Shloka 1.48.11
अहल्याशापवर्णनम् (The Account of Ahalyā’s Curse and the Deserted Hermitage near Mithilā)
मिथिलोपवने शून्यमाश्रमं दृश्य राघव:।।।।पुराणं निर्जनं रम्यं पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम्।
mithilopavane śūnyam āśramaṃ dṛśya rāghavaḥ || purāṇaṃ nirjanaṃ ramyaṃ papraccha munipuṅgavam |
Near Mithilā, Rāghava beheld an ancient, lovely hermitage lying deserted, and he questioned the foremost of sages about it.
At the sight of an old uninhabited, beautiful and desolate hermitage in a grove near Mithila, the descendant of the Raghus enquired of the foremost among the ascetics(Viswamitra):
Dharma values thoughtful inquiry and respect for sacred places: Rāma does not ignore the deserted hermitage but seeks the truth behind it from a qualified teacher.
As the party approaches Mithilā, Rāma notices an abandoned āśrama and asks Viśvāmitra to explain its history.
Rāma’s attentiveness and humility—he observes carefully and asks a sage for truthful explanation rather than speculating.