Did Sri Rama use Paduka (footwears) during Vanavasa

[shankara]

Pranams to all members of BVP,

Bhagavata 9.11.19 says that Sri Rama's feet were lacerated with thorns of Dandaka forest. So, did Sri Rama stop using Padukas after he gave his padukas to Bharata? Valmiki Ramayana seems silent on this topic. 

I request scholars to kindly clear my doubt.

regards
shankara

[V Subrahmanian]

Dear Shankara ji, 

Just adding this piece of information to the topic you have raised: In a recent discourse by Brahmasri Sundar Kumar on the Valmiki Ramayanam, I had heard this: Sītā, while convincing Rama to take her along to the forest, says:  

yadi tvam prasthitaH durgam vanam adya eva raaghava |
agrataH te gamiShyaami mR^idnantii kusha kaNTakaan || 2-27-6

6. raaghava = Oh; Rama! adyaiva = now itself; tvam prasthitaH yadi = if you set forth; vanam = to the forest; durgam = which is difficult to be travelled; gamishhyaami = I shall proceed; te agrataH = before you; mR^idnantii = by trampling down; dusha kaNTakaan = grass with long pointed stalks and thorns.

"Oh, Rama! If you set forth now itself to the forest, which is difficult to be travelled, I shall come before you, by trampling down thorns and grass with long pointed stalks."

The Bhuṣaṇa of Govindaraja says: फलितार्थमाह--यदीति । अग्रतो गमने हेतुमाह मृद्नन्ती मर्दयन्ती, मृदूकुर्वन्तीत्यर्थ: । कुशरूपकण्टकान् ।। 2.27.6 ।।

warm regards

subrahmanian.v

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[shankara]

Subbuji,

Thank you for sharing this. But, the question regarding Sri Rama wearing paduka during the forest life still remains.

regards
shankara

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

Sri Rama places his feet on the paadukas and leaves them as per the following description: 

एवम् ब्रुवाणम् भरतः कौसल्या सुतम् अब्रवीत् |
तेजसा आदित्य सम्काशम् प्रतिपच् चन्द्र दर्शनम् || २-११२-२०

अधिरोह आर्य पादाभ्याम् पादुके हेम भूषिते |
एते हि सर्व लोकस्य योग क्षेमम् विधास्यतः || २-११२-२१

सो अधिरुह्य नर व्याघ्रः पादुके ह्य् अवरुह्य च |
प्रायग्च्छत् सुमहा तेजा भरताय महात्मने || २-११२-२२

स पादुके सम्प्रणम्य रामं वचनम्ब्रवीत् |
चतुर्दश हि वर्षाणि जटाचीरधरो ह्यहम् || २-११२-२३
फलमूलाशनो वीर भवेयम् रघुनंदन |

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Nagaraj Paturi

Hyderabad, Telangana-500044

 

 

 

[Shashi Joshi]

afaik, there is no mention of rAma being barefoot or not after he gave the pAdukA to bharata.

while footwear is mentioned in some other cases (like when rAvaNa disguises to kidnap sItA), in case of rAma, there is no explicit mention either way.

later bhakti literature surely has description that evoke karunA - like lotus-soft feet -- whereas rAma being a kShatrIya, would not have lotus-soft feet.

Thanks,

~ Shashi

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[Rajaram Krishnamurthy]

hOPE THIS WOULD CLARIFY AS FROM vEDANTHA DESIKAN:

PADUKA SAHSRAM

SlOkam 115 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

 praNayini padhapadhmE gADamAshliShyathi thvAm viDhisuthakaThitham thadh vaIBhavam thE vidhantha: anudhinamruShayasthvAmarchayanthyagnyagArE raGhupathipadharakshE! rAmagiryAshramasThA:

 Meaning: Oh Paaduka! At the time of parting with You, Rama's lotus feet embraced You closely-as a lover would, his love while sending off. Then, sage Vasishta spoke on Your greatness. The other sages living in Chitrakoota started, from then on, to respectfully perform Agnihotra oblations to you, every day, individually. 

