स कच्चिद्ब्राह्मणो विद्वान्धर्मनित्यो महाद्युतिः।
इक्ष्वाकूणामुपाध्यायो यथावत्तात पूज्यते॥
sa kaccid brāhmaṇo vidvān dharma-nityo mahā-dyutiḥ
ikṣvākūṇām upādhyāyo yathāvat tāta pūjyate
saḥ kaccit = is the; brāhmaṇaḥ = knower of Brahman; vidvān = learned; dharma-nityaḥ = who is ever fixed on dharma; mahā-dyutiḥ = and greatly effulgent; ikṣvākūṇām = of the Ikṣvākus; upādhyāyaḥ = and who is the teacher; yathāvat = properly; tata = dear Bharata; pūjyate = worshipped.
Dear Bharata, is the learned and greatly effulgent knower of Brahman who is ever fixed on dharma and who is the teacher of the Ikṣvākus properly worshipped?1
1 Generally, the expression “knower of Brahman” in the system of Śrī Rāmānuja refers to one who has realized the nature of Lord Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Brahman. This expression will appear later too and should be understood to have this particular meaning in the translation (since it is based on the commentary) or commentary unless explicitly specified to be otherwise.
1 There are eighteen divisions of Vedic knowledge. See Rāmāyaṇa 1.1.4 and its commentary for further information about them.
2 Sage Vasiṣṭha followed Vedic dharma to the extent he knew it. In other words, he didn’t skip following any of prescriptions, prohibitions or allowances of Vedic dharma even after knowing about them. Since his knowledge of Vedic dharma was extensive, his adherence to it was also proportionately deep.
3 That is, before Rāma’s departure to the forest.
The teacher of the Ikṣvākus, that is, their family guru was Vasiṣṭha. Saḥ indicates that he is well known. He was learned, that is, expert in all divisions of Vedic knowledge.1 He was fixed on dharma, that is, he followed dharma in accordance with his knowledge.2 Therefore, he was greatly effulgent, that is, filled with spiritual effulgence.
Rāmacandra wanted to know if Vasiṣṭha was properly worshipped, that is, greatly honored like His father Daśaratha which is how he had been honored before.3