Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 11: Rāma Goes to Agastya’s Āśrama
Text 3.11.56
निगृह्य तरसा मृत्युं लोकानां हितकाम्यया।
यस्य भ्रात्रा कृतेयं दिक्छरण्या पुण्यकर्मणा॥
nigṛhya tarasā mṛtyuṁ lokānāṁ hita-kāmyayā
yasya bhrātrā kṛteyaṁ dik charaṇyā puṇya-karmaṇā
nigṛhya = checked and; tarasā = quickly; mṛtyum = death; lokānām = of the people; hita-kāmyayā = for the welfare; yasya = this sage’s; bhrātrā = brother; kṛtā = made; iyam = this; dik = southern region; śaraṇyā = fit to be taken shelter of; puṇya-karmaṇā = through pious activities.
This sage’s brother quickly checked death for the welfare of the people and made this southern region fit to be taken shelter of through pious activities.
“This sage’s brother” refers to Agastya. Desiring the welfare [of the people], he checked death [that could have been] caused by Vātāpi and Ilvala. Lord Rāma then speaks of this incident from the next verse.