Shloka 11

Virādha-saṃvādaḥ — Encounter with Virādha in the Daṇḍakāraṇya

Aranya Kanda, Sarga 2

Devanagari script

कथं तापसयोर्वां च वासः प्रमदया सह।अधर्मचारिणौ पापौ कौ युवां मुनिदूषकौ।।।।

Transliteration

kathaṃ tāpasayor vāṃ ca vāsaḥ pramadayā saha | adharmacāriṇau pāpau kau yuvāṃ munidūṣakau ||

Translation

താപസവേഷം ധരിച്ചിട്ടും ഒരു സ്ത്രീയോടൊപ്പം നിങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ വസിക്കുന്നു? അധർമ്മചരികളായ പാപികളേ, നിങ്ങൾ ആരാണ്—മുനിധർമ്മത്തെ ദൂഷിക്കുന്നവർ?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how
• कथम्: प्रश्न/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्न-अव्ययम् (interrogative adverb)

• तापसयोः: of ascetics
• तापसयोः: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, षष्ठी-विभक्तिः (Genitive/6th), द्विवचनम्

• वाम्: of you two
• वाम्: सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी/द्वितीया-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम्; अत्र षष्ठी (Genitive: ‘of you two’)

• च: and
• च: समुच्चय (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्ययम् (conjunction)

• वासः: dwelling/attire (here: mode of living)
• वासः: कर्ता/विषय (Subject/topic of question)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्गः, प्रथमा-विभक्तिः (Nominative/1st), एकवचनम्

• प्रमदया: with a woman
• प्रमदया: सहकारक (Association; with)
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमदा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्गः, तृतीया-विभक्तिः (Instrumental/3rd), एकवचनम्

• सह: together with
• सह: सहकारक (Associative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह (अव्यय)
• Form: सह-अव्ययम् (postposition meaning ‘with’)

• अधर्म-चारिणौ: practising unrighteousness
• अधर्म-चारिणौ: विशेषण (Predicate adjective of ‘युवाम्’)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म (प्रातिपदिक) + चारिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (अधर्मं चरति)

• पापौ: sinful
• पापौ: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पाप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्; विशेषणम्

• कौ: who (two)
• कौ: प्रश्न-कर्ता (Interrogative subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्; प्रश्न-सर्वनाम

• युवाम्: you two
• युवाम्: कर्ता (Kartā/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्तिः, द्विवचनम् (Vedic/epic usage; nominative dual form)

• मुनि-दूषकौ: defilers of sages
• मुनि-दूषकौ: विशेषण (Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुनि (प्रातिपदिक) + दूषक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्गः, प्रथमा, द्विवचनम्; तत्पुरुषः (मुनीन् दूषयति)

Context

How is it that you both, dressed in the robes of ascetics, live with a woman? Leading an unrighteous and sinful life, who are you who have brought disgrace to the ascetic discipline ?

Characters & Entities

• Virādha
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• Sītā
• tāpasa (ascetic)
• muni (sage)

FAQs

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

It raises the theme of dharma versus appearance: Virādha judges by external signs and weaponizes moral language, a misuse of dharma (adharma in speech).

What is the narrative situation?

Virādha verbally attacks the brothers, questioning their legitimacy as forest-dwellers/ascetics because Sītā is with them.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Implicitly, Rāma’s integrity (satya and maryādā) is contrasted with Virādha’s slander and moral confusion.