Shloka 3.71.16

दनु-शापकथा तथा सीताहरण-प्रश्नः (Danu’s Curse Narrative and Rama’s Inquiry about Sita)

Devanagari script

अनेन वपुषा राम वनेऽस्मिन्राजसत्तम।।3.71.16।।यद्यत्पश्यामि सर्वस्य ग्रहणं साधु रोचये।

Transliteration

anena vapuṣā rāma vane 'smin rājasattama || 3.71.16 ||

yad yat paśyāmi sarvasya grahaṇaṃ sādhu rocaye |

Translation

O Rāma, best of kings—dwelling in this forest with such a body, I came to approve, as ‘proper,’ the seizing of whatever I happened to see.

Context

O Rama, the best of kings! I thought it was only proper in this forest and with this body to catch whatever creature I saw.

Characters & Entities

• Rama
• Kabandha
• forest (Aranya)

FAQs

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

A warning against self-justification: adharma often begins when one labels harmful impulses as ‘proper’ due to circumstance. Dharma requires discriminating right from convenient.

What is the narrative situation?

Kabandha admits that his monstrous condition and forest life led him to normalize capturing and consuming any being he encountered.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Moral discernment (viveka) by contrast: Rāma, as rājasattama, represents the standard of judging actions by dharma rather than appetite.