Shloka 2

आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः

Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description

Devanagari script

कश्च रामः कथंवीर्यः किंरूपः किंपराक्रमः।किमर्थं दण्डकारण्यं प्रविष्टस्सुदुरासदम्।।।।

Transliteration

kaś ca rāmaḥ kathaṁvīryaḥ kiṁrūpaḥ kiṁparākramaḥ |

kimarthaṁ daṇḍakāraṇyaṁ praviṣṭaḥ sudurāsadam ||

Translation

कः स रामः? कथंवीर्यः? किंरूपः किंपराक्रमः? किमर्थं सुदुरासदं दण्डकारण्यं प्रविष्टः?

Word by Word

• कः: who
• कः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• च: and
• च: सम्बन्ध (Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• रामः: Rāma
• रामः: कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• कथम्-वीर्यः: of what strength
• कथम्-वीर्यः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय) + वीर्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (interrogative descriptive)

• किम्-रूपः: of what appearance
• किम्-रूपः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + रूप (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• किम्-पराक्रमः: of what valor
• किम्-पराक्रमः: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः

• किम्-अर्थम्: for what purpose
• किम्-अर्थम्: प्रयोजन (Purpose)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + अर्थ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समासः; प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (for what purpose)

• दण्डक-अरण्यम्: the Daṇḍaka forest
• दण्डक-अरण्यम्: कर्म (Karma/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: दण्डक (प्रातिपदिक) + अरण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुषः (proper-name determinative)

• प्रविष्टः: has entered
• प्रविष्टः: क्रिया (Kriyā/Predicative)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र√विश् (धातु) → प्रविष्ट (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; भूतकृदन्त (क्त/PPP) प्रयुक्तः विधेय-विशेषणरूपेण

• सु-दुरासदम्: very difficult to penetrate/approach
• सु-दुरासदम्: विशेषण (Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + दुरासद (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक) < दुर्+आ√सद् (धातु)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारयः (intensified: 'very hard to approach')

Context

Who is Rama? What is his strength? How does he look? How valiant is he? For what purpose has he entered the impenetrable Dandaka forest?

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Daṇḍakāraṇya (Daṇḍaka forest)

FAQs

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

Inquiry itself is ethically neutral, but in dharmic terms, knowledge should serve right judgment; here, the questioning foreshadows strategic intent that will be turned toward adharma.

What is the narrative situation?

Hearing Śūrpaṇakhā’s report, Rāvaṇa asks probing questions about Rāma’s identity and capabilities and why he is in Daṇḍaka.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Discernment and assessment (viveka) appear as a capacity—though the narrative later shows how such capacity can be misdirected by ego and desire.