Shloka 6

Rāmopākhyāna—Rāma–Sītā Origins and the Opening of Rāvaṇa’s Genealogy

Devanagari script

एता वाच: शुभा: शृण्वन्‌ सुहृदां भरतर्षभ

Transliteration

etā vācaḥ śubhāḥ śṛṇvan suhṛdāṃ bharatarṣabha

Translation

ഹേ ഭരതവൃഷഭാ! സുഹൃത്തുകളുടെ ഈ ശുഭവചനങ്ങൾ കേട്ടപ്പോൾ (അവന്റെ മനസ്സ് സ്ഥിരപ്പെട്ടു).

Word by Word

• एताः: these
• एताः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• वाचः: words/speeches
• वाचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• शुभाः: auspicious/pleasant
• शुभाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• शृण्वन्: hearing/listening
• शृण्वन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुहृदाम्: of friends/well-wishers
• सुहृदाम्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुहृद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• भरतर्षभ: O bull among the Bharatas (best of Bharatas)
• भरतर्षभ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-ऋषभ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bharatarṣabha (honorific addressee, a Bharata prince)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical value of śravaṇa—attentive listening to the wholesome counsel of true well-wishers. Auspicious speech from friends is presented as a stabilizing force that helps one align with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates a transition moment: a Bharata hero is listening to the beneficial words of his friends. The line functions as a narrative bridge, preparing for the effect of that counsel on the listener’s next decision or action.