Shloka 6

Devanagari script

एतौ वनमिदं दुर्गं वालिप्रणिहितौ ध्रुवम्।छद्मना चीरवसनौ प्रचरन्ताविहागतौ4.2.6।।

Transliteration

etau vanam idaṃ durgaṃ vālipraṇihitau dhruvam | chadmanā cīravasanau pracarantāv ihāgatau ||

Translation

Tiyak na ang dalawang ito ay naparito sa mahirap na gubat na ito, na ipinadala ni Vali—gumagala nang nakabalatkayo, nakasuot ng damit na gawa sa balat ng kahoy.

Word by Word

• etau: these two
• etau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: etad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन)

• vanam: forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• idam: this
• idam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: idam (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vanam

• durgam: difficult, hard to traverse
• durgam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: durga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन); qualifying vanam

• vāli-praṇihitau: sent by Vali
• vāli-praṇihitau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vālin (प्रातिपदिक) + praṇihita (कृदन्त, क्त from pra+√ṇi+√dhā/√hi?; lexical 'praṇihita' = sent/commissioned)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष: 'vālinā praṇihitau' qualifying etau

• dhruvam: surely
• dhruvam: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: dhruvam (अव्यय/नपुंसक-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb of certainty (निश्चयार्थक)

• chadmanā: by disguise, in disguise
• chadmanā: Karaṇa (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: chadman (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental (3rd/तृतीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• cīra-vasanau: wearing bark garments
• cīra-vasanau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: cīra (प्रातिपदिक) + vasana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); तत्पुरुष: 'cīraṃ vasanam yayor' (wearing bark garments) qualifying etau

• pracarantau: wandering
• pracarantau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra + √car (चर्) (धातु)
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); qualifying etau

• iha: here
• iha: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iha (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; adverb

• āgatau: have come
• āgatau: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + √gam (गम्) (धातु)
• Form: Past participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Dual (द्विवचन); predicate/qualifier of etau

Context

Instructed thus by the king of the monkeys, Hanuman, son of the Wind-god, decided to meet both Rama and Lakshmana.

Characters & Entities

• Sugrīva
• Vāli
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa
• forest (Kishkindhā region)

FAQs

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

The verse warns about suspicion and misjudgment: dharma calls for verification (parīkṣā) before concluding another’s intent.

What is the narrative situation?

Sugrīva, fearing Vāli’s plots, suspects that the two ascetic-looking bowmen are Vāli’s agents.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Caution (apramāda), though it also shows how fear can cloud truthful assessment.