Ramayana — Yuddha Kanda, Sarga 25, Shloka 3
शुकसारण-चारप्रवेशः
Suka and Sāraṇa’s Espionage and Release
सागरेसेतुबन्दंतुनश्रद्दध्यांकथञ्चन ।अवश्यंचापिसङ् ख्येयंतन्मयावानरंबलम् ।।।।
sāgare setubandhaṃ tu na śraddadhyāṃ kathañcana | avaśyaṃ cāpi saṅkhyeyaṃ tan mayā vānaraṃ balam ||
Aku sama sekali tidak dapat mempercayai bahawa sebuah jambatan telah dibina merentasi lautan. Namun aku wajib memastikan kekuatan serta bilangan bala tentera Vānara itu.
"O king of Rakshasas! Vibheeshana held us captive for slaying us. But righteous self, Rama, the highly effulgent one released us on seeing."
FAQs
Dharma here aligns with responsible judgment: before acting, one must seek truthful assessment of facts (satya) rather than relying on disbelief or pride.
Rāvaṇa’s agents have witnessed the astonishing sea-bridge; the speaker admits disbelief but insists on accurately assessing the Vānara forces.
Prudence and realism—valuing verification and strategic clarity over denial.