क्व चारण्यं क्व च क्षात्रं क्व जटाः क्व च पालनम्।
ईदृशं व्याहतं कर्म न भवान्कर्तुमर्हति।।
kva cāraṇyaṁ kva ca kṣātraṁ kva jaṭāḥ kva ca pālanam
īdṛśaṁ vyāhataṁ karma na bhavān kartum arhati
kva ca = where is; araṇyam = forest; kva = where is; ca = and; kṣātram = the duty of a kṣatriya; kva = where is; jaṭāḥ = matted hair; kva = where is; ca = and; pālanam = maintenance [of a kingdom]; īdṛśam = such; vyāhatam = self-contradictory; karma = activities; na = not; bhavān = You; kartum = perform; arhati = should.
Where is a forest and where is the duty of a kṣatriya? Where is matted hair and where is maintenance [of a kingdom]? You should not perform such self-contradictory activities.1
1 “Where is X and where is Y?” is a way of saying that X and Y cannot coexist together.
Anticipating that Rāma would counter Him by saying, “The vānaprastha life of asceticism is also allowed for the kṣatriyas,” Bharata then speaks the next verse.