श्रीराम उवाच । भगवन् भवता पृष्टो यथावदधुनाऽखिलम् । कथयाम्यहमज्ञोऽपि को लङ्घयति सद्वचः ॥ २ ॥
śrīrāma uvāca | bhagavan bhavatā pṛṣṭō yathāvadadhunā’khilam | kathayāmyahamajñō’pi kō laṅghayati sadvacaḥ || 2 ||
Translation
Śrī Rāma said: Revered one, since you have asked me, I will now tell you everything as it is, ignorant though I am. Who would disregard the word of the good?
Word by word
- śrī
- Śrī
- rāma
- Rāma
- uvāca
- said
- bhagavan
- revered one
- bhavatā
- by you
- pṛṣṭō
- (pṛṣṭaḥ) asked
- yathāvat
- as it is
- adhunā
- now
- akhilam
- everything
- kathayāmi
- I will tell
- aham
- I
- ajñō
- (ajñaḥ) ignorant
- api
- though
- kō
- (kaḥ) who
- laṅghayati
- would disregard
- sat
- of the good
- vacaḥ
- the word
Meaning
Rāma begins with humility, and the humility is not a formality. He calls himself ignorant (ajña) because he knows he has questions, not answers. This is the very fitness the work asked of its listener at the start: "neither wholly ignorant nor without understanding" (1.2.2). A reader who comes to these chapters already certain will hear nothing; one who can say "I do not know" can begin.