Shloka 1.4.5

कुशिलवगानप्रशंसा — The Commissioning and Public Performance of the Rāmāyaṇa

Devanagari script

कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ।भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ ददर्शाश्रमवासिनौ ।।1.4.5।।

Transliteration

kuśīlavau tu dharmajñau rājaputrau yaśasvinau |

bhrātarau svarasampannau dadarśāśramavāsinau || 1.4.5 ||

Translation

The sage beheld the two brothers, Kuśa and Lava—illustrious princes, learned in dharma and gifted with a melodious voice—dwelling in the hermitage.

Context

The sage saw the two illustrious princely brothers, well-versed in dharma and endowed with a sweet voice living in the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Lava
• āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

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

Dharma is presented as a learned and lived discipline: the ideal students are ‘dharmajña’—able to discern right conduct—along with mastery of speech and recitation.

What is the narrative situation?

Vālmīki encounters Kuśa and Lava residing in the hermitage and recognizes their qualities—royal birth, renown, dharma-knowledge, and musical/recitational excellence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Śiṣyatva (ideal discipleship): disciplined learning joined to moral discernment and refined speech (sweet, accurate voice suited to sacred narration).