Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 4, Shloka 2

कुशिलवगानप्रशंसा

The Commissioning and Public Performance of the Rāmāyaṇa

Devanagari script

चतुर्विंशत्सहस्राणि श्लोकानामुक्तवानृषि:।तथा सर्गशतान्पञ्च षट्काण्डानि तथोत्तरम् ।।1.4.2।।

Transliteration

caturviṃśatsahasrāṇi ślokānām uktavān ṛṣiḥ | tathā sargaśatān pañca ṣaṭkāṇḍāni tathottaram || 1.4.2 ||

Translation

Sang ṛṣi menggubah dan melafalkan dua puluh empat ribu śloka; tersusun pula dalam lima ratus sarga—enam kāṇḍa, serta bagian Uttara sebagai tambahan.

Word by Word

• kṛtvā: having composed
• kṛtvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṛ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund/absolutive: ‘having done/composed’)

• api: even/also
• api: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle: ‘even/also’)

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (object: ‘that (work)’)

• mahā-prājñaḥ: highly wise
• mahā-prājñaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + prājña (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय (descriptive), प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (qualifying ‘prabhuḥ’)

• sa-bhaviṣyam: together with future events
• sa-bhaviṣyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sa (सह/सहितार्थ-पूर्वपद) + bhaviṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (adverbial/associative: ‘with the future’), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (qualifying ‘tat’)

• saha-uttaram: along with the Uttara (kāṇḍa)
• saha-uttaram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saha (अव्यय) + uttara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव (‘including the Uttara (portion)’), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग (qualifying ‘tat’)

• cintayāmāsa: pondered/reflected
• cintayāmāsa: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: cint (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (per usage)

• kaḥ: who?
• kaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of ‘prayuñjīyāt’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (interrogative pronoun)

• nu: indeed/then
• nu: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: nu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (interrogative particle: emphasis)

• etat: this (work)
• etat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग

• prayuñjīyāt: should employ/perform/recite
• prayuñjīyāt: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: yuj (धातु) with pra- (उपसर्ग)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; आत्मनेपद (passive/impersonal sense possible by context)

• iti: thus
• iti: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-निपात (quotative particle)

• prabhuḥ: the master/capable one
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता) (of ‘cintayāmāsa’)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

Context

Sage Valmiki composed the Ramayanam in twentyfour thousand verses in six kandas and also Uttarakanda (consisting of five hundred cantos).

Characters & Entities

• Vālmīki

FAQs

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

Dharma is protected by ordered preservation: the epic’s careful structure signals responsible transmission of moral history, not random storytelling.

What is the narrative situation?

The text describes the scope and organization of Vālmīki’s composition.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Vālmīki’s scholarly discipline and commitment to preserving itihāsa systematically for ethical instruction.