Shloka 1.48.12
अहल्याशापवर्णनम् (The Account of Ahalyā’s Curse and the Deserted Hermitage near Mithilā)
श्रीमदाश्रमसङ्काशं किन्न्विदं मुनिवर्जितम्।।।।ज्ञातुमिच्छामि भगवन् कस्यायं पूर्वमाश्रम:।
śrīmadāśramasaṅkāśaṃ kinnv idaṃ munivarjitam || jñātum icchāmi bhagavan kasyāyaṃ pūrvam āśramaḥ |
“Venerable sir, this place appears like a splendid hermitage—why then is it abandoned by sages? I wish to know: whose hermitage was this formerly?”
"O Venerable one! I wish to know why this auspicios looking hermitage was deserted by ascetics? To whom did this belong in the past."
Dharma is pursuit of truth through proper channels: Rāma seeks satya by asking a realized teacher, showing that knowledge about sacred history should be learned respectfully.
Rāma directly asks Viśvāmitra to explain why the hermitage—though seemingly auspicious—stands empty, and who lived there before.
Rāma’s reverence (bhagavan-address) and intellectual honesty—he admits not knowing and requests clarification.