Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Lord Rāma Meets the Sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya
Text 3.1.4-5

पूजितं च प्रनृत्तं च नित्यमप्सरसां गणैः।
विशालैरग्निशरणैः स्रुग्भाण्डैरजिनैः कुशैः॥

समिद्भिस्तोयकलशैः फलमूलैश्च शोभितम्।
आरण्यैश्च महावृक्षैः पुण्यैः स्वादुफलैर्वृतम्॥

pūjitaṁ ca pranṛttaṁ ca nityam apsarasāṁ gaṇaiḥ
viśālair
agni-śaraṇaiḥ srug-bhāṇḍair ajinaiḥ kuśaiḥ

samidbhis toya-kalaśaiḥ phala-mūlaiś ca śobhitam
āraṇyaiś
ca mahā-vṛkṣaiḥ puṇyaiḥ svādu-phalair vṛtam

pūjitam ca = it was honored; pranṛttam = danced there; ca = and; nityam = always; apsarasām = of apsarās; gaṇaiḥ = hosts; viśālaiḥ = with large; agni-śaraṇaiḥ = arenas for fire sacrifices; sruk-bhāṇḍaiḥ = sruk and sacrificial utensils; ajinaiḥ = deer skins; kuśaiḥ = kuśa grass; samidbhiḥ = firewood; toya-kalaśaiḥ = waterpots; phala-mūlaiḥ ca = fruits and roots 4; śobhitam = it was beautiful; āraṇyaiḥ ca mahā-vṛkṣaiḥ = and large forest trees; puṇyaiḥ = with pious; svādu-phalaiḥ = with tasty fruits; vṛtam = it was filled.

Hosts of apsarās danced there and it was always honored. It was beautiful with large arenas for fire sacrifices, sruk and sacrificial utensils, deer skins, kuśa grass, firewood, waterpots, fruits and roots.1 It was filled with pious and large forest trees with tasty fruits.

The āśrama was celebrated in dance because it was a very pleasing spot and because of the presence of the [supreme] deity there.1 Therefore it was [always] honored. The āśrama was beautiful with sruk and sacrificial utensils as noted in the Vedic texts 5.2


1 Sruk is a wooden ladle with a long handle. It is used to pour ghee into the fire.

1 “The supreme deity” is none other than Lord Rāmacandra.

2 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: kuśaiḥ paristaraṇārthaiḥ. kuśa-cīrety atra saṅgṛhīta-kuśoktiḥ.