 Special Notes from V. Sadagopan:  1) UtthamUr Swami’s anubhavam: Oh PaadhukhE! At Chithrakootam, when you heard about RaamA's decision to give you as a gift to BharathA, RaamA's feet hugged You tightly fearing separation from You for 14 Years. At that time, Sage VaisishtA explained to the assembled group of sages about your eminence and glory. All of the sages listening attentively recognized immediately Your Vaibhavam and placed you at their altars and began to worship you. Swami Desikan implies that the Rishis of ChithrakUtam obtained new PaadhukhAs for RaamA to place His holy feet on them and used those sanctified Paadhukhais for their daily AarAdhanams. The original Paadhukhais accompanied BharathA to AyOdhyA. 

 2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: When a Dharma pathni goes to her parent’s house, then the loving husband hugs her tightly before her journey home and blesses her for safe journey and return to her pukkaham. Swami Desikan points out that Lord RaamA's feet, the YajamAnar of the Paadhukais, hugged them tightly before their journey to AyOdhyA with BharathAzhwAn for similar reasons.

  3) Swami Desikan names ChithrakUtam as Raama Giri. Here RaamA was very happy living with His dear consort in exile. Thus, these hills became very dear to RaamA as well as to SitA Piraatti. Hence Swami Desikan salutes these hills as Raama Giri. Swami Desikan also points out that the Rishis of Raama Giri listened to Sage VasishtA's exposition on the glories of the Raama Paadhukhais and took home new Paadhukhais blessed by contact with the holy feet of their Lord. These Raama Giri Rishis placed the holy paadhukhais at the sanctum, where they performed AgnihOthram daily and worshipped them there with prescribed Vedha manthrams. 

 

  SlOkam 116 of SrI RanganAtha PaadhukA Sahasram

 niyatham aaDhirurOha thvAm anADhEya shakthim nija charaNasarOjE shakthim ADhAthukAma: sa kaTham itharaThA thvAm nyasya rAmO vijahvE druShadh upachitha BhUmoU dhandakAraNya BhAgE

 Meaning: Rama set His feet on You to acquire, for His tender feet, the intrinsic powers You possess; this is certain; if it were not so, how could Rama have walked through the rough rocky Dandaka forest, without wearing You? 

 Sri SRI RANGANATHA PAADHUKA SAHASRAM     85   Special Notes from V. Sadagopan:  1) UtthamUr Swami’s anubhavam: The Rishis of ChithrakUtam obtained new paadhukhAs from RaamA. BharathA took RaamA's original PaadhukhAs in procession to AyOdhyA with all maryAdhais. RaamA did not wear any padhukhAs thereafter during his sanchArams in the forests of DhaNdakaa, since He had given the original PaadhukhAs as a pledge to BharathA to solemnize His return to AyOdhyA at the end of his 14 year's of exile in the forest. RaamA did not therefore want to de-emphasize that pledge through wearing of another set of PaadhukhAs. Lord RaamachandrA's feet were however protected from the thorns and sharp stones of the DhaNdakaa forest by another power. That protection came from the PaadhukhAs embraced His feet, when he stepped on to them at the request of BharathA prior to giving them as His mark of pledge. Part of the inherent and natural power of Paadhukais enveloped the Lord's feet at that time to protect them during His wanderings in the harsh forests of DhaNdakaa. 

 2) Srimath Andavan’s anubhavam: In the 113rd slOkam, Swami Desikan suggested that RaamA imparted power to His paadhukhais to protect BharathA. Here, Swami Desikan reminds us that the Paadhukhais have their own inherent sakthi and that RaamA stepped on them to receive a part of their unlimited power for protection against the harsh environment of DhaNDakA forest. The inner meaning is that the AchAryAs have even greater DayA and patience than the Lord Himself for correcting the Jeevans with innumerable sins and to prepare them for presentation to the Lord, their owner.

   3) Swami Desikan uses the word "anAdhEyam" here, which is the opposite of "AadhEyam", which means to be placed, to be contained. "AnAdhEyam" means svAbhAvikma or naturally powerful without the sambhandham of anything else to empower it. Swami Desikan had wondered earlier (113th slOkam) whether RaamA stepped into the PaadhukhAs to empower them through AadhEyam (placement) of His sacred feet. In this slOkam, Swami Desikan states that the Paadhukhais (AchAryAs) have their own inherent sakthi (anAdhEyam) and therefore were able to share some of that sakthi to protect the Lord's feet, when He roamed the forests of DhaNdakaa without them.

