Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 1: Lord Rāma Meets the Sages of Daṇḍakāraṇya
Text 3.1.16
मूलं पुष्पं फलं वन्यमाश्रमं च महात्मनः।
निवेदयित्वा धर्मज्ञास्ततः प्राञ्जलयोऽब्रुवन्॥
mūlaṁ puṣpaṁ phalaṁ vanyam āśramaṁ ca mahātmanaḥ
nivedayitvā dharmajñās tataḥ prāñjalayo ’bruvan
mūlam = roots; puṣpam = flowers; phalam = and fruits; vanyam = forest; āśramam = their āśrama; ca = as well as; mahā-ātmanaḥ = to the great soul; nivedayitvā = having offered; dharmajñāḥ = those knowers of dharma; tataḥ1 pra-añjalayaḥ = who had joined their palms above their heads; abruvan = spoke [as follows].
Having offered forest roots, flowers and fruits as well as their āśrama to the great soul, those knowers of dharma who had joined their palms above their heads spoke [as follows].
The sages knew about dharma, that is, the service that dependants are meant to render to their maintainer.1 Mahātmanaḥ (“to the great soul”) indicates that Rāma was their maintainer. The sages offered [forest roots, flowers and fruits, as well as their āśrama] to Rāma [while telling Him], “Please use these as You like.”2
GLOSS. The sages offered everything to the Lord saying, “All [of this] is Yours.” It was not inappropriate for them to join their palms in supplication while facing Him, a kṣatriya, because they knew His true nature.