Shloka 1.64.4
रम्भा-प्रलोभनम् — Rambhā’s Temptation and Viśvāmitra’s Curse
एवमुक्तस्तया राम रम्भया भीतया तदा।।1.64.4।।तामुवाच सहस्राक्षो वेपमानां कृताञ्जलिम्।
mābhaiṣī rambhe bhadraṃ te kuruṣva mama śāsanam || 1.64.5 ||
kokilo hṛdayagrāhī mādhave ruciradrume |
ahaṃ kandarpasahitaḥ sthāsyāmi tava pārśvataḥ || 1.64.6 ||
“Do not be afraid, Rambhā; may you be blessed. Carry out my command. In spring, amid lovely trees, I shall stay at your side—taking the captivating form of a cuckoo—together with Kandarpa.”
O Rama! having heard Rambha trembling in fear and standing with folded palms, Indra spoke:
It implicitly contrasts dharma as self-mastery (tapas) with the deliberate manufacture of temptation; the scene teaches how powerful desires can be orchestrated and why vigilance is central to righteous discipline.
Indra reassures Rambhā and outlines a plan: he will support her by appearing as a cuckoo in spring, with Cupid, to help distract Viśvāmitra.
From Indra’s side, decisive leadership and reassurance to an anxious agent; from the ethical lens of the epic, the opposing virtue highlighted by contrast is the ascetic’s needed steadfastness.