wake up, you darling of Kausalya..

wake up, you darling of Kausalya..

प्रभातायां तु शर्वर्यां विश्वामित्रो महामुनिः।
अभ्य्भाषत काकुत्स्थं शयानं पर्णसम्स्तरे॥१
कौसल्या सुप्रजा राम पूर्वा सन्ध्या प्रवर्तते।
उत्तिष्ठ नरशार्द्दूल कर्तव्यं दैवमाह्निकम्॥२
श्रीमद्वाल्मीकिरामायणे आदिकाव्ये बालकाण्डे  सर्गः २३
prabhātāyāṁ tu śarvaryāṁ viśvāmitro mahāmuniḥ|
abhybhāṣata kākutsthaṁ śayānaṁ parṇasamstare||1
kausalyā suprajā rāma pūrvā sandhyā pravartate|
uttiṣṭha naraśārddūla kartavyaṁ daivamāhnikam||2
śrīmadvālmīkirāmāyaṇe ādikāvye bālakāṇḍe  sargaḥ 23

The boys Rama and Laksmana are accompanying Sage Visvamitra to forest.

Their assigned duty is to stand guard for the Yajna being conducted by the sage.

They walk along the forest and reach Kamaashramam.

The princes are used to very cozy living, 

but during their first night away from home,

they are sleeping in beds of straw in a poor hut.

Of course in the company of that great sage..

The night gradually withdraws and the dawn sets in..

Sage Visvamitra calls Rama the scion of the illustrious monarch Kakutsta who is sleeping on a straw bed..

Worthy Son of Kausalya, the dawn is appearing in the East..

Wake up, you Lion among men.. 

may you perform the daily duties ordained by Gods..

kausalya Suprajaa Rama this slokam is known to all.. even for those who may not know that it is coming from Valmikiramayanam..

Each word in the address of Visvamitra is having profound meanings..

He is the son of Kausalya.. how lucky is that mother.. He is the worthy son of Kausalya.. The life of every mother finds in the way her child grows and establishes himself/herself in this world.. 

Who else can be luckier that Kausalya.. ?

Rama is the controller of the Universe Himself.. Either sleep or wakefulness, bed of roses or bed of straw... matters little to him.. And for the Lord who controls time, the dawn of the day is really of little consequence.. But now he is born as a man.. So he has to obey the laws of nature which he has himself written..

Wake up.. Visvamitra is giving the wake up call.. not only for leaving the bed.. The god has come to earth as Rama to establishe virtue.. Till now he is just playing around as a prince of Ayodhya, living in utter comfort.. Visvamitra issued the gentle reminder that it is time for Rama to shift his priorites.. and attend to work for which he has really come..

Nara Shaarddoola.. You , a man equal in valour to a lion.. Yes, Rama is as bold and agile as a lion.. But He is also the one who came earlier as the combination of Man and Lion.. and showed his valour.. Also, it is a reminder to Rama that it is time for him to leave the nature of just a man, and to assume the role of the Royal Lion..

Kartavyam Daivam Aahnikam.. You have to do what is prescribed by your daily duties by Gods.. Of course, every person is expected to do his assigned oblations to Sandhya,.. But here Rama has come to earth on the request of Gods to remove from the earth all evil elements and establish dharma.. So Rama is to start that duty..

The slokam Kausalya Suprajaa.... is immortal.. Even more immortal that the entire Ramayanam iteslf.

Our Balaji of the seven Hills wakes up every day hearing this Sloka...

( We can discuss in thousands of words about this one sloka.. and it has been done by many scholars and seekers.. This is just a humble presentation)