Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 15: Lakṣmaṇa Constructs an Āśrama for Rāma in Pañcavaṭī
Text 3.15.5
वनरामण्यकं यत्र स्थलरामण्यकं तथा।
सन्निकृष्टं च यत्र स्यात्समित्पुष्पकुशोदकम्॥
vana-rāmaṇyakaṁ yatra sthala-rāmaṇyakaṁ tathā
sannikṛṣṭaṁ ca yatra syāt samit-puṣpa-kuśodakam
vana-rāmaṇyakam = the forest is pleasant; yatra = [look for a place] where; sthala-rāmaṇyakam = the land is pleasant; tathā = and; sannikṛṣṭam ca = nearby; yatra = where; syāt = are; samidh-puṣpa-kuśa-udakam = firewood, flowers, kuśa grass and water.
[Look for a place] where the forest is pleasant, the land is pleasant and where firewood, flowers, kuśa grass and water are nearby.
1 Rāmāyaṇa-bhūṣaṇa: sthalasya ramaṇīyatā nimnonnatatva-rahita-komala-sikatāmayatvam.
The forest is pleasant when it is filled with trees of mango, punnāga and so on. The land is pleasant when it is neither [too] high nor [too] low and when it is filled with fine sand.1
A pleasant forest would delight Sītā-devī, [for] she hankered for flowers. A pleasant land would delight Rāma, [for] He wanted a place where He could comfortably lie down and so on. A land near firewood, flowers, kuśa grass and water would delight Sumitrā’s son, [for] He was [always] engaged in menial services [to Sītā-Rāma].