Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Lord Rāma Meets the Sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya
Text 3.1.3
शरण्यं सर्वभूतानां सुसंमृष्टाजिरं सदा।
मृगैर्बहुभिराकीर्णं पक्षिसङ्घैः समावृतम्॥
śaraṇyaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ susaṁmṛṣṭājiraṁ sadā
mṛgair bahubhir ākīrṇaṁ pakṣi-saṅghaiḥ samāvṛtam
śaraṇyam = the āśrama was fit to be the shelter; sarva-bhūtānām = of all creatures; susaṁmṛṣṭa-ajiram = its courtyards were very clean; sadā = at all times; mṛgaiḥ = deer; bahubhiḥ = by many; ākīrṇam = it was crowded; pakṣi-saṅghaiḥ = with birds; samāvṛtam = and filled.
The āśrama was fit to be the shelter of all creatures. Its courtyards were very clean at all times. It was crowded by many deer and filled with birds.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: sahaja-vaira-prayukta-vadhya-dhātuka-bhāvābhāvena sarva-prāṇināṁ varaṇīyam ity arthaḥ.
Śaraṇyam indicates that that āśrama was fit to be accepted by all creatures. This was because [in that āśrama] there was no hostility towards those who would be naturally killed.1 It also indicates that it was fit to be the residence of those afraid of rākṣasas 2.
The āśrama’s courtyards were very well swept 3. The second half of the verse describes how the āśrama was fit to be the shelter [of all creatures].