Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 12: Agastya Requests Rāma to Protect the Sages
Text 3.12.56
दण्डकेन परित्यक्तो ह्ययं देशो महात्मना।
भार्गवस्य च शापेन निर्मनुष्यमृगोऽभवत्॥
daṇḍakena parityakto hy ayaṁ deśo mahātmanā
bhārgavasya ca śāpena nirmanuṣya-mṛgo ’bhavat
daṇḍakena = Daṇḍaka; parityaktaḥ hi = had been abandoned; ayam = this; deśaḥ = land; mahā-ātmanā = by the great soul; bhārgavasya = of Bhṛgu’s descendant; ca = and; śāpena = by the curse; nirmanuṣya-mṛgaḥ = devoid of men and animals; abhavat = it became.
This land had been abandoned by the great soul Daṇḍaka and by the curse of Bhṛgu’s descendant, it became devoid of men and animals.1
1 Daṇḍaka was a son of Ikṣvāku. In the earlier part of his life, he was pious.