   4) Swami Desikan uses the word "Sakthim" twice in this slOkam: "thvAm anAdhEya sakthim" in the 1st Paadham of this slOkam and "nija charaNa sarOjE Sakthim aadhAthukaama:". 1st sakthi is the anAdhEya Sakthi of the PaadhukhAs; the 2nd sakthi is the derived sakthi from the Paadukais by the lotus-soft feet of the Lord. Swamy hints that the Lord wanted to absorb part of the natural sakthi of the Paadhukhais.       K RAJARAM IRS 30326

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[Shashi Joshi]

as i said, later bhakti literature of course has other descriptions, but vAlmIki rAmAyaNa does not seem to mention either way - barefoot or not barefoot.

Thanks,

~ Shashi

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[Shreevatsa R]

On Sun, 29 Mar 2026 at 09:17, 'shankara' via भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत् <bvpar...@googlegroups.com> wrote:

did Sri Rama stop using Padukas after he gave his padukas to Bharata? Valmiki Ramayana seems silent on this topic. 

Note that the pāduka-s that Bharata received from Rama were ones that presumably Bharata had brought himself, as they are described as हेमभूषिते:

https://sanskritsahitya.org/ramayanam/2.104?scroll=kaavya-2-104-20 (may have to reload the page to 

एवं ब्रुवाणं भरतः कौसल्यासुतमब्रवीत् । तेजसादित्यसंकाशं प्रतिपच्चन्द्रदर्शनम् ॥

अधिरोहार्य पादाभ्यां पादुके हेमभूषिते । एते हि सर्वलोकस्य योगक्षेमं विधास्यतः ॥
सोऽधिरुह्य नरव्याघ्रः पादुके ह्यवरुह्य च । प्रायच्छत्सुमहातेजा भरताय महात्मने ॥

स पादुके ते भरतः प्रतापवान्स्वलंकृते संपरिगृह्य धर्मवित् । प्रदक्षिणं चैव चकार राघवं चकार चैवोत्तमनागमूर्धनि ॥

The explanation I have heard from my elders is that these were pāduka-s that Bharata had brought with him as part of his plan to take Rāma back to Ayodhyā in a grand way, with the pomp that the circumstances would warrant. When Rāma refused to return to Ayodhyā, Bharata requested him to do this instead. So we can infer that Rāma stepped on them knowing what they were being asked for (i.e., especially for the purpose of anugraha / establishing his presence in them); they were not Rāma's daily-use footwear that he incidentally happened to give away to Bharata.

(This doesn't exactly answer the original question asked, merely questions a premise in it. Possibly Rāma was barefoot both before and after the Bharata episode, or possibly he was not and there could be occasional thorns regardless; either way granting Bharata the pāduka-s should have no bearing on the matter.)

[Nagaraj Paturi]

सो अधिरुह्य नर व्याघ्रः पादुके ह्य् अवरुह्य च |  

in २-११२-२२ 

may  indicate that Sri Rama was not using paadukas for walking before or after this Bharata episode. 

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[shankara]

Shreevatsa ji,

I too noticed this after posting the query to BVP. A commentator adds that Bharata was acting as per the instruction of Rishi Vasishtha.

अथ मध्यस्थेन उभयोर्हितपरण वसिष्ठेन नियुक्तो भरतः प्रार्थयते--अधिरोहेत्यादिना। अत एव भरद्वाजं प्रति भरतो वसिष्ठोक्तिमनुवदिष्यति--' एते प्रयच्छ संहृष्टः पादुके हेमभूषिते' (11312) इतिगो. अनन्तरसर्गस्य 1112 श्र्लोकौ, टिप्पणी च द्रष्टव्या। (Kataka)

regards
shankara

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[shankara]

Paturi ji,

One may guess so from the quoted verse. Still, Valmiki does not seem to explicitly say whether Sri Rama wore footwears or not during the Vanavasa. I was hoping to get the missing link from some other Purana or other Ramayanas.

regards
shankara

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

राज्ञोच्छ्रितं पदं प्राप्य लब्धकामो ऽपि सत्वरम् ।
वनं यातो मुनिभिर्बटुभिः सभार्यः ॥

Srimad Bhagavatam 9.10.4 

पदं प्राप्य is being taken as barefoot. 

