Shloka 3.11.32

पञ्चाप्सरो-सरः कथनम् तथा अगस्त्याश्रममार्गनिर्देशः (Panchapsara Lake Account and Directions to Agastya)

Devanagari script

न तु जानामि तं देशं वनस्यास्य महत्तया।।।।कुत्राश्रमपदं रम्यं महर्षेस्तस्य धीमतः।

Transliteration

na tu jānāmi taṃ deśaṃ vanasyāsya mahattayā | kutrāśramapadaṃ ramyaṃ maharṣes tasya dhīmataḥ ||

Translation

But I cannot discern that place—so vast is this forest—where the lovely hermitage-site of that wise great seer lies.

Context

I am unable to locate the sacred hermitage of that sagacious sage due to the vastness of this forest.

Characters & Entities

• Rāma
• Sutīkṣṇa
• Agastya (implied by context as the sought sage)
• forest (Araṇya)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma here is humility and truthfulness: Rāma openly admits his limitation and seeks proper guidance rather than acting on assumption.

What is the narrative situation?

In the Daṇḍaka forest, Rāma tells Sutīkṣṇa he cannot locate the sage’s hermitage because the forest is immense.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Rāma’s modesty and sincerity (satya-vacana): he states facts plainly and respectfully asks for direction.