Shloka 6

द्वितीयः सर्गः (Sarga 2): Sugriva’s Alarm and Hanuman’s Commission

Devanagari script

एतौ वनमिदं दुर्गं वालिप्रणिहितौ ध्रुवम्।छद्मना चीरवसनौ प्रचरन्ताविहागतौ4.2.6।।

Transliteration

etau vanam idaṃ durgaṃ vālipraṇihitau dhruvam | chadmanā cīravasanau pracarantāv ihāgatau ||

Translation

Surely these two have come here into this difficult forest, sent by Vāli—moving about in disguise, wearing bark garments.

Word by Word

• etau: these two
• etau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vanam

• durgam: difficult, hard to traverse
• durgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vanam

• vāli-praṇihitau: sent by Vali
• vāli-praṇihitau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vālin (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇihita (कृदन्त, क्त from pra+√ṇi+√dhā/√hi?; lexical 'praṇihita' = sent/commissioned)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'vālinā praṇihitau' qualifying etau

• dhruvam: surely
• dhruvam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruvam (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of certainty (निश्चयार्थक)

• chadmanā: by disguise, in disguise
• chadmanā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• cīra-vasanau: wearing bark garments
• cīra-vasanau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cīra (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'cīraṃ vasanam yayor' (wearing bark garments) qualifying etau

• pracarantau: wandering
• pracarantau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √car (चर्) (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); qualifying etau

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• āgatau: have come
• āgatau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √gam (गम्) (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); predicate/qualifier of etau

Context

Instructed thus by the king of the monkeys, Hanuman, son of the Wind-god, decided to meet both Rama and Lakshmana.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vāli
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• forest (Kishkindhā region)

FAQs

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

The verse warns about suspicion and misjudgment: dharma calls for verification (parīkṣā) before concluding another’s intent.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugrīva, fearing Vāli’s plots, suspects that the two ascetic-looking bowmen are Vāli’s agents.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Caution (apramāda), though it also shows how fear can cloud truthful assessment.