as a dark blue lotus and who destroys all enemies, installed as the crown prince.” (Rāmāyaṇa 2.2.55)
In some manuscripts, sthira-cittam (“firm in mind”) appears instead of sthira-sattvam indicating that even when His sheltered devotees become unfavorable to Him, His mind is not affected.1
Dṛḍha-vratam (“He firmly adheres to His vows”) indicates that His vow to award full protection to those who take shelter of Him cannot be shaken even by His confidential associates.2
“When will we see Rāma?” This indicates that if [these devotees] could simply get to see His face, all of their miseries caused by [hearing] Kaikeyī’s words would go away. Because Rāma is the destroyer of the distress of the entire world, how could [these devotees] be overwhelmed in distress [upon seeing Him]? This highlights the greatness of the Lord who has assured that His surrendered devotee need not worry [for any reason whatsoever]:
man-manā bhava mad-bhakto mad-yājī māṁ namaskuru
mām evaiṣyasi satyaṁ te pratijāne priyo ’si me
“Always think of Me, become My devotee, worship Me and offer your homage unto Me. Thus you will come to Me without fail. I promise you this because you are My very dear friend.”
sarva-dharmān parityajya mām ekaṁ śaraṇaṁ vraja
ahaṁ tvāṁ sarva-pāpebhyo mokṣayiṣyāmi mā śucaḥ
“Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reactions. Do not lament.”3 (Bhagavad-gītā 18.65-66)