सदाचारवतामर्थे खड्गधारां सहन्ति ये । ते शूरा इति कथ्यन्ते शेषा डिम्भाहवाहताः ॥ ३४ ॥
sadācāravatāmarthē khaḍgadhārāṁ sahanti yē | tē śūrā iti kathyantē śēṣā ḍimbhāhavāhatāḥ || 34 ||
Translation
Those who bear the sword's edge for the sake of the virtuous are called heroes; the rest are slain in a child's fight.
Word by word
- sadācāravatām
- of the virtuous
- arthē
- for the sake
- khaḍga
- of the sword
- dhārāṁ
- the edge
- sahanti
- bear
- yē
- those who
- tē
- they
- śūrā
- heroes
- iti
- thus
- kathyantē
- are called
- śēṣā
- the rest
- ḍimbha
- in a child's
- āhava
- fight
- āhatāḥ
- are slain
Meaning
The summary of the whole answer. To "bear the sword's edge" is to face death itself; done for the good, it is heroism; done for anything else, it is a brawl, however grand it looks. Rāma's three questions are answered: the hero, the ornament of heaven, and the child's fight.