Shloka 3.2.11

Virādha-saṃvādaḥ — Encounter with Virādha in the Daṇḍakāraṇya (Aranya Kanda, Sarga 2)

Devanagari script

कथं तापसयोर्वां च वासः प्रमदया सह।अधर्मचारिणौ पापौ कौ युवां मुनिदूषकौ।।।।

Transliteration

kathaṃ tāpasayor vāṃ ca vāsaḥ pramadayā saha | adharmacāriṇau pāpau kau yuvāṃ munidūṣakau ||

Translation

How can you two, dressed as ascetics, live together with a woman? You unrighteous sinners—who are you, corrupters of the sages’ discipline?

Context

How is it that you both, dressed in the robes of ascetics, live with a woman? Leading an unrighteous and sinful life, who are you who have brought disgrace to the ascetic discipline ?

Characters & Entities

• Virādha
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā
• tāpasa (ascetic)
• muni (sage)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

It raises the theme of dharma versus appearance: Virādha judges by external signs and weaponizes moral language, a misuse of dharma (adharma in speech).

What is the narrative situation?

Virādha verbally attacks the brothers, questioning their legitimacy as forest-dwellers/ascetics because Sītā is with them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, Rāma’s integrity (satya and maryādā) is contrasted with Virādha’s slander and moral confusion.