വാഗര്ഥാവിവ സമ്പ്രുക്തൌ

This is the opening sloka in divine poet Kalidasa's Raghuvamsam, a sanskrit epic (Mahākāvya) consisting of 1,564 stanzas describing the lineage of kings of the Raghu dynasty (ancestors of Sri Rama). The literal interpretation of this Shloka is that it is a prayer by Kalidasa, addressed to deities Lord Shiva and Parvathi, seeking their blessings for proficieny in literature as he begins the epic Raghuvamsa. i.e. For the correct grasping of words and their sense I bow to Parvati and Parameshvara who are the parents of the universe and are inseperable like words and their meaning. vāgarthāviva – This compound splits as 'vaak arthau iva'. vaak is 'word' and artha is 'meaning' in this context.