Shloka 3.69.10
अयोमुखी-दर्शनम् तथा कबन्ध-प्रवेशः (Ayomukhi Encounter and the ظهور of Kabandha)
ततः पूर्वेण तौ गत्वा त्रिक्रोशं भ्रातरौ तदा।क्रौञ्चारण्यमतिक्रम्य मतङ्गाश्रममन्तरा।।3.69.8।।दृष्ट्वा तु तद्वनं घोरं बहुभीममृगद्विजम्।ननासत्त्वसमाकीर्णं सर्वं गहनपादपम्।।3.69.9।।ददृशाते तु तौ तत्र दरीं दशरथात्मजौ।पातालसमगम्भीरां तमसा नित्यसंवृताम्।।3.69.10।।
tataḥ pūrveṇa tau gatvā trikrośaṃ bhrātarau tadā |
kr auñcāraṇyam atikramya mataṅgāśramam antarā ||
dṛṣṭvā tu tad vanaṃ ghoraṃ bahubhīmamṛgadvijam |
nānāsattvasamākīrṇaṃ sarvaṃ gahanapādapam ||
dadṛśāte tu tau tatra darīṃ daśarathātmajau |
pātālasamagambhīrāṃ tamasā nityasaṃvṛtām ||
Then the two brothers went three krośas eastward. Crossing the Krauñca forest near the āśrama of sage Mataṅga, they beheld a dreadful woodland—dense with tangled trees, thronged with many kinds of beings, and filled with fearsome beasts and birds. There the sons of Daśaratha saw a cave, ever shrouded in darkness, deep as Pātāla, the netherworld.
Then both the sons of Dasaratha, went further east, crossed the kraunchaforest after three krosas. They saw a dreadful forest which was full of fierce animals and birds near the hermitage of sage Matanga. It was densely covered with trees. They saw there a cave perpetually enveloped in darkness which was as deep as the netherworld.
Dharma often demands entering difficult, even fearsome spaces to uphold truth and justice; the righteous do not abandon their quest because the path is dark.
Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa traverse eastward, cross the Krauñca forest near Mataṅga’s hermitage, and discover a terrifying region and a deep, dark cave.
Fearlessness and steadfast pursuit of duty despite ominous surroundings.