Shloka 1.20.12
राज्ञः शङ्का–प्रत्याख्यानम् (Daśaratha’s Objections to Sending Rāma) — Bala Kanda, Sarga 20
किंवीर्या राक्षसास्ते च कस्य पुत्राश्च ते च के।।।।कथं प्रमाणा: के चैतान्रक्षन्ति मुनिपुङ्गव।
kiṃvīryā rākṣasās te ca kasya putrāś ca te ca ke |
kathaṃ-pramāṇāḥ ke ca etān rakṣanti muni-puṅgava ||1.20.12||
O foremost of sages, what is the strength of those rākṣasas? Whose sons are they, and who are they? How large are they in form, and who protects them?
O best of sages, how powerful are those rakshsas? Whose sons are they? Who are they and how huge is their body? Who are protecting them?
Responsible action requires knowledge: before committing a child/royal heir to danger, a ruler must inquire into the threat—an aspect of dharmic prudence (nīti).
Daśaratha interrogates the details of the rākṣasa threat—power, lineage, size, and protection—seeking grounds for an informed decision.
Daśaratha’s nīti-minded caution: he seeks clarity rather than acting blindly.