Shloka 3.71.3
दनु-शापकथा तथा सीताहरण-प्रश्नः (Danu’s Curse Narrative and Rama’s Inquiry about Sita)
ततस्स्थूलशिरा नाम महर्षिः कोपितो मया।।3.71.3।।सञ्चिन्वन्विविधं वन्यं रूपेणानेन धर्षितः।
tataḥ sthūlaśirā nāma maharṣiḥ kopito mayā | sañcinvan vividhaṃ vanyaṃ rūpeṇānena dharṣitaḥ ||
Then a great seer named Sthūlaśiras, while gathering various forest produce, was by me insulted and violated in this very form—thus I provoked his wrath.
With my appearance I invited the wrath of Sthulasira who I assaulted among the many seers, while he was collecting food in the forest.
Dharma demands restraint and reverence toward ṛṣis; violating or humiliating a sage is adharma that invites grave consequences.
Kabandha recounts the specific wrongdoing: he harassed the sage Sthūlaśiras while the sage was peacefully collecting forest items.
By contrast, the virtue highlighted is humility and respect for holy persons—shown as absent in Kabandha’s past act and thus taught through consequence.