Ramayana — Bala Kanda, Sarga 4, Shloka 5

कुशिलवगानप्रशंसा

The Commissioning and Public Performance of the Rāmāyaṇa

Devanagari script

कुशीलवौ तु धर्मज्ञौ राजपुत्रौ यशस्विनौ।भ्रातरौ स्वरसम्पन्नौ ददर्शाश्रमवासिनौ ।।1.4.5।।

Transliteration

kuśīlavau tu dharmajñau rājaputrau yaśasvinau |

bhrātarau svarasampannau dadarśāśramavāsinau || 1.4.5 ||

Translation

Bậc hiền giả thấy hai anh em Kuśa và Lava—những vương tử lừng danh, thông đạt chánh pháp, tiếng hát trong trẻo hòa mỹ—đang cư trú nơi tịnh thất.

Word by Word

• saḥ: he (Vālmīki)
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• tu: indeed
• tu: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tu (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात

• medhāvinau: the two intelligent ones
• medhāvinau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: medhāvin (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (object of ‘dṛṣṭvā’/‘agrāhayat’)

• dṛṣṭvā: having seen
• dṛṣṭvā: Pūrvakāla-kriyā (पूर्वकालक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा-प्रत्ययान्त अव्ययकृदन्त (gerund: ‘having seen’)

• vedeṣu: in the Vedas
• vedeṣu: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सप्तमी-विभक्ति, बहुवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• pariniṣṭhitau: well-versed/firmly established
• pariniṣṭhitau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pari-ni-√sthā (धातु) → niṣṭhita (कृदन्त) (with pari-, ni-)
• Form: भूतकृदन्त (past participle: ‘well-established/accomplished’), द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग (qualifying ‘medhāvinau’)

• veda-upabṛṃhaṇa-arthāya: for the purpose of strengthening the Vedas
• veda-upabṛṃhaṇa-arthāya: Prayojana (प्रयोजन / Purpose)
• Type: Noun
• Root: veda (प्रातिपदिक) + upabṛṃhaṇa (प्रातिपदिक) + artha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: चतुर्थी-विभक्ति (Dative/4th), एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग; तत्पुरुष-समास (‘vedānām upabṛṃhaṇasya arthaḥ’ / purpose of strengthening the Vedas)

• tau: those two
• tau: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया-विभक्ति, द्विवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

• agrāhayat: caused to learn/initiated (taught)
• agrāhayat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: grah (धातु) with ā- (उपसर्ग) + causative (णिच्)
• Form: लङ्-लकार (Imperfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिजन्त (causative) परस्मैपद

• prabhuḥ: the master
• prabhuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: prabhu (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन, पुल्लिङ्ग

Context

The sage saw the two illustrious princely brothers, well-versed in dharma and endowed with a sweet voice living in the hermitage.

Characters & Entities

• Kuśa
• Lava
• āśrama (hermitage)

FAQs

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

Dharma is presented as a learned and lived discipline: the ideal students are ‘dharmajña’—able to discern right conduct—along with mastery of speech and recitation.

What is the narrative situation?

Vālmīki encounters Kuśa and Lava residing in the hermitage and recognizes their qualities—royal birth, renown, dharma-knowledge, and musical/recitational excellence.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Śiṣyatva (ideal discipleship): disciplined learning joined to moral discernment and refined speech (sweet, accurate voice suited to sacred narration).