Shloka 1.4.12

कुशिलवगानप्रशंसा — The Commissioning and Public Performance of the Rāmāyaṇa

Devanagari script

तौ राजपुत्रौ कार्त्स्न्येन धर्म्यमाख्यानमुत्तमम्। वाचोविधेयं तत्सर्वं कृत्वा काव्यमनिन्दितौ।।1.4.12।। ऋषीणां च द्विजातीनां साधूनां च समागमे।यथोपदेशं तत्त्वज्ञौ जगतुस्सुसमाहितौ।।1.4.13।।

Transliteration

tau rājaputrau kārtsnyena dharmyam ākhyānam uttamam | vāco-vidheyaṃ tat sarvaṃ kṛtvā kāvyam aninditau || 1.4.12 ||

Translation

Those two blameless princes turned the entire supreme, dharma-grounded narrative into a poem mastered by speech, and committed the whole work perfectly to memory.

Context

These two princes blameless, disciplined and well-versed, committed to memory the whole epic and chanted as instructed in the assembly of rishis, brahmins and saints.

Characters & Entities

• Kūśa
• Lava
• kāvya (epic poem)
• dharmya ākhyāna (dharma-based narrative)

FAQs

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

Dharma is preserved by accurate learning and faithful speech: committing the dharmic narrative to memory ensures that truth (satya) and moral instruction remain uncorrupted.

What is the narrative situation?

Kūśa and Lava fully learn the Rāmāyaṇa as a complete dharmic account, preparing to present it publicly as an authoritative recitation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discipline and integrity in learning—being ‘anindita’ (blameless) implies both moral character and fidelity to the text.