Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 88, Shloka 28
इन्द्रजित्–लक्ष्मण संवादः तथा युद्धप्रवृत्तिः
Indrajit and Lakshmana: War-Boasts, Rebuke, and the Clash
कृत्वाकत्थसेकर्मकिमर्थमिहराक्षस ।।।।कुरुतत्कर्मयेनाहंश्रद्धध्यांतवकत्थनम् ।
kṛtvā katthase karma kim artham iha rākṣasa |
kuru tat karma yenāhaṃ śraddadhyāṃ tava katthanam ||
“Why do you boast here without first accomplishing the deed, O Rākṣasa? Do that act by which I may place trust in your claims.”
Rakshasa! What is the use of praising without performing action? Show by action and create trust that you can perform.
FAQs
Satya and dharma are validated by performance: claims must be supported by action; boasting without accomplishment is ethically empty.
Lakṣmaṇa challenges Indrajit’s self-praise, demanding proof on the battlefield rather than verbal intimidation.
Discernment (viveka): Lakṣmaṇa refuses to grant credibility to mere speech and insists on demonstrable truth.