वचोभिः पुष्पवर्षेण साधुवादेन चाऽभितः । रामं ते पूजयामासुः पुरः प्रणतमास्थितम् ॥ २२ ॥
vacōbhiḥ puṣpavarṣēṇa sādhuvādēna cā’bhitaḥ | rāmaṁ tē pūjayāmāsuḥ puraḥ praṇatamāsthitam || 22 ||
Translation
With words, a rain of flowers and cries of praise from every side, they honoured Rāma, who sat before them, bowed low.
Word by word
- vacōbhiḥ
- with words
- puṣpa
- of flowers
- varṣēṇa
- a rain
- sādhuvādēna
- cries of praise
- ca
- and
- abhitaḥ
- from every side
- rāmaṁ
- Rāma
- tē
- they
- pūjayāmāsuḥ
- honoured
- puraḥ
- before them
- praṇatam
- bowed low
- āsthitam
- who sat
Meaning
Now Rāma is honoured, and he sits bowed (praṇata) before them. The order is striking: the sages honour the young man, and the young man bows. The commentary: they honoured Śrī Rāma, who sat before them with his head bent in humility, with fitting talk, flowers and praise. Humility and honour meet. The reader may see in Rāma's posture the right way to stand before a teaching: praised, and bowed.