gandharvarājapratimaṃ loke vikhyātapauruṣam dīrghabāhuṃ mahāsattvaṃ mattamātaṅgagāminam| candrakāntānanaṃ rāmamatīva priyadarśanam rūpaudāryaguṇaiḥ puṃsāṃ dṛṣṭicittāpahāriṇam| gharmābhitaptāḥ parjanyaṃ hlādayantamiva prajāḥ na tatarpa samāyāntaṃ paśyamāno narādhipaḥ|
Rama appeared as the very image of king of the gandharvas known for his courage in this world. With his long arms, he was extremely handsome with a countenance of the colour of moonstone possessed of immense strength, he walked with the gait of an intoxicated elephant. He captivated the eyes and hearts of men with his beauty and generosity. He looked like Parjanya (raingod), gladdening men scorched by heat. Even after (intensely) gazing at Rama approaching, the king (Dasaratha) was not satiated.
— M.N. Dutt (1891)
Rama's appearance is compared to a celestial being — the image is both beautiful and otherworldly. He is not merely a handsome prince but a being whose form radiates the divine purpose he carries. The epic sees divinity even in his physical presence.