इमौ कुमारौ भद्रं ते देवतुल्यपराक्रमौ। गजसिंहगती वीरौ शार्दूलवृषभोपमौ।।1.48.2।। पद्मपत्रविशालाक्षौ खड्गतूणी धनुर्धरौ। अश्विनाविव रूपेण समुपस्थितयौवनौ।।1.48.3।। यदृच्छयैव गां प्राप्तौ देवलोकादिवामरौ। कथं पद्भ्यामिह प्राप्तौ किमर्थं कस्य वा मुने।।1.48.4।।
Meaning
These two princes, of godlike valor, may you prosper — heroic, with the gait of elephant and lion, resembling tiger and bull, with eyes wide as lotus petals, bearing sword, quiver, and bow, resembling the Ashvins in form, come here as if by chance from the world of gods, like immortals — how have they arrived here on foot, for what purpose, and whose sons are they, sage?
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
Shloka 1.48.2
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| imau kumārau bhadram te | इमौ कुमारौ भद्रम् ते | these two youths; good fortune to you | Nominative dual / Nominative / Genitive |
| deva-tulya-parākramau | देव-तुल्य-पराक्रमौ | of valor equal to gods | Nominative dual |
| gaja-siṃha-gatī vīrau | गज-सिंह-गती वीरौ | heroic, with the gait of elephants and lions | Nominative dual (x2) |
| śārdūla-vṛṣabha-upamau | शार्दूल-वृषभ-उपमौ | comparable to tigers and bulls | Nominative dual |
Shloka 1.48.3
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| padma-patra-viśāla-akṣau | पद्म-पत्र-विशाल-अक्षौ | with eyes wide as lotus petals | Nominative dual |
| khaḍga-tūṇī dhanur-dharau | खड्ग-तूणी धनुर्-धरौ | bearing sword, quiver, and bow | Nominative dual (x2) |
| aśvinau iva rūpeṇa | अश्विनौ इव रूपेण | resembling the Ashvins in form | Nominative dual / Comparative / Instrumental |
| samupasthita-yauvanau | समुपस्थित-यौवनौ | their youth having arrived | Nominative dual |
Shloka 1.48.4
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| yadṛcchayā eva gām prāptau | यदृच्छया एव गाम् प्राप्तौ | having come to the earth as if by mere chance | Instrumental / Adverbial / Accusative / Nominative dual |
| deva-lokāt iva amarau | देव-लोकात् इव अमरौ | as if immortals from the world of gods | Ablative / Comparative / Nominative dual |
| katham padbhyām iha prāptau | कथम् पद्भ्याम् इह प्राप्तौ | how have they arrived here on foot | Adverbial / Instrumental / Adverbial / Nominative dual |
| kim-artham kasya vā mune | किम्-अर्थम् कस्य वा मुने | for what purpose, and whose, O sage | Adverbial / Genitive / Adverbial / Vocative |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source identifies the word 'deva' in Sumati's praise not as a generic 'god' but as a specific reference to Vishnu, cross-referencing Kishkindha Kanda 4.43.56 ('There the Cosmic-Souled God, namely Vishnu...'). Sumati, himself a godly king, recognizes the princes as more than terrestrial.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.48.2-4 · Bāla Kāṇḍa