Shloka 3
शार्दूलचरवृत्तान्तः
Saardula’s Spy-Report on Rama’s Camp and the Vanara Host
अयथावच्चतेवर्णोदीनश्चासिनिशाचर ।नासिकच्चिदमित्राणांक्रुद्धानांवशमागतः ।।6.30.3।।
ayathāvac ca te varṇo dīnaś cāsi niśācara |
nāsi kaccid amitrāṇāṁ kruddhānāṁ vaśam āgataḥ ||6.30.3||
Hỡi kẻ lang thang trong đêm, sắc diện ngươi chẳng như thường, lại mang vẻ khốn đốn. Nói ta nghe—có phải ngươi đã rơi vào tay những kẻ thù đang nổi giận chăng?
"O Forest ranger! Your face is not as it should be and also pitiable. Hope the angry enemies have not done anything to you."
FAQs
A ruler’s dharma includes vigilance and responsibility for intelligence-gathering; Ravana notices his agent’s distress and probes whether the messenger has been compromised by enemies.
In the war-camp context, Ravana questions Śārdūla, who has returned shaken, asking whether hostile forces have captured or coerced him.
Alertness and political prudence (rāja-nīti): reading signs (a messenger’s demeanor) and verifying the reliability of information.