Opening the text
तपस्विनाम् औत्सुक्यं राक्षसत्रासश्च
Ascetics’ Anxiety and the Fear of Rakshasas
नयनैर्ब्रुकुटीभिश्च रामं निर्दिश्य शङ्किताः ।
अन्योन्यमुपजल्पन्त श्शनैश्चक्रुर्मिथः कथाः ॥३॥
nayanair bhru-kuṭībhiś ca rāmaṃ nirdiśya śaṅkitāḥ |
anyonyam upajalpanta śanaiś cakrur mithaḥ kathāḥ ||3||
Para pertapa, sambil memandang Rāma dengan waspada dan mengerutkan kening, berbisik pelan satu sama lain, saling bertukar kata secara rahasia.
Those sages, glancing at Rama with suspicious eyes, knitting their eye-brows and murmering among themselves, conversed secretly.
The verse highlights communal vigilance in an āśrama: ascetics protect dharma by observing conduct closely and discussing concerns discreetly before making accusations.
In a hermitage setting, the sages notice something that makes them uneasy; they look at Rāma with suspicion and whisper among themselves.
The ascetics’ concern for āśrama-dharma and propriety—guarding the sanctity of the hermitage through careful observation.
Answers come straight from the texts, with the shlokas they draw on. Ask in your own words.
A free sign-in with Google or Apple keeps your chat saved across web and the app.