Upanishads · Rāma-tāpanī Pūrva 4.9
॥
Devanāgarī
हेमाभया द्विभुजया सर्वालङ्कृतया चिता । श्लिष्टः कमलधारिण्या पुष्टः कोसलजात्मजः
Transliteration (IAST)
hemābhayā dvibhujayā sarvālaṅkṛtayā citā | śliṣṭaḥ kamaladhāriṇyā puṣṭaḥ kosalajātmajaḥ
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
हेमाभया द्विभुजयाhemābhayā dvibhujayāby the golden-hued, two-armed one; by her of golden colour, of two arms
सर्वालङ्कृतया चिताsarvālaṅkṛtayā citāadorned with every ornament; decked with all adornments
श्लिष्टः कमलधारिण्याśliṣṭaḥ kamaladhāriṇyāhe is embraced by the lotus-holder; clasped by her who holds the lotus
पुष्टः कोसलजात्मजःpuṣṭaḥ kosalajātmajaḥflourishing, the son of Kosala; thriving, born in Kośala
Translation
He is embraced by the golden-hued, two-armed one, adorned with every ornament, holding the lotus; full of vigour is the son of Kośala.
Version
e7cfdca707f6 · published Jul 29, 2026, 5:15:19 AM UTC
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The verse finishes Sītā's form and adds to it what is almost never found in descriptions of deities.
Her colour is hemābha, “of the hue of gold”. The pair comes out visible: He is dark as a cloud, she golden; and anyone who has seen the images knows that this pair of colours holds the whole picture.
In her hand a lotus — the sign of royal grace, the same as Lakṣmī's.
And then the word śliṣṭaḥ — “embraced, clasped”. The participle is passive: not He embraces, but He is embraced. This is a rarity: the Lord is usually described acting.
And the last word — puṣṭaḥ, “full of vigour, flourishing”. It stands after “embraced”, and the link between them is plain: embraced by her, he flourishes.
Here the book says what the Vaiṣṇava tradition will later unfold into a whole doctrine: the Lord's power not only belongs to Him but nourishes Him. It is not that she draws from Him — they are in each other.
“The son of Kośala”, kosalaja — and this again is the reminder that the speech is of a man, born in a certain country, to certain parents.