Shloka 3

Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)

Devanagari script

राम उवाच किमर्थ कुरुणा कृष्ट क्षेत्रमेतन्‍्महात्मना । एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं कथ्यमानं तपोधना:

Transliteration

rāma uvāca kimarthaṁ kuruṇā kṛṣṭaṁ kṣetram etan mahātmanā | etad icchāmy ahaṁ śrotuṁ kathyamānaṁ tapodhanāḥ ||

Translation

Рама (Баларама) спросил: «С какой целью великий духом Куру вспахал это поле? Я желаю услышать этот рассказ из ваших уст, о богатые аскезой».

Word by Word

• रामः: Rama (Balarama)
• रामः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किमर्थम्: for what reason? why?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम्-अर्थ

• कुरुणा: by Kuru
• कुरुणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुरु
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• कृष्टम्: ploughed; cultivated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृष्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (kta), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• क्षेत्रम्: field; region
• क्षेत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षेत्र
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• एतत्: this (matter/story)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I wish; I desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Indicative, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Infinitive (tumun)

• कथ्यमानम्: being told; being narrated
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथ्
• Form: Present Passive Participle (śāna), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तपोधनाः: O ascetics rich in austerity
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपोधन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (Balarāma)
• Kuru
• kṣetra (the field/region, i.e., Kurukṣetra implied)
• tapodhanāḥ (ascetics)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: sacred places and traditions are to be understood through respectful questioning and listening to qualified ascetics, emphasizing humility and the proper transmission of cultural memory.

What is happening in the narrative?

Balarāma addresses ascetics and asks why the noble Kuru once ploughed this field—seeking to hear the traditional account that explains the significance of the region (Kurukṣetra).