Shloka 6.66.29
कुम्भकर्णप्रस्थानम् तथा अङ्गदप्रेरणा (Kumbhakarna’s sortie and Angada’s rallying of the Vanaras)
एवंब्रुवाणंतंशूरमङ्गदंकनकाङ्गदम् ।द्रवमाणास्ततोवाक्यमूचुःशूरुविगर्हितम् ।।।।
evaṁ bruvāṇaṁ taṁ śūram aṅgadaṁ kanakāṅgadam |
dravamāṇās tato vākyam ūcuḥ śūru-vigarhitam ||
As the hero Aṅgada, wearing golden armlets, spoke thus, the Vānaras who were fleeing answered him with words that a true hero would condemn.
While the heroic Angada, adorned with gold armlets, was speaking in that manner to the fleeing vanara heroes, condemned by the hero the vanaras replied as follows.
Speech should uphold dharma and courage; excuses born of fear are portrayed as blameworthy when duty calls.
Aṅgada rebukes the retreat; the frightened Vānaras respond defensively, and the narrator flags their reply as unworthy of heroes.
Leadership through moral judgment: Aṅgada embodies the standard by which cowardly counsel is assessed.