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

[shankara]

Paturiji,

The commentary Kataka refutes this assumption of Govindaraja and says that the golden padukas were brought from Ayodhya by Sri Rama just as he brought the golden ring from Ayodhya (which was later given to Hanuman). Kataka adds that in Valmiki Rmaayana 2.113.12, Rishi Vasishtha cleary says that these are your padukas - एते प्रयच्छ तव पादुके हेमभूषिते.

regards
shankara

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[Nagaraj Paturi]

Here , https://www.valmikiramayan.net/utf8/kish/sarga44/kishkindha_44_frame.htm,

a special footnote is added regarding the topic of this ring :

Rama's Ring

The ring of Rama assumes a great importance in the course of Ramayana. Though Valmiki says nothing extraordinary, commentators attach many good reasons and attributes to this episode. After the two foots of verse 4-4-12 the following foot is traditionally read, in affection.

suvarNasya su varNasya su-varnasya a~Nguliiyakam

That is to say suvarNasya 'golden ring...' su varNasya 'greatly glittering...' su-varNasya 'good lettered...' 'That ring is golden, that too highly glittering, [rather high in carats, maybe 48 carats,] and has very good letters on it...' That ring has one jewel on upper side and two jewels below that. The upper jewel has a carving of the letter shri and lower two raa, ma... so goes the tradition.

When Rama abdicated everything and no other jewellery is evident on his body, though his bow and arrows have golden finishing, then why this lone ring is still there with him - is the debatable question. This indicates the custom of exchanging rings in marriage. This is the ring got prepared by Seetha in her kingdom Mithila and she herself put it on Rama's finger in their marriage as vara varaNa 'selecting the wooer...' When Hanuma gives this ring to Seetha in Sundara Kanda the reaction of Seetha is: gR^ihiitvaa prekShamaaNaa saa bhartR^i kara vibhuuShaNam | 'on taking the adornment of her husband's hand she looked at it...' at 5-36-4.

This ring to men is almost like the mangala suutra 'the sacred marriage-time pendant of Hindu ladies. Thus, none can ask a man to remove his wedding ring as long as his wife is alive and attached.

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[P V S Kumar]

यो द्वितीयो वरो देव दत्तः प्रीतेन मे त्वया।।2.11.25।।
तदा दैवासुरे युद्धे तस्य कालोऽयमागत।

नव प़ञ्च च वर्षाणि दण्डकारण्यमाश्रितः।।2.11.26।।
चीराजिनजटाधारी रामो भवतु तापसः।

• ·       As per Kaikeyi’s rule, Rama should spend an ascetic life in the forest.

सर्वाण्येवानुजानामि चीराण्येवाऽनयन्तु मे।।2.37.4।।

खनित्रपिटके चोभे समानयत गच्छतः।
चतुर्दश वने वासं वर्षाणि वसतो मम।।2.37.5।।

अथ चीराणि कैकेयी स्वयमाहृत्य राघवम्।
उवाच परिधत्स्वेति जनौघे निरपत्रपा।।2.37.6।।

स चीरे पुरुषव्याघ्रः कैकेय्या प्रतिगृह्य ते।
सूक्ष्मवस्त्रमवक्षिप्य मुनिवस्त्राण्यवस्त ह।।2.37.7।।

लक्ष्मणश्चापि तत्रैव विहाय वसने शुभे।
तापसाच्छादने चैव जग्राह पितुरग्रतः।।2.37.8।।

• ·       The above verses give information about what all Rama and Lakshmana carried with them to aid them living simple ascetic life for 14 years in the forest.

o   No where in Ramayana it has been mentioned that forest dwelling ascetics wore or can ware footwear for protection of their feet - be it Vishwamitra or any of ascetics like Shatananda, Sharabhanga, Suteekshna, and Agastya in Dandakaranya.

• ·       Bala and Atibala mantras given by Vishwamitra are fully capable of giving protection to the body and mind. When Rama and Lakshmana have these mantras what is the need for ordinary footwear?
• ·       Unstringing the bows they are carrying before meeting the elders has been mentioned; but no mention of removal of footwear before entering hermitages of sages has been mentioned anywhere.

 

P V S Kumar

Sringeri