Shloka 4
युधिछिर उवाच कस्मिन् राम: कुले जात: किंवीर्य: किम्पराक्रम: । रावण: कस्य पुत्रो वा कि वैरं तस्य तेन ह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--भगवन्! श्रीरामचन्द्रजी किस कुलमें प्रकट हुए थे? उनका बल और पराक्रम कैसा था? रावण किसका पुत्र था और उसका रामचन्द्रजीसे क्या वैर था?
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: kasmin rāmaḥ kule jātaḥ? kiṃ-vīryaḥ? kim-parākramaḥ? rāvaṇaḥ kasya putro vā? kiṃ vairaṃ tasya tena ha?
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “In which lineage was Rāma born? What was his strength, and what was the measure of his valor? And Rāvaṇa—whose son was he? For what reason did enmity arise between him and Rāma?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models dhārmic inquiry: before judging a conflict, one should understand lineage (kula), capability (vīrya, parākrama), and the root-cause of enmity (vaira). Ethical understanding begins with careful questioning about origins and motives.
Yudhiṣṭhira asks a sage/narrator for background on the Rāmāyaṇa episode—Rāma’s dynasty and heroic qualities, Rāvaṇa’s parentage, and the specific reason their hostility began—setting up a fuller account of their story.