Shloka 4.51.18

स्वयंप्रभा-प्रश्नोत्तरम् / Svayamprabha Explains the Golden Forest and Questions the Vanaras

Devanagari script

किं कार्यं कस्य वा हेतोः कान्ताराणि प्रपश्यथ।।4.51.18।।कथं चेदं वनं दुर्गं युष्माभिरुपलक्षितम्।

Transliteration

idaṃ praviṣṭāḥ sahasā bilaṃ timirasaṃvṛtam | kṣutpipāsāpariśrāntāḥ parikhinnāś ca sarvaśaḥ || 4.51.2 ||

Translation

Worn out by hunger and thirst, and utterly fatigued, we suddenly entered this cave that is shrouded in darkness.

Context

'What is your mission? For what purpose have you come to this inaccessible forest? What are you looking for?How did you find this?

Characters & Entities

• bila (cave)

FAQs

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

Satya (truthfulness) expressed as straightforward confession of one’s condition; dharmic conduct begins with honest speech and transparency rather than concealment.

What is the narrative situation?

Hanuman and the vanaras, weakened by hunger and thirst during their search, have entered a dark cave and explain why they came in.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Candor and accountability—Hanuman openly states their distress and action without evasion.