Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 20: Daśaratha Refuses to Give Rāma
Text 1.20.13
किंवीर्या राक्षसास्ते च कस्य पुत्राश्च के च ते।
कथंप्रमाणाःके चैतान्रक्षन्ति मुनिपुङ्गव॥
kiṁ-vīryā rākṣasās te ca kasya putrāś ca ke ca te
kathaṁ-pramāṇāḥ ke caitān rakṣanti muni-puṅgava
kim-vīryāḥ = how powerful are; rākṣasāḥ = rākṣasas; te ca = those; kasya = whose; putrāḥ ca = sons are they; ke ca = what are; te = their names; katham-pramāṇāḥ = how do they look like; ke ca= who; etān = them; rakṣanti = protects; muni-puṅgava = O best of the sages.
How powerful are those rākṣasas? Whose sons are they? What are their names? How do they look like? O best of the sages, who protects them?
He asks Viśvāmitra these questions about who has to be fought with in order to point out that it is inappropriate under all circumstances to take Rāma. By asking who protected the rākṣasas, Daśaratha wants to know who their chief is.