Shloka 8

पञ्चाप्सरो-सरः कथनम् तथा अगस्त्याश्रममार्गनिर्देशः

Panchapsara Lake Account and Directions to Agastya

Devanagari script

ततः कौतूहलाद्रामो लक्ष्मणश्च महाबलः।मुनिं धर्मभृतं नाम प्रष्टुं समुपचक्रमे।।।।

Transliteration

tataḥ kautūhalād rāmo lakṣmaṇaś ca mahābalaḥ | muniṃ dharmabhṛtaṃ nāma praṣṭuṃ samupacakrame ||

Translation

അതിനുശേഷം കൗതുകത്താൽ രാമനും മഹാബലനായ ലക്ഷ്മണനും, ധർമ്മഭൃതൻ എന്ന ധർമ്മധാരിയായ മുനിയെ ചോദ്യം ചെയ്യാൻ തുടങ്ങി.

Word by Word

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Pronoun, Neuter Accusative singular

• अत्यद्भुतम्: very wonderful
• अत्यद्भुतम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अति (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + अद्भुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter Accusative singular; qualifying ‘इदम्’

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: श्रु (धातु) > श्रुत्वा (कृदन्त)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (absolutive)

• सर्वेषाम्: of all (of us)
• सर्वेषाम्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसक, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (सम्बन्ध), बहुवचन; Genitive plural

• नः: our/of us
• नः: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/चतुर्थी, बहुवचन; Genitive/Dative plural enclitic ‘our/to us’ (here: genitive sense)

• महामुने: O great sage
• महामुने: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा + मुनि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन-विभक्ति, एकवचन; Vocative singular

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity
• कौतूहलम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Neuter Nominative singular

• महत्: great
• महत्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Neuter Nominative singular; qualifying ‘कौतूहलम्’

• जातम्: has arisen
• जातम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जन् (धातु) > जात (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (क्त), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Neuter Nominative singular; predicative with ‘कौतूहलम्’

• किम्: what?
• किम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; interrogative pronoun

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; pronoun

• साधु: please/well
• साधु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साधु (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रशंसार्थ-अव्यय/क्रियाविशेषण; adverb ‘well/please’

• कथ्यताम्: please tell (it)
• कथ्यताम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कथ् (धातु)
• Form: लोट्-लकार (Imperative), कर्मणि-प्रयोग (passive), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; Imperative passive ‘let it be told’

• वक्तव्यम्: it should be said
• वक्तव्यम्: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वच् (धातु) > वक्तव्य (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तव्यत्-प्रत्ययान्त (gerundive/obligative), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Neuter Nominative singular; ‘should be spoken’

• यदि: if
• यदि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त-अव्यय; conditional ‘if’

• चेत्: if indeed
• चेत्: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत् (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्त/सम्भावना-अव्यय; ‘if/indeed’

• अविप्र: O sage
• अविप्र: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ + विप्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular; ‘O brahmin/sage’ (with privative a- as honorific/negation of ‘non-brahmin’)

• नातिगुह्यम्: not too secret
• नातिगुह्यम्: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: न (अव्यय) + अति (अव्यय) + गुह्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; Neuter Nom./Acc. singular; ‘not very secret’

• अपि: even/also
• अपि: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)
• Form: सम्भावना/समुच्चय-अव्यय; ‘also/even’

• प्रभो: O lord
• प्रभो: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन; Vocative singular

Context

Out of curiosity, mighty Rama, and Lakshmana started enquiring about the matter from sage Dharmabrata by name:

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Lakshmana
• Muni Dharmabhṛt (Dharmabrata)

FAQs

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

Dharma includes humility before wisdom: instead of acting on assumption, Rama and Lakshmana seek clarification from a sage—modeling truth-seeking and reliance on righteous counsel.

What is the narrative situation?

Rama and Lakshmana, wanting to understand what lies ahead, approach and question a sage identified as Dharmabhṛt.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Intellectual honesty and teachability—strength is paired with inquiry and respect for spiritual authority.