Shloka 2

विराधप्रश्नोत्तर-युद्धम्

Viradha’s Challenge and the Clash in Dandaka

Devanagari script

अथोवाच पुनर्वाक्यं विराधः पूरयन्वनम्।पृच्छतो मम हि ब्रूतं कौ युवां क्व गमिष्यथः।।3.3.2

Transliteration

athovāca punarvākyaṃ virādhaḥ pūrayan vanam | pṛcchato mama hi brūtaṃ kau yuvāṃ kva gamiṣyathaḥ ||3.3.2||

Translation

随后毗罗陀又开口，声音回荡充满森林：“别来问我；倒是告诉我——你们二人是谁，要往哪里去？”

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अनन्तरार्थक-अव्यय (then)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• punaḥ: again
• punaḥ: Kāla (काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: punaḥ (अव्यय)
• Form: पुनरुक्ति/आवृत्तिवाचक-अव्यय (again)

• vākyam: words/speech
• vākyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vākya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• virādhaḥ: Virādha
• virādhaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: virādha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• pūrayan: filling
• pūrayan: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pṝ (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (filling)

• vanam: the forest
• vanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• pṛcchataḥ: of (me) asking
• pṛcchataḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prach (धातु)
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (Genitive), एकवचन; ‘of me who am asking’

• mama: my/of me
• mama: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी, एकवचन

• hi: indeed
• hi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: hi (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (emphasis)

• brūtam: tell (you two)
• brūtam: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: brū (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन

• kau: who (two)
• kau: Kartṛsāmānādhikaraṇya (कर्तृ-सामानाधिकरण्य)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kim (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, द्विवचन; प्रश्नवाचक-सर्वनाम

• yuvām: you two
• yuvām: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: yusmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: मध्यमपुरुष-सर्वनाम, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन; अत्र प्रथमा (you two)

• kva: where
• kva: Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: kva (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (where)

• gamiṣyathaḥ: will you two go
• gamiṣyathaḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: gam (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, द्विवचन

Context

Hit by Rama and Lakshmana, the enraged demon left Vaidehi, lifted a sharp spear and ran towards them.

Characters & Entities

• Virādha
• forest (araṇya/vana)
• Rāma
• Lakṣmaṇa

FAQs

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

Dharma here is framed as accountability in speech: identity and intention matter in moral encounters, and truthful disclosure becomes a key test in a tense situation.

What is the narrative situation?

Virādha confronts the two brothers in the forest and challenges them to state who they are and where they are headed.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

The implied virtue is satya (truthfulness): the demand for clear, truthful self-identification amid danger.