Shloka 4.50.39

ऋक्षबिलप्रवेशः — Entry into the Rikshabilam Cave

Devanagari script

तां दृष्ट्वा भृशसन्त्रस्ताश्चीरकृष्णाजिनाम्बराम्।।।।तापसीं नियताहारां ज्वलन्तीमिव तेजसा।

Transliteration

kṣut-pipāsā-parītāś ca śrāntāś ca salilārthinaḥ | avakīrṇaṃ latā-vṛkṣair dadṛśus te mahābilam ||

Translation

Worn by hunger and thirst, and exhausted in their search for water, they noticed a vast cave overgrown and strewn with creepers and trees.

Context

She was an ascetic in bark robes and deer skin blazing with lustre, restrained in her food. The monkeys got very frightened.

Characters & Entities

• vānaras (search party)
• mahā-bila (huge cave)

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Dharma includes endurance under hardship: even when bodily needs press (hunger, thirst), the party continues the righteous task rather than abandoning it.

What is the narrative situation?

The southern searchers, desperate for water, come upon a massive cave thick with vegetation.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Fortitude—persisting in duty despite physical exhaustion.