The Ideal Person (Ślokas 1–17) · Śloka 1
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम्। नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-nirataṁ tapasvī vāg-vidāṁ varam | nāradaṁ paripapraccha vālmīkir muni-puṅgavam ||
தவமும் வேதம் ஓதலும் ஒழுகும் தவசி வால்மீகி, சொல்லறிஞருள் மேலோன், முனிவர் தலைவன் நாரதனை வினவினார்.
Translation
The sage Vālmīki, himself an ascetic, put a question to Nārada — that best of the eloquent, foremost of sages, ever devoted to penance and the study of the Veda.
Literal
Vālmīki, the ascetic, questioned Nārada — ever devoted to austerity and the study of the sacred texts, the best among the eloquent, the foremost of sages.
Padaccheda (word separation)
तपः-स्वाध्याय-निरतम् । तपस्वी । वाक्-विदाम् । वरम् । नारदम् । परिपप्रच्छ । वाल्मीकिः । मुनि-पुङ्गवम् ॥
Anvaya (prose order)
तपस्वी वाल्मीकिः तपः-स्वाध्याय-निरतं वाग्विदां वरं मुनिपुङ्गवं नारदं परिपप्रच्छ।
Commentary — Śrīmad Rāmāyaṇa Sarvasvam
Srimad Uttamur Veeraraghavachariar Swamy
📖 Swamy's commentary will appear here once the printed edition is obtained and copyright permission is granted.
Philosophical notes (Viśiṣṭādvaita)
📖 Awaiting Swamy's commentary text.
In Kamban's Ramayanam
This project's contribution — the corresponding verse(s) of the Tamil Ramayanam, with full word-by-word meaning, translation, references, and commentary.
- Bala Kandam — பாயிரம் (Pāyiram — the Prologue), verse 11 → DRAFT — verify. Kamban names the epic the இராமாவதாரம் (Rāma-avatāra), the descent of the supreme Lord (நாயகன்) — the Vishishtadvaita answer to Valmiki's opening question 'who is the ideal being of all virtues?'
Other scriptural connections
Valmiki Ramayana, Bala Kanda, Sarga 1.1
तपःस्वाध्यायनिरतं तपस्वी वाग्विदां वरम्। नारदं परिपप्रच्छ वाल्मीकिर्मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥
tapaḥ-svādhyāya-nirataṁ tapasvī vāg-vidāṁ varam | nāradaṁ paripapraccha vālmīkir muni-puṅgavam ||
Valmiki, the ascetic, questioned Narada — foremost among the eloquent, ever devoted to austerity and study of the sacred texts — the best of sages.
Literary notes
Anuṣṭubh metre. The opening interrogation frames the whole epic; the honorifics heaped on Nārada (vāg-vidāṁ varam, muni-puṅgavam) establish the authority of the answer to come.
In brief
The Ramayana opens not with narration but with a QUESTION: Vālmīki asks Nārada who, in all the world, is the perfect person. Everything that follows is the answer — and the answer is Rāma.
Editor’s note: This is the showcase template for the Sarvasvam section. The Sanskrit, padaccheda, anvaya, and literal translation are from the public-domain root verse. The commentary and philosophical notes await the printed book and copyright permission — they must be Swamy’s actual words, not reconstructed. The Kamba Ramayanam connection (our unique contribution) will link this to the corresponding Bala Kandam opening once that verse is entered.