Canto 3 -
Araṇya-kāṇḍa
Chapter 69: Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa Meet Kabandha
Text 3.69.41
एतस्मिन्नन्तरे क्रूरो भ्रातरौ रामलक्ष्मणौ।
पप्रच्छ घननिर्घोषः कबन्धो दानवोत्तमः॥
etasminn antare krūro bhrātarau rāma-lakṣmaṇau
papraccha ghana-nirghoṣaḥ kabandho dānavottamaḥ
etasmin antare = in the meanwhile; krūraḥ = and who was cruel; bhrātarau = the brothers; rāma-lakṣmaṇau = Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa; papraccha = asked [the following]; ghana-nirghoṣaḥ = whose voice resembled the sound of clouds; kabandhaḥ = Kabandha; dānava-uttamaḥ = who was the best of the dānavas.
In the meanwhile, Kabandha—who was the best of the dānavas, whose voice resembled the sound of clouds and who was cruel—asked the brothers Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa [the following].