Shloka 2
आरण्यकाण्डे चतुस्त्रिंशः सर्गः
Śūrpaṇakhā Reports to Rāvaṇa; Rāma’s Might and Sītā’s Description
कश्च रामः कथंवीर्यः किंरूपः किंपराक्रमः।किमर्थं दण्डकारण्यं प्रविष्टस्सुदुरासदम्।।।।
kaś ca rāmaḥ kathaṁvīryaḥ kiṁrūpaḥ kiṁparākramaḥ |
kimarthaṁ daṇḍakāraṇyaṁ praviṣṭaḥ sudurāsadam ||
ഈ രാമൻ ആര്? അവന്റെ ബലം എങ്ങനെയാണ്, രൂപം എങ്ങനെയാണ്, വീര്യം എങ്ങനെയാണ്? പിന്നെ ഏതു ലക്ഷ്യത്താൽ അത്യന്തം ദുഷ്പ്രാപ്യമായ ദണ്ഡകാരണ്യത്തിൽ അവൻ പ്രവേശിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നു?
Who is Rama? What is his strength? How does he look? How valiant is he? For what purpose has he entered the impenetrable Dandaka forest?
FAQs
Inquiry itself is ethically neutral, but in dharmic terms, knowledge should serve right judgment; here, the questioning foreshadows strategic intent that will be turned toward adharma.
Hearing Śūrpaṇakhā’s report, Rāvaṇa asks probing questions about Rāma’s identity and capabilities and why he is in Daṇḍaka.
Discernment and assessment (viveka) appear as a capacity—though the narrative later shows how such capacity can be misdirected by ego and desire.