Canto 1 - Boyhood
Bāla-kāṇḍa
Chapter 24: The History of Sarayū
Text 1.24.12
स वनं घोरसङ्काशं दृष्ट्वा नृपवरात्मजः।
अविप्रहतमैक्ष्वाकः पप्रच्छ मुनिपुङ्गवम्॥
sa vanaṁ ghora-saṅkāśaṁ dṛṣṭvā nṛpa-varātmajaḥ
aviprahatam aikṣvākaḥ papraccha muni-puṅgavam
saḥ = the; vanam = forest; ghora-saṅkāśam = of terrible form; dṛṣṭvā = upon seeing; nṛpa-vara-ātmajaḥ = Prince Rāma; aviprahatam = the bare; aikṣvākaḥ = descendant of Ikṣvāku; papraccha = asked as follows; muni-puṅgavam = the best of sages.
Upon seeing the bare forest of terrible form, Prince Rāma, the descendant of Ikṣvāku, asked the best of sages as follows.
The forest was empty of human movement.