Shloka 3.17.29
शूर्पणखाया आगमनम् — Surpanakha Approaches Rama
ततः पर्वतशृङ्गाणि वनानि विविधानि च।।।।पश्यन्सह मया कान्त दण्डकान्विचरिष्यसि।
tadā āsīnasya rāmasya kathāsaṃsaktacetasaḥ | taṃ deśaṃ rākṣasī kācid ājagāma yadṛcchayā ||
While Rāma was seated there, his mind engaged in conversation, a certain rākṣasī came to that place by chance.
O darling, thereafter you can keep wandering with me in this Dandaka forest, enjoying the beauty of the mountain tops and forests.
Dharma is tested when unexpected encounters arise; the narrative sets the stage for how a righteous person responds to sudden moral challenges.
A demoness arrives unexpectedly at Rāma’s dwelling while he is calmly seated and conversing.
Rāma’s steadiness—he is not portrayed as restless or fearful, but composed before the disturbance enters.