भूषयन्ताविमं देशं चन्द्रसूर्याविवाम्बरम्। परस्परस्य सदृशौ प्रमाणेङ्गितचेष्टितै:।।1.48.5।। किमर्थं च मुनिश्रेष्ठ सम्प्राप्तौ दुर्गमे पथि। वरायुधधरौ वीरौ श्रोतुमिच्छामि तत्त्वत:।।1.48.6।।
Meaning
They adorn this land as moon and sun adorn the sky, alike to one another in stature and in bearing and gesture; for what reason, best of sages, have these heroes bearing excellent weapons come by this difficult path — I wish truly to hear.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
Shloka 1.48.5
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| bhūṣayantau imam deśam | भूषयन्तौ इमम् देशम् | adorning this land | Nominative dual participle / Accusative |
| candra-sūryau iva ambaram | चन्द्र-सूर्यौ इव अम्बरम् | as the moon and sun adorn the sky | Nominative dual / Comparative / Accusative |
| parasparasya sadṛśau | परस्परस्य सदृशौ | resembling each other | Genitive / Nominative dual |
| pramāṇa-iṅgita-ceṣṭitaiḥ | प्रमाण-इङ्गित-चेष्टितैः | in stature, gesture, and demeanor | Instrumental plural |
Shloka 1.48.6
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| kim-artham ca muni-śreṣṭha | किम्-अर्थम् च मुनि-श्रेष्ठ | and for what purpose, O best of sages | Adverbial / Vocative |
| samprāptau durgame pathi | सम्प्राप्तौ दुर्गमे पथि | have these two arrived on this difficult path | Nominative dual / Locative / Locative |
| vara-āyudha-dharau vīrau | वर-आयुध-धरौ वीरौ | the two heroes bearing excellent weapons | Nominative dual (x2) |
| śrotum icchāmi tattvataḥ | श्रोतुम् इच्छामि तत्त्वतः | I wish to hear the truth | Infinitive / Verb (present) / Adverbial |
Scholar commentary
Shloka 1.48.5
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source notes that no other sage or saint along the journey had raised the question of why two princes were traveling on foot, since footslogging is simply what ascetics do -- but King Sumati, being a fatherly king rather than an ascetic, notices it. The source reads Vishvamitra's whole journey with the princes as an unstated 'rehearsal' for Rama's coming forest exile, and observes that a divine feat requiring travel -- here, winning Sita by bending Shiva's bow, for 'universal goodness' -- justifies the exertion.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Shloka 1.48.6
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source glosses 'ingita,' translated as facial-language, as an extended term for the voiced-yet-muted expressions conveyed through smiles, eyebrow movement, and lip movement -- what would now be called face-reading. It notes this is the same skill Sugriva later invokes when sending Hanuman to Rama and Lakshmana, telling him to read their facial expressions to know them.
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.48.5-6 · Bāla Kāṇḍa